...Structuring a Thesis Introduction Posted on February 20, 2013 | 13 Comments A few weeks ago, I had a post on writing introductions, in which I discussed the standard three moves of an introduction. This model works very naturally in a short space such as a research proposal or article but can be harder to realize on the bigger canvas of a thesis introduction. Many thesis writers struggle with the need to provide adequate contextualizing detail before being able to give a satisfying account of their problem. Truth be told, this inclination—the feeling that our problem is so complex that any explanation will require extensive background—can be a bit of a graduate student weakness. Understanding that your thesis can be explained in a compressed fashion is often a step forward, if for no other reason than it can give you the wherewithal to answer the inevitable questions about your thesis topic without the stammering and the false starts and the over-reliance on the word ‘complicated’. I suggest that thesis writers take every possible opportunity to articulate their topic under severe space or time constraints. One possibility: look to see if your campus is having a Three Minutes Thesis competition this term; the first round at U of T is being held on March 22. When I approach a thesis introduction, I start from the assumption that the reader shouldn’t have to wait to hear your guiding problem until they have the full context to that problem. You have to find a way of giving...
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...Chapter 1: The Research Problem and its Background Introduction: Studying can seem very boring compared to all the exciting temptations just outside your door or the games on your computer. Even watching old boring cartoons can seem more interesting than the hand-outs your teacher is expecting you to master! One reason we often don’t start studying until the last possible minute is that we have misjudged how long it will actually take us to absorb and understand the material. If your mid-term is still six weeks away, this might seem like plenty of time left before you need to get around to studying. You might find however, that the subject matter is a lot harder to understand than you thought it would be, and all of a sudden there’s no time left to ask someone to explain it to you. A study habit is the way of studying with a particular place and time organized by the person itself. Studying in a well literature and organized place makes it more effective. Having this study habits will surely has an effect on our academic performances. Depending on a person if he/she has this study habits because others do not have. They only study and scan their books whenever they like. Others are only depending in their stock knowledge, while some will only scan their lesson when there is a test coming. This depends on a person, but having a study habit will surely help us and make our studying easier. We conduct this kind of research to know whether the fourth year students...
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...It is a local problem for its concern is merely the Second Year Education students of Cor Jesu College yet it is still relevant for global concerns because it entails trendy delinquencies for any academe – a predicament which calls for probable scholarly resolutions and if possible, find some resorts in the domestic area only. Most research proves that a student who is well-equipped with good study habits perform best in the academe, has effective communication skills and has deeper reasoning towards critical problems. Also, there are factors that interplay between the relationship of study habits and language skills such as age, sex, study habits, environmental influence, and extra-curricular activities. The researchers would like to investigate the possible relationship of study habits and the factors affecting complement of language skills of the Second Year Education Students of Cor Jesu College, Davao del Sur. There is enquiry in this area, thus, becomes a real and compelling motivation for the researchers to conduct this study. Theoretical and Conceptual Framework This research is anchored on the theories of Efficiency of Study Habits by Dr. Naeemullah Bajwa (1998) and Language Skills by Stevrick (1984). According to Bajwa (1998), study habits mean theme setting of subject to be learned or investigated, and the tendency of pupils or students to study when the opportunity is provided to them. Students can’t use effective study skills, until they are not having...
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...ADVOCACY ESSAY: PEER REVIEW MEMO When you are ready to review a peer’s essay, open this document in one window and the essay in another window (you’ll be cutting and pasting information from the essay into this memo. Place your cursor in the gray field to record your answer. Refer to specific parts of paper by paragraph number. Reviewer’s Name: Karen Adame Title of Essay Reviewed: Intervention Programs for Youth to Reduce Deliquency Author’s Name: Jessica Leal-Rosas Date: 6/4/13 GENERAL COMMENTS Begin by reading your peer’s essay all the way through. Mark areas that are difficult to read, or don’t make sense, or that you think have some grammatical/usage problems. When you have read through the entire essay, come back and choose up to five sentences/areas that you marked for readability. Copy the text and insert it here, along with the paragraph number. You do not have to identify the error or fix it… just locate problems. No more than five sentences: For the past decades, researchers such as Peter Greenwood have focused their attention… Indeed, any program that is introduced to help reduce… After having read the whole paper through the first time, write out a few “big picture” comments. What one element of the paper do you think needs the most work before your peer turns it in as a final draft? There are several grammar errors and to explain what are concepts such as zero tolerance and get tough on crime. If you had to grade it right now based...
