A dissertation is a long essay (perhaps 15,000 words long) which sets out the results of your own independent and original research. It is based on primary and secondary source material.

Although some of the advice about how to write an essay holds true for writing your dissertation, there are some extra considerations to take into account:-

Your supervisor

dissertation writing helpTo guide you through your work from dissertation proposal through the research process you have to have a supervisor. Choose your supervisor very carefully

• You need someone who has a knowledge or interest in the subject you want to follow.
• They need to be someone who can give you the time and attention you need.
• Try to get a reference – If you get the opportunity ask an MA or PhD student who they used for their undergraduate or postgraduate dissertations, and whether they were helpful.
• How busy are they? No supervisor is going to spoon feed you through the dissertation process, but you need someone who isn’t overwhlemed with other student’s demands. For example, a tutor who has been nominated as Head of School for this academic year, may be under too much pressure with administrative duties to give you the attention you need.

The dissertation proposal

Before embarking on your dissertation you will submit a research proposal. In this document you define the parameters of your research and clearly set out the question or problem you aim to solve or investigate with your research.

The proposal lets your supervisor know exactly what to expect. If they don’t think they have the expertise to help you with your choice of topic they can let you know at this stage and advise you on a different member of staff to contact.

Plagiarism

As with all academic writing, you need to be careful not to plagiarize. Plagiarism is seen as stealing another researcher’s work. With the ‘copy and paste’ function the frequency of plagiarism has risen and sadly many of the people caught plagiarizing had no intention to take someone else’s words. Plagiarism can be unintentional, but it is still seen as theft.

Further Research

If you enjoy the dissertation research and writing process you may start thinking about going on to a PhD.

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