LT901 Dissertation Plan Workshop

Summer dissertation schedule Dissertation Proposal - submitted for approval by 9 th May (by to your supervisor) MA conference Dissertation Plan – deadline 30 th May (online submission) Work on dissertation with your supervisor Submit final dissertation by 17 th September

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL (by 9 th May) Title (a brief statement summarizing your topic) Outline scope of your project ( words) - consider limiting factors - should be comparative (not single text focused) - demonstrate your potential for independent study and scholarship Formulate a problem to be solved or an argument to be pursued -Research questions -Research context & methods Brief indicative bibliography make sure your topic is not too broad! Limit by period, genre, geographical area

Dissertation Plan (by 30 th May) Title word outline (as in your proposal, or updated version thereof) Rough Plan of Structure of the Dissertation Indicative Bibliography (at least 20 entries, 10 of which must be annotated)

Annotated Bibliography At least 20 entries, 10 of which must be annotated (can include books, journal articles or essays from anthologies) For annotated entries, provide a few sentences on the item’s argument/coverage, and why it will be useful for your research. Bibliography should demonstrate that you have mapped the field: a wide range of appropriate sources Make sure that the bibliography is presented according to a recognized system of academic referencing At least 20 entries, 10 of which must be annotated (can include books, journal articles or essays from anthologies) For annotated entries, provide a few sentences on the item’s argument/coverage, and why it will be useful for your research. Bibliography should demonstrate that you have mapped the field: a wide range of appropriate sources Make sure that the bibliography is presented according to a recognized system of academic referencing

For creative practitioners, self-evaluation; summarize findings and implications for our understanding of the topic Dissertation Structure Introduction State scope, aims / questions, argument, context, methods & chapter outline Body of the Dissertation Divide into chapters, each devoted to analyzing specific themes/ texts; for creative practitioners, each chapter should reflect on stylistic inspirations and your own creative choices & how they contribute to the aims/concepts of the project Conclusion

Example: No Escape from Washington Square: An Exploration of Class Consciousness and its Relationship to Sexuality in the Novel By Jessica Muscatt I Want the World to Know (An Excerpt from a Novel) with a plot summary of the novel CRITICAL COMMENTARY Introduction Chapter 1: Henry James and Edith Wharton: Class Consciousness and Contemporary Scandal Literary Precedents Chapter 2: Easy to be Upper Class and Lesbian? An Exploration of Class and Sexuality Chapter 3: The Process of Writing Conclusion

Abstract (optional) Contents page Acknowledgements (optional) Introduction Chapters Conclusion Bibliography

Build in time for each of the following: Planning Wide range of reading & thinking through your subject matter Drafting (chapter by chapter) Re-writing Checking references