Product Description
Dissertation Writing – A Research Journey
Author: C Badenhorst
Format: Physical Hardcopy
Dissertation Writing is about the process of writing research and the journey a dissertation researcher has to take. The three underlying themes in the book are scholarship, thinking and writing.
This is a practical workbook with many activities. It includes topics such as dissertation genres, conceptualising research, developing a proposal and an argument, conceptual frameworks, developing critical thinking, intellectual creativity, thinking and writing, literature reviews, reading strategies, writing analytically, research integrity, dealing with criticism, original contributions and what examiners look for.
Dissertation Writing - a research journey is a resource for researchers engaged in a dissertation- or thesis-writing process; for those completing coursework Master's with a research component, Master's by dissertation and doctorates; and also for supervisors of research.
Cecile Badenhorst works part time at the University of the Witwatersrand, teaching at the Graduate School of Public and Development Management on the PhD programme. She also holds research writing and qualitative research workshops for academic staff through the Centre for Teaching and Learning.
She received her Master's from the University of British Columbia and a doctorate from Queens University, Canada. She has a longstanding interest in student support, academic writing and qualitative research, and has recently published Research writing - breaking the barriers.
Contents:
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INTRODUCTION My dissertation story Why read this book? Your role Dissertation experiences The stories we tell ourselves The call to adventure Masters and doctors Refusal of the call Preparing for the voyage
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PART 1 The journey out 1 Travelling alone 2 Different journeys 3 Baggage: intellectual or otherwise 4 Your critical voice 5 Tools of the road: dissertation “skills” 6 Street savvy: meta-cognitive skills 7 Dissertation genres 8 Dissertation requirements 9 The research cycle 10 Crossroads and decisions 11 Milestones 12 Enjoying the journey 13 Creativity and ideas 14 The writing process 15 Visual thinking 16 Researcher’s notebook 17 Woods and trees: complexity to simplicity 18 Problem/purpose statement and questions 19 Conceptualising 20 The extraordinary academic world 21 Academic routes and byways 22 World views and perceptions of research 23 Qualitative vs quantitative 24 Thinking academically 25 Writing a discipline 26 Broad perspectives in research
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PART 2 On the road 27 First threshold: the proposal 28 Far horizons: conceptual frameworks 29 Evidence 30 Negotiating rapids: argument 31 Arguments in a dissertation 32 Problems with arguments 33 The journey within: thinking 34 Questions 35 Developing critical thinking 36 Intellectual traits 37 Forgotten worlds: intellectual creativity 38 Creative traits 39 Routine and creativity 40 Creativity and writing 41 Thinking, writing, creating 42 Enemies, allies, tests 43 Supervision 44 Into the maze: literature reviews 45 Reading strategies 46 Organising a review 47 Writing the literature review
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PART 3 The way back 48 Ordeals along the way 49 Dissertation demons 50 Passion and perseverance 51 Writing through data collection 52 Analytic strategies 53 Writing analytically 54 Presenting data 55 Emerging plot 56 Ethics and integrity 57 Fellow travellers: audience 58 Clear vs obscure writing 59 First (complete) draft 60 Criticism 61 Ownership 62 Dealing with ambiguity 63 Unseen valleys: structure 64 Findings/conclusions 65 Crossing the mountain: coherence 66 Metaphor 67 Miraculous passages: revision 68 Attention to detail 69 Original contribution 70 Scholarship 71 Submitting for examination 72 Successful travellers 73 Journey’s end
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