Humanities Graduate Research Workshop Writing your Thesis Having a Story

Humanities Graduate Research Workshop

Writing your Thesis

Having a Story

Humanities Graduate Research Workshop 2

• WRITING

• THESIS

• STORY

Humanities Graduate Research Workshop 3

• WRITING = LITERATURE

• THESIS = GENRE

• STORY = NARRATIVE

Humanities Graduate Research Workshop 4

“WRITING” APPLIES BOTH TO:

• Traditional Masters/PhD Thesis

• Masters/Doctorate Creative Arts Exegesis

Humanities Graduate Research Workshop 5

DELIMITING THE FIELD

THAT MOST DREADFUL QUESTION:

What is your thesis about?

Humanities Graduate Research Workshop 6

WRITING STYLE 1

• Traditional Academic

• Creative

• Experimental

Humanities Graduate Research Workshop 7

WRITING STYLE 2

Traditional Academic Writing

• Linear

• Cause-Effect

• Driven by Argument

Humanities Graduate Research Workshop 8

WRITING STYLE 3

• Creative

• Experimental

Humanities Graduate Research Workshop 9

WRITING STYLE 4

Academic/Creative Field

Vocabulary

Key debates/concepts

Key voices

Original Contribution

Humanities Graduate Research Workshop 10

A STRONG NARRATIVE 1• Research Competence• Academic Rigour/Record Keeping• Clarity of Explanation• Convincing Argument• Awareness of Counter-Arguments• Confident Personal Voice• Originality

Humanities Graduate Research Workshop 11

A STRONG NARRATIVE 2

What holds the bits and chunks together?

• Sequence of Contents within Chapter

• Sequence of Chapters

• Themes, symbols, signposts, maps

• A strong authorial voice