Writing a PhD Thesis

The purpose of this talk is to explain to PhD candidates on what to be aware when writing their thesis. The materials of this talk are sourced from my PhD supervision at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia since 2007.

Ismail Said

Academic Manager of Generic Program

The School of Graduate Studies

UTM

1 FEB 2015

PhD research is my baby

REMINDER: In your lifetime, you only write ONE thesis.

What is a Thesis? • A scientific document that has to be clear, well

explained, well presented and easy to read. “The thesis is the culmination of your project and the quantifiable evidence of your learning and what you have accomplished for your higher degree” (Monash University).

• It is a testament of your analytical and critical thinking on your research subject.

• It defines your transition from student to scholar. It is a document with substantial and original contribution to knowledge of a particular field.

2 Overview

Content

1. Model of Architectural

Quality

2. Model of Behavioral-

based Simulation

4 /120

Pedestrian movement

Understanding Crowd

Behavior & environmental design

Conway

Crowd modeling

Introducing AI

Reynolds

Behavior& automata

Way-finding

Fruin

Handerson

Okazaki

Matsuda

Ortony

Hiido

Kuwahara

Watanabe

80s 90s 70s

Particle & flow-based sim.

Decision Support sys.

Synthetic perception

Interaction & emotion-based sys.

Social & cognitive emergence

Crowd dynamics

Reasoning model

AI

00s Rao & Georgeff

Tyrell

Yoshida

Ebihara

Terzepoulos

Thalmann

Renault

Bates

Thalmann

Palechano

Watanabe

Monzani

Mussee

understanding- behavior, crowd of

pedestrian, Limited- computer

power

Modeling using- AI, cellular automata,

Development of- way finding alg.

More modeling, AI using physics,

emergence, cognitive models

AI with reasoning model, model

based on dynamic vars.

Model of Architectural Quality Model of Behavioral-based Simulation

Novelty and Originality

• Carrying out an empirical work that has not been done before

• Making a synthesis that has not been made before

• Making a new interpretation of known materials • Bringing new evidence to bear on old use • Being cross-disciplinary and using different

methodologies • Adding new knowledge to the current pool of

knowledge

What is a Thesis? • It is cogently written that develops into a story. A story of new

knowledge discovered from your investigation.

• This means that each chapter is linked to the preceding ones. Each section of the chapter is integrated to explain the purpose of the chapter. Each chapter ends with a conclusion or a summary.

• A story worth a thousand pictures.

Read Novels

The Uncharted Path: The Autobiography of Lee Myung-Bak

What is a life well lived?

Content of a Thesis Abstract

• A brief representation of your thesis

• An overall picture of your thesis that should trigger the examiners to go to your Chapter 1: Research Problem and Background

• Its content includes RESEARCH PROBLEM AND GAP, AIM AND OBJECTIVES, METHODS, RESULTS AND FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS, FURTHER RESEARCH.

• DOING THE RIGHT THING VERSUS DOING A THING RIGHT.

Examiner Comment on Abstract

• By Tracey Skelton on Nor Fadzila’s thesis, AFFORDANCE OF SCHOOL GROUNDS FOR CHILDREN’S OUTDOOR PLAY AND ENVIORNMENTAL LEARNING (2014)

The abstract accurately reflects the thesis and captures the content to very good effect. The abstract provides a good insight into what the thesis focuses on and outlines the methods used to gather the data. The innovative question about the role that school grounds play in children’s learning and play activities is clearly laid out. The abstract is followed by an excellent contents page, which is very detailed and well structured.

Content of Thesis Chapter 1: Research Problem and Background

• It is the main door of your thesis to enthuse the

examiner that it is a worthwhile research to be read. In other words, it is the first impression for the examiners.

• Its structure comprises of defining the research problem and specifying the gap of study, background and scope of study, research aim and objectives or hypothesis, significance of study, anticipated findings.

Content of Thesis

Chapter 1: Research Problem and Background

• Your problem could be derived from literature as well as your direct experience with the research problem.

• The background is the situatedness of your study. It means that the context of your research as a small part of a large research discipline.

• It should be written in simple present tense.

Affordances of School Grounds

for Children’s Outdoor Play and Environmental Learning

Nor Fadzila Aziz (PB103013)

PhD Candidate Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr Ismail Said

Faculty of Built Environment Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

1 October 2014

School Grounds

Schools grounds as potential sites for children’s outdoor play

and environmental learning

• School grounds provide the opportunities for children to interact with

the school environment through movement, investigation,

concentration and social interaction.

