Doing Your Social Science Dissertation

Dissertations can be the most rewarding, and for some the most stressful, part of any undergraduate degree course, providing the opportunity for students to pursue a chosen subject in some depth, developing their expertise. The dissertation offers many challenges to those seeking to do it well and this guide is the perfect book for those seeking to succeed with their dissertation. Judith Burnett helps students to rise to this challenge, making the most of the opportunities which a dissertation offers and overcoming the obstacles to successful completion. This book takes students through the process of doing a dissertation from turning the raw ideas into a research question, designing the research project, choosing appropriate methods, developing a research proposal, planning and executing the project, working with data, writing up, and preparing the work for presentation.

Doing A Dissertation in the Social Sciences is an invaluable guide to avoiding the pitfalls and making the most of the opportunities offered by the dissertation. It ought to be compulsory reading for undergraduate students in any social science discipline.

SAGE Study Skills are essential study guides for students of all levels. From how to write great essays and succeeding at university, to writing your undergraduate dissertation and doing postgraduate research, SAGE Study Skills help you get the best from your time at university. Visit the SAGE Study Skills hub for tips, resources and videos on study success!

Autorentext

Judith Burnett is a lecturer at University of East London.

Inhalt

Introduction: why do a dissertation in the Social Sciences?
Ready to research?
What is expected in your dissertation?
How do I define a research question?
What kind of researcher am I?
How do I write the Research Proposal?
Finding sources and doing the literature review
What are the problems of real world research?
The research design
Carrying out the research
What do I do with all of this data?
Drawing conclusions and coming up with theories
Writing up
Troubleshooting: what to do if it all goes wrong