Introduction

This thesis describes research that was undertaken to determine <insert your research question here>

The research is necessary because X (19XX, p. ) Says “Further research is necessary to determine…”

The research is relevant because it follows up upon research by A (19XX) who did this and found this. And it also ties up with B (19XX) who did this and found this.

The research is unique because although it adds the following dimension to the work mentioned above.

The rest of this chapter will …

Research problem

The research problem forms the epistemic dimension of your proposal. Epistemic means to arrive at scientific understanding. Thus you need to explain here what it is that we don’t understand.

From the literature (X, A, B, ) we know the following stuff. We also know what the following authors say (M, N, O).

But according to the following authors we do NOT know ... <Summarise briefly the calls for research in the field in which you are working. Show the GAP in our current understanding

Research paradigm

What is your position in terms of the nature of scientific truth (Positivist or anti-positivist) and what is your position in terms of society (abstract/radical change or concrete/regulation).

Aim of the research

The aim of this research is to <select one of the following four verbs: describe, explore, explain, develop> Now say what it is that you will describe, explore, explain or develop

Research questions

In order to achieve the aim of the research, following two questions have been formulated: (Select one from each pair)

  1. How does/how should?
  2. What is/Why is?

Objectives

More specifically the objectives of the research are to:

  1. What do you hope to achieve by answering question 1?
  2. What do you hope to achieve by answering question 2?

Rationale

The rationale forms the pragmatic dimension of the proposal. What is the actual on-the-ground problem that we will be able to solve once we have arrived at the epistemic understanding?

What will the reader be able to do once s/he has your new findings?

Previous research

Here you give a detailed overview of the literature to which you hinted in the Introduction, problem statement and rationale.

First, tell us what we know from the literature.

Then tell us what the most important authors say we don’t know yet.

THEN tell us what the literature says we should DO to find out.

Research methodology

Research design

Explain what design you followed. (Case study, survey, participatory/action/design research, comparative study, experiment, field study, evaluation research, content analysis, textual analysis, discourse analysis, narrative analysis, etc.)

State the advantages of the design (refer to source) and explain how you dealt with the disadvantages (refer to source).

If it was an experiment (i.e. a lesson taught and evaluated) then you also need to explain the intervention.

Research intervention

If you are designing some sort of intervention, a product, a lesson, a pill, a building, then describe it here.

Research instruments

Explain each instrument (questionnaire, interview protocol, observation checklist)

Research process

Explain how you did your sampling, how you actually administered the questionnaires.

Analysis and interpretation of data

How did you deal with the data, what programmes did you use, and what sort of interpretation did you follow?

Limitations of the study

What are the main methodological limitations of your study? What claims can you NOT make, because of the design of the study?

What are the main practical limitations of the study? This would include time constraints, logistical constraints, population constraints, etc.

Value of the study

Now that you have told us what you have done, and why, and what you have not done, and why not, who will find this study useful, and why?

Outline of the thesis

Explain in one paragraph per chapter what will follow, and summarise the KEY POINTS you make in each of those chapters.

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