Doctoral Thesis Website - DBA Research Journey

A professional academic website documenting the complete journey of a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) thesis, from initial ideation through final report.

🎓 Project Overview

This repository hosts a static website built to showcase and organize doctoral research across all phases of thesis development. The site serves as both a research portfolio and a navigation tool for the comprehensive thesis work.

Research Phases

The thesis is organized into 8 distinct phases:

• Phase 0: Reflection Journal - Ongoing insights and learning documentation
• Phase 1: Idea Generation - Research concept development
• Phase 2: Proposal - Formal research proposal
• Phase 3: Literature Review - Comprehensive academic review
• Phase 4: Theoretical Framework - Conceptual foundations
• Phase 5: Design - Research methodology and design
• Phase 6: Data Collection - Primary and secondary data gathering
• Phase 7: Data Analysis - Findings and interpretation
• Phase 8: Report - Final thesis document

📁 Repository Structure

ESGCIDBA_Website/
├── .github/                        # GitHub configuration and prompts
│   ├── copilot-instructions.md     # AI assistant configuration
│   └── prompts/                    # Reusable prompt templates
│       ├── devops.prompt.md        # Repository setup instructions
│       ├── markdown_to_html.prompt.md  # Content conversion guide
│       └── website_builder.prompt.md   # Website structure guide
├── thesis_md/                      # Source Markdown files
│   ├── 0_reflection_journal/
│   ├── 1_idea_generation/
│   ├── 2_proposal/
│   ├── 3_literature_review/
│   ├── 4_theoretical_framework/
│   ├── 5_design/
│   ├── 6_data_collection/
│   ├── 7_data_analysis/
│   └── 8_report/
├── thesis_html/                    # Generated HTML pages
│   └── [Same structure as thesis_md/]
├── css/                            # Stylesheets
│   ├── main.css                    # Primary styles
│   └── academic.css                # Academic-specific styling
├── js/                             # JavaScript files
│   ├── navigation.js               # Navigation functionality
│   └── toc-generator.js            # Table of contents generator
├── assets/                         # Images, fonts, and other assets
│   ├── images/
│   └── fonts/
├── index.html                      # Homepage
├── CNAME                           # Custom domain configuration
├── .gitignore                      # Git ignore rules
└── README.md                       # This file

🚀 Quick Start

For First-Time Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/cw18-coder/ESGCIDBA_Website.git
   cd ESGCIDBA_Website

2. Preview locally:

   # Option 1: Double-click start-server.bat (Windows)
   # Option 2: Use Python
   python -m http.server 8000
   # Option 3: Use Node.js
   npm run serve

3. Visit in browser:

   http://localhost:8000
   

For Adding Content

1. Add HTML files to appropriate phase folder:

   # Example: Add to Phase 3 (Literature Review)
   thesis_html/3_literature_review/your_new_file.html

2. Update manifest.json manually:

   • Add document entry with proper structure (see .github/prompts/markdown_to_html.prompt.md)
   • Include: file, title, date (ISO format YYYY-MM-DD), optional category
   • Phase overviews: mark with isPhaseOverview: true, no date field

3. Test locally, then deploy:

   git add .
   git commit -m "Add new content"
   git push origin main

📚 Documentation

• QUICK_REFERENCE.md - Quick command reference
• context/website_guide.context.md - Complete website usage guide
• context/deployment_guide.context.md - Deployment instructions
• context/implementation_summary.context.md - Technical details
• .github/prompts/ - AI assistant prompts for various tasks

🌐 Live Website

• Production: https://esgci-dba-thesis.clarencew.dev
• GitHub Pages: https://cw18-coder.github.io/ESGCIDBA_Website/

✨ Website Features

• Dynamic Navigation: Multi-level navigation across all research phases
• Auto-Generated TOC: Table of contents automatically built from HTML files
• Responsive Design: Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
• Academic Styling: Professional typography and color scheme
• Sequential Navigation: Previous/Next buttons for linear reading
• Print Support: Optimized for printing research documents
• Breadcrumbs: Always know where you are in the site structure

📝 Content Management

Adding New Content

1. Create content in Markdown:

   thesis_md/[phase_folder]/your_content.md

2. Convert to HTML:

   • Use .github/prompts/markdown_to_html.prompt.md with GitHub Copilot
   • This will automatically create HTML and update manifest.json
   • Maintains proper hierarchical TOC structure

3. Commit and deploy:

   git add .
   git commit -m "Add new content"
   git push

File Naming Best Practices

Use clear, descriptive names:

• ✅ literature_review_methodology.html
• ✅ theoretical_framework_overview.html
• ❌ doc1.html or untitled.html

Files are automatically ordered alphabetically in the TOC.

🎨 Design Philosophy

Academic Aesthetic

• Clean, professional layout
• Serif fonts for readability (body text)
• Sans-serif for navigation and headings
• Neutral color palette (navy, gray, off-white)
• Generous whitespace for focus

Responsive Design

• Mobile-friendly navigation
• Collapsible sidebar on small screens
• Readable on all devices

Accessibility

• Semantic HTML structure
• Proper heading hierarchy
• Alt text for images
• Keyboard navigation support

🛠️ Technology Stack

Frontend:

• HTML5 - Semantic markup
• CSS3 - Modern styling (no frameworks)
• Vanilla JavaScript - Dynamic functionality

Hosting:

• GitHub Pages - Free static hosting
• Custom domain support via CNAME

Development Tools:

• Git - Version control
• VS Code - Recommended editor
• GitHub Copilot - AI-assisted development

No Build Process:

• No Jekyll, Hugo, or other static site generators
• No npm, webpack, or build tools
• Direct deployment from repository

📚 Documentation

Prompt Files

The .github/prompts/ directory contains reusable templates:

• copilot-instructions.md: Configures AI assistant behavior
• devops.prompt.md: Repository setup and deployment
• markdown_to_html.prompt.md: Content conversion process
• website_builder.prompt.md: Website structure and design

These prompts can be used with GitHub Copilot or other AI assistants to maintain consistency and automate repetitive tasks.

🔧 Maintenance

Regular Tasks

• Content Updates: Add new Markdown files as research progresses
• HTML Generation: Convert Markdown to HTML regularly
• Git Commits: Commit changes with clear messages
• Backup: Repository is automatically backed up on GitHub

Keeping It Simple

This setup intentionally avoids:

• Complex build processes
• Package managers and dependencies
• Static site generators requiring configuration
• Server-side processing

All changes are visible immediately after pushing to GitHub.

📋 Workflow Summary

Write Research (Markdown) → Convert to HTML → Git Commit → Push to GitHub → Live on Website

Simple, straightforward, focused on research, not tech.

🤝 Contributing

This is a personal doctoral thesis project. External contributions are not expected, but if you're a colleague or supervisor providing feedback:

1. Create an issue for suggestions
2. Or contact directly via email

📄 License

This thesis work is the intellectual property of the author. All rights reserved.

For academic citation purposes, please contact the author.

📧 Contact

• Doctoral Candidate: Clarence Wong
• Institution: ESGCI (École Supérieure de Gestion et Commerce International)
• Program: Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
• Email: clarence18.aina@gmail.com

---

Last Updated: October 2025 Status: Active Development