Studying for a dissertation

# Studying for a dissertation

### Andy MacLachlan

### 14/04/2021 (updated: 15/03/2022)

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---
# Lecture Outline

Aim: How to effectively study for a dissertation

Outcomes (at the end of this lecture you should be able to...)

* **Part 1**: Set yourself up for a dissertation

* **Part 2**: Write:
  * introductions
  * literature reviews 
  * methodologies
  * discussions
  * conclusions
  * tips
  
* **Part 3**: Use research language in relation to your thesis

* **Part 4**: Plan your project 
]

.small[Source: [Dissertation Research in Education: Research Process](https://mc.libguides.com/eddoc/research)
]
]
---

# How to use the lectures

- Slides are made with [xaringan](https://slides.yihui.org/xaringan/#1) 🙊 shar-in-gen or [ʃæ.ˈriŋ.gæn]

- <svg aria-hidden="true" role="img" viewBox="0 0 512 512" style="height:1em;width:1em;vertical-align:-0.125em;margin-right:0.2em;font-size:inherit;fill:currentColor;overflow:visible;position:relative;"><path d="M505 442.7L405.3 343c-4.5-4.5-10.6-7-17-7H372c27.6-35.3 44-79.7 44-128C416 93.1 322.9 0 208 0S0 93.1 0 208s93.1 208 208 208c48.3 0 92.7-16.4 128-44v16.3c0 6.4 2.5 12.5 7 17l99.7 99.7c9.4 9.4 24.6 9.4 33.9 0l28.3-28.3c9.4-9.4 9.4-24.6.1-34zM208 336c-70.7 0-128-57.2-128-128 0-70.7 57.2-128 128-128 70.7 0 128 57.2 128 128 0 70.7-57.2 128-128 128z"/></svg> In the bottom left there is a search tool which will search all content of presentation

- Control + F will also search

- Press enter to move to the next result

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- Pressing the letter `o` (for overview) will allow you to see an overview of the whole presentation and go to a slide

- Alternatively just typing the slide number e.g. 10 on the website will take you to that slide

- Pressing alt+F will fit the slide to the screen, this is useful if you have resized the window and have another open - side by side.

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---

# **Part 1**: Set yourself up for a dissertation

---
class: inverse, center, middle

![writing gif](img/phdwrite.gif)

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# Start somewhere...anywhere, but make sure you start

---

# What do(n't) you know?

It's easy to list everything you **don't know or aren't good at**

**Focus on and list:**

- What methods you know

- What literature you know / have read

- What theories you know

- What tools you know

- What datasets you know of / can find

- What you are interested in
]

- Mind map

- Miro board

- Trello board

- Literature review or summary

]

---
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![](https://media.giphy.com/media/XyaQAnihoZBU3GmFPl/giphy.gif)

---

# Set expectations

What do you want to gain from the dissertation and what is your end **GOAL** to the degree?

Tell you supervisor:

* What you want to do after your degree

* What skills you think you might need

* Ask them what they think

]

* Set up your dissertation to ensure you cover them

* Demonstrate them to your supervisor and the wider world?

* Ask them what they think, from their experience

]

---

# Remember it's *your* project
---

# Read <svg aria-hidden="true" role="img" viewBox="0 0 512 512" style="height:1em;width:1em;vertical-align:-0.125em;margin-right:0.2em;font-size:inherit;fill:currentColor;overflow:visible;position:relative;"><path d="M352 96c0-53.02-42.98-96-96-96s-96 42.98-96 96 42.98 96 96 96 96-42.98 96-96zM233.59 241.1c-59.33-36.32-155.43-46.3-203.79-49.05C13.55 191.13 0 203.51 0 219.14v222.8c0 14.33 11.59 26.28 26.49 27.05 43.66 2.29 131.99 10.68 193.04 41.43 9.37 4.72 20.48-1.71 20.48-11.87V252.56c-.01-4.67-2.32-8.95-6.42-11.46zm248.61-49.05c-48.35 2.74-144.46 12.73-203.78 49.05-4.1 2.51-6.41 6.96-6.41 11.63v245.79c0 10.19 11.14 16.63 20.54 11.9 61.04-30.72 149.32-39.11 192.97-41.4 14.9-.78 26.49-12.73 26.49-27.06V219.14c-.01-15.63-13.56-28.01-29.81-27.09z"/></svg>

Most staff members will say

> *"you should read widely"*

... but what does this actually mean and why bother?

