Sometimes, despite all your efforts, the sample size of your quantitative study turns out to be smaller than you planned. Maybe you received a low response rate to your online survey, your database search for patient records returned many unusable or missing records, or you found yourself in another scenario with a similar outcome. And […]
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
Imagine a golden thread that runs through your thesis, from start to finish. It weaves your argument through theory and literature, linking your research questions, your conceptual framework, your methodology and analytic framework, and finally, your skilful answers to the research questions. This is the coveted golden thread of your thesis. Let’s think more about
How strong is the Golden Thread of your thesis? Read More »
In the methodology chapter, the focus of the thesis is different from the previous chapters. In Chapter 1, you described mainly the problem and purpose of your research, the key debates in the associated literature, and the knowledge gap. In Chapter 2, you reviewed the relevant literature and arrived at your conceptual framework. But Chapter
The KEY to Writing a Successful Methodology Chapter in Your Thesis Read More »
Over the past few weeks, I’ve read a few dissertations in their draft forms. They had several challenges in common. Let’s examine five mistakes they made, and how to fix them. 1. The dissertations took several pages to describe the characteristics of their participants. Each demographic was described in detail with an accompanying table and
5 Essentials to GET RIGHT in your Dissertation or Thesis Read More »
Have you considered using a diagram to explain the concepts in your thesis? A diagram that explains concepts and their expected relationships is called a conceptual diagram, and it’s simpler than you think. The image in this post shows a conceptual diagram of the relationship between three concepts: Work-life balance, Organisational commitment, and attitudes to
Using a DIAGRAM to EXPLAIN the CONCEPTS in your thesis Read More »
There are a few potentially confusing concepts in research, particularly if you’re using a mixture of qualitative and/or quantitative research approaches! Let’s examine a few. Mixed Methods research is usually considered as incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. However, some authors include a mix of multiple qualitative methods or a mix of multiple quantitative methods
Mixed Methods vs Multiple Methods Research Read More »
For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s Spring! At last, it’s warm and there are blossoms all around. For post-grad students, Spring also brings expectations of serious progress on theses, dissertations, and proposals (sure you know the feeling). So too does the Fall for students in the Northern Hemisphere. So, why not spring
Spring Clean Your Thesis! Read More »
In your first chapter, your thesis or dissertation makes all sorts of promises. But can it do what it says it’s going to do? Can it actually fulfil its promises? Well, that’s largely up to you. You need to set it up so that it can. Here are 5 essential points that you need to check:
5 Checks to Ensure that Your Thesis Can Fulfil its Promises Read More »