英语学位论文写作课件

HowtoWriteaDisrtation
InEnglish
Introductoryremarks
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Thesis,disrtation,paper
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Summaryandevaluationofinformation
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Theprocessofwritingadisrtation
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Chapter1
DefiningtheDisrtation
Summary
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Exercis
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1.1Introductoryremarks
HowtowriteadisrtationinEnglish
Thischapterdealswithsomebasicideasconcerningthewritingofadisrtation,whichissubmittedtoyouruniversityasapartialfulfillmentoftherequirementsforthedegreeofBachelorofArts(BA)orthedegreeofMasterofArts(MA).Inthecourofyourstudiesattheuniversity,youwillberequiredtowritedifferenttypesofpapers.Forexample,attheendofanacademicmesterorterm,youmaybeaskedtowriteatermpaper,alibrarypaper,areviewarticle,orabookreviewinordertodemonstratethatyouhavelearnedthenecessaryskillsofageneralacademicabilityinthesubjecttaughtduringthemester.
Thepurpoofthischapteristodistinguishbetweenanumberoftermsandtodiscussthedifferencebetweenasummaryofinformationandanacademicevaluationofsaidpieceofinformation.Theprocessofwritingadisrtationwillalsobebrieflydiscusd,withthepurpoofidentifyingthevariousstepsinvolved.
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1.2Thesis,disrtation,paper
HowtowriteadisrtationinEnglish
Manystudentsandyoungrearchersareoftenconfudwithtermssuchasthesis,disrtation,paper,article,andessaybecautheycanallbetranslatedintolunwen(论文)inChine.Inthisbook,theworddisrtationisudtoreferto“alongessaythatyoudoaspartofadegreeorotherqualification”(CobuildEnglish-ChineDictionary,p.540)thatyouarestudyingfor—thatis,aBAoranMA.Thetermthesis,bycontrast,isudtoreferto“alongpieceofwriting,badonyourownideasandrearchthatyoudoaspartofauniversitydegree,especiallyaPhD”(CobuildEnglish-ChineDictionary,p.2034).Thus,iftheessayisapartofaBAorMAdegree,wecallitadisrtation;ifitisapartofaPhDdegreewecallitathesis(notethatthesishasanothermeaninginadifferentcontext,whichyouwillcomeacrossinSection6.2inChapter6).Ontheotherhand,ifyouwriteanessayforacertaincourduringyouruniversitystudies,wecallitapaper.Asaresult,youhavedifferenttermsfordifferentpiecesofwritingthatyoudo
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1.2Thesis,disrtation,paper
HowtowriteadisrtationinEnglish
Duringyouruniversitystudies:aBAdisrtation,anMAdisrtation,aPhDthesis,atermpaper.Notethatthethreeterms,i.e.disrtation,thesis,paperareallcalledlunwen(学士论文,硕士论文,博士论文,学期论文)inChine.Theotherterms,i.e.essay,article,whicharegeneralterms,canalsobeudtomeanlunweninChine.
ThedistinctionbetweenthesisanddisrtationmadehereisinlinewiththeBritisheducationaltradition.ItmustbepointedoutthatintheUnitedStatesofAmerica,theuofthetwotermsistheotherwayround,i.e.thesisisudtomeanaBAlunwen(学士论文)orMAlunwen(硕士论文)anddisrtationtomeanaPhDlunwen(博士论文).YoumayprefertheAmericanwayofusingthetwoterms;however,youshouldbeconsistentsothatyouarenotconfusingyourlforothers.
Ifwefollowthedistinctionsmadehere,thenHeiswritingathesis.istobeunderstoodas“他正在写博士论文”whileHeiswritingadisrtation.as“他正在写本科论文”or“他正
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1.2Thesis,disrtation,paper
HowtowriteadisrtationinEnglish
在写硕士论文”.Ontheotherhand,Heiswritingapaper.canbegenerallyunderstoodas“他正在写论文”,andthisisnottobeinterpretedas“他正在写博士论文”or“他正在写硕士论文”or“他正在写本科论文”.
