Hey, PhD students! Welcome to Degree Doctor!
I’m Dr Elizabeth Yardley, here to help you finish your qualitative research thesis.
Drawing on my 20 years' experience as a social science professor, I'll help you smash your imposter syndrome and push through procrastination as well as supporting you in writing the individual chapters of your dissertation.
You CAN complete your doctorate, and my videos will help you do a great job of it.
I'm cheering you on all the way, from your literature review to your discussion and conclusions, I've got you covered!
Make sure you grab a copy of my 25 Literature Review Sentence Starters Cheat Sheet, it works wonders for writer's block. It's available in my channel links, go check them out!
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I just sent this to some students who are doing ethnographic work this summer. Thank you so much for your brief+thorough introduction! The sweet spot!
Aww, that’s amazing! I hope they find it helpful! 🤓
Hi, thank you for this, so helpful :)
You’re very welcome, I’m so glad it was useful 🤓
So appreciated on your video. Im on my learning journey doing an assessment relating to these elements. This video helps me alot !!
I’m so glad you found this helpful! ☺️
Hi, does this apply to an undergrad diss?
Yes absolutely, you can apply the sections and principles to an undergraduate dissertation too!
Hi
Can I help you?
Yes please i realy need help with conclusion tomorrow i have a test and i am not so good in conclusions 😢
Sure, I have a couple of longer videos you may find helpful about conclusions, here are the links: kzread.info/dash/bejne/ppWA0KxupNjenLw.htmlsi=Vhy4Jw7PnI1F7kii kzread.info/dash/bejne/faV-lJiIfMexg5M.htmlsi=xOuHVrAEGQIUilcr
Thanks 😊❤
You're very welcome!
24 hours to hand in and i just remembered I need to write an introduction.... thanks so much for your help!
Yay! I’m so glad I could help! All the best with the last few bits 💪🤓
thank you for making this video very interesting. Intrigued by Garfinkel's framing of reflexive construction of reality (which I feel it a valuable side note to explain the underlying reasoning of multiple realities), the counselling study and the breaching experienment.
You’re most welcome, ethnomethodology is a super interesting area!
I submitted my Conclusion chapter twice, but what I did was not right and still have to revise it. It's kind of like I mixed the discussion with the conclusion and just kept repeating what I presented in my analytical chapters and discussed the findings. Any suggestions or videos showing step-by-step to tackle the PhD Conclusion chapter. I'm so overwhelmed.
Sure - I have this video specifically about the conclusion chapter. I hope it’s helpful, keep going, you can do this! 💪 kzread.info/dash/bejne/ppWA0KxupNjenLw.htmlsi=51yJ8HRtjW9Gudwg
Hi Dr. Elizabeth, thank you for this super helpful video! I am working on my Masters Dissertation for my MSc in Psychology of Mental Health and am wanting to adopt a critical realist approach. I am looking at how adolescents perceive their strengths and weaknesses via secondary data analysis. More specifically, I am looking at how adolescents with self-reported high/low self esteem and positive/negative affect differ in their perceptions of personal strengths/weaknesses. I'm super passionate about elevating the voices of adolescents in their own mental health and life journeys and I am very excited to deep dive into the data. I'm planning to adopt a critical realist stance and utilize reflexive TA for my qualitative analysis. I've just heard about ontology and epistemology for the first time, and feel I'm a bit adrift trying to figure out how to actually utilize these concepts to guide my research, and I'm especially confused because of the secondary data analysis aspect of my project. My background is in creative writing and sociology, so this conversion program has really been challenging me in terms of academic writing within a positivist paradigm, but I have been finding more of a home in qualitative research. I think critical realism is a great way to combine my present education with my prior training. Do you have any advice on how paradigms may differ in their approach to secondary data analysis? Thanks in advance!
