Writing Your Dissertation (and other long assignments) Materials developed by the Learner Development Unit at the University of Bradford Learner Development Unit www.brad.ac.uk/lss/learnerdevelopment

What you will learn: The process of dealing with extended pieces of research and writing. That this process has different identifiable stages you should work through to allow for maximum gain with minimum effort. Implications of research skills needed to tackle larger projects.

The process of dealing with extended pieces of research and writing.

That this process has different identifiable stages you should work through to allow for maximum gain with minimum effort.

Implications of research skills needed to tackle larger projects.

The Plan… Creating a process for extended pieces of research and writing Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Stage 6

Creating a process for extended pieces of research and writing

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

1. Creating a process In your group: A – you have three minutes to decide a name for your stage of the process. B - You have just one minute per stage of the dissertation/project/assignment process. Record as many tips/comments about the stage as you can before it’s passed on to the next group. Activity: Thinking About the Process Hot Potato!

In your group:

A – you have three minutes to decide a name for your stage of the process.

B - You have just one minute per stage of the dissertation/project/assignment process.

Record as many tips/comments about the stage as you can before it’s passed on to the next group.

Stage 1 Choosing/Analysing the Question or Brief Level of interest? Resources available? Key words Topic terminology Generating questions Make a rough plan NOW!

Level of interest?

Resources available?

Key words

Topic terminology

Generating questions

Make a rough plan NOW!

Activity: What does research really involve? In pairs Think about what the broader term of ‘research’ really means. What process should you go through? Stage 2 Researching

In pairs

Think about what the broader term of ‘research’ really means.

What process should you go through?

Search for Research Preliminary research and Refine the search Knowing where to go next Interrogating text not reading Reviewing literature Levels of note-taking Stage 2 Researching

Search for Research

Preliminary research and

Refine the search

Knowing where to go next

Interrogating text not reading

Reviewing literature

Levels of note-taking

Stage 3 Planning and Organising ‘Gather’ main ideas Order them Check that your intended ideas will answer the question/address the brief Be ‘creative’ with planning tools Thinking time is not only desirable… it’s essential What’s meant by a detailed plan?

‘Gather’ main ideas

Order them

Check that your intended ideas will answer the question/address the brief

Be ‘creative’ with planning tools

Thinking time is not only desirable… it’s essential

What’s meant by a detailed plan?

Activity: Writing up Dos and Don’ts In pairs You are now working in the LDU and have to give people guidance on writing up your plan. What should they do? What should they avoid doing?

In pairs

You are now working in the LDU and have to give people guidance on writing up your plan.

What should they do?

What should they avoid doing?

Activity: Writing up Dos and Don’ts

Stage 4 Drafting Text level engagement Write and don’t worry… for now Feel like you can begin writing at any point How do you, literally, write? When to worry about references?

Text level engagement

Write and don’t worry… for now

Feel like you can begin writing at any point

How do you, literally, write?

When to worry about references?

Stage 5 Editing Revising the text at text level Check you are on target to answer the question Check order of ideas – does it make sense? Check style of expression and suitability of vocabulary Are you on target in terms of word limit?

Revising the text at text level

Check you are on target to answer the question

Check order of ideas – does it make sense?

Check style of expression and suitability of vocabulary

Are you on target in terms of word limit?

Stage 6 Final Draft Sentence level checks – grammar & punctuation Word level checks – spelling & legibility (where applicable) What are your department’s specific requirements? What is the running order of the whole work

Sentence level checks – grammar & punctuation

Word level checks – spelling & legibility (where applicable)

What are your department’s specific requirements?

What is the running order of the whole work

What next? Learning materials and to contact us for 1-2-1 advice and support: www.brad.ac.uk/lss/learnerdevelopment Come along to another workshop: http://www.brad.ac.uk/lss/lssworkshops/

Learning materials and to contact us for 1-2-1 advice and support:

www.brad.ac.uk/lss/learnerdevelopment

Come along to another workshop: http://www.brad.ac.uk/lss/lssworkshops/