Understanding the Dissertation and Research Proposal Relationship

What is a dissertation?

Taking stock of where we have got to and next steps What is a dissertation?

The relationship between your research proposal and dissertation

Your research proposal is the game plan for thedevelopment of your dissertation.
§ You can use material from your research proposal in writing up your dissertation but you must paraphrase this material (do not cut and paste material from your research proposal verbatim..)

§ Demonstrate the capacity to exercise a range of research and transferable skills and methods in order to produce a research-led report.

§ Analyse and reflect critically on theories and/or conceptual/analytical frameworks in addressing real-life management, marketing or business problems.
§ Demonstrate a series of transferable skills including those related to accessing documentary evidence, academic research evidence and data from primary sources
§ Demonstrate an ability to synthesise and critique knowledge from a variety of sources.
§ Communicate effectively findings and analysis, and generate appropriate recommendations.

§ Accurate: no errors or misquotations
§ Precise: specific sources not ‘many think’
§ Sufficient: 1 strong example, or 3 weak ones?
§ Representative: consult a variety of sources and authors
§ Authoritative: authorities in the field
§ Clearly expressed: make sure your reader understands why/how it is evidence

§ Explain your terms
§ Provide an example that illuminates your point
§ Contrast and/or compare with earlier statements

§ When it is somebody else’s idea or information, you must cite the source
§ All cited works must be listed in ‘References’
§ And only cited works are included in the list
§ Quotations must be cited with page number(s) included
§ You can include page numbers in other citations, but be consistent

Outstanding dissertations adopt a perspective that is at least bordering on original, with thoughtful use of both academic literature and primary source data. In exploring the project findings, these dissertations critically engage with the literature, including relevant academic sources, and are coherently and consistently referenced. They have a very clear focus and structure, and are very well written.

Excellent dissertations show a firm grasp of the question/issue being explored. These dissertations tend to have a clear focus while acknowledging other possibilities and approaches (showing signs of a critical approach). There is clarity of reflection upon primary source/ secondary data, and findings alongside engagement with the evidence base, including relevant academic literature.

Dissertations at this level also provide well-structured, coherent texts that are persuasively argued, demonstrating a firm grasp of the problem at hand. Clear links between sections contribute to the overall coherence of the dissertation. Understanding of implications of findings is demonstrated. Referencing is likely to be frequent enough (with very few or no missing citations) and the reference list should be relatively coherent and complete.

Good dissertations (mid-50s to mid-60s) might take a stand in favour or in opposition to a specific issue or perspective that they then investigate. The challenge then is to find a meaningful and doable way of framing and focusing the general topic. In any of these essays, the text often presents a rationale and follows a line of argument based on a relatively meaningful thesis or a relatively focused topic. The essay draws on academic sources and primary source data/secondary data - and it may also show some genuine independent research initiative where the student has gone in search of suitable literature and data. At this range there may be some issues with the relevance or the application of the literature and data, which may be too descriptive in places, and/or some weaknesses in the structure or coherence of the text.

Dissertations that are awarded a satisfactory pass may make some general points about the topic and engage with it in a common sense manner but are not really able to apply the knowledge gained from the literature or reflect on it, or if they do, they do it in a fragmented or non-coherent manner. These dissertations tend to be under-researched and rather descriptive. Engagement with ‘data’ is likely to be very limited or absent. The sources used might often be poor or citations to them may be missing in many places. These texts often struggle to formulate a clear thesis (or it is so general that it is not really one) and do not tend to have a line of argument.