Most Common Corrections from a PhD Examination 博士论文盲审最常见的修改要求

By Tara Brabazon 塔拉·布拉巴赞著
Office of Graduate Research 研究生院
Flinders University 弗林德斯大学
Adelaide, South Australia 南澳大利亚阿德莱德

Tara introduces the — easily avoided — corrections to doctoral theses that emerge during the examination process.
塔拉介绍在博士论文盲审过程中经常出现的论文修改要求。如果博士生遵循塔拉的建议,他们很容易就可以避免这些错误。

Problems with the Bibliography 参考文献有问题

Many examiners examine the bibliography (reference list) before reading the thesis itself. 很多外校导师在阅读论文正文前会直接考察参考文献部分。

We are looking for length, depth, and breadth for sources. 我们想看到的是参考文献的长度(篇幅)、深度和广度。

These sources should demonstrate your understanding of the discipline and relevant paradigms. 这些文献应该表明你对学科和相关范例的了解。

They should be peer-reviewed, cutting-edge scholarship. 这些文献应该是经过同行评议的、前沿性的学术研究。

Writing, Formatting and Stylistic Errors 写作、格式和规范问题

Errors like grammar, spelling, punctuation, formatting , etc. should be kept to an absolute minimum. 语法、拼写、标点符号、格式等错误应该尽量避免。

Contribution to Knowledge is Unclear 论文的创新性不明

Your thesis should overtly state what its original contribution to knowledge is. 你的论文应该明确它的创新之处在哪里。

Thesis is Fragmented 论文结构分散

Your thesis should hold together as a cohesive and coherent piece of scholarship. 你的论文应该成为一项衔接性且连贯性的学术研究。

In particular, the relevance of each chapter should be made clear, as well as how they link together. 特别是,你应该明确每一章的相关性以及它们如何链接在一起。

Introduction Too Short 导论篇幅太短

The candidate does not understand the structure of their argumentation or thesis. 博士生不明白自己论证或论文的结构。

The introduction should introduce the research of your thesis to the examiner and how it fits into the wider discipline. 你的导论应向校外导师介绍你的论文研究, 以及你的研究如何契合更广的学科范围。

It should help the examiner understand the journey we are about to go on as we read your thesis. 你的导论应该能够帮助校外导师对论文大致结构有清晰的了解。

Conclusion Too Short 结论篇幅太短

The conclusion is too short, probably because the candidate ran out of energy during the writing process. 结论太短,可能是因为博士生在写作过程中精力不足。

The examiner will be thinking: What have you contributed to knowledge? And why should I care? 校外导师会想到:你的论文的创新之处在哪里?我为什么要关注你的论文?

These last two corrections apply exclusively to science PhDs and practice/creative PhDs respectively. 最后两个修改情况分别仅适用于科学博士学位和实践性(或创意性)博士学位。

Poor or Bad Science 研究拙劣

This is an absolute dealbreaker. 拙劣研究是完全无法接受的。

The best way to prevent this is to be as transparent as possible when conducting and writing up your research. 为了避免这个问题,你应该在进行研究及写论文时尽可能地保持透明,诚实。

Do not be afraid of errors or problems that emerge during the research, or attempt to minimize them. 不要害怕或隐瞒研究过程中出现的错误或问题。

If stuff goes wrong, explain what went wrong in detail—examiners love that. 如果出现问题,你应该详细描述问题的性质——校外导师很喜欢看到博士生这么做。

Candidate Does Not Understand Relationship Between Artefact and Exegesis 博士生不了解人工制品和注释之间的关系

Students who encounter this problem often fail their examination. 遇到这个问题的博士生经常无法通过答辩。

You have to prove through your artefact and exegesis that you have made an original contribution to knowledge, not merely explain how your artefact was made.你必须通过你所提供的人工制品和注释证明你对知识的创新是什么,而不仅仅是解释你的人工制品是如何制作的。

Content adapted for educational purposes from an excellent vlog by Tara Brabazon, the Dean of Graduate Research and the Professor of Cultural Studies at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, posted on YouTube on 18 May, 2016. See the video here.

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