Promotes children’s physical, social and cognitive development and

children’s health (Ozdemir and Yilmaz, 2008; Willenberg et al., 2010)

Potential sites for place-based or environmental learning and instruction (Malone and Tranter, 2003a, 2003b; Dyment, 2005; Dyment et al., 2009;

Powell, 2007; Stanley 2010)

• Children’s outdoor play in the school grounds is a fundamental

component of informal learning, which has been referred to as

environmental learning by Tranter and Malone (2004).

Research Gap

There has been a variety of research about school grounds, but most

studies have focused either on the impacts of the physical

environment on children’s behaviour and levels of physical activity

or on children’s perception of their school ground environment.

• The studies overlooked the connection between the physical environment

and the social context of school grounds regarding the actualisation of affordances and the formation of children’s preferences.

• Research focusing on children’s values of outdoor play for environmental

learning in relation to the physical and social contexts of school grounds is less studied.

Therefore, more comprehensive research is required to explore the

connection between children’s experiences within the designed

school ground environment with their perceptions of the ideal school

grounds for environmental learning.

Content of Thesis

Chapter 2: Literature Review

• This chapter presents the critical appraisal of past studies related to your research subject. It shall demonstrate a discursive prose that is you write in your own words.

• It is synthesizing a subject from a set of previous studies in your own stance. Therefore, it explains how you evaluate the works of others, show the relationships between different works, and show how it relates to your work. Hence, it is your debate on what has been studied, what is the status quo of the research subject, and lastly, what you want to extend.

• Organize the literature review into sections that present themes or identify trends, including relevant theory.

Content of Thesis

Chapter 2: Literature Review

• Here is where you discuss the meaning of research concept or

underpinning(s). The discussion ends with a clear research framework of your study referring to past studies and your research objectives.

• It shall be written in simple present tense even though you are referring to past studies.

PhD Thesis Defense, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Widya Fransiska Febriati Anwar (PB093004)

Supervisor(s):

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ismail Said

Dr. Dilshan Remaz Ossen

Dr. Moh. Hisyam bin Rasidi

Rebuilding identity of the historical area through the use of urban morphology

1875 1920 1945 2004

December 2009 – January 2013

Situating a research with the current status quo of a subject

Urban Morphology

Environmental Psychology

Conservation Preservation

Urban

Element

Urban

Structure

Change

Urban

Setting

Place

Attachment Image of

the city

City

Marketing

Culture

Conzen, 1960; Lynch, 1960; Kostof, 1991;

Wikantyoso, 1997; Hillier, 2001; Ikaputra,

et. Al, 2000; Fattahi and Kobayashi,

2009a, 2009b

Whitehand and Morton,

2004; Rapoport, 2004;

Samant, 2004; Tweed

and Sutherland, 2007;

Smith, 2008; Rabady,

2010; Ragab, 2011, Kim,

2011

Boblic, 1990; Hall, 1997;

Purwanto, 2005; Hanh, 2006;

Hara, et.al (2008)

Schuller, 1898; Geisler, 1918; Whitby, 1951; Conzen,

1960; Muratori, 1960; Hillier and Hanson, 1984;

Forties; 1989; Kropt, 1996; Hall, 1997; Levy, 1999;

Canigia, 2001; Jiang and Claramunt, 2002; Chapman,

2006; James and Bound, 2009; Tian et.al, 2010; Topcu

and Kubat, 2012

Rodwel, 2007; Kolzlowski and

Bowen, 1997; Sevinc, 2009;

Wei and Kiang, 2009;

Whitehand and Gu, 2010; Albert

and Hanzen, 2010; Hillier, 2001

Inn, 2004;Gospodini, 2004, 2011; Doralti,

2004;Watson, 2006; Plaza, 2006, 2008; Butina,

2006; Niebrzydowski, 2007; Novickas, 2007;

Lewicka, 2008; Handal, 2009;Chen, 2011;

Sainz, 2012 Tuan, 1974; Steele, 1981; Altman and

Low, 1992; Hummon, 1992; Jackson,

1994; Cross, 2001; Guillani, 2003;

Willian and Vaske, 2003; Smaldone,

2006; Handal. 2006; Beidler, 2007;

Hernandez, 2007; Brown and

Raymond, 2007; Watson and Bentley,

2007; White et.al, 2008; Liu, 2009;

Raymod et.al, 2010; Najafi and

Kamal, 2011

Rebuilding City Identity

Place

Familiarity

Sense of

Place Identity

Authenticity

Urban

Reminder

City's Identity

Place Character

Identity of Place

Place Identity

Rebuilding city identity through the use of urban morphology (Widya, 2013)

