Dissertation Thread 2013-2014

Original post by flux5454

Hi guys

Appreciate this message has probably been posted on here hundreds of times but here we go!

Basically struggling/ pulling my hair out for a dissertation topic. As I am a business studies student I have picked supply chain as a topic area, with specific interest within the automotive industry.

I am constantly hitting a dead end when it comes down to a research title. Any advice guys just anything would be great at this moment in time as I do not want to let this beat me.

Regards

Matthew

I have no specific advice, as I don't know much about business studies. All I can say is that I didn't have a proper question until I had done quite a bit of research. I think the best thing to do is do as much reading in the general area as you can, and look for somewhere where there is a bit of a gap or the potential for you to expand a bit on something that's already been done.

Once I got a more specific idea, I got my supervisor to help me phrase the actual question/research title.

What is the aim of your dissertation? Would you want to suggest improvements to suply chains? Would you like to compare supply chains across different industries? Would you just be discussing/describing supply chain with reference to specific areas? If you know what you are trying to do, this can help you come up with a title- e.g. "A comparison of..." "A discussion of X with specific reference to Y". You can then work on making it a bit catchier.

Reply 83

flux5454

4

Hi
Thank you for your advice, it was extremely helpful.

And this is the problem I have in regards to the aim of the dissertation.

I have so far filtered it down to Supply chain topic and then based on RFID (radio frequency identification) and how they can increase efficiency within the supply chain.

Thanks

Matthew

Reply 84

jojospacemunky

Original post by flux5454

Hi guys

Appreciate this message has probably been posted on here hundreds of times but here we go!

Basically struggling/ pulling my hair out for a dissertation topic. As I am a business studies student I have picked supply chain as a topic area, with specific interest within the automotive industry.

I am constantly hitting a dead end when it comes down to a research title. Any advice guys just anything would be great at this moment in time as I do not want to let this beat me.

Regards

Matthew

Find something you are passionate about and then it will be easier i think, but also, do background research ie: know if you are going to be able to carrying out your own research, for instance i had to change mine slightly as i was originally doing "The Economic Impacts of a large scale dance event moving destinations within a country for first time in 3 years" when i tried to obtain data and everything i was hitting brick walls so i am still looking at the large scale dance event in question but relating it to how EDM has grown globally :smile:

But i am sure you will find your topic area .. one other thing is dont stress or panic too much

Reply 85

andrespi

So has anyone finished it early? I finished it today; reached the conclusion and the 10 thousand words limit. Now in January (will have to wait January for the supervisor's feedback because of christmas holiday) I will have one final meeting with my supervisor and then make last changes/proofread.

How much do you think I will spend for binding it? My uni requires 2 bound copies. But I want 4-5 other copies for myself, my parents and family. I hope I will not spend too much for some hard cover binding. It's the first time I have to bind something, so no idea of the prices in London.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 86

An acquaitance enlightened me she's already completed hers and she used a site to pay for it.

From what I read, it was amazing.

*checks bank balance*

Reply 87

NonaxD

Original post by Yawn11

An acquaitance enlightened me she's already completed hers and she used a site to pay for it.

From what I read, it was amazing.

*checks bank balance*

Its not worth getting caught and not getting your degree.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 88

Original post by NonaxD

Its not worth getting caught and not getting your degree.

Yeah... I know :moon:

Reply 89

Antifazian

My supervisor said that my lit review is really good and she had no negative feedback other than to look at the work of one more author to include :biggrin:

I feel far more confident about the rest of it now, going to start on the methods section over Christmas, set up my interviews for next term and collect together context material for one of the chapters.
I have 4 essays to do alongside my diss next term, going to try really hard not to get stressed about it, it is definitely very doable... :ahhhhh:

Reply 90

heidigirl

17

I'm getting really worried about my dissertation.

My lab work is not going well-the method I'm meant to be using for DNA extraction clearly isn't working (we did it once at a workshop where they taught us how to do it and it didn't work at all; I've since done it twice and both times the same sample came out as the only one that showed DNA) but my lab supervisor won't seem to accept this and keeps suggesting I do it again in case there's something I'm not doing right. I can see how maybe the same sample might be impervious to the pitfalls of the method due to being better quality than the others (we have big quality issues because they weren't stored right) but not to me messing it up both times (given that I used different tissue amounts, incubated it at slightly different times etc).

