Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) concluded a two-day Graduate Student’s Dissertation Writing workshop with the aim of fast-tracking the progress of graduate students towards completing and submitting their dissertations.
The annual workshop, organized through the Office of the Dean, provides students with the necessary guidance and skills to write, analyze, and defend their dissertations, enabling them to graduate on time. The program also allows students to receive support from their supervisors and staff and strengthens their writing process, providing them with a solid foundation to write or revise their thesis or dissertation.
Over the years, the MakSPH Graduate Student’s Dissertation Writing workshop has been lauded by university officials, senior faculty, and students alike for its effectiveness in helping students graduate on time. The program's emphasis on equipping students with relevant skills and providing them with a platform to discuss their dissertations with experienced staff has helped students address any queries they may have, such as missed classes, struggles with data, and varying stages of writing. The workshop fosters practical discussions and analysis of data to produce appropriate results that are essential for program planning and implementation.
The training workshop to equip students with skills on conducting qualitative and quantitative research methods including setting research questions, theory use, selecting research strategies, presenting findings and deriving numerical data from surveys, questionnaires, interviews and datasets was held Training Room 3 at MakSPH Kololo Annex on April 13th-14th, 2023.
Dr. Lynn Atuyambe, an Associate Professor from the Department of Community Health and Behavioral Sciences at MakSPH provided an overview of qualitative data analysis and emphasized the importance of conducting research properly. "Research that is not well done is bad research and if it is bad, it means that you’ll produce results that are not appropriate," he said.
Adding that; "Conducting rigorous research is crucial, and this requires adequate training of research assistants, thorough questionnaire review, and the use of appropriate methodology. Obtaining correct results is necessary to inform proposed interventions and program planning and implementation."
According to Dr. Atuyambe, some research objectives can be answered quantitatively only, some qualitatively, and others by using both methods to get more accurate results.
He attributed the success in reducing the number of students who miss graduation to the annual research methods and dissertation writing workshops. Dr. Atuyambe also observed that students had strong data but needed more practice, closer reference to materials and textbooks, and improvement in analysis and writing skills.
Prof. Atuyambe said, "When we do this, then it becomes a good thing. The other thing is that we have distance program and some might have missed a one-on-one touch, now this is the time to have a face-to-face touch, when you already have data for practical purposes, then this enhances practical and discussions. I would recommend that if funds allow, both departments and schools adopt this method, especially those with distance training."
Dr. Noah Kiwanuka, the Associate Professor and former Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at MakSPH, gave an overview of dissertation writing and discussed bottleneck areas with students. He emphasized the importance of time management and advised students to avoid waiting until the last minute to produce quality work.
"Prioritize and focus on your dissertation topic every day, in order to verify your results. Without this, you're not going to accomplish anything and avoid procrastination," advised Dr. Noah Kiwanuka.
He advised students to follow the chronology of events when using tables and figures in their dissertations emphasizing the importance of presenting results in a narrative form that aligns with their objectives.
“Select anything else that is unexpected, garage (bring tools together) and it is better for the title to come at last after analysis of all contents”. Said Dr. Kiwanuka.
Graduate student Kawanga Keti Joseph, who is pursuing a Master's in Public Health Distance Education (MPHDE), credits the Graduate Students' workshop on dissertation writing with helping him analyze his qualitative data. His research topic, 'Occupational Health Hazards Among Healthcare Workers: Their Perceptions,' would have been a challenge without the workshop's guidance.
"It was going to be very hard for me but at least they have enlightened me, they have given me a procedure to use which I find very living. This is a very important innovation and it will absolutely help students to graduate because many of us have been struggling to graduate because of some mistakes in our dissertations," Kawanga remarked.
Lillian Twemanye, an MPHDE graduate student, successfully utilized mixed methods, including both qualitative and quantitative data, for her dissertation. According to Lillian, this graduate training workshop enabled her to find answers to most of her research questions and effectively present her results.
"Dr. Lynn’s session on qualitative methods was so helpful in clearing a lot of things in my work. The workshop helped me triangulate my own issues with what others were facing. It also highlighted how effectively I could present results using tables and other methods," said Twemanye, MPHDE graduate student.
MakSPH organizes research methods and dissertation writing workshops annually to practically address students' queries, including those who missed classes, are struggling with data, or at different writing stages.
Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor and Dean, MakSPH, encourages graduate students to complete their dissertations and graduate on time, despite challenges in the outside world. She also advises students to produce their dissertations themselves to build their confidence, capabilities, and skills, rather than contracting outside help.
Dr. Edward Bbaale, Professor of Economics and Director of Research and Graduate Training at Makerere University, says the School of Public Health is a model for other units within the university to learn from and emulate.
“Graduate training support is what we aspire for and wish for every unit of the university to meet our strategic ambition of a research led university by 2030. The School of Public Health has set an example that other units have a lot to learn and replicate. Grants to public health come in much more easily than grants to humanities. The School of Public Health's high number of PhDs and grant support is a testament to their success,” Professor Bbaale.
Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa
