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

• r 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

Some tips and tricks

Set a daily word goal. 12,000 words / 10 weeks × 5 days = 240 words/day (draft completed by the end of January w/o working over Christmas). Talk through your ideas out loud with someone (another philosopher; a roommate; a family member; a pet). Write down true things. When at proofreading stage: Read your entire dissertation out loud. Reverse outlining: https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/ReverseOutlines.html

• Dr. Sara L. Uckelman

Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 20 / 24

Citations and bibliography

Any citation style (Chicago, APA, MLA, etc.) is acceptable, but be consistent. A separate bibliography must be included. It should include all, and

• nly, sources cited in the body.

Remember, citations in footnotes count towards your wordcount; references in the separate bibliography do not. Unpublished internet sources must be approved by your supervisor. When in doubt, ask.

• Dr. Sara L. Uckelman

Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 21 / 24

An example bibliographic style type

Italicise book titles: Smith, Paul J, Useful Philosophy (London: Routledge, 1999) Put article titles in single quotes: Smith, Paul J, ‘A Bit of Useful Philosophy’, in Useful Philosophy (London: Routledge, 1999), pp. 70–71.

• Dr. Sara L. Uckelman

Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 22 / 24

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is not acceptable, and can result in a failing grade. Plagiarism is: Passing somebody else’s work off as your own, or reusing your own work without citation (self-plagiarism). May involve unacknowledged quotation or paraphrasing. Not necessarily intentional, but you will still be culpable. Encompasses all material written by others and not just published material. You will be required to sign a form when you submit your dissertation, stating that you understand what plagiarism is and have not plagiarised. Even if only a small part of your dissertation is plagiarised, the repercussions for your degree result will be severe.

• Dr. Sara L. Uckelman

Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 23 / 24

Words of encouragement

Expect multiple drafts. One of the most important aspects of the process is writing, receiving feedback, and rewriting. Expect to spend more time revising than in writing the first draft. You won’t get it right in the first go (so don’t worry about doing so!) There are lots of people here to help:

◮ Your supervisor. ◮ Your academic advisor. ◮ Other faculty in the department. ◮ Me. ◮ Your peers.

Philosophy is not done in a vacuum. If you are struggling with some aspect

• f your thesis, talk to your friends who are writing philosophy dissertations,

talk to your friends who are not, talk to your supervisor, talk to me.

• Dr. Sara L. Uckelman

Dissertations Workshop 23 Oct 19 24 / 24