Shameless academic help request: what should I title my thesis?

[ryanhooper]

Ok, I want to take advantage of the collective intelligence of this board. I'm just finishing the writing of my undergraduate thesis, but I can't come up with a concise witty title.
The thesis is about the Chinese print media's response to the 2001 spyplane collision incident. If you recall, in April 2001 a US spyplane crashed into a Chinese fighter jet off the coast of China. I analyzed the Chinese media's response in an attempt to better understand contemporary Chinese nationalism.
The only title I could come up with is: "the crash and the fury: the chinese print media's response to the 2001 Spyplane Incident", but I think it's crap. :(
Please help.

[ryanhooper]

On an unrelated note: I'm an idiot. Sorry for the double post, is there a way I can delete one?

[elucidator]

The "Spyplane" Incident: A Chink in Our Armor?

[Atticus Finch]

Well, how about a real headline from a Chinese newspaper that sums up your point of view? Eg, you conclude that Chinese newspapers are knee-jerk hostile to the US, so you find a headline like "Foreign devils screw up again" and footnote it to prove that it's a real one. Then subtitle it with a more "academic" title, like:

"Foreign Devils Screw Up Again"(1): Fearmongering and Foucaultian Fallacies in Chinese Press Coverage of the Hainan Spyplane Incident
by Ryan Hooper

(1) China Daily, 17 May 2001.

Or you could make up a similar headline that suited your conclusions, as long as you signposted it as such. Was this the kind of the thing you were looking for, or would you prefer bad spyplane puns?

[milroyj]

The "Spyplane" Incident: A Chink in Our Armor?

I know you think you're clever, but isn't "Chink" hate speech?

[furt]

The title should give some idea of where you're going.

What's the thesis of your thesis?

[ryanhooper]

Furt: the thesis of my thesis is that the Chinese media's response reveals a latent anti-imperialist nationalism that, while outdated, has been revamped and applied to US-China relations.

[elucidator]

I know you think you're clever, but isn't "Chink" hate speech?


Nice try.

[Boyo Jim]

...If you recall, in April 2001 a US spyplane crashed into a Chinese fighter jet off the coast of China. I analyzed the Chinese media's response in an attempt to better understand contemporary Chinese nationalism..... I suggest that this description shows prejudgement in your part, that I would challenge if I were reviewing your work. As the smaller, faster, more maneuverable plane, I would think it more probable the the Chinese fighter hit the American Orion.

How about, "Sino-American Crisis Diplomacy"? I dunno, maybe "Sino-" is an obsolete term.

[ryanhooper]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply Boyo Jim. I didn't intend the way I organized the nouns around the verb crash to imply that it was the US fault. Of course, the description of the incident I use in my thesis is a bit more nuanced than this.

It is an interesting question of whose fault it was. I tend to agree that it seems more probable that the Chinese side provoked it, but the maneuverability argument doesn't hold much water to me (from what I've read about other mid-air collisions).

Thanks to all for the suggestions. Keep 'em coming.

[Atticus Finch]

My suggestion, from the other thread:

Well, how about a real headline from a Chinese newspaper that sums up your point of view? Eg, you conclude that Chinese newspapers are knee-jerk hostile to the US, so you find a headline like "Foreign devils screw up again" and footnote it to prove that it's a real one. Then subtitle it with a more "academic" title, like:

Quote:
"Foreign Devils Screw Up Again"(1): Fearmongering and Foucaultian Fallacies in Chinese Press Coverage of the Hainan Spyplane Incident
by Ryan Hooper

(1) China Daily, 17 May 2001.


Or you could make up a similar headline that suited your conclusions, as long as you signposted it as such. Was this the kind of the thing you were looking for, or would you prefer bad spyplane puns?

[furt]

The dragon metaphor for Chinese nationalism is obvious: "Feeding the Dragon," "reviving the dragon," "Riding the dragon," etc.

Sorry, it's late, I can't think. I'd suggest going to the library and grabbing a book of Chinese Folk Tales/Fables and looking for one whose moral seems like it could fit, and then adapt that.



Could you describe the Chinese Media as "slanted?" Okay, that was wrong.

