planning masters dissertation

How to Write a Master's Thesis: A Guide to Planning Your Thesis, Pursuing It, and Avoiding Pitfalls

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Part 1: Initial Considerations

Who needs to write a master’s thesis.

Thesis writing is one of the more daunting challenges of higher education. That being said, not all master's students have to write a thesis. For example, fields that place a stronger emphasis on applied knowledge, such as nursing, business, and education, tend to have projects and exams to test students on the skills and abilities associated with those fields. Conversely, in disciplines that require in-depth research or highly polished creative abilities, students are usually expected to prove their understanding and independence with a thesis.

What's Your Goal?

Do you want to write a thesis? The process is a long one, often spanning years. It's best to know exactly what you want before you begin. Many people are motivated by career goals. For example, hiring managers may see a master's degree as proof that the candidate is an expert within their field and can lead, motivate, and demonstrate initiative for themselves and others. Others dream of earning their doctorate, and they see a master's degree as a stepping stone toward their Ph.D .

No matter what your desired goal is, you should have one before you start your thesis. With your goal in mind, your work will have a purpose, which will allow you to measure your progress more easily.

Major Types of Theses

Once you've carefully researched or even enrolled in a master's program—a feat that involves its own planning and resources —you should know if you are expected to produce a quantitative (which occurs in many math and science programs), qualitative (which occurs in many humanities programs), or creative (which occurs in many creative writing, music, or fine arts programs) thesis.

Time and Energy Considerations

Advanced degrees are notoriously time and energy consuming. If you have a job, thesis writing will become your second job. If you have a family, they will need to know that your thesis will take a great deal of your attention, energy, and focus.

Your studies should not consume you, but they also should not take a back seat to everything else. You will be expected to attend classes, conduct research, source relevant literature, and schedule meetings with various people as you pursue your master's, so it's important to let those you care about know what's going on.

As a general note, most master's programs expect students to finish within a two-year period but are willing to grant extra time if requested, especially if that time is needed to deal with unexpected life events (more on those later).

Part 2: Form an Initial Thesis Question, and Find a Supervisor

When to begin forming your initial thesis question.

Some fields, such as history, may require you to have already formed your thesis question and to have used it to create a statement of intent (outlining the nature of your research) prior to applying to a master’s program. Others may require this information only after you've been accepted. Most of the time, you will be expected to come up with your topic yourself. However, in some disciplines, your supervisor may assign a general research topic to you.

Overall, requirements vary immensely from program to program, so it's best to confirm the exact requirements of your specific program.

What to Say to Your Supervisor

You will have a supervisor during your master's studies. Have you identified who that person will be? If yes, have you introduced yourself via email or phone and obtained information on the processes and procedures that are in place for your master's program? Once you've established contact, request an in-person meeting with him or her, and take a page of questions along with you. Your questions might include:

• Is there a research subject you can recommend in my field?
• I would like to pursue [target research subject] for my thesis. Can you help me narrow my focus?
• Can you give me an example of a properly formatted thesis proposal for my program?

Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help (to a Degree)

Procedures and expectations vary from program to program, and your supervisor is there to help remove doubt and provide encouragement so you can follow the right path when you embark on writing your thesis. Since your supervisor has almost certainly worked with other graduate students (and was one at some point), take advantage of their experience, and ask questions to put your mind at ease about how to write a master’s thesis.

That being said, do not rely too heavily on your supervisor. As a graduate student, you are also expected to be able to work independently. Proving your independent initiative and capacity is part of what will earn you your master's degree.

Part 3: Revise Your Thesis

Read everything you can get your hands on.

Whether you have a question or need to create one, your next step is simple and applies to all kinds of theses: read.

Seek Out Knowledge or Research Gaps

Read everything you can that relates to the question or the field you are studying. The only way you will be able to determine where you can go is to see where everyone else has been. After you have read some published material, you will start to spot gaps in current research or notice things that could be developed further with an alternative approach. Things that are known but not understood or understood but not explained clearly or consistently are great potential thesis subjects. Addressing something already known from a new perspective or with a different style could also be a potentially valuable project. Whichever way you choose to do it, keep in mind that your project should make a valuable contribution to your field.

Talk with Experts in Your Field (and Don't Be Afraid to Revise Your Thesis)

To help narrow down your thesis topic, talk to your supervisor. Your supervisor will have an idea of what is current in your field and what can be left alone because others are already working on it. Additionally, the school you are attending will have programs and faculty with particular areas of interest within your chosen field.

On a similar note, don't be surprised if your thesis question changes as you study. Other students and researchers are out there, and as they publish, what you are working on can change. You might also discover that your question is too vague, not substantial enough, or even no longer relevant. Do not lose heart! Take what you know and adjust the question to address these concerns as they arise. The freedom to adapt is part of the power you hold as a graduate student.

Part 4: Select a Proposal Committee

What proposal committees are and why they're useful.

When you have a solid question or set of questions, draft a proposal.

You'll need an original stance and a clear justification for asking, and answering, your thesis question. To ensure this, a committee will review your thesis proposal. Thankfully, that committee will consist of people assigned by your supervisor or department head or handpicked by you. These people will be experts who understand your field of study and will do everything in their power to ensure that you are pursuing something worthwhile. And yes, it is okay to put your supervisor on your committee. Some programs even require that your supervisor be on your committee.

Just remember that the committee will expect you to schedule meetings with them, present your proposal, respond to any questions they might have for you, and ultimately present your findings and thesis when all the work is done. Choose those who are willing to support you, give constructive feedback, and help address issues with your proposal. And don't forget to give your proposal a good, thorough edit and proofread before you present it.

How to Prepare for Committee Meetings

Be ready for committee meetings with synopses of your material for committee members, answers for expected questions, and a calm attitude. To prepare for those meetings, sit in on proposal and thesis defenses so you can watch how other graduate students handle them and see what your committee might ask of you. You can even hold rehearsals with friends and fellow students acting as your committee to help you build confidence for your presentation.

Part 5: Write Your Thesis

What to do once your proposal is approved.

After you have written your thesis proposal and received feedback from your committee, the fun part starts: doing the work. This is where you will take your proposal and carry it out. If you drafted a qualitative or quantitative proposal, your experimentation or will begin here. If you wrote a creative proposal, you will now start working on your material. Your proposal should be strong enough to give you direction when you perform your experiments, conduct interviews, or craft your work. Take note that you will have to check in with your supervisor from time to time to give progress updates.

Thesis Writing: It's Important to Pace Yourself and Take Breaks

Do not expect the work to go quickly. You will need to pace yourself and make sure you record your progress meticulously. You can always discard information you don't need, but you cannot go back and grab a crucial fact that you can't quite remember. When in doubt, write it down. When drawing from a source, always create a citation for the information to save your future self time and stress. In the same sense, you may also find journaling to be a helpful process.

Additionally, take breaks and allow yourself to step away from your thesis, even if you're having fun (and especially if you're not). Ideally, your proposal should have milestones in it— points where you can stop and assess what you've already completed and what's left to do. When you reach a milestone, celebrate. Take a day off and relax. Better yet, give yourself a week's vacation! The rest will help you regain your focus and ensure that you function at your best.

How to Become More Comfortable with Presenting Your Work

Once you start reaching your milestones, you should be able to start sharing what you have. Just about everyone in a graduate program has experience giving a presentation at the front of the class, attending a seminar, or watching an interview. If you haven't (or even if you have), look for conferences and clubs that will give you the opportunity to learn about presenting your work and become comfortable with the idea of public speaking. The more you practice talking about what you are studying, the more comfortable you'll be with the information, which will make your committee defenses and other official meetings easier.

Published authors can be called upon to present at conferences, and if your thesis is strong, you may receive an email or a phone call asking if you would share your findings onstage.

Presenting at conferences is also a great way to boost your CV and network within your field. Make presenting part of your education, and it will become something you look forward to instead of fear.

What to Do If Your Relationship with Your Supervisor Sours

A small aside: If it isn't already obvious, you will be communicating extensively with others as you pursue your thesis. That also means that others will need to communicate with you, and if you've been noticing things getting quiet, you will need to be the one to speak up. Your supervisor should speak to you at least once a term and preferably once a week in the more active parts of your research and writing. If you give written work to your supervisor, you should have feedback within three weeks.

If your supervisor does not provide feedback, frequently misses appointments, or is consistently discouraging of your work, contact your graduate program advisor and ask for a new supervisor. The relationship with your supervisor is crucial to your success, especially if she or he is on your committee, and while your supervisor does not have to be friendly, there should at least be professional respect between you.

What to Do If a Crisis Strikes

If something happens in your life that disrupts everything (e.g., emotional strain, the birth of a child, or the death of a family member), ask for help. You are a human being, and personal lives can and do change without warning. Do not wait until you are falling apart before asking for help, either. Learn what resources exist for crises before you have one, so you can head off trauma before it hits. That being said, if you get blindsided, don't refuse help. Seek it out, and take the time you need to recover. Your degree is supposed to help you become a stronger and smarter person, not break you.

Part 6: Polish and Defend Your Master's Thesis

How to write a master’s thesis: the final stages.

After your work is done and everything is written down, you will have to give your thesis a good, thorough polishing. This is where you will have to organize the information, draft it into a paper format with an abstract, and abbreviate things to help meet your word-count limit. This is also where your final editing and proofreading passes will occur, after which you will face your final hurdle: presenting your thesis defense to your committee. If they approve your thesis, then congratulations! You are now a master of your chosen field.

Conclusion and Parting Thoughts

Remember that you do not (and should not) have to learn how to write a master’s thesis on your own. Thesis writing is collaborative, as is practically any kind of research.

While you will be expected to develop your thesis using your own initiative, pursue it with your own ambition, and complete it with your own abilities, you will also be expected to use all available resources to do so. The purpose of a master's thesis is to help you develop your own independent abilities, ensuring that you can drive your own career forward without constantly looking to others to provide direction. Leaders get master's degrees. That's why many business professionals in leadership roles have graduate degree initials after their last names. If you already have the skills necessary to motivate yourself, lead others, and drive change, you may only need your master's as an acknowledgement of your abilities. If you do not, but you apply yourself carefully and thoroughly to the pursuit of your thesis, you should come away from your studies with those skills in place.

A final thought regarding collaboration: all theses have a section for acknowledgements. Be sure to say thank you to those who helped you become a master. One day, someone might be doing the same for you.

Image source: Falkenpost/Pixabay.com 

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Library Guides

Dissertations 1: getting started: planning.

• Starting Your Dissertation
• Choosing A Topic and Researching
• Devising An Approach/Method
• Thinking Of A Title
• Writing A Proposal

Planning Your Time

The dissertation is a large project, so it needs careful planning. To organise your time, you can try the following:  

Break down the dissertation into smaller stages to complete (e.g., literature search, read materials, data collection, write literature review section…). 

Create a schedule. Working backwards from your deadline, decide when you will complete each stage. 

Set aside time to regularly work on the dissertation. 

Consider what times of day you are most alert and what makes a suitable space to study. 

Identify a specific task to work on. 

If overwhelmed, try to identify one task that needs doing rather than focusing on the larger project. 

Leave time to redraft, proof-read, format, and complete the reference list. 

Gantt Charts

As the dissertation project involves certain processes to take place simultaneously, rather than in a sequence, you can use a Gantt chart to organise your time.  

A Gantt chart is a bar chart which shows the schedule for a project. The project is broken down into key tasks/elements to be completed. A start and finish date for each task/element of the project is given. Some tasks are scheduled at the same time or may overlap. Others will start when a task has been completed. 

To produce a Gantt chart, you can use Word, Excel (see example in the attachment) or an online planner.

• Tom's Planner . There's  an example  for you to use to complete your plan. 
• Excel:  example of Gantt Chart in Excel . This is an example of a Gantt chart which can be used to generate a plan of work (timeline) for your dissertation. You can download and edit it as you please. The chart has been created by the University of Leicester. 

Research Data Management

This video helps you to understand the importance of research data management and how you can plan, organise, store, preserve, and share your data.

• Link to video on Research Data Management
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Thesis and Dissertation: Getting Started

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The resources in this section are designed to provide guidance for the first steps of the thesis or dissertation writing process. They offer tools to support the planning and managing of your project, including writing out your weekly schedule, outlining your goals, and organzing the various working elements of your project.

Weekly Goals Sheet (a.k.a. Life Map) [Word Doc]

This editable handout provides a place for you to fill in available time blocks on a weekly chart that will help you visualize the amount of time you have available to write. By using this chart, you will be able to work your writing goals into your schedule and put these goals into perspective with your day-to-day plans and responsibilities each week. This handout also contains a formula to help you determine the minimum number of pages you would need to write per day in order to complete your writing on time.

