Book Details

How to Write a Better Thesis

2nd edition

David Evans and Paul Gruba

A sensible, thoroughly practical and up-to-date book for anyone engaged in writing a thesis or report.

Opinion

‘This books is well worth reading for people writing up research, not only those writing a thesis. The truth is in there!’
Neile A. Kirk, Dhumbadji!

About this Title

Revised, updated and more useful than ever

If you are writing a thesis—whether edging towards it, wrestling with it, or just plain stuck—this sensible, thoroughly practical book is bound to help.

As in the hugely successful first edition, the emphasis is still firmly on structure. Having supervised countless postgraduate students and seen all the pitfalls, David Evans is convinced that clear and logical structure is the key to a good thesis. He and Paul Gruba give concrete examples of common structural problems, and offer numerous devices, tricks and tests by which to avoid them.

You may be one of the many researchers who has yet to discover just how much computer software can do for you. This book spells it out clearly, and offers checklists to help you stay on track. The revolution it highlights is that the smart researcher can now treat writing not as the last chore but as part of the research process itself.

Table of Contents

Preface to the second edition

1 Introduction
2 What's a thesis?
3 Making a strong start
4 Making your word processor work for you
5 The introductory chapter
6 The background chapters
7 The chapter on design of your own work
8 The results chapters
9 The discussion or evaluation
10 The conclusions
11 Before you finally submit
12 Disseminating your work

Appendix: some notes on writing and presentation
Bibliography
Index

About the Author

David Evans is Reader and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Melbourne. Among his many books and articles is Restoring the Land (MUP).

Paul Gruba is Lecturer in Communication Skills at the Centre for Communication Skills and English as a Second Language, University of Melbourne.

Book Preview

978-0-522-85030-7