Do trailers of movies like Barbie and Oppenheimer have anything in common with the abstract of your dissertation? With all the current hype around the two record-breaking movies, you may well have watched their trailers. If so, did either of these trailers entice you to buy a ticket to see the movie? Maybe, maybe …
I’ve selected 10 rules from the APA 7th edition manual you might not know. Some of these may apply to your document. Only abbreviate a term if you use the abbreviation at least three times in the paper (APA 6.24). When presenting a number with a decimal point, do not put a zero before the …
How well do you know the APA 7th edition formatting rules? Read More »
Show academic integrity Even if you feel strongly about your claim, be fair. Don’t pick a side and present a biased argument. Rather, explain the main claims or debates and contrast the strengths of yours against the weaknesses of the other(s). Then, the merits of your claim will emerge and the argument for your research will …
If you were planning to go on one of the most important journeys of your life, you’d most likely think it through carefully beforehand. You might consider the objectives of your trip and ask key questions so that you could meet these objectives. You would likely identify the main problem you faced and find a …
Writing the Introduction Chapter of Your Thesis or Dissertation Read More »
Usually, things come together in the end. But in a dissertation, they need to come together far sooner. Already, in your introduction chapter, you need to piece everything together. Albeit at a high level, you need to establish a balance between the background to the research problem and its foreground and have a balanced …
Theoretical and conceptual frameworks are challenging for many reasons. Indeed, Bloomberg (2023, p.23) describes them as “…one of the most misunderstood pieces in the dissertation puzzle and … a source of anxiety and frustration for many”. Undoubtedly, it takes careful thought and effort to arrive at such a framework while reviewing the research literature …
The Challenges of Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks Read More »
Imagine having a wise academic owl who keeps you updated with new articles on the key topics of your literature review. And all this at no cost. In effect, this is what Google Scholar offers you with the ‘Alerts’ feature. It sends you emails with links to new articles on the topics you specify. All you …
Google Forms is very useful for conducting surveys. It’s reliable, works beautifully, and now has added formatting options. And, importantly, it’s free which makes it perfect for students conducting surveys – more appealing than its paid rivals with attractive but nonessential extras. But there’s a problem here. As the responses come in, Google Forms provides …
Does Google Forms offer too much? And if so, when does one just have to say ‘No’? Read More »
Are the results of your study non-significant? If you’ve experienced disappointing non-significant results in your research, you may wish to refer to the excellent statistics note by Altman and Bland (BMJ, 1995; 311: 485) that considers that absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence. In their note, these authors explain that …
Have you aligned the problem statement, purpose statement and research question(s) of your dissertation? For your study to deliver on its promises, this is essential. It applies whatever your topic, your research approach or your methodology. While the problem statement focuses on the research problem and knowledge gap, the purpose statement provides the main and …
3 components of your dissertation that need to be PERFECT early on. Read More »