Manual for Writing a Thesis. In the Master s Programme Contemporary Asian Studies

Transcription

1 Manual for Writing a Thesis In the Master s Programme Contemporary Asian Studies 1

2 MANUAL FOR WRITING A THESIS 1 - INTRODUCTION AIMS AND OBJECTIVES THESIS PROPOSAL AND PROBLEM FORMULATION SUPERVISORS RESEARCH PERIOD WRITING YOUR THESIS... 6 Introduction... 7 Build-up of the argument... 8 Conclusion(s)... 8 Bibliography... 9 Quotes and Annotations STYLE AND FORMAT GENERAL ADVICE CRITERIA FOR JUDGING A THESIS PLAGIARISM HANDING IN YOUR THESIS AND THE GRADUATION EXTRA READING FOR GOOD TIPS ON WRITING DISCLAIMER:

3 1 - INTRODUCTION The thesis is not just a long paper. It may seem that way, but the scope is quite different. Writing a thesis is the final process for the completion of your Master s degree. Therefore, it must reflect a thorough understanding of the theories relevant to your topic and be based on original research. Your thesis should show your ability to carry out research in your field of study. It is an academic project, but for most students it turns out to be a personal project as well. Next to academic skills it will take self-discipline and good planning to complete your thesis in a satisfactory way. Writing a thesis is a way to enhance and display your knowledge of and insight into a particular area. Moreover, it will give you the opportunity to practise one of the skills that will be of great importance for your later career: setting up and writing a clear, systematic argument. This makes the thesis the most important, challenging, and difficult part of a Master s study. There is no one-way of writing a good thesis. Different programmes have different aims, objectives and rules for thesis writing and the content of your thesis. You are therefore strongly advised to also check the course description for a thesis in your specific programme. These course descriptions are published in the digital course catalogue ( Also, don t hesitate to contact your programme director/manager and/or academic advisor if you have questions regarding your thesis. In this information booklet we try to give a general overview of what a thesis should consist of and on how to write a thesis in one of the English taught master s programmes of the Graduate School of Social Sciences (GSSS). The information in this booklet is not valid for students in one of the Dutch taught master s programmes of the GSSS. These students should contact their study advisor for more information regarding their thesis or graduation. When using the terms GSSS or Registrar in this booklet, we ll be referring to the English taught master s programmes only. 2 - AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Generally speaking, a thesis has the following aims and objectives: To formulate and limit a research question and independently set up a research plan, including a clear research strategy and time planning. To creatively use theoretical insights relevant to the problem at hand. To independently conduct social-scientific research targeted to a certain problem, whereby sound methodological principles and research techniques are used, so that the reliability and validity of the research are guaranteed. To be able to draw conclusions from your own research, that is the generation of new knowledge about the issues addressed. To report the research, and the results, clearly and systematically. To be able to phrase the theoretical-scientific and the practical-social meaning (and relevance) of the research results. 3

4 3 - THESIS PROPOSAL AND PROBLEM FORMULATION The Thesis Proposal The thesis proposal forms the basis of your thesis and should be written with extreme care. Students often think they cannot write a proposal before they have read a lot of literature. For some people that may be true, but mostly, through writing you will clear your mind and get a much better idea of how your thesis project should be organised. A good proposal will not only help you to think about the structure of your arguments but also about the kind of information you need to gather before being able to start writing. The proposal should be around 10 to 15 pages and should include: - Provisional title. - Brief introduction: why this topic? What is its relevance? - Problem formulation (see below). - Brief literature review (theoretical and thematic literature) - The setting and research population - Operationalisation of the central research question (unpacking the problem into specific sub-questions, leading to concrete and observable phenomena) - Research methods - List of references - Time frame (please include planned graduation date) - Budget You have to hand in your thesis proposal and Thesis Proposal Form or Thesis Agreement with the Research Supervision Agreement to the registrar s office at least one month before the fieldwork period starts. The thesis proposal must be approved by your supervisor and the academic advisor. Never start writing your thesis without having your proposal approved and your thesis proposal form signed! Please take into consideration that different programmes have different proposal forms so make sure you fill in the correct one. Remember: The better your proposal, the easier the thesis writing process will be! You can download the Thesis Proposal Forms or Thesis Agreement and the Research Supervision Agreement from the student portal website Problem formulation The crucial part of the proposal is the problem formulation. The problem formulation entails a specification of the topic, and makes clear exactly what your thesis will discuss or what you will be researching. In your problem formulation you can also indicate why it is important to write a thesis about and/or research the topic of your choice, i.e. the social and scientific relevance of your thesis and/or research. The problem formulation generally consists of a research question and a number of operational sub-questions that are derived from the research questions. The questions should be phrased in a way that it is possible to answer them within the scope of the thesis. Your research questions will often change during the writing process, but you should be able at all times to formulate what you are looking for. Your 4

