How to Write Your Undergraduate Dissertation

This practical guide takes undergraduate students step-by-step through the process of completing a dissertation, from the initial stages of generating original ideas and planning the project through to writing their first draft and critically reviewing their own work. It shows students how to choose the most appropriate methods for collecting and analysing their data and how to then integrate this research into their dissertation. Students will learn how to develop consistent and persuasive arguments and write up their research in a clear and concise style. This book is an essential resource for undergraduates of all disciplines who are required to write a dissertation as part of their degree. New to this Edition: - Includes expanded material on research ethics - Contains two new chapters on presenting research posters and delivering oral presentations Accompanying online resources for this title can be found at bloomsburyonlineresources.com/how-to-write-your-undergraduate-dissertation. These resources are designed to support teaching and learning when using this textbook and are available at no extra cost.

Bryan Greetham is an Honorary Fellow at the University of Durham, UK, and has previously taught at University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. He is the author of How to Write Your Undergraduate Dissertation, Smart Thinking and How to Write Your Literature Review.

Acknowledgements Introduction PART I: EXAMINERS AND SUPERVISORS 1. Examiners - What Are They Looking For? 2. Working With Your Supervisor PART II: GENERATING AND DEVELOPING ORIGINAL IDEAS 3. What Activities Suit You Best? 4. Types of Research 5. What Interests You Most? 6. Generating Your Own Ideas 1: Using Trigger Questions 7. Generating Your Own Ideas 2: Perspectives and Levels 8. Developing Your Ideas 1: Causal Relations 9. Developing Your Ideas 2: Conceptual Relations 10. Original Questions and Hypotheses 1: Using Analogies 11. Original Questions and Hypotheses 2: Working With Your Structures PART III: DECIDING ON YOUR PROJECT 12. Searching the Literature 1: Knowing What to Look For 13. Searching the Literature 2: How to Search 14. Choosing the Topic 1: Feasibility 15. Choosing the Topic 2: Ethical Issues PART IV: ORGANISING YOUR WORK 16. Planning Your Research 17. Managing Your Time 18. Your Retrieval System 19. Reading 20. Note-taking PART V: DOING YOUR RESEARCH 21. Qualitative and Quantitative Research 22. Secondary Sources 23. Primary Sources 1: Quantitative Research 24. Primary Sources 2: Designing and Distributing Your Questionnaire 25. Primary Sources 3: Qualitative Research - Interviews and Focus Groups 26. Primary Sources 4: Qualitative Research - Case Studies and Observations PART VI: PLANNING YOUR DISSERTATION 27. The Main Components and Introduction 28. The Literature Review 29. Research Methods, Findings, Conclusions and Appendices PART VII: ORGANISING YOUR THINKING 30. Developing Consistent Arguments 1: The Components 31. Developing Consistent Arguments 2: The Connections 32. Using Evidence 1: Describing It 33. Using Evidence 2: Drawing Inferences 34. Using Evidence 3: Creating Causal Connections 35. Using Language 1: Clarity Jargon 36. Using Language 2: Clarity Manipulative Words 37. Using Language 3: Consistency PART VIII: WRITING YOUR DISSERTATION 38. The First Draft 39. Style 1: Finding Your Own Voice 40. Style 2: Simplicity and Economy PART IX: PLAGIARISM, REFERENCING AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES 41. Plagiarism 42. Referencing and Bibliographies PART X: EDITING 43. Revision 1: The Structure 44. Revision 2: The Content PART XI: PRESENTING YOUR WORK 45. Oral Presentations 46. Poster Presentations Conclusion Bibliography Index.