[Sampiro]

The "Spyplane" Incident: A Chink in Our Armor?

I have laughed at many SDMB posts. That is the first one to ever actually make a carbonated beverage flee from my nostrils.

[Sampiro]

I don't know if it helps, but the term for a baby dragon (or a hatchling dragon) is WYRMLING (which is of course of Germanic origin). What's interesting about a wyrmling is that it is born with the memories of both its parents, just as the new Chinese imperialism would have the memories of its parents from Qin Shihuang to Hu Jintao.

[Sampiro]

One more post then I'll leave peacefully: my favorite title for any book I have ever read about an Asian nation is Fire in the Lake (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0316159190/102-6787728-2900162?v=glance), based on the symbol for revolution. Unfortunately I know next to nothing of Chinese pictographs, but if there is one appropriate for a reborn dragon, an ominous revelation, a ghost, etc, it might be interesting.

The Wrath of Kahn... NOW! is probably right out.

[elucidator]

Kind of an interesting point Boyo brings up. But its hard to be sure if the blame is more political or not. Close harassment and games of supersonic "chicken" have a long history - its partly political and partly because jet pilots tend to have "hot dog" personalities. I recall that there were previous video tapes of the same pilot flying close enough to show printed messages from out of his goddam cockpit! (Was it a MIG-21?)

Now if that all hangs together, that would be like the Chinese state is responsible for putting the guy in the plane, but he's the one who actually screwed the pooch.

[elucidator]

Throw an I Ching with the title as your question. Be cool if it worked, and if it doesn't, it doesn't. Wouldn't be magic if it always worked.

[China Guy]

I don't have a great title for you. However, I can tell you that the reaction on the ground was pretty strange. The "spontaneously" bussed in students from the suburbs that stoned the US consulate in Shanghai.

I had people accost me in the street, and that monday at work I was rabidly attacked. "Why did you crash our plane?" "me??? whaddya talking about, I was in Shanghai this weekend."

To buddies who had their staff call a special meeting and then explain that they (the local chinese staff) in no way felt that the western manager was culpable.

[athelas]

I know you think you're clever, but isn't "Chink" hate speech?

Of course not! You see, Chinese people are not politically active in the US, therefore, they are never an aggrieved minority.

Title...bah! I'm always bad at those anyway...

[SentientMeat]

Paper aeroplanes: Chinese media and the 2001 spyplane incident.

[Kimstu]

Personally, I absolutely detest the current dreary fad for "witty" titles (usually a generous way of describing lame puns and would-be attention grabbers) in serious writing. Especially when the part before the colon tells the reader absolutely nothing about what the damn thing's supposed to be about, which seems to be the case with most such titles.

Just call it something sensible and informative like "The Chinese Print Media's Responses to the Hainan Spyplane Incident", and I will volunteer to proofread the whole thing for you before you hand it in. (And I'm a damn good proofreader.)

-- Kimstu
(whose PhD thesis was titled "Mathematical Approximation by Transformation of Sine Functions in Medieval Sanskrit Astronomical Texts". Honest. :))

[SentientMeat]

Oh come, Kimstu, must we be so curmudgeonly? Academic writing is so damnably dry these days; it sometimes seems that giving your paper or thesis character is becoming a failing rather than a skill.

My PhD was just "Guitar acoustics", but had I the same scope for wordplay that ryan has I would doubtless have seized it!

[dropzone]

"Mathematical Approximation by Transformation of Sine Functions in Medieval Sanskrit Astronomical Texts"Kee-rist, Kimstu, I was snoring before I was halfway through and never got to the part of the title (Medieval Sanskrit Astronomical Texts) that would indicate I might find it interesting. But I've been fooled by good titles on stupifying papers.

[Kimstu]

SM: Oh come, Kimstu, must we be so curmudgeonly?

Don't know about you, but I certainly must. :)

Academic writing is so damnably dry these days; it sometimes seems that giving your paper or thesis character is becoming a failing rather than a skill.

I agree, but I think the real problem is that so much of it is ill-written, jargon-laden, and formulaic. The best solution, IMHO, is not to try to spice it up with sprinklings of clumsy humor and far-fetched literary allusions, but to write clearly and comprehensibly about a topic that you genuinely think is important and to which you can contribute something fresh.

