Diss Guide Copy

8/8/2019 Diss Guide Copy

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Department of Media and Film

7uDissertation Guide (8000 word)

1. INTRODUCTIONThe courses you take in the Spring/Summer terms of your 3rd year require you to write an 8000 word dissertation, which should draw on the coursematerials - theoretical and critical material, while providing an independent approach to a topic that is relevant to the course. The University ofSussex defines a dissertation as follows:

A major written work reporting the results of a substantial research project (typically conducted over more than one term), providing a

coherent argument about the topic addressed and aiming to incorporate an element of originality in the argument and/or the evidenceused to sustain it.

The dissertation is a sustained research project that functions both as:

(1) a summary experience that enables students to draw together and reflect upon skills and knowledge acquired on this particular courseand, more broadly, throughout your study time at university;

(2) a self-directed project that allows students to focus upon material chosen and planned by themselves.

Within this dissertation you will be required to apply debates that you have explored on the course to material of your own choice. You will aim todisplay a specialist depth, rigour, and knowledge of a specified area relating to the topic of this course. You will decide the title of this piece of work,but the topic must clearly be related to issues and approaches investigated on the course. Both the topic and title must be agreed upon throughconsultation with the course convenor. Students will be required to nominate a topic for research that lies clearly within the parameters of thecourse.

Your dissertation must not be a condensed summary or descriptive overview, but should represent a critical engagement with the materials anddebates you are discussing. As you write up your dissertation, keep asking yourself: Am I analysing here or merely describing? Most low scoringdissertations tend to summarise and collate material. In such work, material is quoted or referenced without the cri tical and analytic spirit that isrequired for an outstanding dissertation. In a strong dissertation the writers arguments and voice come across clearly and in an engaging manner,and quotations and references serve to highlight the writers own perspective.

Dissertations for the globalization course should show familiarity with the familiarity with the range of topics covered on the course, and shouldreveal evidence of intelligent and pertinent use of the resources listed in the course bibliography.

Dissertations should evidence use of material sourced and explored by the student themselves. This might include archive materials (newspapers,TV, films), or it may include research with audiences/users/consumers.

2. RESEARCHING & WRITING THE DISSERTATION

(a) Choosing a topic

You should choose a topic that interests you. Writing a dissertation is rewarding but involves a great deal of effort and personal commitment. It ishard to motivate yourself to write about subjects that you find dull.

Choose a topic that is manageable. Remember, you are writing an 8,000undergraduate dissertation, not an MA thesis or Ph.D. It has to be basedon primary research, but you will not have the time to carry out the research necessary for a major re-thinking of a substantive research problem.

The topic must be also be viable, i.e. any special resources (particular films, TV programmes, books, journal articles etc.) must be readily available,preferably within the University. If these are only available elsewhere then this must be clearly identified by the student as part of the dissertationproposal, together with a clear indication of when and how distant resources are to be used.

Be ambitious, but also be realistic about what you can achieve. Look at some articles on topics that interest you in academic journals. These areoften about the same length as undergraduate dissertations. Rather than reading them for what they say, look at how the argument has beencrafted. Typically, the author locates his or her own research in the context of a much broader question. The author generally reviews existingthoughts and arguments on this broad topic, and then sets out his or her own contribution. This invariably means re-defining the topic and narrowingthe research agenda to a specific question or set of questions. After presenting his or her argument with respect to this narrower question or set of

questions, most articles conclude by relating such conclusions to the broader topic outlined at the beginning of the article. This is what you shoulddo, too.

You must ensure that the topic is within the framework of the particular course you are taking. The dissertation should present an argument or set ofarguments in relation to the chosen topic, and should demonstrate knowledge of key theoretical, critical and historical literature relevant to the field.In addition, the topic should also enable you to demonstrate knowledge of appropriate critical methodologies drawn from previous coursesencountered during your university study.

(b) ResearchThis is supposed to be fun. If you dont think it is, you may wish to think about choosing a different topic. First, you should read as widely aspossible through relevant second materials, collecting anything that might prove useful (and this goes for films and other primary materials as well).Second, ask yourself what research you could do? The answer to this question will be partly determined by your own personal circumstances.

