Getting started with a dissertation, research or capstone project

It is likely that you will have been provided with a list of potential topics, either from your course reading or from the subjects discussed in your lectures and seminars. Establish some ideas and then discuss these to help refine them with the help of your designated supervisor.

Spending time properly thinking about your dissertation subject can save you a lot of work later on in the process. Changing your topic mid-way through can cause unnecessary stress and so giving enough time and dedicating sufficient time to read around your chosen subject topic can help avoid this happening. Additionally, choosing a subject in good time is paramount to allowing yourself enough time to read and critically analyse sufficiently. Common barriers that students face is the struggle to find a topic that is both sufficiently significant but not overambitious. It will need to be researchable within the confines and word count limitations of your project.

Sometimes, students feel overwhelmed by the freedom they encounter in this scenario. If this happens to you, try to do the following:

• Choose something of interest
• Choose something distinct
• Read around your field before deciding on your topic
• Makes notes, choose an idea, and speak to your tutor
• Don't make your question too narrow (for example is it so specific that there isn’t any
  research for you to build your dissertation from?)
• But don't make it too wide, either (for example does your question have many parts,
  many different contexts to consider)
• Think about how it may fit into your future plans (what might be helpful to a future
  career, or your next level of study)

Writing a good research question

To make your research both original and accessible it is important that you write a good research question. To do so, you may wish to make sure that it is:

• Focused
• Concise
• Clear
• Answerable
• Relevant
• Significant
• Original

Reading around your subject will help you to define your terms and identify a relevant gap in the literature. Keeping your question simple and pertinent is key.

Developing your research question and planning your dissertation

Developing your research question and planning your dissertation will take time but the extended word length of the dissertation format requires a high level of critical analysis. Sufficient time will need to be allocated to all stages. Factor in time to:

• Undertake background research and read around your topic
• Think about what you want your dissertation to do
• If required, complete experiments, fieldwork, interviews and placements
• Analyse secondary literature, data, findings, and results and interpret them
• Contemplate your conclusions

Key resources:

• Time management factsheets and worksheets
  
• Project planners in Managing projects and longer pieces of work
  
• Setting up a dissertation document in Word

Doing a little every day can be a great way to build a routine and ensure progress; build in designated time every day to stay on top of your project. This doesn't matter if it is 15 minutes or three hours, you can tailor the time to suit your needs, but your dissertation, research or capstone project is more likely to be completed with a daily allocation of time dedicated to it.