Researching and Writing a Dissertation: An Essential Guide for Business Students

✍ Scribed by Colin Fisher

• Publisher: Financial Times/ Prentice Hall
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 449
• Edition: 3
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Researching and Writing your Dissertation is an essential guide for students undertaking research projects as part of a postgraduate qualification in business or management. Seven accessible chapters guide the reader through the process from choosing a topic, to gathering and analysing data, and finally writing and presenting the results.

This book is ideal for students who may not be taking a taught and assessed module in research methods, but are undertaking management research for the first time and will benefit from guidance on the process, from start to finish.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Researching and Writing a Dissertation
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Who is this guide for?
What does doing a dissertation involve?
The process of doing a dissertation
What does working at Master’s level mean?
The assessment criteria
The learning outcomes and assessment criteria
Jargon, ‘isms’ and ‘ologies’
How to use this guide
Suggested reading
Other recommended books
References
Choosing a topic and designing the project
Introduction
Choosing a topic
Criteria for choosing a topic
A six-stage process for choosing your topic
Designing your project
Modes of knowledge
The researcher’s role
Methodological stance
Breadth or depth
Choice of research methods
Ethical considerations
Writing the research proposal
Summary
Suggested reading
References
Writing a critical literature review
Introduction
The sources
Searching for literature
Mapping and describing the literature
Describing the literature
Assessing the quality of an article or book
Forensic critique
Soundness of arguments
Evaluating arguments
Radical critique
The critical approach by Alistair Mutch
Developing a radical critique
Summary
Suggested reading
References
Concepts, conceptual frameworks and theories
Introduction
The roles of theory and conceptual frameworks
Developing conceptual frameworks
Defining concepts
Conceptual frameworks
Theories
Seeking inspiration: using your ‘intellectual baggage’
Examples of the use of conceptual frameworks
An example of conceptualising and theorising in a study of organisational cultures
Another example
Summary
Suggested reading
References
Collecting and analysing research material
Introduction
Discoverers
Structure of the chapter
The range of research methods
Interviews
Panels
Questionnaires
Documentary research
Observational research
Deciding whether to use open or pre-structured methods
Planning and setting milestones
Exploratory research methods
Collecting the material
Interpretive approaches
Analysing the material
Survey research methods: pre-coded and structured research methods
Collecting the material
Analysing the material: basic statistical analysis of data by Diannah Lowry
Summary
Suggested reading
References
Interpreting the research material
Introduction
Choosing an interpretive grid
Styles of interpretive grid and the problem of ‘universals’
Realism
Nominalism
Critical realism
Mixing interpretive grids
The validity and authenticity of research material
Saying what you mean
Saying what is valid
Improving the validity of research findings
Dialectical critique
Framing conclusions and recommendations
Problems of implementation
Accepting the limitations
Summary
Suggested reading
References
Framing arguments and writing up
Introduction
Structuring your dissertation
Writing a thesis, not just a dissertation
Constructing arguments
Constructing dialectical arguments
Supporting your arguments
Style guide
Dissertation, report and paper specifications
Style hints
Summary
Suggested reading
References
Using software for research
Introduction
Using Minitab and SPSS to analyse survey results by John Buglear
Software for analysing qualitative material by Carole Tansley
Summary
References
Index