Partly, it goes back to what do you want to learn?

But also there are two "types" of reading:

1. Setting the scene reading

2. Technical reading

---

# Setting the scene reading

This refers to broader, often global challenges, perhaps from a different discipline altogether

Journals such as Science, Nature or Global policy documents

**Policy**
  
* UN Sustainable Development Goals 
  
* C40 Cities
  
* Sendai disaster risk framework
  
* London Plan
  
* Johannesburg’s Spatial Development Framework 2040

* New Urban Agenda
]

**Papers**

* Give cities a seat at the top table, Acuto 2016

* Scientists must have a say in the future of cities, McPherson 2016

* Global science for city policy, Acuto 2018

* A global economic assessment of city policies to
reduce climate change impacts, Estrada 2017

* A unified theory of urban living, Bettencourt 2010
]
---

# Technical reading

The nitty gritty of the methods you want to apply

* **where**
* **how**  
* **why**

they have been applied

* **what** has changed through time and across studies that have different data (and methods)

Some considerations...

* The specific detail of your study area

* Perhaps local policy challenges or local geographic challenges 
  
  * Usually more specialist journals 
  
See Cheyne's dissertation section 2.4 or Signe's dissertation section 2.4.2
  
---
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# In that theme...

<img src="img/filter.png" width="400pt" style="display: block; margin: auto;" />
---
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# **Part 2**: Write:
## introductions
## literature reviews 
## methodologies
## discussions
## conclusions
## tips

#### the following are extracts and don't represent the entire thesis / final grade
---

# Writing - introduction

If you look at any paper, they usually start with a broad introduction to the issue they are exploring.

The introduction will talk about Global challenges:

* Global urban area expansion

* Population increase

* Challenges of sustainability

* What is your challenge ?

Towards the end of the introduction links will be made to specific local case studies / literature

* For example, in the London Plan temperature mitigation is specified but no methodological details are provided

...in recent years the development of local models to predict temperature has resulted in the potential to actively reform building construction yet....

---

# Start of introduction

>Traffic safety problems are causing incommensurate harm to pedestrians in cities around the world (Bartolomeos et al. 2013). In the United States, 49,340 pedestrians were killed by moving vehicles between 2008 and 2017 (Zaccaro 2019). As walkability becomes more central in the minds of transportation planners, government officials, and citizens due to the corresponding advantages in the realms of health, wealth, and happiness (see section 2.1), it is critical that pedestrian traffic fatalities come to be seen not as inevitable accidents, but as ‘preventable and unacceptable’ occurrences (City of Charlotte DOT 2019, p. 8). Further, it is essential that burgeoning cities like Charlotte, North Carolina, where this study is focused, are able to grow in ways that are both sustainable and appealing. In such places, effectively addressing pedestrian safety and walkability will be one of the keys to future success. Accordingly, this goal is an important component of various global and local policies (see section 2.2).

---

# Start of introduction 2

> The fire has always been a major unpredictable factor that presents a safety risk to people. Especially in the United Kingdom, which is a country where fires occur frequently. Throughout British history, many large-scale fires have caused irrevocable damage to London. Among them, the most famous fire was the Great Fire of London in 1666 (J. Carlson, 2005) ，which lasted for four days before it was completely put out, making 70,000 people homeless and destroying thousands of medieval buildings. However, the only reason for that was a fire in the bakery. This shows that the fire is very contagious. For the government, it is imperative to detect a fire immediately and take corresponding measures as soon as possible.

