POSTGRADUATE THESIS WRITING
A Thesis Editor Perspective
By
ANUAR B. HUSIN (Ed.)
Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
anuarhusin@hotmail.com
POSTGRADUATE THESIS
WRITING
A FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENT APPROACH
Toward Mitigating SCOPING, STRUCTURING
& LANGUAGE Issues in POSTGRADUATE
THESIS WRITING.
NOTE for VIEWERS
These are only random samplings of
the slides that I use in my thesis
writing workshops
Sorry, if they don`t appear quite
sequential in places..
Anyway, do enjoy them…if they are of
any use !
A FRAMEWORK ALIGMENT
APPROACH for THESIS WRITING
DISCOURSE FRAMEWORK
IDEATIONAL & STRUCTURAL
BUILDING BLOCKS
CRITERIA for aligning SCOPE, STRUCTURE,
& LANGUAGE
for GOOD thesis writing
MAJOR ISSUES PLAGUING THESIS
WRITING
SCOPING , STRUCTURING & LANGUAGE ISSUES
are PERENNIAL ISSUES PLAGUING
POSTGRADUATE students` THESIS WRITING.
SUCCESS depend on their CAPABILITY to WRITE
& RESOLVE
These critical WRITING ISSUES.
THESIS ALIGNMENT APPROACH for
SCOPING, STRUCTURING & LANGUAGE
FRAMEWORK
are UNIVERSAL APPROACH
ADAPTABLE
to MITIGATE any SCOPING, STRUCTURING
& LANGUAGE ISSUES
Of RESEARCH WRITING
A PARADIGM OF THESIS WRITING
PROBLEM → SOLUTION
PROBLEM → METHOD →
DATA
SOLUTION
PROBLEM → VERIFICATION
DATA
Collection &
Analysis
→ VALIDATION →
DATA
Conclusion &
Affirmation
SOLUTION
DATA
Recommendation
PROBLEM → THEORIES → PRACTICES → SOLUTION
LEVEL of PROBLEM
Conceptual
Problem
Polity Problem
Technical Problem
LEVEL of METHOD
Normative
Method
Qualitative
Method
Quantitative Method
LEVEL of SOLUTIONs
Conceptual
Solution
Polity Solution
Technical Solution
3-in-1 SOLUTIONS
CONCEPTUAL
SOLUTION
POLITY
SOLUTION
PROBLEM
TECHNICAL
SOLUTION
SCOPING
HOW BIG IS THE THESIS ?
PROBLEM SOLUTION
PROBLEM → METHOD → SOLUTION
PROBLEM → VERIFICATION → VALIDATION → SOLUTION
PROBLEM → THEORIES → PRACTICES → SOLUTION
LANGUAGE
HOW TO WRITE OUT THE THESIS ?
PROBLEM SOLUTION
PROBLEM → METHOD → SOLUTION
PROBLEM → VERIFICATION → VALIDATION → SOLUTION
PROBLEM → THEORIES → PRACTICES → SOLUTION
INTRODUCTION LITERATURE
REVIEW
/THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK →
METHOD
Technique/Instrument
Data Analysis
Findings →
DISSCUSSION &
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION ISSUES &
DISCUSSION (n) →
CONCLUSION → RECOMMENDATI
ON (n)
WHY SCOPING, STRUCTURING &
LANGUAGE ISSUES ?
SCOPING STRUCTURING LANGUAGE
AFFECT
↓
COHESION →
(flow)
← COHERENCE →
(clarity)
← CONSISTENCY
(holistic)
↓
THESIS
AS POSTGRADUATE
RESEARCH WRITING
WHY FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENT
APPROACH ?
