Category Archives: signposts

what is meta-text?

This post is a response to question – yes I do answer them if and when I can. It’s not uncommon for doctoral researchers to find supervisors have written this feedback on a text – “You need more signposting here”. Occasionally … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, meta-text, overview, preview, signposts | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

thesis to book: you may need to change your writing ‘voice’

Unlike thesis examiners, academic book publishers are looking for something that is, above all else, a decent read. A first book is by definition written by an author who isn’t widely known, so publishers will be particularly keen to see … Continue reading

Posted in Helen Sword, nominalisation, signposts, thesis, thingification | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

don’t send your PhD examiner to sleep

It’s 7. 30 pm and Pat is in the lounge room reading. She is examining a thesis but finding it hard to stay awake. Big Brother wonders what the problem might be and summons her to the diary room. “Well … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, signposts, thesis | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments

six differences between thesis and book chapters

This post is in response to a question about chapters in books and dissertations. I do try to answer questions, although it sometimes takes a while! There ARE some key differences between a thesis and a book chapter – here … Continue reading

Posted in argument, chapter, examiner, reader, signposts | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

keeping your thesis reader/examiner on track

I’m currently reading my fifth doctoral thesis for the year. I realized a while ago that I’ve now examined at least fifty doctorates. I guess that’s a lot. I recently decided to go back to my examination reports to see … Continue reading

Posted in dissertation, doctoral research, examiner, reader, signposts, thesis | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

writing a road map – christmas present one

During December I thought I would offer some short writing ‘hacks’, that can be used for practising particular aspects of academic writing. These will be in the form of ‘meta texts’, where the original content has been stripped out to … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, introduction, meta-text, sentence skeleton, signposts | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

a thinking tool (tt) for academic writing: front and backloading

I ‘ve decided to post more on some of the thinking tools that I routinely use in my own writing and in conversation with early career researchers. You’ll see them off and on over the next few months. I’m going … Continue reading

Posted in backloading, blank spot, blind spot, collocation, frontloading, signposts, thingification, thinking tool | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

doing the literature review – thinking about patterns and groups

If you’ve ever watched small children playing then you’ll know that one of the things that they do is to sort things into groups. A bunch of coloured pens, pencils and markers can be sorted by type, colour, size, shape, … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, grouping and patterning, literature review, meta-commentary, signposts, thematisation | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

‘signposting’ your journal articles and chapters

Many early journal writers are asked to put more signposting into their articles. Indeed, journal editors often list lack of signposting as a reason for requesting revisions.   So what is signposting and why is it needed? Signposting is the … Continue reading

Posted in argument, crafting writing, journal, signposts | 8 Comments