PHD writing...tips from my supervisor

This entry was attempted to be posted 3 weeks ago but failed due to my procrastination, and only this morning I manage to share with you. This is the story about my meeting with my supervisor...happy reading and pick the tips :)

I met with my supervisor last Tuesday, showing him my Zero draft Chapter 3 (methodology). Tips that I got from him was about the expectation of the examiners of your writing. This was what he told me

When examiners look at your thesis, these three things are the main criteria:

1. Replicability
This means that your research method can be replicated by others. By reading your methodology section, readers must understand how you did your research and can replicate your study without doing any further reading...that means your methodology section needs to be very detail and clear in each step/stage.

2. Reliability and validity of your research process/questionnaires used.
Make sure you have prepared all evidences that your questionnaires are validated properly, and you can answer confidently in each step of validation such as content validity....who were your expert panels that validated your content, list their names and expertise in your thesis!

3. Good organisation of your thesis, easy to understand and clear flow. Just imagine on how your data  collection procedure was done and write it down, using flow chart to get a better overview, and write your methodology based on this. Like mine, with pilot study and final study, with two groups of participants (pre-service and in-service teachers), quite difficult to write this section, but when you recall the procedure/process you have done, it is very easy!

Thank you Mr Supervisor!! That is why you are called "supervisor". And thank you to my digital recorder which allowed me to replay the discussion between me and my supervisor again and again until I really understand what my supervisor was trying to tell me. No more pen and paper during meeting but a digital recorder. It gives you 100% input to be recalled!

Good tips.