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Getting Started on a Geography Dissertation. Directions.

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Title: Getting Started on a Geography Dissertation. Directions.
Language: English
Authors: Burkill, Sue, Burley, Jane
Source: Journal of Geography in Higher Education. Nov 1996 20(3):431-437.
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 7
Publication Date: 1996
Intended Audience: Students
Document Type: Reports - Descriptive
Journal Articles
Descriptors: Degree Requirements, Doctoral Dissertations, Doctoral Programs, Geography, Goal Orientation, Graduate Study, Guidelines, Higher Education, Research Methodology, Research Opportunities, Research Problems, Student Educational Objectives, Student Motivation, Student Needs, Student Research
ISSN: 0309-8265
Abstract: Provides an outline for planning and writing a geography dissertation. Addresses such fundamental concerns as selecting a topic, research methodologies, funding, and advisors. Recommends a variety of simple yet effective planning and implementation tips. (MJP)
Journal Code: CIJSEP1997
Entry Date: 1997
Accession Number: EJ543710
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN9701200426;JGH01NOV.96;1997Dec04.12:07;v2.3</anid> <jsection id="AN9701200426-1"> DIRECTIONS: JGHE STUDY GUIDE</jsection> <title id="AN9701200426-2">GETTING STARTED ON A GEOGRAPHY DISSERTATION </title> <p>At some point in any geography degree many undergraduates find themselves facing the challenge of getting started on a dissertation. This will usually end up as an in-depth exploration of a theme, an issue, a policy or a controversy. Typically it will contain an empirical element which may or may not be field based. </p> <p>For most students the challenging aspect of a dissertation is that it is essentially an independent study. For much of the time you will be on your own, applying your research skills to your chosen theme. If you are going to write a really good dissertation you will have to be confident enough to adapt research techniques for your own purposes and draw your own conclusions from the findings. </p> <p>This article is designed to help you with the difficult, and sometimes lonely, initial stages of planning and organising your dissertation. </p> <hd id="AN9701200426-3"> Why is it Worth Doing a Good Dissertation? </hd> <p>Course Requirements </p> <p>Requirements vary between institutions and even between courses. Check carefully! The dissertation may be worth a substantial amount of your final degree mark. Moreover, a dissertation often has special status. For example, it is sometimes a discriminator in the decision over whether to award a particular class of degree. Check your own course regulations to see whether a failed dissertation may bar the candidate from an honours degree. </p> <p>Personal Satisfaction </p> <p>Geography dissertations encompass a broad spectrum of topics. You might be studying cross-border migration from Mexico to California, or interpreting the significance of bronze-age settlement on Dartmoor; you may chose to criticise planning policies for north-east England, or to measure processes of coastal erosion in North Island, New Zealand. This diversity allows you the luxury of immersing yourself into one area of geography in which you are really interested. The very best dissertations are sometimes rewritten and published in journals: some are awarded national or institutional prizes. </p> <p>Greater Understanding of the Subject </p> <p>A well-chosen topic will deepen your general understanding of geography, and the theories, methods and knowledge acquired will enhance your achievement in coursework and exams. </p> <p>Career Opportunities </p> <p>Your dissertation can be a good advertisement for your abilities and, in particular, it is your chance to demonstrate and reflect upon a range of transferable skills. For example, you may become more aware of your own strengths in IT, your flair for photography or your ability to access obscure articles. </p> <p>Your tutors will become aware of your proficiency in skills relevant to the work-place such as interviewing, word processing, administration and time management. Advisers and personal tutors tend to mention dissertations when writing references. If you are considering postgraduate work, your dissertation is probably the best indication of your research potential. </p> <p>Sometimes the research you are doing can provide you with work experience and introduce you to the advantages and disadvantages of a particular career. Indeed, you may make vital contacts which could prove useful in the future. </p> <hd id="AN9701200426-4"> What if You Have no Idea Where to Start? </hd> <p>Like many students you may find it difficult to identify an area of research for a dissertation. The problem is that the dissertation can seem like an enormous obstacle or challenge, making you feel your ideas just do not measure up to the task. As a starting point you might try working through this checklist of suggestions: </p> <ulist> <item> Lecture courses: Have you been particularly inspired by one of the courses you have taken? Were there any topics, case studies, approaches or methodologies you found particularly interesting? Have you found yourself questioning ideas presented in the course? </item> <item> Staff or postgraduate research: Staff in your institution are probably well known for research in some area of the discipline. Are you inspired by any of that work? Have you talked to any postgraduate students about their current research? </item> <item> Previous