In academic writing, especially at the PhD level, it is not enough to simply report what other scholars have said. Your thesis must demonstrate your researcher’s voice, i.e. your stance, critical thinking, and contribution to knowledge. This means going beyond summarising the literature and showing how your work engages with, evaluates, and extends it.
Your researcher’s voice can be expressed in different ways throughout your thesis: framing the research problem, critiquing the literature, interpreting findings, and highlighting implications. Below is a toolkit of sentence starters and frames that you can use to explicitly show your voice across different sections of your thesis.
1. Framing and Positioning
Use these when introducing your study or defining the problem.
- While previous studies have highlighted…, this study argues that…
- Despite extensive work on…, the issue of… remains underexplored.
- This thesis is concerned with…, which has been largely neglected in…
- By focusing on…, this research aims to…
2. Evaluation and Critique
Use these when reviewing the literature and identifying gaps.
- Although X provides useful insights, the study is limited by…
- In contrast to Y’s findings, the present study suggests that…
- Previous research tends to overlook… which is essential for…
- These studies, while valuable, fail to address…
3. Synthesis
Use these to bring together multiple studies and show patterns.
- Taken together, these findings indicate that…
- When considered collectively, the literature suggests…
- Although researchers agree on…, they remain divided on…
- These contrasting perspectives reveal a gap in…
4. Signposting Your Contribution
Use these to emphasise what makes your study original.
- Building on the work of X, this study examines…
- This thesis extends previous research by applying… to…
- Unlike prior studies, the present research focuses on…
- The novelty of this study lies in its exploration of…
5. Language Choices (Ownership and Caution)
Use these to balance confidence and modesty in claims.
- This thesis demonstrates that…
- It is argued in this study that…
- The findings may suggest that…
- This research appears to indicate that…
6. Interpretation of Findings
Use these in the discussion chapter to explain results.
- These results not only support earlier work by X but also reveal…
- An unexpected finding was…, which suggests…
- The data provide new evidence that…
- This outcome can be explained by…
7. Implications and Significance
Use these in the conclusion to show why your research matters.
- The findings highlight the importance of… for…
- This research contributes to the field by…
- One implication of this study is that…
- The results provide practical guidance for…
- Future research should investigate… in order to…
Tip for PhD students: Your researcher’s voice does not mean using “I”. It means taking a stance, showing judgement, and making it clear how your work relates to what others have done.
