MASTERS DISSERTATION

WHAT IS A MASTERS DISSERTATION?

Involves the production of a substantial
piece of work, normally consisting of
about 15,000 to 18,000 words
A problematic area for students
independent study within tight time
constraints to complete a substantial
dissertation project.

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There are many different types of Masters dissertations:

The straightforward Literature Review

Work-based report, in which you explore a particular
problem in an organisation, making practical
recommendations based on findings
Laboratory-based dissertation, where experiments
are carried out and results reported
Both a Literature Review and the collection and
analysis of primary research data, providing the
opportunity to compare theory from the Literature
Review with practice from the collected primary data
(e.g. from interviews or questionnaires)

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A Masters qualification signifies that the holder has
gone beyond the acquisition of general knowledge and
has advanced specialised knowledge of a subject.
A dissertation is therefore more than an extended essay.
It is an independent piece of work by the student to be
completed in a format as to satisfy the examiner(s) that
the student is a competent researcher with advanced
knowledge on a specific topic, relevant to the Masters
programme and normally chosen by the student.

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WHAT SKILLS DO YOU NEED TO SUCCEED?
Competent researcher proficiency in tackling the
various phases found in the Dissertation Life Cycle (DLC).

Credible research proposal (Stage 1)

Evaluate literature pertinent to research objectives (Stage 2)
Cite sources books, journals, web sources, conference
proceedings. using a standard acceptable to the academic
community, e.g. American Psychological Association (APA)
citation style (Stage 2)
Justify the collection and analysis of research data (Stage 3)
Carry out empirical research (Stage 4)
Discuss and analyse findings (Stage 5)
Wrap up research work with Conclusions and
Recommendations (Stage 6)

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The DLC is an iterative process. revisiting previous
stages, usually as a result of discussions and advice
from the supervisor or additional material is found that
enhances earlier parts of the dissertation.
Other generic skills required to succeed include..

Time Management skills

Organisation skills

Self-discipline skills

Communication skills

Listening skills

Presentational skills

Social skills

Technical skills

Independent learner skills

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Independent learner skills means a mind shift from
Directed Learning to Independent Learning.
This is an important requirement, emphasising that it is
The students responsibility to identify a research topic,
to put forward a research proposal, to plan and
Implement the dissertation activities and to be proactive
in contacting the supervisor (i.e. to produce an
independent piece of research).
This requires the development of new skills and
confidence in ones own abilities.

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Being an independent learner requires a student to REFLECT
on their learning.
Reflective learners continually reflect on:

What they are learning

How they are learning it

How they are using what they are learning

What their strengths and weaknesses in learning are

What their learning priorities are

How they can improve and build upon their learning

process

How well they are working towards their short, medium

and long-term goals.

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Reflective learners consider:

Their motivation

Their attitudes and ideas, and changes in these

The skills they need for different components of

their study and learning

What (if anything) is blocking their learning

The gaps in their knowledge and skills, and how

they might best work towards filling these

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Creating a Log Book or Learning Journal will help students develop
as reflective learners.

The Log Book can contain any written statement that helps to
reflect on the learning.
Feelings about the progress being made on the dissertation

Changes in motivation or attitude towards the dissertation

Experiences that have been challenging and difficult (and why)
How different areas of the dissertation are connected
How the dissertation and developing skills relate to work and other
spheres of life

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Date

Activity

Problems encountered or
significant issues arising

Reflection on problems
or issues and what did
you learn from this

12 October
2009

Discussed with Advisor outline of

the dissertation proposal

Objectives require
clarification and all
acknowledgements must
be referenced

Clearer understanding of
importance of objectives
Ensure referencing
conventions are adhered
too

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Guide to the Page Outline
The following guide should be used to help you develop your Page Outline.

(a) WHAT - am I going to do?

The area of investigation
The issue
The problem
The question to be answered

(b) WHY - do I want to do it?

Your personal rationale
An organisational rationale
A policy rationale
An academic rationale

(c) HOW - can I do it?

The sources of data
The approach to be adopted
The methods of acquiring data
The techniques of analysis
The forms of presentation

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Dissertation work can be a lonely experience.
However sharing your ideas about your work with your
fellow students can be done through Focus Groups
where a group of students get together to discuss their
work-in-progress at regular intervals.
Focus Groups can be set up by students themselves,
without the participation of supervisors.

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DEDIGAP

D-Define
E-Establish research objectives
D-Determine information requirement
I-Identify information requirements
G-Gather data
A-Analyse and synthesise
P-Present research findings

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Define the Problem

Problem statement

Justification?

Need a working title

Should be interesting and relevant to programme

Durable and adds value

Focus and scope

Data/resource access?

Risk, security and ethics?

Hypothesis?

