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The Dissertation

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you choose a dissertation topic and frame a thesis that two or more texts can genuinely sustain?

Choosing a topic and framing a thesis: selecting related literary texts and a focused, arguable topic, then framing a thesis sharp enough to drive a 2,500 to 3,500 word argument without becoming too broad or too narrow.
How to choose a focused, arguable dissertation topic and related texts for SQA Advanced Higher English, and frame a thesis sharp enough to drive a 2,500 to 3,500 word argument without being too broad to develop or too narrow to sustain.
12 min answer →

How do you reference quotations and criticism in a dissertation and meet the academic conventions SQA expects?

Referencing and academic conventions: acknowledging primary and secondary sources consistently, integrating quotations accurately, including a bibliography and word count, and meeting the conditions of authenticity SQA requires of submitted coursework.
How to reference and present the SQA Advanced Higher English dissertation: acknowledging primary and secondary sources consistently, integrating quotations accurately, including a bibliography and word count, and meeting the authenticity conditions SQA requires of submitted coursework.
11 min answer →

How do you structure a dissertation so that one argument is sustained from introduction to conclusion across 2,500 to 3,500 words?

Structuring the dissertation argument: building an introduction that frames the thesis, body sections that each develop part of it through comparative analysis, and a conclusion that reaches an independent judgement, across the whole word count.
How to structure the SQA Advanced Higher English dissertation: an introduction that frames the thesis, body sections that each develop part of it through comparative analysis, and a conclusion that reaches an independent judgement, sustaining one argument across 2,500 to 3,500 words.
12 min answer →

What is the Advanced Higher English dissertation, and what does it demand that the exam papers do not?

The dissertation task: an independent critical study of literature of 2,500 to 3,500 words, worth 30 marks, presenting sustained personal analysis of two or more related literary texts, on a topic and texts that must not overlap with the Literary Study paper.
What the SQA Advanced Higher English dissertation is: an independent critical study of literature of 2,500 to 3,500 words worth 30 marks, presenting sustained personal analysis of two or more related literary texts, on a topic and texts kept separate from the Literary Study paper.
12 min answer →

How do you use primary evidence and secondary criticism in a dissertation so that your own argument stays in control?

Using evidence and secondary criticism: anchoring the argument in close analysis of primary texts and drawing on secondary criticism to support, extend or challenge your reading, without letting critics replace your own independent judgement.
How to use primary evidence and secondary criticism in the SQA Advanced Higher English dissertation: anchoring the argument in close analysis of the texts and drawing on criticism to support, extend or challenge your reading, while keeping your own independent judgement in control.
12 min answer →