# help with dissertation



## bev (Jul 12, 2009)

Hi all,

My daughter has just finished her 1st year at college and has decided to do an 'extra' project as apparently its getting harder to get into uni!

She has decided to do it on diabetes as she is hoping to do a human bioscience degree.

The problem is she has never done a dissertation before and its a 5000 word one. So are there any of you lovely people who could point her in the right direction? I personally dont have a clue as i never went to uni - left school with a measly 5 o' levels (if anyone remembers them!) - so any help would be very much appreciated!

The other great news about is that the tutor who will be marking it works on an ethics committee for discussions with NICE guidelines - and she is very interested in hearing about a child being diagnosed and all it entails to get a pump!

She also told my daughter that she can take A into college to present the project and people could ask him questions etc..and A seems very interested in doing this - which surprises me - but i think it may be good for his confidence!Thanks.Bev


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Jul 12, 2009)

hi bev - cant really help with any technical stuff but having not long ago finished my dissertation, i can offer guidance on how to structure it in a publishable way. Mine was 10k words, and i managed to get it done very quickly so 5k should be a breeze.

first of all: research research research. Make sure that things are cited within the next (not sure which was it would be as a science, I always had to use the Harvard method i.e. (Author date, page number) especially quotes. She will need to cite at least once a paragraph to avoid being done for plagiarism.

set up: 1) title page with all the gumph needed on it 2) acknowledgements 3) contents page - chapters AND figure numbers 4) Abstract - about 150 word overview of the entire thing - save it for the end 5) main body - split it into the following a)introduction b) Methodology c) results d) discussion e) conclusions (not too many words, remember its just summarising) f) bibliography --> but thats if she's doing it that way - you can play around with the layout and chapters.

and finally: take your time with it, enjoy writing it! With mine, I got so into it i could barely think of anything else 

I have my dissertation on my comp somewhere - if you like i can send it on so your daughter can see the basic layout and how to cite stuff?


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## katie (Jul 12, 2009)

Ooh I wish I could have done mine on diabetes!

The very first thing is the title, has she come up with a specific title yet?


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Jul 12, 2009)

OH and i forgot to add on: after the bibliography you place the appendices, if they're needed , which are things that add onto what you've said but aren't necessarily needed in the main text such as i dont know, examples of questionaires given to people or something


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## sasha1 (Jul 12, 2009)

Hi Bev,

Can't really help with the dissertation...I dint go to uni...and only managed to get 2 O' Levels at grade A..the rest were CSE's
Just wanted to say that is brilliant that A is wanting to go in and help his sister on the presentation....a real confidence boost...He's doing amazing Bev...and the majority of it is down to your help and support to Alex...your doing brilliant...
Heidi


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## bev (Jul 12, 2009)

salmonpuff said:


> OH and i forgot to add on: after the bibliography you place the appendices, if they're needed , which are things that add onto what you've said but aren't necessarily needed in the main text such as i dont know, examples of questionaires given to people or something




Wow! Thanks so much for this Sam! My daughter is very grateful and she said that if it isnt too much trouble for you - would it be ok to send a copy of your dissertation - just so that she can get an idea of the sort of layout that is needed? I promise i wont let anyone else see it - so it will be safe with us!

I could send you her details on a pm if thats ok with you?

She has just said that you have given much better advice so far on how to organise it all - more than she has learnt at college! So a big thankyou Sam!Bev x


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## bev (Jul 12, 2009)

katie said:


> Ooh I wish I could have done mine on diabetes!
> 
> The very first thing is the title, has she come up with a specific title yet?



