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The (Masters) Dissertation: Skylark or Albatross?
Prof. Ifan D H ShepherdDirector, Professional Practice Programmes
Middlesex University Business School
Middlesex UniversityAnnual Teaching & Learning Conference
11 July 2013
Next week’s celebrations
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
The academic gown tradition
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
Dissertation: a diverging tradition
Dissertatio (Latin):
“any formal discourse in speech or writing”
Common in the title of 17th century scientific books e.g. Jacobi Bernouilli (1685) Dissertatio de Gravitate Aetheris
19th century American culture:
"An American cannot converse, but he can discuss, and his talk falls into a dissertation. He speaks to you as if he was addressing a meeting…"
-- Alexis de Tocqueville (1835)
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
The research-based dissertation
The research PhD emerged in 19th century German universities -- e.g. Friedrich Wilhelm University
Traditional dissertation chapters appeared:
‘Methodology’
‘Literature review’
‘Results/Findings’
’Analysis and Interpretation of Findings’
This structure closely linked with scientific experimentation
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
A persistent tradition – trickled down
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
Cultural divergence in terminology
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
UK USA
Dissertation Masters PhD
Thesis PhD Masters
The masters landscape (UK)
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
MA
MSc
MPhil
MRes
MBA
MProf
Subjectemphasis
Researchemphasis
Academicemphasis
Vocational/Professionalemphasis
Roles of the masters (then and now)
15th century: “A licence to practice theology” -- Hart (2004)
19th century: “Altogether a teacher’s degree” -- McLaughlin (1917)
20th century: “Preparation for a doctorate” -- ‘Second cycle’ in Bologna Process
21st century: “A PhD is not enough these days … You need something more to stand out. Go do an MBA … or a masters in patent law” -- Unemployed Australian PhD student (2013)
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
Roles of the masters dissertation (now)
Gives students an opportunity to:
shine (i.e. be ‘stretched’) enjoy a capstone learning experience acquire mastery of research methods through application be inducted in the ways of the (academic) researcher
“Your [masters] dissertation is the physical evidence that you [can] be accredited as a competent researcher” -- Hart (2004)
The PhD dissertation is the “centrepiece of graduate education” -- Boyer (1990)
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
So…
Is everything in the garden rosy?
The masters landscape (UK)
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
MA
MSc
MPhil
MRes
MBA
MProf
Subjectemphasis
Researchemphasis
Academicemphasis
Vocational/Professionalemphasis
An inquest into our Masters dissertation
Autumn 2008 : Department of Marketing & Enterprise
Continuing under-performance by a significant percentage of students submitting a dissertation
Distinction 13% Merit 18% Pass 32% Fail 19% } c.40% failed or Referred to Registry 18% } referred for plagiarism
[ 2007-2008 academic year, n=39 students ]
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
An inquest into our Masters dissertation
Poor lecture & seminar attendance
Vague and/or confused research proposals
Late submission of research proposals
Highly plagiarised literature reviews
Weak methodology
Superficial data analysis
Inability to express ideas coherently
etc.
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
A problem of our own making?
We restrict the period available for mastery of research methods and their application -- “Dissertations within masters programmes follow the completion of taught modules” (MU Learning Framework)
We atomise the research process, and wonder why dissertation chapters are disconnected
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
A problem of our own making?
We feed students unnecessary jargon -- e.g. research, paradigm, positivism, ontology
We adopt categories of dubious value -- e.g. quantitative vs qualitative data/research
We nurture expectations of original knowledge -- “an emphasis on independent and original study” (ITS)
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
Research competence doesn’t come easily
Many students (especially overseas) do not come from a western academic research culture
Research methods mastery can’t be achieved within the one-year masters
Gladwell’s ‘10,000 hours rule’ for mastery/expertise is a salutary reminder not to have exaggerated expectations
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
The numbers challenge
Large masters intake (e.g. 100+ per annum)
+Modest-sized department (e.g. 20+ staff)
=
Supervisory problem
5-10 students per annum per supervisor Frequent demands from needy students
But this is not simply a numbers problem…
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
The ‘tangential duties’ problem
What do the following have in common? –
Supervising dissertations Attending recruitment events (e.g. open evenings) Visiting placement students Answering student emails promptly
Evidence of a module-based silo mentality
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
One person’s honesty
“I would have been a bad don [at Cambridge]. … I would not have been sufficiently interested in my students ... I’m not humble enough, and the capacity for ordinary work is not in me. The necessary sense of duty to my students would have been missing.”
