Genre Analysis: Thesis Writing Practices in the Disciplines

Research into thesis writing began about twenty years ago. However, comprehensive analysis of the generic characteristics of this high stakes text, to date, is still underdeveloped. This work moves in to plug this theoretical and research void. The work is based on a genre analysis of three MA and three MSc theses drawn from Kenyan public universities. The book explores and describes how writers use generic features such as rhetorical moves, tense, citation, authorial stance, and hedging to realise the typical competencies of successful theses in their disciplines. It also offers some explanations on why theses appear the way they do in their disciplines of origin. The schema of analysis presented in this work has implications for syllabus design, materials? preparation, and thesis writing research & pedagogy. The book should be helpful to those who are concerned with the thesis genre in practical or applied ways including graduate and undergraduate students, research supervisors, editors, academic writing teachers, citation analysts, syllabus designers, and materials developers.