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...such, it picks up where the objective summary leaves off. In fact, a critique often includes a brief summary so that its readers will be able to quickly grasp the main ideas and proofs of the passage under examination. Critiques come in all shapes and sizes, but a good way to get used to writing critically is to plan your earliest critiques along the following lines. First, read the passage thoroughly. Make plenty of notes, ask lots of questions, and highlight or underline anything you may wish to quote in your paper. Spend some time on this step. It is impossibly to adequately critique something if you don't fully understand it. Next, write a summary. Identify the author's main point (thesis) and list the types of proofs he or she employs to persuade the reader to believe or accept the thesis. For example, does the author use historical anecdotes, quote noted authorities, provide statistical evidence, or appeal to a reader's sense of patriotism or generosity? These are all common types of proofs used in persuasive writing. You should also try to figure out why the author is writing, and to whom. Remember that the purpose of a paper and its intended audience can affect the way the paper is written. Now, set your own agreement or disagreement with the author aside for a moment and investigate the validity of his or her argument. Does the author provide complete and accurate information? Some authors may leave important facts out of their presentations in order to avoid...
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...audience? What are the expectations? Do current events affect your speech? Outdoors or indoors? Noise? Are appropriate teaching tools available? What is the size of the room? Is the audience seated or standing? Is the room hot or cold? Are there chairs or tables? INTRODUCTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS Purposes of the Introduction: To obtain the listener’s attention. To create a favorable first impression; if you lose them here, you may lose them for good. To arouse interest in your subject. To orient the audience to the different parts of your speech. 1. 2. 3. 4. Four Parts to an Introduction: 1. Attention-getting Phase—capture the interest of audience. 2. Orientation Phase—articulate the purpose and identify with audience (why should they listen?). 3. Credibility Phase—what type of expertise do you have? 4. Preview of Main Points—delineate main topics. First: ATTENTION-GETTING PHASE Ask Audience to Physically Move. Create Curiosity. Refer to the Setting or the Occasion. Compliment Your Audience. Use a Startling Statement or Statistic. Use a Quotation. Use Humor. Use a Short Story. Pose a Question. Second: ORIENTATION PHASE Introduce Your Purpose Statement. (Less Formal Than a Thesis Statement in a Paper.) Relate Topic to the Audience. Third: CREDIBILITY State Your Interest, Research, Caring, and Experience in...
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...not something you should try to intuitively write. If you try to “wing it” you will take much longer than you need to write the paper, and you will find it hard to keep on track. Your paper will feel disorganized and you will inevitably include irrelevant information. Here is the easiest pattern I can suggest for your papers: 1. You will need an introduction that introduces your topic, provides relevant background on your topic, and then transitions to your thesis statement. Your thesis should be a two-fold thesis statement. 2. In APA style, it is common to divide a research paper into different sections. These sections can be the arguments you make to prove your thesis. In English 101, you wrote five paragraph essays: an Introduction, three Body Paragraphs, and a Conclusion. The pattern was to have a thesis for which you made three arguments. Each argument was one of the three paragraphs. For English 102, simply take that pattern and expand it. What does that mean? If you have three main arguments to prove your thesis, each argument should be a section of the paper. The pattern is as follows: I. Introduction II. Section I III. Section II IV. Section III V. Conclusion 3. For your outline then, you just need to indicate what the three main arguments are and what arguments you will make in each section. You should also think about what your topic sentences will be for each argument in each section. You should think about what transitions...