ALIGNMENT APPROACH
PROVIDES
↓
BOUNDARIES
→←
→SCOPING← →STRUCTURAL ← →LANGUAGE←
Nicely-capped milk bottle
WITHIN WHICH
→← Spilled milk from a bucket
RESEARCH THESIS CAN BE
WRITTEN
SIGNIFICANCE of PROBLEM
CONCEPTUAL
SIGNIFICANCE
POLITY
SIGNIFICANCE
PROBLEM
TECHNICAL
SIGNIFICANCE
MAJOR WRITING ISSUES
SCOPE CRITERIA for Postgraduate Thesis
CRITERIA of Good Thesis CONTENT
STRUCTURE TEMPLATE of Postgraduate Thesis
STRUCTURE of Postgraduate Thesis
STRUCTURAL ALIGNMENT of Thesis
LANGUAGE ENGLISH Language Skills for Postgraduate
Thesis
PARADIGM of Academic Discourse
THEORETICAL F/WORK
CONCEPTS
RANKS
THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
RELATIONSHIPS
METHODOLOGICAL F/WORK
NORNATIVE
QUANTITATIVE
METHDOLOGICAL
FRAMEWORK
QUALITATIVE
UNDERSTAND F/WORK of DATA
ANALYSIS
NORMATIVE
QUANTITATIVE
VERIFICATION &
VALIDATIION
OF DATA
QUALITATIVE
LEVEL of VERIFICATION & VALIDATION
Verification &
Validation at
Normative/Conceptual
Level
↑Verification & Validation at
Polity Level←
↑ Verification & Validation at Technical
Level←
LEVEL of ABSTRACTION
Concept at
Philosophy
Level
Concept at Polity
Level
Concept at Technical/
Procedure Level
LEVEL of EXPLICATION
Conceptual
Explication
Theoretical
Explication
Literal (Technical)
Explication
UNDERSTAND IDEATIONAL DEPTH
PROBLEM LEVEL OF
ABSTRACTION
LEVEL OF
EXPLICATION
CONCEPTUAL
CORRUPTIION
ERROR IN CONCEPTION
CONCEPTUAL
ABSTRACTION
CONCEPTUAL
EXPLICATION
POLITY
CORRUPTIION
ERROR IN THEORIZATION
POLITY
ABSTRACTION
POLITY
EXPLICATION
TECHNICAL
CORRUPTIION
ERROR IN TECHNICALITY
TECHNICAL
ABSTRACTION
TECHNICAL
EXPLICATION
ALIGNMENT ?
ALIGNMENT is a notion of BALANCE,
PROPORTION, EQUILIBRIUM
& MEANINGFULNESS of a thesis
With it`s Scope , Structure & Language
In HARMONY within the
framework of its component parts.
FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENT
APPROACH
BLUEPRINT For ORGANIZING CONTENT of
MAJOR THESIS COMPONENTS
GUIDELINES For WRITING ORGANIC THESIS
PATTERN For HOLISTIC & MEANINGFUL
THESIS
SOLUTIONS For SCOPING, STRUCTURING &
LANGUAGE ISSUES
WHY FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENT
APPROACH?
GUIDES the WRITING PROCESS Beginning to End.
THESIS
WRITING
IS...
NOT a process of trial & error nor a product of
chaos or incidental untutored skills.
NOT a boundless creative activity, unplanned,
impetuous, whimsical & limitless.
both science & arts : structural & creative-driven
somewhere between pragmatics and
imagination
a systematic & creative intellectual effort driven
by scientific & artistic creativities.
WHAT to PUT IN & What to KEEP OUT
More WHY FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENT
APPROACH?
GUIDES the WRITING PROCESS Beginning to End.
Thesis
writing
should be
a structured process midway between hands-on
and hands-off approach.
a structured writing plan with clear boundary
and plenty of rooms for creative intellection.
a structured process within its own timeframe
a structured plan that lessen digressions,
irrelevance and redundancies
WHAT to PUT IN & What to KEEP OUT
WHAT you PUT IN becomes KNOWLEDGE
WHAT you LIKE but have to KEEP OUT are SPARE AMMUNITION
THANK GOD !
WE CAN MANAGE THESE ISSUES.
FIRST a thesis draft MUST BE READY !
We can DEMYSTIFY its WRITING by exposing its
TEMPLATE.
DIAGNOSE & REMEDY its SCOPE & STRUCTURE
issues.
Resolve LANGUAGE issues by properly WORD
the IDEAS.