Once you have settled on a topic and located your research materials, pause for a moment and think about them. Part of the process of writing adissertation is to appraise the primary and secondary source material. Be aware of the limitations of your research (and topic) and make the readerof your dissertation aware of them, adjusting your conclusions accordingly.

Be very conscious of the time processes involved in writing a sustained piece of research. Leaving an essay until the last minute usually produces arushed and sketchy piece of work; the same is especially true for dissertations. Make sure you work out a timeline (with appropriate deadlines foryourself) early on. Aim to work on the dissertation each week (set aside a specific time each week to devote to the research and writing). Make sureyou allow for delays (particularly at the end with the final checking and printing off things always seem to go wrong at this time!). Allow more time


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than you think for the final stages, in particular for final editing and working through the draft versions (note the plural!) as this can turn a gooddissertation into a great (or, if not done well, not so good) one.

Keep track of your references this will save a lot of time at the end. Inevitably books and other reference material will have to be returned to thelibrary make sure you have all the details before this happens. (Chasing down missed/lost references is a time consuming process).

(c) Rules and Regulations.Youmust ensure that you check the relevant assessment regulations in the Examination and Assessment Handbook for Undergraduate Students.This document alone has the final say on regulations and you must follow its requirements to the letter concerning presentation, page numberingetc. You will also get information on submission dates from the undergraduate office and it is your responsibili ty to find this out and keep to the

deadline.

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(d) Word LengthThe maximum dissertation length is 8,000 words. Remember that this is the maximum and you should not exceed it or you may be penalised.Similarly, if you submit work, which is significantly shorter than the 8,000 limit you may also be penalised. The word limit includesfootnotes/or endnotes and quotations in the text, but does not include bibliography, filmography, appendices, il lustrations etc.

(e) Dissertation TitleYou will need to confirm a title with your dissertation supervisor. The date that titles have to be registered at the undergraduate office will be given inthe current Rules and Regulations. You will need to get a title registration form, fill it in and get your supervisor to sign i t. If you do this after thecourse, get your supervisor to sign it in his or her office hours. This form protects you, once it has been signed, that the subject of your dissertationis an appropriate one for a film studies undergraduate to be investigating. Dont leave this until the last moment or you may find that your

supervisor is not around to sign the title registration form. Try to keep the title on your registration form brief and not overly specific. Yourideas, argument and approach may well shift as you write the dissertation and you can indicate such shifts in your introduction by furtherspecifying the precise approach to the topic.

(f) PresentationCheck the Examination and Assessment Handbook for Undergraduate Students for University regulations with respect to referencing or theguidance. Dissertations must be properly footnoted and referenced, and contain a detailed bibliography. Presentation is an important aspect ofwriting an argument and you should not let yourself down by getting this wrong. Its easy to get it r ight and you willbe penalised for significant typingerrors, misspellings, poor referencing etc. Use the spell-check and grammar-check functions on your computer but ensure that you scrutinise theresults carefully, as such proofing tools can throw up some eccentric results! Pages must be numbered consistently. You should use only one sideof paper and the work must be typed or word-processed and double-spaced. It is strongly advisable to print out drafts of your dissertation and workon the hard copy rather than attempt to do all your editing on the computer screen. Save copies as you go there is nothing quite sodisheartening as losing work because you did not keep a backup copy.

(g) PlagiarismDont do it, as you will be penalised. When making notes, be careful that you acknowledge direct quotations andthe origin of significant ideas.Consult the University guidelines and your supervisor if in any doubt.

(h) Dissertation StructureA pretty standard formula is outlined below. The topic you chose will influence the structure of your argument. You should take detailed advice fromyour dissertation supervisor.

