How to write a thesis - the latest donation from Stephen Town's nightshelf

Stephen Town goes back to basics with some advice on academic writing.

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Eco, U., How to write a thesis, in the University Library at 029.6 ECO

Sunrise at the Rifugio Giacoletti by Fulvio Spada.
Used under a Creative Commons licence.

When I left my first professional library post in 1984, one of my colleagues gave me a present of Umberto Eco’s ‘The Name of the Rose’, published in English the year before and rapidly achieving sensational success for this Italian academic’s first novel. The book is attractive to librarians; the byzantine nature of the inaccessible library of the monastery described therein probably has a secret fascination for many in our profession. Eco’s appeal apparently still persists, as all our library copies of this novel appear to be on loan as I write.

As a follower of Eco’s work, and embarking on the creation of a thesis myself, I thought this slim manual (now published in English for the first time) would be a valuable addition to our substantial collection of advice on how to write for academic purposes. Starting to write a thesis can feel like a mountainous task, and there is an immediate question of how a book originally written in 1977 might still have any relevance for a modern audience. In a world where many of the tools of research have been transformed,  it is indeed odd to see even a picture of an index card these days. But the core of Eco’s advice on how to build a thesis as ‘an object that will serve others’ remains relevant, helpful and practical even today. I read the book straight off in one evening on the same day as I met my supervisor, and some of the messages about how to write were the same; there is much timeless sense in this work.

Eco writes with style and humour, and librarians are treated to some gentle stereotyping in this book, as he writes: “You must consider that the librarian (if not overworked or neurotic) is happy when he can demonstrate two things: the quality of his memory and erudition and the richness of his library, especially if it is small … A person who asks for help makes the librarian happy.”

Taking your Library home

It's probably not escaped your attention that this is a busy time of year. Across the three buildings of the Library, we have over 1,200 study spaces - we know there are times when you'd like to see more, but safety requirements don't allow us to add any extra seats.

We have a system that shows you occupancy levels in various areas of the Library - it's updated hourly during term time, so you can see where you're most likely to find a space. You can check  the screen in the Library foyer or use the web page:

• Seating availability

During the exam period, we've booked out rooms in the Fairhurst (LFA/144) and Burton (LBU/003) buildings to be used as additional study space. We're also encouraging everyone to find out about alternative study spaces on campus.

Working elsewhere in the University

Have a look at the study spaces available elsewhere in the University - if you don't need immediate access to the physical resources in the Library they might be ideal for you, and they include group study areas that you can book out: University study spaces If you need a PC, remember there are IT rooms all over campus - use the IT Services web page to check which IT rooms are booked, and which have free PCs: IT classrooms and study areas

But what do you do when you can't find a seat, or when you'd rather work at home?

You take the Library home...

Photo: Books by Katey. Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence

No, not literally...

Instead, think about how you can make other study areas more like the Library, and make sure you know how to access the various electronic resources, no matter where you are.

Working at home Pick up one of our 'brilliant minds at work' door hangers at the Library desk if you want to remind your housemates not to disturb you while you revise. Find out what you can access online using our E-resources guide. Our policy, when we buy a book, is also to buy the e-book if one is available, so we may have more e-resources than you think. Organise books & other resources so it’s easy to find what you need - arrange them on your shelves by classmark or subject. Light caffeine boost by Steve. Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence. Make a big flask of coffee at the start of each session so you don’t have to stop and put the kettle on. Stock up on easy snacks to keep hunger at bay and feed your brain - nuts, seeds and fruit are all recommended: Foods to boost your brainpower If walking to the Library in the morning gives you space to think out your day’s work, have a walk around the block after breakfast before you settle down to study. Don't forget about breaks - arrange to meet your housemates in the kitchen for lunch or coffee breaks, so you get the social interaction you’d have in the Library cafe. Check out some of the many revision and writing tips available online (just don't spend all your time reading them!): Five secrets of successful revising Top ten tips for writing your dissertation If you have your own success secrets for revision or writing up, please share them in the comments or tweet them to us @UoYLibrary

And finally don't forget the support available to you on campus if you have any concerns during this busy time:

• Student Support Service.

(If all else fails and you just can't concentrate on your work no matter what you do, perhaps it's time to change things up a bit and re-arrange your sock drawer for five minutes. Here's how to do it properly: www.wikihow.com/Arrange-a-Sock-Drawer).

Mind the gaffe!

Many of you will be working on your dissertations right now (unless you really did get sidetracked by this). This is your chance to get your thoughts down on paper on screen and show the world what you know.

Photo: Word Nerd by Ryan Hyde. Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence

But how can you be sure you're expressing yourself perfectly?

You probably know the difference between illusion and allusion, but do you know your euphemism from your euphuism? Are you confident you know when to use fortuitous and when to say fortunate?