Hi Katie!
Because its not a 'set' project - she has been told to have the title as the question she is trying to answer (if that makes sense!) - so for example she could use 'why is it so hard to get a pump' or 'what does type 1 diabetes mean to a child who is newly diagnosed'! So if you have any ideas on what she could use as the title that would be very much appreciated! Thanks Katie.Bev x


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Jul 12, 2009)

bev said:


> Wow! Thanks so much for this Sam! My daughter is very grateful and she said that if it isnt too much trouble for you - would it be ok to send a copy of your dissertation - just so that she can get an idea of the sort of layout that is needed? I promise i wont let anyone else see it - so it will be safe with us!
> 
> I could send you her details on a pm if thats ok with you?
> 
> She has just said that you have given much better advice so far on how to organise it all - more than she has learnt at college! So a big thankyou Sam!Bev x



of course its ok  I dont mind at all, I can send it off for you in a bit, its a pdf file zipped so will need unzipping


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## randomange (Jul 12, 2009)

Hi Bev

This sounds like a really good idea, and it will be great preparation for uni! 

I did a biochemistry degree for my undergrad, and I second what Salmonpuff has said. The most important thing is to research it and plan it out. The first thing I would ask though, is is it a literature based dissertation or more of a labwork type one? The reason I ask is that you won't need the methods and results sections if it's more like an essay, and I get the impression that may be what you daughter will be writing.

Like Salmonpuff I still have my dissertation (literature based report) and project report (lab based report) on my computer. They're just over 2500 words each, and I'd be happy to send them to you if you think it'd help.


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## bev (Jul 12, 2009)

Brilliant thanks Sam! I will send you a pm now with her email address. Your so kind.Thankyou.Bev


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## Mand (Jul 12, 2009)

Hi Bev
I did not go to uni either but glad that others are able to help you. I wish your daughter lots of good luck! 

Heidi, you beat me! I only got 1 'o' level (in English). The rest were CSE's. But i am very proud to say that this year i went to evening classes at my local college to study GCSE maths and am awating results!


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Jul 12, 2009)

randomange said:


> Hi Bev
> 
> This sounds like a really good idea, and it will be great preparation for uni!
> 
> ...



mine was more literature based but i still needed the methods and results section - but it may be to do with what department you're doing it for. My results was my discussion though


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## bev (Jul 12, 2009)

randomange said:


> Hi Bev
> 
> This sounds like a really good idea, and it will be great preparation for uni!
> 
> ...



Hi!
I just asked her and its a 'literature based' dissertation. That would be absolutely brilliant if you wouldnt mind sending a copy to her! She is so impressed with the speed of replies we have got on here! If you dont mind i will send you her email address and if and when you have time - could you please send her a copy? Of course the same applies that we wont show it to anyone else and of course she wouldnt copy it at all, its more to do with seeing how they are set etc.. Thankyou!Bev x


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## randomange (Jul 12, 2009)

salmonpuff said:


> mine was more literature based but i still needed the methods and results section - but it may be to do with what department you're doing it for. My results was my discussion though



This is true, I forgot about that. One of my friends was doing an archeology degree and we used to proof read each others essays and it used to wind us up that the formats for the two departments were so different!


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Jul 12, 2009)

randomange said:


> This is true, I forgot about that. One of my friends was doing an archeology degree and we used to proof read each others essays and it used to wind us up that the formats for the two departments were so different!



urgh i know right - even within my archaeology department there were differences with those doing completely literature based, completely practical based and a mixture of the two.


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## randomange (Jul 12, 2009)

bev said:


> Hi!
> I just asked her and its a 'literature based' dissertation. That would be absolutely brilliant if you wouldnt mind sending a copy to her! She is so impressed with the speed of replies we have got on here! If you dont mind i will send you her email address and if and when you have time - could you please send her a copy? Of course the same applies that we wont show it to anyone else and of course she wouldnt copy it at all, its more to do with seeing how they are set etc.. Thankyou!Bev x


 
Sure, it's not a problem.


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## bev (Jul 12, 2009)

Mand said:


> Hi Bev
> I did not go to uni either but glad that others are able to help you. I wish your daughter lots of good luck!
> 
> Heidi, you beat me! I only got 1 'o' level (in English). The rest were CSE's. But i am very proud to say that this year i went to evening classes at my local college to study GCSE maths and am awating results!



