BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying (BCAS, Qatar)

6CN010 Dissertation
Start-up Seminar

D.E. Searle

Introduction

What is research
What is a dissertation
Overview of format
Selection of a topic
The need for originality
Dissertation assessment
Undertaking the dissertation in stages
What next?
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Research (1/3)
What is it?
Systematic (i.e. methodical, well organized)
investigation towards increasing the sum of
knowledge (From Chambers English Dictionary as
cited by Fellows and Lui (2008)
Systematic investigationin order to establish facts
and reach new conclusions (Concise Oxford
Dictionary, 1995)
A voyage of discovery (Fellows and Lui, 2008)
3

Research (2/3)
What it isnt?
Just gathering of information
Just looking for information
Copying facts from sources
Consultancy/consulting i.e. providing
specialist advice in a field
4

Research (3/3)
Why conduct research?
Generally to acquire knowledge

Establishing things already known

Providing things we do not know

Overview of research process

Identify Problem/ Knowledge
Gap
Determine Research
Question(s)
State Aim & Objectives
Review Literature
Develop Research Plan (Resources & Method)
Collect and Analyze Data
Results discussion & Conclusions
Recommendations (Further research & implementation)

Produce dissertation

Adapted from SERC (1982) and Bryman & Cramer (1994)

What is a Dissertation?
A level six project module studied over three
semesters
An in-depth research investigation of a topic
aligned to your degree
Required to be completed before a student can
qualify for an honours degree
Represents a substantial piece of work requiring
initiative and commitment on the part of the
student
Unlike any other module emphasis is on
independent learning and research / enquiry.
NOT TO BE UNDERESTIMATED!!
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Content of the dissertation

The recognised structure of a logically presented,
written report (i.e. dissertation) contains three
components:
1. the beginning i.e, introductory;
2. the middle i.e. original, main body of the
report; and
3. the end, i.e. conclusions
This is dynamic and prone to change depending on
subject, research methods, etc!

Selection of a topic
Not an easy task!
Consider for example:
Study area, subject domain, relevance to
your award
area of interest
availability of information
amount / volume of research required
(time)
data collection method(s)
quantitative or qualitative
employers / collaborators
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The need for originality

There is no substitute for originality in a good
dissertation.
This will be achieved via your own research,
particularly your research methodology.
To help appropriate methodology selection consider
the following:
Industrial / academic basis;
Conceptual / empirical requirements;
Qualitative / quantitative bias;
Pure / applied basis
10

Dissertation Assessment
An undergraduate dissertation is a substantial piece of
work assessed against the following criteria:
Students initiative and planning (quality of the
Dissertation Proposal);
Information search and critical review (number /
quality of references);
Design and implementation of the work undertaken
(research methodology including compliance with
ethical procedures);
Critical discussion of work undertaken (results,
conclusions and recommendations);
Standard of presentation
11

Dissertation Proposal
Contributes towards your overall mark for the
dissertation
Represents a detailed indication of the proposed
research
See Naoums text book for further examples

12

Ethical Approval (1/2)

If your dissertation involves humans (including
questionnaires and interviews) and / or animals,
then you will need to obtain ethical approval before
conducting the data collection
This is to protect the interests of the participants to
your research (e.g. interviewees, respondents to a
questionnaire survey, the general public, etc, etc)

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Ethical Approval (2/2)

A copy of your completed Ethics and Safety Form
will need to be included with your Research
Proposal submission
Refer to the guidance and forms (look at the module
guide pack for further information)
Failure to comply will result in a failure in your
dissertation!
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Undertaking the dissertation in stages (1 of

2) Deadline for completion April 2012 TBC
Best thought of in terms of report compilation:
Sub stage 1 The initial literature review
Sub stage 2 Development / confirmation of aim
and
Objectives
Sub stage 3 Literature and methodology design
Sub stage 4 Dissertation Research Proposal &
Ethics Approval form
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NOTE: Writing up the research should be undertaken in parallel

Undertaking the dissertation in stages (2 of

2) Deadline October 2012 TBC
Best thought of in terms of report compilation:
Sub stage 5 Data collection
Sub stage 6 Data analysis
Sub stage 7 Interpretation and discussion of
results
Sub stage 8 Development of conclusions and
recommendations
NOTE: Writing up the research should be undertaken in parallel
with the above stages.
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Selection of a topic
The questions involved are:
What?

Selection of topic

Why?

Required for degree/by employer/for

interest/career development etc

Where?

Qatar, University, industry, library, visits to

experts etc

When?

Timing and time available is normally specified

manage this time

How?

Methodology

Whom?

The researcher, the sample personnel, others?

How much?

Resources time, cost etc

Selection of a topic

Very often, the most difficult task for any researcher is to

select a topic for study and then refine that topic to produce
a proposal, which is viable.
Subject selection:
It is useful to begin by constructing certain lists:
List 1: Topics of interest
List 2: Personal strengths and weaknesses
List 3: Topics of current interest in practice
List 4: Access to data
List 5: Research limitations

Exercise in your own time

Construct your list on the 5 headings. For each
rank each on their level of importance or ease a
scale of 1 to 5
List 1: Topics of interest
List 2:
Personal strengths and weaknesses
List 3: Topics of current interest in practice
List 4: Access to data
List 5:
Research limitations

What next? From now until January

2012
Reflect, consider, explore, evaluate a potential
dissertation project
Work on the 5 lists
Read the recommended text book (Naoum, 2007)
(Naoum, S.G. (2007) Dissertation Research and Writing for
Construction Students, 2nd Edition. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann.
0 7506 2988 6)
Complete 6CN010 DISSERTATION INCEPTION FORM - see
module guide for template

Construct two research questions

Do some background reading on your two questions
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What next? - January to April 2012

Develop a set of aims & objectives

consisting of a single aim (formulated
from the research question) & 4 - 5
objectives.

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What next? - next academic year

Proposal and ethics form is due April 2012,
completion by October 2012 (see module
guide for templates)
Lectures on the dissertation will take place
during each academic visit over the year
You will be taught elements of research at
appropriate times, but the key is read, read
read!

Support available
There will be a supervision team (led by myself) which
will consist of UoW tutors who already teach on the
Qatar programme.
After the proposal has been submitted you will be
allocated a dedicated supervisor who will take you
through from proposal to final submission will be
someone who teaches on the Qatar degree.
Distance support (with UK tutors via e-mail & Skype)
It is the students responsibility to lead on this, we are
there but in a passive role only!

Thank You
ANY
QUESTIONS?