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...Narrative Essay: Peer Review Checklist 1. Is the introduction inviting? I feel as though it was 2. Does the introduction introduce the topic? Not really I didn’t really understand where you were going with this till the end 3. Does the the introduction state the thesis? No 4. Do you have any suggestions about the introduction? Clarity in what you are trying to tell us 5. What is the thesis for the essay? I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life but all of those experiences made me realize what kind of person I’m going to be on that venture. 6. Is the thesis clear and sufficiently narrowed down? I am still not really sure if this is your thesis or not but if I had to find something in your essay this would be it it makes the most sense in my eyes but I feel as though you could make it clearer 7. Do you have any suggestions about the thesis? Refer to #6 8. Does the essay tell a story? YES 9. Does the writer tell the story in chronological order? YES 10. Does each body paragraph contain one event of the story? YES 11. Do you have any suggestions about the organization of the body paragraphs? NO 12. Is the conclusion logical? Is it interesting? YES 13. Do you have any suggestions about the conclusion? NO 14. Is the essay coherent? YES 15. Does the writer use varied sentence structure, paraphrase and linking words? 16. Do you have any suggestions for improving coherence?...
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...WRITING AN INTRODUCTION FOR AN ESSAY Good introductions provide: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. a clear and detailed map of what is in the essay; a thesis statement - a statement of the writer’s main argument; a sentence which delimits the scope of the essay; interesting statements that engage the reader's attention; and background information. ACTIVITY 1 Read through Introduction A. Identify which of the sentences perform the functions listed above. Then go to the end of this information flyer and check how well you did. Information technology is having significant effects on the communication of individuals and organizations in different professions. This essay will discuss the impact of information technology on the communication of health professionals. The essay will begin by discussing how information technology provides for the educational needs of nurses. It will then explain how information technology can have significant effects on the role of general practitioner in the area of public health. The essay will then turn to consider the lack of knowledge about the potential of computers among hospital administrators and nursing executives. The final section will deal with how information technology assists health professionals in the delivery of services in rural areas. The essay will argue that information technology has significant potential to improve health care and medical education but health professionals are reluctant to use it. ACTIVITY 2 Read through Introduction B. As you...
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...Rough Draft Formula Writing Have you ever had problems getting started on an essay? Most writers have. There is a technique that can help, and it’s called formula writing. Formula writing, like most essays, contains an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. These elements are the “formula” for writing. The first element of formula writing is the introduction. It is the first paragraph of the essay and introduces the main idea of the entire essay. In addition, this paragraph contains information to grab the reader’s attention. The first sentence can either present the thesis statement, which is not the preferred method, or it can hook the reader, as this essay does. The introduction also contains a listing of the main ideas that will be developed in the body paragraphs. If the thesis statement has not been expressed in the first sentence, it should be the last sentence of the introduction; this is the preferred placement of the thesis statement. If the thesis statement is the first sentence, the last sentence of the introductory paragraph should be a concluding sentence that either wraps-up the paragraph or leads into the first body paragraph. The body is the second element of formula writing. The body usually contains three paragraphs, although it can contain more or fewer. Each paragraph must have its own topic sentence, which is usually the first sentence of the paragraph. The remaining sentences develop the main idea, or topic sentence, through...
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...Writer: Reviewer: Peer Checklist for Project One Directions: Answer each category with a simple Yes or No. If you answer no, please explain in the “suggestions for revision” section. If you answer yes to all categories, please offer a few constructive remarks in some of the categories. Introduction and Thesis: Does the paper have an introductory paragraph that introduces the ad, TV show, or film and ideas that lead up to the thesis statement or argument of the paper? Is the thesis statement placed at the end of the introduction? Does the thesis statement assert a clear argument about the message of the ad, TV show, or film and the impact that message may have on its audience or society? Suggestions for Revision: Paragraph Development and Organization: Does each body paragraph offer substantial analysis of how the ad, film, or TV show conveys messages about our culture and society? Are the paragraphs cohesive? In other words, do the sentences in each paragraph clearly relate to and build on one another? Is the entire paper cohesive? In other words, do all the paragraphs clearly relate to and build on one another? Suggestions for Revision: Evidence and Support: Does the paper have specific references to and quotations from the work (the ad, TV show, or film)? Does the paper use quotes from or references to three secondary sources for support? Suggestions...
