If you are using a measurement scale in your dissertation, chances are that you have written about Cronbach’s alpha, or Coefficient alpha, in a section on reliability in your proposal or dissertation. Unfortunately, most students misapply the concept. I believe Cronbach’s alpha is one of the most misunderstood concepts in research involving measurement. There are …
In preparation for our upcoming webinar on Avoiding the Traps of Questionnaire Design and Analysis in Your Dissertation at 6 pm (GMT+2:00) on 19th September, I’m writing about an issue of reliability that is often problematic for students. An old bathroom scale explains the concept of reliability of the measurement instrument in your dissertation. Here …
Avoiding the Traps of Questionnaire Design and Analysis in Your Dissertation Read More »
A few months ago, I discovered Elicit AI. Elicit’s superpowers of organisation and summary complement Google Scholar’s advanced searches as well as Research Rabbit’s networks and timelines. With these tools, my literature search toolkit is now complete. Join me on Thursday evening 6th June @6:00 (GMT+2:00) when I take you through some of the …
Use ELICIT To Find, Summarise, And Organise Papers For Your Literature Review Read More »
The reliability and dependability of a beloved other is a privilege. In a dissertation, these qualities are required. Quantitative dissertations require you to describe reliability and qualitative dissertations require you to speak of dependability. There are two types of reliability. The first type is the reliability of the overall study; the other type is the …
Reliability and Dependability in Your Dissertation Read More »
In a previous post, I spoke about what a statistically significant result means and doesn’t mean. A significant result may mean very little, not necessarily anything to inspire you to throw a party or make a supportive parent proud. A significant result does not tell you how strong – or meaningful – your result is. …
How Strong are Your Statistical Results? The Concept of Effect Size Read More »
If you’re involved in research, you’ve likely come across the notation ‘p < .05’ in journal articles or elsewhere, or you’re using this notation in your writing to indicate a statistically significant result. It is used pretty much everywhere, almost as a mantra across studies. But do you know what p < .05 actually means? …
Many students approach their literature reviews by emphasising who (i.e., the authors of each reference) is saying what. Each paragraph begins with the authors’ names. This approach is not advisable as it shifts the focus to the authors rather than the content of their statements. Consider the following paragraph as an example of this unfortunate …
The problem statement of your dissertation or proposal is very important. It is a go-to section for your supervisors and examiners. So, why not grade your problem statement yourself? Here are 7 criteria. Score 1 point for each criterion if your problem statement deserves it, ½ a point if you’re undecided, and no point if it …
7 Criteria for Grading Your own Problem Statement Read More »
There are always those dissertations that stand out at submission time, those that simply have to be submitted as the students are genuinely out of time but are nowhere near ready. As you can imagine, the pressure on a student in this situation is immense with bursaries, job opportunities, and self-esteem under threat. To …
This week, I reviewed a dissertation that was well researched, well conceptualised, and well designed but did not answer its main research question. The student had described its design, delimitations, and sampling method incorrectly which made the conclusions incorrect. Luckily it was fixable. Let me tell you about the study, with its details all changed …
Does Your Dissertation Answer Your Research Question? Read More »