Setting a Production Schedule (Word Doc)

This editable handout can help you make sense of the various steps involved in the production of your thesis or dissertation and determine how long each step might take. A large part of this process involves (1) seeking out the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding specific document formatting requirements, (2) understanding research protocol limitations, (3) making note of deadlines, and (4) understanding your personal writing habits.

Creating a Roadmap (PDF)

Part of organizing your writing involves having a clear sense of how the different working parts relate to one another. Creating a roadmap for your dissertation early on can help you determine what the final document will include and how all the pieces are connected. This resource offers guidance on several approaches to creating a roadmap, including creating lists, maps, nut-shells, visuals, and different methods for outlining. It is important to remember that you can create more than one roadmap (or more than one type of roadmap) depending on how the different approaches discussed here meet your needs.

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How to write a masters dissertation or thesis: top tips.

It is completely normal to find the idea of writing a masters thesis or dissertation slightly daunting, even for students who have written one before at undergraduate level. Though, don’t feel put off by the idea. You’ll have plenty of time to complete it, and plenty of support from your supervisor and peers.

One of the main challenges that students face is putting their ideas and findings into words. Writing is a skill in itself, but with the right advice, you’ll find it much easier to get into the flow of writing your masters thesis or dissertation.

We’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to write a dissertation or thesis for your masters degree, with top tips to consider at each stage in the process.

1. Understand your dissertation (or thesis) topic

There are slight differences between theses and dissertations , although both require a high standard of writing skill and knowledge in your topic. They are also formatted very similarly.

At first, writing a masters thesis can feel like running a 100m race – the course feels very quick and like there is not as much time for thinking! However, you’ll usually have a summer semester dedicated to completing your dissertation – giving plenty of time and space to write a strong academic piece.

By comparison, writing a PhD thesis can feel like running a marathon, working on the same topic for 3-4 years can be laborious. But in many ways, the approach to both of these tasks is quite similar.

Before writing your masters dissertation, get to know your research topic inside out. Not only will understanding your topic help you conduct better research, it will also help you write better dissertation content.

Also consider the main purpose of your dissertation. You are writing to put forward a theory or unique research angle – so make your purpose clear in your writing.

Top writing tip: when researching your topic, look out for specific terms and writing patterns used by other academics. It is likely that there will be a lot of jargon and important themes across research papers in your chosen dissertation topic. 

2. Structure your dissertation or thesis

Writing a thesis is a unique experience and there is no general consensus on what the best way to structure it is. 

As a postgraduate student , you’ll probably decide what kind of structure suits your research project best after consultation with your supervisor. You’ll also have a chance to look at previous masters students’ theses in your university library.

To some extent, all postgraduate dissertations are unique. Though they almost always consist of chapters. The number of chapters you cover will vary depending on the research. 

A masters dissertation or thesis organised into chapters would typically look like this: 

Write down your structure and use these as headings that you’ll write for later on.

Top writing tip : ease each chapter together with a paragraph that links the end of a chapter to the start of a new chapter. For example, you could say something along the lines of “in the next section, these findings are evaluated in more detail”. This makes it easier for the reader to understand each chapter and helps your writing flow better.

3. Write up your literature review

One of the best places to start when writing your masters dissertation is with the literature review. This involves researching and evaluating existing academic literature in order to identify any gaps for your own research.

Many students prefer to write the literature review chapter first, as this is where several of the underpinning theories and concepts exist. This section helps set the stage for the rest of your dissertation, and will help inform the writing of your other dissertation chapters.

What to include in your literature review

The literature review chapter is more than just a summary of existing research, it is an evaluation of how this research has informed your own unique research.

Demonstrate how the different pieces of research fit together. Are there overlapping theories? Are there disagreements between researchers?

Highlight the gap in the research. This is key, as a dissertation is mostly about developing your own unique research. Is there an unexplored avenue of research? Has existing research failed to disprove a particular theory?

Back up your methodology. Demonstrate why your methodology is appropriate by discussing where it has been used successfully in other research.

4. Write up your research

Your research is the heart and soul of your dissertation. Conducting your actual research is a whole other topic in itself, but it’s important to consider that your research design will heavily influence the way you write your final dissertation.

For instance, a more theoretical-based research topic might encompass more writing from a philosophical perspective. Qualitative data might require a lot more evaluation and discussion than quantitative research. 

Methodology chapter

The methodology chapter is all about how you carried out your research and which specific techniques you used to gather data. You should write about broader methodological approaches (e.g. qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods), and then go into more detail about your chosen data collection strategy. 

Data collection strategies include things like interviews, questionnaires, surveys, content analyses, discourse analyses and many more.

Data analysis and findings chapters

The data analysis or findings chapter should cover what you actually discovered during your research project. It should be detailed, specific and objective (don’t worry, you’ll have time for evaluation later on in your dissertation)

Write up your findings in a way that is easy to understand. For example, if you have a lot of numerical data, this could be easier to digest in tables.

This will make it easier for you to dive into some deeper analysis in later chapters. Remember, the reader will refer back to your data analysis section to cross-reference your later evaluations against your actual findings – so presenting your data in a simple manner is beneficial.

Think about how you can segment your data into categories. For instance, it can be useful to segment interview transcripts by interviewee. 

Top writing tip : write up notes on how you might phrase a certain part of the research. This will help bring the best out of your writing. There is nothing worse than when you think of the perfect way to phrase something and then you completely forget it.

5. Discuss and evaluate

Once you’ve presented your findings, it’s time to evaluate and discuss them.

It might feel difficult to differentiate between your findings and discussion sections, because you are essentially talking about the same data. The easiest way to remember the difference is that your findings simply present the data, whereas your discussion tells the story of this data.

Your evaluation breaks the story down, explaining the key findings, what went well and what didn’t go so well.

In your discussion chapter, you’ll have chance to expand on the results from your findings section. For example, explain what certain numbers mean and draw relationships between different pieces of data.

Top writing tip: don’t be afraid to point out the shortcomings of your research. You will receive higher marks for writing objectively. For example, if you didn’t receive as many interview responses as expected, evaluate how this has impacted your research and findings. Don’t let your ego get in the way!

6. Write your introduction

Your introduction sets the scene for the rest of your masters dissertation. You might be wondering why writing an introduction isn't at the start of our step-by-step list, and that’s because many students write this chapter last.

Here’s what your introduction chapter should cover:

Problem statement

Research question

Significance of your research

This tells the reader what you’ll be researching as well as its importance. You’ll have a good idea of what to include here from your original dissertation proposal , though it’s fairly common for research to change once it gets started.

Writing or at least revisiting this section last can be really helpful, since you’ll have a more well-rounded view of what your research actually covers once it has been completed and written up.

Masters dissertation writing tips

When to start writing your thesis or dissertation.

When you should start writing your masters thesis or dissertation depends on the scope of the research project and the duration of your course. In some cases, your research project may be relatively short and you may not be able to write much of your thesis before completing the project. 

But regardless of the nature of your research project and of the scope of your course, you should start writing your thesis or at least some of its sections as early as possible, and there are a number of good reasons for this:

Academic writing is about practice, not talent. The first steps of writing your dissertation will help you get into the swing of your project. Write early to help you prepare in good time.

Write things as you do them. This is a good way to keep your dissertation full of fresh ideas and ensure that you don’t forget valuable information.

The first draft is never perfect. Give yourself time to edit and improve your dissertation. It’s likely that you’ll need to make at least one or two more drafts before your final submission.

Writing early on will help you stay motivated when writing all subsequent drafts.

Thinking and writing are very connected. As you write, new ideas and concepts will come to mind. So writing early on is a great way to generate new ideas.

How to improve your writing skills

The best way of improving your dissertation or thesis writing skills is to:

 Finish the first draft of your masters thesis as early as possible and send it to your supervisor for revision. Your supervisor will correct your draft and point out any writing errors. This process will be repeated a few times which will help you recognise and correct writing mistakes yourself as time progresses.

If you are not a native English speaker, it may be useful to ask your English friends to read a part of your thesis and warn you about any recurring writing mistakes. Read our section on English language support for more advice. 

Most universities have writing centres that offer writing courses and other kinds of support for postgraduate students. Attending these courses may help you improve your writing and meet other postgraduate students with whom you will be able to discuss what constitutes a well-written thesis.

Read academic articles and search for writing resources on the internet. This will help you adopt an academic writing style, which will eventually become effortless with practice.

Keep track of your bibliography 

When studying for your masters dissertation, you will need to develop an efficient way of organising your bibliography – this will prevent you from getting lost in large piles of data that you’ll need to write your dissertation. 

The easiest way to keep the track of all the articles you have read for your research is to create a database where you can summarise each article/chapter into a few most important bullet points to help you remember their content. 

Another useful tool for doing this effectively is to learn how to use specific reference management software (RMS) such as EndNote. RMS is relatively simple to use and saves a lot of time when it comes to organising your bibliography. This may come in very handy, especially if your reference section is suspiciously missing two hours before you need to submit your dissertation! 

Avoid accidental plagiarism

Plagiarism may cost you your postgraduate degree and it is important that you consciously avoid it when writing your thesis or dissertation. 

Occasionally, postgraduate students commit plagiarism unintentionally. This can happen when sections are copy and pasted from journal articles they are citing instead of simply rephrasing them. Whenever you are presenting information from another academic source, make sure you reference the source and avoid writing the statement exactly as it is written in the original paper.

What kind of format should your thesis have?

Read your university’s guidelines before you actually start writing your thesis so you don’t have to waste time changing the format further down the line. However in general, most universities will require you to use 1.5-2 line spacing, font size 12 for text, and to print your thesis on A4 paper. These formatting guidelines may not necessarily result in the most aesthetically appealing thesis, however beauty is not always practical, and a nice looking thesis can be a more tiring reading experience for your postgrad examiner .

When should I submit my thesis?

The length of time it takes to complete your MSc or MA thesis will vary from student to student. This is because people work at different speeds, projects vary in difficulty, and some projects encounter more problems than others. 

Obviously, you should submit your MSc thesis or MA thesis when it is finished! Every university will say in its regulations that it is the student who must decide when it is ready to submit. 

However, your supervisor will advise you whether your work is ready and you should take their advice on this. If your supervisor says that your work is not ready, then it is probably unwise to submit it. Usually your supervisor will read your final thesis or dissertation draft and will let you know what’s required before submitting your final draft.

Set yourself a target for completion. This will help you stay on track and avoid falling behind. You may also only have funding for the year, so it is important to ensure you submit your dissertation before the deadline – and also ensure you don’t miss out on your graduation ceremony ! 

To set your target date, work backwards from the final completion and submission date, and aim to have your final draft completed at least three months before that final date.

Don’t leave your submission until the last minute – submit your work in good time before the final deadline. Consider what else you’ll have going on around that time. Are you moving back home? Do you have a holiday? Do you have other plans?

If you need to have finished by the end of June to be able to go to a graduation ceremony in July, then you should leave a suitable amount of time for this. You can build this into your dissertation project planning at the start of your research.

It is important to remember that handing in your thesis or dissertation is not the end of your masters program . There will be a period of time of one to three months between the time you submit and your final day. Some courses may even require a viva to discuss your research project, though this is more common at PhD level . 

If you have passed, you will need to make arrangements for the thesis to be properly bound and resubmitted, which will take a week or two. You may also have minor corrections to make to the work, which could take up to a month or so. This means that you need to allow a period of at least three months between submitting your thesis and the time when your program will be completely finished. Of course, it is also possible you may be asked after the viva to do more work on your thesis and resubmit it before the examiners will agree to award the degree – so there may be an even longer time period before you have finished.

How do I submit the MA or MSc dissertation?

Most universities will have a clear procedure for submitting a masters dissertation. Some universities require your ‘intention to submit’. This notifies them that you are ready to submit and allows the university to appoint an external examiner.

This normally has to be completed at least three months before the date on which you think you will be ready to submit.

When your MA or MSc dissertation is ready, you will have to print several copies and have them bound. The number of copies varies between universities, but the university usually requires three – one for each of the examiners and one for your supervisor.

However, you will need one more copy – for yourself! These copies must be softbound, not hardbound. The theses you see on the library shelves will be bound in an impressive hardback cover, but you can only get your work bound like this once you have passed. 

You should submit your dissertation or thesis for examination in soft paper or card covers, and your university will give you detailed guidance on how it should be bound. They will also recommend places where you can get the work done.

