This one is especially for all those scholars who are starting their journey towards a master’s degree. Most reputed colleges ask students to assimilate a dissertation after a thorough research. Now, you may have done some sort of research during your graduation years, but the work expected for a dissertation or thesis is completely different. Here are a few salient points that will clarify the theory:
Research scope:
Do not be limited to internet research. Many students seek their resources only on internet and do not make the efforts to collect data or search through the library. Such restricted search will not get you any positive results. Though internet will assist you in the research project, it will be pertinent to do some field work and read literature sources.
Objectives:
The aim of the research project must be made clear. The nature goals can differ depending on the subject, topic and methods. You may aim to find the answers to some theoretical question or solution to an existing practical problem. Some studies may have the objective of observing and describing or analyzing a new point of view.
Beyond literature review:
Sometimes, you will be specifically told to do a literature review; otherwise, a dissertation or thesis will be much more than that. You can’t simply read some books and write a critical analysis. You also have to formulate a hypothesis, do a statistical analysis, validate your results, and pave the way for further research. Understand that you are contributing something new and original to the concerned field of knowledge and not just summarizing the ideas of prior authors.
Methods:
A basic requirement that you will need to fulfill as a researcher will be to understand the various methodologies that can be used for the study. Without such knowledge you won’t be able to compare them and select the one that is most suitable for your project.
So, before you start researching, there is a lot of ground work to be done. This preparation will hone you as a scholar and help you come up with a meaningful dissertation.
