How to plan a Dissertation

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How to plan a dissertation

Dr. T. Balasubramanian M.S. D.L.O.

Introduction

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1. All PG degree course students must write a dissertation2. It trains the student on research methodology and thesis

writing3. It also trains the student to critically review a thesis material4. A dissertation is an inquiry into some aspect of physical,

natural or social world5. Before attempting to write a dissertation a student should

assume that his / her work will be subjected to public scrutiny6. Conclusions if any should be based on meticulous analysis of

the results

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Bear in mind

1. Dissertation is only one of the hurdles in the pursuit of your course

2. You have been selected to undergo this course because we consider you to be a passing material

3. Non submission of dissertation should be considered to be worse than exam failure as this would reflect badly on the reputation of your faculty

4. Dissertation is a compromise between what is desirable and what is possible

5. You need to maintain the delicate balance between academics / clinical duties / dissertation / family

Thinking process

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Be incisive with your thinking Always write down ideas in your log book Don’t be excessively influenced by other’s research Be realistic with your goal setting Set feasible time lines A preliminary study will help to clarify your research

Types of students

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1. Young energetic & enthusiastic2. Old and mature3. Problems faced by these two groups are vastly different4. In medicine the divide between these two groups is more

evident

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Problems faced by older students

1. They are seniors & hence more egoistic

2. They find it difficult to adjust with youngsters

3. They are more mature & hence can handle problems in a better way

4. Wisdom & motivation always comes with age

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Assessing oneself

1. Are you motivated and committed ?2. Can you cope with the demands of the

course and family ?3. Is your reading & writing skills up to the

mark ?4. How to you respond to deadlines ?5. Do you like to work alone ?

Planning & scheduling

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1. What is the exact date of submission ?2. Are there any intermediate dead lines to meet ?3. What is the nature of support available ?4. Library facilities (Play a vital role).5. Review of previous year’s student dissertation

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Choosing a subject

1. Always start with a detailed title and plan of work2. Choose a topic in which you are really interested in3. Choose a topic in which the institution has the facilities

and expertise to handle4. Feasibility of the title should also be assessed. Don’t take

more than what you can chew5. Always choose from a list of titles with the help of your

faculty

Points to ponder

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Is it possible to complete the project on time? Can you afford the expenditure? Can you find the relevant literature? Will the topic be relevant till the project is completed? What type of support your college can provide you with? Get your topic vetted by the ethical committee before

beginning it.

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Ethical issues

1. The participants in the research project should not be harmed either physically, mentally, or socially.

2. Children , elderly, and physically challenged should not be exploited and hence should be excluded from the study parameters

3. No physical / environmental damage should be caused by your research project

4. Anonymity and privacy of the participant should be protected

5. Nothing should be done in the name of research that could bring disrepute to your institution

Getting the proposal ready

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I. Always read other proposalsII. Always prepare a comprehensive literature reviewIII. Photocopy all relevant materialsIV. Add first three chapters of dissertation to the proposalV. Include a title for your project

Realistic planning

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1. Allot time for illness2. Allot time for family problems3. Take into account holidays4. Give allowance for computer failures5. Take into account typing / binding manuscript delays6. Be prepared for rejection of manuscript

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Computing skills

1. Friendliness with word processors / typing skills will save time and money

2. If not skilled always allocate 10 extra days / money for typing jobs

3. Always keep backups of your work4. Keep your completed work in a cd rom so that printouts

can be taken whenever necessary.

Time allocation

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1. Introduction – 5%2. Review of literature – 35%3. Research methodology – 10%4. Data collection – 20%5. Analysis – 15%6. Conclusions – 10%7. Bibliography – 5%

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Time

IntroductionLit_revRes_methdataAnalysisConclusions10

Gross blue print

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1. What do you want to know?2. How are you going to find the answers?3. What are you going to do with the answers?

