Author: dgm00009

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What have been the major obstacles you have faced in putting a research project together?

One of the major obstacles I had was underestimating the importance of primary sources for the dissertation, thus one of the initial topics I would have liked to focus on would have required me to speak a different language. Speaking only English, this seemed like it would confine my topic to British history. Additionally, I feel like I was extremely overwhelmed in the first few weeks of this module, particularly coming up to the first assignment.

What strategies have you adopted to overcome these obstacles?

For the first obstacle, I found talking to other tutors about other possible topics which gave me ideas on other topics that would be feasible, especially with my supervisor who gave me good suggestions. For the second obstacle I feel like I am still a bit overwhelmed with this but talking to other students I am not alone. I think that I have a better understanding and not as overwhelmed as I was at the start of the module, with the help of an enthusiastic tutor and engaging seminars, this has definitely helped.

What has this taught you about approaching your dissertation?

This has taught me to set self-deadlines and form a detailed plan for the dissertation. This is something I will hopefully work on at the start of summer to ensure I am meeting certain deadlines for myself. Also, planning for the dissertation will ensure I am meeting deadlines and ensuring I keep focus. Also, this has taught me to not dive headfirst into the dissertation, with the help of planning it will provide a practical strategy on how to approach the dissertation.

Which aspects of the 9X6 module have been the most useful in helping you get your project ready to start?

 

I feel like the assignment seminars have been the most helpful for preparing ourselves ready to start. Providing examples gives us an idea on how to approach the assignments and putting us into breakout rooms on Big Blue Button assessing examples has helped prepare for the assignments. I feel like the other seminars on methodology and historiographical traditions also helped for theory, although topics like postmodernism can be quite confusing. Also, starting early in choosing a supervisor and topic and having a dissertation module feel like it has prepared us well for advancing us into our final year, having spoke to other students in different universities, not all of them have a module similar to help prepare them.

Darren Morgan

Darren Morgan – annotated bibliography

Annotated bibliography

I am still unsure about dissertation topic, but I am thinking about doing a topic along the lines of the the development of football from the period 1880s to start of 20th century

Primary source:

“English Football Association and Professionalism.” Edinburgh Evening News, January 20, 1885, 2. British Library Newspapers (accessed February 4, 2021). https://link-gale-com.ezproxy-s2.stir.ac.uk/apps/doc/ID3234910639/BNCN?u=unistirl&sid=BNCN&xid=3db12f1b.

This source was found through the British Library Newspaper archive, it highlights how there was a meeting between representatives of Football association and members of football clubs to discuss moving to a professional league or to maintain as an amateur league. It demonstrates the early efforts of attempting to commercialise football and how the football association were against this development and were reluctant to change. The meeting highlights certain rules for clubs and professionals. Although difficult to read, it is a very useful source that demonstrates the changing nature of amateurism to professionalism.

There is also the same account of the meeting by English newspapers but all published at different times, so I was unsure if they all regard the same meeting, or if there was a series of meetings.

Secondary source

Wigglesworth, Neil. The evolution of English sport. Psychology Press, 1996. (Access provided through Library Catalogue)

Within this book, Wigglesworth provides great insight into how sport in Britian had gone through a period of change in the second half of the nineteenth century. In particular, he illustrates through the themes of commercialisation and professionalism how football developed in the end of nineteenth century. By looking at how footballers started to receive a working wage and how football clubs began to operate as a profiting business, it provides an understanding of how this happened, and the benefits and consequences of this development.

 

Introduction – Darren Morgan

Hi my name is Darren, I am from Dunoon a small town on the west coast. I currently do not know what topic I am going to choose for my dissertation but have a particular interest in British and European history within the 20th century.  Regarding online learning, I think it has its pros and cons, I miss social aspect of seminars and lectures and sometimes struggle to stick to a routine.