Difference is:

* Specific BUT relevant detail - second one talks about the past then says it's imperative now?  
* Selling the analysis to us - do fires happen more in the UK? says who? vs...49,340 pedestrians were killed by moving vehicles between 2008 and 2017...reference
* Consideration to the viewpoint of the terms..."not as inevitable accidents, but as ‘preventable and unacceptable"
* Reference to SPECIFIC policy ...later expanded on

---

# End of introduction
> Ultimately, this study intends to contribute to the field of traffic safety research by further investigating the possibilities for data-driven advocacy for pedestrian needs and solutions. In the words of the visionary Enrique Penalosa, ‘The essence of the conflict today, really, is cars and people...We can have a city that is very friendly to cars, or a city that is very friendly to people. We cannot have both’ (NYC Streets Renaissance 2006).

---

# End of introduction 2

> In summary, this article will analyze the fire distribution and causes of fire
in London considering the time of the fire and the physical location
through a comprehensive analysis of the establishment of GIS and related
fire models to propose a suitable fire station location.

Difference is:

* Contribution and WHY - pedestrian needs and solutions

* Compared to stating what will be done in the methods section... rather vaguely.

* SELL IT
---

# Writing - literature review

What has been done before, write a story and show what you are trying to investigate and contribute.

**What not to do** - that students always do despite how many times i tell them.

> Jones et al. (2017) found an interesting relationship between tree canopy coverage and heart diseases. They concluded more trees should be planted where there is a higher prevalence of heart disease. Zhang et al. (2014) found no relationship between tree canopy coverage. Smith et al. (2007) showed that trees and lung disease were related.

This is just a list. Your job is to tell a story:

* What do studies show broadly are they similar or different
* How do studies advance each other
* What do they agree on 
* What do they disagree on
* Why do you think that is
* How can that be applied to your study.

---

# Literature review example

> According to the World Health Organization, twenty-two percent of all road fatalities each year are pedestrians (Bartolomeos et al. 2013, p. vii). This unsettling statistic can perhaps be attributed to the rapid growth of urban centers, paired with a lack of effort to expand pedestrian facilities (Halais 2020). Indeed, pedestrian safety is a problem all over the world. In cities in sub-Saharan Africa, more than half of all trips occur by foot (Pendakur 2005, p. 10), yet pedestrians are regularly and disproportionately involved in incidents with motor vehicles due to a lack of sufficient walkways, lighting, and other helpful urban design provisions (Halais 2020, Murgu´ıa 2018).

Difference is:

* It's a story and you are guiding me through it....

* **The literature provides the SUPPORT to the points you make**

* The literature might give you ideas but it doesn't then form the **direct** basis of your writing...it is there backing you up.

---

# **The literature provides the SUPPORT to the points you make**

---
# Writing - methods, results

In the methods the writing usually stays focused on the current study area. It's good to have a few links to Global issues. For example:

* Whilst the study has used this local data, a Global alternative is x

* This attempts to provide a methodological basis for use with the Global Sustainable Development Goal, x, y, z

* The results show x, y, z, **this contrasts to Jones et al. 2017 who exhibited this other trend**

Don't just list your results you want a **sprinkling of literature** throughout.

---

# Methods example

## Provide a high level overview first

> The number of crashes were predicted per road segment using the selected negative binomial regression model and the predictions were compared to the true values, again using MAE, MSE, and RMSE. Where an observation was missing data, the required values were imputed using the rfImpute() function (Breiman 2003). The predicted crashes were mapped, with emphasis on the top 1% and top 25% most dangerous roads. Kumfer et al. (2019) used Empirical Bayes estimates to weight the predictions with historical crash data, but this step was omitted here. The authors write that the non-weighted predictions offer ‘a more holistic measure of pedestrian crash risk, given the uncertainty about future crash locations inherent in any crash prediction method’ (Kumfer et al. 2019, p. 427).