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...How to Write a Thesis http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~martins/sen_sem/thesis_org.html How to Write Your Thesis compiled by Kim Kastens, Stephanie Pfirman, Martin Stute, Bill Hahn, Dallas Abbott, and Chris Scholz I. Thesis structure Title Page Abstract Table of Contents List of Figures List of Tables Introduction Methods Results Discussion Conclusions Recommendations Acknowledgments References Appendices II. Crosscutting Issues What We Are Looking For Planning Ahead for Your Thesis Writing for an Audience Skimming vs. Reading Order of Writing Figures and Tables Tying the Text to the Data Giving Credit Final Thesis Resources III. Editing Your Thesis Copy Editing Content Editing Avoiding Ambiguity Thesis Length Writing for an International Audience I. Thesis structure Title Page Title (including subtitle), author, institution, department, date of delivery, research mentor(s) and advisor, their instututions and email adresses Abstract A good abstract explains in one line why the paper is important. It then goes on to give a summary of your major results, preferably couched in numbers with error limits. The final sentences explain the major implications of your work. A good abstract is concise, readable, and quantitative. Length should be ~ 1-2 paragraphs, approx. 400 words. Absrtracts generally do not have citations. Information in title should not be repeated. Be explicit. Use numbers where appropriate. Answers to these questions should be found in the abstract: ...
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...essay has the same elements as a well-written paragraph. A paragraph has a topic sentence; an essay has a thesis statement. A paragraph is developed with supporting statements; an essay has three paragraphs based on the thesis statement's supporting ideas. A paragraph has a concluding sentence; an essay has a concluding paragraph. An introduction does two things: it gets your reader's attention, and it presents the thesis statement. The thesis statement identifies the topic of the essay. Look at the introductions below Example #1 If we were to place the body of every teenager who died in an alcohol-related accident in the last five years endto-end, the line would circle the globe three times. Every year, hundreds of teenagers lose their lives because of drunk drivers. Driving drunk is a growing problem in our society, and the consequences are great. Example #2 Hundreds of teenagers lose their lives because of drunk drivers. It is a problem that affects students in every school in America. Driving drunk is a growing problem in our society because more and more teens are drinking and then driving without considering the serious consequences that could result from their actions. These consequences include financial burdens, sorrow caused to those losing loved ones, and the senseless reduction of our greatest natural resource: our young people. Which introduction catches your interest and pulls you into the text? Hopefully, you will say that the first one does. By creating...
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...complete my final drafts. Instead, I have also blossomed in the skill of communication through my writing. I have learned the required structure of an essay, and how to construct a literature review as well as a researched argument. I still require practice in some areas of grammatical structure, such as comma splicing, as this was a recurring problem and an area of weakness for me. I have learned that a properly formed essay requires an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. In the introduction, the thesis should be clear and is normally located at the end of the introduction. I learned the introduction requires an exigency describing why my topic is significant. In the body paragraphs, topic sentences are crucial. They should point back to the thesis and explain what the paragraph will talk about. There needs to be supporting evidence in these paragraphs and an aversion to excess summary. Finally, the body paragraphs require an outcome statement that encompasses what the paragraph was about. The conclusion should restate the thesis and the exigency. In order to create an effective argument essay, I had to, most crucially, consider the audience. They are...
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...connections to the subject matter. While the above aspects are important they are not absolute and the best writers are able to strike a balance between these various elements to form a writing style all their own. They are many good examples of good writing yet the best way is to allow one’s own personal experience and personality to come out in one’s writing. One thing on the don’t do list is letting your bias and views of the world stop your from evaluating opposing views and merits with competing points of views and ways of life. Now it begins. Yes, the infamous introduction. Many of my professors told me in the past that I needed to work on my introductions. It wasn’t until I read the book “The Say, I Say “ that I began to grasp the importance of good writing, especially good introductions. Also reading about the “pitch” and how to form one really helped me get more comfortable about my writing .The introduction is good to start with a attention grabber .It may even set the tone for the rest of the essay. Quotes, statistics and profound questions may be a good way to start. This is the hook that you want to use to get your audience engaged into your essay. Now that this is out of the way you want to present your points clearly. One should be carful to spell out the topics to be covered. Many...
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