Students taking option a are required to write a dissertation, which should be on a topic approved by the hps board and prepared under the supervision of a teaching officer or postdoctoral researcher. The dissertation gives you the chance to explore a topic of interest in depth it gives you practice in essential writing skills and it should sharpen your capacity for analysis and posing questions. Part ii students in the past have found the dissertation to be the most rewarding aspect of the course.

The dissertation counts for 20% of the overall mark ndash the same as one exam paper. They give you the opportunity to present your dissertation research and to enjoy constructive feedback. The dissertation must be between 5,0 and 12,0 words, inclusive of footnotes but excluding bibliography. Quality is not correlated with length, but it is difficult to write a first class dissertation in 5,0 words.

If you are tempted to exceed the upper limit, remember that the examiners may, if they so choose, stop reading once they reach 12,0 words and give a mark based on their reading up to that point! the dissertation must be on a topic that falls within the subject area of history and philosophy of science. Remember, if you have taken the hps part ib course, there are many areas covered in part ii that you will not have encountered yet. Remember too that the department's expertise in some fields is stronger than in others. You should plan to secure a dissertation topic and supervisor as early as possible in michaelmas term, and no later than the division of term.

To identify a topic, the first thing to do is to establish the general question and/or area of research that interests you. This will usually correspond to the subject of one of the part ii papers, even if it is not taught directly on that paper. Once you have established the general subject area of the dissertation, you should contact the relevant paper manager.

He or she will advise you about honing the topic and will put you in contact with an appropriate supervisor. To get a sense of the sorts of expertise that might be available, and to begin to identify possible supervisors, see the department's list of dissertation and essay supervisors. If you would like to work with an external supervisor ndash someone who is not a member of the department ndash you must obtain permission from the part ii manager. Successful dissertation subjects emerge from discussions between students and supervisors, but it is important that you choose a topic you are enthusiastic about. Think about the kind of general questions in hps that you find significant, and would like to answer.

Essay Writing Tips for Year 7

Some dissertation topics give the chance for extensive reading and library research others involve work with instruments in the whipple museum others require a close study of a single text, a critical review of a major debate, or the analysis of an important philosophical problem. Please note that a dissertation topic in the same area as a student's primary source essay will not normally be approved. Once you have secured a topic and a supervisor, your first task will be to start reading. You should aim to have a working bibliography in place by the end of michaelmas term. During lent term you should establish the focus of the dissertation, and agree a schedule of deadlines for submitting drafts or draft sections to your supervisor. The dissertation is due at the beginning of easter term, but you cannot expect your supervisor to be available during the easter vacation. It is a mistake to carry out months of research first, with the idea that it will all somehow come together at the very end.

Dissertation Topics Derivative Text

Essay Writing Tips for Year 7

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