5 research questions will become more concrete through researching and writing. Make sure that you can cover the question you have asked. Time is quite short to finish your thesis. The Master s thesis is not a dissertation for a PhD! Don t try to solve world poverty or global migration in a master s thesis. Make sure your topic is specific and time bound. It should be clear what the aim of the thesis is: what topic will be dealt with? And why it is worth dealing with? Which specific question will be answered? Special attention should be paid to the delineation of the topic and problem formulation on the one hand, and the broader framework within which these should be seen on the other. For that purpose it is important to inform oneself well about research that has already been done on the topic at hand, or related topics. This information can, for example, be found in recent editions of relevant journals. A research question can be for instance explorative, descriptive or explanatory. Each type of question asks for a different approach within your research and thesis. Make sure your research and thesis fit the type of research question you have chosen. 4 - SUPERVISORS Your supervisor will guide you through the process of conducting your research and/or writing your thesis. Your choice should always be in agreement with your academic advisor or programme director. They will also be able to help you to find a suitable supervisor(s). Generally speaking, a student has two supervisors. Your first supervisor will be the one responsible for working with you throughout the process of your field, research and writing the thesis. The second supervisor, or second reader, will participate mainly in the approval of the thesis proposal and the final grading of the thesis. It is important to discuss openly with your first supervisor your expectations about the thesis supervision. How often will (s)he read your preliminary chapters and what kind of comments will (s)he give you? Generally speaking, you will meet your supervisor at least once every three weeks. Remember to ask for his/her schedule (specially if (s)he is planning to travel during the time you will be working on your thesis). If any problems arise, always contact your academic advisor and/or programme manager. If you expect to graduate with honours make this clear to your supervisors. 5

6 5 - RESEARCH PERIOD During the research period you gather all the necessary information and empirical data that you will need in order to write your thesis. Depending on the programme that you are following, you will either have to conduct a literature research or carry out research during fieldwork. In the case that your thesis is mainly based on literature research, relatively high standards will be demanded of the thoroughness and originality of the study and the precision and creativity with which you have processed the literature. It can be of significance to check whether the theories dealt with have been, or can be, used in empirical research. If your programme requires empirical research/fieldwork, you are expected to collect data following one or a combination of research methodologies. Depending on your programme, you will be able to conduct your research in the Netherlands or in a foreign country. Successful research depends mostly on good planning. It is central to set a clear calendar in which you include not only the amount of time invested in doing literature research, but also (if possible/necessary) alternative methods for gathering information including interviews, questionnaires, through focus groups or observations among many others. Before starting, you should always pay attention to three central issues: The translation of theoretical insights and concepts into research steps (the operationalisation of concepts, problems of validity and reliability). The nature of the empirical material (defining and delineating the research population, the selection of cases, representativeness of the data). The nature of the research techniques. Your choice will always have shortcomings or problems related to their nature and these should be accounted for as good as possible. In the case that your program includes the requisite of fieldwork, make sure that you plan well in advance practical issues like housing (both in the country you are going as well as in The Netherlands when you come back), visas, local supervisor, health insurance, vaccines, etc. The more prepared you are, the more time you will have for your research. It is also very important to have a clear idea of the possible dangers or difficulties that you may face in the country you are visiting. 6 - WRITING YOUR THESIS After your research period, you will start writing your thesis. Before doing so, discuss with your supervisor the main findings and ideas that you have developed during your research. Take into consideration whether you have the necessary information and if there are any holes in it. If so, discuss with your supervisor possible alternatives to overcome this problem. In case you find it difficult to start writing, go back to your proposal and try to start building your thesis from there. 6

