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Succeeding with your master's dissertation a step-by-step handbook

✍ Scribed by Biggam, John


Publisher
Open University Press; McGraw-Hill Education
Year
2014;2015
Tongue
English
Leaves
346
Edition
Third editon
Category
Library

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✦ Synopsis


How do I plan a dissertation proposal? How do I clarify my research objectives? How do I conduct a literature review? What is essential to focus on while writing my Master's dissertation? This practical book offers straightforward guidance to help Master's students to clarify their objectives and structure their work in order to produce a successful dissertation.

Using case examples of both good and bad student practice, the handbook takes students through each step of the dissertation process, from their initial research proposal to the final submission. The author uses clear illustrations of what students need to do - or not do - to reach their potential, helping them to avoid the most common pitfalls.

This essential handbook covers: Producing focused and relevant research objectives Writing your literature review Citing your sources correctly Clearly explaining your use of research methods Writing up your findings Summarizing your work by linking your conclusions to your initial proposal Understanding marking schemes Aimed primarily at Master's students or students on short postgraduate courses in business, humanities and the social sciences, this book is also key reading for supervisors and undergraduates considering postgraduate study.

✦ Table of Contents


Succeeding with your Master's Dissertation......Page 1
Succeeding with Your Master’s Dissertation......Page 4
Praise Page......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 8
Acknowledgements......Page 12
A Master’s dissertation: what is it?......Page 14
So, what skills do you need to succeed?......Page 17
Watch your words!......Page 23
How to use this book......Page 24
Summary of key points......Page 26
What are i-skills?......Page 27
Information needs......Page 28
Organizing skills......Page 31
Literature search techniques......Page 34
Set boundaries......Page 35
Analyse sources......Page 36
Google it!......Page 37
University library databases......Page 40
Using social media in research......Page 43
Speed reading......Page 45
Communication skills and mind-mapping......Page 47
Further reading......Page 49
Summary of key points......Page 50
What is referencing?......Page 51
Referencing in the body of your dissertation......Page 52
Using Latin abbreviations and terms......Page 55
Creating a reference list......Page 59
What counts as plagiarism?......Page 65
What if you are accused of plagiarism?......Page 71
Further reading......Page 72
Summary of key points......Page 73
Putting together your research proposal......Page 74
Research proposal: working title......Page 75
Research proposal: overall research aim......Page 77
Research proposal: specific research objectives......Page 81
Research proposal: research methods......Page 83
Research proposal: setting a timescale......Page 84
Research proposal: ethics......Page 86
Producing a dissertation template......Page 89
Supervisor meetings......Page 92
Supervisor and student: roles and responsibilities......Page 94
An emotional journey......Page 97
Further reading......Page 103
Summary of key points......Page 104
The general structure of the Introduction......Page 105
Background......Page 106
Research focus (revisited)......Page 110
Overall research aim and individual research objectives......Page 113
Value of your research......Page 117
A further suggestion......Page 119
Summary of key points......Page 121
Focus on your research objectives......Page 122
Structuring your Literature Review......Page 126
Description vs critical evaluation......Page 130
Learning theory and your dissertation......Page 135
Good grammar......Page 138
Further reading......Page 145
Summary of key points......Page 146
What is a systematic review?......Page 147
The stages of a systematic review......Page 149
Stage 1: Determine review objective/question......Page 150
Stage 2: The literature search process......Page 151
Stage 3: What literature was selected (and why)?......Page 152
Stage 4: Pool studies......Page 154
Stage 5: Place findings in context......Page 155
AMSTAR: a checklist for systematic reviews......Page 157
Summary of key points......Page 159
What’s it all about?......Page 160
Introduction......Page 163
Case study......Page 164
Survey......Page 166
Ethnography......Page 168
Experimental research......Page 170
Historical research......Page 171
Action research......Page 173
Grounded theory......Page 174
Quantitative vs qualitative research......Page 175
Sampling techniques......Page 177
Positivism and phenomenology......Page 180
Justifying your research strategy......Page 182
The question of reliability (and validity)......Page 186
Preparation, preparation, preparation......Page 188
What and why?......Page 191
Framework for data analysis......Page 199
Limitations and potential problems......Page 207
Further reading......Page 212
Summary of key points......Page 213
The general approach......Page 214
The process of description, analysis and synthesis:an example......Page 217
Summary of key points......Page 224
What’s in a Conclusion?......Page 225
Research objectives: summary offindings and conclusions......Page 227
Recommendations......Page 233
Contribution to knowledge......Page 238
Self-reflection......Page 241
Summary of key points......Page 245
What is an abstract?......Page 246
How to write an abstract......Page 247
Abstract template......Page 251
Summary of key points......Page 253
Preparing for a viva......Page 254
The dissertation marking scheme......Page 258
Forewarned is forearmed......Page 264
Dissertation writing: summary of good practice to adopt and bad practice to avoid......Page 265
Appendix A: Dissertation proposal form (example 1)......Page 270
Appendix B: Dissertation proposal form (example 2)......Page 271
Appendix C: List of researchobjective keywords......Page 273
Appendix D: Sample dissertationproposal......Page 274
Appendix E: Sample Introduction......Page 278
Appendix F: Sample chapteroutline......Page 285
Appendix G: Sample Literature Review Introduction......Page 287
Appendix H: Sample Literature Review Conclusion......Page 288
Appendix I: Comprehensive setof useful verbs......Page 290
Appendix J: Sample ResearchMethods......Page 295
Appendix K: Samplequestionnaire......Page 315
Appendix L: Samplemarking sheet......Page 319
Appendix M: Sample completedmarking sheet......Page 320
References......Page 322
Index......Page 330
Back Cover......Page 346

✦ Subjects


Nonfiction;Academic;Reference;Research;Language;Writing


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