Possible aims of a dissertation

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1. To develop a theory2. To verify a hypothesis3. To evaluate critically a practice4. To increase the understanding of a topic5. If possible to recommend policies

Importance of Hypothesis

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1. Forms a kernel in most of the dissertations2. Usually it is based on observation a premise actually3. Effort should be made either to prove / disprove it4. It is possible to do a dissertation without a hypothesis (very

rare)

Which one is a valid hypothesis

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1. Asphyxia is the common cause of cerebral palsy2. Hybrid animals liver longer than pure bred ones3. Consuming too much sugar predisposes to DM

Types of basic research

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• Positivist work – concerned only with observable / objective facts• Interpretive / subjective work – Uses explanation &

interpretation• Overlap technique – includes both these styles in varying

amounts

Check list

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Checked & understood the general requirements Have you chosen / refined / focused the subject Feasibility Selection of a tentative title Arrived at a time schedule Discussion with peers / tutors

Don’ts

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1. Develop fondness for any particular page you have written2. Hesitate to edit your work ruthlessly3. Hesitate to consider your initial work as a draft4. Hesitate to spend sometime at least every week to keep your

motivation going

Task plan

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Dissertation proposal

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1. Draft title (can be changed later if necessary)2. Aim of the research3. Style / technique4. Theoretical basis for the study (include references if any)

When to start writing?

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1. The best time to start writing a chapter is as soon as material collection is ready.

2. Each chapter should be read / reread corrections made. 3. Written material and corrections should be meticulously

catalogued4. This is the time for you to use your typing skills if you possess

one5. A typed manuscript is easier to read and edit

Time table

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1. Reading / note taking / planning / writing introduction – 3 months

2. Writing review of literature – 2 months3. Writing of research methodology – 1 month4. Carrying out work / recording findings – 1 month5. Data analysis – 1 month6. Preparing conclusions / Bibliography – 1 month7. Typing / proof reading / corrections / binding – 1 month8. Grace time – 2 months

Titles likely to be rejected

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1. Study of JNA – Too broad & vague2. Survey of ASOM – Vague & nonspecific3. Study of interesting cases – Not dissertation at all4. Study of discharging ear – Too vague to pursue

Data analysis

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1. Checked for reliability – Would the same procedure / experiment if carried out again produce the same result

2. Validity 3. Generalizability – How can your work be used by general

public / others

Variables

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1. Beware of variables – This could easily invalidate your dissertation

2. All true variables should be identified and documented otherwise the whole research project would have no validity

3. One important variable while you are researching for occurrence of domestic fires would be the level of family stress

Role of variables in experimental research

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1. Two variables can be distinguished in purely experimental research – Independent variable & dependent variable

2. Independent variables are manipulated by the researcher3. Dependent variables are those variables that occur as a

result of the manipulation by the researcher

Dissertation some conventions

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1. Use white A4 paper for dissertation typing2. All main texts to be typed in double space3. Single spacing can be used for quotations4. Use plain standard fonts5. Margins – 1.5 inches in the left and 1 inch on other sides

Types of research projects

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1. Action research2. Surveys3. Experimental methods4. Ethnographic research5. Case studies6. Historical research7. Correlational research8. Evaluative research

Action research

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1. Also known as participatory research2. The researcher tackles a real problem, intervenes, makes

changes and monitors results3. Subjects participate and implement the changes4. “Real life problem solving”5. This research methodology will be carefully scrutinized by the

ethical committee

Surveys

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1. Attempts to gather information from a group2. It may reveal unsuspected facts / May reinforce known facts3. Information can be gathered through a questionnaire,

interviews4. Questionnaire design is vital for a good survey5. Results may be invalidated by poor sampling / lack of

cooperation from the participant community6. Participants may hesitate sharing personal data / may lie

Experimental method

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1. Commonly used in physical sciences2. Can be used to test / refute a theory (Hypothesis)3. Data measurements should be made with extreme precision4. Ethical issues should be addressed before setting up an

experiment5. Any experiment should have two groups a study group and

a control group6. Beware of Hawthrone effect – behavior of a subject alters if

he / she knows about participation in an experiment

Ethnographic research

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1. This is a qualitative & descriptive research style2. The study group is integrated into the society and the

researcher studies the behavior & customs of that group3. This is really time consuming & hence may not be

advisable for a dissertation style

Case studies

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1. Commonest approach used2. Frequently abused also3. May be qualitative / quantitative4. Always resist the temptation to formulate universal theory

out of trivia

Historical research

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1. Acceptability of this method must be checked2. Documentary sources should be clearly identified3. All the documents used in the research should be closely

