Thesis and Dissertation Writing in a Second Language: a handbook for Supervisors

particular research topic, area of study, kind of study and research 
perspective.
What is typically contained in each chapter.
The amount of variation allowed in what should be addressed and 
how it should be addressed.
The university’s formal submission requirements in terms of format,
procedures and timing.
Background 
The background knowledge, values, and understandings it is assumed 
knowledge,
students will share with their readers, what is important to their 
values, and 
readers, what is not important to their readers.
understandings
How much knowledge students are expected to display, the extent 
to which students should show what they know, what issues 
students should address, what boundaries students can cross.
Relationship 
How to show the relationship between the present research and 
the text has 
other people’s research on the topic, what counts as valid previous 
with other 
research, acceptable and unacceptable textual borrowings,
texts
differences between reporting and plagiarizing.
Source: Paltridge 2006: 100. By kind permission of Continuum

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Table 1.2 Attitudes to knowledge, approaches to learning and different levels of study
Attitudes to 
Conserving
Critiquing
Extending
knowledge
knowledge
knowledge
knowledge
Learning Reproductive
Analytical
Speculative
approaches
Teaching 
Role of the
almost exclusive
coordinator of
more 
strategies
teacher
source of 
learning resources;
experienced 
knowledge;
questioner,
colleague and 
direction/ critical 
guide,
collaborator;
guidance;
gadfly; principal preliminary
assessment
source of 
critic and 
assessment
advisor;
patron
Characteristic
transmission of
analysis of 
discussion/
activities
information and 
information and
advice on 
demonstration ideas 
within
ideas 
and 
of skills; overt 
interpretive
methods on 
moral and 
frameworks;
individual
social training
modelling of basis; modelling
demand for 
of hypothetical
critical approach 
and creative
to knowledge and 
thinking
conventions
Assessment
tests of memory
assignment/exams
independent 
recall and practical
requiring critical 
research; thesis
demonstration of 
analysis and problem
and papers of
skills; emphasis on  solving; emphasis
publishable
replication; geared  on originality, quality
quality; contri-
to ranking
of interpretation
bution to field 
of knowledge
Aim
simple transfer of
independent and 
development
knowledge and 
critical styles of 
of speculative,
skills
thinking;
critical 
development of intelligence;
capacity for theory expansion
and abstraction
of knowledge 
base (theory,
data,
techniques)
Learning 
Type of 
memorization
analytical and
speculating and
strategies
activities
and imitation;
critical thinking;
hypothesizing;
summarizing,
questioning, judging,
research design,
describing,
and recombining
implementation
identifying, and 
ideas and information and reporting;
applying formulae
into an argument
deliberate
and information
search for new 
ideas, data,
explanations

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vary in relation to the different learning tasks they are undertaking.
Notwithstanding, English-medium academic institutions often share a
dominant set of attitudes towards knowledge and learning strategies that
are not immediately apparent to many second-language students writing a
thesis or dissertation in English (Ballard and Clanchy 1997).
10
Introduction
Table 1.2 continued Attitudes to knowledge, approaches to learning and different levels 
of study
Attitudes to 
Conserving
Critiquing
Extending
knowledge
knowledge
knowledge
knowledge
Learning Reproductive
Analytical
Speculative
approaches
Characteristic  what?
why? how? how 
What if?
questions
valid? how 
important?
Aim
correctness
‘simple’ originality,
creative 
reshaping  
originality,
material
totally new 
into a different 
approach/ 
pattern
new knowledge
Source: adapted from Ballard and Clanchy 1997: 12
Application
Discuss Table 1.2 with your student. How similar or different is this to
their previous study experiences? For example, which of these character-
istics most typically describe their secondary school education? Which
most typically describe their undergraduate and postgraduate study?
Which of these are important for them to consider in their thesis and
dissertation writing?