黄 子纯

How to write a Thesis /Umberto Eco

Since I am still in seek and specify my thesis topic, I think, besides doing critical reading, studying the structure of the thesis
could also be a method to approach and giving the limitation to the thesis. The approaches given by the author here are mostly
related to a literature-base thesis, but some key points are applicable to various kinds of researches.

Purpose of the thesis

A thesis is a typewritten manuscript, in which the student addresses a particular problem in his/her chosen field. Literature
review, in which student offers a comprehensive and intelligent review, perhaps no one has ever conducted an in-depth study
on that specific topic, or one could seek to write a reach thesis, something that is considered to be a type of “creation” through
original research.
The rigor of a thesis is more important than its scope. In the text, he considers the experience of writing a thesis and study the
research method are even greater than the topic. With a rigorous structure method, every topic has the potential to draw a
useful conclusions. Therefore, it is crucial to give a clear system and providing accurate supporting material to the structure. It
could be considered as inappropriate and additive, if the sources fail on stressing the thesis, regardless of how appearing the
sources seem.
It is important to think about why the topic is chosen, such as, the usefulness of a thesis after graduation. In related to future,
two types of research are offered, respectively, working with a foundation of a broader research project, writing a thesis
develops valuable professional skills, such as a potential material, type of structure system, so on.

Principles on choosing topic

There are four aspects should be taken into consideration when choosing a thesis topic; 1. It should reflect your previous
studies and experience 2. Does it materially accessible 3. If the work is manageable in terms one’s ability, 4 does one have
some methodological framework for the topic.

There are also other suggestions when you have land your thesis at certain field of study, such as Avoiding to be too broad, try
to narrow the scope. Topic being too broad gives no space for one to go into the depth, and also it is very likely for one to
commit to omission of the important information.

In order to proceed a research scientifically, there are two conditions one needs to fulfill in searching topic. First of all, the
studied object is specific and could be identified by others. It is also possible to establish our own object’s rule of identification.
Secondly, the research says things that have not yet been said about this object, or it revises the things that have already been
said from a different perspective. Finally, the research is useful to others – The study provides the foundation for future
research, which means the research presents not only a hypothesis and supporting evidence, but also methods for its
verification or falsification.

Conducting research (sources gathering and working plan methods)

In order to proceed a research scientifically, first to find the true object of the thesis, and then you must be able to clearly
distinguish primary sources from critical literature (secondary resources). The critical literature, referred as indirect sources in
the book, often reproduces quotes from primary sources; and on the other hand, the sources that directly indicates the true
object of the research are the primary source, also called direct sources. Failure of locating the primary sources and secondary
sources will result in a misleading on the research topic. The sources should always be direct, within the limits set by the object
of the research.

When it comes to bibliographical research, it is important to know how to smart use the library resources, such as the catalog
system, Bibliographical indexes, the librarian, and also union catalogs, electronic catalogs and interlibrary loan.
Try to avoid reading immediately every book you hind, but rather compile a basic bibliography of sources pertaining to your
topic. It is important to inspect each book and skim the parts you feel useful for your research, and also giving a hierarchy to
those sources for your topic. Therefore, to create a bibliographical index card file is a good methods used to well manage the
sources and contributes to not only more efficient way of analysis sources, but also a foundation for the final bibliography.
Also, it could open up potentials of more relevant and useful sources by inspecting each book’s bibliography.

There is no too much rule on reading orders; one should evaluate personal ability of understanding and according to that to
customize an order for him/herself.

It was advised on the book to begin the thesis plan by composing the title, the introduction, and the table of contents, that
those are generally considered to be done at the end.
Creating the “secret” titles of the thesis, and those titles usually appears as the subtitle. Those subtitles must correspond to
chapters in the table of content.
Table of content could provide a clearer idea of what must write. It can function as a working hypothesis, and it can be useful
to immediately define the limits of the thesis. Even with the sudden change on the direction of your thesis, you will have a plan
to modify instead of suck into a completely lost. According to different topic, one should use different logic to construct the
table of content. For instance, a historical thesis could be conducted through either a chronological or cause and effect plan or
a comparative-contrastive plan; in an experimental thesis, an inductive plan may be helpful. By comparing the various
approaches to find the example that best corresponds to the needs of the research question.

Final phase of the work plan is to draft the introduction that should consist of an analytical commentary related to the table of
contents. The introduction will allow one to give the idea a primary direction and establish the center and periphery of the
thesis. It is normal and considered to be positive that one may rewrite the introduction multiple and table of contents many
times during the thesis writing, which means the research has inspired one with more ideas.

Writing the thesis

First things to do is to identify the audiences of the thesis. These are important questions because they concern first and
foremost the expository form that one will give to the work, but it is also important to concern the level of internal clarity that
one hopes to achieve. It is critical provide the readers with all the information that they need to understand the thesis. There
are couple methods he mentioned in respect of writing the thesis, such as defining the terms when first time introduce it,
breaking down the sentences, begin new paragraphs often, not insist on beginning with the first chapter, writing everything
that comes to one’s head in the first draft, no hesitation on repeating the object of the thesis.
In terms of matter of writing style, one should write the thesis with both academic humility and Academic pride, which may
sound paradoxically. One the one hand, Academic humility is to show we possesses the knowledge that anyone can teach us
something, which means we must listen with respect to anyone, without this exempting us from pronouncing our value
judgments. One the other hand, Academic pride is concerned as confidence in writing, believing in that we are qualified to talk
in this certain topic. A bad example is to use too many unsolicited excuses in the sentence.

Reading this book makes me realize how similar it is in comparison of writing a thesis with designing, explicit concept, clear
structure and supporting component in depth. They are all requiring certain storyline for convincing the audiences. From
reading those text, it actually gives me some hints or direction, by asking myself questions in the possible topics. For instance,
how to treat personal experience in a scientific manner, How to proceed my thesis in a more scientific way, what I wish to be
answered, or what I l want to convey to my audiences, would I be able to identify or understand the primary resource? From
most the books I have read that related to phenomenal architecture has their roots in either poetry or philosophy. One of the
possible research method was mentioned in the books I read pervious is psychoanalysis. I don’t have very solid experience of
studying either philosophy or psychoanalysis. It is important for me to consider what my primary source would be based on my
interest as well as the ability. Also, the main context I chose to study is considered to be theoretical and abstract in terms
understanding. However, my goal never sets to bridge philosophical question with architecture existing, but rather to have the
approach and being able to practice it in real. In following weeks, like the suggestions in the book, I want to attempt to start my
draft on writing the table content and the introduction.