Thank you for your kind words about the video. Your dissertation sounds amazing, what an important topic! Adopting a critical realist approach and using reflexive thematic analysis (TA) are excellent choices for your research. Ontology in critical realism acknowledges that real structures and mechanisms exist independently of our perceptions. While adolescents' perceptions of their strengths and weaknesses are subjective, underlying social and psychological factors influence these perceptions. Epistemologically, critical realism recognises that our knowledge of these structures is fallible and shaped by our experiences, aligning with your aim to elevate adolescents' voices. With secondary data, critical realism allows you to interpret the data by considering the broader context in which it was generated. This means analysing how adolescents’ responses might be influenced by their social environment, cultural norms, and personal experiences. It helps you look beyond surface-level data to understand deeper social and psychological mechanisms at play. Reflexive TA suits critical realism well as it emphasises the researcher's role and influence in the analysis process. Reflecting on your interpretations and how your background shapes your understanding is crucial. Identify themes in adolescents' perceptions and consider how societal expectations or psychological factors might influence these themes. Combining critical realism with reflexive TA allows you to honor the complexity of adolescents' experiences while uncovering deeper understandings. Different paradigms approach secondary data analysis uniquely. While positivism might focus on statistical relationships, critical realism delves into understanding underlying causes and contextual factors. Interpretivism, on the other hand, emphasises understanding the subjective meanings and individual lived experiences. I hope you find that helpful!
Brief but well explained, although I did not use phenomelnology but the lens I take for my study has a phenomelogical element in it - understanding a phenomenon through the vicinity of an individual. Methodologies in social sciences are so transferrable and interlinked in nature!
I’m so pleased you found it interesting!
Does the discussion require citations? As you are only going over what you've already cited.
Yes, I would always advise citing throughout your thesis.
I recently returned from a conference where I discovered, to my surprise, that many studies are similar to mine, particularly in terms of context and methodology. This made me think about how my study can stand out from the others. I believe your advice to drill down into the elements is an excellent idea. The only way to escape the frustration of sharing the same topic and context with others is to delve into the specifics that are unique to my study. This is where the difference and the contribution lie.
Absolutely, there are always opportunities to niche down on one or more of your topic elements to create a more distinctive project and unique contribution to knowledge. Keep up the excellent work!
Thank you, it's really helpful. My Creative writing reflective essay (for my dissertation ) has to be in by Tuesday. Aaaaagh. I'm not very academic and a mature student. What a mental journey it has been 🎉 I'll listen to the stream of consciousness again ❤️
You’re most welcome! Hope all goes well with the essay!
I'm getting an understanding of the reflection of this paper counseling.
Great! Thanks for watching! 🤓
I appreciate your video. Clear and well-structured examples. Thank you for taking the time to make and share this!
I’m so pleased it was helpful, you’re most welcome!
Hey it been a long time dr elezabeth it could be wonderful if you suggest book on the topics you treat
Sure! I’ll pop some book recommendations in the comments but also be sure to check out the journal article I go through in the video - that’s a great illustration of applied critical realism.
Love the way you explain. Makes it easier to understand.
Aww, that’s so lovely to read. Glad it was helpful!
This one is also a gem ♥ take a lot of notes and I have a feeling that my LR will be fabulous. Thank uuuu😘
You're welcome 😊 I’m so pleased you’re finding my videos helpful, I LOVE that you take notes! 🤓
@@DegreeDoctor I take notes when watching the videos and go back to these notes before I write the literature review to ensure working efficiency❤ I already feel that following your advice can save a LOT of time😉
Amazing! It’s such a privilege to be part of your journey ☺️
Let me know your questions about conceptual frameworks in the comments!
The action plan PDF is a gem！
I’m so glad it’s helpful!
Your explanations are amazing! I am taking an exam on these topics in one month. You have just helped me gain a better understanding. Thanks a lot!
It’s so lovely to read your comment! All the best in your exam!
Thank you!!!! You have helped me with my critical analysis essay for my Masters. I wasn’t sure exactly how to approach the main body of essay. Had the plan now I feel I can do it!!