7 The thesis should be between 18,000 and 23,000 words (45-57 pages). and amount of credits to be obtained is 15 EC. A thesis should include at least the following elements: Title page (title, and if applicable subtitle; your name; UvA ID number; the name of the programme; the name of the department (= GSSS); the name of your supervisors; date and place of submission). Table of contents. Introduction. Body of the thesis (divided into chapters, in which the theoretical framework is presented, the research method is explained, the argument is elaborated and the research results are analysed). Conclusion (where your theoretical and empirical findings come together). References (footnotes, endnotes or references in the text). Bibliography. Possibly, one or more Annexes. It will help the structure of the thesis and its readability if the body of the thesis is divided into chapters and sub-chapters. A thesis which has a heading or subheading on almost every page is usually the most pleasant to read. Introduction Always try to keep your introduction concise. Whatever your choices, the introduction should always have a clear statement of what your topic is, why it is relevant and how you are planning to develop your argument(s). Try to argue why you have chosen a particular approach and not an alternative route. Always remember the larger theoretical framework which your particular research is part of. The introduction should tell the reader straight away what the thesis is about. This can be done in many different ways. You can immediately fall with the door in house, as the Dutch would say, or you can do it in a more playful way, by starting with an anecdote, a citation or anything else that leads to the subject, and then state the problem that you want to deal with. History: You can furthermore explain why you have chosen this particular topic, why it is a challenge and how you got interested in it. This can also motivate the reader to go on. Central Concepts: Give a short explanation of your approach and try to argue why this approach has been taken and not an alternative route. Why have specific aspects been left out? What does explain the focus of the thesis? How is it situated in the field? What are the central concepts? Problem Formulation: State your questions and sub-questions clearly. Method: If you do not plan to have an extra method-chapter, you can also describe the methods used in the introductory chapter although usually the methodology is presented in a separate chapter. DO NOT use the introduction to describe in a lengthy way what you have not done and why. This is not interesting for the reader. Everybody knows that in a piece of work that had to be written in a limited time and with limited space, you cannot include everything. Forget the excuses. Qui s excuse, s accuse. Readers are 7

8 interested in your achievements, not in the shortcomings. In any case, the reader will find many more than you dare to mention in the introduction. Build-up of the argument You should strive for a systematically elaborated argument. Problem formulation, literature review, theory and empirical results should be understandably and usefully related to each other. The thesis should have a clear line of argumentation, with explicit thinking steps and clear and logical transitions from one paragraph and chapter to the next. In the body of your thesis you should generally include a literature and theoretical review where you present what other researchers have said about the topic of your work. In this review you can express which problems arise from existing approaches or subscribe to one. Always remember that your work should try to expand existing knowledge; if you only present other people s ideas without critical thinking your work will be incomplete. Try to be creative, and although it is not expected from you to develop a completely new theory, the originality of your arguments is crucial. In all cases, theories have to be clearly portrayed in a way that shows understanding of your topic. Theoretical choices have to be accounted for. Another important part of your thesis is the presentation of your findings and its analysis. Here you are expected not only to present the data you gathered during your research period, but also how the data is gathered and analysed or processed. You also need to clearly indicate how the data can be linked to the theoretical section of your thesis/research. Always try to keep your reader interested and guided. Present your arguments in a cohesive and organised manner. Because you have been working on your thesis for a long time your arguments might seem very clear to you, but remember that you are writing for others. An interested reader should be able to understand your work despite the fact that (s)he may not be a specialist in the subject. Conclusion(s) After the portrayal of the arguments and results of the research come the conclusions. Here the questions asked in the problem formulation are explicitly answered. In the case that you posed hypotheses, this is the place to present whether the research results confirm or refute these. In addition, you may consider answering the following questions: How far are the research results generalisable to other cases than those researched? How do the research results relate to the findings and conclusions of other authors? Where do results match, where do they differ, and how is this explained? What has the research added to the knowledge about the topic at hand? What future line of research does your work open? Depending on the aim of the thesis, it may also be valuable to provide an answer to (one or more) of the following questions: 8

