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Demystifying the PhD Thesis

Michael Smyth
Michael Smyth

A presentation to Computer Science students undertaking PhD's in Scotland at the SICSA PhD Conference, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, June 2018.

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Demystifying the PhD Thesis Michael Smyth Centre for Interaction Design Edinburgh Napier University, UK @michael_smyth The Lost Weekend (1941) Billy Wilder (dir)
How many of you have actually looked at another thesis? The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
What a Thesis is Not. A diary of your research years A collection of papers A large undergraduate thesis A lone journey Rocket Science, unless ..
The Question What should a PhD thesis look like? Big (not always) Black (sometimes) Perfect (seldom)
The Structure of the Thesis
What is the purpose of a literature review? Dr Who - Silence in the Library (2008) Euros Lyn (dir)
Demystifying the PhD Thesis
Question: Which is the most important chapter in a thesis? 1.The Introduction 2.TheLiterature Review 3.The Methodology/Design 4.TheImplementation 5.The Testing/Evaluation 6.The Results 7.The Conclusions 8.
Answer: The Introduction
The Beginning Introduction to the Research Aim of the Research Summary of the Research Conducted Overview of the Outcomes Structure of the Thesis Touch of Evil (1958) Orson Welles (dir)
Demystifying the PhD Thesis
Question: When do you write the Introduction?
Answer: At the end, its the last chapter you write.
The Middle Literature Review Methodology/Design Implementation Testing/Evaluation
The Literature Review Secondary Research - What have other people said about the topic and how does this frame my approach?
The Design Phase or The Methodology Phase - How am I planning to do what I say I want to do? The Fountainhead (1949) King Vidor (dir)
The Fountainhead (1949) King Vidor (dir) Implementation - How did you build it, make it, craft it, create it? Is the contribution the Thing or is the Thing a vehicle - a McGuffin - that lets you investigate something else?
The McGuffin - The importance to the plot is not the object itself, but rather its effect on the characters and their motivations. The Maltese Falcon (1941) John Huston(dir)
Evaluation - How can I tell that it does what I expected it to do and, if not, what did it do?
The End Conclusions Review of the Research conducted Statement of the main findings Proposals for future research Contribution of the Research to the Body of Knowledge Zabriskie Point (1970) Michelangelo Antonioni(dir)
The end of one phase of a journey . Madmen (2015) Matthew Weiner (dir)
The Truman Show(1998) Peter Weir(dir) The Secrets Topping and tailing The connection between the Introduction and the Conclusions Who is your audience? Thesis on a page of A4
Demystifying the PhD Thesis
The Wizard of Oz (1939) Victor Flemming(dir) More Secrets Clarify the connections between the chapters - the spine Practice the argument The time between the 1st draft and submission Remember the viva
Demystifying the PhD Thesis Michael Smyth Centre for Interaction Design Edinburgh Napier University, UK @michael_smyth

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Demystifying the PhD Thesis

  • 1. Demystifying the PhD Thesis Michael Smyth Centre for Interaction Design Edinburgh Napier University, UK @michael_smyth The Lost Weekend (1941) Billy Wilder (dir)
  • 2. How many of you have actually looked at another thesis? The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
  • 3. What a Thesis is Not. A diary of your research years A collection of papers A large undergraduate thesis A lone journey Rocket Science, unless ..
  • 4. The Question What should a PhD thesis look like? Big (not always) Black (sometimes) Perfect (seldom)
  • 5. The Structure of the Thesis
  • 6. What is the purpose of a literature review? Dr Who - Silence in the Library (2008) Euros Lyn (dir)
  • 8. Question: Which is the most important chapter in a thesis? 1.The Introduction 2.TheLiterature Review 3.The Methodology/Design 4.TheImplementation 5.The Testing/Evaluation 6.The Results 7.The Conclusions 8.
  • 10. The Beginning Introduction to the Research Aim of the Research Summary of the Research Conducted Overview of the Outcomes Structure of the Thesis Touch of Evil (1958) Orson Welles (dir)
  • 12. Question: When do you write the Introduction?
  • 13. Answer: At the end, its the last chapter you write.
  • 15. The Literature Review Secondary Research - What have other people said about the topic and how does this frame my approach?
  • 16. The Design Phase or The Methodology Phase - How am I planning to do what I say I want to do? The Fountainhead (1949) King Vidor (dir)
  • 17. The Fountainhead (1949) King Vidor (dir) Implementation - How did you build it, make it, craft it, create it? Is the contribution the Thing or is the Thing a vehicle - a McGuffin - that lets you investigate something else?
  • 18. The McGuffin - The importance to the plot is not the object itself, but rather its effect on the characters and their motivations. The Maltese Falcon (1941) John Huston(dir)
  • 19. Evaluation - How can I tell that it does what I expected it to do and, if not, what did it do?
  • 20. The End Conclusions Review of the Research conducted Statement of the main findings Proposals for future research Contribution of the Research to the Body of Knowledge Zabriskie Point (1970) Michelangelo Antonioni(dir)
  • 21. The end of one phase of a journey . Madmen (2015) Matthew Weiner (dir)
  • 22. The Truman Show(1998) Peter Weir(dir) The Secrets Topping and tailing The connection between the Introduction and the Conclusions Who is your audience? Thesis on a page of A4
  • 24. The Wizard of Oz (1939) Victor Flemming(dir) More Secrets Clarify the connections between the chapters - the spine Practice the argument The time between the 1st draft and submission Remember the viva
  • 25. Demystifying the PhD Thesis Michael Smyth Centre for Interaction Design Edinburgh Napier University, UK @michael_smyth