Finishing your Politics/ History dissertation

Monica Fernandes Politics and History Academic Skills Advisor

The main points that will be discussed include…

• How to manage your reference

• The difference between editing and proof reading

• Don’t forget the presentation requirements

Managing your references

Why do we need references?

• Acknowledge knowledge created by others

• Engage with existing research on your topic

• Become part of the academic community

• Demonstrate that you are knowledgeable about your topic

• Create authority and reliability for your work

Integrate your evidence

Indirect quotation (paraphrasing)

• Demonstrates broad knowledge and understanding • Distils ideas and conserves word count • Allows for sophisticated synthesis of ideas

Direct quotation (in speech marks)

• Brings ‘punch’ and interest to a point • Should only be used if you couldn’t have said it

better yourself (or if it’s central to your argument)

Sample scenario

Lebanon’s constitution is unique in nature. This is due to the fact that constitutional rule in Lebanon is secondary to the consensus of its major religious communities. Hudson suggests “Lebanon’s political recovery after the civil war was partly successful” (1997, p. 120). The history of the constitution proves that this system has worked for Lebanon since the 1920s.

What do you think?

A. The reference is incorporated correctly.

B. There should be more quotations to back up the student’s ideas.

C. The quote is irrelevant.

The quote is irrelevant to the discussion at hand, and should be cut or replaced. This is sometimes called a ‘drop’ quote.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Am I just dropping the quote in, or am I responding to and unpacking it?

• Does the reference add something to what I am arguing?

• Is the statement written so well it is worth quoting directly?

Answer

A sample scenario Jared is writing an essay about the political history of World War 2. He reads several books and wants to point out in his assignment that the war took place from 1939 until 1945. Does he need to reference this information? What do you think?

A. Jared does have to reference this information, because he learned it from the work of other authors.

B. This kind of fact is 'common knowledge', and as such does not need referencing.

C. Jared should reference one of the history books he's read.

Answer

This kind of fact is 'common knowledge', and as such does not need referencing.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Would this fact be found in any book on my subject? • Does the fact form a part of another author's ideas or

arguments? • Do other sources disagree with this statement? Is the

information up for debate? • If you are ever in doubt, play it safe and reference it, or

see a tutor for advice.

Referencing tips...

• When to use ‘et al’

• Alphabetise by author’s surname

• Italicise book titles and journal names (NOT article titles)

• Include as much information as you can with website sources

• Create a working bibliography

• Be consistent with your references

Avoid....

Over-referencing

• It can undermine your authority • Examiners can infer that you don’t have any of

your own ideas • It affects your style of writing with

sophistication

What’s the difference between editing and proofreading?

Editing… Proofreading… …is about actively improving your writing in terms of both form and content.

Ideas Arguments Logic Style Clarity ‘Flow’

…is mostly about catching the small errors and inconsistencies.

Spelling Grammar Repetition Typos Consistency

(reference style, abbreviations, etc)

Editing

Questions to ask while editing

Have I answered the question? Have I answered the question with a clear

main idea in the introduction? Have I fulfilled the assignment criteria? Do I drift from the main point at any time? If

so is there a good reason? Does each paragraph focus on one point? Does each paragraph provide sufficient

evidence to back up that point? Are there logical, explicit links from

paragraph to paragraph?

Editing Toolkit

1. Checking for sentence logic

Signposting language Avoiding repetition

2. Checking for paragraph structure

The SEE paragraph

3. Checking for transitions

Words to use, words to avoid

1. Checking sentence logic

Read your work like someone who has never read it before.

Make the connections from sentence to sentence explicit – too often in student writing such connections are only implicit.

Okay, how?

Use effective signposting language. To show a contradiction: However, although, nonetheless, on the other hand, by contrast, but To show similarity or addition: Similarly, furthermore, likewise, as well, besides, further, moreover, and To indicate a result or conclusion: Therefore, thus, consequently, as a result To reformulate or sum up points or ideas: In short, ultimately, to sum up, in other words

Avoid repetition…

Do a repetition check. Look for repeated words or phrases.