dissertations: You might find it useful to browse through one or two past dissertations. Establish how the research was organised and what techniques the student used. Can you identify the better dissertations among those you have read? Can you identify the flaws in weaker ones? </item> <item> National or local controversy: A large number of dissertations are inspired by a contemporary issue (either national or in a specific locality). Scan the newspapers for ideas, perhaps using the CD-ROM versions to track an issue through a few weeks. You may be attracted to a local issue but do avoid hackneyed topics (e.g. shopping surveys) or recycled school projects. </item> <item> Current journals: An idea for your dissertation may come from the questions raised by contemporary research articles. The annual publications Progress in Physical Geography and Progress in Human Geography might help here. </item> <item> A visit or field trip: Think about ideas which you have explored in the past on fieldwork. Perhaps they are transferable to another location close to where you live. </item> <item> Career opportunities: Is there a theme which will allow you to develop your career aspirations? </item> <item> Friends and family: Sometimes you will find there is a topic that will interest you and will also help someone else with a problem they want resolving. </item> <item> Hobbies and interests: A hobby can make the foundations for a good dissertation topic. You have the interest, you have the connections and very often you will be in an insider position from which you can speak authoritatively. </item> </ulist> <hd id="AN9701200426-5"> Having Selected a Topic, How do you Define your Research More Closely? </hd> <p>Nearly all geography dissertations incorporate three dimensions: </p> <ulist> <item> a theme, issue, problem or policy; </item> <item> a locality or region; </item> <item> a research methodology. </item> </ulist> <p>The Theme, Issue, Problem or Policy Focus </p> <p>Ideas about the theme, issues, problem or policy focus of your dissertation might come from your knowledge of the discipline, or from some event in the 'real world' that has caught your attention. Many dissertations have their origins in one of the systematic areas of the discipline (one of the branches of physical or human geography). These areas have established reading bases (specialist journals, for example) and a range of existing methodologies which will help you in the early stages. </p> <p>The Locality or Region </p> <p>Decide on the scale of the study. Will you focus on global or national perspectives or will the study be at the local or regional scale? Most dissertations are set in a broader context initially and then focus into a smaller area for a detailed investigation. In choosing your locality do bear in mind practicalities such as costs, safety and the feasibility of returning to the place if necessary. </p> <p>The Research Methodology </p> <p>This is the most difficult dimension to identify in the initial stages. You will find that research geographers agonise over approaches to their research. Rogers (Rogers et al., 1992, p. 233) makes the point well: </p> <p>...not only have the content and methods of geography changed over the years, but even in the present there is not total agreement as to what geography is or how it should be done. For some students this is a nuisance but for others it is the starting point for a stimulating intellectual journey. </p> <p>Implicitly or explicitly a dissertation explores two vital methodological questions: </p> <p>(<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>) What do you think geography is and how does your dissertation fit into that definition? To answer this question you will have to consider the contemporary paradigms which are applicable to your topic. </p> <p>(<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref2">2</reflink>) How is geography studied and how does your dissertation exemplify this? To answer this question you will need to review a range of techniques or methods. Are you interested in qualitative or quantitative methods? Consider your personal capabilities and the appropriateness of different methods when choosing how to handle geographical information. Do you, for example, have a preference for laboratory techniques, computer-based mapping, photography, statistics, interviewing? Remember that it is not essential to use statistical techniques to write a good dissertation. The methodology you adopt will influence the sorts of questions you can address in your dissertation, so do not leave the decisions about methodology until it is too late. </p> <p>Using these three dimensions to narrow down your area of interest, you can develop a plan of action (Figure 1). </p> <hd id="AN9701200426-6"> Establish the Guidelines </hd> <p>Check that you have the following information: </p> <ulist> <item> the time scale over which you must produce the dissertation. Check for the submission date and clarify whether there are any interim deadlines (you may have to produce an action plan or a dissertation precis for example); </item> <item> the length of the dissertation (up to 10,000 words is a typical length); </item> <item> the way in which you are expected to present your dissertation; </item> <item> who you can consult and how much help you can expect to get. Although this is an independent study, tutors will be anxious to see that you get off to a good start. Make sure that you meet with a tutor who will discuss your initial ideas with you. (S)he will help you define a manageable and