CoP3 Lecture 3

Resolving Your Research Project.
Introduction.
How to structure and write the introduction for your CoP3 dissertation.
What you are going to address and how your going to address it?



Academic conventions are like an institutional framework for your work.
They structure and standardise.
They aspire to academic honesty.

Expected to be.
Demonstrate critical knowledge of practice.
Apply theory to practice.
Anaylse relevant material.
Evaluate theory and evidence within the context of study.
Reflect - critiquing and critically reflecting on your learning and using this to improve practice.

Deep engagement with the topic.

• Original Bloom 1956
• Knowledge 
• Comprehension
• Application
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Evaluation

Anderson and Pohl 1990-2000.

• Remembering 
• Understanding
• Applying
• Analysing
• Evaluating
• Creating

Hierarchy of learning.
Basic knowlegde to learn and regergitate facts.
More information about why and undertanding how facts relate to each other.
Taking the complex understanding and applying it to something.

To avoid. Shallow Approach.

• Concentration on learning outcomes.
• Passive acceptance of ideas. Should challenge ideas and unpick them.
• Routine memorisation of facts.
• Sees small chunks. Link all of the narratives together.
• Ignore guiding patters and principles.
• Lack of reflection about, or ignorance of, underlying patterns and theories.
• Little attempt to understand
• Minimal preparation and research.

Deep Approach.

• Independent engagement with material. Own opinions and ideas.
• Critical and thoughtful about idea and information.
• Relates ideas to own previous experience and knowledge.
• Sees the big picture.
• Relates evidence to conclusions.
• Examines logic of arguments.
• Interested in wider reading and thinking.
• Ongoing preparation and reflection.

Academic writing is formal and follows some standard conventions.
Each academic discipline had its own specialist vocabulary which you will be expected to learn and use in your own writing. Everything has to have evidence to it. Using quotes in the essay.
The substance of academic writing must be based on solid evidence and logical analysis, and presented as concise, accurate argument.
Academic writing can allow you to present your argument and analysis acculturate and concisely.
Precise and direct, no rhetorical or conversational language. Forceful and direct, shows more confidence in your point.

• Avoid using uncertain language. 
• Avoid repeating the same words. 
• Aim for shorter sentences rather than longer ones. 
• Avoid waffling.
• Avoid abbreviations and contractions. Is no, not, Isn't.
• Avoid slang words and phrases.
• Avoid conversational terms.
• Avoid vague terms.

Make your point then back it up with academic quotes.
Link to information.

Using first person sentences use the pronouns 'I" and 'we'
I have observed....It has been observed

Need for an essay.
Preliminaries.
Title
Acknowledgemtns
Contents
List of illustrations.

Introduction.
The absract
Statement of the problem
Methodological approach.

Main body.
Review of the literature
Logically developed argument
Chapters
Results of investingation.
Case study.

Conclusion. (echo introduction)
Discussion and conclusion
Summary of conclusions

Extras. (do not count towards your word count.)
Bibliography
Appendices

1.5 line spaced apart from quotes that are single line spaced and indented and separated form the rest with an indent if it is more than two lines.

Be able to summaries in a paragraph, paraphrasing, long quotes, small quotes.

7 weeks till the final hand in. 50 days till hand in.

Getting Stuck?

• Ask yourself why are you really stuck?
• Avoid negativity.
• Picture what being 'unstuck' would look like.

Project Self Assessment.

• Write down the major aims of the project.
• Give a brief summary of the work so far.
• Comment on your time management.
• Do you know what the final project will look like?
• What steps will you take to ensure it gets there?
• What areas of the project are you worried about?
• What 'risk management' plans do you have?
• How are you going to use the remaining tutorials?

 

Don't priorities the practical over the essay!

• Set targets.
• Be more disciplined than ever!
• Refer to your original plan.

Bibliography.
Author (date) Title Place Publisher
Essay.
(surname, year, page)
Be consistent throughout the essay and bibliography.
Quote in a quote.
(surname in surname, year, page)
Images.
Unsure.
Alphabetized.