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

The overall shape of theses
and dissertations

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terms the ‘postmodern turn’ in the ‘new humanities’ and social sciences.
Thus, in some areas of study, theses and dissertations may be theorized,
researched and written up in quite different ways from how they might have
been in the past.
Although theses and dissertations are similar in some ways to other pieces
of research writing, such as research articles, they are also in many ways quite
different. Apart from the scale of the piece of writing, they also vary in terms
of their purpose, readership, the kind of skills and knowledge they are
required to demonstrate and ‘display’, and the kinds of requirements they
need to meet.