Guidance for Dissertation and Senior Thesis Students

If you would like to collect data for your dissertation with Opwall, please read the information below to find out how to go about ensuring that what is probably the most important piece of work you have ever done, is completed to the best possible standard. 

Will I succeed in getting a good project completed?
The answer to this question depends primarily on your own actions.  Students from a range of Universities (Oxford, Durham, Cambridge, Nottingham, Sheffield, Aberdeen, Plymouth etc) have received Firsts for their dissertations with Operation Wallacea, and others have successfully completed Masters level dissertations.  The most successful students are those who prepare well, plan their survey and data gathering thoroughly, and who part complete their data analysis and dissertation drafting before leaving site.  
How do I select an appropriate dissertation subject?
Check the full list of topics available on these web pages. Follow the "expedition" links for each country to find out about the respective research programmes in Indonesia, Honduras, and Egypt (where we are currently supervising dissertations). This will detail the areas in which we have academic expertise on site, and will give you an indication of the types of question that could be asked.

Look at the reports from the Operation Wallacea research programme in relevant areas by checking the Library pages and following the links.

Obtain a copy of your University dissertation or Senior Thesis requirements which you should read and also bring out with you.

Once you have an idea for your project you must discuss the proposed dissertation with your University supervisor and gain his/her approval before going ahead with doing your dissertation.

 

dissertation studying

How do I prepare well  before coming out to the site?
Once you are booked on to the expedition you will receive an email from our dissertation/thesis coordinator.  They will outline your project and the key people involved in the project including the project scientist and senior scientist for the site.  They will also advise you on current literature on your subject and advice on designing your project.     

Designing a project is very hard work, its likely that you have never done it before and it can be a scary prospect.  However it is a very beneficial experience and is your chance to use all the knowledge you have leant in the earlier years of your degree.  The best way to do this is in regular consultation with your supervisors and the dissertation coordinator, you are not expected to do this work on your own.  A large part of being a scientist is developing an ability to work with other researchers and this is an ideal opportunity to gain experience of this.  The first requirement is a draft project proposal to be submitted by February 28th, and then a full proposal by April 15th, at all times before this you can ask for as much help as you like.  The submission dates are well before your expedition but this is so it is finished before your exam period.  Putting work into the project proposal is vital and students that do this will benefit hugely when in the field and when writing up.  

The final project proposal should include the following

  • A title for the dissertation or senior thesis

  • Rationale for the project based on the literature review and the information gained about the project from your field supervisor

  • Proposed methodology that will be followed. 

  • How the data, if gathered using the proposed methodology, will be analysed

  • Equipment requirement.

The dissertation assessment form can be found here

This project plan has to be submitted by the 15th April otherwise Operation Wallacea have the right to refuse you the opportunity to complete a dissertation or senior thesis on site. Having agreed your project plan you will then need to complete a risk assessment for the project.  Risk assessments for all generic activities carried out by Operation Wallacea can be obtained from this web site so that you can complete this task for your specific project.  Note this risk assessment should be submitted to your University before departing for the project.

How will I be supervised in the field?
On site you will have an experienced Senior Scientist who will be introduced to you as soon as you arrive at your research destination. You will meet with your specialist project supervisor as well as the Senior Scientist to discuss your proposed project plan in detail. You will then be asked to draft a timetable for the implementation of the project plan which ensures that data are gathered, necessary interviews scheduled, background information collected and spare time built into the timetable to allow for problems. During your field work you will be supervised on a daily basis by your specialist project supervisor, but will also have to report on progress regularly to the Senior Scientist.
What will I be expected to do on site?
Ensure that you give completion of your dissertation or Senior Thesis the highest priority of your stay. You will be staying in some of the most beautiful reefs and forests in the world and it is important that you don't get distracted. Better to work hard early on in your stay, complete your research and then if there is spare time at the end, relax. As a minimum you will need to spend 4 weeks working on your thesis/dissertation topic if it is for an Honours project or 6 weeks if it is for a Masters. Since skills and safety training inevitably takes up 1 - 2 weeks then you will need to stay for 6 weeks for an Honours or Senior thesis/dissertation although 8 weeks would be better and is essential for a Masters. Start drafting sections of your dissertation during your stay. Inevitably when you start writing you realise that there is additional information that you need to collect and it is often very difficult to gather this information once you have left site. You will be asked to give a short oral seminar to other students and staff about your research at the end of your stay. This is a very useful part of the experience, both from the aspect of responding to the specific points about your research and from the general experience of giving such a presentation. 

What will I be expected to do when I return to University?
Finish writing up your dissertation or Senior Thesis as soon as you can. If you leave it for a few months, it is often very difficult to get back into the detail of the project.   Send a hard copy of your dissertation and a copy on disc to Operation Wallacea. The hard copy is photocopied and forwarded to various Indonesian and Honduran organisations who are interested in the results of the work in their countries. The disc version is used to publish your report on the Operation Wallacea web site. Please also let the Operation Wallacea office know the marks you get for your dissertation or Senior Thesis.