The next stage is to hand in your work, in the way and to the place that is indicated in your university’s regulations. All you can do then is sit and wait for the examination – but submitting your thesis is often a time of great relief and celebration!

Some universities only require a digital submission, where you upload your dissertation as a file through their online submission system.

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Dissertations and major projects

• Introduction

What does a dissertation look like?

Finding a topic, going from a topic to a question, dissertation presentations.

• Researching your dissertation
• Managing your data
• Writing up your dissertation

Useful links for dissertations and major projects

• Study Advice Helping students to achieve study success with guides, video tutorials, seminars and one-to-one advice sessions.
• Maths Support A guide to Maths Support resources which may help if you're finding any mathematical or statistical topic difficult during the transition to University study.
• Academic writing LibGuide Expert guidance on punctuation, grammar, writing style and proof-reading.
• Guide to citing references Includes guidance on why, when and how to use references correctly in your academic writing.
• The Final Chapter An excellent guide from the University of Leeds on all aspects of research projects
• Royal Literary Fund: Writing a Literature Review A guide to writing literature reviews from the Royal Literary Fund
• Academic Phrasebank Use this site for examples of linking phrases and ways to refer to sources.

It's natural to feel slightly directionless at the start of any dissertation or major project because you are not sure what to research or how to find the information you need. Start early and allow yourself some time for reading around topics that interest you and scoping out the kinds of sources that are available. This initial reading, thinking and planning time is really valuable and will provide a good basis for focusing your ideas into a research question.

The guidance on this page gives strategies for identifying a topic, refining this into a clearer research question, and starting to plan how you will answer it.    

At one level all dissertations ask you to do broadly the same things:

• Formulate a clear question that your dissertation seeks to answer
• Review the relevant literature in your field
• Engage in independent thought and research
• Explain and justify whatever methods you use
• Present your findings clearly and demonstrate how they relate to your original question

Finding the topic and question for your dissertation can take longer than you think. You shouldn't feel worried if you don't hit on the ideal topic straight away… you have enough time to be creative and enjoy exploring your subject. At this stage no ideas are barred!

• Something you've always wondered about
• Lecture notes and old essays
• Flicking through current journals
• Media / news items
• Things you disagree with
• A hunch that you have… is it true?
• Controversies / new areas in your subject
• Talking with friends

Thinking outside your subject area may also help – are there any current affairs issues or controversies that you can apply your subject to?

It's never too early to start thinking of ideas. Keep them in one place -  start an ideas book or a box file to keep any notes or articles you find that might be useful.

• Starting research for your dissertation (video) Watch this brief video tutorial for more on the topic.
• Starting research for your dissertation (transcript) Read along while watching the video tutorial.

A dissertation question is not the same as a topic…it has to be phrased so that it can be answered in a specific and focused way . There are various ways that you can get from your topic to a question:

• Do some reading around your topic – are there any gaps in current research that could provide a question?
• If you usually write too much – think smaller and focus on one narrow aspect of your topic.
• If you usually don't write enough – think bigger and link some related areas of your topic together.

It is a good idea before you make any final decisions to discuss your choice of question with your supervisor, as they will have the academic experience to know what kinds of questions will be manageable, and which will need more refining.

Before settling on a question – ask yourself:

• "Will it keep me interested for a long period?"
• "Can I answer it with the time and resources I have?"
• "Is there someone who can supervise me and can I get on with them?"
• "Do I have some idea of how to go about answering it?"
• Defining your research question (video) Watch this brief video tutorial for more on the topic.
• Defining your research question (transcript) Read along while watching the video tutorial.

• explain why your chosen topic is interesting;
• show how it fits into the context of your course generally;
• try out your plan for how to tackle the research.

Remember that you're not presenting the end result of your research, but work-in-progress. Think about including some questions for your audience to encourage useful feedback.

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Dissertations and research projects

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Finding the gap

Developing research questions, epistemology, ethical approval, methodology and methods, recruiting participants, planning your analysis, writing your research proposal.

• Qualitative research
• Quantitative research
• Writing up your research project
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When starting out on reading for your dissertation, you may feel a little overwhelmed with the amount of research out there related to your topic. This is normal!

Your first job is to start to make sense of this existing research, sketching out a map with your dissertation in the centre. Around you will be various ‘neighbourhoods’ or groups of literature that are connected in some way, perhaps by a shared theme or group of participants. You might also start to identify ‘points of interest’ - key texts, models or theories that need to be acknowledged in order for a reader to understand your approach to your research area. 

In drawing this map, your aim is to identify the research gap or problem - an issue or question that you feel has not been fully addressed by existing studies. Remember, there is no expectation that you will have read absolutely everything on your subject, but you should be able to use the wide range of sources available to you to persuade the reader of the relevance and importance of your chosen topic.

Here are a few common approaches to finding the gap that might provide some inspiration for your own dissertation:

• Chronological , tracing change and development over time. For example, in a study of contemporary attitudes to tattoos, you might start by looking at historical examples of tattooing in other cultures, mapping out a timeline of key trends and shifts in the practice over time.  
• Thematic , mapping out the reading around topics or themes that multiple papers have in common. If you are investigating stress and anxiety in higher education, you might start out by searching for literature on mental health in universities to establish the 'bigger picture' before zooming in on a specific topic.
• Venn diagram , bringing together two otherwise distinct areas to find the literature that is common to both/bridges the gap. You may be working on a topic that is well-researched (stroke patient recovery) but adopting a new angle (from your perspective as a physiotherapist). Start by reading the literature in each area separately, fitting the papers into a Venn diagram that enables you to see where the closest links or overlaps between the two areas occur.
• Context-based , where the literature is split based on which participants are involved or the geographical/cultural environment in which it was carried out. You might be interested in how Kenyan companies address fraud and financial corruption, and start your literature search by identifying examples and case studies from other countries and regions.
• Research methods , where the literature tends to fall into different approaches to the same research problem. I f the focus of your dissertation is to apply and test a new method, such as a machine learning algorithm, you could start by identifying if and where a similar method has been used in existing research (a bottom-up approach to literature searching).

By reading widely in the early stages of your project, you should begin to get a sense of what research has already been conducted in your area, and where you fit into this map of research. For some people, there will be a clear gap or under explored topic in the research that their dissertation will aim to tackle or solve. Other projects may be less radical, focusing more on testing the transferability of an existing concept or study.  By drawing on this existing research, you are justifying the relevance of your own dissertation project, showing how it contributes (even in small way) to research in your field.

Once you have identified a problem or gap in the literature, you need to begin thinking about you will address this in your research. Research questions help to focus your project by highlighting what you want to learn about your topic, as well as providing guidance about how your data will be collected and analysed.

For example:

RQ1: Do media texts improve access to learning for low attaining students? RQ2:   Does exploring poetry through the lens of student interest positively affect motivation?

These research questions are effective as they give a clear indication of the research topic (media texts/student interest), participant group (low attaining students) and research measures (access to learning/motivation and engagement).

Whilst there isn't a perfect formula for writing research questions, here are some top tips:

• Show the relevance of your topic - make it clear what your research is trying to achieve. Is it addressing a gap in the literature? Testing theory with a specific group? Analysing professional practice?
• Demonstrate your project is achievable - whilst your research questions don't need to go into detail about your methods, you should try to show that your project is realistic, given your available time and resources. It is important to consider what types of data you are able to collect/access to answer your research questions.
• Be analytical, not descriptive - a good research question generally guides you to analyse a problem; this means that words like 'How', 'Examine', and 'Evaluate' are more useful than words like 'what' or 'describe'.
• Keep questions clear and focused - ultimately these questions act as guidance for how you will address the problem/gap you have identified

Research questions are not easy to write. They take time and require work: rarely will you stumble upon your research questions with ease. Instead, you start with a problem and refine your ideas until you have a workable way to research your area of interest.

Epistemology concerns the nature of knowledge and how we come to know what we know. It provides a philosophical grounding for considering what knowledge is possible and that how we determine that knowledge is adequate and legitimate. As such there are quite a range of epistemologies. Fortunately, it is unlikely that you will be expected to go into great detail about the epistemology of your research. It is however, important to consider what is accepted as 'knowledge' in your research.

It is likely that the epistemology of your research will either be positivistic or interpretivist , so it's worth considering the differences between them:

The positivist research philosophy understands phenomena through objective measurement , to collect data that can be used to develop generalisations and facts about the world.

By contrast, the interpretivist research philosophy views knowledge as socially constructed and therefore accepts multiple interpretations and subjective meanings.

Though you shouldn't become too worried about understanding this distinction, it is worth having some understanding of your research philosophy as this is likely to influence your chosen methodology, which will in turn affect the methods you use to collect your data ( more on this later!)  

Adapted from Alkhalil (2016)

Securing ethical approval for your project is a key step in the research process and must be in place before you begin collecting data. Research ethics are a set of rules and criteria that your research project must adhere to in order to protect the welfare of your participants and to ensure the integrity of your data and results. Although it is easy to see ethical approval as a barrier to the research process, it is an important process that encourages you to recognise how your research may impact the welfare and privacy of those involved.

Visit the University’s Ethics and Integrity webpages for information and guidance on Sheffield Hallam’s research ethics policy and ethical approval.

As well as securing ethical approval from the University’s ethics committee, you will also need to think about how you will ensure the data you collect remains private and confidential, and that your participants are fully informed and consent to the terms of your research. You can find a series of templates and forms to use during your research on the University’s ethics pages, includ ing participant information sheets, participant consent forms and documents related to risk assessment.

Check with your supervisor which forms are required as some departments have their own versions of the generic forms above. Aim to start the process early – many projects are delayed while researchers wait for ethical approval; the Student Ethics checklist is a good supporting document to use when planning this aspect of your research.

Update for research during Covid-19 You may need to submit a new ethics application if you are changing from face-to-face to distance data gathering. In all cases, bear in mind the ethical aspects of distant data collection and take some time to explore the data collection methods that can be done remotely. You will also need to consider how to securely store participant data on your home computer so that it cannot be accessed by anyone but the researcher(s). For detailed guidance, please see the University's guidance on research ethics and Covid-19 .

• Methodology vs. Methods
• Choosing your methods
• Planning your procedure

Methodology is the plan of action for your research. Your choice of methodology will guide the methods you choose and provide a rationale for the design of your research.

Methods are the techniques and procedures that you engage in to collect data. It is important to provide comprehensive detail about your chosen methods; this helps to justify your chosen approach and demonstrate how your chosen method of data collection will enable you to answer your research questions.

Here's an example:

It is important to remember that you should demonstrate awareness of the limitations of both your chosen methodology and methods.

Ultimately, your methodology and methods are about demonstrating a clear justification for the overall design of your research and the methods you employed to collect your data. Furthermore, you need to d emonstrate an understanding of the limitations of your choices and the affect this may have upon your findings/conclusions/implications/claims to generalisability. 

Your research methods are the tools that you will use to collect your data. These can either be quantitative, examining numerical data and using statistical tests to establish relationships, or qualitative, examining non-numerical data to seek an in-depth understanding of phenomena. The decision between quantitative and qualitative methods may be influenced by your methodology.

Your choice of methods will also depend on several other factors such as time, resources and knowledge. For example, whilst interviews allow you to collect very rich data, they are very time consuming to transcribe and analyse. Conversely, surveys may allow you to collect a much larger data set, but it is likely to be lacking in detail. It is important to recognise that there are strengths and weaknesses associated with any research method and it is your responsibility to consider how these factors support or inhibit your ability to answer your research questions.

Whilst not an exhaustive list, some of the most frequently used research methods include:

• Interviews (Structured/Semi-structured/Unstructured)
• Focus Groups
• Secondary Data Analysis
• Questionnaires/Surveys
• Observation (Participant/Non-participant)
• Measurement

If you find yourself stuck when it comes to choosing your research methods, reviewing the related literature can often be a helpful place to start. This is because research on topics related to your own project is likely to have been conducted using well-established research protocols, which are appropriate for studying the topic in question. Furthermore, reviewing the methods sections of related literature can often provide you with a handy guide about what to include in your methodology section when you come to writing up your research project.

Choosing your research methods is often about balancing realism and ambition ; don't be afraid of using your research project as an opportunity to learn how to use a new method, just remember that your project must also be completed within a limited timeframe, so it's important to consider if you have the necessary time and resources/support to develop the knowledge you need to successfully collect data using your chosen method.