Althoughwemakethedistinctionbetweenathesisandadisrtationontheonehandandthesis/disrtationandpaperontheotherhand,itmustbeemphasizedthatintermsofthemacrostructuresandthewaysofdoingrearchtheyhavemanythingsincommon,andtheprocessofwritingarearchpaperismoreorlessthesameasthatofwritingadisrtationorathesis.Themajordifferencebetweenthemliesattheleveloforiginality.Ifsomethingyouwriteisatermpaper,theteacherwillexpectlittleornooriginalityonyourpart.Bycontrast,ifyouarewritingaPhDthesis,youwillbeexpectedtohaveoriginalideasand/ororiginalrearchmethodology.
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1.3Summaryandevaluationofinformation
HowtowriteadisrtationinEnglish
Asapieceofacademicwriting,atermpaperorarearcharticlecanaimatsummarizingotherpeople’sstudiesinthefieldandprentingtheideasorargumentsputforwardbyotherscholars.Bycontrast,adisrtationorathesisrequiresmorethananacknowledgementofexistingstudies;itmustinvolveacriticalevaluationofrearchinformationandthisiswheretheoriginalityofthestudylies.
Ifyourmaintaskistosummarizeexistingstudiesinthefield,youaresimplyexpectedtoprenttothereaderwhatyouhaveread,howmuchyouhaveunderstood,andthewayyouhaveorganizedalltheinformationthatyouhavereviewed.Youarenotexpectedtocriticallyevaluatethepreviousstudies.However,ifyouareexpectedtoevaluatetherearchinformation,youmustshowyourabilitynotjustinunderstandingtheinformationbutalsoincommentingonotherpeople’sworkinascholarlyway.Youhavetoconsidernotjustthewhatfactorbutalsothehowandwhyfactors,inwhichca
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1.3Summaryandevaluationofinformation
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yourrearchwillofteninvolvecomparisonand/orcontrast.Generallyspeaking,prentingasummaryofinformationiasierthanwritinganevaluationofrearchinformation,andthelatterusuallyincludestheformer,butnottheotherwayround.
Hereisanexample.Abookreviewcanbeasummaryofinformationorbotha
summaryofinformationandanevaluationofthebook.Ifyoujustinformthereaderwhathasbeenprentedinthebook,itismerelyasummary;bycontrast,ifyounotonlysummarizewhathasbeenwrittenbutalsoevaluatetheauthor’sideasbysayingwhycertainpointscanorcannotbeaccepted,thenyouareevaluatingtheworkaswell.
Inmostcas,adisrtationinvolvesbothsummarizingandevaluatingotherpeople’sstudiesinthefield.Thisispartoftheworkthatiscalledliteraturereview(eChapter5).Onlywhenweknowwhathasbeendonebyotherscanwefindawaytomakeourworkoriginalandinteresting.
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1.4Theprocessofwritingadisrtation
HowtowriteadisrtationinEnglish
Writingadisrtationisgoingthroughaprocessofdoingrearch.Thereareanumberofimportantstepsinthisprocesswhichcanbedividedintothreegroups:(1)prewriting,(2)writing,and(3)editingandcompletion.
Intheprewritinggroup,wecanhavethefollowingsteps:
•Managingyourtime
•Locatingyourinterest
•Selectingatopic
•Familiarizingyourlfwiththerearchbackground
•Discoveringexistingstudiesandideas
•Readingtherelevantliterature
•Takingnotes
•Discoveringquestionsandproblems
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1.4Theprocessofwritingadisrtation
HowtowriteadisrtationinEnglish
•Focusingonyourrearch
•Preparingapreliminarybibliography
•Formulatingthethesisstatement
•Askingtherearchquestion
•Identifyingtheappropriaterearchmethod
•Lookingfortheoreticalsupport
•Collectingdata
•Doingexperimentsandstatisticalanalysis
•Conductinginterviewsandsurveys
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