Writing the Thesis

This course will build on students’ research skills and knowledge in literary and cultural studies, drama and creative writing, and will equip them with the tools needed to write a well-researched and critically-engaged thesis at HDR level. The course will focus on guiding students through the early stages of the writing of their HDR thesis.This will involve three elements: 1) locating and evaluating secondary material relevant to their topic; 2) developing a critical framework which is appropriate for the discussion and analysis of their primary text/s (whether poetry, fiction, drama, film, or other cultural texts); and 3) drafting and revising a section of the thesis itself. Through each stage of the process students will exchange their work with their peers for discussion and feedback. The aim of the course is to enable and encourage students to position their work clearly in relation to existing scholarship and critical debates on their topic, and to articulate their own intervention with clarity and persuasiveness.