Firstly, I will discuss the theory of transactional analysis. Transactional analysis was developed by Eric Berne during the late 1950s. Transactional analysis is an integrative educational approach that involves looking inward at human personality. Transactional analysis was developed by Eric Berne during the late 1950s; it is an integrative educational approach that involves looking inward at human personality.

S E E

Statement

Evidence

Explanation

= TOPIC SENTENCE

= References or experiences

One-sentence paragraph

= Significance

2. Check for paragraph structure

What does this paragraph SAY?

What does this paragraph DO?

Can you summarise it in one sentence? If you can’t your reader won’t be able to either.

It outlines x issue It furthers my

argument It provides essential

background/examples It actually just repeats

what the previous paragraph says…

The Say/Do Test

Proof reading

Proofreading

Identify the errors you tend to make Read through multiple times, focussing on different

issues each time • spelling and correct word usage (the spell-checker

won’t catch ‘their’ if you meant to use ‘there’! • grammar • consistency of references, numbers, and capitals • acronyms • formatting (are all the headings set in the same

style? Etc.)

Top Tips for Proofing

Leave enough time for a ‘cooling off’ period Print your work out Have someone else read it Read it aloud to a friend or yourself Start at the end and work backwards,

sentence by sentence

General strategies:

• Read your work ALOUD (or get someone else to)

• Use your word processor’s ‘Find’ tool

• Print out a copy and leave it for 24-48 hrs…

• Repeat the process (several times)

The easy mistakes

1. Spellchecker: friend or foe?

According to the spellchecker, this is fine. Why?

WOT IZ RONG HEER?

Eye halve a spelling check her; It came with my pea sea. It plane lee marks four my revue Miss steaks aye kin knot sea…

Try using the online Collins

dictionary (Start) and being aware

of your most common mistakes*

Common grammatical errors: - missing articles - misplaced apostrophes and contractions - incorrect verb agreements - misused commas and semi colons - incomplete sentences Other common errors: - vague (and unnecessary) description - purposeless paragraphs - unexplained/undefined terms - poor academic style

Articles • Articles are words like ‘the’, ‘a’ and ‘an’. Quite

often they are forgotten. You should ‘hear’ where they are missing if you read your work out loud.

I’m writing an assignment.

The results of the survey show…

(Plural): In many cases…

(Plural): Several surveys show…

2. Misplaced apostrophes and contractions

Remember: an apostrophe denotes either possession or contraction. Because you shouldn’t use contractions (like shouldn’t) in academic writing, the only apostrophes in your work should be possessive.

Using your word processor’s ‘Find’ tool, just type an apostrophe: ‘

Check each apostrophe you’ve used. Remove any contractions: ‘shouldn’t’ = ‘should not’ ‘you’ve’ = ‘you have’ ‘it’s’ = ‘it is’ Then check your possessives: Singular: Rand’s work suggests that… Plural: The critics’ work suggests that… Plural (both named): Rand and Johnson’s work

suggests that…

3. Basic subject-verb-object agreements

Almost every sentence in grammatically correct academic English has:

• A subject (which carries out the action of the sentence)

• A verb (the action of the sentence)

Many sentences also have:

• An object (which has the action carried out upon it)

Examples:

• The recession [subject] of 2008 impacted [verb] the whole globe [object].

• This report [subject] highlights [verb] the importance of small business [object] in a developed economy.

• The effects [subject] were [verb] terrible.

4. Misused commas

• The comma is the most misused piece of punctuation in students’ work. We’ll focus on one error:

You must not use a comma to separate grammatically complete statements, unless you use conjunctions like ‘and’ or ‘but’.

For example:

Several steps need to be taken to ensure user security on a network, viruses are a huge problem.

The two statements either side of the comma

are grammatically complete: Several steps need to be taken to ensure user

security on a network Viruses are a huge problem

5. Inappropriate/vague vocabulary (and description)

• ‘Many things have happened since 1978’. (What ‘things’?) • ‘The act was created in 1978’. (Acts are not ‘created’, they

are ‘written’) • ‘Interestingly, T.S. Eliot’s use of imagery is very effective’. • ‘Both sides of the argument have been presented by a huge

range of critics’.

