On-line dissertation support

Getting started with your dissertation

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The most common problem with students' initial ideas is that they are too broad. Go for (reasonably) narrow and deep, rather than broad and shallow

Make sure the topic is sufficiently interesting (and preferably multi-faceted) to keep you going: a lot of poor work is ultimately due to boredom!

Check your access to resources: are you reasonably confident at this stage that you can get access to

- appropriate literature?

- people you may wish to interview?

If you need to contact organisations for information, start on that as soon as your plans are clear: the turn-around time can be lengthy (although the information is often simply on their website).

Check that you have the necessary skills: if you are going to do something quantitative, do you know enough statistics? Read up on relevant research methods.

Draw up a timetable for stages (Chapters) of the project: what do you expect to have done by when? You may not stick to it, but you need to know roughly where you are.

Source

Heriot-Watt dissertation help and guidelines

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SML Undergraduate Dissertation Modules

Regulations for the undergraduate dissertation modules listed below can be viewed here - HW dissertation guidelines

Responsibilities of supervisors and students

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Supervisor’s role and responsibilities

Students may expect their supervisors to give advice about the nature of the dissertation (title, viability, methodology, university regulations), literature and other sources , required techniques, the planning of the dissertation (organisation into chapters, sections etc.), and the standard of work expected (without prejudging final mark).

The role of supervisors is to guide students towards the production of their dissertation by discussing each part of the process. They will advise on relevant areas of literature, help a student to develop their thoughts on their topic, give guidance on the development of chapters and on the conventions of dissertation writing.

They will not act as proof-reader of the student’s work.

Student's responsibilities:

Whatever the circumstances, students may not expect their supervisors to provide detailed feedback on drafts of each chapter.

Furthermore, it is the responsibility of students to arrange meetings with supervisors (taking account of any periods of holiday or work-related absence over terms 1 and 2) and attend them, discuss with supervisors the type of guidance and comments which they find most helpful, and maintain progress and meet deadlines. Students should also take the initiative in raising problems, ensure that submitted work is their own (i.e. avoid plagiarism) and, should serious difficulties arise, see their dissertation co-odrinator.

It is the responsibility of the student to take the initiative throughout the dissertation writing process: raising problems or difficulties, discussing issues arising from feedback, taking appropriate action, and maintaining the progress of work as agreed with the supervisor.

Source

Writing a dissertation

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Companion for Undergraduate Dissertations - Birmingham University

Dissertation Writing - Strathclyde University

Questions about dissertations (library) - Manchester Metropolitan University

Preparing and Writing a Dissertation - University of Kent

Seven Steps to Writing a Dissertation - Edge Hill College

Writing a dissertation - Daniel Chandler, University of Wales (Aberystwyth)

Study Advice Online: Dissertation Writing - Oxford Brookes University

Guide book for dissertations

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One Step Ahead: Essays and Dissertations (Chris Mounsey, Oxford University Press, 2002 - 0198605056).

Book Description

This book provides students of all ages with easy-to-follow guidance on how to structure an essay and how to select and research the most appropriate subject to write on. Part A contains clear, broken-down advice on gathering and developing information, structuring, and clarity, and Part B provides a look-up reference to support the first.

Synopsis

Provides students of all ages with easy-to-follow guidance on how to structure an essay and how to select and research the most appropriate subject to write on. The first section covers gathering and developing information; the second offers schematic sumaries to the first part.

Research methods knowledge base

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The Research Methods Knowledge Base is a comprehensive web-based textbook that addresses all of the topics in a typical introductory undergraduate or graduate course in social research methods.

It covers the entire research process including: formulating research questions; sampling (probability and nonprobability); measurement (surveys, scaling, qualitative, unobtrusive); research design (experimental and quasi-experimental); data analysis; and, writing the research paper.

It also addresses the major theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of research including: the idea of validity in research; reliability of measures; and ethics.

The Knowledge Base was designed to be different from the many typical commercially-available research methods texts.

It uses an informal, conversational style to engage both the newcomer and the more experienced student of research.

It is a fully hyperlinked text that can be integrated easily into an existing course structure or used as a sourcebook for the experienced researcher who simply wants to browse.

Referencing - Harvard system

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All you need to know about referencing in a widely acceptable (and rewarding!) fashion. It's worth looking at because it has:

- Examples of referencing within text

- Examples of referencing within a bibliography/reference list

- Advice on how to set out a bibliography/reference list

- A bibliography, using the examples from the guide

It also demonstrates how to properly reference things such as edited books, on-line newspapers articles, journals, and many many more, etc.

Skills Guide (Harvard Referencing) - Edge Hill College (PDF file)

Proof reading

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Proofreading Strategies - Purdue University

Proof reading - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Proof reading - University of North Carolina

Assessing dissertations

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