Dissertation ideas..

[BroadfordQueen]

..I know this is really cheeky, but I'm a little stuck.
I am in my 3rd year at uni studying Equine Business Management and the time has come to choose a dissertation title. We have been given a lot of help regarding science based topics (my modules are mixed in with Equine Science students), but this isn't something I'm really interested in doing and I haven't been offered any help at uni with doing a dissertation more industry/management based. I have arranged a meeting for later in the week with the one lecturer who may be able to help me, but I want to get started asap.
I was wondering if anyone could give me some broad ideas. My main interest is eventing, but the obvious subjects such as safety in eventing has been done to death. I worked at an eventing center for 20 weeks and they've said I can have access to the statistics from the BE events they run, but I don't really know what statistics I want and what to do with them I considered looking at the effect of the current economic climate on eventing entries/membership but this has been done quite a lot too and it is a bit broad/basic.
If anyone has any ideas I would be eternally grateful! I am stressing out!

 

[ihatework]

What about combining the science aspect with the business part.
Maybe something that looks at injury types/rates depending on school surfaces (there has been a fair bit of research done on that) but then link it into surfaces that are available and try and do a risk analysis based on cost of surface versus injury

 

[vic07]

What about looking at safety equipment- fashion vs safety?

Or a look at the routes to equestrian success and how the sport could make itself more accessible? Could look at the broader range of careers in equestrian?

 

[kerilli]

What about safety in arena-type eventing (which is an area i can see growing and growing). I was thinking about this the other day... the 'xc fences' which are REAL xc fences can't usually be anchored as well as they are out on courses (don't want to damage arena membrane), but tbh there isn't really any need for real xc fences... is there? The arena eventing xc section is to test accuracy & honesty rather than bravery etc isn't it? surely it makes more sense to have 'xc fences' for arena eventing which fall down (corners made of brown SJs etc) rather than what look like 'fixed fences' but will actually lift, rotate, possibly cause bad falls (and worse). since half the fences in arena eventing are SJs anyway, surely it makes sense for the 'xc section' to be fally-down fences too, for safety, since they can't be anchored 100%. I'm sure you could take it a lot further.
just an idea anyway.

 

[JustKickOn]

You could look at how the economic climate has affected the membership rate of British eventing, whether it has dropped, risen or stayed the same. Follow this up with the marketing tools BE have used, and then you could always go on to do this in comparison with another affiliated body.

You need to think about the aims and objectives of why you want to study your dissertation topic, methodology and potential literature you are going to use (BE annual reports etc).

Your lecturers are there to help. Have you been assigned a project supervisor yet?

 

[stencilface]

Thinking of the effects on membership and what BE have done, coudl you compare this in anyway with the membership of BD and BS and perhaps whether there has been any 'Olympic effect' on the popularity/participation in these sports. You could also widen the research into interest/funding/safety in other similar olympic sports (sailing, rowing, cycling - something similarly expensive) - , or perhaps given the current talent and interest level, predict (!) likely success at future Olympics/World Games.

 

[Nicnac]

What about how professional event riders survive financially? That would involve the business side of the degree more and if it were anonymous you may get some pros willing to share.

 

[LEC]

What about comparing systems from around the world and financial viability of it all with regards to affiliation? Maybe also include unaffiliated into this? The different classes for riders and championships.

 

[BroadfordQueen]

Thanks everyone for some really interesting ideas- will have an investigate and do a bit of research and see how things go with my lecturer later in the week
Thanks again! Will let you know if I adapt any of your ideas!

 

[Georgie1989]

A lot of good advice/ideas here. Wouldn't rule out using the eventing center's statistics from BE events though.

When I was doing my diss, I knew the subject I wanted to focus on but wasn't sure precisely what to do. After reading heaps and heaps (and heaps!!) of books on the subject there was one line in a book that caught my attention and I ended up doing my whole diss on something that I had originally read one line about!

Wait and see what takes your fancy whilst you're doing your research. Your dissertation will consume your life for a few months so you need to have a really genuine interest in your chosen topic.

Good luck

 

[1t34]

Just a thought if you have access to statistics from the event why don't you look at entry profiles and look at how its changed (or not) over time. Sounds a bit simple but heaps to exploit. Age, gender, professional/amateur, riders who move up through the levels etc. If you did some quantitative analysis of the statistics, you will find patterns or groups, you could then pick one or so of each group (say up to 10) to do a qualitative semi structured interview to find out what influences them to compete BE, their aspirations etc. Bet BE and competition venues would be interested in what you found!