How to write an excellent research thesis

Congratulations for taking the first step to becoming an expert in thesis writing! In this video, you will learn what lies ahead of you in this course.

In this video, you will learn three approaches to remembering the lessons in this course. These approaches can also be used to remember other stuff that you'd be learning outside of this course.

You would notice that the background of the slides are thematic oriented.

Doing research is like building a jigsaw puzzle set. It is going to be very messy and disorganised at first. But by understanding what is expected of you, you would be able to approach your research with greater clarity.

Learning outcomes

1. Explain why we do research

2. Develop new topics

3. Explain who we are writing a research thesis for

4. List down the questions that your readers would have

5. Identify what is expected of you, in your thesis

6. Determine the content composition of your research

7. Distinguish a research proposal from a thesis

In this video, we discuss why we do research in relation to thesis writing.

Everything that is written or produced needs a target audience. So, who are the people that will likely read your thesis? There is one correct answer in relation to thesis writing.

There are four key questions that your examiners have.

Your examination will be based on the programme you have signed up for (or planning to enrol in).

Here is a simple framework to help you think of suitable research topics that you can work on.

Find out how many words you are allow to write for your thesis.

If your word limit is less than 15,000 words, perhaps you should consider having four research questions or less.

If your word limit is 100,000 words, you can have multiple questions to pursue. These questions may require more than one research designs.

*A research design is a strategic plan that covers data types, data collection methods, and data analysis methods. More details can be found in the methods and methodology section.

Here, I present three charts to help you plan the contents of your thesis. Do note that these charts are not absolute and finite - rather, use them as a kind of guide if you do not have an idea of how you should get started with your thesis.

A research proposal is a plan of what you intend to do - hence your plan must be presented using future tenses. You should also try to these questions:

• What is your proposed research about?

• Why should anyone care about your research?

• How are you planning to generate your facts?

[Addendum] A proposal would have these components:

• Problem statements

• Proposed research questions

• Preliminary review of literature

• Proposed methods

• Expected timeline and milestones

• References

• Appendices (if any)

It is a short writeup that can range between 1,500-5,000 words.

A completed research thesis is the complete work that you will be submitting. It is presented using either a simple past or present tense.

Test your memory and understanding.

The introduction chapter is the beginning of a journey for your examiners. When they accept to examine your thesis, they want to know the answers to the following questions below as quickly as possible:

• What is your research about?

• Why should anyone care about your work?

• What are you showing that's new?

• How are you generating your facts?

This chapter is the most important part of a thesis as examiners tend to come in 'fresh', and their attention is at its peak here. This chapter is also where they will form many of their preliminary impressions of your work.

Learning outcomes

1. Explain the purpose of an introduction chapter

2. Implement best practices and avoid counterproductive ones

3. Make a list of valid problem statements

4. Plan a research trajectory

5. Make a list of relevant contextual topics to discuss

The introduction chapter is the most important chapter in your thesis. The questions you ask determine the literature you curate, the methods you use, and the analysis you present.

The introduction covers three parts:

1. To address the four questions that examiners have:

• What is this research about?

• Why should anyone care?

• What are you showing that’s new?

• How are you generating your facts?

2. To provide research directions/ purpose and question.

3. To provide contextual details.

A great introduction chapter does the following:

• It presents interesting topics that spur discussions and debates

• It has information that stakeholders find relatable

• The chapter shows how much you enjoy the research

• It has real and strong problem statements

• The research is driven by clear questions and trajectories

This video explains how you should build your problem statements.

Check out the supplementary document to see how I built my problem statements.

I would encourage you not to use these terms as they are vague:

• Research objectives

• Research goals

• Research aims

These do not tell us if the trajectories are specific or generic for example:

• The research aims to find out what X is (specific)

• The research aims to cover the research gaps (generic)

Instead, I would strongly suggest you use the terms, research purpose and research questions.

Research purpose is a generic statement that describes your general motivation.

Research questions provide specific questions that we want answers to.

This video discusses a way to create strong research questions.

In this writeup, I explain why it is crucial to dedicate time to working on your research questions, and I provide an example of workable research questions.

Hypotheses are meant to test:

• if two different sets of data are significantly different when compared (e.g. is there a difference in terms of wages between women and men?)

or

• if there is any effect on a data set when there an introduced variable (e.g. would punishing children lead to juvenile delinquencies?)

Hypotheses require quantitative data. If you are using qualitative data, then you should not use hypotheses.

If you need further clarification, check out the resource link.

You may have examiners who come from different parts of the world, so always ask yourself what information do you need to provide them with to enable them to understand the nature of your research well?

The dos:

• Clear distinctions between each section

• Evidence-based statements

• Clear distinctions between the research purpose and questions

• Your examiners may come from a different culture/nation

• Get feedback from other peers and experts

The don'ts:

• Don’t rely on your opinions

• Don’t produce unnecessary sections

• Don’t repeat yourself unnecessarily

• Don’t ask rhetoric questions or questions that can be found in other non-analysis chapters

• Don’t over exaggerate your research importance

• Don’t assume everyone will understand your work

Here, we discuss how novices present their introduction chapter. It is advisable that you do not provide redundant sections and sections that do not add value to your research thesis.

Present it this way to show that you recognise what is expected of you, and you value your examiners' time.

Let us test your comprehension and memory.

In order to produce a great research thesis, you must think and behave like a scientist. In this section, we will be covering the key ideas and principles in research methodology that will set the foundations to help you become a knowledge-maker.