My PhD was just "Guitar acoustics" [...]

Lovely! Simple, to the point, and instantly informative; inspires me to wonder about the subject and makes me want to read your thesis!

dropzone: Kee-rist, Kimstu, I was snoring before I was halfway through [...]

Another advantage of un-sexy titles: they allow you to weed out the part of the potential audience that isn't really interested in the subject.

But I've been fooled by good titles on stupifying papers.

See, now, with my papers you never have to worry about being fooled by an intriguing title! :)

[CarnalK]

I find this fun, so here's a few:

"The Dragon's new tongue: contemporary nationalism in Chinese print media response to 2001 spyplane incident"

"Eyes to the West: ..."

this one is maybe too dumb but could be salvageable:

"Dragon and Eagle collide:..."

[CarnalK]

And I know what you are saying Kimstu but as long as the second half of the title is purely descriptive I think it's fair. A lot of these people are wannabe authors and need to flex that creative muscle. ;) Not to turn this into a hijack but the cute names for legislation are my real pet peeve.

[Sampiro]

-- Kimstu
(whose PhD thesis was titled "Mathematical Approximation by Transformation of Sine Functions in Medieval Sanskrit Astronomical Texts". Honest. :))

I happen to have a Ph.D. on identically the same subject (lots of them in fact) and my thesis was entitled "Sexegesimalism in the City: the Babylonian concept of number bases and how it affected the price of beet sugar in the first three years of the reign of Nebuchadrezzar II with especial emphasis on the socioreligious ramifications of the colours of the beets and something or other about sines and tangents". The paperback rights alone were auctioned for $600.000 and the movie rights sold to Tarantino who says this will do for Sonny "Enos" Shroyer what Kill Bill did for David Carradine. So there's a lot of argumentation to be made for clever titles and I'm not just saying that because of the moth who looks like Ed Asner telling me to.

[ryanhooper]

I've synthesized Kimstu's eloquent defense of simple descriptive titles, and lambchops earlier suggestion of using an article name to arrive at:

“Use the Feelings of Patriotism to Strengthen the Country”
The Chinese Print Media’s Response to the April 2001 Mid-Air Collision Incident

The quote is the title of a Liberation Daily article. So, whaddya think?

Still open to suggestions, and feel free to hijack the thread for general discussion of academic titles. I'd be happy to see the thread put to some public use. :D

Is that proofreading offer still on the table, Kimstu?

[Paul in Qatar]

Chinese Press Gangs up On American Spy Plane

(Best I could do, it's bedtime.)

[jayjay]

"Paper Dragons: The Chinese Press and the EP-3 Incident"

[Quartz]

Paper aeroplanes: Chinese media and the 2001 spyplane incident.

This is very good.

[The Scrivener]

I also really love SentientMeat's title and doubt we'll see anything better, but in case you're still fishing for ideas, the Chinese love kites and combat-kite play (kite wars?). (And didn't the Chinese invent the box kite?) But "kite" is also a noun/verb referring to a dubious financial practice -- "4) A negotiable paper, as a check, representing a fictitious financial transaction and used temporarily to sustain credit or raise money... v.2) to get money or credit with a kite." To witlessness, then:

Kiting Conflict [Tensions? National Aggrievement?]: Chinese print media's response to...
Kiting Popular Outrage: Chinese print media's response to... (or substitute terms like "nationalistic," "anti-American," "hysteria," etc. for "popular outrage".)

[Kimstu]

rh:“Use the Feelings of Patriotism to Strengthen the Country”
The Chinese Print Media’s Response to the April 2001 Mid-Air Collision Incident [...]
Is that proofreading offer still on the table, Kimstu?

Yepper! (And I won't quibble about reasonable modifications to the title either, although if you wind up using a dreadful pun like Paul in Saudi's I'm ripping up the contract. :)) I'm living in India at the moment and the post's a trifle slow, so your best bet is to tell me how to access a .pdf version of it electronically.

[Lynwood Slim]

What is your basic thesis, in a few sentences? Give us something to work with.

