Advice on Writing a Thesis in Art & Design Theory

The thesis is the most distinctive part of the Honours year. It is highly valued by students but at the same time can be very stressful. To make this research apprenticeship more valuable and less stressful, the following advice has been developed.

Aim to have, as soon as possible, a firm thesis title, an outline of the thesis structure and a good notion of the relevant literature. Start to put ideas in writing as soon as possible.

In writing the thesis, you will be expected to become familiar with a specific body of literature to professional standard. Research capacity is not demonstrated by a mere summary of the literature; however, it may be demonstrated by a fresh interpretation or by a critical review of the literature.

You should strive for a thematic development in the thesis. The objectives of the thesis and techniques to be employed should be made apparent to the reader in the opening. It will normally be desirable to follow with a brief review of those aspects of the literature that are directly relevant to the thesis. The arguments should then be systematically developed in a logical and coherent way.

Where the relevance of, say, a new chapter would not be immediately apparent to the reader, the chapter should start with a statement of what is to follow and its role in the thesis. It should always be apparent to the reader that the thesis is proceeding as directly as possible to its logical end. It is also important to draw conclusions and to present your own considered judgements. Assessment is based not only on the conclusions of a thesis but also on the way research is undertaken, the quality of argument and the general standard of presentation.

As the most important part of the Honours year, the thesis should show evidence of careful research. This makes it mandatory to acknowledge the source of particular arguments and quotations by careful footnoting. A bibliography must be included. The bibliography should include only those works which you have actually consulted yourself; it is not to be simply a list of books or journal articles well known in the field. Choose one bibliographical method and stick to it consistently.

For general advice, consult the useful guide (Almost) Everything You Need to Know to Succeed in the Department of Theory of Art & Design (pdf 1.1mb).

The standard of English expression is expected to be high. While supervisors will offer reasonable assistance, the writing of a thesis is your task and you must not expect your supervisor to convert careless or poor prose into good English.

The text of the thesis - excluding footnotes - must be between 15,000 to 18,000 words in length.

An impression of the standard - and previous topics - may be obtained by perusal of past Honours theses, which are available for viewing in the Student Administration Services Office, Caulfield, D1.02.

Note the need to constantly back up your thesis research. You are strongly advised to make hard copies, as well as copies onto external drives, to avoid heartache.