I just don't have time for this; there are other avenues we can explore (another girl has had success on the same samples using a kit, so I could either do it the same way, or we could possibly use the same extractions provided my primers don't amplify her DNA) and instead we keep faffing about with it. She seems to think we have loads of time but whilst it's not due until mid-March, I will have to do all the data anaylsis and write it up and January is the only time we have totally free for lab work.

I'm just really worried I'm going to get to the end of Jan and still not have my DNA ready to be sequenced. It's so frustrating. :banghead:

Reply 91

Had a meeting with my supervisor to have a greed on a decent structure / subjects I will discuss in my review.

Question regarding word count - is true that it doesn't include citations??

Reply 92

Rakas21

21

Really interesting stuff here guys, i'll be doing mine next year but there's some good advise.

Reply 93

ChopinNocturne

15

Original post by Yawn11

Had a meeting with my supervisor to have a greed on a decent structure / subjects I will discuss in my review.

Question regarding word count - is true that it doesn't include citations??

Our word count includes citations (I think) but excludes footnotes/endnotes/bibliography.

I am facing the prospect of a 10,000 word dissertation, two 3,500 word extended essays for another topic, and a 3000-4000 word extended essay for a third topic. Thanks Oxford... :cry2:

Reply 94

SpicyStrawberry

OP

18

Original post by Yawn11

Had a meeting with my supervisor to have a greed on a decent structure / subjects I will discuss in my review.

Question regarding word count - is true that it doesn't include citations??

Sorry if this is too late of a reply but citations are included in the word count on my course, but the references section and appendices aren't. Do check with your supervisor if you're unsure if it will have a big impact on your word count if citations are added/taken out of the end number.

Reply 95

Original post by SpicyStrawberry

Sorry if this is too late of a reply but citations are included in the word count on my course, but the references section and appendices aren't. Do check with your supervisor if you're unsure if it will have a big impact on your word count if citations are added/taken out of the end number.

Aye, I think you're correct.

It's the Keywords (which i'm already tired of seeing), that apparently don't count towards word count.

Reply 96

PixarIsGod

It is good reading how you guys are getting on!

I have not started writing mine yet :frown:

. I have two essays to hand in at the start of Jan, so I have bee concentrating on those. but Once Jan the 8th arrives, all my attention will be on my dissertation! We have a draft hand in of at least 4000 words by late feb. In an ideal world, I will get all 8000 words done so I can get feedback on it all. I am hoping for at least 72 in my dissertation so really need to make sure it is the best I can produce :biggrin:

Reply 97

SlowlorisIncognito

Original post by heidigirl

I'm getting really worried about my dissertation.

My lab work is not going well-the method I'm meant to be using for DNA extraction clearly isn't working (we did it once at a workshop where they taught us how to do it and it didn't work at all; I've since done it twice and both times the same sample came out as the only one that showed DNA) but my lab supervisor won't seem to accept this and keeps suggesting I do it again in case there's something I'm not doing right. I can see how maybe the same sample might be impervious to the pitfalls of the method due to being better quality than the others (we have big quality issues because they weren't stored right) but not to me messing it up both times (given that I used different tissue amounts, incubated it at slightly different times etc).

I just don't have time for this; there are other avenues we can explore (another girl has had success on the same samples using a kit, so I could either do it the same way, or we could possibly use the same extractions provided my primers don't amplify her DNA) and instead we keep faffing about with it. She seems to think we have loads of time but whilst it's not due until mid-March, I will have to do all the data anaylsis and write it up and January is the only time we have totally free for lab work.

I'm just really worried I'm going to get to the end of Jan and still not have my DNA ready to be sequenced. It's so frustrating. :banghead:

This sounds really frustrating and I can totally empathise. I think the only thing you can do is try the method one more time in January, and if it doesn't work, go to your supervisor with another method that you want to do instead e.g. the kit the other girl used. If you go to her with a solution, rather than just a problem, she might be more amenable to you changing methods, especially if it's not much work for her!

I know what you mean about supervisors saying you have loads of time. I am ahead of you, in that my data collection and analysis is done and I have written up my methods. My supervisor said that we were well ahead, finishing this in December, however, I feel like I should have a lot more done! It's like they expect everyone to write up at the last minute, forgetting we will have other coursework to do then!

I've finished all my other work for the Christmas period, so now I'm going to spend the next week focusing on my dissertation, and will hopefully manage to get lots done.

Reply 98

SlowlorisIncognito