h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In the middle of all of this... I am doing a dissertation.

In fact, four of us on the Interim Committee are either doing a dissertation or a thesis while we were trying to save h2g2. Not sure which one was the displacement activity!

I've decided to jot down notes here on the (lack of) progress I'm making. This is *definitely* a displacement activity.

More in next post.

I've decided to take as my topic the question:

To what extent have changes in investment products and in business models and practice in the last 50 years undermined Milton Friedman’s assertion that “the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits”?

Now the problem is that this is a library dissertation - basically one great big giant hairy literature review. Why I decided on that is a long story.

The dissertation framework Bristol has given me is for a research based dissertation. Leicester helpfully say that if you are doing a theoretical dissertation you need to read more (eeep - I hadn't thought of that, how dumb can I be?). They also say: "In a standard Master's empirical project, the three substantive chapters - literature review, methodology and data analysis - should come in at between 3000-4000 words each. For a theoretical project, these three chapters become an extended literature review, divided appropriately, and running to a total of some 9000-12000 words."

"Divided appropriately".......?

I've spent all morning thinking about this and I have a mind-map and a sense of helplessness.

I have NO IDEA what "divided appropriately" might mean.

Meh.

Ben

I assume that is means that although all three chapters are essentially one big extended literature review, it still needs to have uniting themes to break it into sections. Now what those themes could be, I don't know.

Says the girl who has never done a proper dissertation.

Mmmm.

I need to put MF into his historical context of course, and after that my three sub-questions are

What *should* the aims and aspirations of an organisation be? - I don't accept that every organisation has to be there purely to make money for its owners - but I do accept that you need a different governance model if you want to have a social enterprise

What new corporate and governance models are there and are they a fad or are they actually being used? - We are a fantabulous amazing example of a governance model being selected for non-commercial aims by the way!

And....

How much have investment products and computerised trading changed things? I could expand on this, but I'll spare you.

But I'm working out how to organise all this.

Maybe I should not sweat it at present and just get on with my reading.

B

Remember that you can still have a method section for a literature review - or at least for a systematic one.

How you selected the literature, what criteria you used to evaluate it.

I dunno if this applies to social sciences.

I selected it because it was in the book my supervisor wrote?

I evaluated it based on the amount of sheer bloody gibberish in it (see previous journal).

Hmmmmmm.

Might not work so well.



B

I dunno there may be some social scientists around who can advise. But they probably reject systematic approaches to literature searching as fascist or something.

Masculine. Something systematic is part of the hierarchy. You can only be oppressed by wimmin.

B

... patriarchy, not hierarchy, but that too of course...

So then rather than "hunting" the facts you need, take the "gatherer" approach and examine everything you find for usefulness. That'll show the patriarchy

Does that mean I can side track myself with and ?

Read everything and figure out how each article answers one or more of your questions, or helps to answer your questions.

In your introduction start with the articles you found were least relevant and funnel down to the most relevant, make sure you cover the important bits as you will need them in your discussion.

although you probably already know all this. Read a few giant hairy literature reviews to see how other people have handled them.

actually what do I know i've gone and failed bluddy second year of an undergrad degree meh.

mini