Dissertation projects

1. Dissertation projects Mary Clarkson

2. Agenda • What is it • What is it not • What does it contain • Literature analysis • Interpretation/synthesis • Conclusions/recommendations • Examples • Assessment • References IMAT3451 Options day

3. What is it • Literature review that is: • Extensive • Strategically significant • Rigorously defined and implemented • Includes well-thought-out recommendations and implications IMAT3451 Options day

4. What is it not • Literature review that is: • Small • Limited in scope • Includes primary research • Dissertation project contains • No fieldwork ie • No questionnaires • No interviews • No observations • No system development • This is not an easy option IMAT3451 Options day

5. What does it contain • Literature analysis • Systematic examination of a problem or question • Via an analysis of published sources • Could include case studies, document analysis, meta-study • Undertaken with a specific purpose in mind • More than just a review of existing work • Interpretation of what is found • Synthesis into issues or major factors • Recommendations and implications IMAT3451 Options day

6. Literature Analysis • 30-40 sources rather than 10-12 • Read critically and keep notes as you read • Analyse and identify key points in each source • Compare/contrast/categorise • Note any emerging themes or issues IMAT3451 Options day

7. Interpretation • Taking the emerging themes, issues and categories • Expanding on them • Tracing each through the sources • Thinking about what it might mean if put into practice IMAT3451 Options day

8. Synthesis • Building on the emerging themes, issues and categories • Identify major factors that appear to affect what goes on • Explore how the factors might help with the issues IMAT3451 Options day

9. Conclusions / recommendations • Identify ways to take the insights forward • Suggesting ways the insights could be applied in practice • Predicting further issues the application might entail IMAT3451 Options day

10. For example… • Review an organisation’s practices and procedures with a view to recommending significant technical, social and organisational change, drawing on both academic and management literature • Review the importance of professional bodies to industrial practice with a view to recommending ways for professional bodies and organisations to engage effectively with students and recent graduates • Review the case for enterprise-wide application systems, identifying implementation potential and issues to be considered IMAT3451 Options day

11. For example… • Conduct a landscape study into the state of the art in ambient intelligence applications • Carry out a comparative case study of privacy policies in government websites • Conduct a meta-study of other people’s research into the application of ICT in the classroom, looking for how ICT use has evolved in the last 20 years • Perform an ethical theory analysis on an emerging technology IMAT3451 Options day

12. Assessment • Same assessment deadlines as for all other projects • Initial deliverable in week 11 • Contract/ethical form/plan • Initial literature review • Firm theoretical foundation • Explanation and rationale for chosen research method • Topics to be explored • Evaluation criteria for each topic, with rationales • Final deliverable • Final complete report including a critical reflection section • Viva IMAT3451 Options day

13. References and further reading • Berndtsson M, Hansson J, Olsson B & Lundell B (2008) Thesis Projects, a guide for students in computer science and information systems. Springer. • Jesson J, Matheson L & Lacey F (2011) Doing Your Literature Review: traditional and systematic techniques. Sage. • Oates B ( 2006) Researching Information Systems and Computing. Sage. • note this briefly describes research methods; it will not be sufficient on its own IMAT3451 Options day