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
So … What’s to be done?
Sticking plaster vs radical surgery
Sticking plaster solutions (1)
Problem: Insisting on a thorough literature review when students may never have encountered a journal article Solutions: -- Support practice in critical reading -- Bibliography only of read items -- Appendix of annotated read items -- Reduce assessment weighting
Problem: Foisting a full research methods course on students when < 20% relevant to their research project Solution: -- A la carte rather than table d’hôte research methods course
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
Sticking plaster solutions (2)
Leaving writing until the end of the process Solutions: -- write as a form of thinking (e.g. ‘research journal’) -- write early to permit supervisory feedback -- write throughout to avoid the deadline guillotine -- write often to permit plagiarism checks
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
Towards more radical solutions
Some awkward questions I’ve asked myself:
What (exactly) does ‘academic’ mean in a research context?
What do our employed students do at work that could make a contribution to knowledge?
How do you wrap research around professional activities?
Is the disinterested researcher an outmoded ideal?
How can knowledge (academic as well as professional) be generalised?
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
An alternative perspective on dissertations
The academic researcher is ever on the outside looking in…
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
…while the professional practitioner is an embedded researcher
The relevance of insider research
The academic style of research dissertation for part-time (i.e. working) students is of questionable value
-- actionable knowledge is equally valuable -- action research can be equally rigorous -- team-based research may be more relevant
Maybe we should replace ‘academic’ by ‘relevant’ as the criterion of ‘level 7-ness’
We have considered two variants of insider research: R & D projects
Professional practice dissertations
In both cases, there is a bigger role for assessing the research process itself -- e.g. through students’ critical reflection
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
We’re moving in the right direction…
e.g. MA marketing dissertations
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
MA MarketingManagement
MA MarketingCommunications
MA e-Marketing& Social Media
Research format
ResearchOR
R&D format
R&D format
Marketing is following a well-trodden Business School path e.g. HRM, Accounting, Finance, MBA, etc.
Old habits die hard…
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
Research dissertation
Aims and objectives (10%) Literature review (25%) Methodology (20%) Findings & analysis (20%) Conclusions & recommendations (15%)
Language & presentation (10%)
R&D dissertation
Client needs (10% User needs (10%) Clients/user requirements (10%) Team R&D process (10%) Technical & organisational specifications (20%) Implementation (30%) Evaluation (10%)
We’re moving in the right direction…
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
We also have an MProf in Professional Practice for:
Accounting, Business, Economics, Enterprise, Finance,Human Resources, Management, Marketing
Includes APL/APEL, Review of Learning, and a practice- based research project centred on the practitioner’s organisational activities
No longer based on the mini-PhD template
Research without the dissertation?
The dissertation is not the only tool we have for giving students an opportunity to undertake research
Fieldwork and residentials Local business consultancies ‘Open’ paper Mini-projects etc.
Submissions encouraged in non-textual media
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
Research without the dissertation?
Q: If we believe research is so valuable for masters students, why not distribute it throughout their programmes?
Instead of the dissertation, we could have other kinds of ‘deliverable’:
reports audits evaluations proposals etc.
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
Martin Luther King’s PhD -- about half was plagiarised (After a formal enquiry, Boston University decided not to strip him posthumously of
his doctorate)
What would we lose without dissertations?
A useful reminder that while there may be shortcutsto producing a dissertation, there are no shortcuts to
becoming an effective researcher
What would we lose without dissertations?
Simon Pegg’s undergraduate dissertation: ‘Base and Supersucker’ A marxist critique of Star Wars, comparing
the film to the Cold War
© 2013 - Ifan D H Shepherd, Middlesex University Business School
Ros Barber’s DPhil thesis: ‘Writing Marlowe as writing Shakespeare’
= blank verse novel + commentary(70k words + 50k words)