HOW TO WRITE

A DISSERTATION
What is a dissertation?
Dissertation" is derived from the Latin word dissertatio,
meaning "discourse". Dissertation is an extensive
(typically structured) assignment requiring an in-depth
research by the student.
It contains a detailed exploration of evidence based on
a central research question and hypothesis
formulated by the researcher. The evidence referred to
may comprise evidence from published texts, for example
if you are exploring the literary texts of a particular writer,
or it may consist of primary data gathered by your own,
first-hand research, for example a sociological study of
attitudes to gender roles based on research methods such
as interviews and questionnaires.

Meaning of research
Research is an endeavour to discover answers
to intellectual and practical problems through
the application of scientific method.

Research is a systematized effort to gain new
knowledge. -Redman and Mory.


Research is the systematic process of collecting
and analyzing information (data) in order to
increase our understanding of the
phenomenon about which we are concerned or
interested.

CRITERIA OF A GOOD RESEARCH/
QUALITIES OF A GOOD RESEARCH
Systematic
Logical
Empirical
Replicable
Creative
Use of multiple methods such as:

EXPLORATION
DESCRIPTION
DIAGNOSIS
HYPOTHESIS
INDUCTIONS AND DEDUCTIONS



RESEARCH PROCESS




Define Research Problem

Review concepts and theories

Review previous research findings

Formulate research question
Formulate hypothesis
Design research (Including Sample Design)
Collect Data (Execution)
Analyse Data (Test Hypothesis if any)
Interpret and report



REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Literature Review is the documentation of a
comprehensive review of the published and
unpublished work from secondary sources of data in
the areas of specific interest to the researcher.
The main aim is to find out problems that are already
investigated and those that need further
investigation.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
It is an extensive survey of all
available past studies relevant to
the field of investigation.
It gives us knowledge about what
others have found out in the related
field of study and how they have
done so.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW
To gain a background knowledge of the research
topic.
To identify the concepts relating to it, potential
relationships between them and to formulate
researchable hypothesis.
To identify appropriate methodology, research
design, methods of measuring concepts and
techniques of analysis.
To identify data sources used by other researchers.
To learn how others structured their reports

How to conduct the Literature Survey?
Identify the relevant sources.
Extract and Record relevant information.
Write-up the Literature Review.

SOURCES OF LITERATURE
Primary sources
Secondary sources

Books and Journals
Electronic Databases
Bibliographic Databases
Abstract Databases
Full-Text Databases
Govt. and Industry Reports
Internet
Research Dissertations / Thesis

SOURCE CARDS



The recording of bibliographic information should be made in proper
bibliographic format.

Reference to a Book
Authors Surname, Name/INITIALS., Title in Italics. Edition (if not the first),
Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Bourdieu, M. and Passeron, J., Reproduction in Education, Society and
Culture. 2
nd
ed, London: Sage, 1984.

Reference to a Chapter
Spencer, J., Nationalism. In: A. Barnaud and J. Spencer, eds., Encyclopaedia
of Social and Cultural Anthropology, London: Routledge, 1996, pp.500-515.

Reference to a Journal Article
Van Leeuwen, T. and Wodak, R., Legitimizing Immigration Control: A
Discourse-Historical Analysis. Discourse Studies, 1(1), 1999, pp.80-120.

Reference to a Newspaper Article
Cohen, N. (or NEWSPAPER TITLE, if author is not available), Messing with
the Feds, The Observer, 26 August, 2001, p.20a.



Reference to a Public Document
Refugee Council Briefing, The Development of Refugee
Settlement Policy in the UK, Paris: UNHCR, Report number
12, 1998.
Reference to web pages /sites and e-books/ e-journals
Kellner, D., Critical Theory, Poststructuralism and the
Philosophy of Liberation [online]. Place of publication,
publisher (if ascertainable). Available from:
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/faculty/kellner/Illumina%20Folde
r/kell7.htm, 1996, [Accessed 27 February 2002]/consult le 27
fvrier 2007/consulted on....
Reference to a video, film or broadcast
Birds in the Garden, Video, London: Harper videos,1998.