---

# Methods example 2

## Provide a high level overview first

> One of the objectives of this dissertation is to explore the relationship between nutrition, income, and obesity in the MSOA area of London. As regression analysis is the method that allows us to examine the relationship between two or more variables, regression analysis was used here to find the relationship between different factors with obesity (Foley, B, 2018). From the past literature, we can know there was a linear relationship between income, nutrition, physical activities, and obesity. So first we used the least square linear regression analysis to see if there are still linear relationships between influenced factors and obesity in geographic scale

Difference is:

* Despite being a pass this is done well! I supervised both students!

* Not much difference, good literature support, clear overview.

---

# Results example

> Figures 4.3 and 4.4 display the actual crash data and the predicted number of crashes spatially. These visualizations show that the model predictions have captured roads that have been dangerous in the past, while also highlighting roads that should potentially be the focus of future concern. To further emphasize the unsafe areas highlighted by the model, the top 1% and top 25% most dangerous roads based on the number of predicted crashes were located and mapped (see figure 4.5). The actual and predicted crash statistics for the 6 roads in the top 1% most dangerous can be seen in table 4.4.

---

# Results example 2

Most of the examples of a pass level on Moodle have the results in the discussion section...

> Result of K-means clustering analysis is shown as Figure 5.4 above and disadvantageous stations need to be identified based on the result for further optimisation. From Figure 5.4, it can be noticed that off-balancing scores of bike stations are likely to follow a positive correlation with their bike demand in both periods.

Difference is:

* clarity of what is going on
* the results aren't just stated...Figure x shows this, Figure Y shows this...the results are interpreted and then used to further the analysis and or in relation to other results. 
* what does the writing add that the figure doesn't? 
* I can see that from the figure...so...you might briefly summarise the figure then interpret...
* Do you need to write down what i can see it shows? Is that useful?

---

# Discussion

![](https://media.giphy.com/media/RKRqGJinGNjIzNRy4P/giphy.gif)
---

# Discussion 2

The point of a discussion to critically reflect on your results in relation to literature and policy that you navigated through in the introduction / literature review.

Critical reflection is not the limitations of the project
.pull-left[

- How do your methods / results differ to that of literature and policy
  - do they differ? 
  - why do you think that is?

]
.pull-right[

- What is the point of your study / what can you suggest or recommend?
  - the point **IS NOT** to merely "support policy"
  - be really specific 
  
]

The discussion flips the funnel we saw earlier, you go from being specific about your project to broader contributions

<img src="img/filter_norm.png" width="15%" style="display: block; margin: auto;" />
---

# Discussion example 1

> As part of Charlotte’s work with Vision Zero, an online interactive feedback map was developed to allow citizens the opportunity to share concerns about traffic safety within the city (see figure 5.1). Griffin & Jiao find that the use of such digital technologies may introduce accessibility challenges and bias, but that ultimately, ‘Crowdsourcing tools can be valuable approaches to increase geography and equity of public participation in transportation planning’ (Griffin & Jiao 2019, p. 460). The Charlotte Vision Zero report explains: ‘The top five comments submitted related to traffic safety concerns were street design, speeding, lack of pedestrian facilities, failing to yield to pedestrians and drivers running stop signs and red lights’ (City of Charlotte DOT 2019, p. 22). The analysis conducted here has the potential to quantify the impact of changes to the built environment in terms of the number of pedestrian collisions, which could be a powerful tool for advocating for pedestrian needs in the city when combined with existing efforts such as the interactive map

---

# Discussion example 2

> The module “Document Management” provides ways to identify the change of information effectively. In the case study, the structural team members can find out what modification has been added in the model file by the architectural team, they can compare the versions of the model and all the additional features will be highlighted as Figure 11

Difference is:

* Demonstration of the issues of current policy - tell me what they are from both examples? Will you struggle with the second?

