Any teachers or lecturers or ex students or anyone?

Just wondering if anyone could advise me on my Psychology dissertation and marking.</p>

I have 2 scenarios's</p>

1) I have a smaller result section and less results but a larger intro+discussion</p>

2) I include other measures and have a larger results and a shorter (sinificantly) intro + discussion</p>

This is because I have an 8000 word word limit. At the moment, I have done option 1, but I'm worried will sacrificing results lose me more marks than a shorter intro/discussion. If i was to include the extra results (they would come together, as a certain amount extra would be needed) i would have to use 1000 words maybe (probably) more to report/analyse/discuss them.</p>

Any thoughts?</p>

 

Not got a clue mate sorry

(dunno) (dunno) (dunno) (dunno)

 

Boxing sunday...any erm links?

 

Is there a mark-scheme?

I've found (after some experience) that, unless someone has explicitly set guidelines for content, it's best to go with your instinct. If you can add some value by including further results then try and cut down on the intro / summary and include it. If, however, it's just going to be waffle, try and stick with what you've already got...

Soz if this isn't a great deal of use but I don't believe there's any hard and fast rules and I've been on three different university courses (HND, BSc and PGCE, albeit in IT / Computing subjects)...

 

Intro should be shorter than your results section, particularly if the intro is referencing other work in your field. Your results are the most important thing in your dissertation plus the discussion where you make your conclusions.

Shave a few words off the introduction and add them to results. The disseration should feel more balanced and it will give the impression that you have performed practical work rather than solely gleaned information from other sources.

 

I had thought that

but I wasn't sure if because it's a psychology course, the intro should be larger, as the intro is almost like an essay in this case. When I submitted a draft I was told there were a few key issues I'd missed in the intro, but that the rest was ok. So i fixed those problems, but like I said, don;t have the words left for the extra results.

 

Fair enough but...

...not enough time spent on your own results will give the impression that its more a review of existing papers rather than your own conclusions. If you think you've got enough detail in there already then you are worrying unnecessarily - take time to look at what you're leaving out, not what you've kept in. If its of any value then it should be included, if its not needed (or replicating what you have already) then go with what you've got.

The intro to my thesis was probably around 20% of the entire word count, results were probably 60%-65%

 

What course did you do?

The extra results are just considering further variables that could have an effect. The main argument is do computer games cause aggression....the extra results are do aggressiveness/competitiveness affect the other variables being mentioned.

 

RE: What course did you do?

Predictive microbiology - hence heavily results oriented.

I'd say your extra variables were warranted. Can't you crowbar in some crosstabs/tables so you can keep the word count down but keep a lot of the data in there? If you leave them out will it seem like a balanced study or do your conclusions seem to be based on cause and effect? i.e. Do you conclude that people who play Grand Theft Auto are more likely to gun down other schoolkids without taking into account competitiveness?

 

RE: What course did you do?

The results actually show no difference in hostility, or any physiological measures (heart rate/blood pressure) but when i throw in aggressiveness (predetermined and broke into high/medium/low based on a questionnaire) this does have a significant affect,</p>

I feel the extra result supports the claim that it isnt the video game that has an effect, but more to do with personality and such like. This has been discussed but not with rgards to my specific findings.</p>

I think I'm going to try and cover my back by doing both options.</p>

 

Thrappo Tyke

Is the dissertation intended as part of a first degree? Are you receiving tutorials? Don't forget there is a 10% margin either way,therefore, it should be possible to submitt a peice of work 7200 to 8800. give some feedback.

 

Do you not have tutorials with your lecturers? They should give you guideance.

 

RE: Baskerville

Good to see you the other week. We will have to try and meet up for a pint next season.

 

RE: Baskerville

certainly will my friend and I still remember those crazy days in Hoyland when we ran two buses to every away match.