LLM dissertation tips

Students on the BPTC LLM are embarking on an adventure right now. But before embarking on any journey, it is useful to know what to expect. It is also useful to have some insider knowledge, too. This blog post collects together some excellent advice and guidance from people who’ve made it through the process, or help people through the process of research, analysis and writing. I would like to thank my contributors, without whom this blog post would not exist. 

Andy Horton, legal librarian at BPP, and research whizz gave this advice about the research process, which is the most important foundation of the entire project. 

“Found a good source? Look at the sources it uses.

Look for the gaps - you aren't looking for sources that exactly map onto your topic, you're looking for spaces. 

Keep track of your sources - what they tell you, who wrote them, where they are located.

Try alternative keywords, use synonyms - you'll find more material if you don't limit yourself. 

Where your research will fit in the existing literature?

Who? (Who wrote this?)

Why? (is it biased, does it have an agenda?)

When? (Is it up-to-date? Outdated but significant?)

Where? (Where was it published? You'll need to cite it)

What? (What did I learn from it?)

Talk to your librarians.”

Students who do not score well on the final dissertation often have not researched widely enough into the academic consideration (in the journals and other books) of their chosen topic, relying on Google rather than Google Scholar and the library catalogue. As result, they don’t have enough evidence for their conclusions or have not identified all the argument and debate occurring on a given legal topic. 

Claire Bradley’s advice is:

“Have a concise, narrow and focused research question, start your literature review as soon as the research question is approved, work steadily, don't leave everything to the last minute, plan and review regularly, keep every sentence to 25 words or less, work with your supervisor.”

I have had so many discussions with students about their research question. So many are reluctant to commit to a clear question in their title. A question must be answered, and usually with analysis. Any other title invites description and padding. The literature review is a very time-consuming process, so Claire’s advice to get started on it as soon as the title is settled is very helpful. Not to mention the fact that once you know the question you have posed for yourself, your reading should be with the purpose of answering that question. 

Bernard Richmond QC’s 11 rules are, I think, golden. Although I am aware that at City Law School, you cannot choose your BPTC LLM supervisor. 

“1. Know WHAT you are trying to research (set parameters) and keep it as narrow as you can, do you can be thorough.

2. Know WHY you want to write about this subject.  Helps you to focus.  

3. Make sure that you can actually make a dissertation of it, not just an article.

4. Plan the research carefully. Don’t just go where the next article or case takes you although be prepared to amend your plan if you find something which you don’t expect.

5. Be determined from the start to “communicate” your ideas to the reader rather than just “get it done”.

6. Remember you want to keep their attention for a much longer period than an essay.

7. Analyse don’t just describe. 

8. Don’t be afraid to comment on what you’ve read but make all comments evidence based.

9. Structure logically.

10. Reach a conclusion.

11. Choose supervisor wisely.”

Wise words from Bernard who is a seasoned practitioner, highly experienced advocate and legal author.

Gregor Schwayer advised against losing your momentum and to keep working, even if little and often: 

“General advice: Never take long breaks. Better to constantly do a tiny little bit than one day realise that you completely lost the grasp of where you wanted to go with it.”

I agree with this, because losing the thread of your thoughts is a terrible thing. You can forget many of the ideas you had, or avenues you wanted to explore. It can take a lot of re-reading and thinking time to get back in the swing. 

One challenge with a longer project requiring extended work and time is staying focussed. Suzanne Reece, The Study Coach had this to say:

“When you start to research your LLM it is easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of material out there. This journey can sometimes seem like a bike ride or a marathon without a finish line.

For each chapter, record or write down the one key question that chapter is going to address. Put the question somewhere where you can see it. As you progress with your research, keep looking at this question. At the end of your research time can you answer the question?

Yes, job done! Time to move on to your next chapter. Repeat the exercise for your next chapter.”

 
Using a title question has been mentioned above. But another thing to consider is taking that question title and splitting it up into sub-questions. Looking to answer one sub-question per chapter of the dissertation is a way of maintaining direction and focus in both your research and your writing.

Hafsah Hussain, who has just successfully completed her BPTC LLM said

“I found it easier to plan my structure on paper instead of typing. Allocate rough word counts for sections. I wrote a very basic first chapter by hand to pull together the different bullet point ideas I had. When typing the draft up I moved paragraphs around, added headings and formatted. 

Instead of being cooped up in my room or the library, I would work on a chapter in a cafe or the park to give my mind space to wander. This can often spring an interesting idea! 

Make a detailed note of your supervisions and keep your supervisor updated on your progress. 

Good luck!”

Combining pen and paper work with computer work can be a very effective way of working. You might get an interesting idea in the middle of the night. Do you really want to boot up your laptop to capture it? Or would it be easier to jot it down? Also, pen and paper allows for recording and capturing non-linear information. We do not think in paragraphs of text alone! Think about diagrams, flowcharts, timelines, pictures. Finding different ways of thinking about your subject matter can help you improve your critical analysis. Being able to get inspiration from different surroundings is a way of keeping your mind and your work fresh. You will be working on your dissertation for a long time, so you will want to keep yourself inspired and energised. 

An anonymous student of mine had the following advice:

“In 2017, my supervisor Nikki Walsh told me ‘Bear in mind that the person reading and marking your work could be a complete stranger to the subject matter. You are telling them something new. Keep them interested and curious to read more’. 

Her words are still very relevant. It might not work for everyone, but it certainly did for me. I felt motivated to really look into and do some quality research on the subject. In my case it was Closed Material Procedures. The more I learned about them, the more excited I was about telling people about it. 

I think from the feedback I eventually got (when I got my final results) was that having a wide range of sources was another factor that played in my favour (something else that Nikki had advised to do). Not being limited to case law or academic journals and instead showing that not only was I conversant with law and the commentary around it (academic stuff) but I was also on top of seeing how the subject matter was talked about politically or otherwise (i.e. media, parliamentary committee reports, debates in Hansard etc). Essentially, trying to engage with the subject matter from a variety of angles. 

And finally, to go back to the initial advice, one should be writing as a qualified lawyer and NOT simply as a student. A lawyer who has done his or her research on a complex subject and being able to share that knowledge in a simple and yet exciting manner (keep the reader interested - be excited to tell what you know). 

It’s possible to do really well on it IF you do quality research. The more you enjoy your research, the more you will enjoy writing it.”

The dissertation will be marked not just on its academic rigour, but its originality and quality. So being able to communicate with the reader and encourage curiosity is important. The subject matter of the dissertation has to matter to the reader. Developing an academic writing style is a key skill of the dissertation research and writing process. Reading journals will not only help you with your literature review and give you your raw materials, but it will help you identify elements of good academic writing. 

Work on your title, finalise your title, think about your methodology (and commit to a justifiable one) and then start the research. The writing comes later, once you have surveyed the literature and formed a view on the answer to your question and subquestions. 

Good luck to all of the students starting their research project and dissertation adventure!