How to Read and Write Essay Titles and Write an Abstract

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How to Read and Write Essay Titlesand Write an
Abstract
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Dissertation vs Term Paper

• Length
• Harder to sustain arguments through a longer
  text easy to get side-tracked and lose focus
• YOU ask the question! (And provide the answers)

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How to Read and Write Essay Titles

• Start broad, and gradually narrow down.
• Have a look at dissertations in the library to
  get a general idea of the shape and content -
  find out whats expected of you.
• Choose a topic youre interested in (you will
  think about nothing else for the next few months)
  BUT
• Not a topic youre passionate about hard to
  see both sides

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Question Words
Set 1  
Adapted from Cottrell, S. The Study Skills
Handbook, 2003 Palgrave
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Question Words
Set 2
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Question Words
Set 3
Adapted from Cottrell, S. The Study Skills
Handbook, 2003 Palgrave
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Question Words

• Set 4

 
Adapted from Cottrell, S. The Study Skills
Handbook, 2003 Palgrave
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The PQRS System

• How many Parts to the title?
•  
• What is the Question word?
•  
• What are the other Relevant words?
•  
• What is the Structure of the assignment?

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PQRS Example

• Examine the Causes of the Second World War
•  
• How many Parts to the title?
•  
• This is a simple one part essay.
•  

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PQRS Example

• Examine the Causes of the Second World War
•  
• What is the Question word?
•  

Examine i.e. explain each cause and comment on
it. This tells you how to answer the question, or
it tells the reader what to expect in the essay.
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PQRS Example

• Examine the Causes of the Second World War
•  
• What are the other Relevant words?
•  
• Causes (Do not discuss the outcomes.)
• Second (Not other wars, unless to compare and
  contrast.)
• War (Not other events in the same period, unless
  very closely linked.)

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PQRS Example

• Examine the Causes of the Second World War
•  
• What is the Structure of the assignment?
• A list of causes each with explanation, examples
  and comment.

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Research Questions

• When writing your research questions you can take
  a range of approaches.
• The most common three focus on problems,
  questions or a hypothesis.
•  
• The Problem Approach
• Consider who it is a problem for and why.
• Be careful that what you consider to be a problem
  really is a problem for the subject you are
  researching. This approach does sometimes have a
  tendency towards being based on biased opinion.
•  
• The Hypothesis Approach
• Some researchers try to avoid this approach as it
  tends to narrow the enquiry. There is also a
  danger of forgetting the question the hypothesis
  was originally meant to answer.  

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Research Questions

• The Question Approach
• The value of questions is that it allows openness
  of enquiry, thus helping to eliminate the issue
  of bias. However, this approach does, on
  occasion, become less focussed. Focus must be
  maintained at all times through constant
  re-evaluation.
•  
• Think methodology from the start its no good
  coming up with a brilliant question if there is
  no way of actually answering it.
• www.uk-student.net 15.3.07

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Research Questions

•  
• Whatever approach you decide to use you must
  remember to constantly re-evaluate your work and
  the questions you are trying to answer. Often the
  focus will shift a little somewhat throughout the
  process.
• However, you must ensure that the paper you write
  still addresses the title given. If you find
  during the writing process that your paper no
  longer addresses the question, you must follow
  the correct procedure to register your new
  title. Details can be found in your course/school
  handbook.
•  
•  

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Why choose a particular topic area?

• personal motivation and interest?
• making sense of experience?
• filling a perceived gap in knowledge?
• widespread current interest in this area?
• Exploratory work preparing for PhD?
• Other?
• Groups discuss your reason for choosing your
  area
• Desmond Thomas LTU/IFCELS Soas 2005

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Steps in writing an MA dissertation

• Choosing area
• Breaking down the topic
• Generating questions and hypotheses
• Identifying an underlying question or hypothesis
• Reviewing relevant literature
• Deciding on a research methodology and methods
• Producing a research proposal
• Desmond Thomas LTU/IFCELS Soas 2005

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Feasibility criteria for topics...

• too broad?
• too vague or ambiguous?
• not enough time or resources?
• too recent?
• data availability and accessibility?
• connecting the unconnectable?
• measuring the immeasurable?
• Desmond Thomas LTU/IFCELS Soas 2005

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Good titles?