It's really important to think about how you're  actually  going to collect your data. For example, if you've chosen to do interviews, you still have to decide on the type of interview, the questions you will ask and how long you want the interview to last. Planning this part of your project requires you to complete reading about your chosen method. This is important for two reasons:

• Reading about your chosen method will help to ensure that you build your chosen method in the best way possible. This will look very different for every research project, and will be dependent on your topic, methodology and the problem/gap you are trying to address. Nevertheless, using literature as a guide will help to ensure that your project meets the standard of 'best practice' for whatever your chosen research method(s) is.
• When it comes to writing up your project, it is important that you can demonstrate a theoretical grounding from the wider literature to support your choice of methodology and method(s).

Deciding on your research participants is a topic that is important to discuss with your supervisor in the early stages of your dissertation project , perhaps even in your first supervision meeting. The sooner you identify your research participants, the sooner you can begin to narrow the scope of your literature search and determine which studies will be most relevant to your aims and objectives. 

This will also help you to begin to sketch out the story of your research - why are you interested in your chosen group, what will participating in your research look like for a participant, and how will they be implicated in your findings? It would be impossible for this guide to cover everything on how to identify, recruit and collect data from your research participants, but here are some key points to consider:  

• Start with the existing literature. If you’re undecided on who your participants should be, start by making notes on existing studies. You might aim to build on existing research - exploring a new variable with a well-researched participant group that you will aim to replicate in your own project. Alternatively, you might be drawn to expand existing research into a new pare by considering participants and populations you feel have been previously overlooked.
• Draw on your networks. Be practical, thinking about potential participants that you can easily access and engage with in your project. These might be coursemates, university students, or communities you have worked with on placement. If you already know your participants, or belong to the group yourself, be sure to consider your positionality and think about the potential for research bias.
• Be realistic about ethical approval. For UG and PGT dissertations, it is important to be realistic about who you will be able to involve in your research, and the unlikelihood that you will have the time to gain ethics approval for working with vulnerable communities or involving participants in sensitive topics. However, this is not to say that your research idea does not have potential, but you may need to think of a group of participants - perhaps one step removed from your topic of interest - that could be involved. For example, any direct work with children, unless you are already undertaking a school-based placement, is very unlikely to be approved. However, you could shift your focus onto parents or teachers. Similarly, sensitive topics such as mental health and disability will be difficult to address directly, but you could choose to interview support workers or university staff on the subject, or write an extended literature review that does not require you to generate primary data from working with participants.
• Read up on selection and sampling techniques. Familiarise yourself with the different ways you can recruit participants to ensure a representative sample. For more information on sampling techniques, and their relative advantages and limitations, visit our SAGE Research Methods resource via the library.
• Think about the logistics of recruiting and gathering data from participants . How will you reach out to participants and are you using multiple methods of communication, or relying entirely on online surveys or email interviews? Some communication methods may be easier for your participants to engage with than others - try to build this into your research design. You will also need to think about how you ensure data is anonymised and how you will keep track of the number of participants involved in your project if they are participating remotely.
• Have a contingency plan. Reflect on the possible points of failure in your project and possible solutions for these. If your online survey fails to attract enough participants, can you run a second phase of data collection in person? What is your minimum number of participants needed to meet your research aims?
• Set yourself a goal. Set an ideal sample size as well as a lower limit. Aim for the minimum in the time you have available - any extra participants would then be a bonus!
• Share your findings . You will need to let your participants know how their data will be stored and how they can access the results of your project once it is completed. You can find guidance on this, and wider GDPR considerations, on the university's ethics pages.

It is important to consider how you will analyse the data you have collected. Furthermore, you should start to think about how the interpretation of your data will start to allow you to answer your research questions.

Your choice of analysis will vary greatly depending on your discipline and on whether you are using quantitative or qualitative research methods. In the case of quantitative research, you need to decide what statistical tests you are going to conduct and if there are any adjustments that you will need to make to avoid Type 1 or Type 2 errors. Likewise, if you are doing qualitative research you need to think about how the coding system that you will use to analyse your data and whether or not you will use any computer software to support your analysis.

Either way, you should ensure that you have the skills that you need to complete your chosen type of analysis or determine what reading/training you need to undertake!  

What is a research proposal used for?

Your research proposal is an important step in the dissertation process as it allows you to determine whether there is an evidence base for your project and a need for your research to be conducted. The proposal allows you to identify a specific area or research problem, and to reflect on the practical steps you will need to complete in order to finish the dissertation. Your proposal should therefore make your research project appear achievable with the time and resources you have available. In some departments, the proposal will also be used to match your dissertation to an appropriate supervisor.

What should I include in the proposal?

Your proposal includes many of the same sections as a dissertation, but of course it is read with the understanding that this is a proposed project and that details may change. Remember, the proposal is about demonstrating that you know what the dissertation process will involve and that you have started to reflect on the practicalities of completing such a project. 

Here are the key sections your proposal should include. Be sure to check this against your assessment criteria or module guide:

Working title Your title should outline a clear topic area and your research approach. Some common techniques include using a question (‘For more tips on what makes an effective title, visit this online guide.

Background and research aims Introduce your topic area, including definitions if helpful and appropriate. You should also include a bullet-point list of your research objectives (2-4 is a good number to include) or questions that you will aim to answer. It can also be helpful to include a short paragraph outlining what you hope to achieve and contribute to knowledge with your dissertation.

Literature review You should conduct a short literature review of around 750-1000 word that includes the following three sections:

• Background information on your topic - Define key terms, signpost any issues or debates in the literature, introduce the research problem or question in its broadest terms.
• Trends in the literature - Highlight key trends in existing research – summarise the main theories or concepts in the literature in your area. Situate your project in relation to these.
• Identify a gap or research problem - Provide more detailed information on a focused aspect of the topic that your research will address. Identify the gap or show specifically what your research hopes to contribute – either for your participants, a theoretical development or a new methodological approach.

Methodology This will be a brief outline of your intended methods and procedure for data collection. This should be in the future tense and use cautious language where appropriate. Aim to include:

• your overall methodology (quantitative/qualitative) and research design (case study, pilot study, experimental design);
• your research methods and why they are appropriate for your proposed project ;
• identify a participant group and consider how they will be recruited, along with approach to sampling;
• how you intend to analyse the data and any tools/software required to complete this step;
• acknowledge that you will obtain ethical approval for the study and address any ethical considerations you must take at this stage.

Research schedule (optional – check with your module leader) Outline key milestones in your project and identify short and medium-term deadlines. This could be presented in a table, as a monthly schedule or using a Gantt chart.

Bibliography Make sure you include a list of the references used in your research proposal, in APA format. This will not be included in the word count for the proposal.  

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School of Planning Thesis Guide

What is a Thesis?

The Oxford English Dictionary says:

• A statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved
• A long essay or dissertation involving personal research, written by a candidate for a university degree.

In the Waterloo School of Planning both definitions apply. A thesis should be a clear statement and it is a long essay submitted in the partial completion of a degree.

In the School of Planning a master’s level paper is generally referred to as a thesis while dissertation is the term reserved for a PhD level work.

What is the purpose of writing a thesis?

The purpose of a master’s thesis in planning is to demonstrate that the candidate has mastered their craft . Therefore the thesis is not only about its subject matter but also about showing mastery of the research process.

What is the craft that must be mastered?

It can be stated in various ways but the following is concise but complete:

The ability to describe a field of study that is of importance to planning, to identify a significant question the answer to which will shed light on that field, to understand what is already known about the question, to outline a method or methods of investigation, to gather and analyse relevant data, to draw conclusions and to present them effectively.

What is the difference between a master’s thesis and major research paper?

A thesis must be clearly placed in the context of the literature in its area and must identify and address a gap in that literature. It can be theoretical, methodological and/or empirical but it must address real world issues.

A major research paper, besides being shorter, identifies a problem and seeks a solution but in itself is not expected to contribute to the literature in the topic area. It demonstrates problem solving ability.

What is the difference between a master’s thesis and a doctoral dissertation?

While a master’s thesis demonstrates mastery of the research craft, the purpose of a PhD dissertation is to demonstrate that candidates understand the philosophy of planning and can, themselves, philosophise.

A master’s thesis can deal with a topic that is not necessarily original but it should add to the knowledge in that field. A PhD dissertation is expected to add a new dimension to the discipline by generating original knowledge.

How long should a master’s thesis be?

An ideal master’s thesis should be between 90 and 110 pages of text exclusive of references and appendices. The principle is that something worth saying should be able to be said concisely. Longer is not necessarily better and longer is often confused and confusing.

A PhD dissertation is longer, generally between 160 and 260 pages.

What is the typical format for a master’s thesis?

A typical thesis format should include the following components or a variation of these themes:

• Introduction (what is it you are interested in, why is it important to planning and what questions are you going to answer)
• Literature Review (what have others said about it and what have they missed)
• Methods (what are you going to do)
• Findings/Results ( what did you discover)
• Analysis/Discussion (what does it all mean)
• Conclusion and Recommendations (how does the work answer the original question and what should others do about it)

What are some of the different types of theses?

While all theses should be empirical, which is to say about actual things, they can take one of a number of forms:

• A thesis can be explanatory, describing how something works
• It can be conformational, examining some approach or policy and seeing if it is working as planned
• It can be remedial, examining a problem and exploring solutions
• A thesis can be methodological, exploring approaches to either studying a phenomenon or solving a dilemma
• It can be innovative, pointing to new ways of dealing with old problems or finding ways of tackling new problems
• What a thesis cannot be is simply descriptive

What is the general opinion among the School of Planning faculty regarding the importance of the thesis to a student’s learning and to their career?

The prevailing attitude among School of Planning faculty is that conceptualizing, researching and writing a thesis is the best preparation for a variety of careers in planning and beyond. It is also the best way for candidates to demonstrate their mastery of the craft as outlined above.

Even if graduates never write another research paper as such they will go through the thesis research steps over and over in their subsequent work in various forms. For those who continue in academic pursuits a master’s thesis is an absolute requirement.

Graduate students also play an instrumental role in the research programs of the faculty where they not only learn but contribute to generation of new knowledge in the field. Without thesis writing the productivity of a university school of planning would be immeasurably diminished. In this way the thesis is the hallmark of the School of Planning thesis-based master’s programs.

Thesis Information: Planning

• Introduction
• Reviewing Literature
• Supervisors
• Māori Postgraduates

Planning preparation

Deciding to undertake a research thesis or dissertation requires considerable planning, so investigate procedures, steps and support outlined below.

• A research thesis is defined where at least 0.75 equivalent full-time study (EFTS) is undertaken.
• A dissertation is defined as taking less than 0.75 equivalent full-time study (EFTS), and is shorter in length and time to complete.

On this page...

Types of thesis                              Your research question                Research thesis courses  

Support for research                     Ethics and consultation                Managing your data  

Planning stages                           Books on doing resear ch                                            

Types of thesis

The research topic you choose will have a bearing on the type of study you undertake and how you write your thesis.

 Adapted from: http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/9668_023128ch02.pdf

Support for research

University of Otago provides quality resources and services to support researchers :

• The Research Lifecycle
• Research publishing &impact
• Graduate Research forms, policies and guidelines
• Contacts for research support

Planning stages

Your Supervisor/s and Student Learning Development will work with you on the stages in developing your thesis. Subject Librarians can provide support during these specific stages * :

1.   Writing your thesis topic outline

2.   Reviewing the literature *

3.   Writing your research proposal

4.   Ethics application

5.   Managing your data *

6.   Managing copyright *

7.   Reviewing the literature *

8.   Conducting your research

9.   Reviewing the literature *

10.   Writing the thesis , including formatting and managing references *

11.  Submitting the thesis , including  printing and binding *

11.  Examining the thesis

12.   Depositing the thesis *

Remember to consult the relevant official study pages :

• PhD and Doctoral students
• Research Masters

as well as postgraduate pages from your Department or  Division .

Research thesis courses

Your department will provide support and training to undertake your research thesis or dissertation.

Student Learning Development run special postgraduate courses for you post enrolment, e.g.:

• Mind Mapping, Design Jam
• Introduction to the Research Journey
• Engaging with the Literature: The Literature Review and the Whole Thesis
• Thesis Writing for Postgraduates - Practical

Graduate Research School run workshops for graduate research candidates in Christchurch, Dunedin and Wellington.

Managing your data

Does your research involve collection of data?

Managing research data makes it easier to locate, access, and use data at all stages of its lifecycle.

Managing your data - Library guide on creation to documentation, to access, storage, reuse and preservation.

Your research question

Use these tools as you brainstorm your topic and refine your research question.

• Mind maps (e.g. Bubbl.us , Mindmeister and Xmind ) and spider diagrams .
• Search Strategy Worksheet - document your strategies before you do deep database searching towards your literature review. 

Read more about applying a systematic approach to searching .

