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Pedants' corner

Use of possessive apostrophe in a thesis heading, or not?

24 replies

MirandaGoshawk · 09/05/2014 09:46

It's along the lines of 'Men's, Women's and Children's views of...' & is for someone's PhD thesis.

Looks a bit cluttered, but is leaving them out wrong?

I've googled & can't find anything relevant - only that good rock albums don't have apostrophes!

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NigellasDealer · 09/05/2014 09:47

wouldn't 'the views of men, women and children' look a bit better?

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Pabboo · 09/05/2014 09:47

I think you need them in.
But would it not be less clumsy/cluttered to say "the opinions of men, women and children regarding..."

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NigellasDealer · 09/05/2014 09:48

you really cannot have 'regarding' in a PhD thesis title.

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MirandaGoshawk · 09/05/2014 09:50

Why not, Nigella? Let me find out exactly what he's written...

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NigellasDealer · 09/05/2014 09:52

because it sounds silly
no seriously though, that word 'regarding' is one I am always removing from the essays or theses I proofread. It is one of those unnecessary words that could easily be replaced with 'on' or 'about'

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MirandaGoshawk · 09/05/2014 09:52

OK, here it is. (I've changed the country):

An Investigation of the Science Curriculum Reform and Implementation in South Korea: Teachers, Students and Curriculum Reformers Perspectives

His first language isn't English, which is why I'm involved.

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MirandaGoshawk · 09/05/2014 09:54

There isn't a 'regarding'!

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NigellasDealer · 09/05/2014 09:54

not you miranda! I was referring to Pabboo's suggestion!

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NigellasDealer · 09/05/2014 09:56

OK how about 'perspectives of teachers, students and curriculum reformers'?
Also wouldn't it be 'investigation into'?

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MirandaGoshawk · 09/05/2014 10:00

Thesis titles are so personal, I didn't want to change it if it's not actually wrong. Just put in apostrophes or not, really.

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Kemmo · 09/05/2014 10:02

You can't take them out.
Better to be cluttered than wrong!

But I agree that there is probably a better way of phrasing it to avoid the issue.

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Poofus · 09/05/2014 10:07

It should be "perspectives of teachers, students and curriculum reformers". A tiny change to a much better title.

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MirandaGoshawk · 09/05/2014 10:08

OK. Thank you. Does everyone agree? I need to make a decision in the next few minutes - it's being printed today!

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MirandaGoshawk · 09/05/2014 10:09

About putting them in, I meant. I'll also put Poofus's (ooh, apostrophe or not??) suggestion forward.

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Kemmo · 09/05/2014 10:32

Listen to Poofus!

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OddFodd · 09/05/2014 10:35

Poofus is right

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MirandaGoshawk · 09/05/2014 10:36

OK, I'm writing to him saying to put them in, and to suggest that this would be better:

An Investigation into Science Curriculum Reform and Implementation in South Korea from the perspectives of Teachers, Students and Curriculum Reformers

Thank you all - I knew I'd post and brilliant MNers would be there with sage advice within minutes. Who needs Google?

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NigellasDealer · 09/05/2014 10:37

Poofus is right
er I said it first

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MirandaGoshawk · 09/05/2014 10:42

You did, but I took no notice because it didn't answer my question! But I've had time to think and realise that you are right!

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NigellasDealer · 09/05/2014 10:47

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SconeRhymesWithGone · 09/05/2014 14:18

If it's in the US, he probably needs the Oxford comma.

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AKeyFox · 12/05/2014 14:36

Personally I think shorter is better.
It gets to the point.

Is South Korean Science Curriculum Reform working ?

How else would you evaluate whether the reform is working or not ?
It's implicit in the nature of the subject.

BTW I'm assuming your friend's research did answer that question.... otherwise what was the point of the research.

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MirandaGoshawk · 12/05/2014 17:24

No, it's not in the US I bloody hate Oxford commas, there's no point to them except to slow everything down.

Akey, the point was the fact that the teachers, students & reformers hadn't been asked their opinions beforehand, so e.g. teachers had to teach the new curriculum without any training and it was very different to the old curriculum, e.g. practicals in the lab as opposed to lectures and new topics which had little relevance to the students. So this is why he wanted that in the heading.

But I agree with you - simplicity is often better. But I have to go with people's wishes and just make what I've got into English sometimes not easy

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AKeyFox · 13/05/2014 23:13

Miranda, when have politicians ever taken notice of the people that matter ?

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