10 Tips On Conducting Research For A Master's Dissertation

If you need a bit advice about how to conduct research for your Master’s dissertation, you’ve come to the right place! Have a look at these ten excellent tips on the topic.

  1. Understand exactly what a Master’s dissertation entails
  2. The best place to start is to learn exactly what a Master’s dissertation is, and what it entails. Luckily, there are many great textbooks about thesis writing, so you can buy one or borrow one from your library, and learn all about this type of paper.

  3. Familiarise yourself with your university’s rules and guidelines
  4. Each university has its own set of rules and guidelines for Master’s dissertations, so find out exactly what your university’s rules and guidelines are. It could be quite disastrous if you don’t do your thesis in accordance with them.

  5. Select a research topic
  6. The topic you choose will have major implications for your entire thesis, so be sure to choose a suitable one. If you need a few ideas for your topic, have a look at some reputable academic journals in your field of study, as they may spark a few ideas.

  7. Choose an advisor
  8. In order to conduct your investigation, you need an appropriate advisor. Try to find someone who you get along with, but who will also challenge you when you need it. This is a vital step, as this person will guide you throughout the whole process.

  9. Do a proper literature review
  10. Before you can start your research, you need to do a thorough literature review, as you shouldn’t replicate an existing study in your Master’s dissertation. Ideally, you should find a small aspect of the subject that hasn’t been studied yet, and focus on that.

  11. Formulate a hypothesis or a set of research questions
  12. This step is essential, as your hypothesis or questions will direct your entire study, so make sure you formulate a clear, testable hypothesis or set of questions.

  13. Think about your assumptions and any potential biases
  14. When you conduct any research, you must consider what assumptions you’re making and be aware of any potential biases, as these can have major consequences for the quality of your work.

  15. Design your study
  16. Now you need to design and plan how you will conduct your investigation. Make sure your plan is detailed enough, and has reasonable time frame, as you need to be very sure you can complete your study in the allocated time.

  17. Run your experiment
  18. Finally, you can do your actual experiment! Make sure you follow your plan very closely. And if something untoward happens, try to stick to your plan as best you can.

  19. Write up your findings
  20. After you’ve conducted your research, you need to document your findings. Make sure that you do so in an unbiased manner. Don’t leave anything out, especially if it doesn’t agree with the results you were expecting, as this can put your impartiality in question.