Final Year Projects

1
Final Year Projects

• 7 Writing your Interim Report

2
Final Year Projects

• Why do an Interim Report ?
• It gives you an intermediate success goal
• It is worth 10 of the final mark
• It helps you think about the overall shape and
  direction of your project at a stage well
  before the final writing up stage

3
Final Year Projects

• What goes into it 1 ?
• Outline worked in some detail i.e. chapter
  headings and an explanation or rationale for
  each. We would suggest a paragraph for each
  chapter heading. This does not commit you to
  the final shape which could have altered as you
  read more/think more about the FYP in the final
  stages

4
Final Year Projects

• What goes into it 2 ?
• Evidence of a completed literature review
• This should be of the order of 1500-2000 words
  and indicates the major works which form the
  basis of your study
• Your literature review should show some
  commentary i.e. critical discussion of sources
• It should be referenced appropriately

5
Final Year Projects

• What goes into it 3 ?
• Progress in designing your methodology - general
• Why you chose to investigate the way in which you
  did. Many projects will be desk-based i.e.
  will rely upon consultation of secondary sources
  but you still need to justify your general
  methods of approach including consideration of
  your source material

6
Final Year Projects

• What goes into it 4 ?
• Progress in designing your methodology - specific
• Justify why you are using the methods
  (questionnaires, interviews, case studies) for
  your particular study e.g. you needed
• Representativeness (questionnaires)
• Insight into processes (interviews)

7
Final Year Projects

• In your methodology section
• Do NOT be tempted just to give just a résumé of
  methodologies/research methods as found in
  textbooks
• Rather, we wish to know the rationale or
  justification why you chose the methods and
  approaches that you did for your particular study

8
Final Year Projects

• Finally include the ethics statements.
• Everyone will need
• an ethics statement (see Workshop 7 on
  Ethics)
• An ethics form to be included

9
Final Year Projects

• Some final hints.
• Remember it is only interim i.e. does not have to
  be the finished product but only work so far
• Keep your writing, sentence construction of the
  highest order (avoiding common mistakes)
• It should be well referenced

10
Final Year Projects

• Final thoughts
• Hand-in date Wednesday, February 1st 2006
• Read a good text e.g. Saunders et. al. (2003)
• Consult your tutor
• Do not leave to the last moment try writing a
  little each day
• Proof read your material very carefully!

11
And finally.
Any questions?