Writing a Thesis or Dissertation: Theoretical and Interpretive Research (Humanities, SocSci)

A course for students writing or preparing to write a thesis, dissertation or publication in theoretical and interpretive disciplines, particularly Humanities and theoretically oriented or text-based Social Sciences. 

For assistance with data driven writing, please see: ⁠Writing a Thesis or Dissertation: Scientific and Empirical Research. 

The course combines established research on academic writing with the analysis of authentic Oxford postgraduate theses and dissertations and, where relevant, disciplinary publications. Students examine how Introduction, Conclusions, abstracts and discrete chapters are structured and written in their field.

Rather than presenting a single model of theoretical and interpretive research writing, the course uses University of Oxford AI resources to help students identify the specific conventions and genre variations that characterise postgraduate writing in their department, and apply these insights to the planning, drafting and revision of their own research writing. 
 

Course Timetable: Michaelmas Term 2026

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to: 

• Identify the common structures, rhetorical moves and language conventions used across the principal sections of theoretical and interpretive theses, dissertations and research publications. 

• Analyse authentic Oxford postgraduate writing to identify disciplinary conventions in structure, the development and organisation of argument, use and interpretation of primary and secondary sources, levels of critical engagement, claim strength, authorial stance, meta-language, signposting and recurring language patterns. 

• Recognise and evaluate disciplinary variation in the organisation and structure of the variations parts or chapters of disciplinary theses, dissertations and publications. 

• Effectively, use University of Oxford AI resources as genre analysis tools to investigate patterns and conventions in authentic postgraduate writing. 

• Apply the findings of their genre analysis to the planning, drafting and revision of their own research writing. 

Enrolment information

For Learners with an Oxford University SSO (Single Sign-On) simply click on the enrol button next to the class that you wish to join. 

For Learners without an Oxford University SSO, or who are not members of the University, once enrolment opens, please email admin@lang.ox.ac.uk with the following details:

• Full name
• Email address and phone number
• The name of the course you wish to study
• The start date and time of the course
• Your connection to Oxford University, if any (to determine course fee)

We will then provisionally enrol you onto the course and send you a link to the Oxford University Online Store for payment. Once payment is received we will confirm your place on the course. Please note that we will be unable to assist you until enrolment has opened, so please do not send us your enrolment details in advance.