Ethics and consultation

Discuss your research proposal thoroughly with your supervisor(s).

PhD  and Research Master's   - consult information on ethical approval and regulatory consent.

• Research Consultation with Māori Provides the framework for consulting with Ngai Tahu, as mana whenua | local iwi, about your research goals and process that might involve, impact, or relate to tangata whenua.
• Pacific Research Defines Pacific Research and suggested protocols for University researchers in relation to research involving Pacific peoples in the Otago-Southland region, the rest of New Zealand, and, more generally, in the islands of Oceania.
• Researching with Humans or Animals? If your research project involves human participants and/or animals, work with your supervisor to ensure that your research project meets the highest ethical standards, & complies with the University's ethics policy. This includes seeking approval from the relevant ethics committee where appropriate.
• ERIC guidance (Ethical Research Involving Children)
• TREAD (The Research Ethics Application Repository) An open access, online repository of Research Ethics Committee (REC) application forms and consent statements, hosted jointly by The Global Health Network and the Social Research Association. Formerly known as TEAR. Researcher contributions to the resource are welcomed.

If you or your supervisor wishes to discuss your research, or has questions, you can contact the Academic Committees Office, located on the 1st Floor, Scott/Shand House, 90 St David Street, Dunedin. They administer the University of Otago Human Ethics Committee and the University of Otago Human Ethics Committee (Health).

Books on doing research

Recommended postgraduate research texts, for example:

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Urban Studies and Planning Dissertations and Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

E Hui me ke Kaiāulu: To Connect with the Community , Heather Kayleen Bartlett (Thesis)

The Affective Discourses of Eviction: Right to Counsel in New York City , Hadley Savana Bates (Thesis)

A Just Futures Framework: Insurgent Roller-Skating in Portland, Oregon , Célia Camile Beauchamp (Thesis)

Factors Affecting Community Rating System Participation in the National Flood Insurance Program: A Case Study of Texas , Ryan David Eddings (Dissertation)

LEED Buildings and Green Gentrification: Portland as a Case Study , Jordan Macintosh (Thesis)

Wasted Space , Ryan Martyn (Thesis)

The Use and Influence of Health Indicators in Municipal Transportation Plans , Kelly Christine Rodgers (Dissertation)

Uncovering the Nuance and Complexity of Gentrification in Asian Immigrant Communities: A Case Study of Koreatown, Los Angeles , Seyoung Sung (Dissertation)

Defining Dementia-Friendly Communities From the Perspective of Those Affected , Iris Alexandra Wernher (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Heat, Wildfire and Energy Demand: An Examination of Residential Buildings and Community Equity , Chrissi Argyro Antonopoulos (Dissertation)

The Connections Between Innovation, Culture, and Expertise in Water Infrastructure Organizations , Alice Brawley-Chesworth (Dissertation)

The New Shiny Penny? Regenerative Agriculture Beliefs and Practices Among Portland's Urban Agriculturalists , Melia Ann Chase (Thesis)

Fortunate People in a Fortunate Land: Dwelling and Residential Alienation in Santa Monica's Rent-Controlled Housing , Lauren E.M. Everett (Dissertation)

In Favor of Bringing Game Theory into Urban Studies and Planning Curriculum: Reintroducing an Underused Method for the Next Generation of Urban Scholars , Brian McDonald Gardner (Thesis)

Transportation Mode Choice Behavior in the Era of Autonomous Vehicles: The Application of Discrete Choice Modeling and Machine Learning , Sangwan Lee (Dissertation)

An Analysis of the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Tulsa Remote Program, As an Effective Economic Development Strategy , Kristen J. Padilla (Thesis)

Geographies of Urban Unsafety: Homeless Women, Mental Maps, and Isolation , Jan Radle Roberson (Dissertation)

The Impact of New Light Rail Service on Employment Growth in Portland, Oregon , Lahar Santra (Thesis)

Examining Emergency Citizen Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Emergent Groups Addressing Food Insecurity in Portland, Oregon , Aliza Ruth Tuttle (Thesis)

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Nature-Based Solutions in Environmental Planning: Ecosystem-Based Adaptations, Green Infrastructures, and Ecosystem Services to Promote Diversity in Urban Landscapes , Lorena Alves Carvalho Nascimento (Dissertation)

Gas Stations and the Wealth Divide: Analyzing Spatial Correlations Between Wealth and Fuel Branding , Jean-Carl Ende (Thesis)

'There are No Bathrooms Available!': How Older Adults Experiencing Houselessness Manage their Daily Activities , Ellis Jourdan Hews (Thesis)

The Mode Less Traveled: Exploring Bicyclist Identity in Portland, OR , Christopher Johnson (Thesis)

The Soniferous Experience of Public Space: A Soundscape Approach , Kenya DuBois Williams (Dissertation)

Short-term and Long-term Effects of New Light Rail Transit Service on Transit Ridership and Traffic Congestion at Two Geographical Levels , Huajie Yang (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Waste Management in the Global South: an Inquiry on the Patterns of Plastic and Waste Material Flows in Colombo, Sri Lanka , Katie Ann Conlon (Dissertation)

Unpacking the Process and Outcomes of Ethical Markets: a Focus on Certified B Corporations , Renée Bogin Curtis (Dissertation)

The Persistence of Indigenous Markets in Mexico's 'Supermarket Revolution' , Diana Christina Denham (Dissertation)

The Electronic Hardware Music Subculture in Portland, Oregon , James Andrew Hickey (Thesis)

"I Should Have Moved Somewhere Else": the Impacts of Gentrification on Transportation and Social Support for Black Working-Poor Families in Portland, Oregon , Steven Anthony Howland (Dissertation)

The Impacts of the Bicycle Network on Bicycling Activity: a Longitudinal Multi-City Approach , Wei Shi (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

"Poverty Wages Are Not Fresh, Local, or Sustainable": Building Worker Power by Organizing Around (Re)production in Portland's "Sustainable" Food Industry , Amy Katherine Rose Coplen (Dissertation)

Manufacturing in Place: Industrial Preservation in the US , Jamaal William Green (Dissertation)

Can Churches Change a Neighborhood? A Census Tract, Multilevel Analysis of Churches and Neighborhood Change , David E. Kresta (Dissertation)

An Examination of Non-waged Labor and Local Food Movement Growth in the Southern Appalachians , Amy Kathryn Marion (Thesis)

Making Imaginaries: Identity, Value, and Place in the Maker Movement in Detroit and Portland , Stephen Joseph Marotta (Dissertation)

Recognizing and Addressing Risk Ambiguity in Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning: a Case Study of Miami-Dade County, Florida , Mary Ann Rozance (Dissertation)

The Impact of Implementing Different Cordon Size Designs on Land Use Patterns in Portland, OR , Asia Spilotros (Dissertation)

Gentrification and Student Achievement: a Quantitative Analysis of Student Performance on Standardized Tests in Portland's Gentrifying Neighborhoods , Justin Joseph Ward (Thesis)

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Environmental Justice in Natural Disaster Mitigation Policy and Planning: a Case Study of Flood Risk Management in Johnson Creek, Portland, Oregon , Seong Yun Cho (Dissertation)

Our Town: Articulating Place Meanings and Attachments in St. Johns Using Resident-Employed Photography , Lauren Elizabeth Morrow Everett (Thesis)

Millennial Perceptions on Homeownership and Financial Planning Decisions , Margaret Ann Greenfield (Thesis)

Utilitarian Skateboarding: Insight into an Emergent Mode of Mobility , Michael Joseph Harpool (Thesis)

Consciousness Against Commodifcation: the Potential for a Radical Housing Movement in the Cully Neighborhood , Cameron Hart Herrington (Thesis)

News Work: the Impact of Corporate Newsroom Culture on News Workers & Community Reporting , Carey Lynne Higgins-Dobney (Dissertation)

Recent Advances in Activity-Based Travel Demand Models for Greater Flexibility , Kihong Kim (Dissertation)

An Analysis of the BizX Commercial Trade Exchange: the Attitudes and Motivations Behind Its Use , Ján André Montoya (Thesis)

Between a Rock and a Hot Place: Economic Development and Climate Change Adaptation in Vietnam , Khanh Katherine Pham (Thesis)

Neighborhood Economic Impacts of Contemporary Art Centers , Steve Van Eck (Closed Thesis)

Urban Geocomputation: Two Studies on Urban Form and its Role in Altering Climate , Jackson Lee Voelkel (Thesis)

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Explaining Unequal Transportation Outcomes in a Gentrifying City: the Example of Portland, Oregon , Eugenio Arriaga Cordero (Dissertation)

Identifying Clusters of Non-Farm Activity within Exclusive Farm Use Zones in the Northern Willamette Valley , Nicholas Chun (Thesis)

Drivers' Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Bicyclists: Intermodal Interactions and Implications for Road Safety , Tara Beth Goddard (Dissertation)

Grassroots Resistance in the Sustainable City: Portland Harbor Superfund Site Contamination, Cleanup, and Collective Action , Erin Katherine Goodling (Dissertation)

Responsible Pet Ownership: Dog Parks and Demographic Change in Portland, Oregon , Matthew Harris (Thesis)

The Tension between Technocratic and Social Values in Environmental Decision-making: An'Yang Stream Restoration in South Korea , Chang-Yu Hong (Dissertation)

Regulating Pavement Dwellers: the Politics of the Visibly Poor in Public Space , Lauren Marie Larin (Dissertation)

Making Software, Making Regions: Labor Market Dualization, Segmentation, and Feminization in Austin, Portland and Seattle , Dillon Mahmoudi (Dissertation)

Knowing Nature in the City: Comparative Analysis of Knowledge Systems Challenges Along the 'Eco-Techno' Spectrum of Green Infrastructure in Portland & Baltimore , Annie Marissa Matsler (Dissertation)

Assessing the Impact of Land Use and Travel on Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Portland, Oregon , Zakari Mumuni (Thesis)

Trade-offs: the Production of Sustainability in Households , Kirstin Marie Elizabeth Munro (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

The Kazaks of Istanbul: A Case of Social Cohesion, Economic Breakdown and the Search for a Moral Economy , Daniel Marc Auger (Thesis)

Citizen-led Urban Agriculture and the Politics of Spatial Reappropriation in Montreal, Quebec , Claire Emmanuelle Bach (Thesis)

Travel Mode Choice Framework Incorporating Realistic Bike and Walk Routes , Joseph Broach (Dissertation)

Cyclist Path Choices Through Shared Space Intersections in England , Allison Boyce Duncan (Dissertation)

Star Academics: Do They Garner Increasing Returns? , James Jeffrey Kline (Dissertation)

Configuring the Urban Smart Grid: Transitions, Experimentation, and Governance , Anthony Michael Levenda (Dissertation)

The Effects of Frequency of Social Interaction, Social Cohesion, Age, and the Built Environment on Walking , Gretchen Allison Luhr (Dissertation)

The Village Market: New Columbia Goes Shopping for Food Justice , Jane Therese Waddell (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Developing Key Sustainability Competencies through Real-World Learning Experiences: Evaluating Community Environmental Services , Erin Lorene Anderson (Thesis)

Beyond Fruit: Examining Community in a Community Orchard , Emily Jane Becker (Thesis)

Challenges, Experiences, and Future Directions of Senior Centers Serving the Portland Metropolitan Area , Melissa Lynn Cannon (Dissertation)

Building Social Sustainability from the Ground Up: The Contested Social Dimension of Sustainability in Neighborhood-Scale Urban Regeneration in Portland, Copenhagen, and Nagoya , Jacklyn Nicole Kohon (Dissertation)

The Effects of Urban Containment Policies on Commuting Patterns , Sung Moon Kwon (Dissertation)

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Attitudes: An Exploration of a Landscape of Choices , Mersiha Spahic McClaren (Dissertation)

The Impact of Communication Impairments on the Social Relationships of Older Adults , Andrew Demetrius Palmer (Dissertation)

The Scales and Shapes of Queer Women's Geographies: Mapping Private, Public and Cyber Spaces in Portland, OR , Paola Renata Saldaña (Thesis)

Caring for the Land, Serving People: Creating a Multicultural Forest Service in the Civil Rights Era , Donna Lynn Sinclair (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Determinants of Recent Mover Non-work Travel Mode Choice , Arlie Steven Adkins (Dissertation)

Changing the Face of the Earth: The Morrison-­Knudsen Corporation as Partner to the U.S. Federal Government , Christopher S. Blanchard (Dissertation)

Participation, Information, Values, and Community Interests Within Health Impact Assessments , Nicole Iroz-Elardo (Dissertation)

