A view on the art of academic reseach writing aug 2017

Contents of Presentation• A Thesis/Dissertation Must Consist of Two Papers • Conceptual Framework of Thesis/Dissertation • Conceptual Framework and A Japanese Proverb “When Win d Blows,

A View on the Art of Academic

Research Writing

ICS Takushoku University Prof Koji FUJIMOTO

Aug 2017

Contents of Presentation

• A Thesis/Dissertation Must Consist of Two Papers

• Conceptual Framework of Thesis/Dissertation

• Conceptual Framework and A Japanese Proverb “When Win

d Blows, Barrel-Makers Earn More”

• Hints on How to Create Hypothesis

• Sample Thesis “Brantas River Basin Dev Plan of Indonesia (Brantas Plan)”

• Concerns Required in Writing Thesis/Dissertation

• Styles of Thesis/Dissertation

• Personal Experiences on which This View Relies

A Thesis/Dissertation Must Consist of Two P

apers

• A Theoretical Paper: Theoretical development ha

s to be hypothesized (Theoretical Contribution) 　 　 For instance: Lewis Model → Ranis-Fei Model

• An Empirical Paper: The theoretical development above has to be proved empirically with newly co llected primary data (Empirical Study)

For instance: Cobb-Douglas Production Function

　 　　 Y = AKαL(1-α)

Conceptual Framework of Thesis/Dissertation

• Hypothesis: A hypothesis, a theoretical developme

nt of existing theory or new theory, is to be formul ated on a set of assumptions.

• Empirical Study: To analyze empirically the hypot hesis utilizing primary data which are related to th

e assumptions to prove causality in the hypothesis.

• Empirically Proved Hypothesis: The causality of h ypothesis is thus proved empirically In other word

s, the dissertation is completed.

Conceptual Framework and A Japanese Proverb

“When Wind Blows, Barrel-Makers Earn More”

• Hypothesis: “When Wind Blows, Barrel-Makers Earn More” 　

Land of strong wind → Dusts whirl in the wind → More eye diseases →

More blind people → More masseurs (who play the Shamisen to get a

job) → Cats are killed for their skin→ Rats 　 increase → Rats bite

barrels→ More job and more income of 　 barrel-makers

used, iii Barrel-maker is common occupation, iv Rats and cats here

and there, v The blind’s job is massage, vi Masseurs use Shamisen

counter-check assumptions and to prove cause-and-effect relation-

ship (Causality) between “wind-blow” and “barrel-maker’s income”

→ Thesis/Dissertation is completed

Hints on How to Create/Construct Hypothesis

• Accumulated knowledge and experience are essential f

or hypothesis formulation.

• Pre-reading of many reference materials (academic pap ers, books, etc.), experience-oriented observation, intui tion and the like need to be fully used and mobilized.

• Forefront issues of specialized fields/areas.

• Wide knowledge of related fields/areas are advantageo

us and often indispensable, such as shown in Figure 1

on next slide.

DC ｓ Advanced Cs Bretton Woods UN Agencies DAC/CSO

Figure 1 Grand Design of Development Studies

Development Studies/Dev Cooperation Studies

「 NGO 」

Peace and Security

Culture Development Finance

7

A Case of “Brantas River Basin Dev Plan

of Indonesia” (Brantas Plan)

• Description of Brantas Plan

This is the Integrated Development Plan for the Basin of Brantas River which runs over 320 km covering 12,000 km2 of the basin area i

n East Java, Indonesia

　 Japanese Government helped to implement the Brantas Plan over

40 years (1959 through 2002) It formulated 4 Master Plans at interva

ls of 10 years and provided Technical and Financial Assistance for 3

1 large scale infra-projects (9 multi-purpose dams, 6 barrages, 8 irrigations, 6 river improvements and 2 volcanic Sabo-dams)

　 In financial terms, Japan assisted over \170 billion ODA (US$1.7 billion) out of total investment costs of \225 billion (US$2.25 billion)

Brantas Plan

Fujimoto, Koji (2013), ‘Brantas River Basin Development Plan of Indones

ia’, in M Nissanke and Y Shimomura (eds) Aid as Handmaiden for the D

evelopment of Institutions –A New Comparative Perspective, pp161-94, Palg

rave Macmillan

Brantas Plan

• Hypothesis: Economic infrastructure development can be

a product of an interaction between physical development and institutional evolution

» Special attention was paid to the performance gap

between Japan’s successful infra-ODA to Asian

countries and Europe’s unsuccessful infra-ODA to

African countries.