Wow Mand! Your a dark horse! Let us know how you get on wont you?Bev x


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## Mand (Jul 12, 2009)

Will do, Bev xx


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## katie (Jul 12, 2009)

bev said:


> Hi Katie!
> Because its not a 'set' project - she has been told to have the title as the question she is trying to answer (if that makes sense!) - so for example she could use 'why is it so hard to get a pump' or 'what does type 1 diabetes mean to a child who is newly diagnosed'! So if you have any ideas on what she could use as the title that would be very much appreciated! Thanks Katie.Bev x



That is exactly what we were told to do at uni, you are basically answering a question.

So I had a title like this: "An investigation into how different VLEs can be integrated to improve usability."

And a Hypothesis like this: ?The integration of the current 'MyBu' system with 'Moodle' will greatly improve the usability of the Virtual Learning Environment.?

Your daughter's could be something like... "An investigation into the impact type 1 diabetes has on a child who is newly diagnosed"

haha, as you can see I like "an investigation"   I can find out what my brother did as he is far more brainy than me


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Jul 12, 2009)

katie said:


> That is exactly what we were told to do at uni, you are basically answering a question.
> 
> So I had a title like this: "An investigation into how different VLEs can be integrated to improve usability."
> 
> ...



they're good titles!

Mine was:
The Battle of Cheriton 29th March 1644: A Study of the Battlefield Landscape using Geographic Information Systems

it doesn't sound rivetting, but it really was  i got to make pretty maps!


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## bev (Jul 12, 2009)

Katie - thanks for this!

I have noticed on some of your posts that you put yourself down a bit! I dont know why you do this at all - you are a wonderful young lady with lots to give and your always helpful and thoughtful and obviously very intelligent. You need to build up your self esteem!Bev x


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## katie (Jul 12, 2009)

omg I love everyone's dissertations more than mine.  I hated my course by year 4... Wish i'd taken something more interesting


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## katie (Jul 12, 2009)

bev said:


> Katie - thanks for this!
> 
> I have noticed on some of your posts that you put yourself down a bit! I dont know why you do this at all - you are a wonderful young lady with lots to give and your always helpful and thoughtful and obviously very intelligent. You need to build up your self esteem!Bev x



Hehe I know, it's bad! oops.  Well I have my reasons for doing it, ive been a bit down recently.  My brother honestly is more brainy than me in an academic way, but I don't mind! I'm more artistic and emotional which is fine hehe (actually he is artist and emotional too so im not sure what he is bad at!).  Thanks Bev  x


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## aymes (Jul 12, 2009)

As some of the other have said, the most important thing to consider is planning it out, when you actually get deep into a subject the word limit can suddenly seem very small so you need to have some idea of where you want to go, don't waste any words!
Firstly start with what you are doing and what research you need. The actual writing up of it is probably the smallest part of the process when you get down to it! Once you have your research/sources you can then plan out how you are going to form it, chapters etc. Then when it's all written up you can go back to the beginning and write the summary! You often also find that you need to go back and really drastically self edit to make sure you're getting straight to the point. I was once told to make a piece of writing really good you need to take out your favourite sentence so that it flows better!
One thing that's really important to remember is to cite your sources accurately and in the right way. When I was doing my dissertation I found used a book called Elements of Style which I found invaluable when I did my dissertation as a guide to citing references as well as general writing style.
As for a title, I did it slightly differently to the others, I had a 'working title' while I was writing it but didn't come up with my actual title until I'd finished, I ended up using a quote that I had found during my research (my dissertation was focussed on archive newspaper reports)


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## aymes (Jul 12, 2009)

salmonpuff said:


> they're good titles!
> 
> Mine was:
> The Battle of Cheriton 29th March 1644: A Study of the Battlefield Landscape using Geographic Information Systems
> ...



hehe, mine was ?Pussyfoot Johnson Finds The City Wet?:
Methods of Defying and Enforcing Prohibition in New York City, 1925-1926.

