Research and writing

All MA dissertations require you to read widely and draw on both primary and secondary sources. A very wide range of material is now available electronically, from library and archive catalogues, to bibliographies, to on-line journals and abstracts of papers. Some sources are also now available on line. In order to avoid the last-minute problem of chasing up references, you should get into the habit from the beginning of taking meticulous references for all materials gathered and read. Your dissertation needs to be well footnoted. Please pay particular attention to details such as using the correct format for footnotes and bibliography.

The MA dissertation word limit is 15,000 words, +/-10%. The word-limit is exclusive of bibliography and documentary appendices, and footnotes or endnotes which are merely citations or references. The final bound copyof the dissertation must include the following:

1. Title page.

2. Abstract.

3. Table of contents

4. List of abbreviations, if used

5.Introduction

6. The main body of the dissertation. It will usually be convenient to divide it into sections and sub sections, with numbers or titles.

7. Conclusion.

8. Endnotes (if you are not including references as footnotes)

9. Appendices, if any

10. Bibliography

11. Plagiarism statement page: you must submit a signed copy of the plagiarism declaration.

YOU ARE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT YOUR DISSERTATION IS COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED BEFORE THE DEADLINE, AS WELL AS THAT IT COMPLIES WITH ALL THE PRESENTATIONAL REQUIREMENTS.