Dissertation Support

This blog is intended for students undertaking their dissertation in the MSc in Education at the Southampton Education School. The blog contains five online seminars to help you understand the dissertation and research process, and to assist you to write a research proposal. Each seminar will build on your normal lectures and tutorials, and will use a variety of videos, readings from textbooks and readings from journal articles. There is also a series of activities to get you started on your research proposal.

The first seminar – What is a Dissertation, explains some of the expectations we have of your dissertation and outlines the word length and typical chapter structure. Seminar two – Research Designs, explores the various designs and approaches to research in education. Seminar three – Data Collection, outlines some of the steps involved in selecting your participants and the collection of data. The fourth seminar – Data Analysis, discuses the main methods for analysing your data. The final seminar –Research Ethics, looks at creating a proposal and gaining ethical approval for your research.

Each seminar will provide a set of readings for you. The readings come from two sources.

Cohen, L., Manion, L, & Morrison. K. (2011). Research Methods in Education (7th edition). London: Routledge.
(This book is available electronically through the University Library (direct link) if you have your VPN working.)
Punch, K. (2009). Introduction to Research Methods in Education. London: Sage.

They are a good starting point to understand the research process. There is no need to read both textbooks either Cohen et al (2011) or Punch (2010) will be adequate, of course reading both will give you a more rounded understanding. In addition to the textbooks, there are readings from the more rigorous research methodology literature. Both the textbooks and articles are worth reading. Their reference lists will point you towards other material.

You may find the University of Southampton’s Library online tutorial helpful. This is a 15 minute tutorial outlining the range of resources available and how to access them remotely.

Additional Resources
Guidelines for writing a MSc level dissertation in Education (Traditional Format) PDF Traditional  Template
Guidelines for writing a MSc level dissertation in Education (Integrated Format) PDF: Integrated Template

Submission and Printing Guidelines PDF Submission Guidelines