* Clearly states what the contribution is and how that is useful - again, tell me?

* Identifies a relevant interactive map and again, suggests how it could be improved or combined.

* Reflection in relation to literature and or policy

---

# Discussion 3

![](https://media.giphy.com/media/RKRqGJinGNjIzNRy4P/giphy.gif)
---

# Conclusion

The conclusion simply provides a brief overview of the project:

* restate what you set out to achieve

* briefly say how you did it

* what the main results were

* **how this can contribute to future policy and/or literature**

* **No new material or references are in the conclusion**

---

# Conclusion example

### start of conclusion

> Improving walkability is gaining traction as an essential strategy for achieving economic, public health and sustainability goals in cities worldwide. The newfound appreciation for walkability has coincided with concern about effectively facilitating safe walking journeys. While data-driven analysis methods have long been used to study vehicular traffic, such methods are only recently being applied to pedestrian problems
---

# Conclusion example 2

### start of conclusion

> This study mainly explores and discusses the effects of various commuting types on
the obesity rate. Dividing 9 commuting types into 3, this study analyses the relationship between commuting and obesity by three methodologies, linear regression, K-means clustering and geographically weighted regression. The result demonstrates that carled commuting is highly correlative to the obesity rate, and non-car commuting only can slightly allay the situation of rapidly elevated obesity rate caused by car-led commuting

Difference is:

* Pass level conclusions usually just say what the analysis did

* Often then might try and add a limitations section or future work section - if you really want these put them in the discussion as sub sections. Keep the conclusion clean

* Higher grades link this back to policy or bigger problems, review how it does (or doesn't!) solve the problem - you will have said this in the discussion too.

* It's clear what **the problem was**, what **they did** and **WHY that is useful** in an overview

---

# Top tips

Thinks that the majority of good MSc dissertations have, that no one really tells you. Remember that you will be editing this document daily, your marker won't! Guide them through it.

---
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# <svg aria-hidden="true" role="img" viewBox="0 0 448 512" style="height:1em;width:0.88em;vertical-align:-0.125em;margin-right:0.2em;font-size:inherit;fill:white;overflow:visible;position:relative;"><path d="M400 480H48c-26.51 0-48-21.49-48-48V80c0-26.51 21.49-48 48-48h352c26.51 0 48 21.49 48 48v352c0 26.51-21.49 48-48 48zm-204.686-98.059l184-184c6.248-6.248 6.248-16.379 0-22.627l-22.627-22.627c-6.248-6.248-16.379-6.249-22.628 0L184 302.745l-70.059-70.059c-6.248-6.248-16.379-6.248-22.628 0l-22.627 22.627c-6.248 6.248-6.248 16.379 0 22.627l104 104c6.249 6.25 16.379 6.25 22.628.001z"/></svg> Try to avoid having a results/discussion. Often (not always) this means there will be no discussion.