RO#3 The interdependency between the urban morphology and identity

Place Identity

The current bonding

between people and

riverside area

Interview Questionnai

re

Stage 3

The new/ remaining/ disappeared urban elements or setting

The forgotten and memorized elements

High vs. Low appreciation

towards the place

Social Character Physical Character

IDENTITY OF RIVER CITY

Stage 4

RO#1. The physical and spatial pattern

Urban Morphology

The persistent and new

urban element

The physical-spatial

pattern changes,

streetline and riverline

Superimposed the maps

Stage 1

RO#2 Place character that can establish the identity

Identity with the Place

People's appreciation

in the past (1890-1930)

People appreciation of

the present (1990-

2000s)

Old

paintings

/ photos

Interview

Question

naire

Archival

studies

Stage 2

Examiner Comment on Literature Review

• By Tracey Skelton on Nor Fadzila’s thesis, AFFORDANCE OF SCHOOL GROUNDS FOR CHILDREN’S OUTDOOR PLAY AND ENVIORNMENTAL LEARNING (2014)

The literature review, which is largely located in Chapter 2, is extremely comprehensive and clearly written. An extremely good range of literature is examined and the candidate displays clear knowledge of, and the competence to engage with, the scholarly debates that are relevant to her field of study. She draws upon well-established and influential literature and also recent work to very good effect. The literature review is structured clearly and logically.

I was also hoping to read more critical discussion about the conceptual and material problems around the ideas of affordances is all the existing literature accurate and useful? What are the candidate’s own critical perspectives on the literature?

Content of Thesis

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

• It explains the research approach or design on how to elicit data as well as what tools are used to analyze the data leading to results.

• It also explains what type is your research either exploratory, explanatory, experimental, descriptive or narrative.

• In addition, it describes the general approach of your investigation either positivism, pragmatism or constructivism.

• It elaborates the meaning of parameters as well as the interrelationship of parameters.

• It describes the background of your study site or setting or context.

• Lastly, the justify the validity and reliability of your methods.

• It should be written in simple past tense.

Affordances of School Grounds

for Children’s Outdoor Play and Environmental Learning

Nor Fadzila Aziz (PB103013)

PhD Candidate Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr Ismail Said

Faculty of Built Environment Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

1 October 2014

Research Methodology

Research Design

Exploratory

research

Mixed methods design

(Concurrent nested strategy)

Transactional approach

Qualitative

(Predominant method)

Quantitative

(Embedded method)

Children

(Stratified purposeful

sampling)

Teachers

(Simple random

sampling)

Data analysis and triangulation

Findings

Measurement Strategies

STRATEGY RESPONDENT OBJECTIVE

a) Walkabout interview and mapping

Children (n=80)

RO#1

b) Photography and discussion

RO#2

c) Drawing

RO#4

d) Preference survey

RO#3

e) Survey questionnaire

Teachers (n=71)

RO#3 RO#4

Environmental

Learning Children’s

Outdoor Play

Actualisation of

Affordances

potential site for

Preferences

School Grounds

Environment

Pe

rce

ptio

n a

nd

a

ttitu

de

to

wa

rds

Co

nc

ep

tio

n o

f id

ea

l sc

ho

ol g

rou

nd

s

offered affordances

perceived affordances

offered affordances

BOTTOM

UP

Children’s

interactions

Children’s

needs

CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOURAL AND PERCEPTUAL RESPONSES

PLANNING AND DESIGN OF SCHOOL GROUNDS

Children’s

emotions

Interrelationship between Variables

D1 D2

D3

RO #1 Affordances of school grounds

Children’s

walkabout interview & mapping

(n=80)

Children’s photography &

discussion (n=80)

RO #2 Factors that influence

level of affordances

RO #3 Environmental learning

in school grounds

Children’s preference

survey (n=80)

RO #4 Ideal school grounds for environmental learning

Outdoor play

activities

The use of school grounds environment

Play behaviour patterns & children’s

performances

Place preferences

Children’s affection & evaluation towards the environment

Properties & attributes

of school grounds

Person-environment relationship

(“ACTUAL” environment)

Needs &

preferences

The potentials & barriers of school grounds for environmental learning

Beliefs, preferences & needs

Meaning and

understanding on the potential affordances of school grounds

Features, design patterns & aspects considered

Perceptual & conception

(“IDEAL” environment)

Physical &

social

factors

Theoretical & design implication in enhancing school grounds’ potentials

Teacher’s survey

questionnaire (n=71)

Children’s drawing

(n=80)

Descriptive statistics (Univariate)

Spatial analysis (Hotspots) Content analysis (Interpretative)

Descriptive statistics

Descriptive statistics

RASCH Model

Descriptive statistics Content analysis

TRIANGULATION

Perceptions &

attitudes

Research Objectives

Examiner Comment on Research Methodology

• By Tracey Skelton on Nor Fadzila’s thesis, AFFORDANCE OF SCHOOL GROUNDS FOR CHILDREN’S OUTDOOR PLAY AND ENVIORNMENTAL LEARNING (2014)

This is a really strong chapter in the thesis and the range of methods utilized for the research is explained very well and in good depth. There is also valuable use of methodological scholarships and discussion and strong argument put forward to the mixed-method approach. There are a few things that I think will strengthen the chapter and form part of the minor amendments.