• What influence has Japanese culture had on
  European art?
• Discuss...
• Desmond Thomas LTU/IFCELS Soas 2005

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Good titles?

• 2. What impact is the land reform policy in
  Zimbabwe having on the economy of the country?
• Discuss...
• Desmond Thomas LTU/IFCELS Soas 2005

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Good titles?

• 3. What will be the effects of joining the World
  Trade Organization (WTO) on Chinese culture?
• Discuss...
• Desmond Thomas LTU/IFCELS Soas 2005

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Good titles?

• 4. Post- Communist Educational Reform
• Discuss...
• Desmond Thomas LTU/IFCELS Soas 2005

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Breaking down number 4 Post- Communist
Educational Reform

• Brainstorm what? how? when ? where? why? who?
• educational change?
• educational reform?
• post - 1989 influences
• pre - WW2 traditions
• differences across educational sectors
• teachers
• students
• subject areas
• Desmond Thomas LTU/IFCELS Soas 2005

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Generating research questions

• 1. What have been the attitudes of Bulgarian
  post-communist governments towards educational
  reform?
• To what extent is educational reform seen as a
  reaction to socialism/communism?
• 3. To what extent have pre - WW2 educational
  traditions been re-introduced?
• Desmond Thomas LTU/IFCELS Soas 2005

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Questions...

• From these possible research questions a working
  title can emerge in the form of a question
• Is secondary education in Bulgaria undergoing a
  process of reform or returning to its traditional
  roots?
• Desmond Thomas LTU/IFCELS Soas 2005

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... Hypotheses

• And this can easily be turned into a statement
  putting forward an interesting hypothesis
• In spite of claims made by the government that
  Bulgaria is undergoing educational reform, what
  is really happening is a return to pre-WW2
  traditions - a step backwards rather than
  forwards.
• Desmond Thomas LTU/IFCELS Soas 2005

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Key questions or problemsCan you answer
??????????

• TOPIC
• I am studying .
• QUESTION(S)
• Because I want to find out
• SIGNIFICANCE
• In order to help readers understand
• (APPLICATION I also want readers to be able
  to)??

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Research QuestionsExercise

• Task
•  Think of an area you may wish to write about.
  Make notes on possible areas of focus and
  discussion.
• Title
• Aim and Focus of Study
• Context/Background
• Research Questions
• Research Methods
• Key References
•  
•  
•  

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Research QuestionsExercise

• Task
•  
• Discuss your notes with your group. Each person
  in the group must ask you 5 questions.
•  
•  
•  

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Writing an Outline

• If you answered the previous questions, you
  already have the basis for your proposal outline.
  
• The dissertation is generally broken into 4 to 6
  chapters, including a short introduction and
  conclusion.

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Writing an Outline

• All dissertations will have
• An introduction, which should present the aims,
  scope, rationale and an outline of the
  dissertation.
• If you do empirical research, you will need a
  methodology chapter.
• A conclusion, which should
• summarise the main themes of the argument,
• reflect on the wider implications of your work,
  and,
• if relevant, suggest areas for further research.

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Writing an Outline

• How the substantive chapters are organised will
  depend on personal preference and the nature of
  the research.
• However, you must ensure that your treatment is
  sufficiently analytical, integrating conceptual
  and empirical material. Beware being overly
  descriptive!

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Writing an Outline

• So your outline will need to indicate
• The aims and justification of the dissertation
• Specific research questions and research design
• Literature and empirical work to be covered
• Outline of chapter headings and sub-headings
• You could also include a timetable

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Writing an Outline

• You may have these (general) sections
• Title
• Summary
• Statement of research
• Your research questions
• Methodology
• Ethics (depending on topic)
• Bibliography

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Writing an Outline1. Title

• Title If you choose something very short and
  catchy, you should also include a descriptive
  sub-title that contains the key words of your
  topic.
• e.g. Receivers or retrievers? An investigation
  into the information retrieval skills.
• (Katrina Barker University of Bristol)

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Writing an Outline2.Summary

• Summary
• This should be a clear statement about the topic,
  including its links to key debates both
  academic and/or public debates.
• The summary should be relatively free of
  technical language, and should be about one
  paragraph long

