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The Dissertation Thread 2015-2016

When I was doing my dissertation, the dissertation chat thread was really helpful to me- it was helpful in second year when I was picking a topic and a supervisor, and helpful in third year, when I was actually writing the damn thing.

Researching and writing your dissertation can be a real slog, so chatting to others in the same boat really helped me.

I haven't seen a dissertation chat thread yet this year, so I though I'd start the thread up.

If you're writing a dissertation this year (undergrad or masters) why not post and say hello and tell everyone what your dissertation is/is going to be on? If you're having any problems, please feel free to ask for help as well.

Post your survey & research requests here :h:
(edited 8 years ago)

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I just graduated from MSc and I did my dissertation in 96 hours.

If anyone needs help for qualitative research in social science, feel free to ask me here and I can guide you (e.g... epistemology, sampling methods, coding, etc etc)

Best tip I can advise for quantitative/qualitative research in social science (and other subjects) is...
1. You have to rationalize everything (e.g. your methodology, your topic, your questions, your potential bias, etc).. like.. Why did you choose to have a sample size of a particular number? Why is the sampling technique chosen? what is the rationale of your hypothesis and research question and how do they relate to your argument and topic?!?! Two common ways of rationalizing is to use journal research to backup your point, or use previous research / studies that corroborates with your methodology.
2. The epistemology / methodology has to make sense... e.g. hypothesis are tested using quantitative statistics... to keep things simple, don't use hypothesis with qualitative research. If the epistemology and research doesn't make sense, then your whole research is gonna be flawed from the start to end.

Good luck
Original post by AlanChanXD
I just graduated from MSc and I did my dissertation in 96 hours.


Whaaaaaaaat :yikes: Did you not eat or sleep for 4 days?!

Great advice in your post, thanks for sharing it :h: Hopefully everyone writing their dissertation this year will take it on board :dumbells:
Mine was fairly easy to be honest, relatively speaking. I just wrote and explained what I did in the lab, the theory behind the science the experiments were based on and what I was looking for, then wrote up the evidence I gathered and wrote conclusion based off of it and what I would do in the future to get better results. This time I was working on my own and actually had something to write about as apposed to the *******s group work in previous years. I got a first for it:h:
(edited 8 years ago)
Hey,

I've just started writing my final year undergraduate dissertation on 'Macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of blunt force trauma on pig long bones'.
Most difficult thing I've ever had to write!
I'm currently doing mine - Smart cities with the aim of designing a smart campus. I'm so done with it already :angry: Hopefully it's just cause of other deadlines going on but I just feel majorly behind despite my supervisor saying he's happy with my progress
Original post by Lostox
Hey,

I've just started writing my final year undergraduate dissertation on 'Macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of blunt force trauma on pig long bones'.
Most difficult thing I've ever had to write!


Original post by Transtorm
I'm currently doing mine - Smart cities with the aim of designing a smart campus. I'm so done with it already :angry: Hopefully it's just cause of other deadlines going on but I just feel majorly behind despite my supervisor saying he's happy with my progress


It helped me loads to think of my dissertation as actually being four 2,500 word essays, which really makes it all more digestable :biggrin: :woo:
Undergraduate dissertation on how martial arts such as taekwondo can encourage and develop physical literacy. Am doing alright at moment, am collecting my data and writing my literature review, am pretty much on course with a sample timetable for doing my dissertation that we were shown by our lecturer which is good.


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I'm a third year linguistics student- I have to submit my two dissertation topic ideas by the 27th Nov and I'm still struggling to stick to an idea
Original post by Transtorm
I'm currently doing mine - Smart cities with the aim of designing a smart campus. I'm so done with it already :angry: Hopefully it's just cause of other deadlines going on but I just feel majorly behind despite my supervisor saying he's happy with my progress


If your supervisor is happy, you must be doing alright :tongue: I think it is really hard to get the mix right between prioritizing you dissertation and getting other work done. Maybe over Christmas, you'll have time to get ahead of schedule which might make you feel better?

