PhD Thesis Writing Process: A Systematic Approach—How to ...

1 Creative Education, 2018, 9, 2534-2545 ISSN Online: 2151-4771 ISSN Print: 2151-4755 DOI: Nov. 20, 2018 2534 Creative Education PhD Thesis Writing Process: A Systematic Approach How to Write Your Introduction Qais Faryadi Future Expert Solutions, Creative Research and Innovations, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Abstract Thesis Writing is a skill that every PhD candidate must acquire to convey his or her research findings clearly. The main objective of this paper is to facili-tate the Thesis Writing process so that PhD candidates understand what a PhD Thesis is and can write their Thesis correctly and scientifically. The methodol-ogy used in this research was descriptive as it discusses and describes the var-ious parts of Thesis Writing process and explains how to do it in a very simple and understanding language. As thus, this article outlines the various steps of Thesis Writing to guide the PhD candidate so that the task of PhD Thesis writ-ing becomes manageable and less daunting.

2 This research is a useful roadmap especially for students of the social sciences studies. Further, in this paper, research procedure and Thesis Writing strategies are explained in a simple manner. This paper adopts a how-to approach when discussing a variety of relevant topics, such as Thesis introduction, types of introductions, introduc-tion statements, problem statement, research questions, hypothesis and con-tributions of the study. This paper has 5 parts: Introduction, Literature Re-view, Methodology, Results and Conclusion. The introduction chapter is dis-cussed in this paper. I will discuss the rest as a series in the future. Keywords Thesis Writing Process, Learning and Teaching, PhD, Social Science, Research Methodology, Introduction 1. Introduction Before you write your introduction, you must know what a research is first. It makes every stage of Writing easier.

3 Research is defined as a premeditated inves-tigation using scientific methodology (quantitative, qualitative, experimental, observation and so on) to solve a serious problem (not ordinary problem), thus How to cite this paper: Faryadi, Q. (2018). PhD Thesis Writing Process: A Systematic Approach How to Write Your Introduc-tion. Creative Education, 9, 2534-2545. Received: October 23, 2018 Accepted: November 17, 2018 Published: November 20, 2018 Copyright 2018 by author and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY ). Open AccessQ. Faryadi DOI: 2535 Creative Education creating additional (new) knowledge. Research is also regarded as an inquiry of reality about something by testing a hypothesis, answering questions, generating new queries, finding solutions, and creating new knowledge. The new knowledge must be applicable/defensible and challengeable by other researchers, besides lending itself to generalization.

4 For a piece of exploration to qualify as a re-search, it must pass through a set of rigorous examinations, such as validity (logical procedure to answer a question), reliability (quality of measurement), and unbiased conclusion (adequate measures are taken to make sure that it is free from individual interest). As such, a PhD Thesis must meet the above condi-tions of a scientific research procedure (Mincu, 2015). 2. Problem Statement Thesis Writing is a skill that every PhD candidate must acquire to convey his or her research findings clearly. Unfortunately majority of PhD candidates find it difficult to finish their Thesis on time because of confusion and lake of expertise. Most of them in deed do not know how to write the PhD Thesis correctly and scientifically. 3. Objectives 1) To help PhD candidates in Writing scientifically correct PhD Thesis . 2) To describe PhD Thesis Writing process.

5 3) To assist PhD candidates to understand what PhD means. 4. Methodology The methodology applied in this research was descriptive as it discusses and de-scribes the various parts of PhD Thesis and explains the how to do of them in a very simple and understanding language. Descriptive analysis is applied to ex-plain the basic features of Thesis Writing process (Garc a & Fombona, 2015). De-scriptive method is very useful in providing basic summaries of the chapters (Al-Raqqad et al., 2017). The following are the process of PhD Thesis Writing process. Introduction Writing Process An introduction is the most difficult parts of a PhD Thesis . The introduction opens a dialogue with your examiner or reader. As such, a good introduction is critical to capturing the attention of your readers and engaging their interest in your research. Your introduction must convince your reader that you are the right person among thousands of researchers.

6 You must also show your reader how you going to fulfil their needs and what exceptional benefits they can get from you as a researcher. You should convince your readers that you are an au-thority on the subject of investigation (Faryadi, 2017). Consult your supervisors or your department about the format of your Thesis before starting to write. In-stitutions may vary in their requirements with regard to Thesis - Writing . Never-Q. Faryadi DOI: 2536 Creative Education theless, the following checklist provides some general guidelines: 1) Consult your supervisors. 2) Familiarize yourself with the style or format of Thesis Writing . 3) Decide on the word length. How many words your Thesis should be. 4) Learn more about referencing styles. 5) Make sure you have all the necessary information for the reference section. 6) Learn about indexing of your Thesis . Tips for Writing the Introduction 1) State the problem or phenomenon to be investigated.

7 2) Identify the party affected by the problem. 3) Explain how you plan to solve the problem. 4) Convince the reader that you are qualified and equipped with the right me-thods of solving that problem. 5) Highlight the benefits of solving the problem. 6) Tell the reader what results you anticipate. a) As evident from the above, in your introduction, you should communicate the rationale of your research. Explain the importance of your research. Even though your research introduction chapter has no word limit, being concise helps your readers to comprehend quickly the major issues in your research. When you eventually start Writing the introduction, start with some relevant general statements before gradually narrowing it down to focus on the crucial issues such as your research problem, questions, objectives and hypothesis. Here, you explain briefly your research problem and how you plan to solve it. Your introduction must be motivating and captivating enough so that the reader will want to read on to find out more.

8 B) It is assumed that your introduction is prepared for readers who have ade-quate knowledge of your discipline. Your introduction includes many crucial aspects of your Thesis . Readers may want to know whether it is your own discovery, or you are continuing a previous study. If it is your own scientific discovery, then you must make it clear how the findings will add to the ex-isting knowledge (Kafes, 2018). Your reader would also want to know more about the concepts used in your research, the objectives of the research, and the methodology employed. You could also discuss the obstacles encoun-tered, if any, and the limitation of your research. Roadmap for Developing Your Introduction 1) Write clearly. 2) Be precise and concise in your introduction. 3) State your problem statement clearly and explain why the problem is worthy of investigation. 4) State your objectives clearly.

9 5) State your hypothesis and explain briefly how you would test it. Q. Faryadi DOI: 2537 Creative Education 6) Keep the best for the last. Your introduction is one of the best parts of your Thesis . If it is possible, write it once everything is finished. In this manner, you will not miss anything important and significant. As you can see from the above guidelines, the introduction is crucial in con-veying your ideas, thoughts and your message to the world. A good introduction paves the way to showcasing your Thesis . As such, while it is important to convey your message loud and clear, your introduction must be well-organized, con-vincing, and be engaging. Prepare your introduction as a preview to your readers so that they can judge the rest of your work and its significance at a glance (BCCC Tutoring Centre). Type of Introductions 1) Illusion Introduction: Start your introduction with an illusion style state-ment so that your reader cannot resist reading on.

10 2) Analogue Introduction: Start your introduction with a comparison so that your reader is eager to know the differences. 3) Narrative Introduction: Start your introduction with an eye-catching story to capture your reader s attention. 4) Descriptive introduction: Start your introduction with a descriptive state-ment about your title. Once you start describing something, readers become eager to continue reading. 5) Definition Introduction: You may begin your introduction by defining a part of your topic, thus creating a knowledge transferring environment for your reader. 6) Example Introduction: Begin your introduction with an interesting example so that your reader takes it as personal motivation for Writing his/her own Thesis introduction. 7) Question Introduction: Start your introduction by posing a question; it will keep your reader thinking and yearning to know the answer.