Aww, I’m so happy to read this! You’re very welcome! ☺️
Thank you!
You're welcome!
This comes in just in time, need to do a literature review draft chapter this month - no more bricks and just beautiful pebbles!
Yes, no more bricks! Hope all is going well with your draft chapter!
Hello Professor Yardley, thank you so much for saving my life for this and other videos about thesis writing - struggling 4th year phd student here. Your explanations are clear and get to the point. And I like your relaxed demeanor and sense of humour.❤
You're very welcome! It's my pleasure to be part of your journey :-)
I genuinely love you - I have struggled so much to understand this and this just made it click in my head, thank you! Please keep making videos!
You're so welcome! I sure will keep making videos, and comments like yours remind me why I do it in the first place, thanks for stopping by and sharing your kind words!
Excellent video!!!
Aww, thanks! 🙏 🤓
That was brilliant! Have a new born and was looking for you on KZread. I knew you’d exist. Loving the tips it’s taking a lot of the stress out of the masters I have planned for next year 😊
So glad you’ve found some useful tips here!
Very useful thread tHank you!
Glad you liked it!
Super helpful thank you!!
You're so welcome! Glad it was useful!
Really helpful. 🙌🏻 Please do the Critical Realism paradigm for social science research next.
Thank you! The critical realism video drops two weeks today!
@@DegreeDoctor Okay. Will be looking forward.
I Have one week left for PhD presubmission, and not a single word has been typed in the Discussion and conclusion chapter. Going Crazy.....
Oh no! I hope this video was helpful for you. You are 100% capable of getting this done, just take it one step at a time and feel free to reach out with questions.
Whew!
Thank you so much. This is amazing.
You’re very welcome, I hope it was helpful! 🤓🙏
In which section you are going to show the overall of your work? Obviously you need a methodology chapter?
I’m not sure what you mean by the “overall” of your work, could you explain?
@@DegreeDoctor I meant overall work process, like in what way you planned your secondary research, what's the exclusion and inclusion criteria for the articles, journals, etc for your thesis. So if we make a separate chapter which is methodology, wouldn't it be fine?
I would include this as a subsection in the introduction chapter, but some universities now want a separate methods chapter. It is always advisable to consult the guidance provided by your own institution.
Thank you, very helpful video. Tip 7 : Present the data well. Do you happen to have another video or other resources to discuss the organization of the chapter? I just watched the video on "should you refer back to the literature" which was really helpful.
I'm so pleased you found the video helpful, welcome to my channel! I don't have any videos specifically about this yet (although I've added this to our videos-to-make list!) but Part 8 of my PhD Survival Guide series is all about the findings chapter. Here is the link, let me know if you have any questions: www.thedegreedoctor.com/phd-survival-guides/p/n1xoq5hlhsas3bojo7wffi4w5p4yx3-7rxtp-4emxf-9kg8g-d3pj3-cm3hw-jsyy7-tedek-mnrbx-3gmgl
This was extremely helpful because you eliminated all the other jargon that other tutorials were using that was getting me confused. After seeing your video, I immediately subscribed to your page. I can understand how you have helped so many other students. However, I do have one comment, I wish you also added in this video a visual diagram of this conceptual framework.
Thanks! I’m so pleased you found this helpful. We have more videos on the way about conceptual frameworks, and we will take on board your suggestion about visual diagrams for these videos. Thanks for your valuable feedback, and welcome to the channel!
@@DegreeDoctor I will definitely begin sifting through your tutorials. I know it will all be very helpful.