» Would there be “something different” that caused the

gap other than physical infra-structures constructed ?

» Would that be “Institution” as defined by Douglass

North ?

Brantas Plan

ODA (Economic Infra

Project and Program)

Construction of Physical Structures (Dam, Barrage, Irrigation Facilities, etc.)

Development of Economic Infra Project

Itself

Nation Building/National Development

Construction of Physical Structures (Dam, Barrage, Irrigation Facilities, etc.)

ODA (Economic Infra

Project and Program)

Comprehensive Development of Economic Infra Sector as

a Whole

Nation Building/National Development

Institutional Evolution

Conventional Infra-ODA Concept for National Development

Hypothesis: New Infra-ODA Concept for National Development

Brantas Plan

• Assumptions:

(i) Priority projects are selected in the Dev Plan.

(ii) 　 Foreign aided infra-projects are implemented in

accordance with international guidelines:

Consultant Employment, Procurement, Environment, Gender and so forth.

(iii) 　 Post evaluation of every project is carried out.

(iv) 　 Institutions play an important role in project

performance throughout the project cycle (P/C) 　

Brantas Plan

• Empirical Study:

Related documents such as F/S reports, project appraisal

reports, post-evaluation reports are reviewed, and field

interviews are carried out

» 4 M/Ps and 31 Infra-projects are reviewed and

“Activities and Products” at 3 stages (Planning stage,

Implementation stage, Post implementation stage) of

P/C are identified

» Institutions are identified and reviewed over

evolutionary process from three aspects: Origin, Process

and Consolidated/Final Form

» Impacts and contribution on “Activities and Products”

that institutions made are grasped

Brantas Plan

Empirical Study in Brantas Plan

Planning Stage Implementation Stage

implementation Stage

&　more　Indonesian indigenous contribution)

(Output　&　Outcome*

and　Better　project construction　&

greater　Indonesian indigenous involvement)

(Sustainability　of Output　&　Outcome)

Comprehensive　master plan'　cum　'project implementation' approach

Full- scale　technology transfer　mechanism Tri- party　trust

Long- term continuous commitment

Brantas Plan

* Output & Outcome

Output: Physical facilities of 31 projects, and EIRR, p addy yield, flood control, hydropower generation, etc Outcome: Human resource development, economic gr owth, people’s mindset, poverty reduction, etc.

** Institutional Evolution 　 (i) Long-term commitm ent (over 40 years), (ii) ‘Master plan’ cum ‘project im plementation’ approach, (iii) Full-scale technology tra nsfer mechanism, (iv) Tri-party trust.

Brantas Plan

• Empirically Proved Hypothesis:

» The four Institutions (Long-term continuous

commitment, ‘Comprehensive master plan’

cum ‘project implementation’ approach, Full-scale

technology transfer mechanism and Tri-party trust)

clarified in the Empirical Study, namely the Cause,

are concluded to have contributed to upgrading

increasingly “Activities and Products” of each

stage of P/C as time went on, namely the Effect.

(Causality)

Concerns Required in Writing Thesis/Dissert

ation

(1)Thesis/Dissertation goes through the process of

fermentation Issues/problems confronted during thesis writing are settled through fermentation process.

(2) Articulate use of terminology is “Must” Technical

terminology must be used uniformly with clear

definition throughout.

(3) Frequent editing is necessary and sufficient condition

for quality thesis/dissertation writing.