checked for veracity4. Statistical variables should be accounted for

Correlational research

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1. This research is a study of variables2. Attempt should be made to study the variables for a

possible relationship without manipulating them3. Mathematical tools should be used to study the possible

relationships among variables

Evaluative research

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1. This research method deals with a possible set of questions2. The work needs to be highly structured3. While attempting to answer the specific set of questions the

researcher should guard against personal vagaries / variables

Researcher duties

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Your title should be a legitimate one Be polite / professional with contacts Dress formally during field visits All communications should be processed to a high standard Be very formal while talking to subjects. Avoid being over

chatty Always offer to share the findings of your research if you find

it appropriate

Sampling

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I. This is a potential mine fieldII. It is easier to obtain sample from physical worldIII. The sample size should be large enough to be significant –

1% of the size of the population studiedIV. Sample should be as representative as possibleV. Don’t attempt to extrapolate grand theory from small sample

sizesVI. Sampling may be opportunistic (only sample that can be

reached) / random (use computer to generate sample list)

Types of sampling

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1. Stratified sampling2. Matched sampling3. Clustered sampling4. Systemic sampling

Stratified sampling

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1. A sample layer is selected2. There is some uniformity between the samples i.e. selecting

all 50 year olds for a study3. This is useful when performing finer drug trials

Matched samples

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In this type two groups are matched one against the other. In this type of matched sampling strict inclusion & exclusion criteria should be formulated.One of the said group can be a study group and the other one can be a control group. The main consideration is that both group should be alike in all respects

Clustered sampling

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1. These are groups defined by area / environment2. Random sampling can also be applied to the clusters3. Environmental disorders can be studied using clustered

samples

Introduction

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In your introduction try answering these questions:1. What is going to be done?2. Why are you doing it?3. Who is likely to be interested in your work?4. What is the hypothesis / problem you are attempting to

test?5. What is the use of performing this study?6. What is the focus / location of your study?7. Writing an introduction chapter helps you to break ice

Review of literature

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1. Should include what others have written on your topic2. Discussion on the theories used to illuminate your topic3. Literature relationship with your research questions4. Considerable time should be spent compiling this chapter5. This shows you have read widely the subject6. You acknowledge work of others here

Methodology

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1. You will have to narrate what procedure you intend to follow in your research

2. A detailed discussion of the style and technique chosen for your research should be enumerated with proper justification

3. The tests you intend to perform, inclusion & exclusion criteria if any, a discussion on data observation and recording should find a place under this head

Data analysis

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1. Data recording2. Interpretation of the recorded data3. A discussion on whether the collected data proves or refutes a

hypothesis

Conclusion

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1. Should contain a summary of the complete work2. It should contain a discussion on the results of your study3. Recommendations if any you make after the study should be

incorporated here

Bibliography

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This is nothing but a list of journals, reference materials, text book materials and other resources you relied on to complete your work. Don’t include references which are more than 5 years old. It is ideal to index and number them for easy reference.

Appendix

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Tables, master chart and additional material if any should be incorporated under this heading

Dissertation Log book

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Helps you to organize your work Record the material you have read pertaining to your

dissertation meticulously Handle each material once only. You can consult your log

book repeatedly in case of doubt if the recording is meticulous Record the volume number / page number of journals used as

reference An average dissertation should contain not less than 50

references

Plagiarism

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I. Don’t plagiarize others workII. Beware of internet resourcesIII. Verify internet resourcesIV. Spend time analyzing the material thrown out by your search

engine

Questionnaire design

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1. It must be in simple language2. The questions should be appropriate and crisp3. Be ruthless while editing the questions4. Always relate each question on a questionnaire to your research

question5. Devise a scoring system for each answer provided by the

participant6. Don’t attempt to collect unnecessary personal data7. Closed end questionnaire is easy to design and administer

because the answer is either a yes or no8. Questions should not be leading in nature

Data analysis

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a. Nominal scales – Yes / No scaleb. Ordinal scales – Data is placed in a descending order.

Number codes are given i.e. 1 (strongly agree), 5 (strongly disagree)

c. Interval scales – More like ordinal scale but some points on the scale are equal

d. Ratio scales – Used for measuring lengths, weights etc

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Thank you