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Thesis guide v51 The Open University D H epartment of istory G P T uide to resenting a hesis CONTENTS What is a thesis Things to do before you start writing Referencing References using the note system References using the author-date Harvard system The B

The Open University D H epartment of istory G P T uide to resenting a hesis CONTENTS What is a thesis Things to do before you start writing Referencing References using the note system References using the author-date Harvard system The Bibliography Version June C ?? WHAT IS A THESIS You have been accepted for doctoral level study You have a topic you are passionate about Now all you need to do is to plunge into the sources and immerse yourself until the truth immanent in them makes itself manifest Your thesis is the form in which you will write up your research You will with the help of your supervisors be in the process of de ?ning what you research will be More than anything it needs to be a subject that excites your interest a signi ?cant contribution to knowledge worthy of publication to give evidence of your ability to undertake further research without supervision has suitable sources to which you have su ?cient access and ability to read Why even bother to ask ? what is a thesis ? The answer is because unless you intend to write a thesis solely for your own pleasure not submit and satisfy yourself with stashing it away in the attic you need to bear in mind the various potential audiences for your work Besides by de ?ning what ? doing a thesis ? means from the outset you may write a better thesis So here are some answers to the question ? what is a thesis ? together with some implications of each answer Doing a thesis is an ? apprenticeship ? for people who want to do historical research or to teach history at a higher level with the ?nal product or ? thesis ? being analogous to a ? driving test ? This means you should make your notes immediately accessible for checking footnotes or the author-date system and never endnotes It means the examiners may be as interested in how you treat evidence as in your conclusions Above all it means the thesis should demonstrate the widest possible range of relevant historical skills for instance source analysis historiographical review and debate and analysis and presentation of relevant statistical and illustrative material Doing a thesis is an exercise in dialectics Many Open University students live at a distance from Milton Keynes But you should remember that the main value of supervisors lies in your conversations with them their ability to challenge your ideas your skills and to ask questions of you Supervisions are not tests they are Socratic dialogues where you bare your ideas and methods so that the resulting conversation will improve your work Doing a thesis is an induction into a community of scholarship ? Doing a thesis ? is an induction into a community which means research and writing are just part of the process Once you have found your feet you need to network to attend conferences preferably to give a paper or papers