Lecture: Organising Your Research Project

Overview

• 400 hours study for a 40 credit module
• 6-9000 word Dissertation, and related practical work
• 2.5 hours support on the written element of the module, in addition to support with the practical project
• Try to have a substantial draft submitted by Christmas
  
  DEADLINE: January 14th, Thursday, 2- 4pm.

NSS Feedback

• The Library facilities / staff are excellent
• The Dyslexia / Academic Support staff are excellent
• CoP3 helped students have a deeper understanding of their practice
• There was some issues with timetabling
• The self direction of CoP3 was a challenge
• There were some reports of concern over feedback on Dissertation drafts

Indicative Content
Students will develop a cohesive research project, with practical and textual outcomes, in response to a proposal developed during the later stages of the Level 5 programme.

This module will require the students to organise and undertake a personal programme of in-depth critical research, to collate and present a coherent written argument and related practical investigation based on analysis and evaluation, presented in the form of an extended formal written study and related practice-based research. The chosen subject will be relevant to a student’s main course of study and will be used to support and inform their specialist practice. The extended study involves self motivated research but will be supported by individual tutorials aimed at helping the student to develop the appropriate scope and depth of subject matter required within such a project.

The work undertaken will reveal the student’s appreciation and application of research approaches and methodologies.
Next one/two weeks:

Planning the Project

• Write down all questions that you want to investigate
• Consider each on their merits and focus on two (primary & secondary)
• Write an A4 ‘first thoughts’ sheet for each
• What is the purpose of the study? Is your question researchable?
• Working title

Choose An Appropriate Title

• Ideally, the title should provide a thesis, or an answerable assertion.
• You might opt for a Title and Subtitle.
• Make notes of the key questions that your research raises as you go along. Try to encapsulate all of these in the overarching title.
• No more than 15-20 words.
• Choose the appropriate tone.
• Discuss this with your tutor at the first tutorial.
• This can be revised before submission, but shouldn’t be radically different to your ideas at this stage.

Project Outline

• Consider timings
• DEADLINE - 15 Weeks
• Consider holidays / work / life
• Think about your working title and the different component parts that need researching.
• Allocate timings to each
• Draw up a project outline based on the above
• Allow generous time for initial reading and writing up
• Factor in tutorials
• Don’t forget to include targets / milestones for the written and practical components of the project.
• CONSULT WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR ABOUT THIS

Turnitin Draft Submission
- Before Christmas for all programmes – Last Date: December, 11 (2015)

Literature Search

• Reading takes more time than you think.
• How much can you actually read in 100 hours?
• Start by trying to find out all the key texts on your chosen topic.
• Focus your reading based on an initial assessment of this survey
• Find key texts and plan time to read these
• Find secondary sources / criticisms of key texts (triangulation)
• Use journals (www.jstor.org)

Referencing

• Start compiling a bibliography at the beginning of the project
• Reference as you go along
• Include all details (name, forename, date, place, publisher, page)
• Use Harvard: Miles, R. (2015) ‘Dissertation’, Leeds, LCA publishing.

Structure the Dissertation into chapters.

• A Dissertation should be separated into chapters.
• Each chapter should ideally evidence a different theoretical / methodological approach.
• The chapters can be quite different in focus – hopefully the introduction will explain why you have chosen a certain structure, and the conclusion will draw these disparate chapters together.
• Think about how these different chapters relate to your practical research.
• Move from the general to the specific.
• Discuss this structure with your individual tutors in your first tutorial.

Ethics
If a student’s CoP3 research involves human subjects (1) and/or data not in the public domain (2) then ethical approval must be granted by their supervisor / programme leader.
If the researcher is interviewing or observing participants then that counts as ‘involving human subjects’. 'Interviewing' means that you are recording the person's words, by writing, tape or any other means, and using them in your work.
‘Data not in the public domain’ means data (or objects) which are still in copyright, or are in private collections, and for which written permission for use must be obtained.

Approaches to Research

• Quantitative
  - Surveys
  - Data Collection / Market Research
• Qualitative
  - Interviews
  - Participant Observation
  - Reflective Journal
  - Action Research.

Questionnaires

• Is a questionnaire the best way of investigating your topic?
• If so, begin to word questions and discuss with your supervisor
• Avoid ambiguity, imprecision or assumption.
• Also avoid double, leading, presuming or offensive questions
• Question Type?
• Think about format / appearance
• Always pilot your questionnaire
• Decide on sample size
• Specify a return deadline (factor this into your project outline)
• Record responses as soon as complete

Interviews

• Is an interview the best way of investigating your
• topic?
• If so, begin to word questions and discuss with your supervisor
• Structured or unstructured interview?
• How will you analyse questions?
• Watch for bias
• Plan the interview / prepare the room
• Introduce yourself
• Tape record the interview (permission required)
• Agree the accuracy of notes with interviewee

Critical diaries / reflective blogs

• Make sure you are clear about the purpose?
• Be disciplined, and stick to a clear schedule.
• Update regularly, perhaps even daily.
• Try and summarise / evaluate the contents near the end of the project.

CHECKLIST

• Don’t procrastinate
• Plan research methods carefully
• Select the most appropriate research methods
• for the project
• Document all stages of the process carefully
• Produce a detailed project outline, withtimings, and stick to it
• Get the most from your supervision