Reviewing the literature: Critical thinking and making an intervention Developing as a Researcher – the next steps PGRS Induction, 2016 Paul-François Tremlett Senior Lecturer & Director of Research Degrees, Arts Religious Studies Arts Faculty

A Bit About Me: Shrines in Mount Banahaw, Philippines Religion & politics Catholics or animists?

Re-Assembling Democracy: Ritual as Cultural Resource Sacred or secular? Protest or ritual?

Aims and Objectives: What is a PHD? What is a literature review? Existing work and one’s own voice: framing an intervention Critical thinking: what’s that?

What is a PhD? New students often think of a PhD as a ‘magnum opus’, a brilliant research project culminating in a great work. This is rather a demanding model, and few students win Nobel Prizes as a result of their doctoral studies. More realistically, a PhD is research training leading to a research qualification. The PhD is a qualification that may lead to a research career. There are other views of a PhD, as well. Getting a PhD can be a ‘rite de passage’, a prerequisite to admission into the academic ‘tribe’. It can be a deep, specific education in a discipline, preceding a post-doctoral period of on-the-job training. But, it must make a contribution to knowledge, and so it should be viewed as one’s entry into the research discourse.

What is a PhD? There are certain things that you are demonstrating through your thesis: mastery of your subject research insight respect for the discipline capacity for independent and critical research ability to communicate results and relate them to the broader discourse Ability to engage publics These skills are examples of competence and professionalism, rather than genius or greatness. Importantly, they are as much about comprehending others’ work as about doing one’s own.

What is a literature review? INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 LITERATURE REVIEW CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY AND METHODS CHAPTER 3 CASE STUDY 1 CHAPTER 4 CASE STUDY 2 CHAPTER 5 CASE STUDY 3 CHAPTER 6 CASE STUDY 4 CHAPTER 7 ANALYSIS CONCLUSIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY

What is a literature review? A thesis is one coherent overriding ‘story’ or argument The literature review demonstrates your knowledge of your subject area It positionsyour research question in existing knowledge, i.e. a critical review of prior research which motivates and justifies your research question It demonstrates a gap in the existing research which your research addresses The research delivers clear and explicit evidence, substantiation and chains of inference and the impact on existing knowledge Note: More hangs on your ability to demonstrate intellectual maturity and critical depth than on the scale or scope of the research findings. A good PhD is based on an honest report of research that reflects sound practice and well-articulated critical thinking.

Existing work and one’s own ‘voice’ Citing others and ventriloquism Who is speaking? The individual and the academic tradition Voice, style and objectivity The development of your research as a critical intervention in an existing body of knowledge goes together with the development of your voice as an researcher and academic

Critical thinking: what’s that? there is no such thing as data free from interpretation Facts are not ‘out there’ waiting to be found - they constituted by the research questions you pose