Use these hints critically and only if applicable.
Not to be adopted as words of God.
Motivation
Make it clear for yourself why you want to do what you do. This is very
important to you, but NOT IMPORTANT for anyone else. Therefore DO NOT SPEND
TIME telling this story. If you don't have a strong motivation, you had
better forget the whole thing. Just to become doctor is not a sufficient
reason.
Focus
Make sure that you know exactly what issues are within your field and which
ones fall outside. In real world there may not be such clearly distinct
fields, you may have to force them. DO NOT try to cover everything.
Background
Make sure you know GLOBALLY ALL work done before you in your field of focus.
SPEND A LOT OF TIME here.
Get acquainted with the classics of the field (often books) as well as
new trends (often journal or conference articles).
Build a mental map of the opposing paradigms and views and define your
position with respect to them, critically.
Read at least a couple of dissertations of the field of close to the field.
What are the bottom, top and acceptable levels?
Device a file system and a tools of keeping track of everything and
to facilitate referring to literature.
Thesis or claim
Against the background, WHAT DO YOU CLAIM? What are your primary assumptions
or intuitions that can turn out to be right or wrong, work or not work,
effective vs. noneffective, satisfactory vs. unsatisfactory? What is it
that you do and nobody else has done? What is the aspect of novelty you
introduce?
Material and method
What artistic of scientific tools do you use to work out your goals? Figure
out what tools exist. Do not invent a wheel! Learn the methods, achieve
the tools. Go ahead and borrow tools from other fields, but learn to use
them properly. SPEND MUCH TIME here. REJECT INTROSPECTION! It is not a
research method and relying on it will lead to a catastrophe.
Objectivity vs. subjectivity
Whether or not you believe in objective categories or truth (I don't),
work as if you did. Unlike art, in research nobody should strive toward
subjectivity. Keep the artistic and research parts separate but in interaction.
Anchor your work to a ground with a maximally good holding. (This is my
personal view, I am ready to discuss this!)
Literary expression
As a doctoral student you are deeply involved with writing and engaged
with the genre of doctoral dissertations. Therefore,
Keep continuously working with your writing skills. Get a good guide for
scientific writing. Take courses.
Always check your text many times to eliminate needless grammar errors
and typos.
Use a spelling checker before you give your text to anyone.
Develop your default style sheets and stationery files to save time.
Develop a circle of peers with whom to exchange texts for mutual proofreading.
Learn to appreciate feedback, don't get hurt.
Choose a referencing method that you always use, systematically.
Composing a dissertation of journal articles makes sometimes more sense
than writing a thick monography.
Logic and argumentation
Keep an eye on the logic of your argumentation and match it with imagined
or real opponents. This applies to bridging chapter to another as well
as to the architecture of the entire work. You are defending your thesis
all the way! Technically, I suggest using the outline function of your
text editor or separate program to manage the flow of argumentation.
Terms and concepts
If useful terminology exists, stick to it. Whenever there are not suitable
terms, adopt new ones only with extreme caution. Taste them and test
them with other people. Do not fall into love with your slogans. ALWAYS
DEFINE A TERM or concept BEFORE you start using it, not in next chapter
of next page. Do not rely on the assumed familiarity of the audience with
your term. Use them systematically and avoid confusing synonyms. AVOID
"SCIENTIFIC" JARGON!
Supervision
Everyone definitely needs a SUPERVISOR, and the earlier the better. This
is not just a formality. The supervisor will save you from making many
mistakes, some of which can be fatal. A good supervisor will keep you on
the right track and going. Do not expect the supervisor come to you, or
somebody else to find you one. Be active, get networked and discuss with
peer students and professors.
Interaction
You need to know what others do and others need to know what you do. DON'T
WORK IN ISOLATION. Present your work in workshops and conferences and keep
publishing. Feedback is essential for you.
Conventions and traditions
Make sure you know the traditions and conventions. You will have to be
aware of where you do not follow them. Avoid the puberty of being against
"them", i.e. if you want to do things different, you need to know from
what.
Continuous evaluation
Evaluation is not done only afterwards, but continuously. How do you relate
your work to other work of the field? How do you check whether what you
claimed turned out to be true or false - if this is relevant at all? Do
not be afraid of coming to a negative conclusion. Be not afraid of reporting
relative results. How do you measure your success in what you did? Anticipate
the criticism you will receive.
Audience
FOR WHOM DO YOU WRITE? If you write to anyone, no one will grasp. On the
other hand, if you think you write to a narrow group of experts, don't
be fooled by yourself - there may not be such a group since you are supposed
to be doing something unique. Write for a constrained but large enough
audience with such and such backround and interests, with examples in your
mind.
Guides
May, Eva 1993. Tiedettä englanniksi : akateemisen kirjoittamisen käsikirja.
Jyväskylä, Korkeakoulujen kielikeskus.
University
of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Writing workshop
Thanks to
Eeva Kurki for refining this list.
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