Lisa Åkesson (Coordinator of the Master Thesis Course) Writing a Master Thesis

Content of lecture Structuring a master thesis Why does a thesis fail? Some pieces of advice (mainly on coherence) Supervision Seminars Questions and Answers

Structuring a master thesis Introduction Background Aim and research questions Delimitations Relevance to global studies Previous research Theoretical framework and key concepts Method Results Analysis and discussion Conclusion (future research) References

Introduction Identify subject of thesis Highlight major debates behind this subject Construct introduction as a funnel Optional Outline key arguments (and/or in the conclusion) Define state /key terms

Background Facts, social / political / historical processes and discussions that are necessary for the reader to be familiar with in order to understand the rest of the thesis. Keep it short.

Aim and research questions Aim: Usually a single sentence (or two) Summerizes the objective of the thesis Is a road map telling the reader what to expect from the rest of the thesis Research questions: Closely linked to the aim Clearly define the problems to be explored Both empirical and theoretical / conceptual dimension should be included Avoid yes/no questions Rewrite and rewrite and rewrite!

Delimitations Tell your reader what you are not going to do and why

Relevance for Global Studies Go back to course literature from your earlier courses (esp Theories and Perspectives) You can also bring up: societal (empirical, policy) relevance. scientific (theoretical) relevance

Previous research The thesis shall include a section where you present and discuss previous research of relevance for your topic. Identify key literature Read up on previous research early in the process, before starting to collect empirical material

Theory and concepts Most students use the theoretical framework for exploring their topic and answering their research questions. What theory can help you answer your research questions? Which is your perspective? Some Identify a gap or puzzle in relevant theory and test and develop theory. Key concepts must be defined!

Results and discussion How to present results ? Text, tables Systematic (divide into different themes) Introduce and conclude every theme.Two models: A.One section presenting the results, and the next section analyzing and discussing the results. B.A joint section presenting results, discussion and analysis

Analysis and discussion Return to your research questions Link results and theory

Conclusion Return to your research questions Summarize and conclude Present your main arguments (push them to higher level of abstraction / give them a new twist) Nothing new Future research

Form and style Title: Concise and exact Style: Revise your English carefully References, sources, and footnotes: Be consistent Word count: words (excluding front page, acknowledgements, list of contents, references, notes and appendices) Abstract (250 words, subject, research questions, main findings)

Why is a thesis graded “fail”? Examples: Lack of coherence between aim/research questions, theory, material and analysis Aim and research questions are not (or only partially) discussed in the thesis Aim and research questions are unclear No definition of central concepts Unclear / lacking section on methods: Unclear how the research has been carried out Empirical material is not analysed / not analysed in depth No presentation of erlier research Unclear link between theory and the rest of the thesis Weak conclusions – unclear what the thesis actually argues No discussion of the relevance for Global Studies Obscure English Too many words (more than ) Formalities: many missing references, inconsistent editing with regard to table of content and headings

Two golden rules Include all necessary parts Make sure the thesis is coherent

Coherence Present evidence in a logical manner to persuade the reader of the validity of the thesis Lead the reader through the thesis Try to distinguish between what is on your mind and what you have actually written Each unity (paragraph, sub-section, section) shall deal with one, clear main idea – but on different levels of abstraction Make sure that research questions, theory, method, material, discussions and conclusion are connected to each other.

Some additional test questions Do I answer the questions I pose? Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If not, you may just have summarized rather than argued something. Are my aim and research questions specific enough? Research questions that are too vague are difficult to answer Does the thesis pass the "So what?" test? If a reader's first response is, "So what?" then you need to clarify, or to connect to a larger issue. Does my thesis pass the "how and why?" test? If a reader's first response is "how?" or "why?" your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader

Structure of supervision Timeframe (i.e. when does the student intend to submit the thesis? dates and frequency of supervision?). When is the supervisor available (with regard to travel and vacations, this is especially important if the student plans to submit the thesis in September or January). How to conduct supervision (i.e. through , skype, or meetings?) Supervision through (or Skype) for the whole thesis-writing period is not recommended. If the student intends to leave Gothenburg he/she should make sure to meet the supervisor face-to- face at the initial stage of the thesis course. What will the supervision focus on (i.e. what are the different stages of the writing process? what feed-back and input will be given during the different stages?).