GRSC6021 Introduction to Thesis Writing (The Sciences & Related Disciplines)

Content:
The course will consider all aspects of writing a thesis. It will look at the overall content and organization of the thesis and the concerns particular to each stage of the work, focusing on how the language used in each chapter makes the writing communicatively successful. Lessons will cover the following topics related to the thesis itself: identification of a research gap; the subsequent formulation of a research problem or research questions; acknowledging the work of others and commenting on the literature in the field; discussing the writer’s own research findings; and presenting conclusions. The writing of abstracts and research proposals will also be covered, along with citation practices and bibliographic formats.

Organization:
This is a 24-hour course, consisting of two 2.5 hour lessons (first or last lesson is 1.5 hours) or three 2-hour lessons each week. Each lesson will consist of brief input sessions from the teacher followed by small group discussions of texts which illustrate the learning focus covered in the input sessions. There will be short language exercises to support some of the discussions.

Enrollment:
This course (or GRSC6001/6020) is compulsory for all MPhil and 4-year PhD students, but it is open to all research postgraduate students up to a maximum of 30 per class. It is not necessary for students to take this course in the first semester of their studies and very often students find it more beneficial if they take it in their second semester or the last semester in their probation period. For students who have been notified individually by the Graduate School to take GRSC6027 ‘Intensive English for Postgraduate Students’, enrollment is restricted to those who must have passed GRSC6027. Students who did not graduate from an English-medium university are advised to take GRSC6002 before taking this course (or GRSC6001/6020). This course (or GRSC6001/6020) is the pre-requisite for GRSC6014 and GRSC6015.

Assessment:
Assessment will take the form of a 2000-word paper related to the students' research area. The topic should be chosen by the student, preferably in collaboration with his/her supervisor, and the paper must be submitted to the Centre for Applied English Studies for assessment within two weeks of completion of the course. The student will be graded Pass or Fail on the basis of this paper.

Outcome:
At the end of the course, participants' awareness of the various concerns at different stages of writing a thesis should be enhanced and they should be able to move forward in their thesis writing systematically.