Learning outcomes

1. Identify the main variables in your research project

2. Identify the appropriate methods to collect your samples in a population

3. Distinguish these terms: reliability, validity, and trustworthiness

4. Recognise the strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative based research

Study the data set. What do you find interesting? Any critique?

Debriefing of the activity.

Here, we take a look at variables.

The nominal ordinal interval ratio scheme (Stevens 1946):

• Nominal – categories (5 girls, 8 boys)

• Ordinal – Likert scale (1-weak;5-strong)

• Interval – Evenly spread numbers (e.g. 1.0, 1.1, 1.2…)

• Ratio – The absolute zero value exists (e.g. 0 Kelvin, age)

Here, we look at some common ways that scholars use to conceive variables in different fields of discipline.

Here, we discuss three common taxonomies of variables: the independent variable, the dependent variable and the control variable.

Being aware of the key differences between samples and population will help you localise your research better. You will also develop an awareness of what it means for data to be representative of the population. 

Here, I discuss two major types of sampling methods: Probabilistic sampling and non-probabilistic sampling.

When we collect data, they should generate a normal distribution curve, or be reflective of the norm. When we do not collect data that is 'normal', then there is a problem with bias.

But this is not to say that bias is a bad thing. It just means that we cannot and should not generalise our findings based on non-normal or sked data. Sked data can sometimes reveal interesting qualitative discoveries.

There are three types of probabilistic sampling methods:

• Simple sampling methods - the population is known; samples is randomly generated

• Systematic sampling methods - the population is known; the x-th order of where to start selecting the samples is randomly generated

• Stratified sampling methods - the population is unknown; so, break the data into smaller manageable groups that are numbered, run a simple (or systematic) sampling methods. If the population of the smaller group is still unknown, repeat the process until the population of the group is known. When you have randomly selected an element, repeat the whole procedure again.

There are three types of non-probabilistic sampling methods:

• Quota sampling - e.g. 50 men, 50 women etc.

• Convenience sampling - e.g. whatever and whoever you can get to engage with; it's all a matter of convenience

• Purposive sampling - Having set a goal in mind of who or what data to collect e.g. Collecting testimonies of survivors of domestic violence.

Increasing the number of variables will help tighten your research and make your research questions more answerable.

In this video, we cover three key ideas found in many research: validity, reliability, and trustworthiness.

Reliability and validity can be subdivided into two types: internal and external.

• Internal reliability is about consistency within the research design e.g. survey contents being consistent

• External reliability is about consistency outside the research design e.g. the execution of the data collection

• Internal validity is about the accuracy of results based on your limited data

• External validity is about extending the findings beyond the limited data

In this presentation, I give a few examples of the things that can impair the validity of your research outcomes:

• Lack of replicability

• Sampling methods

• Poor definitions

• Maturation, history, attrition

• Observer’s paradox

• Black swans

In this presentation, I offer a quick overview of what quantitative and quantitative research entail.

Quantitative research - Numbers (interval, ordinal, nominal, ratio); statistical approaches; provides overview of patterns, make predictions

Qualitative research - Experiential; heavily reliant on conceptual and theoretical frameworks; provides subjective evaluations

This presentation provides a suggestion as to how you should plan your research in terms of making it a single method design or mixed method.

Test your memory and comprehension.

A literature review chapter is like a network of connecting ideas. Each idea must link to one another in helping you answer your research questions. In this section, we will be covering the principles and some best practices to help you review literature like a professional.

Learning outcomes

1. Explain the purpose of a literature review

2. Present a review with your own voice

3. Curate contemporary literature

4. Manage a database of literature

5. Cite literature appropriately and avoid plagiarism

6. Prepare a systematic literature review

There are three images here. What do you see? Pause the video to study the images longer.

Debriefing of the data and how they relate to the literature review.

A literature review is meant to help you make sense of data. Some common practices include:

• Providing a critique

• Building a repository of information

  • Theoretical framework

  • Conceptual framework

  • A framework of analysis

• Making a case/justifications

Compare the two texts. Which do you think is better?

Text B is a better text because:

• it demonstrates how well the author understands the literature

• it shows the author analysing the literature like an examiner (with the 4 questions)

• it project the author's voice

Text A is mere a report.

In this presentation, I explain how you can develop your own voice.

Imagine yourself delivering a lecture to a group of students. How will you do it without being boring and lame?

This video discusses some ways to curate literature.

You can use a couple of software products to help you manage your repository of literature.

Check out two popular products: Mendeley, and EndNote.

If you prefer to use Google Docs, you can use the free add-on software: Paperpile.

This presentation provides a quick overview of how you can cite literature.

In this video, we discuss what a systematic literature review is and how to construct one.

Here is a suggestion of how you can present a literature review.

Test your understanding and memory.

The methods and methodology chapter is like a jigsaw puzzle set which has a million and one things that need sorting and organisation. This chapter will help you answer your examiners' query: How are you generating your facts?

Learning outcomes

1. Explain the purpose of the methods and methodology chapter

2. Use the triangle of research design to develop this chapter

3. Exhibit best practices in developing a methods and methodology chapter

4. Present this chapter

In this video, we make a distinction between the terms, methods and methodology.

In this video, we discuss the purpose of this chapter.

The Triangle of Research Designs is meant to help researchers remember the core ideas that need to be included in their chapter writeup.

Here are some characteristics that make an engaging research methods and methodology chapter.

In this video, we discuss what you should do in constructing this chapter.

In this video, we discuss what you should not do in constructing this chapter.

In this video, I offer a suggestion into how you can go about building your research methods and methodology chapter.

Test your comprehension and memory.