Writing a Dissertation For Dummies

All you need to research, write and present a brilliant dissertation

As long as you adopt a winning plan of attack, writing a dissertation needn't take over your life. Focusing on the social sciences, this book breaks down your project into bite-size chunks, leading you step-by-step through the process. From research, structure and building a coherent argument, to polishing your final draft and avoiding common pitfalls, you'll find everything you need to reach the finishing post with finesse.

• Prepare for what's ahead — choose your dissertation topic, write a strong proposal, decide on structure and pin down your research question

• Tackle the ground rules — plan your time wisely and practise effective reading and note-taking

• Present first-class research — gather the material you need, analyse your data and clearly display your findings

• Nail the writing — transform your ideas into polished text, with clear arguments, thorough references and a solid conclusion

Learn to:

• Choose a winning topic and finalise your research question

• Find information on or offline, or collect your own empirical data

• Whip the final version of your work into shape

• Approach the whole project with confidence

Open the book and find:

• Tips on writing either an empirical or non-empirical dissertation

• How to make the best use of your supervisor

• The elements of a great interview or questionnaire

• How to draw meaningful conclusions from your research

• Reviewing and editing skills to refine your first draft

• The right way to reference, build a bibliography and avoid plagiarism

• Perfect printing, binding and presentation techniques

• What should make your final checklist

Dr. Carrie Winstanley is a Principal Lecturer in Education at Roehampton University, London, where she works with both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Carrie was recently named one of the Top 50 university teachers in the UK by the Higher Education Academy, for which she was awarded a national teaching fellowship.