Title PageAcknowledgements pageSynopsis of dissertation (c. 300 words max)Contents pageIntroductionChapter 1. [Title]

Sub-sections?Chapter 2 [Title]Chapter 3 [Title] etc.ConclusionAppendices(if relevant)Bibliographic references and endnotes (if appropriate)Bibliography

Introduction

Your introduction should do a number of things, depending upon your choice of subject. The organisation of your introduction will depend both uponyour topic and upon your style of writing. Here are a number of features, which you might want to consider:

It should provide an engaging and interesting introduction to your topic [obvious really, but you do need to pull the reader in]. You

need to justify the dissertation, that is, say what the dissertation is about, and why it is important. Do not be overly tempted just tosummarise the forthcoming argument(s) remember, you are setting up your entire dissertation here.

How does your approach differ from that of other theorists? What are the key questions addressed in the dissertation, and what are

you going to say that is new? In other words, what is your argument?

How will your argument be structured? For example, in the first chapterx,y,zwill be discussed. Chapter two will focus upon a,b,cetc.Do not, however, spend too much time telling the reader what they will find and where!

Above all, you must do all this briefly, as you want to reserve most of your words for outlining your own original research. A good strategy is to writethe introduction last, that way you will not be making claims about the thesis that may not be realised.

Main ChaptersThese form the body of your dissertation. They are the building blocks through which you develop your argument and are a vehicle for you topresent your research. Most dissertations will need at least two or three chapters, although different subjects and approaches demand differenttypes of structure. Each chapter should deal with a major aspect of the subject. If necessary you can also provide subsections to each chapteralthough you should avoid making your text too piecemeal. Crucial ly you must not lose sight of the overall thread of your dissertation. To help youhere, it is often useful to pick up the theme of the second chapter at the end of the first etc. Remember, you are constructing an argument, not

just reporting the results of your research.

ConclusionYour conclusion is a vital part of your dissertation. Try not to see it as purely a repetition of what has gone before. A well-written conclusion will

leave the examiner with a positive impression of your work. You should use the conclusion to draw everything together and reiterate your mainargument:

What has your research added to the sum of knowledge on this topic?

Have you disproved someone elses thesis?

Does your evidence support the work of another theorist?

Try to round off with a strong concluding paragraph that succinctly sums up your findings on the question you have posed.

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AppendicesYou may want to use these. Appendices can prove a useful device for including important material that would otherwise make the argument difficultto follow if included in the main body of the text. Appendices are very useful for tables, though some may be crucial and need to be discussed in themain body of the text. Dont include anything, even in an appendix that isnt necessary for your argument. All appendices, tables, illustrations etc.,must be labelled and their source acknowledged.

BibliographyTake care with this. It is useful to divide your sources according to category (books, films and other media, web pages, and so on) rather than

jumbling different kinds of sources together. The bibliography should reflect your research. As such it should be meaningful (that is, dont pad it out

to make it look like youve read more than you actually have) and substantial.

Dont forget to put the date of publication andthe date of the edition you are using, as well as the place of publication. Remember to list your itemsin alphabetical order

Illustrations, Diagrams, Charts, etc.Illustrations such as film stills, photographs etc., diagrams and charts etc. should be included where they are relevant to the dissertation. Theyshould be captioned both for identification purposes and to indicate their relevance.

QuotationsLong quotations should be separated from the main body of the text by a double-space gap. The quotations should also be indented and typedsingle-space. e.g.

Exchange requires interaction of particular kinds and while the interaction may take place on even ground in the sense of the communicative

exchange, these grounds are likely to be uneven in practical, economic and informational terms. Lee characterises this as:

then a single space quote, which sets out what Lee says about the uneven flows and which does not simply repeat what you havealready needed to say to frame the quotation (Lee, 2007:8).

You then return to the standard formatting and keep writing....

Short quotations can be interwoven with the text, as in the following example:

In recent years there has been a proliferation of d igital links between schools in the developed and developing world. These, as Cawson points out

are of different lengths. Some may be characterized as brief encounters, barely scratching the surface of experience (Cawson, 2006: 26), others

are sustained....

