Academic Skills Advice
Managing the Process of Producing Your
Final Year Project Report or Dissertation
This workshop will:
-
Explore the process for producing your completed report or dissertation
Examine one model to manage your time
Provide tips on writing your final year report or dissertation
Teaching points:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Being realistic
The process of producing a completed project report or dissertation
Managing your time
Tips for writing your FYP report or dissertation
The following uses adapted extracts from Cottrell (2013)
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1. Being realistic
Before we look at the process of producing your FYP report or dissertation, let’s be
realistic about the available time you have to do it. As a third year UG, you are likely
to have to submit beginning of May, so from now (if you’re lucky), the end of
November, you have five full months. Great! However, you have other assignments
and possibly exams to deal with as well as attending lectures, etc., maybe working,
attending social events, illness, shopping and other chores, and of course, you have
to eat and sleep. Those five months don’t seem so long now, do they? Don’t worry,
this is plenty of time to complete a successful dissertation or FYP report – it’s just a
matter of being organised and having effective time management.
2. The process of producing a FYP report or dissertation
To be organised, you first need to know what you have to do so we’ll look at the two
different but equally valid processes of completing a lengthy written assignment:
The prep-all, write-all: this entails you doing all your preparation before you start
writing, and then having a definitive writing phase leading to a completed first and
then following drafts.
Activity 1: The process of writing
Draw a line from the list of stages on the left to the appropriate place in the graphic,
A
•Planning and making a plan
Undertake a Literature Review
B
Revise, Edit and Proofread
C
First Draft
D
Implement Research
E
Map/Plan for writing
F
G
Agree Proposal
H
Choose Research Question/Hypothesis & Analyse
I
•Final draft submission
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The prep-one, write-one: instead, you can prepare one section or chapter of your
assignment then write it, followed by the next section, etc. You can even write
sections and chapters out of order as long as you ensure each is slotted into its
correct place when you have completed the first draft of each. This means that
when you come to revise and edit, you can check all comments made about
something found earlier or later in your work is where it should be.
Both processes involve many different stages and may seem a linear progression but
some steps could lead to a re-think, e.g. you may have chosen to use questionnaires
as your tool at an early stage but following a review of the literature you may decide
to use a different method based on what other researchers have used previously.
Nevertheless, there is a starting point and a finishing line for each.
3. Managing your time
This process is a lengthy and complex one: it requires you to undertake work over a
protracted period and on multiple tasks simultaneously. Being organised is central to
success.
Gantt charts are useful tools as they show at a glance:





What the various activities are
When each activity begins and ends
How long each activity is scheduled to last
Where activities overlap with other activities, and by how much
The start and end date of the whole project
Gantt charts can include as much or as little detail as you choose and can cover any
timeframe. It may be helpful for you to also include any other lengthy commitments
(holidays, conferences, etc.) that will have an impact on your project.
You may find it useful to draw up a list of all the different elements in your project to
‘map’ onto a Gantt chart covering the entire length of the project. The Gantt chart
overleaf provides an overview of planning a multi-centre holiday to Japan.
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Activity
Month 1
Month 2
Month 3
Book time off
Research & identify
places to visit
Research travel
options
Research & identify
hotels
Book trains & planes
Book hotels
Learn basic
Japanese
See Thomas (2013: 32) for basic instruction on how to develop a Gantt chart using
Word.
Activity 2: Producing a Gantt chart
Using the space below, jot down any additional activities you are likely to undertake
during your time producing your dissertation or FYP report. Then, add these and the
different stages of writing from Activity 1 to the Gantt chart provided on the
separate sheet.
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Thomas (34-36) also has tips on managing your time whilst working through your
project:
A. Make a schedule: After producing your timeline/Gantt chart so you know how
many days/weeks you need for each element of the project, allocate which
days a week you will work and what hours (morning, afternoon evening or
night time). Be realistic and fit your research study around your life. STICK
TO YOUR PLAN.
B. Do something every day: it does not matter how small it is, but do something.
You could just review what you did the previous day, or read a couple of
paragraphs whilst you are waiting for the bus, or for your children to come
out of school. This should be in addition to dedicated, quality reading time.
C. Negotiate time: Make sure your friends, family and employers know that on a
particular time or day you are absolutely unavailable – no telephone calls, no
texts, no emails, no nothing! Impress upon them how important your
research is and they will understand.
D. Set yourself targets: target yourself to write at least 250 words a day and do
not leave your computer until you have. You will feel a real sense of
satisfaction knowing you are chipping away at your dissertation.
E. Reward yourself: but only AFTER you have met a target whether that be
number of words, a certain amount of reading, etc. The reward does not have
to be a major thing but could just be having a brew or listening to music or
having a short walk.
F. Have back-up plans: build in some extra time to complete tasks, especially
those you know are high-risk. For example, you know people are unreliable at
returning questionnaires via email or post, so plan in time for initial and
secondary reminder calls/texts/emails. If you find you end up not needing the
time put aside, do not relax and think you have time to spare. Something will
go wrong (illness, strikes, etc.) and you will need this extra time.
4. Tips for writing your FYP report or dissertation
 Be brutal – if you are short of time, write just the words you will use in the
word count.
 Cover the basics – try to make sure you use sources off the reading list or are
mentioned in lecture materials as well as any others you find.
 If you cannot get hold of the recommended sources, at least use current ones
(where appropriate).
 Still allow some time for attention to detail because poor referencing,
punctuation, and formatting can be costly in terms of marks.
 Answer. The. Question. Or. Brief. (even if it is yours)
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For examples of students’ essays and other assignments, visit the excellent website
https://wrasse.plymouth.ac.uk
To provide feedback or comments on any aspect of Academic Skills, please visit our
website (www.brad.ac.uk/academic-skills), click ‘About us’; ‘Feedback’; ‘feedback
board’ where you will find plenty of space to tell us what you think. Alternatively, we
now have a ‘Comments, complaints and compliments’ box in Chesham B0.23; just fill
in a paper slip and post in the box.
References
Birmingham Law School. How to write a research proposal. Birmingham, University
of Birmingham.
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/law/courses/research/research-proposal.aspx
Accessed 10 October 2014.
Cottrell, S. (2013) The study skills handbook. 4th ed. Basingstoke, Palgrave
Macmillan Ltd.
Thomas, G. (2013) How to do your research project. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
Wisker, G. (2009) The undergraduate research handbook. Basingstoke, Palgrave
Macmillan Ltd.
Answers
Activity 1: Stages of the process
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
•Planning and making a plan
•Agree the proposal
•Choose/construct your research?/hypothesis and analyse it
•Undertake a review of the literature
•Implement your research
•Making a plan/map for FYP report ro dissertation
•First draft
•Revise, edit and proofread
•Final draft submission
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