THE EFFECTS OF HIGH PRINCIPAL TURNOVER ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT (Research Proposal Sample)

Dissertation Supervision
Week 1
Research Methodologies
Aims –
The overall purpose of the dissertation should be clearly defined
Aims:
 Are broad statements of desired outcomes, or the general intentions of
the research, which 'paint a picture' of your research project.
 Emphasize what is to be accomplished (not how it is to be accomplished).
 Address the long-term project outcomes, i.e. they should reflect the
aspirations and expectations of the your research.
Generally, a project should have no more than two or three aims statements,
while it may include a number of objectives consistent with them.
Objectives -
Once aims have been established, the next task is to formulate the objectives.
Objectives are the steps you are going to take to answer your dissertation
questions, a specific list of tasks needed to accomplish the goals of the project
and the outcome of the work you have done – i.e. a dissertation that
accomplishes your aims.
Methodology –
Your method is ‘how’ you will conduct your research and articulate your
argument.
Your methodology shows that you understand the underlying concepts of the
methods you have used.
Examples of methods you have engaged with on the course include: Structural
analysis, Psycho-analytics, Marxist analysis, dialectics… etc.
It is being aware of using these methods and showing that you understand them
and are using them consciously that is important.
Task: think about and list the different methods you will be using for your
dissertation.
Types of Research
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Qualitative Research - is primarily exploratory research.  It is used to gain an
understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. It provides
insights into the problem or helps to develop ideas or hypotheses for potential
quantitative research. Qualitative Research is also used to uncover trends in
thought and opinions, and dive deeper into the problem.
Quantitative Research - is used to quantify the problem by way of generating
numerical data or data that can be transformed into useable statistics. It is used
to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables – and
generalize results from a larger sample
Task: Thisnk about and list the types of research that you will undertake. Are
they qualitative or quantative.
Visual and Media Research and Methodologies
Much of your research will of be visual sources. How can visual research be
organised? See:
Rose, Gillian, 2000, Visual Methodologies, London: Sage
(3 copies in Harrow Library and available online through catalogue)
Chapter 1 discusses:
1. Debates about the importance of the visual to contemporary Western
societies
2. A broad analytical framework for how understanding images become
meaningful.
3. Criteria for critical approaches
4. Methods that are suitable for kinds of analysis
5. Practical suggestions for referencing and reproducing images in your
dissertation.
Further recommended reading for research and writing:
Deacon, D et al (2007), Researching Communications: A Practical Guide to
Methods in Media and Cultural Analysis (2nd ed), Bloomsbury
O’Leary, Z (2010), The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project (2nd ed),
Sage Swetnam, D (2004), Writing your dissertation how to plan, prepare and
present successful work
(3rd ed), How To Books
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Dissertation Structure
Plan your word count as your dissertation must be well balanced and you can
quickly run out of word space. An example may look like this:
Intro – 1000 words
Chapter 1 Contextual review – 1500
Chapter 2 – 1500 words
Chapter 3 – 1500 words
Chapter 4 – 1500 words
Conclusion – 1000 words
Intro
Clearly ‘poses’ your dissertation question.
Clearly states (not literally ‘lists’) your aims and objectives.
Clearly sets out your objectives.
Clearly describes your methodology.
Clearly describes the structure of the dissertation – ‘Chapter 1 looks at…,’ ‘In
Chapter two I consider…’
Contextual Review – (usually chapter 1)
A contextual Review:
 Introduces you subject, its historical context, ideas and knowledge that
relates to it and how it is currently understood. This orientates the reader
and gives them what they need know to be able to follow your argument
in your following chapters. This also means that you do not need to
introduce each concept or source when it is referred to further down the
line.
 Sets your dissertation subject within a given context therefore drawing a
frame around your subject that defines what is relevant to your
consideration of it and what is not. Your ‘interest’ in the subject is
subsequently defined here.
 Introduces the sources you have accessed in considering your subject and
critically considers them to show that you are aware of and understand
the ‘field’ of knowledge that surrounds that subject.
Chapters
Each chapter should have its own short introduction and conclusion stating what
the chapters aims and objectives are (intro) and how these have been achieved
(conc).
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Conclusion
Should cover what was set out to be done, (briefly) what has been done in each
chapter and a (brief) summary of conclusions for each chapter given.
Finally, a reflective short text giving your own conclusions drawn from the
above.
Bibliography
Set out using Harvard referencing.
Separate list for films.
Separate list for illustrations.
Formatting
• Text size: 12 or 11pt. It should not be larger or smaller than this. However, end
notes can be 10pt, to save space. Notes and bibliography do not contribute to the
word count..
• Line spacing: double spaced, or 1.5 line spaced. Not single spaced.
• Margins: approx. 20mm left, 20mm, right (Word’s default margins are fine).
• Typefaces: Ariel, Helvetica, Times, or Palatino.
• Paragraphs: either extra line space between paragraphs, with no indents and
the start, or no line spaces and indented starts to paragraphs. Don’t indent, or
centre headings. Set them flush left.
• All text flush left. Avoid justified text, since it’s hard to control spaces between
words.
• Quotes: If 30 words or more (approx. 2 sentences), the text should be indented
by .5 both left and right, and offset from the main text by an extra space above
and below. If the quote is shorter than this, it can be run into the main body of
the text. Quotes stay in the same size font as the main text.
• Page numbers: begin numbering from the title page onwards, 1, 2, 3, etc. Don’t
use Roman numerals. All pages, including those with illustrations, are numbered
as part of the sequence.
• Illustrations: make sure your illustrations are an adequate level of resolution
(i.e. that they are not pixelated). At the same time be aware of the final size of the
electronic document shouldn’t exceed 10MB. Make sure the images are cropped
correctly, and that any unnecessary borders or frames are removed. It’s a good
idea to avoid placing the essay within the flow of the text, so that text is wrapped
around the image, since it interrupts reading. Set them on separate pages,
inserted close to the place where they are referred to, or at the end of the essay,
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as a separate ‘section’. All illustrations should be numbered fig.1 fig 2, etc., (or
image 1, image 2,etc.) and cross-referenced within the text, using the same
numbering system. Set them within the text, in brackets, like this: (fig.1) .
• Captions should be used for all images, in the following format: Figure 1 (or
relevant number), name, title of work (if appropriate), date. If the image is not a
work of art, give a title and/or description for it, in the caption. All must be given
a title/description where they appear, and source information should be
included at the back of the essay, under the list of illustrations.
• Appendices: should be numbered in a different sequence to the chapters. Set
them at the back of the essay, to avoid disrupting the main text.