9 What does the research say about the adequacy of the methods followed and the materials chosen? Can any methodological recommendations for future research be derived from this? How could future researchers do a better job? Which policy recommendations can be made on the basis of the research? Which predictions can be made on the basis of the research? Bibliography An academic work should always include a bibliography where you list all the sources of your secondary data. The list should be ordered alphabetically following the authors surnames. Articles from web pages without listed author should be included in the end. In the case that the document and/or web page comes from an organisation without listing the authors, the name of the organisation is considered the author. Although there is no ONE correct way of doing it, here we present some examples of complete biographical references according to different sources. Books: Surname author, first name or initials, (year of publication), Title of book (publisher, place of publication). Example: Ignatieff, Michael, (1999), The Warrior s Honour: Ethnic War and the Modern Conscience, (Random House, London). Book chapters: Surname author, first name or initials, (year of publication), Title of article, in name(s) of editors, Title of book, (publisher, place of publication). Example: Salomons, Dirk, (2003), Probing the successful application of leverage in support of Mozambique s quest for peace, in Jean Krasno, Donald Daniel and Bradd Hayes (eds.), Leveraging for Success in United Nations Peace Operations, (Greenwood Publishing Group, Wesport). Magazine articles: Surname author, first name or initials, (year of publication), Title of article, in Title of journal, Vol., No., pages. Example: Fogg, Richard Wendell, (1985), Dealing with Conflict: A Repertoire of Creative, Peaceful Approaches, in The Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 29, No. 2, pp Newspaper articles with author: Surname author, first name or initials, 9year and date of publication), Title of the article, newspaper (and section) name) Example: Rijn, T. van, (2007, 27 April), PvdA party leadership steps down. The Hague Amsterdam Times. Newspaper articles without authors: Newspaper (and section) name, year and date of publication, Title of the article. 9

10 Example: The Hague Amsterdam Times (2007, 27 April), Early dry conditions cause widespread fears. Web page with author: Surname, first name or initials, (year of publication), Title of the article, complete URL and date you visited the site. Example: Carr, S.J. (1999), The last glacial maximum in the North Sea. (visited on 13 May 2004) Web page not listing the author: Title, date, complete URL and date you visited the site. Example: Global warming and its effects on Antarctic Coast. (2003), (visited on 25 June 2004) Web page from an organisation, not listing the author: Name organisation, title (if known), (date (if known)), complete URL and date you visited the site. Example: Universiteit van Amsterdam, (visited on 5 May 2007) Quotes and Annotations Annotation is the mentioning in your text of the source from which you have taken a quote, information or ideas. We prefer that you use the Harvard Method of in-text annotation. In this style, you add between brackets the author s surname, year of publication, and page number(s) from which your quote or idea(s) came from. When using annotations and quotes in your papers and thesis, make sure it is always clear to the reader who is speaking, you the writer or another author you are referring to or are quoting. Even though you are required to use sources in your thesis it should be clear that in your thesis you need to state your argument! So, a good written paper and thesis is not just a repetition and listing of quotes from others. Try to say things in your own words as much as possible, but keep indicating where your ideas have come from. If there is only one author, the annotation should be: (Becker, 1987: 66). If there are two authors: (Long & Jones, 2004: 89-94). More than two authors: (Lyons et al, 2001: 45). If you are referring to a text on a website from an organisation or another publication of an organisation without an author listed, the organisation is generally considered to be the author: (UvA: website 2007) Generally a quote longer than three lines should have smaller margins than the general text and have italic fonts. Example: World politics today is a matter of life and death not just for soldiers or citizens in the path of war, but for the whole human race. Nuclear holocaust remains a continual threat. At a less apocalyptical level, world politics has a daily impact on the lives of people throughout the globe: political forces 10

