4.3 Tips on PhD Thesis Analysis

1. The importance of your particular topic should be stressed because naturally there will be a huge difference between analysing scientific data and analysing a passage from a text or a critical comment.
2. In the first of these examples you will be relying upon facts and in the latter upon imagination, so it might be more useful here to demonstrate how analysis can suggest trains of thought which can be developed in your Ph.D. thesis.
3. It is easy to ‘quote and move on’ from texts but you should never `do this, especially at this level.
4. You must concentrate on inferential reading which will enable you to access the subliminal text.
5. This is close-reading taken to another level but it will help you to glean fresh ideas from established texts.
6. You will note skill in the writing, narrative structure and character development, but you are looking for new approaches and fresh perspectives here.
7. When you use a quote, always try to look beyond the surface.
8. Use analysis every time you quote – even critically.