(4) Use of subject “I” is not allowed in academic T/D

writing The passive voice, or “They” “We” “One” are widely accepted and used.

Styles of Thesis/Dissertation

(1)Style Guide in Thesis/Dissertation Writing:

Two Representative Books

(i) Turabian, Kate L A Manual for Writers of

Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8th

(ii) MLA MLA Handbook for Writers of Research

Papers, 7th ed Modern Language Association

of America, March 2009

Style

(2) Style Guide of Takushoku University for

Thesis/Dissertation Writing

» ICS Takuhsoku University (2014), Style Guide

prepared for degree thesis/dissertation writers of

Takushoku University

» This booklet of Takushoku Univ Style guide is

Turabian), yet Takushoku Univ local rules are

partly applied as needed

Style

Personal Experiences on which This View

Relies

(1)The First Academic Thesis Prof Fujimoto Wrote is M Phil Degree Thesi

s at University of York, U.K.

» Thesis title and degree year: Business Taxation and Export

Performance through Price Changes, and the M Phil.

degree was conferred in 1975.

» Without having learnt on how to write thesis or referring to

style guide like Chicago Manual, this thesis was completed by

making most use of theses/dissertations of former graduate students

at York University

» A fresh surprise at the level of the M.Phil Thesis in terms of its

contents as well as style, when it is read today.

» This experience laid the foundation for Prof Fujimoto’s research

Personal Experiences

Personal Experiences

“Conceptual Framework,” “When Wind Blows, Makers Earn More”

» “A Thesis/…… Consist of Two Papers” has long been the

Prof Fujimoto’s belief, which had never been taught at York University Yet, he learned it through encounters with

academic staff and colleague students at York.

» “Conceptual Framework”, the same.

» “When Wind …… Earn More” occurred suddenly to Prof

Fujimoto after several years of gestation period to find out a practical way to explain how to write thesis/dissertation (A

Personal Experiences

(3) Theory and Assumptions

» Theories of social science are usually created,

through theorization and generalization, upon a set of selected assumptions (economic and social phenomena) which are observed influential and reasonable to them » Therefore, theories can be upgraded, evolved or

developed by improving and/or reducing assumptions » The first thing to be done at the higher/specialized

level of education (university level) is to teach “how the theory is structured and created” !!

Personal Experiences

(4) Necessary Conditions for Thesis/Dissertation Writing

as Basic Attitude

» “Work at least 8 hours a day, 365 days a year without

break for research” will produce quality T/D

» Ms Hyou Shinrei, one of Prof Fujimoto’s students,

who obtained Ph D degree from Waseda University told

him, “ I worked so hard that I could almost cry every day as

Prof Fujimoto used to say to me at “Zemi” sessions at

Takushoku University.”

» This is literally an episode which tells that one must

exercise serious and continuous efforts for a long time

without break for T/D completion

Personal Experiences

(5) Issues that Have Troubled Prof Fujimoto in Writing

Thesis/Dissertation

writing has to be not only concept-specific, but also practical in the

sense that real things and phenomena behind it are recognized.

Paper, “Financial and Economic Analysis” in the FIRR/EIRR Paper,

“Decentralization” in the Indonesia’s Decentralization Paper, “Strategy

vs Policy” in the Mongolia’s Development Scenario Paper.

thesis/dissertation uniformly as defined Otherwise, analyses become

unclear, ambiguous and elusive.

Personal Experiences

(6) Thesis/Dissertation Supervision is Treasure Land for

Supervisor

» T/D supervision implies that a supervisor helps to

produce original knowledge-products of students

throughout their production processes

» Namely, the supervision covers Hypothesis, Assumptions,

Empirical Study and Causality against Hypothesis

» Appropriate T/D supervision relies in a way on intellectual

creativity of supervisors themselves

» In a sense, thorough supervision gives the supervisor

intellectual satisfaction as well as corresponding knowledge

and learning that degree students acquire 