Microsession for the Dissertation Deli week, Newcastle University, 2015. This session focusses on the first steps of settling on and refining a research topic.
Fostering Friendships - Enhancing Social Bonds in the Classroom
Dissertations: Refining your Topic
1. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Dr Helen Webster
On behalf of the Writing Development Centre
Robinson Library
For Starters:
Refining your research topic
and first steps
For enquiries about workshops, please email wdc@ncl.ac.uk
2. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Who and where are we?
Undergraduate or postgraduate?
HASS, SAgE or FMS?
Just starting dissertation, somewhere
in the middle, or near the end?
4. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Writing to find or refine your
research question
Freewriting: Write for 10 minutes, without
stopping or editing, to explore and develop
your ideas. Highlight anything useful.
Brainstorm all the questions you can think
of.
Arrange them in a hierarchy
Prioritise them
Identify which are linked
5. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Knowledge
Understanding
Application
Analysis
Evaluation
Synthesis
ideas
connections
extensions
Critical hierarchy: Bloom’s taxonomy
7. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Reading to find or refine your
research question
Don’t read whole texts in depth at this stage! You
may need to read texts more than once for
different reasons
Read titles, abstracts, introductions, conclusions
Look for
Research questions (abstract and introduction)
Debates and critiques in the literature review
(introduction)
Further research needed (conclusion)
8. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Refining your research
What is your dissertation about?
What are you going to do?
What question will you answer?
What problem does it solve?
What might your answer look like?
9. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Refining a question or problem
‘Public transport in Scotland’
Examination of the influence of public transport links on
new housing development in
Western Scotland’
‘Investigation of the relationship between public transport
links and the development of new areas of housing in
Western Scotland: a comparison of local plans and
building development since 1990’
What is the relationship, and how does it work?
March 3, 2015
10. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
What makes a good research
question?
Analytical, not just descriptive (what and
why/how?)
Valid, not containing false assumptions
Focussed, objective and precise
Answerable – a clear method or approach, a
hypothesis
Appropriate – for your subject and level of
study
Achievable – time, wordcount, resources
Interesting and purposeful – to you, to others
11. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Other things to consider:
• Is there suitable supervision expertise?
• Existing scholarship – too much or too little?
• Is the scholarship available to you?
• Is the topic insignificant, outdated or
unfashionable?
• Do you need specialist skills, do you have
time to acquire them?
• Do you have access to any data you need?
12. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Next steps
In order to answer your research question, what other
questions might you need to answer?
This helps with:
Distinguishing nice-to-know from need-to-know
Focussing and narrowing (prioritise them)
Creating a project plan
Focussing your literature search and review
Creating structure (which order should they be answered in?)
13. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Breaking it down
How do young people make educational and career decisions at the
end of compulsory schooling?
Do young people make decisions in similar ways at later points in their
educational careers?
What sources of information do they use to help their decision making?
What counts as ‘young people’?
Which individuals are influential in shaping their choices?
How do decisions made at this point affect their future career trajectories?
What does ‘career decision’ mean?
What factors do young people consider when making their choices?
How do they evaluate and rank sources of advice?
Adapted from Patrick White: Developing research questions: a guide for social
scientists
14. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Creating a project plan
Break down your questions into tasks. What would
you need to do to answer them? Make these
steps
SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant,
Timebound
How long might each task take?
How many words might each constitute in your
dissertation?
What resources or input do you need to make a start on
each?
15. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
The process of writing a
dissertation
Decide stuff
Find/Read
stuff
Write stuff
Check and
Hand stuff
in
March 3, 2015
Writing
Thinking
Research
16. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Expect the Unexpected
• “You’re confused about what you’re supposed to be
researching and not sure how to go about things.
• Your research is changing emphasis because you’ve found a
new area of interest or your data/reading is leading you to
new ways of thinking about your topic.
• Your dissertation topic isn’t manageable in the way you
originally expected and is morphing into a more practical
project.
• You’re no longer interested in what you started off doing and
have got sidetracked by following what really interests you
rather than sticking to your original plan.”
Carrie Winstanley, 2009. Writing a Dissertation for Dummies
March 3, 2015
17. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Tuesday 12-12.30 For Starters: Refining your research topic
and first steps
Wednesday: 12-12.30 Getting Critical: the Literature Review and
Beyond
Thursday: 12-12.30 Whetting Appetites: Introductions and
Conclusions
Friday: 12-12.30 Keeping Going: Managing your Time,
Tasks and Motivation
1.30-2:00 The Last Course: Managing the Final
Stages
Writers groups:
Wednesday 2-3 Friday 10-11
18. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
The Writing Development Centre
Understanding assignment types, questions, instructions and marking
criteria
Critical thinking, critiquing and reviewing literature
Note-taking from lectures and reading
Planning and structuring writing (incl. paragraphing)
Academic writing style (incl. fundamentals of grammar)
Understanding and using feedback to improve your work
Referencing, citing and avoiding plagiarism
Managing time, work and writing (incl. writers block and
procrastination)
Exams and Revision
Managing research projects, dissertations and theses
Presentations and posters
Learning effectively in lectures, seminars, classes, labs etc
19. Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
The Writing Development Centre
Level 2, Robinson Library
Our team offers:
- One-to-one tutorials on study
skills and all stages and types of
academic writing
- A programme of workshops on aspects
of study and academic writing
- Online resources
You can book appointments and workshops with us
online: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wdc/