Students.........

dianchi

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I'm sure that this has been posted about before, but i'm seeing so many posts where I feel like i'm doing someones dissertation for them!

I don't mind completing surveys but there seems to be an influx of "what are your views/please comment" posts at this time of year.

Or some people who are too lazy too even google!

Ok rant over :)
 

bearTessy

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I know we had to do primary sources, I didn't do anything horse based but I suppose putting a formal questionnaire or survey on here is a good way of picking up on the audience you want to fill it in. We had to analyse the data, it wasn't a case of copying and pasting peoples words into our own work :)
 

erinstevens

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however I am not doing a dissection and doing a research project which is surveys and analysing the data. So before calling us lazy and not googling things a isuggest you asked what project they are doing and what it is involving before ranting
 

YorksG

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And I would suggest that posters REQUESTING help, learn some manners and a little humility before they put their posts on here! I would also suggest that they put things in a readable format, that is relatively quick to fill in, people will only give their time if they feel it is appreciated. The other thing that I wish students would remember, is that some of the people they are asking, also did degrees and that those who didn't are not idiots to be spoken down to!
 

dianchi

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There are some posts on here " I am doing x for a project but I don't know anything about it" these people could do with googling some parts!

I have no problem is partaking in the survey's some of them i've learnt things, others have tested the old grey matter!

Also with the surveys you are often told about the student and what they are researching gives a safety net on what you are being asked to do and how your data will be used!

Just food for thought Students!
 

spookypony

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I wish students would learn something about research methods before posting poorly designed surveys on here by the dozens. And I also wish that more students were encouraged to do dissertations based on other models than, "pick current contentious issue, make survey, analyse survey". Would love to get involved in online debates, say, on historical treatises of horse training...on the socioeconomic aspects of priorities in veterinary research...all sorts of really, really cool topics out there that don't involve surveys! Can any lecturers in equine programmes comment why everyone seems to follow a particular model?
 

biggingerpony

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I'm sure that this has been posted about before, but i'm seeing so many posts where I feel like i'm doing someones dissertation for them!

I don't mind completing surveys but there seems to be an influx of "what are your views/please comment" posts at this time of year.

Or some people who are too lazy too even google!

Ok rant over :)

I agree - I also don't like the research/give opinions threads on here because surely if it is for a project people have the right to remain anonymous? I think a quick survey with a comments section at the end is far better!

I'm a final year student (in a non-horsey degree) and I posted my survey on here before Xmas in the club house. I got a fantastic response from everyone and reached my target sample in 12 hours, and I am so grateful to everyone who completed it, now I've got to stop procrastinating and write the thing!
 

WelshD

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I dont answer or fill in surveys unless they start 'hi my name is X and I am studying at Y university/college doing a course on Z....' I think most of the surveys on here are very vague and of little use in a study anyway and sometimes I think its just people stirring up debate or being nosey!
 

Mithras

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I agree, I think in most cases even the request is lazily presented. As for the requests for someone to look over their work - isn't it supposed to be all the student's own work? This is why exams have a role, and why so many students don't like them. But seriously, can't some of the lecturers in equine studies encourage their students to take their surveys out into a real life setting, instead of online? And to reach the realms of critical analysis or even compare and contrasting occasionally?
 

bananaloaf

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I wish students would learn something about research methods before posting poorly designed surveys on here by the dozens. And I also wish that more students were encouraged to do dissertations based on other models than, "pick current contentious issue, make survey, analyse survey"
Completely agree with spookypony. Some of the surveys on here are really, really bad...
 

JFTDWS

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Frankly, I find the standard of student surveys on here depressing. I know it's a bit of a joke degree, but I still despair when I see some of the requests on here (spell check, for starters, is hardly a novel or challenging thing to use) and some of the surveys are very poorly put together indeed.
 

Jesstickle

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surely any dissertation which starts with a question on here rather than a literature search isn't really worth the paper it is written on?
 

LittleRooketRider

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just to say...

I know I posted on hear asking opinions on a topic for an extended project a few months back the purpose of which was to test the water as it were to see if it was a viable topic. secondly its not the students fault if the layout of the project requires them to source opinions or analyze the data from surveys.
am grateful for the responses i received but those of you who instantly say "why don't you look it up on google" should perhaps consider that the student may already of done and either a) had a fruitless result b) wanted a wider/more opinions or c) just needed a little help along the way to find what they needed.

is it such a crime to ask for help, isn't that the point of this whole forum? please don't assume we are using this forum to avoid work
 

Auslander

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JustKickOn

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I plagued the forum with my dissertation last year, BUT I checked with admin first! and they OK'd it.
I did an equine degree, with an equine based dissertation, so this forum was the perfect place to get my sample from. A lot of members sent me PMs with help in for various aspects (mainly formatting based!). I took everything people said on board with regards to criticism, and added into my dissertation in the section for future recommendations.

I wish students would learn something about research methods before posting poorly designed surveys on here by the dozens. And I also wish that more students were encouraged to do dissertations based on other models than, "pick current contentious issue, make survey, analyse survey". Would love to get involved in online debates, say, on historical treatises of horse training...on the socioeconomic aspects of priorities in veterinary research...all sorts of really, really cool topics out there that don't involve surveys! Can any lecturers in equine programmes comment why everyone seems to follow a particular model?

Where I did my degree, the business students had free rein as to what their project was on. The science students were given a huge list of titles to choose from, and they had to battle for what they wanted. The science ones were very generic, and a lot of them done to death. Finally, the equine studies had either a science option or business option, depending on which modules they took in second year.

The layout and sections was also very structured, so while there was a huge amount to write about you had to focus it insight of the section titles and requirements.

I'm not sure if this is the same as other institutions though, my friends and I were so sick of our own dissertations, we didn't really talk about them!

ETA- erinstevens, may I suggest you find your manners before you post again? The way you have come across in the couple of posts I have seen from you does you very few favours for gaining help with your project.
 

sarahann1

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I work as a Uni librarian, I spend a lot of time helping students research topics, not everyone gets the supervisory support they perhaps should, others don't ask for help quickly enough because it's easy to bogged down and blinkered. Even 4th yr students aren't perfect, fair play to anyone who asks for opinions if that's what their dissertation requires. We have students who are allowed free choice in their topics and others who must pick from a list. Folk just sometimes need a helpful shove in the right direction, not jumped on/berated for making an error.

I certainly didn't write a perfect MA survey, so I have every sympathy for those who don't get it quite right.

Oh, and to any current students reading this, make use of your Uni library resource discovery system, it'll be called Summon, or EDS, or Primo or something else along those lines. It'll help you search for peer reviewed journals that you'd otherwise not find via Google :)
 
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dafthoss

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I wish students would learn something about research methods before posting poorly designed surveys on here by the dozens. And I also wish that more students were encouraged to do dissertations based on other models than, "pick current contentious issue, make survey, analyse survey". Would love to get involved in online debates, say, on historical treatises of horse training...on the socioeconomic aspects of priorities in veterinary research...all sorts of really, really cool topics out there that don't involve surveys! Can any lecturers in equine programmes comment why everyone seems to follow a particular model?

We were given complete choice on dissertation subjects. Lots of people did surveys because it was easier than doing a proper trial. I'm about to start filming for mine shortly, but this is the first time I have mentioned it on here as I needed local people unlike a survey which you just chuck out to as many people as possible.

The amount of very poor surveys on here really winds me up! But I am not surprised sadly.
 
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