Honours Dissertation Writing

Midlands State University

Department of History and Development Studies

Notes on Honours Dissertation Writing

Writing a dissertation is a lot like writing a book. It is, by definition, a self-directed process. There are usually no weekly deadlines from professors, no regular discussions with classmates, no reading assignments, no one telling you what to do—you are on your own, writing something longer than you've ever written, and doing it without a net. This independence can make the process seem very intimidating.

Papers, and tests you have been assigned as a graduate student may not have been so different from your undergraduate course work. The dissertation, on the other hand, is a new kind of academic project, unlike anything else you've done. It is the academic project that marks your transition from student to scholar.

The dissertation is not a one-shot deal. Unlike the elaborate study strategies you developed in order to pass your comprehensive exams, writing the dissertation will enable you to start developing a set of valuable research and writing skills. Thinking analytically, synthesizing complicated information, writing well, and organizing your time will all serve you well regardless of the career you begin.

Writing a dissertation is not difficult but involving. Students should be careful in selecting topics to work on. Topics should be feasible and viable. Some topics are too broad to be finished within the requisite period and for some pertinent sources are not readily available. It is also imperative for students to have a sound working relationship with their supervisor in order to ensure adequate and timely feedback. Before the submission of the final version of the dissertation, the supervisor should have assessed several draft chapters.

NB. A research proposal might be required by the supervisor prior to writing the dissertation.

Types of Research

There are two types of research in History and Development Studies.

Academic/ basic research: study undertaken to understand an issue/ topic/ theme and contribute to advancement of knowledge. For one to understand a subject one has to carry out detailed research, which could be a desk study (use of archival, documentary and statistical evidence etc. ) or fieldwork based research using various methods (oral techniques, participatory etc). The contribution to advancement of knowledge considers the originality of research (the role impact of HIV/AIDS on children in Senga) and also changes in research methodology eg, you can scrutinize the French Revolution using a gender perspective. Academic research is used in all academic disciplines, history, economics, sociology, development studies, geography etc…the difference is on the focus of the research. Conclusions of academic research usually marry theory/ideology/hypothesis to actual data/empirical on the ground and the researcher gives an opinion on the matter based on findings.

Applied research: this is a type of research that is geared towards policy change and specific developmental objectives. Normally, it provides a detailed examination of a particular issue/ subject/topic with the aim of coming up with key conclusions and recommendations for a way forward, policy change or developmental goal. For example, one can look at the prevalence of HIV/ AIDS among children in Senga with the aim of coming up with key interventionist mechanism by local authority and NGOs. In the research the researcher, may take an desk study approach to understand the key issues in HIV/AIDS, and ascertain the interventionist methods that have been applied elsewhere. Later on the researcher carries detailed fieldwork in Senga, comes up with the original empirical evidence based on the examination of the issues, writes a report that is submitted to a local authority or NGO or whoever had commissioned the research.

What are we examining in dissertations?

1. The ability of the student to write: the aim here is to examine whether a student can put up ideas coherently, logically and cohesively. We test basic issues such as spelling, grammar, logical sequence of ideas, lay out of sections and chapters.

2. We test whether students can use various sources, that they do not plagarise, that they can reference sources according to laid down procedures…yes you have been given a handout on referencing. Use it correctly!!!

3. We also test whether students can carry out research.

4 We test whether students are contributing to knowledge.

Structure

Normally an honours dissertation should not exceed 15000 words. A dissertation cannot

be written in continuous prose form. The structure of the dissertation varies from department to department and from discipline to discipline. However, this does not matter much because the aim of any dissertation is to expose a theory, to test a hypothesis or to advance or disprove a certain line of thinking/argument.

A dissertation should have a number of chapters (or sections), which allow you to explore the relevant issues in a logical, coherent and appropriate manner. Each of these chapters/sections should serve specific purposes as indicated below:

Cover page

Midlands State University

Faculty of Arts

The Gender Dimension to Kariba Dam Construction and the relocation of The Tonga people from Zambazi Valley: 1955-2000.

Name Surname

Student Reg No.

Dissertation submitted in Partial fullfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Development Studies in the Department of History and Development Studies.

Year

Contents Page

Table of contents

Acknowledgements

Acronyms

Introduction

Chapter 1: Background to Kariba Dam and relocation of people.

