Hi Pat, we looked at your abstract as a class yesterday, and evaluated it against Kamler and Thomson's criteria of LOCATE, FOCUS, REPORT, ARGUE (listed in the resources of the Abstract topic here on Moodle, but I've also reproduced them below so you don't have to keep switching pages).
Thank you for letting us look at this in your absence. Comments from the room were:
This abstract is strong with content from REPORT - i.e. most of the abstract is taken up with telling us about your sources and methods for documenting them.
In terms of articulating your questions (FOCUS), you have this:
I hope to shed new light on the storytelling and dramatic techniques used upon the stage of the Rose and the other outdoor playhouses.
A written study identifying the standards the companies worked to and the best practice they aimed to achieve .... an exploration of what symbols, icons, emblems and hieroglyphicks meant to both actors and spectators.
I hope to reveal the issues and concerns of Elizabethan Londoners as demonstrated by the use of properties.
These issues include; the defence of the realm, the nation’s history, the succession of the monarchy, religious freedom, Classicism, Bloody Spectacle, the Melancholic world view, Sexuality and Splendour.
These feel like possible areas of study rather than a clear focus or set of related questions (e.g. 'shed new light feels a bit vague'). Can you hone these (which also means saying goodbye to some possible angles of study too).
LOCATE: Your community of practice (CoP) who you're talking to with this research is only implicit, as is the field in general. Do you see your work as part of historical theatre studies?
(These sentences would be consistent with historical theatre studies: I hope to shed new light on the storytelling and dramatic techniques used upon the stage of the Rose and the other outdoor playhouses. A written study identifying the standards the companies worked to and the best practice they aimed to achieve including an analysis of the function of properties and an exploration of what symbols, icons, emblems and hieroglyphicks meant to both actors and spectators.)
Or is it for other prop makers - i.e. is there something that you will draw from it that will enhance contemporary understanding? Can you explicitly state which field and CoP this is in/ for?
What are the debates and problems which already exist in theatre studies/prop making (or whatever your field) that you will be addressing/extending with this work? It might be an under-researched field, but you have to argue that it is worthwhile filling this gap.
Our discussion also led us into the problems of writing about research whilst you’re doing it – we talked about how it’s ok to make informed speculation about what your conclusions might be, or how at this stage the main argument to make clearly is why this work needs to be done (rather than the outcomes). We talked about how it feels safer to sit on the fence if we’re feeling uncertain about what we’re doing or our acquired knowledge thus far, but in doing so our writing comes out a bit wishy-washy and lacking in conviction.
Hope this helps!
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LOCATE – this means placing the thesis in the context of the CoP and the field in general . Larger issues and debates are named and potentially problematised. In naming the location, the writer is creating a warrant for their contribution and its significance, as well as informing an (inter) national community of its relevance outside of its specific place of origin.
FOCUS – this means identifying the particular questions, issues or kinds of problems that the thesis will explore, examine and/ or investigate.
REPORT – this means outlining the research, sample, method of analysis in order to assure readers that the thesis is credible and trustworthy. It also outlines the major findings that are pertinent to the argument to be made.
ARGUE – this means opening out the specific argument through offering an analysis . This moves beyond description and may well include a theorization in order to explain findings. It may offer speculations , but will always have a point of view and take a stance. It returns to the opening Locate in order to demonstrate the specific contribution that was promised at the outset. It answers the so what, and the now what questions.