A guide to unravel one's own thesis. Tips To finish Your thesis without it Finishing You..
Is your Thesis one of the best part of your under-graduate or post-graduate curriculums? Did your thesis teach you lifetime management of knowledge, skills and time? Do you feel anxious by the word 'thesis' which becomes almost impossible to achieve?
“It always seems impossible until it's done.” - Nelson Mandela.
The process of thesis from the day of inception was never supposed to be linear, it takes time, dedication and hardwork to keep thriving and enjoying each process. This blog tries to throw light on research work which is related to architecture and sociological fields which involves built environment. The journey of unraveling one’s thesis leads to academic wisdom towards understanding cities and complexities within built environments. This may help in considering sensitive approaches towards finding solutions which people and communities may easily adapt to. Finally it is the ‘people’ for whom we design….
The process of thesis is categorized into four sections. Each sections is elaborated in detail to understand the idea of thesis and tips to tackle the complexity, fear and anxiety that one faces while exploring through the process.
Finding thesis purpose – The question of what and why?
During the course of Architectural practices and academics, we inevitable start perceiving cities from the lens of one’s own interest may it be economics, socio-cultural practices, political influences, public spaces, architecture, etc. These interests are a subconscious bias capturing our mind as we travel city to city. The first step to identify our thesis purpose is to introspect these bias opinions looking through various city for similar phenomena. For instance, if one believes globalization and urbanization is bringing standardization in architectural and morphological character and aesthetics looking at a certain city which they belong to. So in this case, one can find similar phenomena in different cities concluding one’s belief into a firm argument. This is an experimental and broad perspective stage where one can look for articles, books, films, documentaries to validate the area of interest. For instance, my area of interest may it be bachelor’s or master’s thesis was into Ethnicity, public spaces and public realm. What to look in public realm? Why public spaces and public realm? What about ethnicity? One may not get direct answers to the questions but it is necessary to shape the area of interest through keywords, mind maps or word clouds.
Tip: DO as many keywords, mind maps, interrelationship diagrams, word clouds. Keep reading through various cities, articles, films, etc. which are in sync with keywords and are in commonality with one’s area of interest.
Situating the thesis domain
This stage delineates the area of interest into two domains. One should now understand whether the thesis is going to be a problem solver or testing a phenomena from theoretical backgrounds. Problem solving thesis is case specific addressing certain systemic concerns like community housing and livelihoods in case of old historic cores, water systems and socio-cultural practices in lake cities, along the water bodies. Testing a phenomena involves critically evaluating or interpreting present urban debates, discourse or scenarios through urban theories and literature. This may also find conflicts and counter argue the literature or certain ‘school of thoughts’ by demonstrating through Architecture and planning discipline. These may not be case specific but use multiple cases as a testing ground through trajectories known as ‘comparative urbanism’.
Tip: Study recent thesis and research done to avoid repetition of ideas. In such case, read the scope and limitation chapter where the earlier research had limited and one may take it further to next level of enquiry. Case specific thesis must involve sociological and urban qualities to understand the existing complexities and concerns. Practice writing an abstract about the area of interest maximum 500 words which could bring clarity in thoughts.
Building an in depth rationale’ and methodology – The question of how?
By this stage, one have a clear idea of urban theories and cases they need to research on. This stage involves a methodology needed to expand area of interest into a multi-disciplinary spheres of urban theories, contemporary urban paradigms, its principles, conceptual models and ideas. If one still feels confused in narrowing down the area of interest, they can use the technique of spider web diagram. For Instance, in the below diagram there are six multi-disciplinary fields like globalization theories, socio-cultural approach, Morphology, Thirdplace, everyday urbanism and cultural territories. By demarcating the priority and scope involved, one cannot wander beyond these fields and can stayed focused towards narrowing the thesis topic.
Understanding the thesis Methodology, there are three different terminologies which one need to understand. Methodology and methods. The relationship between method and methodology is like the relationship between the words ‘psyche’ and ‘psychology’, or between ‘derma’ and ‘dermatology’. (Kinash, 2013). Methodology is the field of philosophy and methods is the approach towards doing a research in particular methodology. For example, if one has to research on urban form impacts on community psyche. Then the methodology here is to study the field of morphology and psychology by collecting first hand expressions from community which becomes the method. Below mentioned list involves a guide to selecting methodology for one’s research which becomes like a skeleton to structure the thesis.
Most of the under-grad level thesis use positivistic thesis methodology addressing the cause and effect of a systemic problem through architectural skill and representations. Post graduate thesis have a wide range of urban discourses which can have architectural limitations and hence needs varied methodology in which one can select how the thesis could be addressed. The above mentioned table indicate methodology which are best suited for thesis with urban and sociological qualities.
Tips: This stage is an important stage of thesis hence dedicate extra time in structuring methodology, methods and data collection. By this stage if the thesis is under whichever domain one must be sure of the cases selected and should start on-site data collection and surveys. Prepare a detailed questionnaire’ which involves softer nuances and experiential enquiries and not being too rhetoric.
Design development - What is the change one would want to see through this thesis? Who will benefit? How?
Design development is the stage where the representation skills fall in place. Since conventional methods of analysis deals with physical aspects of an urban form, its documentation and mapping restricts itself to urban form. Deriving an urban design framework can ensure physical as well as social components which provides finer, nuanced and on ground reality of the cases. Hence it is recommended to develop a framework with innovative methods to map the sociological aspects. Such urban design framework can prove to be a toolkit to analyze site conditions as well as provide strategies within the framework. Framework provides a guide from deviating to different solutions which may be generic and non-specific. The next step to design development after site findings is to formulate action field. The action field demonstrates the necessary action needed towards intervention by involving stakeholders and deciding the action field like governance, planning, urban design and architecture. It is recommended to follow the national policies, different development control regulation to derive on ground and realistic solutions to the issues considering the people’s needs, aspiration and meanings. The research could investigate in different place-making and tactical urbanism in creating innovative and creative places where the public interactions could be evolved and celebrated. It is also recommended to keep the approach bottom-up in order to deliver the solution in the most vulnerable and marginalized situations considering community first.
Tips: Dedicate extra time in interventions as it is the outcome and is supposed to justify the research work. Provide a different method to demonstrate cultural practices through collages and realistic visualizations. Try to avoid hypothetical interventions which does not relate with the site context. One must understand the difference between graphical representations and 3D visualization of a space.
This blog is based on my opinion and experience of unraveling thesis. to view my thesis blogs do visit the links below. The anxiety and fear which everyone faces will be gone when one starts enjoying the process. I wish all the best to all those read this blog and are now ready to venture into their own journey towards exploring their thesis.
For further reads regarding my thesis and research methods follow the below links:
My thesis work - https://app.conceptboard.com/board/aiod-6ex1-quin-fpbm-49sq
ARCHITECTURAL THINKING AND ARCHITECTURAL KNOWLEDGE - https://messmatrix.blogspot.com/search/label/HISTORY%20%26%20THEORY
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