Titles of Books, Films, etc.Titles of books, journals and newspapers should be underlined or italicised, e.g. Film Art: An Introduction, Sight and Sound, the Guardian or Film

Art: An Introduction, Sight and Sound, the Guardian

Titles of films should be underlined or italicised and further information if relevant can be included in brackets, as in the following example:

The Searchers (Warner Bros., dir: John Ford, USA, 1956)

or

The Searchers (Warner Bros., dir: John Ford, USA, 1956)

Subsequent references to the same film need not include bracketed information unless this is necessary in the context of the reference.

Referencing

There are currently various systems of referencing in use. The most important thing is to be clearand consistent, as the point of any referencesystem is to enable the reader to find the information presented. Remember; dont include material in footnotes that advances your main argument.The proper place for this is the main body of the text. You should reference every piece of evidence you present and should also reference keyideas and approaches drawn from the secondary literature.

References are numbered in the text and written out in full at the bottom of the page, as footnotes or you might choose to put your references atthe end of each chapter as endnotes. Most word processing packages have a facility, which enables you to insert these references easily. Forexample, if you are using Word to type your dissertation, go to the tool bar and left click on insert, then left click on footnote and follow theinstructions.

The Harvard System is easy to use.

With this system you

1. insert references in the text (Silverstone, 2006: p.16).

(Here include name, date and page ONLY)

AND

2. produce a biblilography at the end.

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(Here include name, date, title, place of publication, publisher, pagination if not whole book):Silverstone, Roger (2006). Television, Technology and Everyday Life. London: Routledge.

(in the case of journals or edited collections. Name, date. Article. Editor. Collection/Journal. Pagination of entire article)

Wacjman, Judy (2006). Globalization and Gender in Roger Silverstone (ed.). Television and Everyday Life. London: Routledge. pp.40-56.

In the case of journals also add the Volume and the Number and the Season. and the pagination

Wacjman, Judy (2006). Globalization and Gender in New Media and Society. 2 (1) Spring, 36-60.

Web sites. Find a date. If all else fails use date of access. But most decent articles are dated. Do all the above. Then add the web address (shortversion)(www.HBO.com.)

References to Internet ResourcesThe library web page provides hotlinks to various guides. However, in essence the principles are the same as any other form of referencing:

Author

Title of item

Location (e.g. web site) and date of posting and/or date accessed, in brackets.

References to Unpublished Theses

Author

Title of thesis, in single quotation marks (because it is not a published work)

University and degree for which it was submitted. Year of submission

Pages referred to.

Example: G, Scott, The politics of the Women's Co-operative Guild: working women and feminism during the First World War, (University ofSussex, MA dissertation, 1981)

References to Unprinted Documentary SourcesPrinted documents can be referenced as above. Unprinted, primary sources should be referenced as follows:

Description of the document: author, title if any.

Date of the document

Location of the document: name of the collection, the precise reference numbers (if any) and the place where the document may beconsulted. The purpose is to guide any reader who wishes to find the same document.

Example: Leisure survey, spring 1947, Box 2, Topic Collection, Leisure, TC80, Mass-Observation Archive, University of Sussex Library.

3. INDIVIDUAL TUTORIAL PROGRAMME

Students will be expected to work out and adhere to a research plan and to consult their supervising tutor regularly about the progress of thedissertation. It is not the supervisor's job to provide basic copy-editing services, but to provide general feedback on the progress of the student'swork. The tutor is not required to read draft material.

The tutorial schedule, which will generally involve 3 meetings in the first 4 weeks of the Summer term, is to be arranged between the student andtheir supervisor. If the latter feels that the topic is unsuitable, the student may be asked to propose another one.

Tutorials provide an opportunity for you to discuss the details of the project with an academic specialist. To maximise their effectiveness it isessential that you turn up to these sessions fully prepared, and that you have worked out the goals you require from the meeting. The supervisorwill be happy to discuss the development of your ideas but, from the initial stages of the project, you should aim to be as specific as you can in thequestions you ask and the advice you seek. Try not to waste time with the supervisor: if there are matters you could easily resolve yourself with alittle further research, try to do so before tutorials.

