Lecture Notes 3: Resolving your Research Project (Academic Conventions)

• Our dissertations require:
• Introduction
• Outline your question
• Outline your general argument and how it will develop
• Academic Conventions structure and standardise and aspire to academic honesty
• You're expected to:
• Demonstrate a critical knowledge of practice
• Apply theory to practice
• Analyse relevant material (Such as linking two materials together synthesis)
• Evaluate theory and evidence within the context of study
• Reflect - Critiquing and critically reflecting on your learning and using this to improve practice 
• Deep and Surface Learning: Knowledge/Remembering > Comprehension/Undersranding > Application/Applying > Analysis/Analysing > Synthesis/Evaluating > Evaluation/Creating
• Surface/Superficial Approach (What you won't get great grades for):
• Concentration on Learning Outcomes
• Passive acceptance of ideas (Without questioning it and comparing it to others)
• Routine memorisation of facts
• Sees small chunks 
• Ignore guiding patterns and principles
• Lack of reflection about, or ignorance of, underlying patterns and theories
• Little attempt to understand
• Minimal preparation and research
• Deep Approach:
• Independent engagement with material
• Critical and thoughtful about idea and information
• Relates ideas to own previous experience and knowledge
• Sees the big picture
• Relates evidence to conclusions
• Examines logic of arguments
• Interested in wider reading and thinking
• Ongoing preparation and reflection
• Deep understanding of your topic
• Academic Writing is formal and follows some standard conventions
• Each academic discipline has its own specialist vocabulary which you will be expected to learn and use in your own writing
• The substance of academic writing must be based on solid evidence and logical analysis, and presented as a concise, accurate argument
• Academic writing can allow you to present your argument and analysis accurately and concisely (No more than 500 words)
• Aim for precision. Don't use unnecessary words or waffle. Get straight to the point. Make every word count.
• If there is any uncertainty about a particular point, use cautious language (Such as may, might, could, potentially)
• Unless you are a confident writer, it is best to avoid over-long sentences and to aim for a mixture of long and short sentences for variation and rhythm.
• Avoid repeating the same words
• Avoid abbreviations and contractions
• Avoid slang words and phrases
• Avoid conversational terms
• In many academic disciplines, writing in the first person is NOT acceptable as it is believed to be too subjective and personal. Many tutors prefer impersonal language to be use in assignments.
• Structure:
• Preliminaries - Title/Acknowledgements/Contents/List of Illustrations
• Introduction - The Abstract (Quick summary, no more than a paragraph) / Statement of the Problem / Methodological Approach
• Main Body - Review of the Literature / Logically Developed Argument / Chapters / Results of Investigation / Cast Study
• Conclusion - Discussion and Conclusion / Summary of Conclusions
• Extras - Bibliography (Alphabetised by surname) / Appendices (Interviews, statistical data)
• 1.5 Lined Space, 12 Point Type, Single line space for quotes, all properly Harvard referenced
• 14th January - 4pm
• Project Self Assessment
• Write down the major aims of the project (So you don't go off track)
• Give a brief summary of the work so far
• Comment on your time management
• Do you know what the final project will look like? (How the practical relates to the written)
• What steps will you take to ensure it gets there?
• What areas of the project are you worried about?
• What 'risk management' plans do you have