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Writing your thesis:chapter by chapter
Roger Watson PhD FRCP Edin FAANProfessor of Nursing
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Advanced NursingEditor, Nursing Open
Your supervisor cannot read 5000 words while you sit there
Order of contents
TitleAbstractIntroductionBackgroundMethodsResultsDiscussionConclusionReferences
Title
Should be:
As short as possible
Clearly related to the topic of the thesis
Contain vital information at the beginning
Title
For example:
A systematic review of traditional Chinese medicine
NOT:
Traditional Chinese medicine: a systematic review
Title
For example:
A randomised controlled trial of traditional Chinese medicine versus conventional medicine
NOT:
Traditional Chinese medicine versus conventional medicine: a randomised controlled trial
Abstract
Structured (250-300 words)
• Aims and objectives• Background• Design• Methods• Results• Conclusions
Aims and objectives
For example:
Aim: The overall aim of this study was to investigate the quality of life of clients
Objectives:
• To provide a profile of quality of life in clients• To examine relationships between quality of life and
sociodemographic factors
Introduction
Places the study in context:
• Policy• Practice• Research• Education
Chapter 1: Introduction
Should contain a problem statement:
• What is the problem?• Why is the problem worth studying?• Why are you studying the problem?• Why would anyone be interested?
Chapter 2: Literature review
• Literature review
• Demonstrates what is already known about the topic and what gaps the thesis will fill
• Identifies questions to be addressed in the thesis
• Should end with research questions/hypotheses
Common features of systematic reviews
• Research question
• Defined parameters of review
• Search terms
• Date limits
• Inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Quality assessment
• Synthesis
• (Meta-analysis)
• Reporting
Research question
A clear statement in the form of a question of what you set out to investigate, eg:
• Are practice nurses better than GPs at removing ear wax?
• Does continuing professional development improve nurses’ management skills?
• Why do older nurses leave the profession?
Hypotheses
• There will be a relationship between X and Y
• There will be a difference between X and Y
• X will be better than Y at....
Chapter 3: Methods
Design
Methods:• Sample• Data collection• Analysis
Ethics
Design
• Quantitative:– RCT, survey
• Qualitative:– ethnography, grounded theory
• Type of design:– cross sectional, longitudinal
Sample
• Population from which it was drawn
• Inclusion/exclusion criteria
• Type of sampling
• Access to participants
Type of Sampling
• Random• Simple• Cluster• Stratified
• Sequential
• Convenience
• Sample size considerations
Data collection
• Instruments used (and why)
• Validity/reliability (quantitative)
• Criteria for ensuring rigour (qualitative)
• Translation process for questionnaires
Reliability
• Internal consistency
• Test-retest
• Intra-rater
• Inter-rater
Validity
• Construct
– Content
– Criterion
– Discriminant
– Factorial
Analysis
• Specify statistical tests used
• State which statistical packages were used
Chapter 4: Results
Just state the results don’t discuss them
• Descriptive statistics (demographics)• Inferential statistics (relationhsips)• Multivariate statistics (structures; causes)
Refer to all tables and figures
Tables and figures
• See how others present these
• Don’t use raw statistical outputs
• Be parsimonious
• Can you append or put material online?
Chapter 5: Discussion
• Discuss the findings to the research questions
• Include limitations of study
• Do not overstate findings
• Implications/recommendations (policy, practice etc)
• Relate back to aims of study: were they achieved?
Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Brief summary of what the thesis shows
• Main implications
• A statement on future lines of enquiry
• NO:• References• New ideas
• Use bullet points
Order of writing
• Title• Abstract• Introduction• Background• Methods• Results• Discussion• Conclusions• References
Order of writing
• Methods• Results• Background• Discussion• Conclusions• Introduction• Abstract• Title
