Karl Popper

Thomas Kuhn

Imre Lakatos

Paul Feyerabend

What does science mean?

It must be possible to demonstrate that a theory is false before it can be accepted as true, this is called Falsifiability

A Theory may actually be a succession of slightly different theories but they share some common idea, called their hard core.

Science comes in cycles that we call Paradigms, it is not a cumulative process, one supersedes another.

There are no universal rules of science, basically “Anything goes”. Truth and meaning are internal to theories.

Einstein and Eddington

Doing your research

Thesis Structure

Research Methods

Citing Multiple Authors

The correct way to cite • one author is (Smith, 2005)• two authors is (Smith and Jones, 2005)• multiple authors is (Smith et al., 2005)

Please note:“et al.” is an abbreviation of the phase“et alia” therefore the full stop is necessary. Additionally as it is a foreign phrase it must always be in italics.

Qualitative Research

Choosing a Statistical Test

Quantitative Research – 1 of 4

Quantitative Research – 2 of 4

Quantitative Research – 3 of 4

Quantitative Research – 4 of 4

TIPS FOR WRITING DISSERTATIONS

ABSTRACTAnswer the following questionsWhat is the area of study?What is the problem being tackled?What does the literature say?How did you tackle the problem?How did you implement the solution?What results have you gotten?STRUCTURETry to identify a framework, structure or process with 3-6 headings that can be used to link your chapters together, review the literature under these headings, do your design using them, and evaluate using them. WRITING TIPSAvoid any generalized comments and untested statementsCheck grammar and punctuation, avoid slang terms and conversational termsAvoid using terms like “prove”, “definitely”, and “confirm”VISUAL INFORMATIONInclude screen captures of any software that you are employing in your researchInclude any organization logos, etc. if research involves a specific company. RESULTSInclude a selection of graphs of your resultsAnalyze and evaluate the results, reflect on how they tie back to your research questionIf you do a survey and get less than 35 respondents, doesn’t use statistical tests that assume an underlying normal distribution.CONSIDER YOUR CHAPTERSAll chapters (other than the first and last chapter) should include an Introduction and Conclusion section.Ensure all literature & case studies reviewed are relevant to the research questionDon’t just report the literature, make sure critically analyze and exploreThe final draft must include a rewrite of your introduction chapter to tie it more closely to the research question and the experiments.LINK TO THE RESEARCH QUESTIONRegularly remind the reader of your research question, so at the opening of each chapter, and at each main section within each chapter, mention the purpose of this section in the context of the research question.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCHIf you are developing a questionnaire, devote at least a section (or perhaps a chapter) to the design of it. Tie each question back to the research problem, and cite some relevant references (e.g. Oppenheim)If you are doing interviews, make sure they are recorded (written, audio, or video) and that they are transcribed and are analyzed using a technique such as colour coding.CITATIONSThe correct way to cite oone author is (Smith, 2005)otwo authors is (Smith and Jones, 2005)omultiple authors is (Smith et al., 2005)Try to avoid referencing webpages (they aren’t peer-reviewed) or podcastsDo not reference Wikipedia unless your project somehow concerns it.MIRRORING OF CHAPTERSAll points raised in the Introduction chapter should be addressed in the Conclusions chapter.All sections in the Research Method (or Design) chapter should appear in the Data Analysis (or Experiment) chapter.All main sections in the Literature Review chapter should be re-discussed in the Data Findings (or Reflections) chapter.LINKING CHAPTERSChapter NIntroduction N.1As has been discussed in the previous chapter ...Conclusion N.XIn this chapter, the following topics were discussed...equipped with this information, in the next chapter it will be investigated how to apply this in ...CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORK The conclusions aren’t just summaries of work done, but must include some contextualization and reflection on the research topicThe future work section shouldn’t be just a list of bulletpoints, try to discuss, argue, justify your ideas for future work, include diagrams.

GAMES

Which Chapter will I work on now ?

Choosing the type of research project

Theoretical

Orientatio

nDevelopment

Project

Eva

luat

ion

Pro

ject

Industry-based Project

Pro

blem

So

lving

Pro

ject

It little profits that an idle king, By this still hearth, among these barren crags,Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and doleUnequal laws unto a savage race,

That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.I cannot rest from travel: I will drinkLife to the lees: all times I have enjoyedGreatly, have suffered greatly, both with thoseThat loved me, and alone; on shore, and whenThrough scudding drifts the rainy HyadesVexed the dim sea: I am become a name;For always roaming with a hungry heartMuch have I seen and known; cities of menAnd manners, climates, councils, governments,Myself not least, but honoured of them all;And drunk delight of battle with my peers;Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.I am a part of all that I have met;Yet all experience is an arch wherethroughGleams that untravelled world, whose margin fadesFor ever and for ever when I move.How dull it is to pause, to make an end,To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!As though to breathe were life. Life piled on lifeWere all too little, and of one to meLittle remains: but every hour is savedFrom that eternal silence, something more,A bringer of new things; and vile it wereFor some three suns to store and hoard myself,And this grey spirit yearning in desireTo follow knowledge like a sinking star,Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

This is my son, mine own Telemachus,To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle - Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfilThis labour, by slow prudence to make mildA rugged people, and through soft degreesSubdue them to the useful and the good.Most blameless is he, centred in the sphereOf common duties, decent not to failIn offices of tenderness, and payMeet adoration to my household gods,When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.

There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:There gloom the dark broad seas. My mariners,Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me - That ever with a frolic welcome tookThe thunder and the sunshine, and opposedFree hearts, free foreheads - you and I are old;Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;Death closes all: but something ere the end,Some work of noble note, may yet be done,Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deepMoans round with many voices. Come, my friends,'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.Push off, and sitting well in order smiteThe sounding furrows; for my purpose holdsTo sail beyond the sunset, and the bathsOf all the western stars, until I die.It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,And see the great Achilles, whom we knewTho' much is taken, much abides; and thoughWe are not now that strength which in old daysMoved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;One equal temper of heroic hearts,Made weak by time and fate, but strong in willTo strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.