Patterns for thesis writing, dissertations, research papers, literature reviews, and scholarly work.
Patterns for thesis writing, dissertations, research papers, literature reviews, and scholarly work.
| Type | Duration | Output | Review Process |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master's Thesis | 1-2 years | 80-150 pages | Committee defense |
| PhD Dissertation | 3-7 years | 150-300+ pages | Committee + external |
| Journal Article | 3-12 months | 5,000-10,000 words | Peer review (2-12 mo) |
| Conference Paper | 2-6 months | 4,000-8,000 words | Peer review (2-4 mo) |
| Literature Review | 1-6 months | 5,000-15,000 words | Varies |
| Grant Proposal | 1-3 months | 5-50 pages | Panel review |
| Discipline | Structure Variation |
|---|---|
| Sciences | Methods-heavy, often includes "Materials and Methods" |
| Humanities | May have multiple analysis chapters by theme |
| Social Sciences | Often has separate "Theoretical Framework" chapter |
| Engineering | May include "Implementation" and "Evaluation" chapters |
| Approach | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Thematic | Organize by concepts/themes across sources |
| Chronological | Show evolution of field over time |
| Methodological | Compare research approaches |
| Theoretical | Organize by competing frameworks |
| Concept Matrix | Map concepts to sources in a table |
| Criterion | Question |
|---|---|
| Feasible | Can it be done with available resources? |
| Interesting | Does anyone care? |
| Novel | Does it add new knowledge? |
| Ethical | Can it be done ethically? |
| Relevant | Does it matter to the field? |
| Method | Best For | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|
| Interviews | Deep understanding | 10-30 |
| Focus Groups | Group dynamics | 4-8 per group |
| Ethnography | Cultural context | 1+ settings |
| Case Study | Detailed exploration | 1-10 cases |
| Grounded Theory | Theory generation | Until saturation |
| Method | Best For | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|
| Survey | Breadth, generalization | 100-1000+ |
| Experiment | Causation | Power analysis |
| Quasi-experiment | When randomization impossible | Varies |
| Secondary Analysis | Large datasets | Varies |
| Style | Discipline |
|---|---|
| APA 7 | Psychology, social sciences, education |
| MLA 9 | Humanities, literature |
| Chicago | History, some humanities |
| IEEE | Engineering, computer science |
| Vancouver | Medicine, biomedical |
| Harvard | Business, some social sciences |
| Concern | How to Address |
|---|---|
| "Why this topic?" | Strong motivation section |
| "What's your contribution?" | Explicit contributions list |
| "How is this valid?" | Robust methodology |
| "What about X?" | Acknowledge scope, future work |
| "How does this connect?" | Clear theoretical framework |
| Strong Claim | Hedged Version |
|---|---|
| "This proves..." | "This suggests..." |
| "Always causes" | "May contribute to" |
| "Definitely shows" | "The evidence indicates" |
| Purpose | Phrases |
|---|---|
| Agreement | "Consistent with...", "Similarly..." |
| Contrast | "In contrast...", "However..." |
| Extension | "Building on...", "Extending..." |
| Gap | "Yet to be explored...", "Remains unclear..." |
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Scope creep | Define boundaries early, revisit often |
| Literature overwhelm | Set search limits, use concept matrix |
| Perfectionism | "Good enough" for drafts, perfect for final |
| Isolation | Join writing groups, find accountability |
| Imposter syndrome | Remember: you're learning, not failing |