How to Make a 'Promising' Start to Your Dissertation: Development of a Process Mapping Approach

• Published in: Psychology Teaching Review Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 64 - 70
• Main Authors: Holliman, Andrew J, Rosenkranz, Patrick, Jones, Tim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: British Psychological Society, Division for Teachers & Researchers in Psychology 2020
• Subjects: College Faculty; College Students; Concept Mapping; Foreign Countries; Program Attitudes; Program Development; Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation; Self Determination; Theses; United Kingdom (Wales)
• ISSN: 0965-948X
• DOI: 10.53841/bpsptr.2020.26.1.64

Identifying a topic for a dissertation is widely considered to be one of the most important, challenging, and stressful parts of the research process. Students often find it difficult to navigate this early yet pivotal stage due to heightened pressures, a lack of structural guidance, increased independence, and more pressing time constraints. In efforts to support students' topic selection in a way that does not circumvent the independent nature of the activity and process, a 'self-guiding navigation tool' (process map) -- published in Holliman and Jones (2018, Psychology Teaching Review) -- was developed. This was presented as a 'Masterclass' session (a workshop style with a mix of presentations and practical group activity) to an academic audience at the Division of Academics, Researchers and Teachers in Psychology Annual Conference at Cardiff University, Wales, 2019, where critical feedback was obtained via anonymous comment cards. A template analysis (a form of thematic analysis) revealed that while the 'map' was considered an important starting point, it required significant amendment in order to enhance its utility for a wider audience and account for differing practices/circumstances both within and across institutions; such as time differentials (programme of study and allocation of supervisor), level of autonomy available (whether a project is student- or staff-led), and whether the project is part of a group project. As a result of this evaluation, we offer some revised (and more flexible) guidance for users, which accounts more effectively, in our view, for the diversity among students, supervisors, and institutions with respect to the dissertation. As with the original 'map' and its associated guidance, we welcome feedback from students and our peers along with further empirical evaluation of its effectiveness.