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What is a Dissertation?

Set book 2 of the materials I received from the Open University (O.U.) stresses that there is more than one definition of what a dissertation is, each academic institution has their own standards and protocols.  Set book 2 gives a fairly general definition of the O.U.'s definition of a dissertation, a definition that you would give to someone who vaguely knew what a dissertation was but was not interested in the specifics.

 

Set book 3 has a more objective definition of what a dissertation is in O.U. terms, or more specifically, what a dissertation is in M801 terms.

 

Below are a few quotes and summaries from the two set books about what a dissertation is and the dissertation process: -

 

1. Set book 2 - ‘The M801 dissertation is an academic document of at least 10,000 and not more than 15,000 words in length that reports the results of researches and work. It is scientific and scholarly in style’.

 

2. Set book 2 - ‘The dissertation, which is written in a scholarly way, is a report on the work done in a research project that has been conducted in a scientific manner by a ‘reflective practitioner’.

 

3. Set book 2’s description of, and comments on, the phases of a dissertation: -

A. The dissertation, which is written in a scholarly way, is a report on the work done in a research project that has been conducted in a scientific manner by a reflective practitioner.

B. Define the ‘problem domain’; the research question is within this problem domain.

C. Discover what is already known about the problem domain via a literature search.  You should now be hypothesising possible answers to the research question.

D. Carry out the primary research phase, this involves carrying out proactive work to test you hypothesis.  This involves collecting and analysing data, or information, and applying a new methodology, or process, to the data to come up with a new answer or a new set of results.

E. Reach conclusions and recommendations based on the new answers or results.  These answers or results should add to the body of knowledge on the subject.

F. By this point you should be able to see what the next stage in the study should be if it were to continue and should be able to make observations about the validity of your results and the success of your study.  I interpret this as meaning that all study is part of a journey carried out by different people, you carry on the work of previous people (quote by Newton - ’I stand on the shoulder of giants’), the next person carries on your work.  You all make a contribution to the journey, some have travelled before you, some will travel after you.

G. An MSc project must also include an analysis of the problem area, a review and critical analysis of the pertinent academic literature, and an evaluation of your results in light of your earlier analysis and review.

H. At each stage of the journey you should be a ‘reflective practitioner’, i.e. take time to look back at the work, and the process, and see how it can be improved, what you can do better in the future.

 

4. Set book 2’s definition of the key attributes of a dissertation: -

A. It has a logical sequence that can be followed and understood by any well educated person, not just by a practitioner in your chosen field.

B. It is scholarly in that it relies on evidence to support its assertions. The assertions may be yours or those of others, and the reader can clearly discern which.

C. Evidence is obtained either from literature sources or from the results of your own work, and again the distinction is made clear.

D. Sources other than your own are cited and references to them are given in such a way that readers can, if they wish, perform their own check.

 

5. Set book 3 has a more objective definition of what a dissertation is, it is an Assessment Guide, i.e. it tells you the marking scheme.

 

6. It explains that: -

 

‘M801 takes you from the project idea stage, which will have been identified before the start of the course, through the investigation of the problem area and development of a project proposal into a fully specified project plan and then on to the primary research, analysis and development of conclusions’.

 

7. Set book 3 then takes you through the marking scheme and how the TMAs (five of) are designed to monitor your progress throughout the dissertation year.

A. You have to pass each TMA to pass the dissertation.

 

8. I won’t reproduce the O.U.’s marking scheme here; it is specific to the M801 course so would not be of much interest unless you were doing the course.  A good summary is that the dissertation will be marked on the following criteria: -

A. Methods.

B. Evidence.

C. Analysis.

D. Presentation.