Thesis Proposal

[mishmased]

Been out of academia for nearly 10 years and now back to do a masters. Currently trying to write a thesis proposal for Sunday but I cannot focus. Nothing seems to flow. It doesn't help that my kids are constantly unwell and a friend recently lost her daughter and I feel so down and everything seems pointless at the moment. I cannot focus enough to get through the literature review.
Any words of wisdom will be appreciated.

You want the Mature Study and Retraining board. (Initiated by someone who returned to academic study after nearly 30 years and achieved a Distinction.)

I am sorry for your personal and domestic troubles - but they will eventually bring weight and conviction to your thesis, whatever your subject.

@SomethingMustBeScaringThemAway thanks so much for your kindness. I'll ask to for this thread to be moved.

Take it section-by-section.

Start with the introduction: What's the problem? Why's it a problem? Why now? What are you suggesting to address the problem and how?

Depending on the overall word limit, aim to write a few sentences answering each of these questions. Boom, you have a draft introduction.

Then onto the next section....

Thanks @KStockHERO I seem to have a mental block and it all feels so overwhelming.

Hello there, @mishmased - we've moved your thread over, as requested, and we hope things improve for you soon.

Thanks @LivMumsnet

I get it, I really really do.
But breaking it down really helps it to be less overwhelming. Then its not a massive 2K word document, but a series of 40-50 word answers to specific questions. You can do that. Take it step-by-step.

Thank you @KStockHERO I think my major issue is with processing my literature review, and trying to write it down in my own words. You cannot write a lit review without talking about the literature reviewed if that makes sense.

I should add that this is 70% weighting for the module 😩

Yep. I get it.

My approach to literature reviews is to treat the papers themselves as data. So I take the findings from existing research as raw data and then group it into categories/themes/debates etc. And then I structure my literature review around those themes. There might be an additional layer of analysis around hierarchy or debates that are particularly key or that've been rumbling on for a number of years. But that's pretty easy to deal with.

So because it's my grouping of literature themes, I find that I necessarily talk about the work in my words because I'm actually sharing my interpretation of the literature, not just the raw literature.

What discipline are you in?

If you're struggling to write it in your own words, do you have someone you can sit down and actually talk to about it? Tell them why those papers are relevant, what's important about them, how they relate to your topic, and what the issues with their approaches and findings are, and then what your paper does to address that. Record it, transcribe it, and tidy it up. Insert quotes and references. That is the basis of your lit review, right here.

I find this approach helps when I'm struggling to put something on paper. I know what I want to say but getting it down is hard. Talking it through is easier.

@KStockHERO I'm in science, and my masters in Regulatory Affairs. My thesis is on data integrity issues and Electronic data systems

@katmarie that sounds like very good idea, I'll try that.
I have started writing again. I do know what I'm talking about but I need to make it very polished and I feel I'm wasting time worrying about how it will look. I'm back writing and will dip into the lit review for the sections. I have a senior colleague that is assisting me and gives his input regarding what directions to take. I'll pick his brains again today. Thanks @katmarie, @KStockHERO

Remember it's easier to edit something to make it better, than to create it perfectly from scratch. Good luck :)

Very true @katmarie. I have a really silly question if you'll indulge me; can I write my literature review section without direct reference to my literature review? I will reference my work as normal but not in my text. Is that a no no? I'm using Harvard reference.

@katmarie Agree - talking [often to myself] through my ideas really helps me too! I also find it useful to just write whatever I'm thinking on the document, then approach what I've just written as though its someone else's work that I'm giving comments on. So I highlight the text and add comments as I would do if I was reviewing. I find that my comments are actually what I was trying to write in the first place.

@mishmased
can I write my literature review section without direct reference to my literature review? I will reference my work as normal but not in my text. Is that a no no? I'm using Harvard reference

I'm sorry but I'm not sure what you mean. Can you expand/explain a little bit more on this, please?

Can I write my literature review without in text citation? I will have all my references at the end.

Gotcha. No, absolutely not. I'm an academic (social science though) and I wouldn't give a research proposal more than 10% if it had a literature review with no citations in it.

You'll need to reference sources throughout the literature review to show what you're actually reviewing and to provide evidence of your claims of whats actually in the current literature.

Your literature review is also where you'll start to spotlight key approaches that you'll be following in the research so you'll need to make specific reference to these and talk about the different iterations of them, or debates around them etc. You absolutely need to evidence this analysis with citations to give your approach rigour and a strong foundation.

Thank you @KStockHERO. I needed to hear that, onwards and upwards.

Hi everyone, just want to come back to say thanks for your help. Thesis is due in 4 mins and I submitted it an hour ago. Thanks for your support, it really helped.

Well done!

How proud do you feel of yourself now?

Really delighted to be done with it. Hoping to get started in the actual thesis after Christmas. I read and re-read the replies here. Amazing how you can get help from complete strangers! I'll make sure to pass it on!

Well done on getting the proposal in. You've received wonderful advice above. As another academic, I want to recommend a couple of books I always give to my students when they are at the stage you are. The first is Thomas Mullaney's book, Where Research Begins. It's superb for helping shape your proposal into do-able, then write-up-able research. Then, Wendy Belcher's Writing your Journal Article in 12 weeks. This is more like a workbook, which takes you - week by week - through the publication process. Certain sections (for example, the section on literature reviews) are excellent even if your goal isn't a published article but instead a thesis. Wishing you every success with your research.

Thanks so much @Ruthietuthie. I'm a bit terrified of writing the thesis if I'm honest. I will get those books. Much appreciated.