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Establish Research Objectives

Start with the research

topic then focus on the
specific research problem
Generate three objectives
that should be SMART
Starting hypotheses should
be clear and unambiguous
Be testable from evidence
Show an expected
relationship, so can be
measured against actual
outcomes

To identify
To determine
To investigate
To determine
To establish

Achieving these will

address the problem and
identify solutions, or at
least derive conclusions
relevant to the study

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Determine Information Requirements

Six types of question to address the objectives

WHAT?
WHY?
WHEN?
WHO?
WHERE?
HOW?

Each objective will have an associated set of

questions

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I-dentify Data Sources

Primary data: do it
yourself

Books, journals, articles,

reports, web pages, etc. or

Secondary data:
already available

Interviews, questionnaires,
focus groups, simulations,
case study observations, etc.

Library search and

information retrieval
skills important
Lots of information
out there but what
do you use?
Examples
Reliability, validity
and sufficiency of the
research
instruments?
Will you get access
to date? Do you have
a contingency?

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Gather Data

Critical review of
literature
Reports and
confidentiality aspects
Interviews protocol
Focus groups conflict
Surveys email,
telephone, forms,
deployment issues
Case studies access

This is easy if you have

planned it properly
Once you have data, you
have a dissertation
MUST have a
contingency
Need to revise your
approach if it is not
working
Use your supervisor for
support and guidance

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Analyse and Synthesise

What do the data actually

tell you when analysed?
How do you present and
interpret the results?
Statistical analysis and
graphical presentation
Conclusions,
recommendations,
inferences, deductions
and outcomes
Relate back to your
literature review and your
objectives

Is there new
knowledge?
Where is the value
add?
Is any of it unexpected
or interesting?
Does it affirm your
theories, support your
hypotheses?

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Present Research Findings

Outline your
recommendations and
summarise your
findings or outcomes
Limitations?
Future work?
Reflection (on process
and personally)?
What was gained or
learned?
Did you achieve your
research objectives?

Context,
Rationale,
Aims and
Objectives,
Dissertation
Overview

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What is a Literature Review?
There are various definitions, but according to Fisher (2007)
you need this chapter to:

Collate, structure and present material and literature

relevant to your project/dissertation
Remove the need to find knowledge that has already
been presented
Build upon work that has already been undertaken
Ensure thorough literature search/review and
incorporate critical examination (forensic, radical, etc.)
identify gaps, but try not to miss anything of relevance
Provide a contextual underpinning to your work that
makes it easier to position your focal study/activity

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A LITERATURE REVIEW IS NOT

A list of the literature, even if annotated

Difficult to read, it must help to clarify definitions and positions
that you subsequently utilise
Biased justification of pre-determined positions
Waffle and padding to make up the word count
Descriptive coverage of the material without demonstrating
criticality and evaluation
Simplistic, outdated and irrelevant material
Material that has not been compared, contrasted or evaluated in
some way
Based on assumptions without sufficient explanation and detail the intelligent fourteen year old?
Boring, tedious, and poorly structured or signposted

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Reading Critically for Reliability, Rigour and Validity
What to look at:

Date when was the research reported on actually done?

How current are the results?

Authors credentials?

Data collection methods what did they actually do?

Style

Is it constructed clearly?

Can you follow the argument through a logical development?

Does the use of tables, charts and diagrams add value to the conclusions or the explanation?
Analysis

What is the central issue dealt with in the paper?

What assumptions have been made e.g. about the generalisability of the results?

What is the evidence supporting these assumptions?

In what ways is this article similar or different from others you might have read?
Reflection

How do you respond to what the author is saying?

How do you rate this article?

How does it relate to other concepts you have come across?

Does it point to further research in a particular direction?

Is it relevant to your current work?

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FEATURES OF MASTERS DISSERTATIONS
Methodologies employed

Case Studies 5%

Surveys 92%

Unclear 3%
Approaches used for data collection

Secondary literature and Published reports 7%

Questionnaire 78%

Interview 2%

Focus groups 2%

Observation 1%

Unclear 10%

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FEATURES OF MASTERS DISSERTATIONS
Scales used

Nominal 10%

Ordinal 51%

Interval 4%

Combinations (mostly ordinal + nominal) 28%

None mentioned 7%
Modal Sample size is 25

MASTERS DISSERTATION

Allocate a number of words to each chapter. There is no hard

and fast rule, however, the following provides an idea of the
importance attached to each chapter:
Introduction
1,500 words
Literature
4,000 words
Methodology
2,500 words
Findings, Analysis, Discussion
5,000 words
Conclusion and Recommendations
2,000 words
Reflective Element + Log Book
2,000 words
Total
17,000 words
The literature and discussion chapters are longer because
they present more detail and are more complex. The
discussion chapter is important, as this is where your own
findings add to and modify the theory(ies) and concepts you
discussed in the Literature Review.