Referencing Research Work

A major problem that plagues many dissertation writers is correctly addressing research work using terms and methods acceptable to the dissertation review committee. Though there are entire tomes dedicated to the subject, there are a few key recommendations that should help significantly.

References to Existing Work

Extant or existing work refers to papers previously written by experts in the relevant field of knowledge. When citing preexisting papers or information, the writer should cite the particular paper, not the author. As such, the student should use singular verbs when referring to a paper, even when it has multiple authors.

The writer should avoid the use of the phrase “the author(s) claim” when preparing his or her dissertation. A claim insinuates that the information references the source’s thoughts and opinions instead of facts contained in the source document. This is appropriate if the writer is referencing those thoughts and opinions but must be avoided if the writer is referring to facts or empirical evidence.

A Rose by Any Other Name

A common problem is writers failing to differentiate between a concept and a particular instance of that concept. The idea of a rose, its image, smell, color, could be an example of a concept. A reference to the rose in a lover’s hand would be, by analogy, a single instance of a rose. A concept is the general abstract of an idea or object. An instance would be a single, identifiable idea or object that could be touched or singled out from others of its kind. Defining the terminology for a concept, the writer must be cautious when deciding exactly how the idea is translated into a particular implementation or incident of the concept. Changes made to an instance will affect only that instance. Changes made to the underlying concept alters the understanding and basis of all instances of the concept.

The Basis of Knowledge

Another pair of words that is frequently used interchangeably are the words “data” and the word “knowledge.” This has clouded the distinct difference between the two words. Data is the set of facts or results from an experiment or series of experiments. When data is analyzed, condensed and combined with data from other related experiments, useful information is derived. Understanding the nature of this useful information is knowledge.