I have written three: undergrad, masters and Ph.D., and all titles followed this simple rule:

the title must contain a colon. key words can be put on either side of the colon and the meaning (or lack thereof) will not be substantially altered.


e.g.:

Alternanity and philosophic hermeneutics: the discourses of post-modernity.

Alternanity and post modernity: the philosophic discourses of hermeneutics.

etc.

[Lynwood Slim]

and you can make up words, like "alternanity" instead of "alternaity"

[Sampiro]

Considering the name of the plane, its mission, "Transiting Aries" could be the basis of a working title. Or you could go by the animal/element of the Chinese astrological sign for April 2001- "Hiss of the Metal Snake".

[MEBuckner]

Moderator's Note: Duplicate threads merged.

[Richard Parker]

RyanHooper became a charter member yesterday, and is now called Zhao Daoli. :)

Kimstu (and anyone interested): My thesis is posted at My Thesis (http://www.lclark.edu/~hooper)

The real question is, how will you send me your comments?

[Kimstu]

Welcome Zhao! I'll read it and email you.

Lynwood Slim:
Alternanity and philosophic hermeneutics: the discourses of post-modernity.

Alternanity and post modernity: the philosophic discourses of hermeneutics.

[...] and you can make up words, like "alternanity" instead of "alternaity"

AAAAAAAGGGHHH!!!! :)

[Atticus Finch]

Zhao, had a quick look at your thesis. It strikes me that the birth of Chinese Nationalism section might require a bit of information about the Chinese governing philosophy before the birth of nationalism - the philosophical basis underlying Chinese imperialism. Just a short introductory paragraph would show off your knowledge and help frame the later discussion.

This might also cause changes to your earlier assertion that " 'the Chinese people' is ipso facto [prima facie?] a nationalist term".

Haven't thought this through much, hope it doesn't tell. However, I truly believe that there are serious echoes of the imperial system in modern Chinese identity, and that this might be useful here.

[Atticus Finch]

Also, your conclusion needs more pizazz. Try this quote from Mao Zedong as teh last line, linked in with a reference to defiance, something like this:

"At least in its public rhetoric of anti-imperialist defiance, the Chinese state still attempts to define itself through opposition. It is interesting that these words, from an era now officially disavowed, would not seem out of place in a modern Chinese media report:

'U.S. imperialism has not yet been overthrown and it has the atomic bomb. I believe it also will be overthrown. It, too, is a paper tiger.' - Mao Zedong"

(quote from http://www.bartleby.com/66/95/66695.html)

[China Guy]

[QUOTE=Zhao Daoli]RyanHooper became a charter member yesterday, and is now called Zhao Daoli. :) [QUOTE][hijack]does your name mean "seeking for truth" or "found it" (if found it, then should be zhao dao le). Of course, if you used characters it would be clear ;)

[Early Out]

Godzilla vs. Mothra? Oh, wait, wrong country. Never mind....

[Burnt Sugar]

“Use the Feelings of Patriotism to Strengthen the Country”
The Chinese Print Media’s Response to the April 2001 Mid-Air Collision Incident

I would take out "incident"; to me it seems superfluous.

Does " “Use the Feelings of Patriotism to Strengthen the Country” The Chinese Print Media’s Response to the April 2001 Mid-Air Collision" not sound adequate?

[Marley23]

The "Spyplane" Incident: A Chink in Our Armor?
How about "Me So Sorry: The US-China Spyplane Incident"?

[Tyrrell McAllister]

I happen to have a Ph.D. on identically the same subject (lots of them in fact) and my thesis was entitled "Sexegesimalism in the City: the Babylonian concept of number bases and how it affected the price of beet sugar in the first three years of the reign of Nebuchadrezzar II with especial emphasis on the socioreligious ramifications of the colours of the beets and something or other about sines and tangents". The paperback rights alone were auctioned for $600.000 and the movie rights sold to Tarantino who says this will do for Sonny "Enos" Shroyer what Kill Bill did for David Carradine. So there's a lot of argumentation to be made for clever titles and I'm not just saying that because of the moth who looks like Ed Asner telling me to.

Absolutely brilliant :D