Way, way back, when I first found out about blogs and I was debating where to put the blog for my academic life, there was a debate about whether these blogs should go on institutional sites, or whether they should go on an external provider. WordPress wasn’t as big back then – there were numerous […]
Research question: ‘In what ways is the Covid-19 pandemic changing understandings of the relationships between learning and fun?’ A limited case study of a research group in a UK university. We expect our findings to have implications beyond that group. Data collection using epistolary interviews (via email – one question per email, enabling thoughtful responses […]
In my last post on this subject, I considered the distinction between method and methodology. In this one, I’ll look more at what is involved in writing the methodology chapter of a thesis (and I’m writing with social science theses in mind). The first thing you need to consider is a very high level question. […]
A common mistake that people make when first writing a literature review is to present the literature in a neutral and even way, as if it is all equivalent. For example: ‘Smith (2009) found that pigs can fly. Jones’ study (2009) suggested that this is not the case.’ This doesn’t help your reader to understand […]
These points are taken from a talk by Sara Hennessy about assessing rigour in papers submitted to the British Journal of Educational Technology. Is the account analytical or purely descriptive? Do the authors critique the literature and present a balanced account or does the review gloss over known issues with educational technology initiatives? How do […]
I’m just back from the LAK17 conference in Vancouver. While I was there, I talked to a professor who had given feedback to doctoral students on their presentations in previous years. In most cases, it was the first time they had ever had feedback on their presenting skills. Thinking back to some of the talks […]
Link to a useful article by the Thesis Whisperer, aimed at doctoral students beginning to work on their literature review. How to become a literature searching ninja
It’s difficult to structure a literature review – you have read tens, or even hundreds, of articles, chapters, blog posts and presentations, and it appears almost impossible to pull them into shape and relate them to your own work. As a PhD student, or an early-career researcher, it is difficult to know how your contribution […]