focused research project, point you in the direction of some appropriate references, offer encouragement and challenge your assumptions. </item> </ulist> <p>Find out how much time (s)he has available to advise you and use this time effectively. You should keep a record of your meetings and the agreed outcomes. If things start to go wrong or you fall behind on your timetable do not avoid your tutor! Get in touch quickly to explain the situation and you will get help with planning a realistic solution to the problem. </p> <hd id="AN9701200426-7"> Some Answers to Frequently Asked Questions </hd> <p>Everyone has concerns about getting started on a dissertation and the same questions tend to come up again and again. </p> <ulist> <item> Can I select my supervisor (adviser)? Most institutions will suggest a tutor for you. This will probably be based on the research focus you select. Some diplomatic lobbying early on can help you to make things go your way! </item> <item> Can I get any money to help with my research? Not normally! However, some institutions have research grants for undergraduates and tutors may be able to put you in touch with outside organisations which have highly competitive scholarships for expeditions involving overseas research. </item> <item> What if I change my mind about the research? Most dissertations involve narrowing down the focus of the research. If the focus changes completely, make sure your tutor is consulted early on. </item> <item> What if I discover someone else has done the same research as me? If you find some very similar research, be honest about it. You should discuss it very quickly with a tutor and together you can decide how to make your work sufficiently different. Relying too heavily on one source is dangerous and plagiarism is always treated severely. </item> <item> When should I start writing? You could start right away. Once you start to read about your theme, locality or methodology you should keep organised notes. These will later be embedded in the literature review which will be a vital part of your dissertation. Have a go at writing one chapter early on: it gets you over a psychological hurdle! However, do not think that once written, it is finished. You will revise your early writing a number of times. </item> <item> What is the examiner looking for in a dissertation? Most departments will have marking criteria for dissertations. Many tutors will be happy to discuss these with students. Typically these may include: </item> </ulist> <p>(<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref3">1</reflink>) the dissertation in the context of geography as a subject. You will be expected to show how your dissertation relates to the discipline of geography; </p> <p>(<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref4">2</reflink>) the coherence and effectiveness of the argument. You will be expected to present a structured argument which has clear aims, draws justifiable inferences and interpretations and comes to defensible conclusions; </p> <p>(<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref5">3</reflink>) evidence of independent work and the challenge of the topic. This will be demonstrated through the imaginative approaches, complexity of methodologies and new insights revealed. </p> <p>In addition note will be taken of: </p> <ulist> <item> your reading base and how effectively it is referenced; </item> <item> your ability to communicate effectively and the use of English (spelling, punctuation, grammar, vocabulary); </item> <item> your presentation including the adherence to the departmental rules on rubric and the quality of diagrams and maps. </item> </ulist> <p>The amount of help you have been given by a tutor may also be considered. </p> <p>When you first talk to your tutor you might find it useful to have this checklist of marking criteria available for discussion. </p> <hd id="AN9701200426-8"> Finally </hd> <p>If you have read to the end of this article you should be well prepared to get started on your dissertation. However, we asked some students what sort of advice they would make really high priority, and two additional points emerged. One student pointed out: </p> <p>Keeping a record of sources from day one is important. I spent an entire day tracing six sources I had not referenced accurately. [Comment: He had been warned! Do keep a card index right from the very first book you pick up] </p> <p>Another student commented: </p> <p>I was overwhelmed by the amount of material I collected ... it meant hours poring over piles of jumbled papers. [Comment: A clear action plan will help focus the reading, try making several separate piles of materials, each of which will broadly relate to one of your chapters] </p> <p>DIAGRAM: FIGURE 1. Plan of action. </p> <hd id="AN9701200426-9">Recommended Reading</hd> <p>BELL, J. (1987) Doing your Research Project, 2nd edn (Buckingham, Open University Press). </p> <p>GOULD, P. (1985) The Geographer at Work (London, Routledge). </p> <p>PARSONS, T. & KNIGHT, P.G. (1995) How to do your Dissertation in Geography and Related Disciplines (London, Chapman & Hall). </p> <p>ROGERS, A., VILES, H. & GOUDIE, A. (1992) The Student's Companion to Geography (Oxford, Blackwell). </p> <aug> <p>By Sue Burkill & Jane Burley, College of St Mark and St John, Plymouth, UK </p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib1" firstref="ref1"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib2" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib3" firstref="ref5"></nolink>
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