How to plan your thesis 26 October 2016 Dr Pippa Goldschmidt (writer-in-residence, STIS)

Series of five workshops: Today – planning for your thesis 3 Nov – fiction writing 26 Nov – writing sentences and paragraphs 1 Feb – first draft vs editing 15 March – critiquing your own work

Who am I? Currently writer-in-residence at STIS Writer of fiction, poetry, reviews, articles I used to be: an astronomer a policy advisor in Govt.

Today’s workshop: University requirements and expectations for written work progression board paper (for PhD students) interim reports thesis/dissertation Practical tools and techniques to help you

What does the University want you to produce? Progression board (PB) paper (by end of year 1): Overall research objective Key research aims/questions What’s novel about your own research Plan of research  

What does the University want you to produce?  PB paper structured around: Abstract Table of contents Introduction Background literature review Methodology Timetable Bibliography Abstract: summarise the main question and your answer to it. Not so important to say what you did, more important to simply outline the overall result. Introduction: orientation – general statements, background info Justification – is there a gap in the existing research and if so, what are you going to do to fill it? Discuss the focus of your proposed work take the reader down to the level of the specific question you want to answer, the ‘what’. Think of it like a funnel/triangle – start at a very general level and go down to the specifics of your own research. Lit review : provide background – the context, what’s already been done, what are you drawing on? You need to show you know the subject area. It’s easy to pose a question, less easy to show it’s not been considered before. Methodology : overall strategy and specific design and techniques. Limitations should be clearly identified – no strategy is perfect. Timetable: show how you can do your proposed research in the time you have, in a realistic way that considers likely problems and set-backs. Bibliography: must be a one-to-one mapping between this and references cited in main body of the paper. Examiners will check this. Dr James Mittra will run a workshop focussing on the PB next April.

What does the University want you to produce? Progress reports for supervisors’ meetings (throughout years 2 and 3): Interim tasks completed Interim findings what data have you collected? analysis of that data Timetable issues – are you still on track?

What does the University want you to produce? Thesis (by end of year 3) Abstract Introduction Literature review Methodology Data chapters Conclusions Bibliography This is the typical format, but not much of this is formally required by the Uni, only the abstract and the bibliography. This is a typical structure which is rather similar to the PB paper, but now you have data and its analysis. Data chapters: do the data answer your question(s) – this may be a quantitative or qualitative issue. Conclusion: how have you moved the subject forward? What are the next steps?

Lay the groundwork – get organised: What do you need to do? When do you need to do it by? How will you keep track and store information?

Lay the groundwork – get organised: ‘What?’ – identify, structure and map your ideas Mind maps – hierarchical, relational diagrams that help you brainstorm make connections Naturally we write lists – but this can be limiting. So by creating a mind map you put your key words/concepts NOT in a list and this helps you visualise connections that you might otherwise miss. Mind maps can be drawn by hand, either as "rough notes" during a lecture, meeting or planning session, for example, or as higher quality pictures when more time is available.

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Mind maps help you brainstorm make connections think hierarchically and non-linearly (rhizomatic/arboreal) Mind mapping software Mindmeister (online, basic version is free) XMind (free) Coggle (free, online)

Lay the groundwork – get organised: What do you need to do? When do you need to do it by? How will you keep track and store information?

Lay the groundwork – get organised: Timetable what you need to do High-level plan: write paper for PB (end of 1st year) collect data, analyse, consider theory (2nd year) write thesis (end of 3rd year)

Lay the groundwork – get organised: Detailed plan to write paper for PB by end of 1st year read relevant literature make notes and references draft each section create table of contents, list of references get feedback from supervisor, peers edit paper submit final version by deadline

Project management: ‘the initiation and execution of tasks to achieve specified goals’ Helps you : identify the tasks and sub-tasks analyse the tasks: what are you in control of? and not in control of? responses from possible subjects sign-off from ethics committee what are the worst case scenarios? And how can you mitigate for them?

Project management – how does it work? Major goal, tasks and sub-tasks Identify the major goal Then break it down into tasks Then go to the next level down – sub-tasks Then estimate the time needed for each task and sub-task Does the time needed for sub-tasks equal or exceed the time available? Identify dependencies between tasks Work backwards with your available time – is it feasible?

Let’s project manage the baking of an onion tart: Preheat oven: Preheat to 220° C (20 mins) Prepare filling: Chop onions (5 mins) Fry gently in butter (45 mins) Mix with cheese, cream and eggs (5 mins) Prepare pastry: Make pastry (10 mins) Leave to chill (45 mins) Roll out (5 mins) Blind bake (30 mins) Assemble and bake tart: Add filling to blind-baked pastry (5 mins) Bake (20 mins)

Example solution for onion tart: Make pastry (10 mins) Leave to chill (45 mins) Chop onions (5 mins) Fry gently in butter (45 mins) Preheat to 220° C (20 mins) Roll out (5 mins) Blind bake (30 mins) Mix onions with cream, cheese and eggs (5 mins) Add filling to blind-baked pastry (5 mins) Bake (20 mins)

Lay the groundwork – get organised: What do you need to do? When do you need to do it by? How will you keep track and store information? Information: data that you’re collecting to answer your questions Also data relating to how you analyse the existing field, including references and informal discussions

Lay the groundwork – get organised: How will you keep track and store information: Collect existing facts, documents, references Store it so you can find it again! Remember what you have done Storage systems: Index cards OneNote Trello Post-its EverNote Scrivener Zotero (for references) EndNote (for references)

Lay the groundwork – get organised: read and analyse – for style as well as content get into the habit of writing - keep a diary of your work (also a helpful record of your decisions when people challenge you) make the most of your supervisors – ask for feedback on writing style

Now: Identify your next major goal What are the interim milestones? Tasks needed to reach those milestones? Dependencies between them? Timing of each task? Risks? Draw up a plan to get you to your goal

Go to: www.pippagoldschmidt.co.uk/links/teaching for links to useful info – the password is SSPS2016