Horn: Researching and Writing Dissertations – Tutor notes
CHAPTER 10
The Craft of Writing, and Introductions
and Conclusions
Chapter overview
This chapter introduces aspects of writing up the dissertations. The main focus is to encourage
a planned approach using the macro/micro writing technique. Students often find the writing
process to be difficult and slow, and they don’t often like the quality of the work they
produce. Although this chapter is towards the end of the book, it would be more effective to
introduce aspects of its ideas much earlier in the research process. An effective strategy might
be to have small developmental sessions at or around the time when students are required to
write and submit work.
What is covered in this chapter?










Developing good writing habits
The macro/micro approach to writing
How to use creative thinking
How to write effective sentences and paragraphs
How to avoid some common errors in writing
Linking and signposting
How to structure and format your dissertation
How to avoid errors in your argument
Referencing and bibliographies
Effective introductions and conclusions
Headline chapter points
10.2 DEVELOPING GOOD WRITING HABITS
If you look in books and on the Internet, you will find myriad helpful hints for writers.
Strangely, they hardly ever say the same things. What follows is my advice on the actual
writing process required for a dissertation.
 Understand that writing is just like any other skill
 Develop a writing habit



Use feedback to improve your writing
Understand that writing takes time
Read, think, design, write, and reread every day




Develop ‘stickability’
Think and plan and make notes before you write
Get it ‘write’ first time
Understand the necessity to revise your writing
10.3 THE MACRO APPROACH TO ACADEMIC WRITING
This section introduces the notion of macro/micro writing and develops the practical method
of using it. It includes ideas around creative thinking and how that can benefit the writing
process.
10.4 EFFECTIVE MICRO WRITING
This section works on the component parts of sentences and paragraphs, building writing that
is effective and conveys clear messages. The statement–premise–conclusion format is
introduced.
10.5 THE STRUCTURE OF A DISSERTATION
This section sets out the layout and contents of the typical dissertation.
10.6 INTRODUCTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
Feedback on Activities
Ordering ideas [page 224]
Imagine that you have a literature review section that contains five
significant theories. You have already decided that you will keep all five
theories in the section but arrange them separately. The essence of the
problem is to know what would be a logical way to organise these five
theories.
Feedback:
This is an activity that encourages students to reflect on how to create a logical approach and
become more aware of what might be regarded as logical. The suggested duration is of about
20–30 minutes, followed by a group discussion of the same length.
Ordering within an academic theory section [page 225]
Following on from the Ordering ideas Reflective Activity, you are now
ordering the ideas for each theory. You have the following [eight] points
that you want to make, but you are not sure of the order in which to write
them. Create a logical order for these points so that they build into a strong
argument.
Feedback:
This is a follow-on activity from the previous one that asks students to reflect on a suitable
order for the points listed. There are several possible solutions to this activity. A simple
ordering would develop the points thus: descriptive, practical use, limitations, and finally
evaluation.
Using short sentences [page 228]
Your paragraph plan shows that you want to express the following [nine]
points.
Task 1
Use these paragraph points and express in your own words the points
in five sentences.
Task 2
Use these paragraph points to express in your own words the points in
ten sentences
Task 3
Reflect on:


the difficulty of Tasks 1 and 2
the difference in clarity of expressio n in your responses to Tasks
1 and 2.
Feedback:
Task 1 requires the student to express all the points in five sentences. This is possible but will
need compound sentences that are quite long. Task 2 requires 10 sentences to express the nine
points, effectively ensuring that one idea per sentence will be used.
Paragraph exercise [page 000]
Glenys has produced a range of findings but wants to write a paragraph
related to the book-buying habits of students. She has carried out macro
planning of the paragraph and has made the following [ten] points.
Construct one paragraph, using all the ideas.
Feedback:
Essentially an exercise affording practice in analysing, this is a task of selection and
expression. Some of the points are precise and based in evidence; others are less useful to an
argument. It may not be clear to students that they are building an argument, so it would be
worth reflecting as a group on how each person has constructed his or her argument.
Feedback on Case study
Alison
To think about ...
Without worrying about the actual content, prepare a structure for
Alison’s literature review. You should provide:




section headings
paragraph headings
paragraph points
word targets for each section.
Feedback:
This activity is a ‘bare bones’ macro planning process. Students should be encouraged not to
concentrate too heavily on the content of sections. The focus should be on the logic and flow
of the literature section.
Section headings might be:
 Literature introduction
 Overview of history of the thinking in this area








Description and limitations of the first main theory
Description and limitations of the second main theory
Description and limitations of the third main theory
Evaluation of the theories using a set of criteria
Finalising of the outcome of the literature review and indication of the main theory that
will be used in the research
Connections to the method from the main theory
Implications for the analysis of the main theory and the method
Conclusion [which ties up the main points and signposts how the theory will drive the
research]
Tonna
To think about ...
Without worrying about the actual content, prepare a structure of
Tonna’s findings chapter. You should provide:




section headings
paragraph headings
paragraph points
word targets for each section.
Feedback:
This problem macro plans the analysis section. Try to encourage a focus on the structure and
not the content. Section headings might be:
 Introduction to the data: method, sample, validity checking and coding
 Descriptive statistics from the questionnaire
 Detailed findings, relating to the research questions, that arise from the tabular data or
inferential statistics [Restrict subsections for each of the main findings to the most
significant or striking: maximum 5–8 points]
 Introduction to the qualitative data: method, collection, post-interview data preparation
 Detailed findings from the qualitative data [Restrict to 5–8 significant points]
 Interrelation between the quantitative and qualitative elements
 Participant validation process
 Direct addressing of the aims and research questions with the reported data
 Recommendations arising from the data
 Conclusion of the data analysis section
Suggested pedagogical approach
See lesson plan below
Lesson plan
Three-hour (180-minute) teaching session, including one 15-minute break
Total class time thus 165 minutes
0–40 minutes
LECTURE: The macro/micro writing process and the effective habits
of writers
40–70 minutes
REFLECTIVE ACTIVITIES: Two or three small activities to reinforce
the macro/micro writing process [see text]
70–90 minutes
FEEDBACK: Questions and issues arising from the activities and the
lecture
90–150 minutes
IN-CLASS EVALUATION: Students are presented with a section of
writing, 2,000 to 3,000 words, and ask to evaluate it for various
aspects such as structure, logic, argument, use of English, and how
compelling a story it contains
150–165 minutes
SUMMARY AND ACTIONS: Summary of what has been covered, and
action plans
ACTION PLAN ITEMS
Return next week with:
– a 2,000- to 3,000-word piece of each student’s own writing to be
analysed and evaluated by the rest of the tutorial group
– a list of individual issues connected to writing that they feel need
to be developed