Public Libraries of Suffolk County, New York

Writing your master's thesis, from A to Zen, Lynn P. Nygaard

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 194-197) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Writing your master's thesis

bibliography

Lynn P. Nygaard

from A to Zen

This book shows you how to design and write a successful graduate thesis -- Back cover

Machine generated contents note:, 1., Your Master's thesis and you: Moving towards academic Zen --, a., Writing as a relationship between you and the reader --, b., Understanding yourself: What do you want from this? --, c., Understanding your audience: What do your readers expect? --, d., When a rose isn't a rose: Variations in the genre --, e., What a difference a place makes: Cultural and disciplinary differences --, f., Coming in from the outside: English as an additional language --, g., Organization of this book --, pt. I, THE PROCESS --, 2., From topic to question to design: Planning your journey --, a., Choosing a topic --, b., From topic to question --, c., From question to design: Fitness for purpose --, d., Methodology, methods, and materials: What approach will best help me answer my question? --, e., Theory: Which ideas will I use to help me make sense of my material? --, f., Quality checks: The art of critical thinking --, 3., Ethics: Making good choices --, a., Ethics related to the research --, b., Ethics related to the informants --, c., Ethics related to the profession --, d., Ethics related to the writing --, e., Relating to guidelines and procedures --, f., Real (academic) life is messy and ambiguous --, 4., You are what you read: Building a foundation of knowledge --, a., Getting started --, b., How much reading is enough? --, c., Remembering and making sense of what you have read --, d., Transitioning from reader to writer --, 5., Writing as thinking: From rough draft to final document --, a., Writing as a lifestyle --, b., Developing a routine --, c., Intensifying your focus --, d., Motivating yourself --, e., Getting the flow going --, f., Revising, and revising some more --, g., Finding your voice --, h., Writing in a second language --, i., Life happens --, j., Letting go --, 6., Supervision and guidance: Getting help along the way --, a., What you should (and should not) expect from your supervisor --, b., Juggling more than one supervisor --, c., Keeping track of agreements --, d., The elephant in the room: Power imbalances and poor supervision --, e., Where else can you get help? --, f., What to do with the help you get: Managing feedback --, pt. II, THE PRODUCT --, 7., Structure and argument: What's the logic of your story? --, a., The heart of your story: Core argument --, b., The logical flow of academic storytelling --, c., Rules and conventions: Navigating expectations --, 8., Your introduction: How do you fit into the conversation? --, a., Making assumptions about your reader --, b., Providing background on the topic and setting --, c., Summing up the academic conversation: Literature review --, d., Who are you in this conversation? --, e., Dealing with hostile audiences --, f., Shifting from listener to speaker: Joining the conversation --, 9., Your theoretical and conceptual framework: What ideas are you using? --, a., (Re-)writing about theory: A beginner's guide --, b., What kinds of things might need explaining? --, c., Modelling: Providing a big picture --, d., What about terms or ideas you coin yourself? --, e., How do you deal with a theory chapter if your whole thesis is a theoretical work? --, 10., Your method: What did you do to answer your question? --, a., Who are you in relation to your research? Objectivity and transparency --, b., How generalizable do you expect your findings to be? Describing the setting --, c., What kind of research is this? From big picture to detail --, d., What counts as data, and how did you get it? Sources, methodological tools, and sampling --, e., What did you do with your data once you got it? --, f., How do we know that what you say is true? Anticipating critical thinking --, 11., Your results and analysis: What are you building your argument on? --, a., What kind of argument are you trying to make? --, b., Genre conventions of your methodological approach --, c., Presenting quantitative data analysis --, d., Presenting qualitative data analysis --, e., Presenting a non-empirical (or theoretical) analysis --, f., Presenting your data visually --, 12., Your discussion and conclusion: So, what does all this mean? --, a., Summarizing your study --, b., The purpose of a discussion --, c., Implications for existing theory --, d., Implications for practice or policy --, e., Recommendations for future research --, f., Concluding --, 13., The finishing touches: Polishing and submitting your work --, a., Editing for clarity --, b., Editing for language and grammar --, c., Editing for style --, d., Referencing --, e., Formatting and handing it in