UCL Medieval and Renaissance Studies

UCL Medieval and Renaissance Studies

• Home
• Medieval and Renaissance Studies Staff
• MA in Medieval and Renaissance Studies (MARS)
  • An overview of the degree
  • Students' views
  • Admissions
  • Scholarships
  • Courses
  • Personal tutoring
  • Dissertation
    • Choice of Topic
    • Supervision
    • Contents
    • Argument
    • Presentation
    • Style and the Mechanics of Writing
    • Quotations
    • Footnotes
    • Bibliography
    • Word Length
    • Submission
    • Plagiarism and Non-Originality
  • Assessment
  • Staff / Student consultative committee
  • Start of year
  • Meetings
  • Coursework Guidelines
• PhD Research in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
• Medieval and Renaissance Studies (MARS) Centre
• Seminars and Lectures
• Libraries and Resources
• News

Argument

• A dissertation should present a clear and cogently expressed argument.
• Transitional paragraphs and sentences do more than assist smooth prose: they sharpen and clarify the argument.
  
• Citing the argument of an eminent scholar is not evidence—you should explain why you believe one scholar's analysis is better than another’s.
  
• Treat materials (examples, quotations, illustrations, etc) as evidence, explaining their significance.
  
• Argue from your material rather than use it to illustrate a point or argument.
• A conclusion is essential to a good piece of writing. It should summarise the argument and, possibly, make suggestions for further research.