Lecture10

Looking ahead to Term 2

Author

Dr Gordon Wright

Published

12 December, 2022

Phase 2 Overview

The week ahead

The week ahead (week 10)

  • Lab Priority
    • Mini-Dissertation Ethics & Status updates
  • W10 Cognitive Essay Tutorial
  • Quiz 2 for Design & Analysis
    • No Wednesday drop-in
  • Tuesday Film Club “Ex Machina”
  • Tuesday ‘Skeptics in the Pub’: Professor Chris French - Putting Paranormal Claims to the Test. 7:30pm Davy’s Wine Vaults, Greenwich

Priority Announcement

It’s snowing

Overview of the lab

  • Crack on with your projects!

  • Despite a disrupted term, you’ve all made excellent progress.

  • We want to catch up with everyone in this final session.

  • We need to make sure there are ‘no researchers left behind’.

  • If you are not on campus, you will need to engage with us remotely!

Please help out and confirm status

  • Lab Tutors will do a quick tour to get a brief status update from each group.

  • We will prioritise time with you all based on that.

  • Please raise any concerns you have, so that we can help.

  • OR if you need to drop-in online (Rail strikes)

Next term

Next term is essentially split into two halves:

Each week, we will focus on a key skill or procedure, supplying useful resources and guidance, but leaving the rest of the lab session for independent work, advice and support from your Lab Tutor, or anything else you think would be helpful!

  • Weeks 10 – 15 are geared towards data collection and data preparation

  • Weeks 16 – 20 are geared towards analysis, writing up, and preparing your submission 

Weeks 10 – 15 (alongside lectures & data collection)

  • In week 10 - Enrol everyone on the Study Swap system and mobilise for data collection
  • In week 11 - We begin the process of focusing on Writing & Analysis
  • In week 12 - We will be focusing on ‘Writing up your Method section’
  • In week 13 - We will be talking about ‘Planning your analysis’
  • In week 14 – A workshop on ‘Data Screening & Cleaning’
  • In week 15 – We will be showcasing your work to the 1st Years!

Weeks 10 - 13 Lectures

An immersive introduction to Qualitative Research.

Week 3 Design & Analysis Lab will be a workshop on Qualitative Interview Coding and Analysis

New on the VLE

You can find these all on the VLE in the

‘Mini-Dissertation resources’ section of the VLE

  • An APA 7th Edition Mini-Dissertation template word document
  • An APA 7th Edition Reference Cheat Sheet
  • Extended Mini-Dissertation Marking Criteria
  • 2 x Example Mini-Dissertations

APA 7 Mini-Dissertation Template

Your Mini-Dissertations must conform to the correct format. Easy marks.

We use APA 7th Edition and in the style of a professional journal article manuscript submission.

  • The word document template features all the major stylistic formatting you will need, with some helpful pointers throughout.
  • When you write your Mini-Dissertation, you just need to delete all the tips and put in your wonderfully crafted prose and results!
  • A common mistake is to deviate from the APA formatting. Please try not to do this! It counts.

APA style will be the focus of Week 16.

APA 7 Reference Cheat Sheet

  • A key part of APA 7th Edition is reference format. We will also cover this briefly in week 16. 
  • We have already a number of other electronic resources that might help you ensure you follow the correct format, but in the first instance, this Cheat Sheet will be very handy.

Mini-Dissertation Extended Marking Criteria

Another resource we’ve given you today is an extended Mini-Dissertation Marking Criteria.

  • These are the criteria used by the markers and moderators to calibrate marks and ensure accuracy and consistency.
  • An abbreviated version will be attached to the feedback that you receive.
  • You will see that there are numerous categories, but each requires some consideration. Have a look over this when you get some time.
  • A screencast will be provided discussing this in more detail, overviewing submission requirements, and highlighting common pitfalls, and tips for the top!

Example Mini-Dissertations

Points to attend to:

  • 2,500 words is NOT as long as you think
  • 5 paragraphs (key points) in Intro and Discussion
  • Methods section wins marks!
  • Both examples achieved firsts, but marks were ‘left on the table’

Closing points on the Mini-Dissertation

  • The reflective account is a required part of the Mini-Dissertation
  • We may be asking for a ‘contribution statement’
  • Your involvement in data collection AND participation is monitored next term
  • Open Materials and Open Data are key parts of the submission and are featured in the marking
  • But it’s just a lab report. You’ve done 3 of those already.

Have a great last week of term!