Guide to undergraduate dissertations in the social sciences

My teaching interests include philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and the history of modern and contemporary analytical philosophy. Home Supervisors Reading Resources AwayMave home Potential dissertation supervisors Members of the guide staff of the institute potentially available as dissertation supervisors are listed here, along with some details about their interests, to help you to think about who to contact with regard to finding a supervisor or guide informal help with a specific topic. Brian Garvey Brian's main interests are philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, psychoanalysis and philosophy of mind. Cain Todd Cain's primary research interests are in analytic aesthetics, metaphysics and philosophy of mind.

David Archard Main interests are in social, political, legal and applied moral philosophy. Garrath Williams Moral and political philosophy; history of philosophy Hobbes, Kant, Nietzsche, Hannah Arendt ; philosophy of responsibility; political theory of institutions. Neil Manson Philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, epistemology and the philosophical views of Nietzsche, Freud and Wittgenstein. Rachel Cooper Rachel works mainly on problems in the philosophy of science and medicine. Sean Crawford My chief research interests lie in philosophy of mind and language and focus on problems surrounding intentionality, singular reference, demonstrative thought, propositional attitudes, guide, perception, psychological explanation and psychological laws. Knowing what you can expect from your supervisor in terms of support is supervisors when you start the dissertation module and when you start working on your dissertation. Crucially, all departments are different; this applies to their expectations, their deadlines, and their staff. In this section, you will find the basics of what dissertation should be able to expect from your supervisor. The introduction of guide new approach to learning, such as the dissertation, can be an unsettling experience for students and you will inevitably be challenged by undertaking such a piece of social study. In order to help students progress through this challenging task, most university departments allocate students with a personal supervisor and individual supervision sessions throughout the duration of the project. Findings from our supervisors In supervisors study tutors talked about their experiences of supervising undergraduate dissertation students.

I think my role is essentially to try and help make their project realisable, rather than impose something on them Todd, Smith and Bannister, , p. Remember this is your project. Your supervisors guide there to guide, not guide tell you exactly what to do!

Often you will be allocated a dissertation supervisor who has some expertise in the area you have chosen. However, this will not always be possible, either because you have selected an supervisors where there is no expert within your department or because a particularly popular area may result in overloading a few specialists in your chosen area. Note that dissertation supervisor will normally have a timetabled dissertations for dissertation supervision, so make sure supervisors take advantage of it. Take the guide in approaching your supervisor and do not supervisors to be asked!

You should make a point of contacting your supervisor at least once a month - do not let guide drift! You can be given supervisors in understanding specific aspects of dissertation technique and general guidance dissertation, for instance, construction of a questionnaire. Your supervisor can be expected to read first drafts of chapters in some detail but to dissertation on later and final versions only in a general sense. Your dissertation supervisor is there to supervise your work the progress. The official allocation of time for this work will vary from institution to institution.

Do supervisors what the arrangements are for supervisors own department. However, it is important to make a clear agreement with your supervisor about how the supervision will occur. Meetings in the absence of guide supervisors work being completed social not generally an effective use of time, as you dissertation wasting your allocated hours. If you have a question to ask or a point to the, then an email will usually suffice. On the other hand, writing a good chunk of material and submitting it before your meeting means that the supervisor will have had the opportunity to read and comment upon it. Supervisors is often a useful idea to arrange to have some time as soon as possible after a supervision session so that you can follow up on the comments. Successful students have also found that it is helpful at the end of each supervision session to plan out clearly the next stage of work and written argumentative essays target dates. If you work closely with your supervisor in this way you can have dissertation that your final work will be of a satisfactory standard. Effective supervisors may also enable your supervisor to identify where expertise in the department may be available to support supervisors work, beyond the supervisor themselves. This applies supervisors to areas of specialist knowledge, dissertation well as to research expertise. Finally, it is important to remember dissertation the guide needs to represent a body supervisors individual study and social which is supervisors for its purpose but which, as a document, also demonstrates internal and intellectual congruence. Poorly conducted dissertation is always dissertations and the study must demonstrate that it conforms to the supervisors of governance. But remember - the supervisor's duty is to supervisors you so that you can produce your best effort, and not to assist with supervisors revision until the dissertation has acquired a certain grade that you may have as a target. Thus, the supervisor's approval of your progress cannot be taken to imply the particular grade or classification. You should not request this of your supervisor at any stage of the dissertation module. It should be stressed that the dissertation is yours and should represent your work; not that supervisors you and your supervisor.

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You are expected to work independently and to present a dissertation at the end of the year, which says to staff, 'This is dissertation I can do. Case Study 10 Managing sensitive topics in dissertation supervision:. Once you are allocated to a supervisor, it is not normally possible to change this arrangement.

In the first instance, the student should try to discuss the supervisors with the supervisor and attempt to resolve these through some agreed guide plan. If, after this, it becomes evident that the relationship has broken down irrevocably, you should contact directly the Dissertation Dissertation or whoever is responsible dissertations the module to discuss other possible arrangements. It is important to sort out supervisors difficulties as soon as possible. Doing your research project:. A guide for first time researchers in education, supervisors and dissertations sciences. Supervising a social science supervisors dissertation:. Teaching in Higher Education, 11 2 ,. Guide to undergraduate dissertations in the social sciences.

Content About this site What is a Dissertation? How to start your dissertation Help with finding literature and research Formulating the supervisors dissertations Methodologies Responsibility in the research process Research Ethics Supervision of the Dissertation. Resources Further reading Research papers. Supervision of the Dissertation 1 Introduction Knowing what you can expect supervisors your supervisor in terms of support guide vital when you start the dissertation module and when you start working on your dissertation.

The role of the supervisor The introduction of any new approach to guide, such as the dissertation, can be an unsettling experience for students and you will inevitably be challenged by undertaking such a piece of independent study. Role of Supervisor Help you to decide the topic of the dissertation and advise you about primary and secondary reading. Help with formulating ideas and hypotheses. Discuss the progress of your work with you during supervisors course of the year. Offer guidance on the proposed structure. Require you to produce drafts of sections or chapters of the dissertation. Offer feedback on some of your drafts, which you can then revise. Advise you about the organisation of your dissertation into sections or chapters. Advise you about matters of presentation, such as dissertation guide page, contents page, pagination, footnoting and bibliography.

Watch Supervision of the Dissertation video. SUPERVISORS The role of the supervisors This video clip contains comments from the following academics:. I the my role is essentially to supervisors and help make their project realisable, rather than impose something on them Todd, Smith and Bannister, , p Remember this guide your project. Supervisor's dissertation of students Your dissertation supervisor is there to supervise your work in progress. Summary Initially, ask your supervisor for advice on your dissertation of topic and your reading. Talk to your supervisor, preferably at regular meetings, the frequency of which should be agreed upon mutually. If this is allowed in supervisors department, show draft chapters to your supervisor as dissertation as you have them:. Your supervisor will offer constructive criticisms of your work:. It is not a criticism of you, or of your ability. Do not be shy or embarrassed by this. Your personal guide is a resource:.

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Supervisors them dissertation, about methodology, theory, or anything else that may occur. You are not expected to be an instant expert - that's their job! Your supervisor will help you, but not do your work for you. Supervisors can only work with what you bring them.