4. ASSESSMENT

The 8000-word dissertation should be submitted in mid May 2006 (exact date to be specified by the Undergraduate Office). However, you shouldensure that you submit a dissertation proposalto your tutor by the first week after Easter vacation, as this will form the basis of your first tutorial.

The dissertation proposalshould include details of:

the proposed topic(including a working title);

ajustification for the proposed investigation, outlining its aims and methodology;

details of the principal resources to be used, including a brief indicative bibliography (including a filmography);

a research and writingplan.

The dissertation proposal should show evidence of preparatory work and indicate a firm grasp of the conceptual and research implications of theproposed topic of study. It should be keenly focussed and economically written, with a clear sense that the student is treating the project seriously. It

should also present a convincing case that the proposed topic has the potential to be sustained for a wri tten dissertation of 8,000 words.

Feedback on work-in-progress will be continuous during the research and writing process and written feedback on the completed dissertation will beprovided.

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Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

Devise and undertake an academic investigation utilising appropriate resources

Complete an independent piece of writing in that is relevant to the course they are taking

Carry out data and literature searches in the subject

Organise and structure material derived from the investigation

Utilise the conventions of academic presentation and publication

Undertake and complete independently generated work to a deadline.

Assessment Criteria

Work for this course will be assessed by the following criteria:

investigative depth and breadth of reference;

awareness and use of the range of critical and theoretical material appropriate to the topic of investigation;

structure and organisation of argument;

conformity to the conventions of academic presentation.

The following is a guide to the particular qualities associated with each grading band:

70+ Excellent argument that synthesises available critical work and clearly and coherently develops new perspectives. Excellentstructure and style, showing strong ability to organise research materials in interesting and illuminating ways. Sophisticatedengagement with the course and substantial attainment and expansion of learning outcomes. Work of this band will generallybe distinguished by outstanding use of empirical research, film analysis and critical or theoretical approaches.

60-69 Sound argument showing good understanding of available critical work and some ideas for new departures but not fullydeveloped. Good structure and style showing ability to organise research materials in suitable and suggestive ways. Clearengagement with the course and substantial attainment of learning outcomes.

50-59 Standard argument showing some understanding of available critical work but few ideas and little criticism. Sound structureand style, showing ability to organise research materials, but a need for development of both research and presentation.Acceptable engagement with unit and attainment of learning outcomes. Work assessed at this level is likely to be overlydependent upon secondary sources but displays competence in film analysis where relevant.

40-49 Weak and underdeveloped argument showing little understanding of available critical work and no new ideas. Patchystructure and inappropriate style, showing little research and over-reliance on few sources. Little engagement withapproaches and materials encountered on the course, with limited attainment of learning outcomes. Work assessed at thislevel indicates some promise but fails to achieve the standard of structure and exposition necessary for a 50-59 band grade.

35-39 FAIL Little or no argument, relying heavily on description and recycling of sources. Confused structure and inappropriate style.Little research, with heavy dependence on a few secondary sources. Very slight engagement with course approaches and

materials, with very limited attainment of learning outcomes. This band indicates a borderline fail.

0-34 FAIL Unsatisfactory work. No argument and no understanding of critical sources or empirical materials. Little or no structure andinappropriate style. Little or no research and dependence on statement and opinion. Little or no engagement with the unitand failure to attain learning outcomes.

IDEAS FOR POPULAR CULTURE (SLOW DREAMER). ANDREW MEETING JUSTYNA AT HEATHROW AIRPORT. SPENDING THE DAY INLONDON CENTRAL. FLASHBACKS TO BOTH OF THEIR CHILDHOODS.

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Dissertation Proposal

Students Name

Provisional Title: (not more than 15 words)

...

Please be as precise as possible about the research questions you wish to investigate:

TOPIC:

RATIONALE & METHODS: Explain briefly:

(1) Why you consider this an interesting topic;

(2) How you propose to investigate it. You may wish to make references to particularly theoretical or methodological approaches that you think maybe useful;

(3) Please also indicate whether there are particular practical issues (e.g. access, equipment, resources) that might affect your research;

(4) Provide a rough guide to how you propose to timetable your various research and writing activi ties over the two semesters.

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