This week we studied how to define and test a research topic. In addition to that we also discussed the structure of Literature Review, research methodologies and how to conduct researches.
Evaluating Information
This is a really important part of the thesis process and will take place at various stages of it:
- when selecting appropriate resources
- when using/reading those resources
- when making your own case.
The first thing to remember is that a thesis is a piece of formal academic writing. In his excellent book, The Good Study Guide, Andrew Northedge gives a helpful explanation of what is meant by‘ Academic writing.
Academic writers use cautious considered language in an effort to be as exact as they can in their analysis. They try to say only what they mean and think can be justified. In daily life we cheerfully use language as a blunt instrument, to cudgel our way through the discussions that spring up around us. By contrast, academic writing uses language as a scalpel, to cut precisely between closely related arguments so they can be prised apart and analysed in detail. Learning how to read, think and write in this way is a central part of learning at degree level. (Northedge, 2005, p109) Academic research then, requires sources that are credible, unbiased, current and relevant to your needs.
Planning your thesis
Once you have a significant collection of notes you can begin to devise a plan. Some of the important points are
• Formulate a structure that develops an argument.
• Avoid relying on chronology to structure the thesis for you.
• Take charge of your notes; do not rely on them to tell you a plan.
• Edit out irrelevant material. This means you need a clear focus on objective.
• Identify the main sections/chapters and group the appropriate notes together.
• Consider visual illustrations to support your discussion/argument.
Thesis Writing
Once you have a working thesis, write it down. By writing down the thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely.
Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.
A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.
Anticipate the counterarguments.
Once we have started working on the thesis, we should think about what might be said against it. This will help to refine our thesis, and it will also make us think of the arguments that we will need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn’t, then it’s not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)
Tentative Title of Thesis Proposal
Exploring Belonging, Inclusivity, and Diversity in Pixar Films: A Review of the Last Decade
Bibliography
Haidt, J., & Rose-Stockwell, T. (2019). The Power of Pixar: Exposure to Animated Diversity Influences Children’s Attitudes Toward Outgroups. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 19(1), 53-75.
Babbitt, L., & Johnson, J. (2018). Inside Out and the socialization of emotions: Animating children’s understanding of mental states. Developmental Psychology, 54(9), 1685-1698.
Carter-Sowell, A. R., & Tien, L. T. (2019). Gender representation in animated films: A content analysis of children’s movies from 1937 to 2018. Sex Roles, 81(9-10), 581-597.
Cheng, H. W., & Tong, S. T. (2020). Portrayals of female leadership and decision-making in Disney and Pixar animated feature films. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 64(4), 579-598.
Gray, K. L., & Thompson, C. P. (2019). Empathy and diversity in Pixar’s Inside Out. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 8(4), 438-450.
Hsu, J. L., & Oh, S. (2020). Inequality in 1,200 popular films: Examining portrayals of race/ethnicity, LGBTQ, and disability from 2007 to 2018. Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, University of Southern California.
Purnell, S. (2018). Cultural diversity in Pixar films: An analysis of Coco and Inside Out. Animation Studies, 13, 46-60.
Vazquez, K. C. (2020). What we talk about when we talk about Pixar. Popular Communication, 18(4), 348-361.