Printable version of this guide this is designed to be printed double sided on a4 paper, then folded to make an a5 leaflet. A dissertation is an extended piece of written work which communicates the results of independent research into a topic of your own choice. Finding the topic and question for your dissertation can take longer than you think. You shouldn't feel worried if you don't hit on the ideal topic straight away… you have enough time to be creative and enjoy exploring your subject. Keep them in one place start an ideas book or a box file to keep any notes or articles you find that might be useful. what does your department do…? at this early stage, find out the word length and deadline for your dissertation – note them down somewhere obvious – this will influence the size of project you undertake. A dissertation question is not the same as a topic…it has to be phrased so that it can be answered in a specific and focused way.

There are various ways that you can get from your topic to a question: do some reading around your topic – are there any gaps in current research that could provide a question? if you usually write too much – think smaller and focus on one narrow aspect of your topic. If you usually don't write enough – think bigger and link some related areas of your topic together. Think of two factors that might influence your topic – could they be put together to make a question? for instance: topic representation of women in the media factor 1 tv advertising factor 2 women's perception of their bodies question.

Does the depiction of women in tv advertising influence women's perceptions of their bodies? keep asking yourself what in particular about this do i want to study? until you get down to a question. For instance: subject sociology topic of interest elderly people more specifically elderly people in care especially elderly people in residential care precisely elderly people in warden controlled residential care homes question. What do retired people think of the service they get in warden controlled residential care homes? remember your initial question isn't set in stone at this stage – it can be modified over the course of your project to suit what you end up investigating. It is a good idea before you make any final decisions to discuss your choice of question with your supervisor, as they will have the academic experience to know what kinds of questions will be manageable, and which will need more refining. Before settling on a question – ask yourself: will it keep me interested for a long period? can i answer it with the time and resources i have? is there someone who can supervise me and can i get on with them? do i have some idea of how to go about answering it? for more ideas see our video tutorial on defining your research question. You may be asked to give a presentation on your work in the early stages of your dissertation. Treat this as an opportunity to: dissertations guide from learnhigher if you are doing a report style dissertation, this guide highlights the similarities and differences between reports and dissertations.

broad subject area – what subject area of your discipline does your work fall into? narrow topic area – within this subject area, what is your specific topic? this may be simply an expanded discussion of your research title. Relate these back to your theoretical framework and discuss how the results support or contradict existing studies. The best way to prepare for your dissertation presentation is to review your work carefully. Take notes of the key decisions you have made throughout your research, and the scholarly literature that supports these choices. Make sure that you have a thorough understanding of the scholarly context of your research, which should have been achieved in your early research stages. Once your content has been written, you should create a powerpoint presentation to use during your talk. The slides should be informative but not wordy – keep bullet points concise and use pictures sparingly.

The questions you will face in a dissertation presentation are designed to test your knowledge of the subject area and your awareness of the context of your work. You will be asked questions to determine how well you understand the potential criticisms of your project, and how well you are able to defend this with reference to established scholars and existing research. You might be asked about the specific choices youre made with regard to methodology and case studies, and how you accounted for any possible inaccuracies in your resulting data. Along the same lines, examiners frequently ask students what they would do differently if they were starting the same project again. You should also be prepared to answer questions about the ways your research might be applied within your field, and how it might be supplemented in future.

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This is an effective way for examiners to assess the originality of your research, and consider its potential impact on your subject area. Much of your dissertation mark will come from the written work and the research project it represents. However, a good dissertation presentation will help make a strong case for a good overall mark, whereas a weak presentation will confirm any doubts in the examiners minds. Stand still and look your audience in the eye, and try not to rely too much on notes. If you truly have a good understanding of your topic you will be likely to do very well. Much of the dissertation presentation is designed simply to test your knowledge, so if youve kept pace with your reading assignments and practical work you should have no problem answering any questions that are posed to you. Stay calm and focused during your presentation, and answer any questions with objectivity and professionalism.