LibGuides: Library training and events: Kickstart your Masters dissertation 2025

The 'Kickstart your Masters dissertation' event took place 3-7 March 2025. It included a range of webinars and events to help Masters students get started with researching, planning and writing their dissertations. The slides for the sessions are available below.

Our Study Advice Team are running a series of Masters Writer's Retreats during the Semester 2 Assessment weeks - book your place via the links below.

Masters Writer's Retreats

Please ensure you are logged in to your student account before booking

For booking issues please email: studyadvice@reading.ac.uk

Are you struggling to progress with your dissertation writing? Come along to this in person session which offers you a place and space to write, using known techniques to get you started. We will start each session with tips on a different section of your dissertation. Subsequently, you can use set writing blocks to achieve your writing goals for the day (which may be for any part of your dissertation). During these writing blocks, you can, if you wish, book a slot to speak to a Study Adviser or an Academic English tutor and receive individual advice. You should be available for the whole morning, and remember to bring your work and your laptops (or pen and paper) with you.

Week	Date	Topic	Details	Location	Link to book
Assessment week 1	Friday, 30 May 9:30 - 12:30	Masters’ Writing Retreat: Literature reviews – in person	This session will begin with with tips on the purpose, structure, language, and style of a literature review section, followed by set writing blocks to achieve your writing goals for the day. You can, if you wish, book a slot to speak to a Study Adviser or an Academic English tutor and receive individual advice.	Global Study Lounge, Edith Morley room 230	Book
Assessment week 2	Friday, 6 June 9:30 - 12:30	Masters’ Writing Retreat: Methodology – in person	We will start the session with tips on the purpose, structure, language, and style of a methodology section, followed by set writing blocks to achieve your writing goals for the day. You can, if you wish, book a slot to speak to a Study Adviser or an Academic English tutor and receive individual advice.	Global Study Lounge, Edith Morley room 230	Book
Assessment week 3	Friday, 13 June 9:30 - 12:30	Masters’ Writing Retreat: Results and Discussion– in person	We will start the session with tips on the purpose, structure, language, and style of a results and discussion section, followed by set writing blocks to achieve your writing goals for the day. You can, if you wish, book a slot to speak to a Study Adviser or an Academic English tutor and receive individual advice.	Global Study Lounge, Edith Morley room 230	Book

Week

Date

Topic

Details

Location

Link to book

Assessment week 1

Friday, 30 May

9:30 - 12:30

Masters’ Writing Retreat: Literature reviews – in person

This session will begin with with tips on the purpose, structure, language, and style of a literature review section, followed by set writing blocks to achieve your writing goals for the day.

You can, if you wish, book a slot to speak to a Study Adviser or an Academic English tutor and receive individual advice.

Global Study Lounge, Edith Morley room 230

Book

Assessment week 2

Friday, 6 June

9:30 - 12:30

Masters’ Writing Retreat: Methodology – in person

We will start the session with tips on the purpose, structure, language, and style of a methodology section, followed by set writing blocks to achieve your writing goals for the day.

You can, if you wish, book a slot to speak to a Study Adviser or an Academic English tutor and receive individual advice.

Global Study Lounge, Edith Morley room 230

Book

Assessment week 3

Friday, 13 June

9:30 - 12:30

Masters’ Writing Retreat: Results and Discussion– in person

We will start the session with tips on the purpose, structure, language, and style of a results and discussion section, followed by set writing blocks to achieve your writing goals for the day.

You can, if you wish, book a slot to speak to a Study Adviser or an Academic English tutor and receive individual advice.

Global Study Lounge, Edith Morley room 230

Book

Slides for the Kickstart your Masters dissertation sessions

Being more critical in your reading and writing slides
This session explored how to develop a critical approach to your writing in your dissertation. We also considered how each stage of the dissertation may require different ways of being critical.
Better than Google slides
In this short session we looked at the best places to start your literature search, and then how to move on to finding subject specific resources.
Digital skills for dissertations: using Microsoft Excel
In this short session we discussed some of the Microsoft Excel features that will help you to organise, analyse, and present data for your dissertation. This session was ideal for new users. We also thought about some tasks you can complete in Excel, and where you can find additional help and tutorials using LinkedIn Learning and other online sources.
Digital skills for dissertations: using Microsoft Word
In this short session we demonstrated some useful features in Microsoft Word that will help you to structure your dissertation document - and introduce you to training resources in LinkedIn Learning. We also covered how to discover training resources to answer your questions about the most useful features of Microsoft Word, when you need them.
Getting started with your literature review slides
In this session, we thought about the purpose of a literature review, and how it sets the scene for your dissertation. Including tips and strategies on how to plan and structure this chapter, and how to integrate your sources effectively.
Linking your research question and methodology slides
In this session, we covered how to plan and write up your methodology, with emphasis on how it addresses your research question. We explored advantages and limitations of different methodologies, and how they can be used in complementary ways.
Literature searching tips and tricks slides
In this short session we'll looked at preparing to search for literature. Identifying where to look, techniques for constructing a comprehensive search, selecting keywords, then applying search operators and truncation.
Literature search retreat slides
This in-person session covered different techniques and search tools to help you build an annotated bibliography of materials relevant to your topic.
Managing your dissertation project slides
The dissertation is a complicated process. This session covered figuring out how to structure and prepare your project, from planning your time and organising your tasks to dealing with setbacks and utilising feedback.
Using AI tools to support your literature search slides
In this short session we introduced some AI tools you can use for your dissertation literature search - helping you build a comprehensive search, identify key papers and create summaries.
Pitch your Masters Dissertation - reflection session slides
This interactive workshop was designed to help students clarify their research project and communicate effectively its significance. It included guided activities on: how to pitch your project and inspire confidence; how to narrow down from a topic to a research question; and how to reflect on your role as a researcher.

Online guides

Dissertations and major projects guide
Guide to citing references
Includes guidance on why, when and how to use references correctly in your academic writing.
Managing references
An overview of different systems for managing your references.
Literature searching
A guide to finding articles, books and other materials on your subject. Includes tips on constructing a comprehensive search using search operators (AND/OR), truncation and wildcards.
Literature reviews guide
Doing a systematic review
An introduction to the steps involved in doing a systematic review and how it differs from a literature review.

Individual support

Individual support for doing your dissertation is available from our Academic Liaison and Study Advice Teams.

Need help with searching for literature, referencing or using reference management tools (EndNote and Mendeley)?

Make an appointment with your Academic Liaison Librarian

Need support with managing your project, being critical, choosing methodologies or writing your literature review?

For quick questions come to the Study Advice drop-in - Monday-Friday, 13:00-14:00 in Semester Time at the Study Advice and Academic Liaison desk on the Ground Floor of the Library. For longer discussions make an appointment with a Study Adviser:

Make an appointment with a Study Adviser