The methodology chapter provides a very clear, descriptive introduction, but how does this chapter link with the aims of the thesis and the research questions of the thesis? There needs to be more critical discussion of the purpose of this chapter to answer the complexities of the research project. This material is there a little later on but the early part of the chapter needs to be restructured. I would move paragraph 2 on page 86 up in the introduction as it provides a good description of the methods and so would better with the introduction as part of showing why and how the research was done in the way it was.

Content of Thesis

Chapter 4: Results and Discussion

• Here lies the novelty of your research. Your data has been churned into tables and figures, your results. Figures could be maps, illustrations, charts and graphs.

• Being critical means you interpret the results rigorously relative to your research objectives, research hypothesis or research questions. Answering all of them means your thesis is complete.

• If you found that one of your objectives was not clearly answered, you can revise it in Chapter 1 or you can even drop the objective when you clearly understood that you have reached your research aim.

Content of Thesis

Chapter 4: Results and Discussion

• Situate your findings with those of your literature review either affirm, modify or reject. Hence, there should be many citations. Avoid playing safe in your discussion that is discussing your findings all in consistent with those in the review. You should argue why your finding is in contrast with the findings of previous studies. It means that you either modify the current status of research subject or you create a new theory. This is the novelty of your research, new knowledge.

• It should be written in simple past tense.

Examiner Comment on Results and Discussion

• By Tracey Skelton on Nor Fadzila’s thesis, AFFORDANCE OF SCHOOL GROUNDS FOR CHILDREN’S OUTDOOR PLAY AND ENVIORNMENTAL LEARNING (2014)

The chapter is extremely thorough and takes the reader through all the methods and findings step by step. In some places I think sections could be combined and more connected discussion be provided that provides a more analytical rather than a largely descriptive narrative.

I found the most interesting part of this chapter related to the ideal school grounds that the children invented. Their diagrams were intriguing. I enjoyed the discussion on this too.

Content of Thesis

Chapter 5: Conclusions and Implications

• Here lies the contribution of your research, the milestones that you have generated and has clearly extended the boundary of the current status quo of your research subject. This demonstrates that you are a scholar in the field of study.

• The conclusion is constructed from the triangulation of findings answering your research objectives. It is a generalization of findings benefit humanity.

• The implication is your idea consists of constructive steps that your findings benefiting stakeholders, organization, government or the people’s community.

• It should be written in simple present tense.

The Model of Child-Environment Transactional Process

1. P-E fit

2. Affordances

3. Environmental preferences

Conclusion & Theoretical Implications

PLACE MAKING AND MEANING OF PADANG AS A PUBLIC PLACE IN HISTORIC CITIES OF MALAYSIA

Nor Zalina Harun (PB073042)

PhD Candidate, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Theoretical Implication

Distinctiveness

Place familiarity Place dependence

Diversity

Place rootedness Place identity

Place belongingness Place identity

Symbolical / analogical

Valuation

Denotative meaning Connotative meaning Abstract meaning

Cognitive attachment Affective attachment Symbolic attachment

+

+

Examiner Comment on Conclusion and Implication

• By Tracey Skelton on Nor Fadzila’s thesis, AFFORDANCE OF SCHOOL GROUNDS FOR CHILDREN’S OUTDOOR PLAY AND ENVIORNMENTAL LEARNING (2014)

A key strength of this thesis is the amount of data and the systematic analysis of that data. There is a wealth of material provided and discussed. This is particularly impressive given that the research could only be carried out in a two-day period in both schools. This is a testament to the mixed-methods approach that garnered a lot of information in a short space of time. The thesis is one of the best written and error-free pieces of work I have examined in quite a while – given the candidate is written in her second language this makes it all the more impressive. The structure and logic of the thesis is very strong and makes for an engaging read. I could almost feel the energy of the children as they talked about and engaged in their different types of play. There is a good engagement with the academic literature throughout the thesis and the candidate demonstrates a good knowledge of the debates – although I think a more critical take on the work would have really strengthened the thesis. The thesis provides insights which will be valuable for policy making and planning.

Discussion with peers and supervisor

Q & A Session