23rd Sep, 2020
Italian National Research Council
Question
Asked 28th Apr, 2020
Structure of Research: Data or Literature first?
Hello everybody,
I am new to academic research and I am currently working on my synopsis for my master thesis. Right now I am a little bit confused about the structure of my thesis. The main part of my thesis is that I identify hurdles for implementing innovations (happens through interviews) and then I will find solutions to overcome those hurdles in one specific case. I have difficulties with the part where I find solutions. I need literature for finding solutions. But I can only find solutions after I identified the hurdles (my findings). My question now is: where in my structure do I introduce the literature I need for my solutions? I can't put them in the Literature Review at the beginning, because otherwise, I will anticipate the findings? But I am also not allowed to only introduce them in the discussion part? Could you help me with this? Is there a common way for this? Thank you so much and best regards!
Margrit
Popular answers (1)
Dear Magrit,
in my opinion I would follow the sequence of the elements of the basic structure of a thesis: Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion.
If, as you say, you need literature to find solutions to overcome obstacles you do not know you can, in this first step indicate that there are different types of approaches (... and put some generic literature) and the specific ones will then be identified (... and cited, in due course,); in your case even in the discussion ... I don't see the problem.
As Dr. Artur Braun rightly advises, your tutor's suggestion is certainly the best option to take into consideration.
Best regards, Pierluigi Traverso
4 Recommendations
All Answers (3)
Hello Margrit! I find your master's thesis very interesting, but also challenging. I understand your concerns about the literature review, the data, and how they are connected. My advice would be that in the literature to write about innovations in general. You can start from the Egyptians and their innovations, work your way to Galileo, Newton, Watson, Einstein, (the nuclear bomb), and modern-day innovators like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk. Like this, you will set the focus on the importance of innovations.
Dear Magrit,
in my opinion I would follow the sequence of the elements of the basic structure of a thesis: Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion.
If, as you say, you need literature to find solutions to overcome obstacles you do not know you can, in this first step indicate that there are different types of approaches (... and put some generic literature) and the specific ones will then be identified (... and cited, in due course,); in your case even in the discussion ... I don't see the problem.
As Dr. Artur Braun rightly advises, your tutor's suggestion is certainly the best option to take into consideration.
Best regards, Pierluigi Traverso
4 Recommendations
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