Qualitative Thesis Walkthrough

© 2023 Breaking Binaries Research. All rights reserved.
Professor Katrina Pritchard
&
Dr Helen Williams
School of Management, Swansea University
The Twilight Zone
Qualitative Research
Support Sessions

About breaking binaries & twilight zone series
 Research exploring complex and
diverse identities at work
Challenges categorical & binary
understanding of differences
Research projects funded by ISBE, the
CIPD and Swansea University

 Thinking about your thesis
 Overview of our theses
BREAK
 The Walkthrough:
• Literature Reviews
• Theoretical framework, methodology, method
• Empirical context and findings
• Discussion and Conclusion
 Q&A
Qualitative Thesis Walkthough

 A qualitative thesis is……..
Write down the first three things that come into your head
when you think about a Phd/DBA thesis, any old thesis!
My qualitative thesis is…..
Now write down the first three things that come into your
head about your own thesis…..
Thinking about your thesis

Your institution will have a list of specific requirements for your
thesis which will cover everything from how it is bound to word
length etc.
Your supervisory team will also have views on your thesis
structure, approach etc.
 But all theses – and especially qualitative theses – vary hugely
 There is no ‘perfect’ thesis – as the old saying goes…..a good
PhD is a finished PhD!

A thesis is:
essentially the story of your research journey
written for a very specific audience (your examiners) who will
likely read this on the train, between meetings and in several
sittings.
that aims to coherently and clearly explain how you have meet
the degree requirements to which you are submitting (which will
be assessed by your examiners)

 Knowledge at work: a study of Human Resources Professionals
• How do HR professionals discursively construct knowledge and
perform knowing?
• What constructions of HR professional knowledge emerge?
• In what ways are the different constructions enacted?
One year ethnography in an Investment Bank coupled with
discourse analysis of data
1 yr Part-time followed by 3 yrs Full time ESRC funded, Viva
December 2007
Overview of our theses - Katrina

Overview of our theses - Helen
 Entrepreneurial Experiences of
Becoming an Employer
• How do entrepreneurs experience the
transition from non-employer to
employer?
• What are the potential enablers or inhibitors to this
transition?
• What is the impact of this transition from the
entrepreneur’s perspective?
IPA Methodology – conducted 15 3-
hour phenomenological object
interviews
3 years, full-time (university funded),
viva in December 2020

 Thinking about your thesis
 Overview of our theses
BREAK
 The Walkthrough:
• Literature Reviews
• Theoretical framework,
• Methodology & method
• Empirical context and findings
• Discussion and Conclusion
 Q&A
Qualitative Thesis Walkthough

 Are not a text book on the topic – text books are descriptive
and do not have a destination
 Set up your own research project, though ‘gaps’ can be
overrated
 Provide the foundation on which you will demonstrate the
contribution
 Demonstrate a sound understanding of the field and critically
review classic and contemporary literature
 Often are the first thing you start to write and the nearly the
last thing you finish
Literature Reviews

The theoretical framework, as distinct from a ‘theory’, is the way
knowledge is studied and interpreted.
This framework (comprised ontological, epistemological ‘positions’)
provides the intent, motivation, and expectations for your research.
Often the hardest part of the thesis to write, can feel like you are drowning
in philosophy
Recognise this struggle and situate yourself and your research in this
chapter – it is not a textbook (again)
 Know the key debates relevant to your work but do not expect to resolve
them here
 Reflect and recognize the nature of theoretical dilemmas
Theoretical Framework

Methodology: your theoretical approach (links to previous
chapter); Method: what you did (tools and procedures)
Write it as you go – you will not remember what you did and
why later
 It is not a pristine, shiny account of what you might like to have
done – it is the detailed and honest explanation (and
justification of) what you did
Methods literature matters
This is the bedrock for your findings and subsequent
contribution – they cannot rest on shaky ground
Be reflexive!
Methodology & Method

There is no perfect structure; once you find one stick with it
Provide enough context for your examiners
 You do not need to present everything – just what you need to
answer your research questions and build your contribution
The rule of three is helpful but don’t let it restrict you (Three
findings chapters with three key sections in each)
Ensure that you present your analysis (not just your data –
although make sure there is a good balance)
Set up the answer to your research questions
Empirical Context and Findings

 Reflect and review – this is where you connect back to your
literature review to highlight and extend contributions
Contribution is Queen:
• Empirical contribution
• Contribution to practice
• Conceptual/Theoretical contribution (essential)
• Methodological contribution (a bonus)
Tie up any loose ends and head examiners off at the pass with
explanations of future research
Discussion and Conclusion

Plan out your chapters and tackle them one at a time
But remember a thesis is more than a set of individual chapters
Think about the threads that tie your thesis together, especially
connections between your literature review and discussion which are often
overlooked
Write chapter summaries last (write them as if they are the only part
someone might read)
A thesis is not a textbook! Nor is it a mystery tour!
Examiners will read your thesis on the train, between meetings, at home in
bed etc etc, ensure it is easy to read and well signposted
Make time for all the administration and actually putting the whole thing
together
Top Tips

@ProfKPritchard
@HelenCWilliams
@BreakBinaries
helen.c.williams@swansea.ac.uk
k.l.pritchard@swansea.ac.uk

Qualitative Thesis Walkthrough

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