Paper Type:
Dissertation

Topic:
Neuropsyciatry

No# of Pages:
60 pages (15,000 words)

Subject Area:
Neuroscience

Paper Style:
Harvard

No# of Sources Required:
60

Language:
English (U.K)

Details:
Need a Master level scientific dissertation in Neuropsychiatry. 

Has to be a systematic review.

Topics can include any from following-

Epilepsy, Dementia, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson disease, Huntington's chorea, Tourette Syndrome etc.

Instructions by University- 

Your dissertation should comprise four chapters, each of which should start on a new page, preceded by a single-page abstract summarising the entire dissertation, and a contents page. The references and any appendices should follow the last chapter. Tables and figures should be included in the text and should not be at the end. The content of each of the four chapters are as follows:

1. Background
This chapter explains why you should do the research, identifying clinical and academic justifications for the research.

A clinical justification is based on the probable impact of the research on improving the lives of ill or disabled people, their families, and others who work with them. An academic justification answers the question “What will this research add to our knowledge?” You can only answer this by systematically investigating what is already known and then summarising and analysing it in this chapter. This chapter should clearly identify any external help you received in completing the research and the dissertation.


This chapter should end with a statement of the precise research question that you are investigating. Guidance on setting out a research question has been given in the research methods module.


2. Method
This chapter explains how you are going to do the research. Most chapters on method follow a standard layout:

i. Research design This summarises the research design to be used, and explains why it is appropriate as a means of answering the research question.
ii. Sampling rationale This describes how the survey population and/or sample has been defined, sampling techniques, and the ways in which sampling may affect the results.
iii. Research instruments This describes the research instruments and any other techniques used for gathering information, whether they are appropriate for this survey population, and evidence on their reliability and validity.
iv. Procedures This describes the procedures used to gather data, including such matters as how respondents were approached how interviews were conducted and how observations were carried out.
v. Ethical considerations This summarises all the ethical issues involved in the research, and how they were addressed. Details of any ethical committees’ approval should be included here.


3. Results
This chapter describes the results from your research. This does not mean that you should describe every single result. All description involves summarising. The way in which you set out your results will vary depending on the research design, but most dissertations will probably involve the following:

i. Response This should describe the response rate and any implications this has for the validity of the results.
ii. Characteristics of the sample Start the presentation of the results in a simple way, by describing the characteristics of the sample. This can be done in a table.
iii. Sub-group analysis Work from the simple to the complex, by doing the analysis of different subgroups within the sample next. This might involve a comparison of the results from an experimental or control group, or an analysis of how some problems varies between different subgroups within a sample.

When presenting results use a combination of text, tables and figures. When data is presented in tables, the text should summarise the key results rather than listing them all in detail. Figures and tables should be included only if they efficiently summarise information. 

4. Conclusions
This chapter explains the implications of the results. The following headings are a guide:

i. Summary This should state whether the results have enabled you to answer the research question. Any limitation (because of such matters as low response rates, unrepresentative sample etc) should be acknowledged.
ii. Academic implications This should identify areas, which require further investigation. This might be because of limitations in the reliability of you own results, or because of hypotheses you may have developed from your own results.
iii. Clinical/management/policy implications This should discuss what the results mean for clinical practice, the management of a service or the development and implementation of policy. This includes your recommendations.

At the end of all four chapters you should add the full reference section for your dissertation. Any appendices should follow this.



Under the heading References you should include:
• Books
• Journals
• Chapters in books
• Tests
• Assessment material
• Manuals
• Reports
• Government documents e.g. Acts of Parliament, guidance, White Papers etc
• Electronic communications
• World Wide Web pages
• Personal communication
• Video/audio visual materials
• Act of Law e.g. Mental health Act (1983)


Correct citing of all references is essential so that a reader of your dissertation can follow up any text you have referred to. In order for the reader to follow up a reference in a library or on the Internet, all information must be given. The University recommends the Harvard system for books and other publications. References should be in alphabetical order of author’s surname and date. It is vital that all of the references in your dissertation are listed correctly.

Under the heading Appendices:

The purpose of the appendices is to provide the reader with additional background information and evidence, allowing them to check the reader’s arguments, summaries and conclusions against the original data. These might include examples of transcriptions of interviews, a copy of a questionnaire, a statistical table and assessment form. 

Areas for consideration in dissertation marking-----


THE RESEARCH QUESTION

1) Clear statement of aims
2) Were key terms defined?
3) Was the significance of the research justified?


REVIEW OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH

1) Was relevant research reviewed?
2) Was previous research analysed to produce a clear statement of current knowledge?


ETHICS

1) Were ethical issues identified?
2) Were ethical issues appropriately incorporated into the research design?


METHODOLOGY

1) Research design clearly described?
2) Relevant design justified?
3) Sampling, strategy clearly identified?
4) Strengths and weaknesses?
5) Appropriate research instruments chosen?


PRESENTATION

1) Legible
2) Correctly referenced
3) Good use of grammar
4) Spelling, headings and paragraphs
5) Good use of appendices