Chapter 2: The socio-economic impact of the relocation

Chapter 3: Towards an integrated Tonga society

Conclusion

Acknowledgements [on its page]

You acknowledge and pay tribute to individuals and institutions that made it possible for you to complete your dissertation.

Acronyms [on its page]

List alphabetically all the acronyms used in the dissertation and give their full proper names.

Introduction.

The Introduction succinctly captures what one is grappling with in the dissertation. It includes definition of terms; sets context/background; indicates structure of dissertation and outlines issues to be discussed. Justification, Methodology, and Literature Review also fall under this section.

Main Body-Chapters and Sections.

These comprise the substance of the dissertation.

Structure logically eg chronologically, thematically, comparatively, inductively and deductively.

Ensure narrative proceeds logically.

Ensure tone/style is balanced and moderate; avoid dogma, verbosity, obscurantism and oversimplification.

Ensure the argument is clear, consistent and not internally contradictory.

Support arguments with evidence i.e. examples, statistics, quotations etc

Conclusion

Pick up themes followed through the essay.

Draw conclusions, make judgments etc

Look forward, point reader to related themes.

Dissertation Marking- What Markers look for.

Evidence of an original investigation or the testing of ideas.

Is the aim of the research clearly described?
Are the hypotheses to be tested, questions to be answered or methods to be developed clearly stated?
Is the relationship between the current and previous research in related topic areas defined, with similarities and differences stressed?

Competence in independent Work or experimentation.

Is the methodology employed appropriate?
Is there evidence of care and accuracy in recording and summarizing the data?
Is evidence displayed of knowledge and ability to use all relevant data sources?
Are limitations inherent in the study recognized and stated?
Are conclusions reached justified in the light of the data and the way they are analysed?

Ability to make critical use of published work and source materials

Is the literature referenced pertinent to the research?
To what extent can general reference to the literature be criticized on the grounds of insufficiency or excessiveness?
Is evidence displayed of the ability to identify key items in the literature and to compare, contrast and critically review them?

Finally, dissertation writing is an involving but interesting process. The dissertation will live for posterity and will be read by many people; hence the best of one’s efforts are called for.

Hints

Remember that your topic is not carved in stone. A lot of people change their topics as they work, paring down certain parts of the project or adding others. While you want to keep your advisor and committee informed about major changes in your focus, in most disciplines you do not have to follow strictly the research and writing plan that you suggested in your dissertation proposal. In fact, most people don't.
Look at other dissertations from your department to get a sense of what kind of topic produces an acceptable dissertation—you may find that it's not the kind of magnum opus you were imagining but that you can work on a much smaller, more compact topic instead. Talk with your advisor about how the two of you should work during the dissertation process. You might ask questions like: How often should I be in contact with you about my progress? Do you prefer to see whole drafts of chapters, relatively polished drafts, or are you happy to see smaller chunks of less-well-formed writing? If I give you a draft of a chapter on Monday, what do you think the turn-around time would be? Do you want to see the chapters in the order I write them, or in the order they'll wind up?
Keep your advisor informed. Advisors can be most helpful if they know what you are working on, what problems you are experiencing, and what progress you have made. A weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly meeting or progress report can prove helpful.
Talk to other students who have the same advisor. You may find that they have developed strategies for working with your advisor that could help you communicate more effectively with him or her.
If you have recurring problems communicating with your advisor, you can make a change. You could change advisors completely, but a less dramatic option might be to find another committee member who might be willing to serve as a "secondary advisor" and give you the kinds of feedback and support that you may need.

Referencing

For any academic work to be regarded as good it must be well articulated. It must be concise and show an appreciable command of the English language. In the academic world Academic writing is different from fiction writing, which depends largely on the fecundity of one’s imagination. In the academic world we rely on sources and these could be in the form of experiments, interviews, observation and written documents. Sources are the sine qua non of academic writing hence it is imperative for any writer to show where they got their information. The citation of sources enables fellow scholars to authenticate and make follow-ups on one’s work. It also helps to distinguish information that is specific and particular from common knowledge and personal opinions. Thus if you write that:

After a bitter civil war Zimbabwe, finally attained independence on 18 April 1980 –this is common knowledge and does not need to be referenced. When you continue to write that: The independence celebrations were held at Rufaro stadium and there were 90 000 attendants whose composition was 200 heads of state, 800 diplomats, 1000 artist, 8000 ex-combatants, 45 000 men and 35 000 women. This is not common knowledge hence, you should highlight your source. If you then add that –The massive attendance at the independence gala shows that it was an unforgettable event to many who were old enough to appreciate the celebratory mood of the time. —This is your own justifiable opinion and does not need to be referenced.

