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WRITING UP YOUR UNIVERSITY ASSIGNMENTS AND RESEARCH PROJECTS
regard or consider outspokenness (particularly among peers) to be inappropriate, it can be extremely difficult – and counter-instinctive – to adopt and express a personal and critical voice. This can be especially true of certain Middle Eastern and Far Eastern cultures, where students often feel unable to question the authority of professors and published academics, regardless of whether they are writing an assignment, a dissertation or a thesis. And, of course, there is the personality factor too: some students are naturally shy and self-deprecating, and feel uncomfortable expressing a view – particularly a strong view – either in writing or verbally. While most lecturers are generally sensitive to these things and sympathetic, it is important, nevertheless, to try and overcome any such inclinations and to fully engage in the process of critically appraising ideas, if your work is to be an engaging, stimulating and provocative.
5.15 Getting down to writing Eventually, of course, you will face the quite daunting task of recording all aspects of your project in detail, from its initial conception to the final conclusions you have been able to draw from your results and analysis. And it is to this important task that we now turn. If you would like further information on the more general issues surrounding the formulation and conducting of research projects, you may find the following sources helpful: • How to Get a Ph.D. (Phillips and Pugh); • The Research Student’s Guide to Success (Cryer); • The Open University Press study skills website: http://www.openup.co.uk/ studyskills.