Thesis and Dissertation
This course is designed for international students who are either writing, or preparing to write, a dissertation or thesis for their degree course at Oxford. On day one, students begin by considering the organisation pattern that is most suitable to their study and discipline. Each subsequent lesson focuses on a different part of the thesis/dissertation (Introductions, Literature Reviews, Discussions etc.), as well as the expected structure and linguistic conventions. Though this course is available throughout the year, it is our most popular Hilary term offering. It builds upon the foundational understanding provided by our Introduction, and Key Issues courses, while preparing students for the challenges of writing a thesis or dissertation.
Learning Outcomes
- Gain an understanding of the different organisational structures used within the Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences.
- Consider works of previous students in order to understand the common structural, linguistic and stylistic issues that arise when drafting a research project
- Increase competence in incorporating citations into texts, including choosing appropriate tenses and reporting verbs
- Learn how to structure the various parts of a dissertation or thesis (Introduction, Literature Review, Discussion, Conclusion and Abstract
Advanced Interactive Grammar
In 5 workshops and through the use of self-study technology, this course will help you improve your use of grammar when presenting your ideas in written communication. You will be given regular feedback on your use of grammar, and you will learn about strategies that you can use to improve your proofreading. In each session, your tutor will provide a review of tense/aspect, relating it to your particular learning needs. Beyond in-class support, you will be able to continue learning in your own time by having access to a range of self-study resources (self-study grammar software, a grammar workbook and a grammar mobile app). These resources enable you to learn at your own pace, and give you extensive practice in grammar structures. All resources provide access to learning tips, immediate feedback, and tutorial videos.
Learning Outcomes
- Select a range of appropriate grammatical structures to meet specific academic purposes;
- Use proofreading strategies to identify high frequency errors;
- Evaluate your own performance.
