In my experience, many postgraduates find the writing process for their dissertations tedious. When they do write, they neglect their own voices or intuition for an awkward “academicky” one: a voice that neglects its reader. They try so hard to tick boxes of items that should go into various chapters that they forget that the purpose of these items is to make the thing easier to read.
I did it too. For my Master’s thesis, I tried so hard to sound like the articles I read and less like myself, and, in the process, I achieved neither. It was only when I started writing about my research like a story (and practiced telling this story to others) that I could begin to see my work in a new light. Writing my PhD, as a result, was far more natural. I sounded like myself. And I did not sound awful.
Storytelling is something we see (and hear, and feel) in all human societies. Telling a story, an account, of events, real or imaginary, is something we can all do, and is core to our connection to each other. When writing or telling a story, it is crucial to keep our audience in mind so that we may keep them engaged and let them follow us on our journey.
This post is to help you think about your chapters as parts of an epic story.
Introduction
In a Hero’s journey (a template for adventure storytelling), the first few phases of the story are those that set the scene: we learn about the context of the world or village or family in question, we realise that there is a problem, and there is a call to adventure.
This is the same in the introduction chapter of a dissertation. The reader needs to have the context of the issue at hand (Background/context). They need to understand that there is a problem that needs to be solved (Problem statement) and why it should be solved (Rationale). They then need to know what it is that you, the hero (obviously), will be hoping to achieve: what you are called to do (Aims and Objectives).
While the comparison is somewhat hyperbolic, it is safe to say that most dissertations do not do this chapter justice. This chapter, in many ways, is the one where you have the most freedom in terms of expression. To set the scene, you could dryly outline the main concepts and their definitions, but you can also do something far more personal and exciting.
I have seen some writers start with an anecdote or news story to show the relevance of a given topic. I compared my own research to a famous epic/book. The introduction, just like an introduction to a story, should grab the attention of the reader. Anecdotes, news, social media trends… these offer opportunities to show the relevance and describe the background of your research topic and field in a way that definitions and statistics alone cannot.
In other words, despite having a checklist of items that need to be written, this chapter offers a lot of freedom. It is an opportunity for you, the writer, to get into the head of the reader. Take advantage of this freedom and allow yourself to be (a little) creative.
Of course, limit yourself. You do not need to bring up every possible news item or anecdote or comparison. But having that small "grip" early on in your dissertation makes your work far more compelling.
The literature review
In order for a story to make sense, it is not enough for the hero to be called on an adventure. The storyteller has to “catch the reader up,” so to speak, on the parameters of the issue at hand. If a hero is a magical student, the reader needs to learn the rules of magic. If the hero is to break out of prison, it helps if the reader understands the layout of the prison. In many ways, these “rules” act as a framework on which the hero will base their plans and strategies. The explanations behind these rules act as justifications for these plans.
As a reader, I need to understand these rules and explanations in order to understand what happens next. In a dissertation, this is the theoretical framework. If I cannot understand the rules, I will not be able to understand your research. You need to lay these out for me.
A good story isn’t just about rules though! I need to understand the tension behind these rules. How certain are these rules? What do we actually know? In a story, these tensions will be highlighted through the struggles of past failing heroes. If a villain has never been defeated, I need to know who has even tried to defeat them and how far they got in order to understand the tension truly.
In a dissertation, this is presented as past research that has tried to evaluate these issues (or similar issues) before. What did they find? How far did they get? Is the research clear or is there disagreement/tension in the journeys of past heroes (or… um… academics)? It is therefore important to also tell me about past research: letting me in on the most relevant outcomes.
Most importantly, I still need to have some inkling as to why your research/adventure differs from these others. What is it that is still missing or unknown? Why go on this adventure at all? This is the knowledge gap.
At the end of this chapter (or chapters), I need to know the rules (theoretical framework), the possibilities and tension (past research), and the need for more research (knowledge gap). I, without being explicitly told, should be able to anticipate what it is our hero (you) will do. I may even be able to have some idea as to what the outcome will be, based on the rules you have laid out. If this is quantitative research, you may have outlined some expectations or hypotheses that can later be supported or rejected.
While I (the reader) should have some uncertainty around the outcome, this is not a murder mystery! In this story, the reader is involved in the adventure directly. I should feel like a participant.
In a story, this is always the more awkward part to write or speak, but it is crucial to make sure the reader feels like they are a part of the journey: that they truly understand the adventure you are embarking on.
The methodology
In this chapter, all the hard work you put into the previous ones will start to bear fruit. The reader, having anticipated what it is you will do, can now feel like the smart--- you contrived them to feel like. You have led them to this point. Now let them bask in their cleverness.
Of course, they may not have figured out all the details. So a carefully detailed and justified plan still needs to be laid out. This is where you, the hero, lay out your careful design. In a story, it is important to know the plan of the hero. The more detail the reader has, the more the adventure itself will make sense and the easier it will be to feel a part of it.
Is this an interesting part of the story? Not really. But these details matter. It matters to know what weapons a fighter is entering into an arena with. This will allow the fight to make sense.
The results
This chapter (or chapters) is the action bit. Just like in a story, you will write the results for two types of readers: those who are interested in the nitty gritty and those who just want the gist of it all. I will be honest; I did not feel I needed to know the names and backstories of every orc Legolas killed at Helm’s Deep in Lord of the Rings. But, for many, this detail adds richness and understanding to the story world as a whole.
In a dissertation, some of this detail may seem tedious. Unfortunately, whether it includes some extra statistics or descriptions or quotations, details matter.
But even for the most patient nerd, these details need to be contained. Make sure different kinds of outcomes are grouped so that I can focus on one issue at a time. One “fight” at a time, so to speak.
Similarly, while every blow or facial twitch may be of interest to some, you also need to cater to those of us who are lazy. We just want to know who won. We just want to know the final outcome. Make sure this is clearly summarised or (even better) visualised.
The Discussion
The discussion is the part of the story where everything now needs to get resolved. But, like a hero returning home (where everything remains the same, yet she is changed forever), this is not a “happily ever after” story. Regardless, it is important now to return to your initial chapters and reflect on your objectives and hypotheses, highlighting the extent to which they have been achieved and whether or not they were as predicted.
For me, it is helpful to reflect by asking myself these questions:
What did I find?
Was this expected?
Why/why not?
Doing this allows you to truly discuss your research in light of the theory and past research while ensuring your main quest has run its course.
This chapter is also one where you, the hero, reflect on your failures and successes (Limitations). A research story, for better or worse, is almost always a bittersweet one. Even the best-planned quest runs limitations of some kind: time, money, resources. Be honest, but also be proud; stand up for your decisions, even while acknowledging their issues.
Finally, you need to reflect on the future (Future research and recommendations). The princess may have saved the prince, but his hard work adjusting to society after years of imprisonment has only begun. The dragon may have been defeated, but democracy now needs to contend with war-hardened dragon-slayers battling for power.
And this is the best-case scenario. It is possible that the outcomes of your quest are inconclusive. If so, indicate how you feel future researchers can move forward, carrying your baton. (I may have now gotten myself stuck in a mixed metaphor loop, but you get the gist).
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While this comparison may seem like a stretch, thinking of your research as a story allows you to avoid various pitfalls (such as lack of structure or intentionality) while still ensuring you keep your own voice. It also allows you to truly see the purpose of your research and make this well known. Most importantly, it stops your research from putting those reading it to sleep.
Keep your reader in mind.