Dear EATAW colleagues.
Thanks for all discussion and enlightment on this mailing list.
We believe that the students learn from instructions, guidebooks and our
courses on how tho write a thesis and other academic assignments-- and
certainly most of them do (let's hope :)). But they learn also from other
sources -- even more.
In my work at our Writing Center in the School of Education, I find that
many of our students use extensively earlier student theses they find in the
library on similar topics and at the same level (Bacc, or Master) as a model
for their own writing. When they come to me in the WC with their
introduction, abstract, discussion or other parts of their work, I see
elements in their writing that are contrary to all guidelines and handbooks
on AW. I ask them why on earth they put in this and that, wrote so and so
-- they quite often answer: "I saw that this was done in several earlier
student theses."
I think it is important to find out what kind of information about academic
writing is mediated through the bulk of earlier student writing. I would
like to find out how earlier student writing works as a model for subsequent
student writing. In other words: I would like to check the qualities of the
student theses found in the library.
One of my students has set out to write a Master's theses on the discussion
section in a sample of earlier theses. Her intention is to analyse how the
authors succede in linking their results (new knowledge) to earlier
knowledge. So far we have found only a few sources on this kind of topic,
analysis of the discussion section (in health sciences). I would be happpy
if you would share with me some knowledge, experience and sources on this
topic:
Analysis of student theses, in particular the discussion section.
Best wishes
Baldur
Baldur Siguršsson, [log in to unmask]
Senior lecturer, University of Iceland, School of Education
Director of the School of Education Writing Center (founded 2010)
Direct: +354 525 53 39, central: +354 525 40 00, mobile: +354 693 38 41
Writing Center (Tuesday): +354 525 5975
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Errors using inadequate data are much less than those using no data at all.
(Charles Babbage 1792-1871)
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