Dissertation Writing for Engineers and Scientists

1  What is a dissertation?

1.1 Why do we do projects?

1.2 What is a project?

1.3 What happens when?

1.4 Planning the project

1.5 Your tutor, friend or foe?

Summary

 

2  Making a start

2.1 Choosing and defining the project

2.2 Motivation and added value

2.3 What type of project?

2.4 What is the question?

2.5 The aim

2.6 The objectives

2.7 Methodology

2.8 Hypothesis and key questions

2.9 Resources

2.10 Timetable

2.11 Example project proposal

Summary

 

3  Hard work or pleasure?

3.1 Getting stuck in

3.2 The science and engineering context

3.3 Health, safety and risk assessment

3.4 COSHH

3.5 Ethics

3.6 Proving your point.

3.7 Quantitative or qualitative methods

3.8 Quantitative methods

3.9 Qualitative methods

3.10 Getting the data

3.11 Questionnaires

3.12 Interviews

Summary

 

4  Meaning from numbers

4.1 The nature of uncertainty

4.2 Data types

4.3 Previewing your data

4.4 Statistical methods

4.5 Parametric methods

4.6 Non-parametric methods

Summary

 

5  Paperwork, paperwork

5.1 Writing up

5.2 Introduction chapter

5.3 Literature review chapter(s)

5.4 Citing references

5.6 Results chapter

5.7 Analysis chapter

5.8 Conclusions and recommendations chapter

5.9 Abstract

5.10 Tops and tails

Summary

 

6  Tips and hints

6.1 What can go wrong?

6.2 Recovering from disaster

6.3 How to make it go right from the start: prevention, better than cure

Summary

 

7  Assessment and beyond

7.1 Project proposal

7.2 Preliminary literature review

7.3 Progress presentation and the viva voce

7.4 Preparing your presentation

7.5 Poster presentations

7.6 Marking the dissertation

7.7 Preparing for publication

7.8 Copyright

Summary

8  Plagiarism - avoidance and detection

8.1 What is plagiarism?

8.2 Why people plagiarise

8.3 How you are likely to be caught

8.4 What happens when you get caught?

8.5 How to avoid accidental plagiarism

8.5 How to avoid accidental plagiarism

Summary

9        Questions and answers

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