Points to be kept in mind while reviewing
literature..
Read relevant literature.
Refer original works.
Read with comprehension.
Read in time.
Index the literature

How to find a topic?
On what topic do I wish to do a
dissertation?
What is the subject or thrust of my research?
How many elements are there to this topic?
Can I make it more focused, more specific?

What do I NOT want to investigate?
What are the boundaries of the topic?
How do I decide to include and exclude certain
aspects?


How to find a topic?
Decide what do you want to study:
A text or a group of texts (literary, theoretical, political,
historical, commercial, journalistic)
A theory/A concept
An author/a personality
A genre/a movement
A film
An art object
A historical event
A political/economic/social situation/group/institution
An approach/ a method
A problem/a policy etc.
How to find a topic?
After you have decided the broad subject of the study,
you need to think about the following elements of it:
The content (theme, message, characters etc.)
The form (the structure, the presentation, the
components/units& their relations to the whole etc.)
The historical background
The reception/reaction/response to it
Cause-effect relationships

How to find a topic?
Next you have to think about the approach or the
methodology that you are going to adopt in order to
analyze what you are studying. Methdoology can be
of the following types:
Theoritical (Marxist, Psychoanalytical, Formalist,
Structuralist, Modernist, Feminist, Phenomenological,
Post-structuralist, Post-modern, Post-feminist, Post-
colonial, Historicist etc.)
Empirical (based on concrete data and its analysis)
Analytical
Descriptive
Comparative etc.

How to find a topic?
Finally you have to check the following:
whether your study is going to make a fresh
contribution to your field of study or similar
researches have been carried out in this field. For
this you can search dissertation/thesis
title/abstract online to avoid repetition. You
should also look for bibliographical references.
Whether your project is feasible, given limited
resources and time. Try not to be too ambitious at
the outset.
SELECT A GOOD
WORKING TITLE
The title should state the focus of the inquiry

It should show the boundaries of the topic

Incorporate the main purpose and the topic

Eliminate extraneous concerns

If lucky, it can be clever and catchy,
memorable

How to begin?
Check library and internet sources
Select
The newest
The author who has written the most on topic
What you think are best sources
Check out or print no more than 6 total
(books and articles)
Use these before proceeding
Use their bibliography and notes to
continue

Research question/Problmatique
A research question is the methodological point of
departure of scholarly research in both the natural sciences
and humanities. It is the question which the research sets
out to answer.
Problematization involves making the implicit explicit.
According to Levi Strauss: The scholar is not the one who
gives the right answers, but he who asks the right
questions." The problmatique may consist of breaking
down an original question into a number of individual
questions and then organizing those new questions into a
hierarchy.
PROBLEM (VS) HYPOTHESIS
Hypothesis is an assumption, that can
be tested and can be proved to be right
or wrong.
A problem is a broad question which
cannot be directly tested. A problem
can be scientifically investigated after
converting it into a form of hypothesis

HYPOTHESIS

HYPOTHESIS

Hypothesis are tentative, intelligent guesses as to
the solution of the problem.
Hypothesis is a specific statement of prediction.
It describes in concrete terms what you expect to
happen in the study.
It delimits the area of research and keeps the
researcher on the right track


Structure of dissertation

As stated, you must check with your supervisor and what the required structure is, as there are many
variations. A basic framework would be:
Title page
Title, your name, course name, date, name of supervisor

Declaration/Certificate Page

Acknowledgements
You thank to those who have assisted you

Table of contents
Chapters and/or sections & sub-sections with page numbers

Table of figures
If appropriate
List of acronyms

Abstract
One paragraph summarising the whole dissertation both in English and in the target language.




.

Structure of dissertation

Introduction
A presentation of your question/problem/hypothesis, scope and objective of the research,
methodology with a brief outline of the structure of your work

Main body/discussion
The facts, evidence, analysis, evaluation and discussion. All very well structured: arts/social
sciences tending towards chapters; sciences/engineering towards sections; business a
mixture of the two.

Conclusion/findings
Where you bring it all together, stating very clearly your answer to your central question
and if appropriate making recommendations, suggestions etc. It should also present the
limitations of your work.

