{"id":9343,"date":"2026-06-30T07:52:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T04:52:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chuss.mak.ac.ug\/en\/?p=9343"},"modified":"2026-06-30T07:55:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T04:55:00","slug":"the-2024-gerda-henkel-phd-cohort-equiped-with-post-fieldwork-data-analysis-and-thesis-writing-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chuss.mak.ac.ug\/en\/the-2024-gerda-henkel-phd-cohort-equiped-with-post-fieldwork-data-analysis-and-thesis-writing-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2024 Gerda Henkel PhD Cohort Equiped with Post-Fieldwork Data Analysis and Thesis Writing Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) on Friday 26th<\/sup>  June  2026 conducted a post-fieldwork workshop for the 2024 Gerda Henkel PhD Cohort, equipping doctoral candidates with practical skills in data analysis, organization and academic writing to support timely completion of their doctoral studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The workshop forms part of CHUSS’ continued efforts to strengthen doctoral research capacity by providing academic and professional support throughout the PhD journey, from proposal development and fieldwork to thesis completion and graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Held in the CHUSS Smart Room, the workshop focused on helping students transform field data into well-structured doctoral theses. Sessions covered data management and analysis, aligning research objectives with collected evidence, theory development, chapter argumentation, and strategies for managing the post-fieldwork period through to graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening the workshop on behalf of the Deputy Principal, Dr. Pamela Khanakwa encouraged students to view the post-fieldwork stage as a critical transition from data collection to scholarly writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Pamela Khanakwa delivering the opening remarks<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on her own doctoral journey, Dr. Khanaakwa acknowledged that many researchers struggle to determine where to begin after returning from fieldwork with large volumes of information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I had a lot of information and I didn’t know where I was going to start from or what I was going to do with it,” she said, adding that the workshop was designed to provide students with the guidance needed to navigate that challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She urged students to strike a balance between evidence and analysis, warning against presenting excessive raw data without interpretation or making unsupported claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We need both a clear argument and the evidence supporting that argument,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Khanakwa also advised participants to maintain regular communication with their supervisors, noting that different supervisors adopt different approaches to guiding doctoral research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You need to have a close conversation with your supervisor and understand how they work so that you can progress systematically,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She further reminded students to meet administrative requirements, including submitting progress reports on schedule, while also safeguarding their mental health during what she described as a demanding and often lonely writing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project Administrator Dr. Levis Mugumya said the workshop was organized to help students confidently begin writing after fieldwork despite being at different stages of data analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“By the end of the day, you should be able to decide what data is relevant to your thesis and what can be reserved for future journal articles,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mugumya encouraged the doctoral candidates to adhere to the programme’s strict timelines and begin preparing journal articles and book chapters required for graduation alongside their thesis writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Levis Mugumya making his remarks<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He also commended the workshop facilitators, particularly Dr. Daphine Agaba, for their continued commitment to mentoring doctoral students and helping them make sense of the data collected during field research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The workshop, organized shortly after the students returned from field research, focused on strengthening participants’ capacity in data organization, analysis, argument development, research writing and managing the critical period between fieldwork and graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The training featured presentations from experienced researchers and academics who urged students to approach the post-fieldwork stage strategically to ensure timely completion of their doctoral studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Effective data management is the foundation of quality research<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Daphine Agaba from the Institute of Gender and Development Studies (IGDS), Makerere University, challenged doctoral candidates to view research as an iterative and continuous learning process rather than a linear exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenting on “Organizing Data from the Field,” Dr. Agaba emphasized that effective data management begins during data collection and continues through analysis and reporting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She advised researchers to systematically organize, validate and clean their data before analysis, noting that poor data management often undermines otherwise promising studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Agaba encouraged participants to embrace both qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques while remaining flexible enough to incorporate new insights emerging during research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr, Daphine Agaba speaking to students<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She further called on scholars to adopt ethical and decolonized research approaches by recognizing indigenous knowledge systems, involving communities throughout the research process and ensuring that research findings are accessible beyond academia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Research is a cyclical process of discovery, reflection and refinement, and researchers should remain open-minded throughout the journey,” she advised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strong doctoral theses are built on evidence-based arguments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenting on “Data, Research Objectives, Research Questions and Theory: The Journey to Robust Argument,” Dr. Deo Kannamwangi urged students to move beyond merely describing findings and instead construct compelling academic arguments supported by evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He observed that many doctoral theses fail not because of insufficient data but because candidates struggle to transform raw information into meaningful scholarly arguments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Deo Kannamwangi advising students<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Kannamwangi explained that a strong argument integrates research objectives, research questions, theoretical frameworks and systematic analysis to produce findings that contribute to existing scholarship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He advised participants to develop focused research questions, establish clear objectives and use theory not as a rigid framework but as a tool for interpreting evidence and generating new knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Dr. Kannamwangi, doctoral research should answer the critical question of “So what?” by demonstrating the significance of its findings and defending them with logical reasoning and credible evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Managing the post-fieldwork period determines success<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delivering a presentation titled “From Fieldwork to Graduation: Managing the Post-Fieldwork Period,” Dr. Zaid Sekito described the months following fieldwork as one of the most decisive stages of the doctoral journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He encouraged students to maintain momentum immediately after returning from the field by organizing their data, reviewing literature and beginning to write instead of waiting until the analysis is complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Sekito outlined a structured roadmap covering data organization, chapter writing, supervisor engagement, thesis revision and final submission over a twelve-month period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Zaid Sekito presenting<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He stressed that regular communication with supervisors should evolve into intellectual collaboration rather than routine consultation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recognizing the emotional demands of doctoral research, Dr. Sekito also encouraged students to prioritize their mental well-being, build peer support networks, celebrate milestones and guard against burnout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The post-fieldwork phase should be treated as the core of the PhD journey because it is where research is transformed into knowledge,” he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clear research objectives strengthen chapter argumentation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Dickson Kanakulya focused his presentation on “<\/strong>Research Objectives, Data and Chapter Argumentation,” emphasizing that every chapter of a doctoral thesis should be anchored in clearly defined research objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He explained that research objectives guide data collection, determine the structure of chapters and provide the basis upon which arguments are developed and defended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Kanakulya highlighted the importance of aligning hypotheses, research questions and evidence, warning that weak logical connections often result in poorly argued theses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Dickson Kanakulya presenting<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He reminded students that statistical relationships alone are insufficient unless supported by sound logical reasoning, adding that evidence should not only support claims but also address counterarguments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using practical examples, he demonstrated how each research objective can evolve into a chapter that presents evidence, analysis and a coherent argument leading to the overall thesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the workshop, presenters delivered a consistent message that collecting data is only one stage of doctoral research. The greater challenge lies in organizing information, interpreting evidence, constructing persuasive arguments and maintaining steady writing until graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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