Whenever you are using information from a source, you can either quote directly or paraphrase the relevant information. Each statement derived from some source must be numbered and the corresponding reference put at the end of the page (footnotes) or at the end of the work (endnotes). Endnotes are preferable. Besides endnotes/footnotes, a Bibliography is also required showing all the works consulted. When footnoting/end noting you start with the initials of the author and also include the pages referring to your quotation or information. When you are writing your bibliography you do not indicate the pages and you start with the surnames of the authors in alphabetical order. Do not reverse the order of initials because N J Kriger might not be the same as J N Kriger.

Referencing is very easy and follows the format below.

(a)Books

Name of author, Title, Place of publication, Publisher, Year of publication, page/s.

Eg T M Moyo, The Dynamics Of Democracy In Zimbabwe, Harare, National Press, 2002, page.87.

Co-authored books- You can write the names of all the authors or you can write the name of only one of the authors and add et al (Latin for and others) eg J Alexander, (J McGregor and T Ranger et al), Violence And Memory: One Hundred Years In The Dark Forests Of Matebeleland, Oxford, James Currey, 2000, page .88.

(b)Articles

Name Of author, Title of article in quotation, editor, Title of book, Place of publication, Publisher, year of publication. Eg L Sachikonye, “Trade Unions, Economics And Political Development In Zimbabwe Since Independence”, in B Raftopoulos And I Phimister (eds), Keep On Knocking: A History Of The Labour Movement In Zimbabwe 1900-1997, Harare, Baobab Books, 1997,page.110.

At times the article could be from a journal and you cite as follows:

Name of author, title of article, the title of the journal underlined, volume and number of the journal issue, year of publication and pages. Eg

J M Mackenzie, “Southern Rhodesia and Responsible Government”, Rhodesia History, volume 9, 1978, page.26.

(c)Unpublished secondary works.

These include seminar papers, conference papers, dissertations or unpublished manuscripts.

Eg i. R S Roberts, “African Cattle In Pre-colonial Zimbabwe”, Seminar paper presented to the National Historical Association, Salisbury, 29 July 1979. page .2.

ii. K Yap, “Arrested Resolution: Democracy, National Integration And The Politicization Of Ethnic Identity With Regards To The Matebeleland Conflict (1981-1987), paper presented at the International Conference on Historical Dimensions Of Democracy And Human Rights In Zimbabwe, 9-14 September 1996.

iii. J R D Cobbing “ The Ndebele Under The Khumalos, 1820-1896”, PhD Thesis, University Of London, 1976, page. 12.

News Papers and Magazines

If you are quoting from a newspaper, you simply write:

The Herald , 7 August 2003.
Moto Magazine, May-June , 2002, page 65.

Interviews

At times you rely on interviews and you quote as follows:

i. Interview with R M Nkomo, Nyamandlovu, 28 August 2001.

Other Hints on Referencing.

If you refer to the same work in succession in your work rather than repeat even the abbreviated version of the reference, you can use Ibid, which is short for Latin Ibidem i.e. the same. Eg

N J Kriger, Zimbabwe’s Guerilla War: Peasant Voices, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1992,page 88.

Ibid, page 89.

Ibid, page107.

When you quote from Kriger after referring to some other works in between you do not write the whole title and all the publication details for the book. You simply write the abbreviated title of the book and page numbers eg N J Kriger, Zimbabwe’s Guerilla War, page128.

If you use a statement quoted by one author from another you must clearly indicate so eg T F Mashy quoted in J Z Sithole, African Politics In The 20th Century, Harare, ZPH, 1988, Page89.

Quotations should be in inverted commas and indent if you are quoting more than four lines. Follow the exact wording and spellings of the quotation even if it is wrong. If you have made amendments show by putting the statement in square brackets or Italics.

Finally, remember always that it is an academic offence to use other people’s work without acknowledging. This is called plagiarism. We hope you will be honest and studious scholars.