Tag Archives: thesis

mapping a text

Posted on March 4, 2019 by pat thomson

I love a good map. I’m not talking about the satnav you have in your car, or its predecessor the street directory. Nor am I talking about the underground map I occasionally have to consult when I’m down in London. … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, argument, book writing, mapping, thesis | Tagged argument, book, mapping, Pat Thomson, thesis | 7 Comments

tiny texts – small is powerful

Posted on February 11, 2019 by pat thomson

I work a lot with tiny texts. Abstracts. Storyboards. Story threads. Lines of argument. Tiny texts are my academic writing tool of choice. If I had to abandon all the other writing strategies I have in my repertoire, this is … Continue reading →

Posted in abstracts, academic writing, methods, methods chapter, research methods, thesis, Tiny Text | Tagged abstratc, argument, methods chapter, Pat Thomson, thesis, Tiny Text | 7 Comments

revising a thesis chapter

Posted on October 15, 2018 by pat thomson

You’ve written a first draft of your chapter. Hooray! That’s an achievement. You can’t get anywhere without a first draft. Pat yourself on the back. And then… Step away from the desk. Take a break. Leave your draft and do … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, chapter, crappy first draft, revision, revision strategy, thesis, thesis revision | Tagged academic writing, first draft, Pat Thomson, thesis, thesis chapter, thesis revision | 3 Comments

writing more than one thing at the same time – part two, authoring

Posted on September 3, 2018 by pat thomson

There are good reasons for writing alongside the thesis. Besides contributing to the work (see first post) and your cv, there are authoring benefits. These include: the chance to learn more about academic writing the opportunity to develop a scholarly … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, academic writing voice, authority in writing, authorship, crafting writing, genre, good academic writing, writing more then one thing at once | Tagged authoring, convention, Pat Thomson, reader, thesis, voice, writing more than one thing at once | Leave a comment

publishing from the phd – make a publication plan

Posted on May 21, 2018 by pat thomson

There are two ways to approach publishing from your PhD. One is to write the first thing that interests you. Or the recent thing that you presented at a conference. Or write the thing that someone very important has invited … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, PhD, publication plan, publishing, thesis to papers | Tagged academic book, journal articles, Pat Thomson, publication, publication plan, thesis | 5 Comments

thesis knowhow – “the contribution” can create coherence

Posted on April 2, 2018 by pat thomson

My Nordic colleagues often say that the thesis has to have a red thread, a line of argument that holds things together. So what’s this red thread? Think of the red thread as a sturdy rope that guides the reader … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, argument, coherence, contribution, thesis, thesis warrant | Tagged argument, coherence, contribution, Pat Thomson, red thread, thesis | 7 Comments

writing the thesis – the theoretical framework

Posted on March 12, 2018 by pat thomson

Please note that I write my blog on weekends. It is not part of my workload or job description. I support the #USSstrike and “teach out” online. Not every thesis has a section or chapter devoted to a theoretical framework. … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, chapter, examiner, theory, theory chapter, thesis | Tagged examiner, Pat Thomson, theory chapter, thesis | 11 Comments

PhD stuck points

Posted on February 19, 2018 by pat thomson

There are some points in the PhD process where the going gets pretty tough. Stuck points, where it’s hard work. Where it’s difficult to move on. Now don’t get me wrong. These points don’t cause grief to everyone. I’m not … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, data analysis, PhD, research design, research question, structure, stuck points, style and structure, thesis | Tagged analysis, Pat Thomson, PhD, research design, research question, structure, thesis | 7 Comments

get the picture? how not to use images in the thesis

Posted on February 12, 2018 by pat thomson

Thinking of using images in your thesis? Good idea. And easy to do with everything now being digital. I love an image. I enjoy a photograph. I like a good diagram. I’m happy pouring over a graph or table. But not … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, diagram, graph, illustration, image, photography, table, thesis | Tagged diagram, graph, illustrations, Pat Thomson, photo, table, thesis | 1 Comment

leave a good last impression – the thesis conclusion

Posted on January 29, 2018 by pat thomson

Writing the conclusion to the thesis is hard. It’s often done badly. And it’s something that doctoral researchers often get asked to do more work on. Not at all what they/you need. Writing a conclusion is important. The conclusion is … Continue reading →