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Writing an Outline3. Statement of Research

• Statement of research
• This is where you move to a description of your
  topic designed for subject specialists. WHAT?
• You should locate your topic in the appropriate
  secondary literature, identifying in more detail
  how your topic relates to previous debates and
  arguments. How does what I want to do fit in with
  research already done in the field? (Of course
  your knowledge of the field is still limited
  you are only indicating now, not giving immense
  detail!) WHERE?
• If possible, demonstrate the positive
  contribution your proposed study is going to make
  e.g. new combinations of theoretical arguments,
  application of theory to a new area, the
  development of a critical case study, etc. FLAG
  UP AREAS OF CONCERN NOW!!!!

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Writing an Outline4. Research Questions

• Your research questions
• Can you formulate your research topic as a
  series of related research questions? Or
  objectives? Or hypotheses? (Any of these is
  acceptable)
• and then
• Can you identify how you intend to address these
  questions, by showing how you are going to design
  your research.

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Writing an Outline4. Research Questions

• As a research question
• What are the types and causes of intercultural
  problems in teaching Thai learners of English as
  a second language? (CAN GET TOO UNFOCUSED YOU
  PROBABLY NEED A HYPOTHESIS IN MIND)
• As a research aim
• My aim is to determine the range and nature of
  the intercultural problems in teaching Thai
  learners of English as a second language, and the
  reasons for these.
• As a research hypothesis
• Thai learners have problems learning English
  because of the lack of different forms of address
  in English, and the different value given to
  unstructured communication in English-speaking
  and Thai-speaking cultures. (COULD BE WAY-OFF,
  PARTICULARLY IN EARLY STAGES)

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Writing an Outline5. Methodology

• Methodology
• Your research design should include the
  identification of specific methodologies
  appropriate to the research questions you have
  posed.
• E.g. in-depth interviews, an analysis of
  media-texts, questionnaires for quantitative
  analysis, etc.
• If your dissertation is theoretical, this part of
  the proposal will be short and non-technical.

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Writing an Outline6. Ethics

• Ethics
• If necessary, you should give a brief statement
  of any special issues of research ethics posed by
  your research
• (e.g. covert research research with children
  research on a place where you are working
  confidentiality issues asking permission why
  choosing to exclude/include, etc.)

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Writing an Outline7. Bibliography

• Bibliography
• You should provide a bibliography, which of
  course you will amend and modify as you proceed.

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How to Write an Abstract

• Ensure key words are used this is essential if
  hoping to publish online and to allow access via
  web-based databases e.g. WoK
•  
• Follow the same structure as the paper
  introduction, main body, conclusion.
•  
• Show logical links between the information
  included.
•  
• It should be accessible to a wide, sometimes
  non-specialist, audience.

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An abstract..

• Is objective the focus is the information not
  the author.
• Only contains information available in the full
  text.
• Will include information on Why the issue is
  important What the problem is How the problem
  was addressed/solved and it will end with the
  results and recommendations.

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Browns Eight Questions

• Try using these eight questions to write a draft
  abstract. Write for 30 minutes and move to the
  next question if your thoughts are blocked.
• (Brown 199495 in Murray, R. (2005), Writing for
  academic journals, OUP)

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Browns Eight Questions

• Who are the intended readers? List three to five
  by name.
• What did you do? (50 words)
• Why did you do it? (50 words)
• What happened (when you did that - 3)? (50 words)
• What do the results mean in theory? (50 words)
• What do the results mean in practice? (50 words)
• What is the key benefit for the readers? (25
  words)
• What remains unsolved? (no word limit)
• (Brown 199495 in Murray (2005111), Writing for
  academic journals, OUP)

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Bibliography

• Brown 199495 in Murray, R. (2005), Writing for
  academic journals, OUP)
• Thomas, D. LTU/IFCELS Soas 2005
• http//www.ece.eps.hw.ac.uk/arharvey/B39RB3?Disse
  rtationExampleStructure
• http//www.polyu.edu.hk/htm/pdf/app_9_sampe_outlin
  e_for_dissertation_new.pdf
• http//academicskills.anu.edu.au/online_materials/
  academic_writing/research_proposals.pdf