Enrolment
The course is available to MPhil and PhD candidates who must take either this course or GRSC6001 Introduction to Thesis Writing.

 

Organization
The course consists of a series of classes and School of English research seminars. Teaching is informal and students will have plenty of opportunities for interaction and contribution. Each session will include a segment of group work and will involve individual exercises.

Objectives
This course offers students a framework within which they discuss the genre of thesis writing, in particular the various stages of a research thesis, with reference to the thesis format required by the University of Hong Kong. The conventions, techniques and expectations of a research thesis in English will be discussed, and so will broader questions about research culture, and the nature of an academic life and career.

 

Outcomes
Students will be given guidance as to how to identify and define a research topic; the kinds of primary and secondary texts that they should be reading; the range of possible models for the organization of a thesis in English; the kinds of methodologies, basic theoretical positions and strategies of argumentation that are found within the discipline; the expectations for the thesis in terms of originality and contribution to the field. Questions of the handling of sources will be discussed, including proper citation and attribution methods, and the need to avoid plagiarism.

Students will also be assisted to reflect on matters of work practices, time management, conferences and publication, and career management.

Assessment (100% coursework: Pass/Fail)

Assessment will be based on attendance and participation in the course, including the completion of all required writing exercises and a sample of scholarly writing related to the candidate's research area.

 

Evaluations
Students will offer feedback on the course by means of course evaluations.