theEzone : citation

Images of originality

robyn.owens — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 23:02:00 GMT

Any diagrams, figures, or images in your thesis must be treated in the same way as your text: they must be your own, or they must be appropriately cited. However, unlike text, when an image is copyrighted (and it is safe to assume that all are unless it is explicitly stated that they can be used with a citation only), then you must obtain permission to use someone else's image.

The over-use of figures downloaded from the internet detracts from the quality and it is preferable to see the candidate's own images, which then would be clearer and in some instances more appropriately targeted to the relevant information.

Justifying your thesis

robyn.owens — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 04:27:00 GMT

I know it is hard enough actually stating what your thesis is, but once you have articulated it, you then have to be able to convince the world that it is important enough to be worthy of 3 years' consideration, and that what you have found is a substantial contribution to the world's knowledge.

One of the most serious concerns relates to the need for a sound justification that the research topic is substantive enough to satisfy the requirement that the thesis makes a substantial and original contribution to scholarship.

One way of making this justification is to demonstrate, through your literature review, that other people have identified the gap in knowledge that you are intending to fill, that they care about knowing the answer, and that the question is contemporary and relevant. In this way, citation becomes a powerful ally in your construction of a sound argument.

Back to basics

robyn.owens — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 06:27:00 GMT

The thesis begins with an excellent introductory chapter that reviews the background literature in an intelligent, scholarly and accurate manner. The candidate takes a commendable 'back-to-basics' approach, reviewing some of the very early (and indeed seminal) papers in the field that are now often (regrettably) overlooked.

It's certainly true that examiners scrutinize your bibliography carefully. It's also true that they particularly notice if the bibliography does not include recent work. Often examiners will comment that there is nothing cited past a certain date - say 2002. They rarely comment if there is nothing before a certain date, but they do notice when original work is cited. Going back to original sources is a sign of high quality scholarship, and it can often lead to new interpretations of that original work which were missed at the time it was being read by other scholars.

The earliest reference in my thesis was to a book published in 1932. What's your earliest reference?