GETTING STARTED FINDING YOUR “VOICE” FOR ACADEMIC WRITING STAYING OUT OF THE “WEEDS” WITH A MAP PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER: VOILA! PRESENTED BY CYNTHIA KING, PHD CSUCI GRADUATE WRITING STUDIO Welcome to the Thesis Process

Getting Started…

Why a thesis? This is a big deal… …and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. “Whether you knew it or not when you started, conducting research is the defining feature of your graduate career. If you plan to stay in academe, it will be the defining feature of your academic life.” --Lesli Mitchell The Ultimate Grad School Survival Guide

What is a Thesis? How is this different from all of the papers you have written (besides being bigger)? What it’s not:  A loose collection of anecdotal information What it’s not only:  Reporting of others’ knowledge What it is:  Creation of knowledge  Added security of academic support  Contribution to a larger academic discussion  Problems and solutions

Getting Started (sometimes the hardest part) After months of coursework in the company of others, writing a thesis is a solitary activity.  Temptation to procrastinate: what pulls us away?  Finding focus: what is your contribution?  Setting aside time and space: where and when works for you?  Developing a support system: what resources do you have (or need) to help you stay on track and get the job done?

Beginning to Write Read sources critically and to explore:  Studies similar to what you want to produce.  Abstracts  Literature Reviews  Footnotes (help to contextualize areas not covered)  Conclusions, Discussions, and Recommendations for further study. Take notes (write by summarizing/paraphrasing – don’t just highlight and copy – why?) This is the start of developing and using your own voice.

What is my “voice,” and how will I recognize it? Workshop on “Your Voice, Their Voice” April 9, 2013 After all of your study, all of your classes, and all of your research, the time comes to tell others about your unique contribution to the field. Remember:  Too many quotes take attention away from your voice; use them sparingly and strategically.  Use quotations only when the language is so unique or specific that you must use it to add power to your project.  Always, ALWAYS cite sources, even when it is for another’s idea.  YOU are the author; show your critical thinking skills & tell how it matters.

What are the pieces of the Thesis, and how do they fit together? Tell them what you’re going to show & tell… Introduction  Present your subject, problem, and the purpose and scope of your work.  Capture the reader’s interest and imagination with  A story or anecdote that illustrates the problem,  A big question,  A powerful quote, or  A piece of powerful, key data.  You may want to write the Introduction last.

What are the pieces of the Thesis, and how do they fit together? Workshop on the Literature Review: March 26, 2013 Literature Review  Thoroughly and accurately examine and describe what has already been done on your topic.  Provide the framework for the scope of your project.  What are the gaps? Where does your study “fit?”

What are the pieces of the Thesis, and how do they fit together? This is the “guts” of the whole thing. Describe your Research Process  What were the parameters?  Who was involved? (Did you gather your own data?)  What “worked” – or did not? Report your Findings  What trends did you find?  Did you discover something that has not been addressed? (Creation of knowledge)  Present your findings in tables, figures, and examples.

What are the pieces of the Thesis, and how do they fit together? Tell them what you told them… Conclusion  Place the paper in a larger context  Convince the reader that what they read was meaningful (in what way?).  Go beyond mere summary, and avoid repeating word-for-word a statement you wrote earlier in the paper.  Answer the question: “Where should we go from here, to further the research and knowledge in this field?”  Make suggestions or a call to action.

Create a Map or Timetable: Don’t wait! What are the deadlines I already know? How can I map out the pieces, with measurable goals along the way?  Research  Written drafts:  Introduction  Literature Review  Research and Findings  Conclusions  Final drafts: what help do I need, from whom?  Final committee review

Writing Drafts Get it down, let it flow, don’t overthink it! This should be the LEAST time-consuming stage, and can start while you are still researching. If it’s taking you forever to write 1,000 words, two things could be happening: 1. You don’t have a clue about what you should be or want to be saying. Back to the research and/or drawing board… 2. You are revising while you draft, so that you end up with one sentence per hour.

Pulling it all together: Voila! Write transitions so that the chapters “flow” and build upon each other. Polish each chapter: is it clear? Have I made my case for the purpose of that chapter? Put together the “front matter” (title page, copyright page, acknowledgements, and Table of Contents) and the “end matter” (any Appendices, and the Works Cited/Bibliography) Confirm that all the formatting is correct, per department specifications.

Getting help: Don’t wait until the last minute! What kind of help do you need, and what resources do you have available?  Content: check with your Thesis Advisor  Research, Literature Review, and Source Citations: Attend the workshop on “Broome Library and You,” March 12.  Final writing: grammar, style, and “flow”: contact the Graduate Writing Studio Instructors.  What other help? (dinners, child care, moral support?) Writing a thesis is a big deal, and can seem overwhelming. Break it into pieces, take it one step at a time, and ask for help. You can do it!

Sources for this Presentation CSU Fresno, Graduate Writing Studio, “Thesis Information Session,” by Chuck Radke, and “Academic Writing: An Overview” available at: is/graduatewritingstudio.html is/graduatewritingstudio.html Dartmouth Writing Program, by Karen Gocsik, (2005) : /thesis.shtml /thesis.shtml San Francisco State University, “Writing the Thesis,” by Mark C. Griffin: ng%20Theses%20and%20Dissertations.pdf