As doctoral or master’s students, it is important that we take stock of our current research skills. The following suggestions and tips were highlighted at discussions at the Doctoral Research Forum at the 2015 TESOL convention in Toronto. These suggestions are designed to facilitate students to assess their research-preparedness in terms of their research question, time, and support base. It is through reflection on our assessment of our current skills that we may find solutions to the challenges we will encounter during our research. Furthermore, through this assessment we also develop reflection skills. Reflection is of importance, as it forces us to consciously address actions we could take in our research, as well as address the assumptions we hold regarding specific situations and our knowledge.

Why Is the Research Question So Important?

One of the most difficult tasks for most doctoral and master students is composing a plausible research question. At the doctoral student roundtable discussions, I found I was not alone in my fear of coming up with a question of quality. My primary concern has been how to satisfactorily frame my research question. In framing, I must consider my research context and how I propose to use this research to frame and advance my future career (Coghlan & Brannick, 2012). Have you considered the different possible ways you will be able to “spin” your thesis, once completed? The realization that I did not necessarily want to confine my future career prospects to my current position did make me reconsider the wording of my research question.

How Can I Write a Whole Thesis?

A further concern is the actual writing of the whole thesis. From doing past research, I have found that writing anything more than 10,000 words daunting. This suggests that I am looking too broadly at the big picture: my complete thesis. Engaging in this process has forced me to look at my thesis in much smaller steps.

One advisor at the doctoral student roundtable discussions made the suggestion of breaking the thesis down into chapters. Another student at this discussion suggested that even a chapter could be broken down into subheadings. The importance of breaking down the thesis into sizeable chunks is two-fold. First, it creates a roadmap for the completion of the thesis. Each chapter becomes a point along the route to completion. With the completion of a rough draft, we can reflect on what we have written as well as how far we have traveled on the road to completing our thesis. Secondly, with sizeable chunks, we think about temporary word limits we have provisionally assigned to a section as a whole, and to subsections within it. This enables us to concentrate on completing a manageable section at a time, and reduces the chances of being overwhelmed by completing a whole thesis.

Research is not a linear process (McNiff & Whitehead, 2005). We will find that as we delve deeper into our projects, previously completed portions may have to be adjusted as our positions within the research change. Breaking down our thesis into sizeable chunks facilitates earmarking where changes need to be made efficiently, while a roadmap for completion keeps us moving forward in a manageable fashion.

What Can I Do to Create a Smoother Doctoral Journey?

There are several points to consider to ensure a smoother research journey. Discussions are important, as they facilitate the development of knowledge (Feldman & Capobianco, 2008). Discussions with your tutors and also with peers will help to shape your possible research question. Networking is also of importance, either with friends who have already completed their doctorates or masters or those still in the process. Others can help you to understand how to develop your thesis. Networking at conferences, such as at the TESOL convention, also adds to your holistic understanding of the research situation. Discussions with others who have been though the same process will help you focus on the smaller steps that need to be taken to achieve the big picture. Being aware of your context and how you can use it to your advantage is one of the most important actions you can take as a doctoral/master’s student. Awareness in conjunction with discussions is even more important, as it facilitates an understanding of the comprehensive picture that guides you, where you want to go, and most important, how you will get there.

How Do I Manage My Time?

The ability to manage time wisely is a necessary requirement for doctoral and master students. Several mentors at the discussion table warned us that we must be conscious of the time needed to complete the different stages of our research projects.

Being able to manage a research project needs to be juxtaposed against other areas of life. Do you work full time and have a family? As students, we need to be cognizant of the fact that our freedom to start and stop working on our thesis when we feel like it is often limited. As one mentor explained, we have chosen this route, and we need to be aware of how this influences our ability to work and interact with our families (and friends) both negatively and positively. Her suggestion was to both discuss our thesis project with them and to be honest about how it will impact what we can and cannot do. While the mentor stressed that we do need time off from our thesis work, she also noted that we need to explain to others when we are and are not available.

Organizational skills are imperative when completing doctoral or master’s studies. Another mentor stated that we must be strict with self-imposed deadlines, yet flexible with our schedule. She exemplified that this may mean we alter our routines to allow for family time without impinging on our thesis time. We need to create a balance between work, thesis, and family. We must consciously think of a workable schedule that incorporates both the activities important in our lives and our thesis.

Why Is Relationship Building Important?

A thesis is not completed alone. We need support to bring it to completion. While we alone are responsible for writing our thesis, our thesis will develop through the sharing of ideas, the gathering of data, and the support of our peers, colleagues, and supervisor(s).

Professionally, the sharing of ideas and gathering of data is important as it expands how we interpret situations. Understanding different angles to our research adds depth to our thesis. In addition, developing critical friends keeps our focus on our thesis topic, allowing us to “sound off” ideas, and obtain general support where needed (Wellington, Bathmaker, Hunt, McCulloch, & Sikes, 2005). One way to develop a repertoire of critical friends is by going to roundtable discussions for graduate students. These are often offered at the TESOL conventions.

Creating new networks through convention events such as the Doctoral Research and Master’s Student Forums at the TESOL conventions is greatly beneficial. This is an opportunity to share ideas, references, and support. Networking with others through conferences could also be a chance to make “critical friends,” as we could offer different points of view and acknowledge other’s biases (Wellington et al., 2005). Not only can we commiserate with each other, but we can also share ideas or references that would facilitate the development of our thesis.

Finally, it is imperative to have a good relationship with your thesis supervisor. Your supervisor will most likely be your most critical source of questioning. This necessitates that you strive to ensure your relationship is open and forgiving, and that you maintain frequent contact. Most important, if you do not understand something, it is up to you to tell your supervisor. As one mentor said, your supervisor can only be of help to you if you tell them where you are lost or what you are struggling with. The struggle is yours, but your supervisor is there to guide you through the challenge. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure that your supervisor understands your needs and the direction you wish to pursue.

Closing Thoughts

Working on a thesis involves developing the art of conversation. Discussions with others at conferences and events, such as the doctoral and master’s roundtable discussions at the TESOL convention, not only contributes to our knowledge expansion but also to the expansion of our perspectives. Over the course of doing our graduate degrees, our needs will develop and change. Before we embark on any phase of our studies, it is imperative that we take stock of our learning situations, examine our needs, and look for and give to others the kind of support that we need so that we can challenge our knowledge and develop intellectually. Attending conferences such as TESOL allows us to realize that there is a huge community of support available. We find out who will help should we ask.

References

Coghlan, D., & Brannick, T. (2012). Doing action research in your own organization (3rd ed.). London, United Kingdom: Sage.

Feldman, A., & Capobianco, B. M. (2008). Teacher learning of technology enhanced formative assessment. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 17, 82–99.

McNiff, J., & Whitehead, J. (2005). All you need to know about action research. London, United Kingdom: Sage.

Wellington, J., Bathmaker, A., Hunt, C., McCulloch, G., & Sikes, P. (2005). Succeeding with your doctorate. London, United Kingdom: Sage.

Elizabeth Yoshikawa teaches English at a teacher training university in Japan. She is currently at the data collection stage of her doctoral studies at the University of Liverpool. Her thesis explores the cultural production of the development of foreign language homepages at Japanese higher education institutions with regards to the idealization of the internationalization of higher education. To achieve this, she is combining Bourdieu’s theories of cultural production with regards to the development of these homepages, with Barthes’ theories of cultural semiotics with regards to analysis of the homepages themselves.