Writing a Thesis or Dissertation: The Uni-Ibadan Style?The Uni-Ibadan Style?

Nathaniel D. Danjibo, Ph.DPeace and Conflict Studies Programme

Institute of African StudiesUniversity of Ibadan

• Preliminary hints

Thesis/Dissertation Writing Peculiarity • Different institutions have different styles of

writing thesis and dissertations, although there is really nothing new under the sun. Even the ‘Ibadan model’ is nothing but a Even the ‘Ibadan model’ is nothing but a copying of the older traditions.

• PG school U.I. in fact, is a victim of colonialism in this regard; it only accepts the British style, e.g. ‘recognise’ and not ‘recognize’.

When do I start writing a thesis or dissertation?

• This is a technical question. However, the student can start writing their thesis/dissertation as soon as their topic is approved. approved.

• However, technical report writing depends on the method of data collection and analysis.

• For those who adopt the quantitative approach, they would have to wait until enough data is collected before they can start writing.writing.

• This is because quantitative data would have to be coded, cleaned and analyzed.

• For those who adopt the qualitative approach, they can start writing their thesis/dissertation while on fieldwork; most often, students who adopt the qualitative method do not need to adopt the qualitative method do not need to subject their data to scientific analysis, it becomes easier for them to start writing based on the information they gather from interviews, focus group discussion and observation.

Style of Writing• Again, this depends on the students’

supervisors. Some supervisors will insist that students should submit their write-ups peace meal, i.e., chapter by chapter; while others meal, i.e., chapter by chapter; while others will prefer a draft of the work after the student might have scaled through the proposal level.

• The advantage of submitting chapter by chapter is that it makes the work less bulky and cumbersome for the supervisor; the disadvantage is that supervisors tend to forget disadvantage is that supervisors tend to forget the ideas in the earlier chapter(s).

Language of Writing• Most students often think that big grammar

makes their work very solid. Some students can spend a great deal of time looking for a vocabulary they would use to ‘impress’ the vocabulary they would use to ‘impress’ the supervisor/reader when they can spend less time in writing in simple language. Some are even tempted to introduce meaningless terminologies outside of their disciplines.

• Try as much as possible to adopt the use of simple language expression, it makes the work easy to read and understand. After all, knowledge is supposed to spread far and knowledge is supposed to spread far and wide.

• Avoid the use of jargons or colloquial language.

Proof-reading• Many students do not take the time to read their

work; works are submitted with heavy dozes of typographical, grammatical and sentence construction errors that automatically change ideas and meanings of their work.ideas and meanings of their work.

• In order to take care of this problem, students must make sure they submit their works to professional editors who would help clean the work of typographical, grammatical and sentence error before producing a final draft for submission.

Technical Thesis/Dissertation Writing• In the University of Ibadan, a

thesis/dissertation is broken down into five chapters (at least) and six chapters (at most), depending on the number of objectives and depending on the number of objectives and the depth of investigation.

Chapter One• Introduction: Usually a background discourse

relating to the topic of investigation.• Statement of the Problem: A topic of

investigation has to have a sharp and well-defined problem; questions are raised and gaps defined problem; questions are raised and gaps are identified.

• Aim & objectives of study: The aim is to spell out the general intent of the topic of investigation while the objectives are to look at specific variables or issues that the work would like to address.

• Justification or Significance of study: Why is the study important? What novelty does it add to existing scholarship? How relevant is the study? And who benefits from it?the study? And who benefits from it?

• Scope of the study: Derivable in terms of time, space and depth. E.g., (1990-2009); not engaging oneself beyond the issue boundary.

Chapter Two• Conceptual discourse, theoretical framework

and literature review (sometimes, Literature Review).

• Conceptual discourse (definition and clarification): Only concepts that have direct bearing with the topic of investigation need clarification.

• Theoretical Framework: Established facts or hypotheses serving as the framework of analysis. Only hypotheses serving as the framework of analysis. Only relevant theories shall be adopted as framework of analysis. Theories are like going for fashion shopping….

• A work may need one or more theories, and sometimes may not need any theory as framework of analysis.

• Literature review: Most students do not review literature but only define scholars without a critical analysis of their ideas. Reviewing literature involves engaging Reviewing literature involves engaging scholarly propositions and statements to a philosophical dialogue by presenting both assenting and dissenting views presented by various scholars and taking a stand.

• Extensive review of relevant studies not only helps to acquaint the student with studies concerning the topic of investigation, but also helps to identify gap(s) in the literature that helps to identify gap(s) in the literature that would reinforce the statement of the problem and the objectives of the study.

Chapter Three• Research Methodology: According to the new

PG school guideline, chapter three shall be devoted to research methods. However, there is really no hard and fast rule about this. is really no hard and fast rule about this. Sometimes issues of location of methodology are disciple specific. Some discipline would prefer to place methodology in chapter one.