Well, don't worry, for help is at hand: the Library has plenty of guides to the English language. You can search MZE 140.3 on the catalogue for lots of examples, but my favourite is the no nonsense Mind the gaffe: the Penguin guide to common errors in English by R.L. Trask (MZE 140.3 TRA). In his introduction Trask says quite boldly:

Many other usage handbooks exist, but some of them are a little reluctant to lay down the law. They often tell the reader instead 'Well, some people prefer this, but other people prefer that.' I assume that you don't want to hear this. Instead, I expect, you want to read 'This is right, but that is wrong.' As far as possible, I'll try to say exactly that. This handbook adopts a much blunter tone than do most others. (p.2)

He does go on to moderate this statement (... or is that modify? aargh!) because he acknowledges that the English language is constantly changing, but Trask's approach is refreshing and his advice usually wise. Here are some typical entries:

• Meaningful - a vastly overused word, and one often used inexplicitly... (p.184)
• Methodology - a method is a single procedure for achieving some end. In contrast, a methodology is a set of conventional procedures, always principled and usually scientific or at least scholarly, for working in a particular discipline. The longer word is only appropriate in scientific and scholarly contexts, and it should not be used thoughtlessly as a fancy synonym for the shorter word. (p. 185)
• Comprise, consist, compose, constitute - these four verbs are very frequently confused, producing awful things like "The NATO forces are comprised of soldiers from eight countries"... (p.77)
• Simplistic - this is not a fancy word for simple… (p.260)

So if you're unsure whether you mean to say 'distrust' or 'mistrust', or if you're tied up in knots over whether to say 'due to' or 'owing to' then you might find this a very handy, light-hearted guide. (And for more of the same, I thoroughly recommend Lynne Truss' timeless Eats, shoots and leaves : the zero tolerance approach to punctuation - found at MZE 147 TRU.)

If you need more specific advice on structuring your assignment or developing your argument, then you could try dropping in at The Writing Centre in the Harry Fairhurst building, and for help with other study skills there is lots of advice in the University's Study Skills web pages.

And finally, even if you really can't seem to piece that dissertation together, whatever else you do don't try to fool anyone with this: http://www.elsewhere.org/pomo/. It won't end well.

Taking your Library home

It's probably not escaped your attention that this is a busy time of year. Across the three buildings of the Library, we have over 1,200 study spaces - we know there are times when you'd like to see more, but safety requirements don't allow us to add any extra seats.

We're currently trying out a system that shows you occupancy levels in various areas of the Library - it's updated regularly over the course of the day, so you can see where you're most likely to find a space. You can check the web page or use the screen in the Library foyer:

• Seating availability

During the exam period, we've booked out rooms in the Fairhurst (LFA/144) and Burton (LBU/003) buildings to be used as additional study space. During Week One, we've been encouraging everyone to find out how to make the Library work for them, whilst respecting the needs of others:

• You and your Library

But what do you do when you can't find a seat in the Library, or when you'd rather work at home?

You take the Library home...

Photo: Books by Katey. Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence

No, not literally...

Instead, think about how you can make other study areas more like the Library, and make sure you know how to access the various electronic resources, no matter where you are.

Working elsewhere in the University

Have a look at the study spaces available elsewhere in the University - if you don't need immediate access to the physical resources in the Library they might be ideal for you, and they include group study areas that you can book out: University study spaces If you need a PC, remember there are IT rooms all over campus - use the IT Services web page to check which IT rooms are booked, and which have free PCs: IT classrooms and study areas

Working at home Pick up one of our 'brilliant minds at work' door hangers at the Library desk if you want to remind your housemates not to disturb you while you revise. Find out what you can access online using our E-resources guide. Our policy, when we buy a book, is also to buy the e-book if one is available, so we may have more e-resources than you think. Organise books & other resources so it’s easy to find what you need - arrange them on your shelves by classmark or subject. Light caffeine boost by Steve. Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence. Make a big flask of coffee at the start of each session so you don’t have to stop and put the kettle on. Stock up on easy snacks to keep hunger at bay and feed your brain - nuts, seeds and fruit are all recommended: Foods to boost your brainpower If walking to the Library in the morning gives you space to think out your day’s work, have a walk around the block after breakfast before you settle down to study. Don't forget about breaks - arrange to meet your housemates in the kitchen for lunch or coffee breaks, so you get the social interaction you’d have in the Library cafe. Check out some of the many revision and writing tips available online (just don't spend all your time reading them!): Five secrets of successful revising Top ten tips for writing your dissertation If you have your own success secrets for revision or writing up, please share them in the comments or tweet them to us @UoYLibrary

And finally don't forget the support available to you on campus if you have any concerns during this busy time:

• Student Support Service.

(If all else fails and you just can't concentrate on your work no matter what you do, perhaps it's time to change things up a bit and re-arrange your sock drawer for five minutes. Here's how to do it properly: www.wikihow.com/Arrange-a-Sock-Drawer).