## recall the observation from earlier about pass level dissertations doing this

---
# Top tips 2

---

# Award winners

<table class="table table-hover table-condensed" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
 <thead>
  <tr>
   <th style="text-align:left;"> Student </th>
   <th style="text-align:left;"> Award </th>
   <th style="text-align:right;"> Year </th>
   <th style="text-align:left;"> url </th>
  </tr>
 </thead>
<tbody>
  <tr>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> Hussein Mahfouz </td>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> GIScience (joint) </td>
   <td style="text-align:right;"> 2020 </td>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> <a href="https://github.com/Hussein-Mahfouz/Bicycle-Network-Optimization" style="     ">https://github.com/Hussein-Mahfouz/Bicycle-Network-Optimization</a> </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> Cheyne Campbell </td>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> Planning and Environment </td>
   <td style="text-align:right;"> 2020 </td>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> <a href="https://github.com/cheynecampbell/charlotte-pedestrian-safety" style="     ">https://github.com/cheynecampbell/charlotte-pedestrian-safety</a> </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> Jamie Ser Nee Tan </td>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> Population Geography </td>
   <td style="text-align:right;"> 2020 </td>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> <a href="https://github.com/jamietansernee/sg-heritage-gentrification" style="     ">https://github.com/jamietansernee/sg-heritage-gentrification</a> </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> Greg Slater </td>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> Planning and Environment </td>
   <td style="text-align:right;"> 2019 </td>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> <a href="" style="     ">script in thesis</a> </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> Thomas Keel </td>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> GIScience (joint) </td>
   <td style="text-align:right;"> 2019 </td>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> <a href="https://github.com/Thomasjkeel/MSc_Dissertation" style="     ">https://github.com/Thomasjkeel/MSc_Dissertation</a> </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> Joshua Yee </td>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> Population Geography </td>
   <td style="text-align:right;"> 2019 </td>
   <td style="text-align:left;"> <a href="https://jytg17.github.io/Unpacking-the-Nuances-of-Londons-Neighbourhood-Change-Gentrification-Trajectories/" style="     ">https://jytg17.github.io/Unpacking-the-Nuances-of-Londons-Neighbourhood-Change-Gentrification-Trajectories/</a> </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>

---
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# Award winners from last year, RGS Planning and Environment

## Signe Swarttouw "Exploring the distribution of urban building carbon emissions: A spatial approach to Westminster’s decarbonisation strategy"

### https://github.com/signesw/CASA0010_Dissertation

---

# What did these students do?

* compare lots of methods

* do **very** complicated analysis

* produce an overly technical dissertation

* state exactly what button they clicked and where

* do an industry project or have an external partner to start with

]

Most **did**

* clearly identify a problem - using literature and policy

* have a well supported aim / research question and objectives that build towards them

* used 1-2 methods, sometimes in combination

* used slight variations of taught methods

* specifically stated how this can contribute to answering / solving the problem in relation to local policy and Global goals

* showed consideration of broader issues

]

---

# It's iterative

- Introduction

- Literature review

- Methods

- Results

- Discussion

- Conclusion
]
--
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The process **you will** do

- Literature review

- Methods

- Literature review

- Methods

- Results

- Discussion

- Literature review

- Discussion

- Introduction

- Conclusion

]

---

# **Part 3**: Use research language in relation to your thesis 
---
# Originality and friends

**Original:** You need to write the assignment in your own words that tells a narrative through the existing research. Don’t just state what others have done

> *present or existing from the beginning; first or earliest*

**Coherent:** Make your points in a logical manner, with support from literature (or policy documents). Don’t just assume the reader knows what you are talking about because they are an academic. Build the story, don’t just jump to the ending.

> *logical and consistent*

**Insightful:** Clearly showing that you understand the methods, concepts and debates discussed but also how your analysis (or discussion) did or could add meaning in some way. 
> *having or showing an accurate and deep understanding; perceptive.*

---
# Recall research language

**Research gap:** You need to identify and discuss all the existing work and lead the reader to the gap. What is the gap. What hasn’t been done. Why is that important.

> **MISSING**

**Contribution:** You’ve identified the gap. Be specific throughout your thesis what you are contributing…..As a result this thesis attempts to combine these two datasets for THIS REASON. Continue this through the thesis, especially in the discussion.

> **A POTENTIAL ANSWER**

**Novel:** What is new? Remember this could be a new method, a new study area or a bit of both (or mix too). E.g. use an existing method with a slight variation appropriate for a new study area and some different data as that’s what was available or is free!

> **WHAT IS NEW**

---
class: inverse, center, middle

# Write yours down

## Try writing yours down now

## Do this regularly (weekly!)

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# Read the markscheme weekly

> Interpretations of results are very well constructed, clear and focused with a well developed narrative throughout. The discussion provides appropriate critical reflections on the project’s outcomes, strengths and limitations with good links to relevant academic and policy (if applicable) debates.