The Objective vs. the Perceived Environment: What Matters for Active Travel , Liang Ma (Dissertation)

Implications of Local and Regional Food Systems: Toward a New Food Economy in Portland, Oregon , Michael Mercer Mertens (Dissertation)

Spirituality and Religion in Women's Leadership for Sustainable Development in Crisis Conditions: The Case of Burma , Phyusin Myo Kyaw Myint (Dissertation)

Street Level Food Networks: Understanding Ethnic Food Cart Supply Chains in Eastern Portland, OR , Alexander G. Novie (Thesis)

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Diffusion of Energy Efficient Technology in Commercial Buildings: An Analysis of the Commercial Building Partnerships Program , Chrissi Argyro Antonopoulos (Thesis)

Faulty Measurements and Shaky Tools: An Exploration into Hazus and the Seismic Vulnerabilities of Portland, OR , Brittany Ann Brannon (Thesis)

Sustainable, Affordable Housing for Older Adults: A Case Study of Factors that Affect Development in Portland, Oregon , Alan Kenneth DeLaTorre (Dissertation)

The Historical, Political, Social, and Individual Factors That Have Influenced the Development of Aging and Disability Resource Centers and Options Counseling , Sheryl DeJoy Elliott (Thesis)

Neighborhood Identity and Sustainability: A Comparison Study of Two Neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon , Zachary Lawrence Hathaway (Thesis)

Neighborhood Commercial Corridor Change: Portland, Oregon 1990-2010 , Kelly Ann Howsley-Glover (Dissertation)

Public Space and Urban Life: A Spatial Ethnography of a Portland Plaza , Katrina Leigh Johnston (Thesis)

Green Mind Gray Yard: Micro Scale Assessment of Ecosystem Services , Erin Jolene Kirkpatrick (Thesis)

The Impacts of Urban Renewal: The Residents' Experiences in Qianmen, Beijing, China , Yongxia Kou (Dissertation)

The Dynamics of Creating Strong Democracy in Portland, Oregon : 1974 to 2013 , Paul Roland Leistner (Dissertation)

Neighboring in Strip City: A Situational Analysis of Strip Clubs, Land Use Conflict, and Occupational Health in Portland, Oregon , Moriah McSharry McGrath (Dissertation)

Bicycle Traffic Count Factoring: An Examination of National, State and Locally Derived Daily Extrapolation Factors , Josh Frank Roll (Thesis)

Forming a New Art in the Pacific Northwest: Studio Glass in the Puget Sound Region, 1970-2003 , Marianne Ryder (Dissertation)

Peak of the Day or the Daily Grind: Commuting and Subjective Well-Being , Oliver Blair Smith (Dissertation)

The Metropolitan Dimensions of United States Immigration Policy: A Theoretical and Comparative Analysis , Nicole G. Toussaint (Dissertation)

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Dissertation planning

Information on how to plan and manage your dissertation project.

What is research?

A dissertation project is an opportunity to pursue your own ideas in an environment of relative intellectual freedom.

It also present a number of new challenges relating to the scale, scope and structure of a piece of work that is likely to be more substantial than any you have undertaken before.

These resources will help you to break the process down and explore ways to plan and structure your research and organise your written work.

A research-led university

Sheffield prides itself on being a  research-led university . Crucially, this means that teaching is informed by cutting-edge research in the academic field.

It also means that you are learning in an environment where you develop and use research skills as you progress. The most successful students tend to develop research skills early and use them consistently.

Research in higher education

Research sometimes just means finding out information about a topic. However, in the HE setting, specific understandings of 'research' carry a lot of weight.

The classic definition is that research leads to an original ' contribution to knowledge ' in a particular field of inquiry by defining an important question or problem and then answering or solving it in a systematic way.

You will build this contribution on the foundation of a robust structure of primary and secondary sources and evidence.

Differences across disciplines

Depending on the discipline you work in, there will be different ways of designing and articulating a research problem and different methods for answering these problems.

Not everything about research is 'original'. Sometimes the majority (or even all) of a research project will involve documenting or summarising information or ideas that are already available.

Not all research leads to answers. Sometimes research produces unusable results, or the inquiry leads to only more questions. Sometimes the originality of a research project is that it straddles more than one field of inquiry.

Some examples of approaches to research and what that contribution to knowledge might look like include:

• Explore an under-researched area
• Develop or test out a new methodology or technique
• Extend or develop a previous study
• Review the knowledge thus far in a specific field
• Makes connections between disciplines
• Replicate an existing study/approach in a different setting
• Apply a theoretical idea to a real world problem

This all adds up to the fact that research is a complicated topic that seems to mean a lot to academic experts but is very difficult to understand intimately when you are a novice.

As someone new to research, you will need to do some work to find out how research is conceived of and done in your discipline.

301 Recommends:

Our Dissertation Planning Essentials workshop will look at the initial stages and challenges of preparing for a large-scale dissertation project.

Our Dissertation Writing workshop will break down the process of writing a dissertation and explore approaches to voice and style to help develop a way of writing academically.

Our Creativity and Research interactive workshop looks at how to identify, develop and apply your creativity and innovation skills to the research process, whatever stage you're at. In our Creativity and Problem Solving interactive workshop you'll learn how to identify and develop your creativity and innovation skills, address problems and challenges, explore creative models and strategies, and look at how you can apply this to your academic work.

Our Part 1 workshop on Setting Research Priorities will help to break down the research process by identifying the key information that you need to have in place to develop your project. It will help you to prioritise key tasks and create a project workflow to set targets, track progress and reach key milestones. Part 2 will revisit that workflow to assess progress. It will encourage you to reflect on your project so far, identify opportunities for feedback and review your intermediate targets to ensure that you stay on track towards your deadline.

Explore this Illustrated Guide to a PhD  by Matt Might as a visualisation of research to help you identify how you can develop your research ideas.  

Our Video Dissemination workshop will give you an insight into the best practices for using video to disseminate research and communicate your ideas. It will look at styles, common communication techniques and the pedagogy of visual mediums, as well as top production tips for making your content engaging, informative and professional.

Research proposals

A research proposal often needs to encompass many things: it is part description, part analysis, part review, part guesswork, part advert, part CV.

Writing a research proposal that can achieve all these things is an important first step towards realising your project idea. Your research proposal will allow you to receive some early feedback on your ideas and will act as a guide as you plan and develop your project more fully.

But how can you explain what you hope to discover in the project before you’ve done the research?

There are a number of things that you can do to make sure that your research proposal is professional, realistic and relevant:

• Read around your topic of interest as much as possible. Getting a feel for what other kinds of research have been done will give you a much clearer idea of where your project might fit in. 
• Create a mind map of relevant topics to explore the links and connections between themes. Which branches of your mind map seem most promising as an area for enquiry?
• Be realistic. You may dream of making the next big breakthrough in the field, but this is probably unlikely! Set your self aims and objectives that are realistic within the timescales of your project. 
• Finally, make sure you follow your department guidelines and include everything that you need to in your proposal. 

301 Recommends: Research Project Design Template

Make a copy of this Research project design template (google doc) to capture the key information you need to complete your research proposal.

Research ethics

Whenever you undertake research, no matter what level you are working at, it is always important to consider the immediate and continued impact of your project.

All research should be designed to ensure that individuals involved in the project as subjects or participants are treated with respect and consideration. In practice, this means that:

• Participants have a right to full knowledge about the project and what its results will be used for.
• You should also be mindful of an individual's rights to privacy and confidentiality.
• You should consider the issue of data protection, how you will store project data safely and how long you will need to retain the data
• The physical, emotional and psychological well-being of participants and researchers should be prioritised in your research design.
• Environmental impacts of the research should be considered and mitigated where possible.
• Longer-term impacts, for example, if you are planning to publish findings from the project, should also be considered. 

It is perhaps easy to think that working directly with living participants raises the most pressing ethical questions.

However, you equally need to give very important consideration to the ethics of working in text-based subjects, especially when considering unpublished material (see also copyright).

Your department will have its own guidelines on the area of research ethics and you should certainly consult your tutor or supervisor as s/he will be able to give you detailed topic-specific guidance. More more guidance on ethics in research, visit Research Services Ethics and Integrity pages here . 

Project management

The key to completing a research project successfully is to invest time in planning and organising your project.

A student research project, whether a dissertation or a research placement, will usually involve tight timescales and deadlines. Given the wealth of tasks involved in a typical dissertation project, this can seriously limit the time available for actual data collection or research. 

Setting yourself clear and achievable aims and objectives will help to ensure that the project is manageable within the timeframe available.

As an early stage of the planning process, have a go at breaking your project down into its constituent parts: i.e. all of the tasks that you will need to complete between now and the deadline. How long will each of them take? For example:

Every project will have its own specific tasks, but breaking them down in this way will allow you to start planning ahead, adding milestones to your calendar and chipping away at the project task by task. 

301 Recommends: Trello

Trello is an online planning tool that allows you to create a project workflow. It is a simple and accessible tool that allows you to set yourself deadlines, colour code tasks and share your project plan with collaborators. View our example Dissertation Planning Trello board here and some guidance for students on using Trello (Linked In Learning) .

Working with your supervisor

Your supervisor will be your first point of contact for advice on your project and to help you to resolve issues arising. 

Remember, your supervisor will have a busy schedule and may be supervising several students at once. Although they will do their best to support you, they may not be able to get back to you right away and may be limited in their availability to meet you. 

There are a number of things that you can do to make the most out of the relationship. Some strategies to consider include:

• Share plans/ideas/work-in-progress with your supervisor early 
• Plan for meetings, sketch out an informal agenda 
• Write down your main questions before the meeting. Don’t leave without answers!
• Be receptive to feedback and criticism
• Take notes/record the meeting on a smartphone with your supervisor’s permission!)

301 recommends: Supervisor and supervisee relationships interactive digital workshop

This interactive resource will help you to develop a positive and productive working relationship with your supervisor. 

Top Tips and resources

• Read other dissertations from students in your department/discipline to get an idea of how similar projects are organised and presented. 
• Break your project down into its constituent parts and treat each chapter as an essay in its own right.
• Choose a topic that interests you and will sustain your interest, not just for a few days, but for a few months!
• Write up as you go along - writing can and should be part of all stages of the diissertation planning and developing process. 
• Keep good records – don’t throw anything out!
• If in doubt, talk to your supervisor.

Internal resources

• Library -  Research and Critical Thinking Resources
• Library –  Digital Skills for Dissertations : Information, resources and training on developing your dissertation projects, including finding and referencing sources, your literature review and creating and using images and infographics.
• ELTC -  Writing Advisory Service
• 301 -  Dissertation Essentials lecture recording
• 301 -  Dissertation Writing lecture recording

External resources

• The Theis Whisperer -  Writing Blog
• Gradhacker -  When it comes to dissertations, done is best

Related information

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Dissertation Planner: Dissertation Planner

Dissertation planner.

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This Dissertation Planner is a step-by-step guide to help you write a dissertation from starting to think about your question through to final submission. At each stage you will find useful tips and support. You can return to the planner by bookmarking the URL. 

• Last Updated: Mar 13, 2024 3:14 PM
• URL: https://library.soton.ac.uk/sash/dissertation-planner

What’s Included: The Dissertation Template

If you’re preparing to write your dissertation, thesis or research project, our free dissertation template is the perfect starting point. In the template, we cover every section step by step, with clear, straightforward explanations and examples .

The template’s structure is based on the tried and trusted best-practice format for formal academic research projects such as dissertations and theses. The template structure reflects the overall research process, ensuring your dissertation or thesis will have a smooth, logical flow from chapter to chapter.

The dissertation template covers the following core sections:

• The title page/cover page
• Abstract (sometimes also called the executive summary)
• Table of contents
• List of figures /list of tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction  (also available: in-depth introduction template )
• Chapter 2: Literature review  (also available: in-depth LR template )
• Chapter 3: Methodology (also available: in-depth methodology template )
• Chapter 4: Research findings /results (also available: results template )
• Chapter 5: Discussion /analysis of findings (also available: discussion template )
• Chapter 6: Conclusion (also available: in-depth conclusion template )
• Reference list

Each section is explained in plain, straightforward language , followed by an overview of the key elements that you need to cover within each section. We’ve also included practical examples to help you understand exactly what’s required in each section.

The cleanly-formatted Google Doc can be downloaded as a fully editable MS Word Document (DOCX format), so you can use it as-is or convert it to LaTeX.

FAQs: Dissertation Template

What format is the template (doc, pdf, ppt, etc.).

The dissertation template is provided as a Google Doc. You can download it in MS Word format or make a copy to your Google Drive. You’re also welcome to convert it to whatever format works best for you, such as LaTeX or PDF.

