Dissertation Workshop 1Essay Writing/Dissertation Planning

John Solomos Department of Sociology

Today…• Issues about essay writing

– Expectations– Style– Presentation

• Dissertation– Planning your dissertation– Choosing your topic– Preparing the review of literature and

research

Deadlines…• Essays

– 6th January 2014, Term 1– 28th April 2014, Term 2

• Dissertation– 1st September 2014, Submit

Dissertation

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

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

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

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

Any questions?• Do you have any questions about

essays?– Expectations we have about essays– How we mark essays– Feedback on your essays

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

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?

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

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?

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

Look at examples• Look at past examples

– Scope– Structure– Aims and objectives– Questions

• Selection of high-graded dissertations available to borrow

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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…)

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….