--
### a well developed narrative throughout

### critical reflections on the project’s outcomes

### links to relevant academic and policy

---

# Set a realistic research question

### The more specific you are with it the easier it will be to undertake your project

> this paper aims to critically examine typologies of neighbourhood change in order to provide insight into different pathways of neighbourhood transition in Singapore, while constructing an effective visualisation of Singapore’s gentrification landscape to aid spatial targeting of policy-making.

> to evaluate the effects of family planning policies on the population, and the response from population to family planning policies

---

# Objectives?

Often confused with research questions. Usually you have 1 or max 2, research questions

Examples of objectives...

> What features of the built environment are thought to influence pedestrian safety, and can our understanding of these relationships be strengthened?

> What are the challenges when it comes to studying pedestrian safety in terms of the lack of available pedestrian data? Does Charlotte collect and make public the data required for this type of analysis?

> To simulate the population changes in three different policy

....so?

> To understand the policy changes according to the simulation results

...for?
---
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# More on research aims, questions and objectives...

---

# Recall aims, questions and objectives

**Research question:** Is the central question to the thesis that you will try to answer

> How might longitudinal census data and resale prices of residential properties lend insight into spatial patterns of potential neighbourhood gentrification prompted by conserved built heritage in Singapore?

---

# Recall aims, questions and objectives 2

**Research aim:** Is a broad statement of intent that you will try and achieve within your thesis, it is usually **just the research question rephrased**

---

# Recall aims, questions and objectives 3

**Research objectives:** Think of research objectives as the set of measurable and specific goals you need to achieve your aim / research question. As you tick each one off you build a stronger case for answering the research question. It’s good practice (but not always essential) for objectives to follow the S.M.A.R.T. format

> What features of the built environment are thought to influence pedestrian safety, and can our understanding of these relationships be strengthened?

> Most importantly, how can the findings of this research be used to improve upon existing policy or urban design strategies by highlighting targeted areas and adjustments for improved pedestrian safety?

---

# Research question, aim, objectives?  
--

## Different examples have different combinations 
--

## You need a research question and or aim (you can have both)

## **AND** objectives

---

# Where do I state them?  
--

## Usually at the end of the introduction

---

# **Part 4**: Plan your project

---
# How else to study

## It's a 9-5 job

* **Study in chunks** - research a particular topic for a set amount of time - a day, two days, a week? Depending on how important that topic is to your dissertation

* **Plan** - what do you want to achieve today

* **Reflect** - did you do it? why not? was it too ambitious? was the task bigger than you thought

* **Adjust** - use the new knowledge you've gained, can you now adjust your research question or topic even?

* **is it useful** - do you need this? What is it contributing?

* **don't read everything** - there is so much out there, at some point you need to stop, when is that? 
---

## After doing x i will do y 
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# How else to study 2

## Collaborate / talk to each other

* With your supervisor - **send them  drafts** and **ask for comments**

* With each other

* If you have questions come to discuss them + solutions rather than expect answers.

> I'm struggling to classify urban areas from satellite imagery, what do i do

> I'm struggling to classify urban areas from satellite imagery. I've tried using Maximum likelihood but it doesn't produce very good results. I've read about SVM, do you think i should try it

* Describe your work in detail, including in captions. "Figure 6: Plot of GWR"

---
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# Be specific in the right places...

---

### Hopefully not everything....linear regression, SLM, SEM, GWR, multi level model, machine learning, negative binomial regression

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# Project planning

Gantt Charts, Trello boards, Research logs

.pull-left[
<img src="img/GanttChart.png" width="100%" />
]
.pull-right[
<img src="img/trello.png" width="100%" />
]

---
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# Make some kind of plan 
--

## But be adaptable when it changes

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# Next week

* How to set up your dissertation document

* Word (briefly)

* Bookdown (using RMarkdown) - https://andrewmaclachlan.github.io/CASA-MSc-thesis/

* Any requests on Slack

* Q and A