What types of dissertations/theses can this template be used for?

The template follows the standard best-practice structure for formal academic research projects such as dissertations or theses, so it is suitable for the vast majority of degrees, particularly those within the sciences.

Some universities may have some additional requirements, but these are typically minor, with the core structure remaining the same. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to double-check your university’s requirements before you finalise your structure.

Will this work for a research paper?

A research paper follows a similar format, but there are a few differences. You can find our research paper template here .

Is this template for an undergrad, Masters or PhD-level thesis?

This template can be used for a dissertation, thesis or research project at any level of study. It may be slight overkill for an undergraduate-level study, but it certainly won’t be missing anything.

How long should my dissertation/thesis be?

This depends entirely on your university’s specific requirements, so it’s best to check with them. As a general ballpark, Masters-level projects are usually 15,000 – 20,000 words in length, while Doctoral-level projects are often in excess of 60,000 words.

What about the research proposal?

If you’re still working on your research proposal, we’ve got a template for that here .

We’ve also got loads of proposal-related guides and videos over on the Grad Coach blog .

How do I write a literature review?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack how to write a literature review from scratch. You can check out the literature review section of the blog here.

How do I create a research methodology?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack research methodology, both qualitative and quantitative. You can check out the methodology section of the blog here.

Can I share this dissertation template with my friends/colleagues?

Yes, you’re welcome to share this template. If you want to post about it on your blog or social media, all we ask is that you reference this page as your source.

Can Grad Coach help me with my dissertation/thesis?

Within the template, you’ll find plain-language explanations of each section, which should give you a fair amount of guidance. However, you’re also welcome to consider our dissertation and thesis coaching services .

University Library

Master’s Theses in Urban and Regional Planning

A chronological checklist.

The following are links to pages with basic details about Masters’ theses  from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Please see Find Dissertations for more details about locating Masters’ theses in general.   Check the online catalog of IDEALS for Masters’ theses not listed here.

Most call numbers and locations are given after each entry and linked to the online catalog; if not available, search the online catalog under author or title.

Kim, Junghwan. Developing a new job accessibility measurement based on crowdsourced traffic data and GTFS / by Junghwan Kim. Found in IDEALS

Martinez, Susan.

Qayyum, Faizann. Group violence and planning: State and grassroots processes, politics, & outcomes for the Hazara in Quetta / By Faizann Qayum. Found in IDEALS

Roldan, Aline Mazeto. Imagination in the public domain: The case of the homeless workers movement (MTST) in São Paulo, Brazil / by Aline Mazeto Roldan. Found in IDEALS

Sharma, Sukanya. Impact of short term rentals on the rental affordability in San Francisco – the case of Airbnb / by Sukanya Sharma. Found in IDEALS

Wang, Yiyuan. Residential location choices of millennials: Evidence from the urbanized area of Chicago / by Yiyuan Wang. Found in IDEALS

Zaghloul, Tooma. Reflecting on urban resilience based on analyses of al-Zaa’tari Camp for Syrian refugees in al-Mafraq, Jordan / by Tooma Zaghloul. Found in IDEALS

Chistyakov, Ilya Konstantinovich. Development of an alternative approach to transit demand modeling/ by Ilya Konstantinovich Chistyakov. Found in IDEALS

Hsu, Janice A. Globalization, land expropriation, and community resistance: a case study in Wanbao community, Miaoli County, Taiwan/ by Janice Hsu. Found in IDEALS

Kaur, Gurdeep. Increasing social equity in transport planning: a case study in Fortaleza, Brazil / by Gurdeep Kaur. Found in IDEALS

Martins Da Costa, Marcus Vinicius. Merging walkability into tax increment financing: Champaign-IL downtown fringe TIF district case demonstration / by Marcus Vinicius Martins Da Costa. Found in IDEALS

Pan, Haozhi. Advancing PSS with complex urban systems sciences and scalable spatio-temporal models / by Haozhi Pan. Found in IDEALS

Yamano, Norihiko. Development of global inter-country inter-industry system for various policy perspectives / by Norihiko Yamano. Found in IDEALS

Yu, Chenxi. Three papers in urban and regional economic and development / by Chenxi Yu. Found in IDEALS

Gilbert, Dominique Synove. Can the urban forest be managed got lumber values without compromising ecosystem values?/ by Dominique Synove Gilbert. Found in IDEALS

Urban, Angela Bernadette. Wasted treasure in the trash: evaluating the diversion and reduction systems of food waste in an institutional setting based on environmental, economic, and social implications/ by Angela Bernadette Urban. Found in IDEALS

Chantrill, Carolina. Grand Calumet: the linkages between environmental justice, vulnerability and environmental governance/ by Carolina Chantrill. Found in IDEALS

Contractor, Annie. Greenwashing? the global rise of sustainability and forced housing displacement in Fortaleza, Brazil/ by Annie Contractor. Found in IDEALS

Kim, Woo-Lack.  How do Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects trigger revitalization in shrinking cities? A case of St. Louis, MO.   Found in IDEALS

Prochaska, Natalie. Bristol Place Neighborhood Plan: urban renewal in post-Kelo fiscal policy space/ by Natalie Prochaska. Found in IDEALS

Chintamaneni, Vaneeta. Water supply development amidst growing scarcity: a case study of the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project/ by Vaneeta Chintamaneni. Found in IDEALS

Jiang, Wenjing. Towns Undergoing Changes: a case study on the recovery after the Wenchuan earthquake, China/ by Wenjing Jiang.  Found in IDEALS

Lee, Christina. Risky Business: the foreclosure crisis, Asian Americans, and Asian American-serving community-based organizations/ by Christina Lee.  Found in IDEALS

Lee, Yongsung. Are land use planning and gasoline price increase mutually supportive in getting more transit riders in the US urbanized areas? / by Yongsung Lee.  Found in IDEALS

Dong, Xin. Post-disaster recovery planning and sustainable development – a lesson from the Wenchuan earthquake, China, 2008  /  by Xin Dong  .  Found in IDEALS

Gomez, Janel. Vertical Equity in property taxation : a spatial analysis of Proposition 13 in San Diego County, California / by Janel Gomez.  Found in IDEALS

Mattos, Luciana M. Spatial segregation in medium cities during the 1990s: the case of Ribeirão Preto, SP – Brazil / by Luciana M. Mattos.  Found in IDEALS

Pritchett, Regina K. Land titling as women’s empowerment: critical observations from Recife Brazil / by Regina K. Pritchett.  Found in IDEALS

Sherman, Stephen A. The effects of elite-led power sharing on postconflict urban reconstruction: consociationalism and the Mostar case / by Stephen A. Sherman.  Found in IDEALS

Yu, Chenxi. Does the business cycle matter for convergence testing? Evidence from U.S. commuting zone level data, 1973-2007 / by Chenxi Yu.   Found in IDEALS

Drigo, Marina V. Why Use Agent-Based Models To Explore Social Issues? The Case Of Intimate Partner Violence and Social Support Systems / by Marina V. Drigo.  Found in IDEALS

Gamal, Ahmad. Appropriating decentralization: how urban poverty project triggers advocacy / by Ahmad Gamal.  Found in IDEALS

Vaishnav, Maulik P. Opportunities and obstacles in obtaining air connectivity for the residents of federally designated essential air service communities / by Maulik P. Vaishnav.  Found in IDEALS

Bjerkaas, Todd Philip. Walking Euclid, greening seaside : incorporating pedestrians and stormwater into today’s city planning / by Todd Philip Bjerkaas. 2008. v, 41 leaves, bound ill., maps (some col.) ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 28-30).  Q. 711.40977389 B555w

Rahe, Mallory L. Real eutopia : can we learn from persistently prosperous places? / by Mallory L. Rahe. iii, 107 leaves, bound ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-107). Thesis (M.S.)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008.  Q. 338.1 Tbm08r

Cornillie, Thomas. Costs and control in a half-century of commuter rail policy / by Thomas Cornillie. 2007. iii, 42 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 40-42). Q. 388.4 C815c

Kim, Jae Hong. Site redevelopment and recovery from the shock of a base closure / by Jae Hong Kim.  Thesis (M.U.P.)– University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006.  vii, 76 leaves, bound ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-67) Theses –UIUC –2006 –Urban Planning. Printout.  Q. 355.7 K571s

Sampaio, Clarissa Figueiredo. Urban development and increased socio-spatial inequalities in Fortaleza, Brazil : the role of planning / by Clarissa Figueiredo Sampaio. Thesis (M.S.)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2003. vi, 99 leaves, bound : ill. (some col.) maps ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-99). Theses–UIUC–2003–Urban Planning. Printout. /  Q. 307.12098131 Sa472u

Feng, Lei. A virtual-world tool for testing urban design decisions / by Lei Feng. Thesis (M.U.P.)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2002. iv, 87 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-46). Theses–UIUC–2002–Urban and Regional Planning. Printout. /  Q. 006.7 F356v

Brooks, Joi. Habitat conservation plans as a means of land use planning for endangered species in northeastern Illinois / by Joi Brooks. 2001. iv, 83 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Theses–UIUC–2001–Urban Planning. Printout. Thesis (MUP)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-81). /  Q. 333.95416 B791h

Shah, Swasti. Geographic information systems : a tool for community participation in planning / by Swasti Shah. 2001. v, 57 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Theses–UIUC–2001–Urban Planning. Printout. Thesis (MUP)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-57). /  Q. 711 Sh133g

Bavikatte, Ramya Shivakumar. Fusing the best elements of centrally and collectively managed irrigation institutions : a study of irrigation management in the indigenous community of Cuzalapa, Sierra de Manantlan Biosphere Reserve, Mexico / by Ramya Shivakumar Bavikatte. 2000. 97 p. : ill., maps ; 28 cm. Printout. Thesis (MUP)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2000. Includes bibliographical references. (p. 95-97). 1. Irrigation–Mexico–Management. 2. Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra de Manantlán (Mexico) Other: 1. Theses–UIUC–2000–Urban Planning.  333.9130972 B329f

Haddad, Monica Amaral. Metropolitan governance and the response to the low-income housing problem : a comparative analysis / by Monica Amaral Haddad. 2000. vi, 77 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Printout. Theses–UIUC–2000–Urban Planning. Metropolitan governance and the response to the low income housing problem. Thesis (MUP)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2000. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-76).  Q. 363.510981 H117m

Carvajal N., Ana Maria. Evaluating the impact of rail-trail conversion projects on property values : empirical evidence from the Illinois Prairie Path / by Ana Maria Carvajal N. 1999. vi, 37 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. Printout. Thesis (MUP)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1999. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 34-37). 1. Rail-trails–Illinois–Economic aspects. 2. Real property–Valuation–Illinois. 3. Illinois Prairie Path (Ill.) Other: 1. Theses–UIUC–1999–Urban Planning.  796.509773 C253e ;   Found in IDEALS

Saylor, William F. Implementation of the S02 emission allowance trading program of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 / by William F. Saylor III. 1999. vi, 82 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. On t.p. “2” is subscript. Printout. Thesis (MUP)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1999. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-69). 1. United States. Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. 2. Air–Pollution–Law and legislation–United States. 3. Air quality management–United States. Other: 1. Theses–UIUC–1999–Urban Planning.  Q.344.046342 Sa99i

Shankar, Raja. Modeling urban systems on the World Wide Web : public decision-making through informed citizen participation / by Raja Shankar. 1999. vii, 94 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Thesis (MUP)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1999. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 37-39). Other: 1. Theses–UIUC–1999–Urban Planning.  Q. 712 Sh18m

Townsend, Melissa Sharon. Politics, participation, and neighborhood planning : a case study of a public-private neighborhood planning intiative / by Melissa Sharon Townsend. 1999. viii, 165 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Printout. Thesis (M.U.P.)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1999. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-165). Other: 1. Theses–UIUC–1999–Urban Planning. Q. 307.12162 T665p

Cederoth, Margaret L. Community participation in the Oukala Project, Tunis, Tunisia : NGO utility as community participation device / by Margaret L. Cederoth. 1998. vii, 101 leaves, bound : ill., maps ; 29 cm. Printout. Thesis (MUP)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-101). 1. Non-governmental organizations–Tunisia–Tunis. 2. Community development, Urban–Tunisia–Tunis. 3. Housing–Tunisia–Tunis.  Q. 307.141609611 C326c

