MA in English/MA in Writing
22 nd October 2014
Dr Rochelle Sibley
Rochelle.Sibley@warwick.ac.uk
The Writing Centre
Warwick Writing Programme

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
• Creating your own titles for assignments
• Structuring assignments
• Structuring the dissertation – how is it different?

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
How does an 8,000 word assignment differ from a
5,000 word assignment?
▫ Scope
▫ Level of analysis
▫ Range of sources
▫ Topic
▫ Function/aims
▫ Level of specialization

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
What resources can you use to help you create successful module assignment titles?
▫ Online module descriptions help you address the module’s aims and outcomes in your approach to the assignment (and to distinguish PG scope from
UG scope ).
▫ Look at 8k word journal articles for a sense of scope and structure at this word count.
▫ Use the seminars to develop and hone initial ideas.
▫ Talk to your tutors.

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
Make sure you’ve understood what your title would ask of you:
▫ What action(s) would it need you to undertake (ie. compare, analyse, evaluate, etc)?
▫ What information would it need you to focus on
(topics, texts, theories, etc)?
Is your proposed title specific enough and closely related the module aims?

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
Select which type suits your dissertation
 Indicative titles (gives the purpose of the assignment)
 The Image of the City in Dickens’ S hort F iction
 Informative titles (gives the conclusions of the assignment)
 The Myth of Joyce’s Misogyny
 Main-subtitle (series) type
 The Uses of Post-Structuralism: Can language speak for itself?

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
•
•
▫ Focus on the three most important issues relevant to your title
•

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
• By the end of the introduction the reader expects answers to the following questions:
▫ What exactly is the topic?
▫ Why is the topic significant or relevant to the module?
▫ What is your thesis statement?
▫ What is needed to understand the topic (particular theories, critics, contextual elements, etc)?
▫ How will the assignment be organised?

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
• Focus on the three most important elements of your topic as a structural framework.
• Stick to your thesis statement throughout.
• Prioritize close critical analysis – use journal articles within the field as models of structure.
• Dig into your topic – it’s rare to see an essay that’s too specific rather than one that’s too general.

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
A conclusion shouldn’t just summarise the argument. A strong conclusion should:
▫ Reiterate the thesis statement.
▫ Demonstrate how the thesis statement has been addressed by the main points of the analysis.
▫ ‘Zoom out’ to put the argument into a wider context.
▫ Indicate potential areas of future research or development for this topic.

• When do you need them?
• What is their function?
• What can they contain?
Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
• What is the scope of your project?
• What resources are available to you?
• Be clear on your personal research interests
• What level of support does your department offer?

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
Which model best suits your topic?
▫ Chronological – focuses on how a topic has developed or been rethought over time
▫ Classification – categorises themes or ideas within a body of literature
▫ Common denominator – identifies a common characteristic or theme in a body of literature
▫ Phased – identifies short-/medium-/long-term views on a text or topic
▫ Comparative – compare/contrast readings or approaches

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
1. Specify the field of study
2. Describe the problem
3. Identify your objectives
4. State your method(s) of research
5. Summarise the major finding(s)
6. State the most important conclusion(s)

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
• What is a good number of secondary sources for an MA dissertation?
• How do you know when you’ve done enough research?
• How can you create a realistic scope for your dissertation?
• How do you maintain a narrative structure in the literature review?

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
What is the function of the literature review?
▫ To summarise and critique the scholarship upon which you are basing your research
▫ To position your own work within a scholarly debate
▫ To identify a gap
▫ To establish what is original about your project

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
A good literature review should ask and answer the following three questions:
▫ Why is this topic significant?
▫ What is already known about this topic?
▫ What other approaches have been taken to it?

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
• Record ALL bibliographical details (including page numbers) in your notes.
• Add those details to your bibliography file or Endnote – saves time when you create your actual bibliography.
• Make effective but economical notes – summarise arguments/theories as you go along.
• Look for thesis statements and key findings to focus your notes.
• Only record direct quotations if they are vital – make sure you distinguish these from your own words.
• Collects related literature into relevant categories.
• Your category list will be subject to change over time.
• Integration encourages you to incorporate different viewpoints – don’t over-rely on any one source.

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
• This establishes how the different sources in each category relate to one another according to:
• Context – when was the source written and who by?
• Theoretical approach
• Relationship to previous studies
• Relationship to your own ideas
• Your literature review needs to evaluate the existing scholarship – identifying strengths and weaknesses.
• Look for bias or flaws in the analysis or use of evidence in sources.
• Acknowledge competing or alternative viewpoints.
• Check the quality of supporting evidence.

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
• Be clear how the different chapters create a narrative flow – try visualizing the contents page of the ideal book on your topic for inspiration.
• Be aware of proportionality in the dissertation – how can you balance the different aspects of your topic?
• Give yourself space to let the structure evolve – don’t try to fix it too early.

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
o RLF fellow Mahendra Solanki is based in H521 in the Humanities building and offers bookable appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays during term time (starting from Week 3 of Term 1). o English UG academic writing podcasts o MLA referencing guide (Purdue OWL) o The Library’s tutorial on using Endnote o Students who have English as an additional language can receive language support from the
Centre for Applied Linguistics (CAL).

Copyright: The Writing
Centre, Warwick Writing
Programme 2014
• Doug Babington and Don LePan’s Broadview
Guide to Writing, 3 rd ed [1551117894]
• Mike Metcalfe’s Reading Critically at
University , Sage [1412901855]
• John M. Swales and Christine B. Feak’s
Academic Writing for Graduate Students , 2 nd ed
[0472088564]
• Kathleen McMillan and Jonathan Weyers, How to Write Dissertations and Project Reports
[0273726937]