{"id":46241,"date":"2018-12-10T11:23:53","date_gmt":"2018-12-10T19:23:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.edu\/?p=46241"},"modified":"2018-12-10T11:23:53","modified_gmt":"2018-12-10T19:23:53","slug":"eight-ways-to-write-theory-very-badly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/eight-ways-to-write-theory-very-badly\/","title":{"rendered":"Eight ways to write theory very badly"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

If you want to be the person who makes their reader sigh and eventually give up when they get to your theoretical \u2018bit\u2019, here\u2019s some non-fail writing strategies. Do these and I guarantee your reader will be enervated and\/or exasperated:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Don\u2019t explain any of the specific terms you use<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Let your reader guess how it is that you understand any of the theoretical terminology you use. Assume that their interpretation will be the same as yours.<\/p>\n

    2. \u00a0Name drop<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Make sure you reference truck loads of different theorists. Embroider your text with citations to the widest possible range of people. Don\u2019t explore or use any of them in depth. Paying lip service to multiple theories shows you are widely read, you are up to date, on top of the latest ideas, right?<\/p>\n

    3. Use loads of secondary material<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Assume that the papers that you\u2019ve read about your chosen theorist have it all sewn up. These writers have read the original so why should you bother? It\u2019s always going to be OK to quote the book about x, rather than go to x directly.<\/p>\n

    4. \u00a0Remix the theorist<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Assume that the reader \u2013 particularly if they are your thesis examiner and have been chosen for their expertise \u2013 has no familiarity with the material. Use loads of quotations interspersed with paraphrased sections and summaries of what the theorist writes. Throw in a few titles of their books and\/or papers. Put in as many references and page numbers as you can. Don\u2019t worry if the result is almost incomprehensible because it shows that you\u2019ve read the stuff. Ventriloquism is what it\u2019s about, right?<\/p>\n

    5. Be tough\u00a0to read<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Well, it\u2019s theory. It\u2019s got to be tough, right? And you had a hard time getting on top of it so why give your reader a break? So, write very long sentences which have lots of modifying clauses and phrases \u2013 and the occasional comment in between where another nuance is possible even \u00a0if not necesssary \u2013 and pack those nominalised multi-syllabled words in because the more the better because theory has to be nouny right? \u2013 or perhaps you might throw in the odd bracket or two (see what I\u2019m doing here, bet you can hardly remember where I started). Make every sentence the same lengthy length so you produce a sleep-inducing monotony.<\/p>\n

    6. Don\u2019t link the theory to your work<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Assume that you need to show that you understand every possible interpretation of the theory. So write a long essay early on. Don\u2019t tell the reader why and how you\u2019re going to take a particular angle on the theory, don\u2019t say which ideas are more important than others. The reader will work out what you think when you apply the theory to your data later on.<\/p>\n

    7. Write like the theorist you are using<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Choose style over substance. Perhaps the reader will assume you have deep expertise of the theory you are using if you adopt the same syntax and vocabulary as your theorist. Don\u2019t listen to those people who tell you that you generally need to get to the point where you can explain the theory in your own words before you work on authoring niceties.<\/p>\n

    And there you go.<\/p>\n

    Do these seven things in your writing and I guarantee that you will send your examiner or reviewer into a fit of extreme pique or a bout of protracted ennui.<\/p>\n

    But, I hear you say, there are supposed to be eight bad writing habits and there\u2019s only seven here. Well yes, that\u2019s true. So here\u2019s the final one.<\/p>\n

    8. \u00a0Expect to get on top of writing the theory straight away<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Assume that the first time you write with the theory is going to be the final time. Don\u2019t use writing to help you get on top of the theory. Assume that if summary and paraphrase aren\u2019t OK in the final writing, then they aren\u2019t a good way to help you to get to grips with the material. Don\u2019t try out several ways to write the theory in your own words. Don\u2019t spend time thinking about where you just\u00a0have<\/em>\u00a0to use a quotation because the author writes their key point way better than you can. And be very impatient with yourself. Despair quickly. Berate yourself for being hopeless at theory if it seems to go slowly. Attribute any uncertainty you have to some kind of (imposter) syndrome rather than understand your uncertainty is simply about learning.<\/p>\n

    But seriously. Please, if you find yourself using any of these eight strategies, do tell yourself\u2026<\/p>\n

    Patter was just joshing about writing theory badly. She wasn\u2019t really telling you to do any of these eight things. She really wants you to know and believe that writing with theory doesn\u2019t have to be like wading through thick mud with lead-lined boots.<\/p>\n

    And. You can do it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you want to be the person who makes their reader sigh and eventually give up when they get to your theoretical \u2018bit\u2019, here\u2019s some non-fail writing strategies. Do these and I guarantee your reader will be enervated and\/or exasperated: Don\u2019t explain any of the specific terms you use Let your reader guess how it […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":46242,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15645],"tags":[224525],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-46241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","tag-writing-theroy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nEight ways to write theory very badly - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/eight-ways-to-write-theory-very-badly\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Eight ways to write theory very badly - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you want to be the person who makes their reader sigh and eventually give up when they get to your theoretical \u2018bit\u2019, here\u2019s some non-fail writing strategies. 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