Dissertation Writing in Practice

Turning Ideas into Texts

Linda Cooley and Jo Lewkowicz

• $19.95s paperback (9789622096479) Add to Cart
• hardcover not available

• Published: 2004
• Subject Listing: Writing Guides
• Bibliographic information: 212 pp., 6" x 9"
• Territorial rights: North American rights only
• Distributed for: Hong Kong University Press
• Contents

This book is designed to raise students' awareness of the linguistic features of a postgraduate dissertation or thesis written in English. It deals primarily with the linguistic aspects of extended pieces of writing, placing great emphasis on the writer's responsibility for the readability of the text. Each of the features introduced is illustrated through examples taken from authentic writing at the appropriate level. In addition, each chapter has a number of tasks to help students put into practice the skills that have been introduced.

This book is mainly designed to help research students whose first language is not English, but it should also prove useful to native speakers of English, many of whom lack extensive experience of writing at this level. It can be used as a textbook for postgraduate students in a dissertation/thesis writing course, and may also be used as a self-study guide since an annotated answer key is provided for all the tasks.

Linda Cooley is the co-ordinator of the postgraduate Enlish programmes run by the English Centre for the Graduate School at the University of Hong Kong. Jo Lewkowicz is an associate professor in the English Centre at the University of Hong Kong.

"Writing a dissertation is hard work for native speakers. It is doubly difficult for those who have to complete the task in a language other than their own. How does one set about such a task? This question is admirably answered by this superb book derived from the authors' practical experience in teaching courses on dissertation writing to second language speakers." - David Nunan, Chair Professor of Applied Linguistics, The University of Hong Kong

Introduction
1. Identifying the Research Gap
2. Making Use of Source Materials
3. Stating Facts, Interpreting Data and Making Claims
4. Drawing to a Close
5. Structuring and Signposting
6. The Final Touches
Answer Key
Sources
Index