Beware… • Many descriptive words end in ‘-ly’; use the ‘find’ tool in

Word to find them. Do they really add to the sentence? • Some of these words also count as ‘emotive’ language,

which should be avoided in academic work: ‘disgusting’, ‘appalling’, ‘terrible’, ‘incredibly’, etc.

6. Purposeless paragraphs

• Each paragraph should have a topic sentence – a sentence that sums up the point of the paragraph, before

being supported by evidence or other information.

For example:

Every discussion of student finance is dominated by one

word: debt. While the number taking degrees continues to rise, there is no doubt that some potential students are put off by alarming projections of how much they might end up owing. For most graduates, debt is a fact of life, although student loan repayments do not start until they are earning £15,000 a year.

Paragraphs

What are the three main elements of a paragraph?

S E E

Statement

Evidence

Explanation

One-sentence paragraph

This paragraph has no topic sentence:

Republicans were more united in favour of the ban on late-term abortion than Democrats were in opposition. Democratic opponents of the ban worked to insert amendments from the ban but were regularly defeated. The bill was vetoed by the president.

A topic sentence, providing a wider context and

summing up the paragraph, could be: The ban on late-term abortions provides the

only example of minor influence by Democrats which was unconnected to the Contract With America.

Definitions

• Make sure all the key terms you use are briefly defined; • if you are working on a definition that is not completely your own,

insert a reference. Incorrect: 76% of the patients presenting with the other variety,

ischemic stroke, received speech and language therapy. Better: 76% of patients presenting with the other variety, ischemic

stroke – caused by lack of blood supply to part of the brain – received speech and language therapy.

Best: 76% of patients presenting with ischemic stroke – caused by lack

of blood supply to part of the brain (Harvey, 1989) – received speech and language therapy.

Other quick points

• Do not begin sentences with ‘and’ or ‘but’, which is only rarely acceptable (use the Find tool to help with this)

• Use the Find tool to find the future tense ‘will’. In many

cases, converting to the present tense makes your work clearer:

‘This essay will discuss…’ ‘This essay discusses…’ ‘In the second chapter, I will make the argument that…’ ‘In the second chapter, I argue that…’ OR (avoiding ‘I’) ‘The second chapter focuses on the argument that…’

Proofread for informal language

Don’t use contractions!

Colloquialisms are par for the course

And last, but not least, clichés should be avoided

And…

…check your referencing!

Reference consistently and logically, and back up any assertions in your text.

Make sure you use sources in a variety of ways (paraphrasing, direct quotations, author names in the text and in parentheses)

Last reminders…

• Font size- 12

• 1.5 spacing

• Margin sizes – left margin = 35mm;

– other margins 25mm

• Make sure your content pages have the correct and up to date numbers – Update this last when you have finalised the titles,

subtitles, etc.

• Quotes…

– Less than 35 words will have single quotation marks (‘ ….’)

– More than 35 words will should be indented (show example)

• Remember

– 2 bound copies are needed (University Print Room)

• Do this well in advance

Last reminders…

Last reminders…

• Dissertation diary

– This is mandatory

– Would be used to monitor and record progress

– Keep records of meetings

– Should be signed by the supervisor

– Should be handed in with your dissertation as an appendix

Last reminders…

• Keep back up files- email it between accounts, have a hard drive, email a family member/ friend, use drop box, etc.

• Remember, there wont be supervision over Easter

Summary:

• Read your work aloud

• Remember that proofreading and editing are skills best learned independently

• Editing and proofreading take a considerable amount of time and should be repeated over several drafts

• Obvious mistakes are easily missed – you have to look for them

For more help…

• Contact: monica.fernandes@brunel.ac.uk

• Or see me during my consultation times at MJ 234 on: – Monday 11:00-12:00 or

– Wednesday 14:00-15:00

• For more info about events or seminars follow me on Twitter...@ASKPolHist