Introduction to Dissertations

1. Introduction to Dissertations Lisa Harris

2. Key activities and Deadlines 2010 • Choose an area of interest ---- NOW • Read around topic in depth ---- Start now ……. • Write an initial review of prior academic research in your topic area and send to your Programme Director by 23/4/10 (3000 words) • Supervisor allocated 7/5/10 • Full research proposal including risk and ethics review forms to supervisors by 11/06/10 • Final hand submission 17/9/10

3. Your first tasks: • Find a topic that interests you and start reading • Identify and critically evaluate your principle secondary data sources. • Draw up your definitive dissertation proposal including a closed statement of your topic, an explicit research question, and three or four research aims/objectives • Identify your data needs, and whether these require primary or secondary data. • Give thought to how you will gather your data • You MUSTNOT gather primary data before your supervisor has approved the risk assessment form and the research ethics form.

4. Key Questions to ask yourself! • What do I want to know? • How do I find the answer? • Who am I going to ask? • What am I going to ask them? • How am I going to ask them?

5. Topic Areas of Research Interest

6. The Project • JP Morgan in Bournemouth, UK are a key processing centre for foreign exchange, derivatives and non-US global custody. They are a European operations centre for cash management • They are redesigning their graduate recruitment website and need your help • They want your input into the website….. • What it should contain? • What features it should have? • What information it should provide? • What it should say? • etc.

7. The Research They have come to the University for help as they want to design the website based on what their target market (graduates) want from a graduate recruitment website If you take up this project for your dissertation it would require: Some liaison with JP Morgan Research investigating final-year students’ views on recruitment websites

8. Your Dissertation You would write your dissertation just as if you chose your own topic It has to be academically rigorous for you to get your MSc – so the relevant fields would be e-marketing, and maybe relationship marketing It also has provide useful and practical solutions for JP Morgan So, you would be contributing to both theory and practice If you are interested in this topic, please contact: Dr. Paul Harrigan (paul.harrigan@soton.ac.uk)

9. Analysis of the evolving role of online communities in marketing communications • Evaluation of the opportunities and challenges offered by blogging to marketers • Evaluation of the ways in which marketers can benefit from social networking • Analysis of how companies integrate search marketing into their communications strategies • Evaluation of the role of web 2.0 marketing tools for small businesses • Analysis of the effectiveness of web 2.0 tools in helping students to learn • Analysis of the effectiveness of emerging web analytics tools • Evaluation of the impact of customer experience management

10. Measuring Marketing effectiveness • Measuring & building Brand equity • Measuring Customer equity • Measuring customer value • Marketing and Shareholder Value • The shareholder value approach • The marketing value driver • Value based marketing strategy • Pricing for value • Value based communications Value-based • internet marketing • The value proposition, what it is and how to use it in strategic marketing • The role of Customer Relationship Management in building revenues and profits • What is Customer Experience Management

11. - Does Brand Matter? • - How to create Loyalty • - Values from the Customer and Organisational position • - The role of design in marketing • - The role of MKIS within an Organisation • - The benefits of data mining, elements, procedures, processes • - How do you measure communication effectiveness and ROI? • - Justifying a website in financial terms • - Coordinated Communications - linking on and offline communication • Marketing in UK Higher education • Use of Marketing Metrics in measuring marketing performance

12. Content of Research Proposal • Working title - brief but descriptive (not fixed at this point) • Justification for topic and its relationship to the existing research - the research problem • Research questions, objectives • Proposed method for investigating these − secondary and primary data needs − data collection • Timetable • Resources required

13. Dissertation – Abstract • What were my research questions and why were they important? • How did I go about answering the research questions? • What did I find out in response to my research questions? • What conclusions do I draw regarding my research questions? • Should be short (max one page), self contained, precise, easy to read

14. Dissertation – Introductory chapter • Research objectives • Central issue of concern and rationale for your choice • Full statement of your research question (s) • Route map of the content of each chapter

15. Dissertation – The Literature review • Discusses the work that has already been done on your topic • The chapter should include: • an introduction, • the various sub topics presented in a logical order, • end with a summary of the key points that you will take forward to check out in your primary research

16. Dissertation - Methods Chapter • What was the research setting • Why did you choose that particular setting • How many participants • How were they selected • What were their characteristics • How were refusals / non returns handled • What tests / scales/ interviews or observations schedules / questionnaires were used • How were purpose made instruments developed • How were resulting data analysed • What were the characteristics of the interviewers / observers, how were they trained • How valid and reliable do you think that the procedures were • What instructions were given to participants • How many interviews / observations / questionnaires were there, how long did they last, where did they take place • When was the research carried out

17. Dissertation – Results Chapter • Either qualitative / quantitative / mixed method analysis • Tables, graphs of findings • Verbatim quotes, narrative • Purpose is to present FACTS • Consider how you will present your findings – clear & logical • MAKE SURE YOU ONLY INCLUDE RESEARCH FINDINGS, NOT…..FINDINGS AND…. CONCLUSIONS

18. Dissertation – Analysis Chapter • What do your findings actually mean? • have you filled in the gaps identified in the literature review • addressed any contradictions that you observed • noted any unexpected findings • The purpose of this chapter is to bring together the primary and secondary data in order to create something that is ‘greater than the sum of the parts’

19. Dissertation – The Conclusions chapter • You have answered the research question and show the degree of insight that you exhibit in reaching your conclusions • Ask yourself questions like “so what?”, “what does it mean?”, “what are the implications?” • Answering the research question (s) meeting the objectives, and supporting or otherwise the research hypotheses are the main purposes of the conclusion chapter. • Practical implications of your findings • What your research implies for the direction of further research in the area

20. Resources • Harvard style required for referencing (see guide attached to my blogpost) • Sample dissertation proposal (see guide attached to my blogpost) • See student handbook for dissertation style and submission information • http://www.erm.ecs.soton.ac.uk/module/index.htm (Online Course on Research Methods)

21. Dissertation – READ – READ - READ • Once you have a topic in mind, explore the research and literature • Identify the support areas / core elements • Identify the experts in each area, note them down • Consider the research to date, what is it saying, what is your interpretation, does it support or contradict, is there a knowledge gap. • How can the research / literature be used for my dissertation