I'm grabbing language about how the PhD diss/thesis is conceptualised by PhD Granting Institutions in Canada rn for my research. It's really interesting to see how institutional definitions are found in places other than the Graduate Calendar or "requirements" page #remixthediss

For instance, I'm noticing definitional features of the dissertation popping up in places like the "formatting guidelines". #remixthediss 2/

In some cases, the formatting guidelines give me a diff impression of the diss than the requirements. And typically, the formatting guidelines are worded in such a way that they outright say or imply that the formatting guidelines are not optional. #remixthediss 3/

My #rhetoricalgenrestudies teacher would say that form follows function and social purpose first and foremost. I'm trying to work through this, given the complex and layered exigencies for the dissertation, and admittedly am finding it challenging. #remixthediss 4/

The de-facto definition of the dissertation, by which I mean the unchallenged assumption as to what it "ought" to look like, is rooted in the development of the dissertation alongside higher education reforms in Germany in the 18th and 19th century. #remixthediss 5/

These reforms, which were brought to North America by then-recent graduates, included a shift to empiricism--specifically scientific--away from Medieval (dialectical, oral) approaches. The diss, then, followed the format of scientific inquiry approaches (IMRD) #remixthediss 6/

The de-facto def'n, evidenced in the language (or meta-discourse) found in/around "formatting" convos, hasn't shifted a lot from its origin. So that's interesting. I'm seeing a kind of "picture"--like a statement about "what kind of university we are" #remixthediss #CDNWRDS end/

EDIT: By "meta-discourse" I actually meant to write "meta-genre" (after Giltrow) which can be understood as wordings, activities, examples, and or expectations that surround, in this case, the dissertation. More here: https://genreacrossborders.org/gxb-glossary/meta-genre end of thread/ #CDNWRDS #remixthediss