Many students will encounter an extended project, dissertation or thesis during their programme. It is important to know the resources and help that are available to you so that you can maximise your performance.
Planning and Time Management
Projects can extend over a long period; students are often required to start their preliminary research over a year before the final deadline. Planning your work and time is key to an extended piece of work like this, so you may wish to consult the Time Management guidance.
Literature Research
An early stage is often to carry out a literature review. The resources on the Library and Information Skills page will help you ensure that you are doing this in the most effective way.
Collecting Data
A guide on how to design effective questionnaires is available for download.
If you will be working with human subjects, the Moodle course on working with human subjects may be helpful.
Statistics and Analysis
The Statistical Advisory Service (SAS) is available for one-to-one help with any statistical queries that you may have; from experimental design, to guidance on the correct statistical tests and interpretation of results, or even general help with statistical computing packages. To book a session with a Statistics Advisor, visit the Visit the SAS website.
Writing Up
The University offers a range of help for improving your academic writing, including one-to-one tuition, courses, and electronic resources. More details are available from the Academic Writing page.
It is very important that you are confident about how to reference correctly and avoid plagiarism. Guidance on this is provided on the Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism page.
Further Advice
You will be allocated a project/dissertation supervisor in your department or school. Don’t be afraid to ask them if you have questions or need advice.
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