This post provides general tips and considerations for your dissertation, as well as some insights from Adrienne who recently completed their dissertation in MSc Clinical Education successfully.
- Time management
Dissertation preparation will start at different times, depending on the programme and level (e.g. Hons or PGT). You may find that you start it with a research proposal in semester 1. Alternatively, you may have to submit a tentative title at the start of semester 2.
By the end of teaching in semester 2, most students will be working on it in some form (e.g. preparatory reading, collecting data, finalising methodologies, or working on the final piece). Because of the size of the dissertation, a project management approach can be more effective by working backwards from the deadline and managing multiple tasks at once.
“The last thing you want is to be panicking one month before your dissertation is due! Work, family, and other commitments (and occasional well-deserved breaks!) also take up time. To avoid ending up in a bad situation, I planned my dissertation and assigned personal deadlines to all my chapters. I communicated this to my supervisor and by May 2022 (deadline July 2022) my dissertation was almost complete with a few minor corrections to be done (and plenty of time to study for my second specialisation exam!).” – Adrienne
The Study Hub Learning resource Time management page has tools for helping you plan your time.
- Referencing
As with all other pieces of academic writing, your dissertation will need to include sources and evidence. Moreover, it must be cited and referenced in a style appropriate to your discipline. Your dissertation will also likely have more references than other pieces of work you have done. There is no set number of references to use as it depends on your project and discipline.
It may be worthwhile using reference management software to help you curate, manage, organise, and cite your references. The Library has a Referencing and reference management subject guide which has information on the different styles and tools available.
“Something which I really wish I told myself earlier is, “DO NOT leave referencing properly to the very end”. Keep in mind that examiners will deduct marks if they find mistakes in your referencing.” – Adrienne
- Stay motivated and don’t give up
Your dissertation is a piece of research, so you never really know exactly how it will go. There will be ups and downs along the way and as an independent researcher, you’ll need to consider when and how you may need to adapt your plans. This is something that your supervisor can help you with.
Whatever happens, your dissertation is likely to be challenging, somewhat daunting, busy, complex, and occasionally stressful, but it may also bring moments of enjoyment (!). Ultimately, it will be a rewarding experience.
“The experience is exceptionally rewarding, and it will give you an opportunity to not only learn about your subject of interest but also about yourself.” – Adrienne
There is general advice for Literature reviews and Dissertations and research projects in the Study Hub Learning resources.
The Library also has curated resources for dissertations in their Dissertation Festival, as well as specific Subject Guides.
This post is inspired by an original idea and article by Adrienne who successfully completed the MSc in Clinical Education in 2022.