PARADIGMS of FRAMEWORK
ALIGNMENT APPROACH
• THESIS BIG PICTURE
• HOLISTIC VIEW of SCOPE & STRUCTURE of
THESIS & ITS LANGUAGE
THESIS
BLUEPRINT
• Parallel to RESEARCH PROCESS
• SYSTEMATIC SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
RESEARCH
PROCESS
• Parallel to TEACHING PROCESS
• SYSTEMATIC SUPERVISION APPROACH
TEACHING &
SUPERVISION
SOME MORE PARADIGMS of TEMPLATE
ALIGNMENT APPROACH
• Parallel to LEARNING PROCESS
• SYSTEMATIC LEARNING
LEARNING
• SYSTEMATIC PROCESS
• EPISTEMOLOGICAL/TAXONOMICAL
KNOWLEDGE
CONSTRUCTION
• Parallel to SCHOLARLY THINKING PROCESS
• POSITIVE SCHOLARLY TRAIT
SCHOLARSHIP
FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENT
& THESIS QUALITY
A GOOD THESIS content
ORGANIC ALIGNMENT of SCOPE , STRUCTURE
& LANGUAGE .
A BAD THESIS content
INORGANIC & MISALIGNED SCOPE ,
STRUCTURE & LANGUAGE.
PRIMARY ELEMENTS OF THESIS
ALIGNMENT
CONTENT
Scope Structure Language
A GOOD THESIS ALIGNMENT
SCOPE STRUCTURE LANGUAGE
Therefore ...A GOOD THESIS is…
A well-aligned thesis content with
scope, structure & language in an
organic state of equilibrium making
it a meaningful & holistic academic
research.
SCOPING
SCOPE or COVERAGE of THESIS
CONTENT.
WHAT to PUT INTO the THESIS ?
HOW MUCH DETAILS ?
SCOPING CRITERIA
Scoping is bounded by Quantitative, Qualitative &
Normative criteria of the issues under study
Normative
Qualitative
Quantitative
Qualitative Scope (Content Elements)
Topic
Problem
Statement
Objectives &
Research Questions
Quantitative Scope (Empirical Elements)
CHAPTER
SECTIONS
WORDS
NUMBERS
GRAPHICS
APPENDICES
TIME FRAME
PARAGRAPH
Normative Scope (Ideational Depth)
Philosophy
Polity
Practices
STRUCTURING TEMPLATE
BIG PICTURE of
FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENT
NORMATIVE
CRITERIA
QUALITATIVE
CRITERIA
THESIS
QUANTITATIVE
CRITERIA
THANK YOU

Graduate Thesis Writing Workshop: Framework Alignment Approach

  • 1.
    POSTGRADUATE THESIS WRITING AThesis Editor Perspective By ANUAR B. HUSIN (Ed.) Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia anuarhusin@hotmail.com
  • 2.
    POSTGRADUATE THESIS WRITING A FRAMEWORKALIGNMENT APPROACH Toward Mitigating SCOPING, STRUCTURING & LANGUAGE Issues in POSTGRADUATE THESIS WRITING.
  • 3.
    NOTE for VIEWERS Theseare only random samplings of the slides that I use in my thesis writing workshops Sorry, if they don`t appear quite sequential in places.. Anyway, do enjoy them…if they are of any use !
  • 4.
    A FRAMEWORK ALIGMENT APPROACHfor THESIS WRITING DISCOURSE FRAMEWORK IDEATIONAL & STRUCTURAL BUILDING BLOCKS CRITERIA for aligning SCOPE, STRUCTURE, & LANGUAGE for GOOD thesis writing
  • 5.
    MAJOR ISSUES PLAGUINGTHESIS WRITING SCOPING , STRUCTURING & LANGUAGE ISSUES are PERENNIAL ISSUES PLAGUING POSTGRADUATE students` THESIS WRITING. SUCCESS depend on their CAPABILITY to WRITE & RESOLVE These critical WRITING ISSUES.
  • 6.
    THESIS ALIGNMENT APPROACHfor SCOPING, STRUCTURING & LANGUAGE FRAMEWORK are UNIVERSAL APPROACH ADAPTABLE to MITIGATE any SCOPING, STRUCTURING & LANGUAGE ISSUES Of RESEARCH WRITING
  • 7.
