Oxbridge Essays » Dissertation writing

Top 10 dissertation tips: writing your dissertation

Elly — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:03:04 +0000

It may seem like both the simplest and the hardest part of the dissertation writing process – the actual writing up of your masters dissertation is the pinnacle of all your hard work, the final culmination of your ideas, research and theories in one place ready for evaluation and marking. So how can you ensure that your dissertation or thesis writing does justice to the hard work and important research you have painstakingly carried out over the preceding weeks?

Essay format top tips

Elly — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:33:20 +0000

Writing a strong essay format is the most important fundamental essay writing skill to learn, as it allows you to structure and present your ideas in the best possible light, in any essay and at any level. This article explains how to achieve a clear, academic essay format and earn the top grades your ideas deserve! Writing yourself a clear essay outline before you begin to essay write is an essential part of a strong format.

Choosing a Dissertation Topic

Elly — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:14:58 +0000

When embarking on your masters dissertation one of the most daunting tasks can be choosing your topic. Writing the dissertation itself can seem like a breeze compared with the tricky process of deciding what you want to focus on. We have put together a list of methods to help you work out how to narrow your options down, to find the topic that will lead to the best possible dissertation example.

Essay writing style

Elly — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:49:51 +0000

Whether you are just starting to essay write, or working on writing a dissertation or a masters dissertation, students are often frustrated by the amount of mistakes markers pick up in their essay writing format because they didn't know these aspects of their essay writing were not approved of. This post will target and explain some of the most common essay writing blunders to avoid so that you can improve your essay writing style, and your marks, for good!

10 Dissertation Writing Tips: Title Creation

Ed — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 10:18:52 +0000

Before you begin the research for your Masters dissertation, you need to construct a title. Title creation is a two stage process. First you need to choose a problem to research, then you need to craft a title that explains clearly what you are trying to achieve. Here are some pointers to keep in mind as you work on the title.

Dissertation methodology: data analysis

Ed — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:26:15 +0000

Data analysis takes the raw data and interprets it. Data analysis is not only used in the hard sciences, but can be used in any field. The material analysed could be text, numerical data, photographs, audio or video material.

Before you begin dissertation writing, you will be collecting original data for your research or perhaps revisiting someone else’s data and re-analysing it if you believe their conclusions were faulty. Collecting the data correctly takes a great deal of work, but then you need to critically analyse the material in order to draw conclusions and to (hopefully) prove your hypothesis. This is where data analysis comes in.

Primary research for your Masters Dissertation

Ed — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:54:38 +0000

One major obstacle can be finding suitable interviewees. Instead of knocking on doors, use groups that are already in existence. Over 50s clubs, mother and toddler groups or community halls can all be possible sources of interviewees. Get in touch with the organizers and let them know you are a student rather than a professional researcher. People seem keen to help students, although they can be wary if they think they are speaking to a journalist, so be open and honest about your intentions.

Dissertation writing – your dissertation supervisor

Ed — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:12:36 +0000

How often does the supervisor expect to see you? How much time do you want to spend with them? You may feel quite happy dissertation writing by yourself, or perhaps you know that you won’t get anything done without a regular check-in session. Discuss the contact time with the supervisor to arrange a schedule that will suit both of you.

Undergraduate dissertation: dissertation writing tips

Ed — Wed, 05 May 2010 10:34:21 +0000

You want to formulate a question that is interesting and relevant to other academics working in the field. There is little purpose in researching something obscure that has no value to the academic community. Of course the primary reason for doing your dissertation is to complete the requirements of your course and pass your degree, but if you can ask a question that is thought provoking and useful it should give you a greater sense of purpose as you do the assignment. Look at some sample dissertations if you need to get a better idea of the sort of title you should be producing.

Most common essay writing mistakes!

Ed — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:04:52 +0000

This mistake is the one you want to avoid above all others, and making this error can cost you your place at university. Plagiarism is passing off someone else's work as if it is your own. The universities see it as stealing. Unfortunately, with the rise of cut-and-paste technology, this is becoming more common and the sad thing is that most people who plagiarise didn't mean to do it. But this is not seen as a defence. Be very careful to put everything in your own words.

Essay Help: Best Online History Resources

Ed — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:17:56 +0000

Are you writing history essays? Do you need a source in a hurry? Perhaps you need access to a document kept in an archive at the other end of the country – or maybe at the other side of the world. When time and distance are an issue, internet history sources can be essential help for writing essays. Here are some excellent sources for history:-

How to Write a Dissertation

Ed — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:56:48 +0000

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:-

Top 10 Tips for your Dissertation Literature Review

bruno — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:00:50 +0000

Do not begin analysing the literature before clarifying in your own mind the research questions that will guide your dissertation. By formulating problems beforehand, you will avoid wasting hours in aimless reading. Know the issues of concern to you and consider the material through this lens alone.

Top 10 Tips: Custom Dissertation Introduction

admin — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 09:00:47 +0000

Open your dissertation with a clear statement of your purpose for conducting and writing up new research. These opening remarks need not yet precisely articulate specific research questions, but should indicate the definite direction which the dissertation will follow.

Tips for Dissertation Abstract Writing

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 12:00:45 +0000

The purpose of an abstract is to summarise in a systematic and formulaic manner the content of your dissertation. The abstract serves as a short-hand for the entire piece, indicating whether or not it would be worthwhile to read. Bear this purpose in mind when drafting your own abstract.

Top 10 Custom Dissertation Writing Tips

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:49:38 +0000

Towards the beginning of your concluding chapter it is useful to restate the findings reached from your recently analysed data. These findings should be stated clearly and with complete precision, forming a proper basis for developing a persuasive conclusion to your dissertation.

Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid on Dissertation Writing

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:17:27 +0000

Any extended piece of writing such as a dissertation naturally requires considerably more depth of analysis than undergraduate and Masters essays. Narrow, trivial or shallow research questions will not generate enough depth of discussion and will therefore limit the mark you can expect to achieve.