• Method of study: How data is collected and analyzed. It is the foundation upon which the study derives strength and quality. A weak method of data collection will certainly method of data collection will certainly produce a weak (sometimes faulty) analysis which will impact negatively on the production of thesis/dissertation.

• Method of data collection include key in-depth interview (IDI), focus group discussion (FGD), questionnaire administration, participant observation, non-participant participant observation, non-participant observation, ethnography, etc.

Chapter Four• Data analysis: This depends on the approach

taken. Students who adopt the qualitative approach make use of descriptive, explanatory/narrative, issue/content, and trend analyses, simple percentages, bar and trend analyses, simple percentages, bar and pie charts, tables, etc.

• Quantitative approach use the statistical tools such as co-efficient correlation, chi squire, T(2), regression, etc.

• Warning: Please students, especially in the humanities but also in the social sciences who have got no walking knowledge of statistics must not venture into using statistics as tools must not venture into using statistics as tools of analysis, otherwise you will be presenting a thesis/dissertation you do not understand.

Chapter Five• Summary: This can be based on the chapters or

the findings.• Recommendation: Statements that can inform

further research or policy.Conclusion: • Conclusion:

OR• Summary• Conclusion and• Recommendation

Reference Style• There are basically three referencing styles,• 1. The American Psychological Association

(APA): This requires that you use just the author’s last name and include the year of author’s last name and include the year of publication, then the page where necessary. E.g., According to Albert (2010)…. If direct quotation is made, it would be according to Albert (2010: 2), “the dynamics of peace process…” or (2010)… (p. 2).

• 2. The Modern Language Association (MLA): E.g., It is observed that “peace has eluded most African states” (Albert, 2). To find the full publication, one would have to refer to the publication, one would have to refer to the citation in the reference or bibliography section.

• 3. Numbering style: This is usually adopted when either footnotes or endnotes are used. E.g. Larry Diamond noted that “politics in Nigeria is characterized by rigging and Nigeria is characterized by rigging and violence”1.

Referencing journal articles, chapters in books and the internet

• Journal Article: e.g. Joseph, Richard A. (1983), “Class, State and Prebendal Politics in Nigeria”, in Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics, Vol. 21, No. 3.

• Chapter in Book: e.g. Joseph, Richard A. (1983), “Class, State and Prebendal Politics in Nigeria”, in Richard A. Joseph, ed. Prebendal Politics in Nigeria. Ibadan: Spectrum Joseph, ed. Prebendal Politics in Nigeria. Ibadan: Spectrum Books.

• Internet source: E.g. “How to write a seminar paper, a research proposal and a thesis. Retrieved 3 September 2004 from http://www.jgsee.kmutt.ac.th/exell/General/PaperThesis.html

Newspapers/Magazines• E.g., The Nation, Friday, March 25 2011, p. 6.

OR • Agbese, Dan “Will the 2011 elections be

successful?”, Newswatch, Sunday, March 27 successful?”, Newswatch, Sunday, March 27 2011, p. 22.

Interviews• E.g. Interview with Professor Attahiru Jega,

INEC Chairman on Friday, March 25 2011 at INEC headquarters, Abuja.

Use of et al

• The conventional use of et al says only when at least six scholars edit a work (see, Ekpenyong, 2010). However, U.I. is still stuck Ekpenyong, 2010). However, U.I. is still stuck to the traditional use when more than three scholars edit a work.

References and Bibliography• These are located after the last chapter.

• Reference: Only cited works within the text are provided; it begins with the surname of the author, other names, year, title of work, place of publication and publishers. E.g. Bryman, Alan (2004), Social Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Bibliography: Both cited and related works are provided. This mostly reflects and relates to notes and references. It could begin with the first name, title of work, place of publication, the publishers and year of publication. E.g. Alan Bryman, Social Research Methods. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).

• Titles of books and journals must be italicized.

Appendix• Questionnaire, interview guide, transcripts

and other documents placed after the reference section.

Reading Guide• Bryman, Alan (2004), Social Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University

Press.• Crabtree, Benjamin F. and William L. Miller, eds. (1999), Doing Qualitative

Research. London: Sage Publications.• Hart, Chris (2005), Doing a Literature Review. London: Sage Publications• Mitchell, Mark L. and Janina Jolley M. eds. (2004), Research Designed

Explained. Australia: Thomson Wadsworth.Explained. Australia: Thomson Wadsworth.• Olayinka, A.I., Taiwo, V.O., Raji-Oyelade, A. and Farai, I.P. eds. (2006),

Methodology of Basic and Applied Research. Ibadan: The Postgraduate School, University of Ibadan.

• Olayinka, A.I. et al (2004), Guidelines to Writing a Doctoral Thesis. Ibadan: Postgraduate School, University of Ibadan.

• Padgett, Deborah K. ed. (2004), The Qualitative Research Experience. Australia: Thomson Books.

• Riordan, Daniel G. and Pauley Steven E. eds. (2002), New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

• Thank you for listening