Original post by Lostox
Hey,

I've just started writing my final year undergraduate dissertation on 'Macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of blunt force trauma on pig long bones'.
Most difficult thing I've ever had to write!


That sounds like a really interesting topic, but also very challenging! Good Luck!

Original post by lozzielizzie
Undergraduate dissertation on how martial arts such as taekwondo can encourage and develop physical literacy. Am doing alright at moment, am collecting my data and writing my literature review, am pretty much on course with a sample timetable for doing my dissertation that we were shown by our lecturer which is good.


Posted from TSR Mobile


That sounds really interesting. Having a sample timetable does really help with knowing where you should be and what you're doing. Data collection is always so time consuming- and often the data doesn't quite reflect what you'd like it to :tongue:

Original post by oliviarheya
I'm a third year linguistics student- I have to submit my two dissertation topic ideas by the 27th Nov and I'm still struggling to stick to an idea


Picking a topic can be really hard, especially if you've got a free choice. Is the problem that you've got too many ideas, or that you're struggling to think of any?
Is a dissertation compulsory for majority of degrees or can you opt for more module choices to make up the credits?
What would be the better option 1) dissertation or 2) taking on more modules.
Original post by XxKingSniprxX
Is a dissertation compulsory for majority of degrees or can you opt for more module choices to make up the credits?
What would be the better option 1) dissertation or 2) taking on more modules.


Not all courses have dissertations - I've known some where only a select amount of students are given the opportunity to write a dissertation, depending on their work in the first and second year.

I would make sure to ask about the courses you apply for to see if a dissertation is compulsory or not.

I'd personally go for a dissertation just because I think it's a good thing to do but it's your choice in the end. :h:
I'm doing mine atm, need to work out a proper title, but basically it's on reinterpretations of Homeric myth from the points of view of Helen and Penelope.

I was previously doing another topic, but the tutor who would have supervised it died and nobody else has enough expertise (my fault for doing something so niche, I suppose!). I was planning to leave uni and NEVER RETURN but my tutor suggested using my previous topic as a masters thesis, and now I'm really tempted...
Reply 13
my research proposal is due in 2 days but due to severe extenuating circumstances it has been pushed back to the 10th December luckily!

my actual lab work doesn't start until next semester though :yep: but I know the cost of 1 sole piece of equipment I'm being trusted with which led me to question as to why I'm being trusted with it!

Any advice from previous students who have done a lab based project?
Original post by SlowlorisIncognito


Picking a topic can be really hard, especially if you've got a free choice. Is the problem that you've got too many ideas, or that you're struggling to think of any?


I think it's mainly because I'm struggling to shorten down my broad topics but I have planned a meeting with my advisor this week to discuss my ideas
Original post by Puddles the Monkey
It helped me loads to think of my dissertation as actually being four 2,500 word essays, which really makes it all more digestable :biggrin: :woo:


People should be careful not to take that too literally. You have to produce one, cohesive essay at the end of it, however you think about it.
Reply 16
I'm in the process of writing a dissertation for Computer Science.

One big question I have is proofreading. Is it worth investing money by using a professional service to proofread my work? Also, does this count as cheating?
Original post by UWS
I'm in the process of writing a dissertation for Computer Science.

One big question I have is proofreading. Is it worth investing money by using a professional service to proofread my work? Also, does this count as cheating?


No, just read through it carefully yourself a few times, and get a friend to double check.
Reply 18
Original post by TimmonaPortella
No, just read through it carefully yourself a few times, and get a friend to double check.


That's long though, i'll probably end up having over 25,000 words lol!

But I'll worry about that when I'm done. First, I have to write he darn thing :frown:
Original post by UWS
That's long though, i'll probably end up having over 25,000 words lol!

But I'll worry about that when I'm done. First, I have to write he darn thing :frown:


Seriously, it's not worth entrusting some service, which will work to its own schedule, with your work for money.

25,000 words is less than it sounds. It shouldn't take more than an afternoon to check through.

It will help if you're careful when you're writing it in the first place, and check as you go along.

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