Month: February 2026

Week notes:

When choosing a topic, it should not be too broad or too narrow. A broad topic only allows for superficial coverage without deep analysis, while a narrow topic has an obvious answer and lacks research value. A good topic should be focused and intellectually challenging. The research question needs to be broken down into sub-questions to help structure the thesis. If you need to change the topic significantly after the proposal is approved, you must resubmit the proposal.

Research sources are divided into two types. Primary sources are original materials such as interviews, artworks, or original documents. Secondary sources are commentaries and analyses written by others. Every source has its own perspective, so you should not take things at face value. It is important to pay attention to the author’s position.

When taking notes, record the author, title, publisher, date, and page number. Direct quotes must be marked with quotation marks. Research has four stages: identifying what sources you need, making a schedule, reading with specific questions in mind, and setting a deadline to avoid endless research.

Evaluating information is very important. Academic writing should be precise and cautious, and sources need to be authoritative, credible, unbiased, and current. Books in university libraries are generally reliable, but you still need to be aware of the author’s perspective, such as feminism or Marxism.

When planning the thesis structure, do not organise it chronologically. Instead, build the structure around your argument. The title should be precise and concise, and the content should at least cover what the title promises.