11 and decisions affect patterns of international trade, investment and production (Keohane, 1986 : 1). If you want to add something or slightly modify the quote you can do it between brackets. And if you want to cut some part of the quote you add three points. Example: World politics today is a matter of life and death for the whole human race. Nuclear holocaust remains a continual threat. At a less apocalyptical level, world politics has a daily impact on the lives of people [by modifying economic structures] throughout the globe (Keohane, 1986 : 1). If your quote is shorter than three lines, you can place it as part of the main body of your work, in that case you do not have to use italics but start and finish the quote with inverted commas. Example: Neorealist analysts usually centre their explanations of international relations in the sphere of security and force. As Keohane states in his work, world politics today is a matter of life and death (Keohane, 1986: 1). While acknowledging the importance of Keohane s argument, this thesis will present an alternative approach that will consider security and force as well as other variables including principles and values. In any case, all kind of documents that have been sources of quotes for your work should be included in your bibliography. In the case of our example the bibliographical note should be: Keohane, Robert. (1986). Realism, Neorealism and the study of World Politics, in Keohane, R. (ed.) Neorealism and its Critics. (Columbia University Press, New York). 7 - STYLE AND FORMAT The thesis should have a title page which states: title, name of author, name of the programme, name of the department, name of the supervisors, student number, thesis type, and place and date of submission. Type with 1,5 line distance on A4-sized paper, with sufficient margins to the left and right of the page. Write for a reader. Remember that your thesis demands the attention of another and that you will be responsible for someone's reading experience. Try to formulate clearly and avoid making style, grammar or spelling errors. Avoid using sentences that are longer than three lines. Use a readable, consistent and clear layout and letter type, most students use Times New Roman, Arial, Tahoma or Garamond 11 pt. Include page numbers. Make sure your typography with respect to chapter- and paragraph headings is consistent. Check and re-check spelling, grammar and punctuation. If you are not an English native speaker, it might be a good idea to have your thesis read by one. The final version of your thesis should be bound, which can be done at any copyshop. Both supervisors must receive a bound version. A digital version of your 11

12 thesis needs to be handed in with the registrar of the GSSS. Be aware that a digital version of your thesis must always be available for your supervisors and/or registrar upon request. 8 - GENERAL ADVICE Narrow the focus of your topic so that you will be able to devote careful attention to all aspects of your argument. Your thesis should be logical, consistent and comprehensive, in principle even without quotes, annotations, figures and tables. Please ensure that you support all statements with arguments and evidence. Try to draw logical conclusions from your sources or theoretical reasoning. Also ensure that the build-up of your argument is structured and your argument is easy to follow. Keep the principle focus of your thesis in mind at all times. Whether or not you state your hypothesis explicitly, the whole of your thesis should be geared towards its elaboration and substantiation towards answering the question(s) you posed in your introduction. This does NOT mean that you should leave out information that counters your hypothesis, and only select information that supports it. Instead, try to deal with various arguments and opinions, compare them, and explain carefully why you think some arguments are better than others. As the Guidelines for writing an academic essay state, revise deliberately and fully. It is up to you to select structure and diction appropriate to your goal, but these are unlikely to come together in a first draft. Always remember that writing is re-writing, so even as you write your first draft, be prepared to undertake genuine re-vision. When you revise, make sure that you have not repeated points unnecessarily and that you have not left your reader uncertain of your purpose and direction. (source: Guidelines for writing an academic essay visited on ) Always keep your deadline in mind, try to be organised while doing your work and always keep backups. Check the rules and regulations and the course descriptions of your programme for specific requirements regarding your thesis, like length, empirical research requirements and deadlines! Go to select your programme, go to the A-Z on the left hand side, and select R for rules and regulations. 9 - CRITERIA FOR JUDGING A THESIS Problem formulation: clarity and precision, originality, argumentation and delineation; how is the problem formulation operationalised? Purpose and relevance of the research: is the purpose of the research clear; does the research have scientific and/or social relevance. Build-up of argument: systematic elaboration of the problem formulation, logical consistencies, interrelatedness of separate parts of the thesis, clear line of argumentation, well-founded conclusions. 12

