How to write an art dissertation
Writing a successful art dissertation is about displaying your creativity whilst demonstrating that you understand the key concepts of your study, and that you are capable of producing a confident piece of academic research. In any art degree the primary skill that you are looking to display is evidence of creativity. Therefore your art dissertation should fulfil that creativity whilst at the same time demonstrating all that is necessary in a serious piece of academic work.
Whilst there are many ways to ensure that your art dissertation is stylistically impressive and is highly creative, there are several practical steps that need to be taken in order to ensure that marks are not docked for simple mistakes in your art dissertation.
A good idea is to start by reading another art dissertation to gauge more precisely what is needed. Copies of past art dissertations are usually available in University libraries. The question you eventually chose for your art dissertation must show a clear objective and the topic needs to be well researched. If you have a vague question then your art dissertation will turn out to be vague, and it will also become more difficult and more time-consuming to research. Once you have decided on a topic and a question for your art dissertation then it becomes easier for you to choose which past example of an art dissertation to study.
The best way of going about producing a top quality art dissertation is to work out a timetable and then stick to it. This will help you in obtaining the relevant source material, and at the same time will also be an insurance against things unexpectedly going wrong. Once you have finished writing you will also need time to carefully and thoroughly proofread everything you have written. This will help to make sure that your art dissertation is factually and stylistically consistent. Finally your art dissertation should be clearly referenced, and that the style of referencing should be consistent throughout. Referencing is important for many reasons, specifically to avoid accusations of plagiarism; poor referencing can lead to docked marks. These practical steps are essential in the production of a good art dissertation.
The key to writing a good art dissertation is to properly pace yourself in order to best avoid a panic in the final few days, and to give yourself breathing space to reflect on your research and to encourage your creativity. Another important first step on writing an art dissertation is to determine what kind of art analysis you are being asked to make, and then to look at the objects you are writing about. Before pressing on with your writing a thorough understanding of what kind of analysis will be needed is essential. When writing an art dissertation you should show just as much creativity as you would in your practical work. Art is about displaying creative skill and an art dissertation should reflect this.
However displaying a creative streak is not always enough. In an art dissertation you need to be able to show the ability to produce a serious academic analysis of your subject. Mere simple description of your subject will not be enough, and will not show that you have gained a thorough understanding of the issues and concepts of your degree course. A successful art dissertation should be full of analysis, critical evaluation and discussion of your subject. It is vitally important that you show what you have learnt. You need to show evidence of thought and insight, as well as evidence that you have a good grasp of the relevant concepts. An art dissertation tests your ability to present a sustained academic argument in clear, logical prose. Your art dissertation must show that you are confident in creating the scholarly apparatus necessary to support your argument. A well structured, confident art dissertation is your final goal.
Your art dissertation will more likely than not need a title page and a page of contents. There is often other vital information which needs to be included at the start. At the end of your art dissertation there needs to be a bibliography of the sources used. As mentioned before your art dissertation needs to be thoroughly referenced throughout.
Stylistically it is important that you avoid colloquialisms, or sloppy grammar. However at the same time an art dissertation need not be written in an overly formal manner and you should always ensure that you stick to the thread of your central argument. Ideally paragraphs should be approximately five or six sentences long, and should have good linking words and phrases. When writing you should try to avoid personal language such as ‘I’ as far as possible, unless specifically instructed otherwise. Do not rely overly on source material for your art dissertation, as this does not go far enough to show independent and original thought. Obviously it is vital that you proof-read and spell check your art dissertation for any spelling and grammatical errors thoroughly before handing it in.
Through following the correct practical steps and by staying stylistically fluent and consistent then you can produce a high quality art dissertation.
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