Title:
Succeeding with your master's dissertation : a step-by-step handbook
Personal Author:
Series:
Open UP study skills
Edition:
2nd ed.
Publication Information:
Maidenhead : McGraw Hill/Open University Press, c2011
Physical Description:
325 p. : ill. ; 23 cm
ISBN:
9780335242252
Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000010282985 | LB2369 B544 2011 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
On Order
Summary
Summary
This excellent new edition demystifies the dissertation writing process by taking a step-by-step approach to the writing cycle and giving examples of the common mistakes students make.
Author Notes
Dr John Biggam is a lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He has an international reputation in teaching and learning. He is also a Union Learning Representative, the first in Scotland for the University and College Union (UCU).
Table of Contents
| Introduction |
| A Master's dissertation: what is it? |
| So, what skills do you need to succeed? |
| Watch your words! |
| How to use this book |
| Summary of key points |
| Preparing for your dissertation |
| Putting together your research proposal |
| Research focus and overall research aim |
| Research objectives and keywords |
| Research methods |
| Setting a timescale |
| Producing a dissertation template |
| Supervisor meetings |
| Supervisor and Student: roles and responsibilities |
| Summary of key points |
| Developing your i-skills |
| What are i-skills? |
| Information needs |
| Organising skills |
| Literature search techniques |
| Speed reading skills |
| Critiquing skills |
| Communication skills and mind-mapping |
| Summary of key points |
| The dissertation Introduction |
| The general structure of the Introduction |
| Background |
| Research focus (revisited) |
| Overall research aim and individual research objectives |
| Value of your research |
| A further suggestion |
| Summary of key points |
| The Literature Review |
| Focus on your research objectives |
| Referencing |
| Description vs critical evaluation |
| Learning theory and your dissertation |
| Structuring your Literature Review |
| Summary of key points |
| Systematic Reviews |
| What is a systematic review? |
| The stages of a systematic review |
| AMSTAR: a checklist for systematic reviews |
| Summary of key points |
| Research methods |
| What's it all about? |
| Research strategy |
| Introduction |
| Quantitative vs qualitative research |
| Sampling techniques |
| Positivism and phenomenology |
| Justifying your research strategy |
| The question of reliability (and validity) |
| Data collection |
| Preparation, preparation, preparation |
| What and why? |
| Framework for data analysis |
| Limitations and potential problems |
| Summary of key points |
| Writing up your findings |
| The general approach |
| The process of description, analysis and synthesis: an example |
| Summary of key points |
| Concluding your dissertation |
| What's in a Conclusion? |
| Research objectives: summary of findings and conclusions |
| Recommendations |
| Contribution to knowledge |
| Self-reflection |
| Summary of key points |
| Finally: Writing the abstract? |
| What is an abstract? |
| How to write an abstract |
| Abstract template |
| Summary of key points |
| Practical issues |
| Presenting your work and preparing for a viva |
| Presenting your work: common mistakes |
| Preparing for a viva |
| The marking scheme |
| Good grammar |
| A word of warning: plagiarism |
| What counts as plagiarism? |
| What if you are accused of plagiarism? |
| Research ethics |
| Summary of good practice to adopt and bad practice to avoid |
| Forewarned is forearmed |
| Dissertation writing: summary of good practice to adopt and bad practice to avoid |
| Practical issues: summary of good practice to adopt and bad practice to avoid |
