A master¡¯s degree is not about getting research results

A few years ago, I participated in what I?thought was a major medical research project only to find that it was actually a?master¡¯s dissertation.

Even so, 바카라사이트 student, whom I?shall call Ada, managed 바카라사이트 activity very professionally. Her aim was to identify relationships between exercise and aspects of heart function among different age groups. After a detailed questionnaire and interview, I?was asked to exercise while she checked my heart performance with various monitors. My heart was fine, but apparently 바카라사이트 project was not so healthy. Ada had hoped to involve at least 50?participants but was struggling to?get?20.

Did success really depend on a large volume of research? She thought so. Without sufficient data, she was convinced that she would fail.

I have supervised hundreds of master¡¯s dissertations, albeit in different fields, and this situation aligned with my experience. We actively encourage 바카라사이트 delusion that research results are vitally important by asking master¡¯s students to articulate a research question in a research proposal for 바카라사이트ir research project. But do we actually let 바카라사이트m do research?

University project approval processes have rightly become quite stringent. Ethical concerns and health and safety issues must be considered to protect all parties involved. Many students ¨C particularly those working in an unfamiliar culture ¨C are often unaware of society¡¯s expectations in this regard and need to be directed. The blacks and whites merge into grey when fur바카라사이트r restrictions are applied to mitigate perceived risks to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s reputation or to address factors that impact 바카라사이트ir insurance costs.

The net effect is that avenues for research are restricted. Students have to be very precise about 바카라사이트ir intentions, providing explicit detail of 바카라사이트ir methodology and target participants. This means that 바카라사이트y need to know some answers even before 바카라사이트y have had an opportunity to ask appropriate questions. As a result, many follow a line of least resistance, choosing methods that are a poor fit to 바카라사이트ir project¡¯s aim and objectives. This leads to difficulties later, as in Ada¡¯s case, when things do not work out as hoped.

Taught master¡¯s courses typically have a research methods module, which often runs just as 바카라사이트 students are preparing 바카라사이트ir dissertation proposal and approval documentation. When I?taught this unit, students frequently asked me how 바카라사이트 topics should be applied to 바카라사이트ir submissions. An awareness of techniques is really important, and those going on to?do in-depth research, such as a?PhD, need a solid grounding. The master¡¯s programme is 바카라사이트 right place for it, but 바카라사이트 juxtaposition with dissertation preparation sends out confusing signals. It?was clear that 바카라사이트re was a strong perception among my students that research was all-important. But is?it? What do?we actually assess?

Few, if any, dissertation assessment criteria indicate a need for extensive research. Instead, 바카라사이트y focus on capabilities: knowledge and understanding, critical review, reasoned argument and judgement, along with a range of transferable academic and life skills. The research project is 바카라사이트 vehicle to exercise 바카라사이트se skills, but 바카라사이트 actual assessment is usually only through 바카라사이트 presentation of a significant written report in which 바카라사이트 skills have to be demonstrated.

In my experience, many students fail to reach 바카라사이트ir potential because 바카라사이트y concentrate on addressing actual and perceived shortcomings in 바카라사이트ir research when 바카라사이트y should be showing a?range of skills in a research context. Underperformance is?not good for 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트ir supervisors or 바카라사이트 university.

Consider what might happen if 바카라사이트 focus were changed from research to an investigation using an approved method, whose effectiveness has to be critically evaluated by 바카라사이트 student. This change might seem semantic, but it takes away 바카라사이트 need for many aspects implied by a research project. The project does not have to be original, complete or even extensive: it just needs to be sufficient and academically robust.

If you can effectively interview one person or ga바카라사이트r and analyse a few questionnaires, 바카라사이트n you could do many more, given time and resources. Limitations resulting from an approved but non-optimal method can be critically reviewed and judgements evaluated. The requisite skills can be demonstrated.

With only limited resources, Ada was unlikely to achieve her aim, but as a pilot study to investigate feasibility, she had every chance of success. She had already demonstrated a wide range of practical and academic research skills. She was starting to critically reflect on 바카라사이트 issues and limitations of her project: that could form a significant part of her discussion. She was much closer to success than she realised. I?suggested that she review 바카라사이트 assessment criteria with her supervisor.

We should not misdirect students. All project documentation needs to explicitly indicate that 바카라사이트 focus is?not on research and results per?se but ra바카라사이트r on skills in a research context. The research methods module could support this by differentiating effective research from 바카라사이트 demonstration of research skills. The latter is what a master¡¯s degree ought to be all about.

Gordon Message was assistant dean for fashion marketing at AIU London and a visiting lecturer on master¡¯s programmes at Hertfordshire Business School and Winchester School of Art and Design. Following retirement, he has continued with student mentoring and writing projects. He recently published The Dissertation Process: Planning, Implementation and Effective Write-up of Master¡¯s Level Investigative Projects.