This paper describes scientific writing skills .By Prof.ALAY AHMAD

1. How To Write Thesis :
Effective Communicative
Style
PROF.DR.ALAY AHMAD

2. Prof Alay Ahmad
PhD;Postdoctorate ;FSAP
Dean Faculty of Social Sciences
Head Dept of Applied Psychology & Mass
Communication
Preston University Peshawar campus
HEC Approved PhD Supervisor
Chief Editor Preston Jr of Soc Sciences
Consulting Editor: Science ;Yagnoda ;Clinical
Psychology

3. Following Sections Are
Recommended
• Introduction
• Review of Literature
• Method
• Procedure
• Results & Discussion
• Conclusion
• Summary
• Limitations & Suggestions
• References

4. Title
• Total number of words vary
• Usually between 12-15 words are
recommended by APPA
• It must be concise because it would be
indexed
• Avoid Abbreviations

5. Introduction
• Introduce your main problem
• Highlight main issues
• Avoid unrelated topics
• What is your raised question and why you
raised this question ?

6. Review of Literature
• It is also called
• Historical Background
• Main guidelines:
• Recall your main issues
• Select appropriate literature
• Consult Professional Journals

7. • Consult most recent books
• Make important points from the literature related to your
main theme of research
• Remember Literature review means critical appreciation
of earlier researches .Present your own opinion in this
regard
• If you do not agree with any theory / experiment do not
show aggressive behavior .
• Be polite in critical evaluations of earlier works

8. Example of critical appreciation:
• Examine total number of subjects , tools ,
instructions , methodology
• Year of research in which it was carried out
• Cross-cultural Issues ( can you apply their
findings in your country ?)
• Do you agree with their contributions , if not ,
explain ?

9. Example ;Critical Review
• Recall Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning ‘
• On his contributions . B F Skinner’s
comments :
• ‘’ Nothing more than reflex
actions “

10. Recall Milgram’s experiment
•General comments :
•‘Bogus pipe line experiment’
• This was unethical experiment

11. • Develop your imagination
• Use your creativity
• Find out advantages and disadvantages
• ( if any ) of earlier studies .
• Remember , criticism is based on logic,
reason not just criticize for the sake of
criticism

12. Method
• It refers to your planning .
• Studies never conducted without proper
scientific planning .
• Again note :Why you are undertaking research
project ? How you plan to solve problem ?For
solution of a problem you need most suitable
methodology .Select appropriate methods and
justify your selection ?

13. Methodology
• Recall your problem , earlier works , r
main objective(s), earlier researches and
utilize your creativity ;
• What you intend to do ?
• What are your planning & goals and how
you would achieve them ?Describe them
step by step in sequential order .

14. Sampling
• Describe your population and give brief
reason of your choice
• Describe your sample eg;demograpic
variables
• For example , age , socio-economic
conditions , education , gender , age ,
nature of organization, geographical
conditions , disability , temporary / causal
contracts , and related information

15. • Sampling , an example ;
• A total of 101 students were recruited from an
urban high school in Honolulu . .Of these , 9
participated in a focus group, 5 were
interviewed individually , and 86 completed
questionnaire ….The 87 participants who
completed the questionnaire consisted of 49
males and 38 females ….The participants ranged
in age from 14-19 years with a mean age of 16
…Black were dropped because there were not
enough Black participants to constitute a fifth
group ( J Acosta , 2003 , pp15 , 16 )

16. Continued :Methodology
• Your Measures
• What are your planning to measure your parameters
and how would you measure them ?
• Tools ( instruments / apparatus/materials ) measure
your parameters
• Describe them ;write full name of the test , apparatus ,
if unfamiliar describe in appendix with the permission of
constructor of the test .

17. Measures
• In summary , discuss tools used for manipulation of
variables and measuring techniques .
• Warning : Briefly explain why you selected a
particular tool to study variables ?
• Give reasons , for example , if previously test /
technique used by others , you can cite them
• Or give your own logic of preference of that
tool

18. Tools (contd)
• Notice : Consult basic text on the following topics :
• Measuring Tools must be :
• VALID and REALIABLE
• 1.Valid : that is the tool actually measuring what it
claims to be measuring
• 2.Reliablliry ;It refers to consistency of measurement .
• Validity and reliability two important factors ( including
generalizable ) to evaluate research

19. Measures: A Different
Perspective
• Recall , your objective , problems etc .
• What you intend to measure ;
• What you want to study ?
• That is your Variables known as
• 1. Independent variable
• 2. Dependent Variable

20. Variables
• If you say Reward was independent variable
, it is unscientific
• If you say Performance was dependent
variable , it is wrong .
• So what to do ?
• Wait for next slide .Think your self

21. Variables
• Scientific way is to present working definition of
variables .
• That is give Operational definition of :
• Independent Variable
• Dependent Variable
• What is operationalism ?Wait for the next
Seminar or consult Text Book as we are
not dealing with what is operationalism ?

22. Procedure
• The way in which you proceeded with your
study .present it in the same way as you did .
• Mention clearly :
• How Independent Variable was manipulated ?
• How Dependent Variable was measured ?
• How Extraneous Variable was controlled ?
• How Subjects (participants ) were assigned to
experimental / control conditions ?
• If any Subject dropped , mention it , and why S
dropped your study ?
• How Instructions were given ?

23. Procedure
• Examples;
• How Survey was conducted ?
• How Questionnaire ( or test ) was
administered ?
• If Interview was used , mention type of
interviewing technique .
• How responses were collected ?

24. Treatment of Results
• Select most appropriate statistical
treatment .
• Clearly mention is it significant / not
significant , at what level ?
• Prepare tables for your results very neat
and clean
• Prepare Table Number like Table 1
• Prepare most suitable brief Title of each
Table

25. Table ;Title ;example
• Effect of Financial Reward on Industrial
Employees
• Locus of Control and Productivity

26. Discussion
• Points to Member
• Recall your hypotheses
• Variables
• Instructions
• Demographic variables
• Most important is to review earlier theories/
researches Over all your Data

27. • Discuss why your hypothesis verified ?
• Why hypothesis not verified ?
• Discuss your results
• Explain results in the light of relevant theories

28. Discussion
• Refer those earlier researches which support
your hypothesis
• Refer to earlier works which do not support your
hypothesis .
• Findings of your study significant or not
• Also consider qualitative aspect of study .

29. Limitations and Suggestions
• Clearly briefly write limitations of your study
• How to control those limitations
• Suggestions provide an opportunity for future
researches

30. •Reference Wait Next Slide
•Tell me What is Left ?
•What do you want more ?

31. What is Left ?
• Abstract
• Hypothesis
• Do this as Home Work ?

32. • Thank you very much for your attention
• Remember I am computer illiterate
• Any mistake , forgive me

33. Acknowledgement
• Thank you very much for your Creative
Attention
• Remember Research is Creativity ,
Intellectual Property , Contribution to your
Field , Services to Human Beings
• NO PLAGIRISAM