Table Of ContentSuccessful
Dissertations
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Also available from Continuum
Conducting Research in Educational Contexts, Tehmina N. Basit
Educational Research and Inquiry, Dimitra Hartas
Positive Placements, David Midwinter and Tracy Whatmore
Rethinking Children and Research, Mary Kellett
Successful
Dissertations
The Complete Guide for
Education, Childhood
and Early Childhood
Studies Students
Mark O’Hara, Caron Carter,
Pam Dewis, Janet Kay,
Jonathan Wainwright
Continuum International Publishing Group
The Tower Building 80 Maiden Lane
11 York Road Suite 704
London SE1 7NX New York, NY 10038
www.continuumbooks.com
© Mark O’Hara, Caron Carter, Pam Dewis, Janet Kay, Jonathan Wainwright 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission
in writing from the publishers.
Mark O’Hara, Caron Carter, Pam Dewis, Janet Kay, Jonathan Wainwright have
asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be
identified as Authors of this work.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-1-4411-1275-0 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-0-8264-2728-1 (hardback)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
O’Hara, Mark.
Successful dissertations : the complete guide for education and childhood studies
students / Mark O’Hara . . . [et al.].
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN: 978-1-4411-1275-0 (pbk.) – ISBN: 978-0-8264-2728-1 (hardcover)
1. Dissertations, Academic–Research–Methodology. 2. Academic writing.
3. Education–Research–Methodology. 4. Early childhood education–
Research–Methodology. I. Title.
LB2369.O4 2012
370.72–dc22 2010033390
Typeset by Newgen Imaging Systems Pvt Ltd, Chennai, India
Printed and bound in India
Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgements xi
How to Use This Book xiii
1
An Introduction to the Process of Enquiry and Research 1
What’s so different about a dissertation? 2
An overview of the process 3
Get into good habits, work hard but work smart too 15
Summary of key points 21
Recommended reading and further sources of information 21
2
Choosing Your Research Question and Getting Organized 23
Planning, preparing and getting started 24
Choosing a research topic or broad area of interest 27
Narrowing down the focus and sharpening up your ‘question’ 30
Managing the tasks and your time: get organized 38
Summary of key points 47
Recommended reading and further sources of information 47
3
Doing Your Literature Review 49
What is a literature review? 50
The purpose of a literature review 51
Starting your literature review 55
Organizing and structuring your literature review 71
Summary of key points 76
Recommended reading and further sources of information 77
vi
Contents
4
Research Methodologies 79
Methodology or methods? 80
Common methodological approaches 88
Methodology and literature-based research projects 101
Summary of key points 105
Recommended reading and further sources of information 105
5
Adopting an Ethical Approach to Your Research 107
The what, why and when of ethics 108
Key underlying ethical principles 114
Ethics and the internet 133
Applying your understanding of ethical research 134
Summary of key points 136
Recommended reading and further sources of information 136
6
Data Collection Using Quantitative Methods 137
The what, why and when of quantitative methods 138
Variables 139
Sampling in quantitative research 142
Reliability and validity 149
Common methods of quantitative data collection 150
Structured (or standardized) interviews 155
Structured (or systematic) observation 158
Content analysis 160
Should y ou make use of pre-existing data collection tools or
design your own? 162
Summary of key points 164
Recommended reading and further sources of information 164
7
Data Collection Using Qualitative Methods 165
Interviews 166
Focus groups 175
Observations 178
Questionnaires 188
vii
Contents
Summary of key points 192
Recommended reading and further sources of information 193
8
Data Analysis 195
Planning ahead 196
What is involved in quantitative analysis? 197
What is involved in qualitative analysis? 212
Vikash’s project 218
Summary of key points 223
Recommended reading and further sources of information 223
9
Writing Your Dissertation 225
Getting going and developing a structure 226
Pay attention to your assessment criteria 228
Writing the different sections of your dissertation 242
Summary of key points 254
Recommended reading and further sources of information 254
References 255
Index 263
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Preface
This book is aimed at undergraduate students studying on education or
education-related degrees. This includes Education Studies, Childhood Studies,
Early Childhood Studies, Secondary, Primary and Early Years teacher training
degrees, Youth and Community Work and Children and Playwork courses.
Whatever your course, most undergraduate degrees in education and related
disciplines provide students with the opportunity to undertake an extended
study of some kind, normally in the final year. The description may vary
and can involve a number of different titles such as final project, extended
essay, thesis or dissertation. This book uses the generic terms dissertation
and project to encompass this type of study in the interests of clarity while
recognizing that there may be considerable variation in its nature. Whatever
the title given to the work the underlying rationale behind it will be similar.
Dissertations emphasize learner autonomy and provide undergraduate
students with guided opportunities to
(cid:122) hone and apply academic skills acquired during previous study (e.g. analysis, critical
reflection, interpretation and comparison, research skills and academic writing
skills);
(cid:122) pursue an individual ag enda by determining which theme or question you wish
to study;
(cid:122) make decisions concerning the methodological standpoint taken and the data
collection methods employed;
(cid:122) engage in in-depth, extensive and prolonged academic enquiry and study;
(cid:122) acquire detailed subject knowledge and expertise in a particular area and to
engage, potentially at least, in the production of new knowledge;
(cid:122) demonstrate independent and autonomous working and the development of
organization and project management skills.
One of the difficulties facing anyone attempting write a book like this for
students on courses like those listed above is the sheer variety of forms that
dissertations can take, not to mention the almost limitless number of potential
