Oxford Dictionary Notes on 'Writing a longer essay or dissertation'

Writing a longer essay or dissertation

When you have a longer essay or dissertation to write, you will go through the same process of preparing and writing as for shorter essays. 

However, there are additional things to bear in mind. 

TITLE 

If your title or question has been given to you, check that you understand exactly what it means. If you are writing the title yourself, choose a clear title with definite boundaries. 

Ask yourself :

How can I define my subject so that it is not too wide in scope?

e.g. 'Not' How does Dickens reflect Victorian society in his novels? 'but' How does Little Dorrit reflect Dickens's view of Victorian society?

READING AND RESEARCH :

--- Evaluate Your Sources

 The quality of your research will play a vital part in the success of your writing. Keep the question or title in mind when you look for source material in books, journals or websites. 

ASK YOURSELF :

1. Is the content relevant?

2. Is it reliable? Is it written by someone who is an expert in the field? 

3. Is it biased in anyway?

4. Is there evidence to support information on anonymous websites?

If you are using surveys, questionnaires, market research or other studies, look carefully at the statistics and consider if the results are valid and the conclusions justified. 

MAKING NOTES 

When you are reading, make clear, accurate notes which summarize the keypoints and maiin information. Keep a note of the full reference for your source (title, author, date, publisher, and page numbers). 

ASK YOURSELF

1. Have I summarized the information accurately?

2. Is this part particularly useful? If so, have I written down the exact words used and the page number, so that I can quote it?

PLANNING AND ORGANIZING 

A long text is usually divided into sections with subheadings and it has a list of references or a bibliography at the end. 

~ WHEN YOU PLAN YOUR WORK, ASK YOURSELF 

1. How long should my text and each part be? 

2. Have I organized my notes, grouping together writers who have made similar points?

3. Do I agree with their opinions?

4. What is the point I want to make to my readers?

5. What do I want my readers to know by the end?

6. Have I planned what to write in the introduction, body and conclusion?

USING OTHER PEOPLE's IDEAS 

When you have finished writing, look carefully at how you have used other people's words and ideas.

ASK YOURSELF 

1. Have I considered and discussed other people's ideas adequately?

2. Have I paraphrased their ideas accurately?

3. Have I made it clear which words/ideas I have quoted?

4. Have I included in my list  of references all the works I have used and referred to?

DISSERTATIONS

A dissertation may differ from a long essay in the way in which it is organize. Check with your tutor. A dissertation will usually have all or some of the following chapters or parts :

1. Title 

2. Contents

3. Abstract (A short text summarizing your dissertation)

4. Introductory chapter (broad to narrow focus : to give the background, justify your research, explain your approach, give major arguments and current ideas on your topic and show the structure of your dissertation) 

5. Review of the literature 

6. Methodology  (How you carried out any empirical research)

7. Results/findings 

8. Discussion 

9. Conclusion (narrow to broad focus : a summary of your arguments and an evaluation of your work; further research needed)

10. Bibliography or list of references 

QUOTING AND WRITING A BIBLIOGRAPHY 

If you use the words or ideas of another person, you must always say where these have come from. If you do not, you might be accused of plagiarism. 

1. AUTHOR-DATE (HARVARD) SYSTEM

Used specially in social and physical sciences.

IN THE ESSAY OR DISSERTATION 

In your text, give the family name of the author or editor of the book or article you are referring to and the year of publication in brackets after your quotation or statement. 

For example: Dialects are not inferior. Most linguists agree that 'A standard language is not linguistically better.' 

Mason (1995) describes the procedure for a teacher to evaluate each student quickly during an oral presentation. 

Given both authors if there are two, but if there are more, cite the first author and add 'et al.'

(=and others) : (Mason and Wood 2008) or(Mason et al., 2008).

Give the full references in your bibliography. 

THE BIBLIOGRAPHY

In this system, it is often called References and is the list of the works that you have mentioned  in your text. Give the full references.

Ex:- Swan, Michael. (2005) Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

YOU NEED TO WRITE

1. The surname of the author or editor, followed by the initials or first name

2. The year of publication in brackets 

3. The title of the book, in Italic or underlined 

OTHER EXAMPLES 

These apply to both systems, but in the author date system, the year will go aftervthe author's name. 

BOOK 

If the book is edited: 

-- Wehmeier, S.ed. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005

For an article in an edited book or journal:

Johns, A.M., and T. Dubley-Evans,'English for Specific Purposes: International in Scope, Specific in Purpose', TESOL Quarterly 25 (2), 1991, 297-314. 

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES 

fennell, E. 'How is the recession hitting lawyers?' 

The Times, 31 July 2008, p.54.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Include as much detail as you can find.

In your text, cite by author if known, otherwise

by title or URL, and the year if possibel: 

(Directgov, 2008)

In your bibliography give the author, the title, volume/page, type of medium, date and publishing organization. Provide the URL and the date you last accessed the page:

Direct.2008.<http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm>accessed27 October 2014.

Mention the author briefly in the essay and then at the end write a full reference in your bibliography or list of references. Different institutions have different styles for this, so check to see the method and punctuation to use, and be consistent. 

1. The edition number if it is not the first edition

2. The place of publication (Sometimes omitted)

3. The publisher 

2. FOOTNOTE/ENDNOTE SYSTEM

This is a common style to use in writing on arts subjects. One version is described here. 

IN THE ESSAY OR DISSERTATION 

Give details of the source in a numbered footnote at the bottom of the page, or at the end of the essay in an endnote. Put the same number in your text after the reference. 

-- Phillips suggests that "parts of the city have remained untouched by the influences of modern life"1. He goes on to say that "It is unlike any city in the world"2. 

FOOTNOTE 

1 Patrick Phillips, A Brief Guide to Rome (London: Spire Press,2001) p.36

If your next quote is from the same source you can just write ibid. and the page number: 

2ibid.p.38

Later references can be shorter:

23Phillips, Guide to Rome, pp.56-60

THE BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Give a full list of references at the end of your text, in alphabetical order by the authors' names. Use this order: 

Phillips, Patrick, A Brief Guide to Rome. 

London: Spire Press, 2001