Writing a thesis

Most of us work on several things simultaneously while we write. That is why it is not necessary to plan and structure everything before you start writing, and you might often have to go back to planning and structuring while you write. Most of us also work with paralle writing processes:

• Informal writing is when we take notes, write summaries, make bulleted lists, reflect, make mindmaps etc.
• Formal writing is when we work on what will become the final product.

It is important to note that there are of course smooth transitions between informal and formal writing, such as e.g., when a summary you wrote while writing informally is included in the final product (formal writing).

Presentation writing

Dyste et al. (2010, p. 78) explains formal writing as the thing we do when we focus on the thesis as a completed product rather than a process. Once we leave the informal writing behind us and focus on the thesis as a product, we must take note of the expectations that lies in such a text, e.g. the format, scope and argumentation.

Some principles for presentation writing

When you start your formal writing, it is important that you come across as credible and reliable. We should benefit from reading your text so that we can trust that you know about what you wrote about. First and formerly, you must therefore know something about the thing you are going to write about and then convey it in a way that we understand what you know. (Of course, you learn more while you write, so you do not need to know everything beforehand, but it is smart to have a plan. There are more things you can do to build your credibility. E.g., you should have a good structure in your text so you have a logic build-up, you should use subject terminology well, you should have well-built paragraphs with clear topic sentences so we understand what each paragraph is about and especially you should use reliable sources in your argumentation and cite the sources right.

Your language is your most vital tool in writing a good text. When writing a professional text, it is important that you are specific and precise. Here are some specifics tips:

• Avoid using too many short words such as “so on” and “so forth”
• Use short sentences
• Use subject terminology where appropriate, but your text should not be overloaded with technical terms
• Start each paragraph with a good topic sentence so you get to the point quickly and clearly
• Avoid too many repetitions

References

Dysthe, Hoel, T. L., & Hertzberg, F. (2010). Skrive for å lære : skriving i høyere utdanning (2nd ed.). Abstrakt. 

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