I know this tip might seem obvious, but not defining key constructs in your Introduction can be an easy oversight. Why? because when you are immersed in researching a particular area, you can often forget what you didn't know when you first started researching, and what you might need to explain to the reader.
So, here are my seven (!) tips re defining key constructs:
Read over your introduction - are there any key constructs you haven't defined? Are you assuming too much knowledge on the part of the reader? While your marker is likely to have some knowledge of the field of your thesis, they may not be an expert. One suggestion is to ask another student whether they know what the construct is. If not, you may want to insert a definition.
If you've included a construct in the title of your thesis - you should probably define it.
Definitions for do not need to be in separate sentences - e.g., "The study of emotion regulation–defined as the ability to modify and control emotional responses (Gross, 2014)–has ..."
Define construct early! Search your Introduction for where you have included definitions. Then do a search for where you first used that term. Have you discussed a construct before you have defined it? My advice would be to not spend two paragraphs talking about a construct, and then define it in the third paragraph. Define key constructs as soon as they appear in text. Don’t leave the reader wondering what you are talking about; use examples and/or definitions to explain your concepts.
Cite prominent author/s when you define constructs - that is, authors who created the topic; changed scientific knowledge related to the construct; or had a significant influence on the construct in some way. For example, in a thesis on mindfulness., I would expect to see Professor Jon Kabat-Zinn - a cognitive scientist who popularised mindfulness in the 1970s and developed what he called “mindfulness-based stress reduction" - cited when mindfulness is defined.
Make sure to cite peer-reviewed articles when you define constructs. Try to avoid unpublished theses, Government reports, or submission papers.
Make sure you have defined the constructs in your hypotheses. This is an important one! For example, lets say in the thesis on mindfulness, the hypotheses relate to "trait mindfulness". In that case, I would expect to see both mindfulness and trait mindfulness defined in the Introduction.
Feel free to ask questions below!
Happy Researching!
***If you want more strategies and tips for your Introduction, enrol in my on-demand workshop, Learn How to Write a Kick Ass Thesis: Part 1 - Setting Yourself up For Success***
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