Dissertations Workshop Dr. Sara L. Uckelman - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Dissertations Workshop Dr. Sara L. Uckelman s.l.uckelman@durham.ac.uk 23 October 2019 Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 1 / 24

Contacts Ms Ruth Smith (Departmental Administrator), undergraduate.philosophy@durham.ac.uk Contact Ruth Smith for administrative enquiries about dissertations (e.g. dissertation registration issues, degree regulations, etc.) Dr Sara Uckelman (Dissertation Director), s.l.uckelman@durham.ac.uk Contact Sara for academic enquiries about your dissertation (e.g., choice of topics, finding an appropriate supervisor for your topic, [if you are joint or combined honours] deciding which department is most suited to your dissertation topic, switching supervisors, etc.) My office hours are Thursdays 14:00-16:30, in room 201 of 48/49 Old Elvet. You do not need an appointment to come talk with me then. If you cannot make office hours, send me an email. Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 2 / 24

Word count Long: must not exceed 12,000 words. Short: must not exceed 8,000 words. This includes footnotes but does not include the bibliography, table of contents, abstract (if included), or brief acknowledgements (if included). Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 3 / 24

Supervision entitlements Long: 6 hours of contact time. Short: 4 hours of contact time. Your supervisor should let you know whether s/he will schedule the meetings or if it is up to you to set them when you feel you need them. If they don’t, don’t feel awkward asking. Every dissertation is double-marked; your supervisor will be the first marker, and the second marker is another departmental member. The second marker marks anonymously, so do not put your name on your dissertation! Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 4 / 24

Requirements for printed dissertations Double or 1 1/2 spaced A4 paper One side only Tape or wire-bound (DSU does binding) Accompanied by dissertation submission form (from dept. office). This form must be bound with the rest of the dissertation, so get the form BEFORE you take your dissertation to the binder! Do not leave this for the last minute! Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 5 / 24

Deadline DEADLINE : Friday 1st May, NO LATER THAN 12 NOON. Two printed copies submitted to the Departmental Office. One electronic copy submitted via DUO. Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 6 / 24

What is a dissertation for? To help you to develop vital skills (independent research, time management, planning and structure, etc.); To allow you to have intensive contact time with an expert in the field (who can also provide detailed references later on for job applications or further study); To give you a taster of the kind of work that you will be doing if you choose to pursue postgraduate study in philosophy; To provide an opportunity to challenge yourself. To give you a chance to explore a philosophical topic in depth. Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 7 / 24

If you experience significant problems DO NOT WAIT until the last minute. Talk to your supervisor, talk to me, talk to Ruth. We cannot do anything if we don’t know there is a problem. DO submit! A failure to submit can take away credits, and result in only an Ordinary Degree being awarded. Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 8 / 24

Where you should be at now If you haven’t met with your supervisor yet, set up a meeting with them ASAP. Find out from your supervisor when they want written work from you (often: One chapter by end of Michaelmas). If you did preparatory reading over summer, now is when you should be narrowing in on your topic. Choose a sufficiently focused topic. 12,000 words is not as much as it seems. If you didn’t do reading over summer, you should be reading NOW. Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 9 / 24

A brief pause for an exercise. Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 10 / 24

Finding reading Supervisor’s recommendations Bibliographies of things you are already reading Overview sources like the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Main university library databases, such as Philosophers’ Index and PhilPapers. Relevant academic journals at the main library or online (e.g., http://www.jstor.org/ Document Delivery Service (DDS) for books/articles Durham doesn’t have. Online — Caveat! not all websites can be cited in your thesis. Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 11 / 24

Note-taking Take notes while you read. Summarize arguments by paragraph/page (be sure to indicate source and page number). Identify and define technical terms. When copying down direct quotes, make sure they are so noted. Be careful of plagiarism Keep your own thoughts separate from quotes/summaries (different color of pen, different part of the paper) Keep a list of questions—of any kind—while reading. Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 12 / 24

How to start writing Stop reading. What is your question? What is your answer? What is your methodology? Who is your audience? Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 13 / 24

How to start writing Don’t be daunted: 8,000 or 12,000 words may seem like a lot, but it isn’t. In addition to presenting your argument, you need to: Properly introduce/motivate your central issue. Provide a road-map for the reader through the argument. Define all technical terms. Clearly and succinctly summarize your conclusions. Write your final introduction last! Remember: Your 2nd marker may not be an expert in your field. Give them all they needs to know to evaluate your claims. Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 14 / 24

How to start writing Start small: Write short expository pieces, explaining the central views and arguments that you will be addressing. This includes definitions of technical terms. Outline! Do not start writing without a plan. Keep focused: Beware the research rabbit hole. (Know when to stop). Set yourself deadlines and word counts, and stick to them. (If it’s helpful, ask your supervisor to set them for you and hold you accountable to them.) Set aside regular time for reading/writing: 13 hours per week! Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 15 / 24

The introduction A good introduction will tell the reader the central issue, the main conclusion, and how you’ll get there: Title: Dennett on Intentionality 1. Introduction In this dissertation, I critically discuss Daniel Dennett’s account of Intentionality and show it to be incoherent. Dennett argues that . . . [discussion]. In Section 2, I raise point X , which constitutes a problem for Dennett’s account. Section 3 will address various responses that Dennett has made and could make, such as M , N , and O . In Section 4, I show that these responses are inadequate because of Y . Section 5 will demonstrate that Dennett is required to abandon premise A , which is an essential feature of his view, without which it collapses into D . I conclude by sketching an alternative position, which is able to deal with the problem. Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 16 / 24

The introduction A good introduction will tell the reader the central issue, the main conclusion, and how you’ll get there: Title: Dennett on Intentionality 1. Introduction In this dissertation, I critically discuss Daniel Dennett’s account of Intentionality and show it to be incoherent. Dennett argues that . . . [discussion]. In Section 2, I raise point X , which constitutes a problem for Dennett’s account. Section 3 will address various responses that Dennett has made and could make, such as M , N , and O . In Section 4, I show that these responses are inadequate because of Y . Section 5 will demonstrate that Dennett is required to abandon premise A , which is an essential feature of his view, without which it collapses into D . I conclude by sketching an alternative position, which is able to deal with the problem. Note that your introduction is often the LAST thing you should write. Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 16 / 24

Structure Historically-based Argumentative Empirical Talk to your supervisor! Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 17 / 24

The utility of footnotes Not every idea can be followed-up on: You only have 8,000/12,000 words. Use footnotes! For the purposes of this discussion, I will be adopting Bernard’s (1999, 2001) account of A . A related question to the one I am addressing here is that of X . See Bernard (1997) for the view that A , and Manny (1999) for an alternative account that emphasised X . I will focus throughout on Katzenjammer’s formulation of X . However, Bernard (1999) and Manny (2001) offer similar accounts, which also fail to make clear how Y is possible. This raises an interesting question, Y , which I will not address here as it is outside the scope of my present concerns. Show your readers you know the wider scope your project fits in to. Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 18 / 24

Some common pitfalls Writing your introduction first. Reporting your mental states. Being too tentative. Being too bold. Biting off more than you can chew. Assuming too much. Dr. Sara L. Uckelman Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 19 / 24