13 Knowledge of the topic of the thesis, partly shown in the way and extent to which the literature is used. Scientific insight: how are scientific theories and methodologies used, justification of theoretical assumptions, description and application of theoretical concepts (consistency in use; relating to common understanding of concepts, unless there are pressing arguments not to). Quality of the research: way of material collection (operationalisation of concepts, research techniques, choice of empirical field), accounting for methods used and choices made, analysis of data. Policy and/or research recommendations: are the recommendations well formulated and sufficiently sustained? Controllability: precise references, correct quotation, literature list. Language: precision, clarity, readability. Style: layout, spelling, punctuation, clear structure, headings, etc. Measure of independence in achieving points mentioned above. Measure of creativity in achieving points mentioned above PLAGIARISM According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, to plagiarise is to take the work or an idea of someone else and pass it off as one s own. This means that if you copy, paraphrase or translate materials from websites, books, magazines or any other source in your thesis without giving full and proper credit to the original author(s), you are committing plagiarism. If you do so, you may be facing the possibility of expulsion from your programme and the Universiteit van Amsterdam, not to mention having to live with the reputation of dishonesty. The fair use of evidence from primary and secondary sources is the basis of academic discourse. The abuse of this fairness undermines the very nature of scholarly research. Plagiarism is a form of theft and fraud and should be avoided at all costs. If you find yourself in doubt about quotation or correct use of a source, it is always a good idea to provide full information. Your supervisor or academic advisor can help you if you have doubts. On the student portal website, you can download more information on the rules and regulations regarding plagiarism and academic fraud. Go to choose your programme, on your left hand side you will find the A-Z, select the R for rules and regulations or P for more information on plagiarism and fraud. 11 HANDING IN YOUR THESIS AND THE GRADUATION On the GSSS website you can find the planned graduation dates per academic year. Make sure when writing your thesis and planning your graduation to keep in mind when you need to deliver your thesis in order to be in time for the next graduation session. Each of your supervisors should receive a paper copy of the thesis from you. Please confer with your supervisors when they need the thesis to be submitted in order for them to have enough time to assess the thesis since the thesis grade needs to be handed in at the Registrar s Office by your supervisors three weeks and 2 days before the graduation date. Approximately 3 weeks before the graduation, you should have 13

14 delivered a digital copy of your thesis at the Registrar s Office on USB-stick or CDrom (the USB-stick can be returned to you). The digital version of your thesis will be uploaded into the thesis archive of the UvA library (DARE). If you do not want your thesis to be published here (due to the privacy or sensitivity of the data in your thesis), please inform the Registrars. You will then still need to hand in a digital version, but it will not be made public. For a detailed description of the graduation procedure, please check the GSSS website (go to the studentportal at choose your programme, on your left-hand side you ll find the A-Z. Under G you ll find more information regarding the graduation procedure) Make sure when handing in the final version of your thesis to hand in the digital copy of your thesis with the GSSS registrar. You still need to hand in a bound copy of your thesis with your supervisor(s). Always make sure you have a digital copy of your thesis available upon request. The date you hand in the final version of your thesis with your supervisor determines the closing month of your studies. Please note that the payment of tuition fees is related to the date that we receive your final grade (either the thesis grade or the grade for your final course) and not to the actual date of your graduation ceremony. The registrar will inform you about the procedure to get a (partial) refund of your tuition fees. The GSSS organises about 5 graduation sessions per academic year for students in the English taught master s programmes. During these sessions you sign your diploma, your supervisor gives a speech, pictures will be taken, and then you are officially graduated from your programme. The registrar of the GSSS organises the graduation sessions. Graduates are cordially invited to invite their relatives and friends to their graduation session (up to five people. If you want to bring more people, please check with the Registrar s Office because of the limited amount of space available). About eight to six weeks before your planned graduation date the registrar will inform you of the upcoming graduation and of the administrative procedures that need to be taken care of before you can graduate. If you cannot attend your own graduation session your diploma can also be picked up at the Registrar s office or can be sent via courier mail. The costs of sending your diploma ( 25) need to be paid in advance with the GSSS registrar. If you have any questions regarding your graduation please contact the registrar of the GSSS EXTRA READING FOR GOOD TIPS ON WRITING Becker, H.S. (1986). Writing for Social Scientists. How to start and finish your thesis, book, or article. (The University of Chicago Press, Chicago) Elbow, P. (1981). Writing with power. Techniques for mastering the writing process. (Oxford University Press, New York) Harvey, G., (1998). Writing with sources: A guide for students. (Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis) Schultz, John. (1982). Writing from start to finish. (Boynton/Cook Publishers, Upper Montclaire NJ) 14

15 Guidelines for writing an academic essay on (visited on ) DISCLAIMER: We have tried to make the Manual for Writing a Thesis in one of the English taught master s programmes of the GSSS as accurate as possible, but nevertheless the information may not be exhaustive. The GSSS cannot be held responsible for the contents of the information in the Manual for Writing a Thesis or for any consequences from its use. No rights can be obtained from the information in the Manual for Writing a Thesis. Date of printing March