Where I road test outlining a chapter before writing the paragraphs. The following is a little bit auto-ethnographic and a little bit meta-cognitive.
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On 3 July, I began writing the first draft of my thesis. My aim is to complete the draft by Christmas. This gives me a very tight schedule so I need to micro manage my time. To see how I use my time, I decided to embrace my addiction to Twitter rather than turn off my smart phone. My writing first day, I used the hash tag #tweetingmythesis to see how I used my time. Since then I have embraced the hash tag and have decided to road test some other academic writing techniques #acwri, as requested in the comments of my previous post.
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Outlining is an age old approach to beginning writing. I have been teaching the technique for many years in my job as a Modern History teacher.
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#Tweetingmythesis again today. Trying some outlining to get started on my methodology section #phdchat #acwri #groundwork
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I Googled around for some methodology outlining techniques. I watched some YouTube lectures and read some blogs. Nothing was really making sense. I decided to reach back into my long gone English teaching career and try deconstructing a methodology from a thesis that used my research approach, phenomenography.
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Found a thesis that used phenomenography. Deconstructing the chapter to write my outline #phdchat #acwri #Tweetingmythesis
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On my first reading, I wrote down paragraph by paragraph the content I thought the methodology chapter was trying to communicate. I didn't worry that my method was different. I just wanted to develop a basic outline.
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Finished deconstructing the chapter. Thesis does not use same method. Reread and take notes #Tweetingmythesis #phdchat#acwri
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On the second reading, I recorded the literature referenced in the model thesis. The process of connecting my outline back to the model to extract the references, highlighted how lazy I had been in the initial deconstruction.
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Found that my first reading and deconstruction of the methodology chapter was lazy. Reread means tidying up #Tweetingmythesis
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As I was tidying up my first attempt at a methodology outline, I began to make connection to my own study. I created a table. I work better with tables.
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Have constructed a table now in reread of my outline. Column 1: outline, column 2: notes, column 3: lit #tweetingmythesis #acwri#phdchat
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Just added another column. Separation of sections eg. Intro, justification of meth-ogy etc #tweetingmythesis #acwri #phdchat#nowinlandscape
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Day two, the "How to write a methodology" jigsaw began to fall into place. I began to see the model I was reading had an argument. realise the methodology is not just a description but also a justification and these two aspects need to be linked. There are some things I KNOW in my head from all the textbooks but until I saw it in practice I did not UNDERSTAND. I think this is the most important reason to read several theses before and while you are writing your own.
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In the end, I read the model methodology chapter four times with four different intentions: first, to acquire an overview; second, to connect the literature; third, to connect to my study; and fourth, to observe how the justification developed. Of course, the whole process was symbiotic but the above four readings show how my understanding of a methodology deepened with each reading. Very phenomenographic!
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Outline of methodology chapter written. Phew #bigtask. 3 readings of a thesis. Each read adding depth #tweetingmythesis#timeforparagraphs
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Before writing my paragraphs there were a few more tasks. I compared my library to that I extracted from the model methodology. I created a new, better organised EndNote library so I can cite while I write.
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I mentioned earlier that I like working in tables. I have taken this to the extreme and added a merged row beneath each point on my outline.
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Inserting rows to my outline table. Writing a paragraph after each point. Easier to insert piecemeal as I read #tweetingmythesis#phdchat
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I know my outline won't exactly match that in the model but there are many elements which are comparable -- the methodologies match for one. Now, as I revisit the literature, I know basically what needs to be covered, how brief is acceptable and an idea of where in the chapter something could be located.
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The ideas! Need to develop a system for keeping the discussion out of the methodology #tweetingmythesis #phdchat #acwri
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This week was a good one for road testing the outlining process because I didn't have two whole days I could dedicate to writing prose. I could dip in and out of my PhD. Each time I returned to my thesis I had to reread what I had completed previously. I think, while frustrating, this can be valuable, especially when trying to get to the real depth of meaning behind the model being deconstructed.
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The deafening silence from #tweetingmythesis is because I was teaching. Be back tomorrow.
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The next step in working towards my Christmas deadline is to revisit the methodological literature, read two or three more models and draft the methodology chapter.
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@nomynjb “@OfficialSanta: ONLY 151 SLEEPS TO CHRISTMAS#ChristmasCountdown ” Our gifts are delivered by the Christkind. ;/
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If you would like me to road test another #acwri process. Please tweet or comment me. I like experimenting with techniques and processes.