Thank you for the very informative content. It would be great if your time allows to explains the following two queries: - When the following terms are synonyms and when are they distinct? 1) Preface, background, overview, context, executive summary, 2) Purpose, aim 3) Objective, goals, scope, 4) Justification, motivation, importance 5) Problem statement, gap, rationale, hypothesis 6) Problem, issue, challenge, obstacle, 7) Drawback, pitfall, drawbacks, shortcomings, disadvantages, cons, limitations, weaknesses, 8) Contribution, significance, novelty, originality, innovation 9) Implications\contributions\impact 10) Theoretical framework, conceptual framework, study framework, study flowchart, etc. 11) Thesis\dissertation 12) Conclusion, summary, etc. - What is the most common sequence of sections in the dissertation\thesis structure in the introduction chapter? 1) Overview (context\background\etc.) 2) Problem statement 3) Aim 4) Objective 5) Questions 6) Scope 7) Contribution 8) Thesis structure - Is the literature review, methodology, and study area are a part of the introduction chapter of the thesis? - It is a repetitive to have Objectives and Questions sections in the introduction chapter. They are the same! - How to the aim, objectives, scope and methodology are linked together?
Thanks for your comments, and welcome to the channel! I have responded to your individual questions below: Regarding your inquiry about terminology, these terms often overlap but can have distinct nuances depending on context. In response to your query about dissertation structure, it's common for the introduction chapter to follow the sequence you've outlined, although you should always check with your university about any specific structure they would like you to follow. Concerning the inclusion of literature review, methodology, and study area, these sections typically appear separately outside the introduction chapter. Addressing your observation about redundancy, including both objectives and questions in the introduction serves distinct purposes: objectives outline the steps to achieve aims, while research questions help maintain a focus on individual aspects of your topic. Lastly, regarding the interrelation of aim, objectives, scope, and methodology, these elements collectively define the focus and approach of the study.
@@DegreeDoctor Many thanks for your response. I searched through various sources, but I couldn't find a single one that clarifies the nuances or distinctions between these terms from an academic perspective.
I needed to hear that too (funny that the other comment is from a Matilda, 'cause I am named Mathilde), thank you ! I am the last weeks before the submission of my manuscript, I find your content really helpful
Wonderful! I’m so pleased you’re enjoying my channel!
How does one juxtapose technology against epistemology?
Juxtaposing technology against epistemology might involve examining how technological advancements influence the way we understand the world. It’s about comparing the methods and implications of technology with the theories and principles of epistemology, the study of knowledge. For instance, you could discuss how the internet has revolutionised access to information and challenged traditional notions of authority in knowledge acquisition.
what is difference between ethnography research and field research
Ethnographic research is a type of field research, where researchers immerse themselves in a particular culture or community to understand its dynamics and behaviors. Ethnographic methods might involve in-depth observation, interviews, and participant observation. On the other hand, field research encompasses a broader range of research, which may include ethnography but also other methods such as surveys or experiments. In essence, ethnography is a specialised form of field research focused on understanding specific cultures or social groups.
@@DegreeDoctor but there defination is a lot similar and you have cleared degree doctor . Thank YOu
Why do lecturers never explain this approach?! Thought i was doing my diss wrong the whole time. Thank you
I hope this was helpful, all the best with your dissertation!
@@DegreeDoctor thank you so much! It was very helpful, is it normal for chapter in lit based dissertations to have a lot of citations? I feel like after every sentence im having to cite something to show proof its not something i just made up. Obviously the discussion section would be my thoughts so there’d be little to no citations but i cant help but feel like im going overboard :’(
Absolutely, it’s quite common for chapters in literature-based dissertations to have a significant number of citations. Each citation serves to support your arguments and provide evidence for the claims you’re making. It’s important to demonstrate that your ideas are grounded in existing research and scholarship. While the discussion section may rely more on your own analysis and interpretations, the rest of the dissertation should be well-supported by relevant literature. It’s better to err on the side of caution and provide ample citations rather than risk appearing unsubstantiated. Keep up the thorough work!
@@DegreeDoctor thank you so much! I was worried it would be classed as plagiarism. Is the discussion chapter absolutely necessary? Im a bit confused on how to do it
Watching this 15 mins before I go for a meeting with my superviors.
I hope it was a good meeting! 🤓
Great video
Thank you! 🙏