This document provides an overview and agenda for a dissertation kick-off meeting for students in two MA programs. It outlines the objectives of the dissertation to independently conduct research and critically review literature. It discusses choosing a topic linked to the program's core areas and available literature. It also reviews dissertation structure, ethics in data collection, the writing process, and expectations for supervision meetings between students and supervisors.

1. Dissertation Kick-off Meeting
LTPP62N & LTPP69N
MA Events Marketing Management &
MA International Events Management

2. Agenda
• Dissertation
Objectives
• Dissertation
Structure
• Topics
• Data collection
• Writing up
• Supervision process

3. What should you achieve with the
dissertation?
LTPP62N & LTPP69N students • Manage a research project
should: through from conception to
• Conduct independent final report stage
research, into an area of • Critically review academic
academic & organizational literature and research
interest methodologies relevant to the
• Critically appraise research research, and bring together
methodologies academic literature and
empirical research findings
• Understand and reflect upon
their own skills and abilities as • Develop thorough detailed
a researcher and as an analysis and synthesis of
academic theory, policy and practice in
relation to the chosen topic

4. Dissertation structure
• There is some variation but
generally you have:
– Introduction (1500-2000)
– Literature review (4000-6000)
– Method (1000-1500)
– Findings (2000-3000)
– Analysis (2000-3000)
– Conclusion (1000-1500)
– Recommendations (1000-15000)
TOTAL NUMBER OF WORDS = 15,000

5. Topics
Students should have selected topics which are rooted
within the core areas of their courses:
LTPP62N LTPP69n
• Event experience • Events and sustainability
• The „live‟ experience • Events and authenticity
• Brands and events • Event and hyperfestivity/reality
• Tourism, culture and events • Events and social class
• Events and brand authenticity • Event and symbolic interaction
• Events and consumer decision-making • Events and marketing strategies
• Events and market positioning • Events and their impacts
• Event marketing strategies • Event experience management
• Event experience management • Event s as part of leisure
• Event business practice • Events and branding
• Event practice

6. Topics (cont‟d)
• Topics should also be
linked to literature
available at the
library:
– Journals on Events
and Events
Management
– Books on Events &
Event Management
– Databases for Events
& Event Management
– References &
Resources for all
types of Events

7. Data collection considerations
• Ethical considerations
• Practical considerations
• Approaches
PLEASE NOTE DATA COLLECTION SHOULD
START AFTER YOUR LITERATURE REVIEW
AND METHODOLOGY HAS BEEN APPROVED

8. Writing-up
• There is no such thing as a “writing-up phase”
• Students thinking they can simply “write-up” in
the last three weeks are deluding themselves!!!
• Writing starts from the first meeting with your
supervisor
• If you have called a meeting with your
supervisor and haven‟t written anything you are
wasting your time
• Every meeting with your supervisor should move
your dissertation further along – this can only
be achieved through continuous writing

9. Tools for writing-up
• Blogging
• Online-portfolio
• Wikis
• E-mail
• Supervisor meeting log-sheets
PLEASE NO TWEETS, FB STATUS UPDATES OR HAND-
WRITTEN NOTES UNDER MY DOOR, ALSO NO MID-
NIGHT PANIC CALLS

10. Supervision process
Both students and supervisors have specific
duties in this process
Students should ...
• Be familiar with the handbook
• Ensure regular and appropriate communication
• Prepare for meetings / communications
• Students should try to develop their own ideas /
thoughts on possible solutions before contacting the
supervisor
• Students should ensure timely input from the supervisor
• Act on supervisor‟s recommendations

11. Supervision process (cont‟d)
Supervisors should ...
• Provide up to 7.5 hours input for each student
• Have at least one face-to-face initial meeting
• Agree the ground rules for supervision
• Provide guidance at relevant points in the research
process
• Approve the research instrument
• Keep a record of student progress
• Coordinate dissertation marking with second-markers
and write up feedback for the student
• Communicate with the dissertation coordinator if any
particular difficulties arise

12. Supervision process (cont‟d)
• Difficulties with supervisors
should be brought to the module
leader‟s attention as soon as
possible
• Please note “not liking” your
supervisor is not a difficulty
• If a supervisor is to be replaced it
can take up to three weeks

13. Thank You
Questions???