I need to put a little signposting in my first chapter - the introduction, to say something like "this thesis has 3 studies. The first examines xyz because....., the second ......" etc etc

But my 1st 2 studies are straightforward and I have justification for them from the gaps in the literature.

But the 3rd study was done because it leads on from ideas that emerged in the 1st study.

How do I signpost this when I haven't covered much of the literature in the literature review? (I have it in the related chapter instead).

I guess I'm thinking - do I let on that XYZ emergerd from study 1, before the reader has read that chapter ? and therefore explaining more clearly why I did study 3?

I'm not sure if I've explained this well!

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Is it possible to say something like "this thesis consists of three studies building from a large question about xyz. Each study provides a point of reflection and/or clarification on more specific questions/aims. As the three studies are themselves independent research but deeply related, in each chapter, the specific literature is discussed"

This way you call tell the reader what to expect in the later chapters.

Then maybe you can include a table that outlines the aims, objectives and theoretical or methodological frameworks of each of the studies?

Or maybe you need to say exactly what you have said here, study 1 and 2 build from gaps in the existing literature, while study 3 builds on the work of study 1 and 2...?

oooooh - I like those ideas.

I'm also not sure when to put this. In my hubby's thesis, we put it at the end of a short introduction section e.g. 2000 word section. But I'm not sure if it needs to go at the end of my lit review - but then its going to be about 15k words in and maybe a bit late.

Could you put it in your short introduction section, perhaps at the beginning of the 'thesis outline' section. This way, it might orient the reader to the studies?

I signpost quite a lot -maybe 'coz my supervisor seems to like it?? That said, I do think in a PhD thesis (ie long) that you do need to signpost, otherwise the reader can lose his/her train of thought and have to go skimming back through the pages to figure out what's happening, or work out the sequence of events etc. I've been told if your external has to start doing that, you're in trouble as it's not up to them to have to work out your thesis that way. I have signposted in my introduction chapter but also within chapters; in their introductions but also within sections - I think it's fine and occasionally I have earned a "good signposting" comment from my supv. I'll pick up whatever crumbs of praise I can!!

Fm's suggestion is good, and I really like her wording :-) as well. I think it would be fine to briefly signpost or explain your first two studies but then elaborate more on the third. Explain the first two and then something like "However, the evolution of study 3 is somewhat more complex and requires greater clarification..."

I like the big words you're using :p

Hubby's just submitted his and we signposted that throughout - there was a whole table at the beginning with an explanation of each chapter and then each chapter began and ended with what went before and what was coming up. I'll probably be doing that, I was just worried about the first 'this thesis has three studies which...' bit, before I've actually discussed the literature. I guess its about being a bit more vague until I've discussed the lit e.g "study 3 examines concepts xyz that arose from stud 1"