I have to say I was quite pleased with my title!


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Jul 12, 2009)

aymes said:


> hehe, mine was ?Pussyfoot Johnson Finds The City Wet?:
> Methods of Defying and Enforcing Prohibition in New York City, 1925-1926.
> 
> I have to say I was quite pleased with my title!



 that has tto be the best title i have EVER seen!


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## katie (Jul 12, 2009)

salmonpuff said:


> that has tto be the best title i have EVER seen!



Tootally agree  and I think you should write a song with that title IMMEDIATELY! Even though I have no idea what it means.


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## randomange (Jul 12, 2009)

aymes said:


> hehe, mine was ?Pussyfoot Johnson Finds The City Wet?:
> Methods of Defying and Enforcing Prohibition in New York City, 1925-1926.
> 
> I have to say I was quite pleased with my title!



Oh man, that is an awesome title! 

Mine was "The Activation of NF-kB and its Use in Anti-inflammatory Therapeutics"... Fascinating, huh? 

Although my lab based project was much more interesting. We were looking at insulin resistance, so I spent three months doing glucose tolerance tests in sheep!


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## aymes (Jul 12, 2009)

katie said:


> Tootally agree  and I think you should write a song with that title IMMEDIATELY! Even though I have no idea what it means.



lol, pussyfoot johnson was a law enforcement officer, it was a newspaper headline about him visiting nyc and finding that prohibition of alcohol wasn't being enforced, ie the city wasn't dry! Doen't sound as interesting when you get into it!


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## Caroline (Jul 13, 2009)

bev said:


> Hi all,
> 
> My daughter has just finished her 1st year at college and has decided to do an 'extra' project as apparently its getting harder to get into uni!
> 
> ...



Can't give advice, but I wanted to wish your daughter good luck with the dissertation, and to Alex for helping her.

I remember O'levels, although big boy (now almost 23) did GCSEs I think.


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## Patricia (Jul 13, 2009)

Would second what everyone says here...I uh, supervise dissertations... though in a completely different field (writing). Research much more than you think you need to, keep good track of all your sources, make a *detailed* plan of how you want the thing to flow. To this day I advise my students and make my own notes for anything I write according to a plan I was taught when I was 12!

I. Intro -- say what you are going to do and how you are going to do it
II. First point
    A. point about first point
        1. support/example for this point
         2. more support/example for this point
    B. another point about first point
III. Second point
    A.
    B.
       1.
       2.
       3.
    C.
       1.
       2.
IV. etc
V.  etc
VI. Conclusion -- say what you've done, how you did it, and summarise the conclusions you've made on the way...


etc etc. There are many variations then from here -- how many points you have, how many sorts of discussion you engage with (different sections, perhaps?). But the main thing in a literature based diss is to use the 'points' as places for your own thoughts and analysis about an issue, and the support/example bits as places where the research comes into its own. Research is *not* the diss -- what you make of it is. You are always building upon different points, like constructing a body: bones, tendons and ligaments, muscles, meat (!). Lots of people grind to a halt because the whole thing reads as 'of the same importance', eg all bone, or all meat. You need to move between large ideas, which are in turn supported by smaller ideas/examples...

The other thing to remember is -- if you can't support a point in any way, or just have one thing to say about it, it may not belong there at all? Thinly supported points tend to weaken.

Writing-style wise, I'd definitely support looking at Strunk & White's 'Elements of Style' -- an absolutely brilliant book. And make sure that you get the presentation style advice from the tutor -- what style to cite your sources in, how they want the whole thing to look, how much illustrations/graphs count or are wanted, etc...

As usual, gone on too much! Best of luck with it all!


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## Caroline (Jul 13, 2009)

Patricia, this is brilliant. My manager had to do a dissertation for a mamangement course and did something similar and involved her staff in proof reading and giving ideas and comments too.


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