Doctoral Workshop: Conceptualizing your Thesis

Professor Emeritus Vernon Trafford, Ph.D, Anglia Ruskin University, UK and Professor Shosh Leshem, Ph.D,  Oranim Academic College of Education, Israel

 'Conceptualisation' is a generic aspect of doctoral study and a feature that every examiner looks for in the text of a thesis.  It is a common concern for doctoral candidates as they progress through their doctoral study.

Conceptualizing involves many processes ~ reading, thinking, analyzing, reflecting, drafting  text, and designing models or textual accounts, of the concepts.   For some candidates, this aspect of their doctoral journey is intellectually exciting and rewarding, while for others it is technically difficult and often frustrating.  

Appreciating how high quality doctoral research depends upon high quality conceptualization helps candidates understand scholarship and linkages between literature, research design, data analysis and conclusions in doctoral research.  It is not a simple 'add-on' feature of either doing a doctorate, or writing a doctoral thesis.   It is a pre-requirement for a thesis to become doctorally-worthy! This workshop will provide insights and strategic tools to help you reach the level of conceptualisation which is expected from a doctoral thesis.

This workshop will have three parts:
Part A   Groups of participants will exchange current experiences of either proposing to use, or using, or reviewing conceptualization with other doctoral candidates at a similar stage of doctoral study;
    
Part B   A presentation will explain how the critical role(s) of conceptualization in doctoral theses demonstrates scholarship, underpins the research process and shows that candidates are 'thinking like researchers';

Part C   After the workshop, Professors Trafford and Leshem will provide a feedback / commentary on the reports from each group that ~ collectively ~ will represent a template that can guide candidates in the identification, development and use of conceptualization within their respective doctoral theses.  

Professors Trafford and Leshem are the joint authors of: Stepping stones to achieving your doctorate. Maidenhead: Open University Press.  Reprinted, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013