dissertation workshop 1 essay writing/dissertation planning john solomos department of sociology
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Dissertation Workshop 1Essay Writing/Dissertation Planning
John Solomos Department of Sociology
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Today…• Issues about essay writing
– Expectations– Style– Presentation
• Dissertation– Planning your dissertation– Choosing your topic– Preparing the review of literature and
research
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Deadlines…• Essays
– 6th January 2014, Term 1– 28th April 2014, Term 2
• Dissertation– 1st September 2014, Submit
Dissertation
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Writing for social science
• Becker, H. S. (1986). Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article. Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• Becker, H. S. (1998). Tricks of the Trade: How to Think about Your Research While You're Doing It. Chicago: University of Chicago Press
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Writing essays• Becker’s (1986) account of how to write
in the social sciences highlights two interlinked processes– Talking through, discussing your ideas as
you are writing; clarifying ideas before writing them down
– Producing rough drafts, reworking them and clarifying what you want to say, how to express your key arguments
• Ability to learn how to express complex ideas without too much jargon
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Learning processes• Discussions with supervisors, fellow
students, • Attending conferences, going to
seminars, reading other papers• ‘Socialisation into the academic
culture of their subdiscipline’• Adopting a specific approach,
linked to supervisors or other significant scholars
• Adopting specific theoretical languages, turns of phase
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Talk about your essays• Important to plan, talk about your essays• Write a draft outline and discuss with your
lecturers• Read around the topic and don’t rely too
much on limited sources• Work on your style of writing, have a
structure for essays
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Any questions?• Do you have any questions about
essays?– Expectations we have about essays– How we mark essays– Feedback on your essays
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Preparing for your dissertation• Don’t rush into it• Read (what grabs your
attention/makes you angry/raises more questions)
• Think about a topic on one of your modules that interested you
• Work-related issue• Be flexible
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Thinking about your dissertation• Once you find a dissertation topic think
about– Methods– Access– Ethics– New phenomenon
• What do you want to contribute by researching this topic?
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Choose something you want to do• Not too big and not too small…• Answerable• Feasible• Go back to why a topic interests you (a
good place to find questions)• Read, read, read…• See dissertation as a work in progress• Keep a research diary
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Some questions• Does the methodology match the
question? What kind of data will it produce?
• Is it feasible? • Is it practical?• Is it ethical? • Do I have the necessary skills?
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Choosing your research topic• Term 2 – discuss dissertation ideas with
Programme Director• End of Term 2 – submit form with
provisional title/topic (used as a basis for assigning appropriate supervisors)
• Beginning of Term 3 – students informed of their assigned supervisor
• Students are responsible for initiating contact with supervisors
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Look at examples• Look at past examples
– Scope– Structure– Aims and objectives– Questions
• Selection of high-graded dissertations available to borrow
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Work on your writing• Writing and presenting drafts of your
research• Important to search for a writing style
that suits both you and your research topic
• Need to write all the time, day by day as you do your dissertation, in order to improve and redefine your style to suit you
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Use supervision• Confirm preferred arrangements for
communication – e-mail/office hours separately arranged appointments…
• Agree a timetable (e.g. meetings, handing in draft chapters etc)
• Clarify unavailable periods – time away? Especially busy periods?
• Arrange supervision sessions before the end of July
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Some steps…• Read the handbook – it has a long
section specifically on the dissertations. • Identify key dates
– Second workshop – Monday 3rd March 2014, 1-3pm,
– Submit form stating provisional title/research area – Thursday 13th March 2014
– Submit research ethics form –Thursday 8th May 2014
– Submit dissertation–1st September 2014
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Structure of dissertation• Abstract (topic, method, key findings – c.200)• Introduction – why the research is important; key
findings (c.1000-1500)• Literature review – existing research; conceptual
framework. Theoretical and empirical context (c. 3000)
• Methodology – what you did (and why you did it); ethical issues; connections to theoretical approach; research questions (c. 1000)
• Empirical chapter(s) • Conclusions (c.1000)• Bibliography
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Length of dissertation• 15,000 words, excluding title,
abstract, bibliography, appendices, footnotes and endnotes (within reasonable use).
• Penalties:– 1-500 words over = 3 marks
deducted– 501-1000 words over = 6 marks
deducted– As so on in 500 word increments
• Thorough editing makes writing better
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Think about• Plagiarism• Running out of time:
– Starting too late– Poor planning
• Map out aims and objects on calendar• Build in time for reviewing / revising
– Technology– Submission deadline is the last possible
time you can submit, not the only day you can submit!
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Value your dissertation• Self-directed study – what you
want to do• Chance to work closely with
experienced researchers• Develop your skills through
practice• Conduct a sustained piece of
research• Develop expertise in a particular
topic• Lay groundwork for further study
(PhD…)
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Next…• Monday 3rd March, Room SO.11,
1.00-3.00• Developing your topic further• Theory-based dissertations• Consideration of ethical dilemmas• Considering PhD research• Any others areas you would like us
to cover….