    A PARADIGM OFTHESIS WRITING PROBLEM → SOLUTION PROBLEM → METHOD → DATA SOLUTION PROBLEM → VERIFICATION DATA Collection & Analysis → VALIDATION → DATA Conclusion & Affirmation SOLUTION DATA Recommendation PROBLEM → THEORIES → PRACTICES → SOLUTION
  • 8.
  • 9.
  • 10.
  • 11.
  • 12.
    SCOPING HOW BIG ISTHE THESIS ? PROBLEM SOLUTION PROBLEM → METHOD → SOLUTION PROBLEM → VERIFICATION → VALIDATION → SOLUTION PROBLEM → THEORIES → PRACTICES → SOLUTION
  • 13.
    LANGUAGE HOW TO WRITEOUT THE THESIS ? PROBLEM SOLUTION PROBLEM → METHOD → SOLUTION PROBLEM → VERIFICATION → VALIDATION → SOLUTION PROBLEM → THEORIES → PRACTICES → SOLUTION INTRODUCTION LITERATURE REVIEW /THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK → METHOD Technique/Instrument Data Analysis Findings → DISSCUSSION & CONCLUSION INTRODUCTION ISSUES & DISCUSSION (n) → CONCLUSION → RECOMMENDATI ON (n)
  • 14.
    WHY SCOPING, STRUCTURING& LANGUAGE ISSUES ? SCOPING STRUCTURING LANGUAGE AFFECT ↓ COHESION → (flow) ← COHERENCE → (clarity) ← CONSISTENCY (holistic) ↓ THESIS AS POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH WRITING
  • 15.
    WHY FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENT APPROACH? ALIGNMENT APPROACH PROVIDES ↓ BOUNDARIES →← →SCOPING← →STRUCTURAL ← →LANGUAGE← Nicely-capped milk bottle WITHIN WHICH →← Spilled milk from a bucket RESEARCH THESIS CAN BE WRITTEN
  • 16.
  • 17.
    MAJOR WRITING ISSUES SCOPECRITERIA for Postgraduate Thesis CRITERIA of Good Thesis CONTENT STRUCTURE TEMPLATE of Postgraduate Thesis STRUCTURE of Postgraduate Thesis STRUCTURAL ALIGNMENT of Thesis LANGUAGE ENGLISH Language Skills for Postgraduate Thesis PARADIGM of Academic Discourse
  • 18.
  • 19.
  • 20.
    UNDERSTAND F/WORK ofDATA ANALYSIS NORMATIVE QUANTITATIVE VERIFICATION & VALIDATIION OF DATA QUALITATIVE
  • 21.
    LEVEL of VERIFICATION& VALIDATION Verification & Validation at Normative/Conceptual Level ↑Verification & Validation at Polity Level← ↑ Verification & Validation at Technical Level←
  • 22.
    LEVEL of ABSTRACTION Conceptat Philosophy Level Concept at Polity Level Concept at Technical/ Procedure Level
  • 23.
  • 24.
    UNDERSTAND IDEATIONAL DEPTH PROBLEMLEVEL OF ABSTRACTION LEVEL OF EXPLICATION CONCEPTUAL CORRUPTIION ERROR IN CONCEPTION CONCEPTUAL ABSTRACTION CONCEPTUAL EXPLICATION POLITY CORRUPTIION ERROR IN THEORIZATION POLITY ABSTRACTION POLITY EXPLICATION TECHNICAL CORRUPTIION ERROR IN TECHNICALITY TECHNICAL ABSTRACTION TECHNICAL EXPLICATION
  • 25.
    ALIGNMENT ? ALIGNMENT isa notion of BALANCE, PROPORTION, EQUILIBRIUM & MEANINGFULNESS of a thesis With it`s Scope , Structure & Language In HARMONY within the framework of its component parts.
  • 26.
    FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENT APPROACH BLUEPRINT ForORGANIZING CONTENT of MAJOR THESIS COMPONENTS GUIDELINES For WRITING ORGANIC THESIS PATTERN For HOLISTIC & MEANINGFUL THESIS SOLUTIONS For SCOPING, STRUCTURING & LANGUAGE ISSUES
  • 27.