Bibliography
A complete list of your primary and secondary sources, correctly formatted and presented
in alphabetical order.
Glossary
Appendices/Annexures
Any information not central to your main text or too large to be included: for example,
complete questionnaires, copies of letters, maps etc.
Other sections you may be asked to include could be terms of reference,
procedure, executive summary, literature review or recommendations












INTRODUCTION
(approx. 10% of total words)

'The context'. Why to do this study? Why now?
Why here? Why you? The aims of the study.
The introduction is very important and is possibly
best compiled by answering a series of questions as
follows.
Is there a problem?
What is it?
Why does it need to be solved?
What is your hypothesis (hunch)?

INTRODUCTION
(approx. 10% of total words)
Who will benefit from your investigation?
In what sense will they benefit?
In what sense will your contribution add to what is
already known?
How in general terms are you going to solve the problem,
e.g., collect data, analyse data?
By what methods? E.g., a case study approach.
How are you going to make chapters (chapterisation)
Define your corpus
A good way to end the introduction is to state the
dissertation objectives.

Conclusion (approx. 10% of total words)
Summarize the findings discussed in various
chapters
Make concluding remarks to highlight your final
findings. It is a good idea to reiterate your initial
hypothesis to show whether it can be validated
through your findings.
Present limitations and short comings of your
research
Present suggestions and recommendations for future
researchers by focusing on new dimensions that your
research can be extended to.
Main body of research (Approx75% of total
words)
Exploration, analysis, literature review providing
evidence to your arguments to demonstrate the
central hypothesis should be part of this section.
It has to be structured in a balanced manner by
making chapters of almost equal lengths.
Each chapter should deal with a sub-problem and
sub-hypothesis.
The dissertation should contain a minimum of three
and a maximum of five well elaborated chapters.
Each one having a separate title related to the
hypothesis.
WHAT KIND OF ANSWERS DO YOU
NEED?
Anecdotal information?
Historical background?
Statistical data?
Corroboration from multiple sources?
How much data do you need?
What kind of authority is required?
How up to date must information be?

IMPOSE LOGIC ON CHAOS
Organize the elements into a logical
approach of some kind --
Inductive (specific to general)

Deductive (general to specific)

Chronological (time sequence)

Forward--Backward--Mix
Overview (assess all parts of a debate, dispute)
Problem statement, assessment and recommendation

Writing
It doesnt matter which part you start
writing but start!
It can be the beginning, the middle or the
end (but they have to fit)
Make yourself write some each day, if only a
paragraph on some section of the paper
Make sure you are following your outline of
the topic
Let it sitread aloudcorrect and rewrite

Plagiarism
All of the following are considered plagiarism:
turning in someone else's work as your own
copying words or ideas from someone else without giving
credit
failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
giving incorrect information about the source of a
quotation
changing words but copying the sentence structure of a
source without giving credit
copying so many words or ideas from a source that it
makes up the majority of your work, whether you give
credit or not

Fair Use
The nature of your use: If you have merely copied something, it is
unlikely to be considered fair use. But if the material has been
transformed in an original way through interpretation, analysis, etc., it
is more likely to be considered "fair use."
The amount you've used: The more you've "borrowed," the less
likely it is to be considered fair use. What percentage of your work is
"borrowed" material? What percentage of the original did you use? The
lower the better.
The effect of your use on the original: If you are creating a work
that competes with the original in its own market, and may do the
original author economic harm, any substantial borrowing is unlikely
to be considered fair use. The more the content of your work or its
target audience differs from that of the original, the better.

Avoiding plagiarism
Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided,
however, by citing sources. Simply
acknowledging that certain material has
been borrowed, and providing your
audience with the information necessary to
find that source, is usually enough to
prevent plagiarism - provided that your
work does not unacceptably rely on other
people's words. Remember, it is you that is
writing the dissertation - copying other
people's work whether or not you cite
affects your originality.
Useful sites
http://www.howtowriteadissertation.co.uk/dissertat
ion-marking.php
http://www.howtowriteessay.co.uk/referencing.php
http://www.uwic.ac.uk/ltsu/u_area/studyskills/unit
11.html
http://www.ssdd.uce.ac.uk/learner/writingguides/1.
03.htm

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