The dissertation

Overview and research

Gail Craswell suggests that a doctoral dissertation is a very particular form of writing, and despite discipline variations there are general expectations of this form.

Based on examiners' reports and interviews it is clear that experienced examiners look for coherence across the dissertation and value:

Critical analysis and argument
Confident and rigorous writing
A self-critical approach
Originality, creativity and a degree of risk taking
A comprehensive and scholarly approach
Sound presentation and structure
Appropriate methodology.

Structuring such a large body of work can pose difficulties for candidates, but as Craswell suggests (2005, p. 187), there are four basic questions that can be applied when structuring at any level of the text, questions to which candidates will need to have answers by a final draft (e.g. of a chapter):

What? i.e. the research focus (precisely what the subject of discussion is, with some indication of a breakdown of this subject into topics).

Why? i.e. the research purpose (precisely why the candidate is discussing those topics) the objectives or aims.

How? i.e. the method or procedure (some indication of the overall structure of the unit of writing (e.g. a chapter))

What/So what? i.e. main ideas being developed/the implications of the discussions, which should, in certain disciplines, lead to identification of the overall argument (the thesis for that unit of writing).

The final point, the 'so what', often appears to pose considerable difficulty for candidates. As one experienced supervisor suggested: 'Students can complete their doctorate and still not be able to identify what was significant about it!"

While the above factors are consistent across the disciplines, the specific characteristics can vary considerably within and across disciplines.

The above text was based on the following research:

Craswell, G. (2005). Writing for academic success: A postgraduate guide. London Sage.

Dunleavy, P. (2003). Authoring a PhD: How to plan, draft, write and finish a doctoral thesis or dissertation.Hamps.: Palgrave Macmillan.

Leik, Ilona. (1998). Academic writing: Exploring Processes and strategies. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.

Mullins, G. and Kiley, M. (2002) It's a PhD, not a Nobel prize: How experienced examiners assess theses, Studies in Higher Education, 27, 4.

Murray, R. (2002). How to write a thesis. Buckingham: Open Univ. Press.

Oliver, P. (2004). Writing your thesis. London: Sage publications.

Ideas and tools

A good orientation strategy for candidates:

Ask them to review a recently passed thesis in the discipline (not for the content but rather to look at how the text is put together, i.e. the basic composition processes). This gives them a general sense of similarities and differences (what is common and what is unique to that writer).

Confidence can be a fragile commodity:

The writing of a dissertation is always challenging because writing is not just about writing; it is about thinking; it is hard intellectual work. Helping candidates to understand this can help reduce anxiety that arises from thinking themselves somehow inadequate because they are struggling with the writing, which is by its very nature demanding and difficult. Such understanding can boost confidence and leave them feeling ok in knowing that all thesis writers are subject to this struggle in varying degrees.

A useful reminder:

Candidates may need to be reminded that their thesis is a communication with others. Audience problems can be acute in dissertation writing (candidates can be so immersed in sorting out their ideas that they forget that examiners, however expert, know nothing about the what, why, how and so what of their research; they know nothing about the meanings assigned to particular terms, concepts, theories, etc). The problem of definitional clarity; they know nothing about the decision-making lying behind the structural organisation of the thesis text; and they know nothing about the focus, objectives and arguments of the overall thesis and those of individual chapters.

A useful tip:

Rather than worry about what others know (the problem of what can be assumed to be known), candidates might be better served by directing their efforts to demonstrating that they are in full critical control of all material being worked in the thesis (that they know what they are talking about).

Revise, revise, revise:

Metacognition, the capacity for self-reflection, is critical in writing the dissertation. To be able to stand back and look at the work from someone else's perspective is the key to successful revision, a process in which all dedicated writers vigorously engage. Candidates may need encouragement and direction in this regard.

Forming a self-help group:

Having a group of candidates in your area form a thesis writing group in which they meet regularly (say monthly), review each other's work and provide constructive feedback is a useful learning forum.

Thesis writing: teaching the genre.

Supporting literature reviews.

Supervising literature reviews.

ANU information

The Graduate Information Literacy Program has workshops that will help candidates with database and library searching, using bibliographic tools and effective use of Microsoft Word for publishing.

The Academic Skills and Learning Centre has a staff member specialising in research student assistance.

The Academic and Professional Skills Program, which is organised by the ASLC, has sessions on 'Thesis Writing'

The Inter-University Research Workshop Program

The ANU's policy on Examination has some useful information regarding the format and style in which the thesis should be prepared.

For College-specific information contact:

Currently ANU colleges are compiling information for writing a dissertation. In the meantime, contact the College Associate Dean (HDR) for more general college information.