    WHY FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENT APPROACH? GUIDESthe WRITING PROCESS Beginning to End. THESIS WRITING IS... NOT a process of trial & error nor a product of chaos or incidental untutored skills. NOT a boundless creative activity, unplanned, impetuous, whimsical & limitless. both science & arts : structural & creative-driven somewhere between pragmatics and imagination a systematic & creative intellectual effort driven by scientific & artistic creativities. WHAT to PUT IN & What to KEEP OUT
  • 28.
    More WHY FRAMEWORKALIGNMENT APPROACH? GUIDES the WRITING PROCESS Beginning to End. Thesis writing should be a structured process midway between hands-on and hands-off approach. a structured writing plan with clear boundary and plenty of rooms for creative intellection. a structured process within its own timeframe a structured plan that lessen digressions, irrelevance and redundancies WHAT to PUT IN & What to KEEP OUT WHAT you PUT IN becomes KNOWLEDGE WHAT you LIKE but have to KEEP OUT are SPARE AMMUNITION
  • 29.
    THANK GOD ! WECAN MANAGE THESE ISSUES. FIRST a thesis draft MUST BE READY ! We can DEMYSTIFY its WRITING by exposing its TEMPLATE. DIAGNOSE & REMEDY its SCOPE & STRUCTURE issues. Resolve LANGUAGE issues by properly WORD the IDEAS.
  • 30.
    PARADIGMS of FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENTAPPROACH • THESIS BIG PICTURE • HOLISTIC VIEW of SCOPE & STRUCTURE of THESIS & ITS LANGUAGE THESIS BLUEPRINT • Parallel to RESEARCH PROCESS • SYSTEMATIC SCIENTIFIC APPROACH RESEARCH PROCESS • Parallel to TEACHING PROCESS • SYSTEMATIC SUPERVISION APPROACH TEACHING & SUPERVISION
  • 31.
    SOME MORE PARADIGMSof TEMPLATE ALIGNMENT APPROACH • Parallel to LEARNING PROCESS • SYSTEMATIC LEARNING LEARNING • SYSTEMATIC PROCESS • EPISTEMOLOGICAL/TAXONOMICAL KNOWLEDGE CONSTRUCTION • Parallel to SCHOLARLY THINKING PROCESS • POSITIVE SCHOLARLY TRAIT SCHOLARSHIP
  • 32.
    FRAMEWORK ALIGNMENT & THESISQUALITY A GOOD THESIS content ORGANIC ALIGNMENT of SCOPE , STRUCTURE & LANGUAGE . A BAD THESIS content INORGANIC & MISALIGNED SCOPE , STRUCTURE & LANGUAGE.
  • 33.
    PRIMARY ELEMENTS OFTHESIS ALIGNMENT CONTENT Scope Structure Language
  • 34.
    A GOOD THESISALIGNMENT SCOPE STRUCTURE LANGUAGE
  • 35.
    Therefore ...A GOODTHESIS is… A well-aligned thesis content with scope, structure & language in an organic state of equilibrium making it a meaningful & holistic academic research.
  • 36.
    SCOPING SCOPE or COVERAGEof THESIS CONTENT. WHAT to PUT INTO the THESIS ? HOW MUCH DETAILS ?
  • 37.
    SCOPING CRITERIA Scoping isbounded by Quantitative, Qualitative & Normative criteria of the issues under study Normative Qualitative Quantitative
  • 38.
    Qualitative Scope (ContentElements) Topic Problem Statement Objectives & Research Questions
  • 39.
    Quantitative Scope (EmpiricalElements) CHAPTER SECTIONS WORDS NUMBERS GRAPHICS APPENDICES TIME FRAME PARAGRAPH
  • 40.
    Normative Scope (IdeationalDepth) Philosophy Polity Practices
  • 41.
  • 42.
    BIG PICTURE of FRAMEWORKALIGNMENT NORMATIVE CRITERIA QUALITATIVE CRITERIA THESIS QUANTITATIVE CRITERIA
  • 43.