Description
Book Synopsis
Dr Mark Breach is Principal Lecturer in Engineering Surveying at Nottingham Trent University. As Programme Leader for the MSc Civil and Geotechnical Engineering degrees he manages all its postgraduate dissertations and he also performs a similar function for undergraduate Civil Engineers.
Table of Contents 1 What is a dissertation?
1.1 Why do we do projects?
1.2 What is a project?
1.3 What happens when?
1.4 Planning the project
1.5 Your tutor, friend or foe?
Summary
2 Making a start
2.1 Choosing and defining the project
2.2 Motivation and added value
2.3 What type of project?
2.4 What is the question?
2.5 The aim
2.6 The objectives
2.7 Methodology
2.8 Hypothesis and key questions
2.9 Resources
2.10 Timetable
2.11 Example project proposal
Summary
3 Hard work or pleasure?
3.1 Getting stuck in
3.2 The science and engineering context
3.3 Health, safety and risk assessment
3.4 COSHH
3.5 Ethics
3.6 Proving your point.
3.7 Quantitative or qualitative methods
3.8 Quantitative methods
3.9 Qualitative methods
3.10 Getting the data
3.11 Questionnaires
3.12 Interviews
Summary
4 Meaning from numbers
4.1 The nature of uncertainty
4.2 Data types
4.3 Previewing your data
4.4 Statistical methods
4.5 Parametric methods
4.6 Non-parametric methods
Summary
5 Paperwork, paperwork
5.1 Writing up
5.2 Introduction chapter
5.3 Literature review chapter(s)
5.4 Citing references
5.6 Results chapter
5.7 Analysis chapter
5.8 Conclusions and recommendations chapter
5.9 Abstract
5.10 Tops and tails
Summary
6 Tips and hints
6.1 What can go wrong?
6.2 Recovering from disaster
6.3 How to make it go right from the start: prevention, better than cure
Summary
7 Assessment and beyond
7.1 Project proposal
7.2 Preliminary literature review
7.3 Progress presentation and the viva voce
7.4 Preparing your presentation
7.5 Poster presentations
7.6 Marking the dissertation
7.7 Preparing for publication
7.8 Copyright
Summary
8 Plagiarism – avoidance and detection
8.1 What is plagiarism?
8.2 Why people plagiarise
8.3 How you are likely to be caught
8.4 What happens when you get caught?
8.5 How to avoid accidental plagiarism
8.5 How to avoid accidental plagiarism
Summary
9 Questions and answers
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