Mitra, Paromita. Floodplain forest growth simulation : a study of the Illinois River floodplain forests / by Paromita Mitra. 1998. v, 33 leaves ; 28 cm. Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 31-33). Thesis (MUP)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998. 1. Floodplain forestry–Illinois. 2. Illinois River Valley–Environmental conditions. Other: 1. Theses–UIUC–1998–Urban Planning.  Q. 577.66097735M697f

Willers, Heidi Yvonne. The price effects of an urban growth boundary fifteen years later / by Heidi Yvonne Willers. 1998. iv, 32 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 31-32). Theses –UIUC –1998 –Urban and Regional Planning. Printout.  Q. 333.7309795 W667p

Walker, Roxanne Marie. “Vision for the future” : a history of a pivotal period of federal land management in the greater Yellowstone area / by Roxanne Marie Walker. 1997. xii, 221 leaves, bound: ill. ; $c 28 cm. Printout. Thesis (MUP)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1997. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 197-221). 1. Yellowstone National Park (Wyo.)–Environmental conditions. 2. Ecosystem management–Wyoming–Case studies.  Q.333.783W153v

Agrawal, Bithi. Use of optimal control in a population growth model / by Bithi Agrawal. 1996. ix, 97 leaves, bound : maps (some col.) ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-63). Cities and towns –India –Growth. Migration, Internal –India. Urbanization –India. India –Population –Mathematical models. Theses –UIUC –1996 –Urban Planning. Printout.  Q. 304.620954 AG81U

Mukherjee, Jaideep. Environment and development: a study of north-south conflict / by Jaideep Mukherjee. 1996. xvii, 274 leaves, bound : ill. ; 28 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 264-268).  Q. 333.70285 M896E

Ogbuchiekwe, Edmund Jekwu. Race and economic development : an analysis of East St. Louis and other African-American communities in Illinois / by Edmund Jekwu Ogbuchiekwe. 1996. v, 40 leaves, bound : ill. ; 28 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 38-39). Theses –UIUC –1996 –Urban Planning. Printout.  Q. 338.9008996 OG1R

Pant, Arun Dev. Integrating geographical information systems in formulating urban growth management policies : an empirical study in determining vacant land activity in urban area / by Arun Dev Pant. 1996. v, 60 leaves, bound : ill. ; 28 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-60). Theses –UIUC –1996 –Urban Planning. Printout.  Q. 307.1416 D49i

Weissman, Lawrence B. Evaluating manufactured housing as a development tool for the city of East Saint Louis, Illinois / by Lawrence B. Weissman. 1996. 60 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-43).  Q.711.59W436e

Brodjonegoro, Bambang. Implementation of bilevel programming in calibrating congestion function : a case of Jawa, Indonesia / by Bambang Brodjonegoro. 1995. vii, 82 leaves, bound : ill. ; 28 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-82). Traffic congestion –Indonesia –Jawa –Case studies. Programming (Mathematics). Transportation –Indonesia –Jawa –Case studies. Printout.  Q. 388.31409598 B784I

Ritz, Thomas George. Harbison, South Carolina and Seaside, Florida : an examination of two successful new towns / by Thomas George Ritz. 1995. vi, 182 leaves : maps ; 28 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-182). 1. New towns–South Carolina–Harbison. 2. New towns–Florida–Seaside.  711.450975R519H

Snider, Paige Anne. Local economic development in the Czech Republic / by Paige Anne Snider. 1995. iii, 70 leaves, bound : ill. ; 28 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-70).  Q. 338.9437 SN32L

Bancroft, Robyn Gayl. The viability of resident initiatives in family public housing as opportunities for social, economic and physical development / by Robyn Gayl Bancroft. 1994. xiv, 144 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-144). 1. Poor–Housing–Illinois–Case studies. 2. Public housing–Resident satisfaction–Illinois–Case studies. I. Title.  Q.363.58509773B221V

Choate, Connie Lynn. The Ransom Place information system : a hypermedia system for preservation planning / by Connie Lynn Choate. 1994. ix, 82 leaves : ill., maps ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographic references (leaves 81-82) 1. City planning–Computer programs 2. Historic preservation– Indiana–Indianapolis.  Q.363.69097725C451R

Genskow, Kenneth Dean. Nonpoint source pollution : implications of Clean Water Act revisions on Army combat training and land management / by Kenneth Dean Genskow. 1994. viii, 89 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographic references (leaves 50-52). 1. United States. Army–Maneuvers–Environmental aspects 2Liability for water pollution damages–United States 3. Water– Pollution–United States–Law and legislation.  Q.344.046343G288N

Temperley, Sylvia Mary. Using citizen survey results in policy formation / by Sylvia Mary Temperley. 1994. v, 55 leaves ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-55). 1. City planning–Illinois–Champaign County–Surveys. 2. City planning–Citizen participation.  Q.711.40977366T246U

Herfort, Inge. Public support for mass transit in Champaign- Urbana, Illinois : a case study / by Inge Herfort. 1993. vii, 190 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 183-190). 1. Local transit–Public opinion– Illinois –Urbana. 2. Local transit–Public opinion– Illinois– Champaign.  Q.388.4H421P

Maher, Mary Genevieve. The effects of tax increment financing on school revenues in Illinois / by Mary Genevieve Maher. 1993. iii, 45 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 43-45) 1. Education–Finance. 2. Tax increment financing–Illinois.  Q.336.22M277E

Moore, Lisa Christine. The use of citizen participation in the design of land evaluation and site assessment systems (LESA) in Illinois / by Lisa Christine Moore. 1993. v, 80 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-80). 1. Land use, Rural–Planning–Illinois–Citizen participation.  Q.333.76160977M784U

Ortiz, Alexandra. The determinants of residential population density and the effects of land use regulation / by Alexandra Ortiz. 1993. iv, 52 leaves, bound : maps ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 38-39). 1. Zoning. 2. Population density–Mathematical models.  Q.307.33616OR8D

Adanri, Adebayo Adepoju. Institutional lending in urban residential neighborhoods : an analysis of the home mortgage market in the Champaign-Urbana MSA, Illinois / by Adebayo Adepoju Adanri. 1992. v, 34 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 31-34). 1. Housing–Illinois–Champaign–Financing. 2. Housing– Illinois–Urbana–Financing. 3. Mortgages — Illinois– Urbana. 4. Mortgages — Illinois –Champaign.  Q.332.722AD19I

Exo, John F. Determining program effectiveness : a suggested framework for designing evaluations of Wisconsin’s Nonpoint Source Pollution Abatement Projects / by John F. Exo. 1992. iv, 107 leaves, bound : ill., maps ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-107). 1. Water quality management — Wisconsin –Evaluation. 2. Water– Pollution–Wisconsin.  Q.363.73946EX67D

Hene, David Frank. Comprehensive planning in an airport environment : a recommendation for Chicago’s third airport / by David Frank Hene. 1992. vii, 79 leaves, bound : ill., maps, charts ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographic references (leaves 76-79). 1. Airports–Illinois–Chicago–Planning. 2. Airport noise– Illinois–Chicago.  Q.711.78H386C

Johnson, Erik O. Illinois municipal planning department use of geographic information systems / by Erik O. Johnson. 1992. viii, 117 leaves, bound : ill., forms ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-117). 1. Geographic information systems. 2. City planning — Illinois — Data processing.  Q.910.285J631I

Schintler, Laurie Anne. The use of optimal control in determining congestion minimization strategies / by Laurie Anne Schintler. 1992. vii, 56 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-56). 1. Traffic engineering–Mathematical models. 2. Traffic flow– mathematical models. 3. Traffic congestion–Mathematical models.  Q.388.4131SCH34U

Shafiq, Ishaq. Economic development in East St. Louis : the Carl Officer administration, 1979-1991 / by Ishaq Shafiz. 1992. iv, 59 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographic references. 1. Economic development — Case studies. 2. Community development, Urban–Illinois–East St. Louis–Case studies. 3. East St. Louis (Illinois)–Economic policy.  Q.307.7609773SH13E

Wilcoxen, David Benedict. State governmental organization, strategic planning, and environmental quality / by David Benedict Wilcoxen. 1992. iv, 89 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-76). 1. Environmental impact analysis–Planning. 2. Environmental policy–Illinois. 3. Environmental protection–Planning. 4. Environmental policy–Wisconsin. 5. Environmental policy–Minnesota. I. Title.  Q.363.70977W643S

Braunfeld, Kenneth Richard. The impact of crime prevention and defensible space theory and research on planning practice in Illinois / by Kenneth Richard Braunfeld. 1991. vii, 97 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographic references (leaves 94-97). 1. Crime prevention and architectural design–Illinois.  Q.364.49B738I

Cohen, David Louis. The Reading Terminal Market : its role in the history of public markets in central Philadelphia / by David Louis Cohen. 1991. viii, 87 leaves, bound : maps ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-87). 1. Reading Terminal Market (Philadelphia, Penn). 2. Markets– Pennsylvania–Philadelphia–History.  Q.711.55220974C66R

Kalogeresis, Nicholas Peter. Transfer of development rights in Chicago central area historic preservation : analysis of feasibility. 1991. viii, 83 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-83). 1. Historic buildings–Conservation and restoration–Illinois– Chicago. 2. Development rights transfer–United States. 3. Development rights transfer–Illinois–Chicago.  Q.363.69097731K127T

Lateef, Imran. Wetlands in Illinois : a methodology for the calculation of their flood control benefits / by Imran Lateef. 1991. iv, 94 leaves, bound : maps ; 29 cm. 1 map, 41 x 26 cm. folded to 21 x 15 cm in pocket. Includes bibliographic references (leaves 34-36). 1. Wetland conservation–Law and legislation. 2. Wetland conservation–Economic aspects.  Q.333.91816L343W

Demeroukas, Catherine Rosemary Huff. Manifest destiny : problems of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act manifest regulations / by Catherine Rosemary Huff Demeroukas. 1990. v, 82 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographic references (leaves 79-82). 1. United States. Resource conservation and recovery act of 19762. Hazardous wastes — Transportation– Law and legislation–United States.  Q.363.7287D394M

Doak, Jill Ann. Regional economic development marketing : process, preparation and organization / by Jill Ann Doak. 1990. v, 83 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 79-83. 1. Regional planning–Illinois–Economic aspects.  Q.338.9773D65R

Elliff, Brian E. Solving institutionalized constraints that affect federal urban programs : a HUD overview / by Brian E. Elliff. 1990. vi, 65 leaves, bound : ill. (some col.) ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-61). 1. United States. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. 2. Urban policy–United States.  Q.352.9418EL55S

Freiberg, Steven Richard. Improvements in military construction methods through the design build process / by Steven Richard Freiberg. 1990. vii, 107 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 105-107. 1. United States. Army. Corps of Engineers — Military construction operations. 2. Architectural practice. 3. Military architecture.  Q.358.22F881I

Gayda, Kathy Smith. What concerns elderly subsidized housing residents? : responses to an optional unstructured survey question / by Kathy Smith Gayda. 1990. viii, 155 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-155). 1. Aged–Illinois–Dwellings. 2. Housing surveys–Illinois.  Q.363.5946G254W

Getz, Jay Curtis. The progressive technician and Mr. Urban Renewal : Lawrence Veiller, Edward Logue, and the evolution of planning for low-income housing / by Jay Curtis Getz. 1990. v, 155 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-155). 1. Veiller, Lawrence, 1872-1959. 2. Logue, Edward J., 1921- 3. City planning–United States — History–20th century.  Q.307.1216G335P

Robertson, Mary Adamo. External and internal factors influencing knowledge of solid waste management planning / by Mary Adamo Robertson. 1990. v, 84 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographic references (leaves 66-77). 1. Refuse and refuse disposal — Illinois — Management.  Q.363.7287068R545E

Saylor, William F. Implementation of the So2 emission allowance trading program of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 / by William F. Saylor III. vi, 82 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-69).  Q. 344.046342 Sa99i

Smith, Janet Lynn. The role of transitional housing programs in creating access to permanent housing for homeless women / by Janet Lynn Smith. 1990. v, 149 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-102). 1. Homeless women–United States 2. Shelters for the homeless– United States.  Q.363.592SM61R

Budic, Zorica D. Implementation and evaluation of an expert system for archaeological assessment of urban planning projects / by Zorica D. Budic. 1989. vii, 123 leaves ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographic references (leaves 77-81). 1. Expert systems (Computer science). 2. City planning–Data processing.  Q.307.12160285B859I

Chinn, Joseph Jerome. Economic impacts of property tax abatements and tax increment financing on the public and private sectors / by Joseph Jerome Chinn. 1989. iv, 60 leaves, bound : 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Industry–Location. 2. Tax increment financing — United States. 3. Property tax credit — United States.  Q.338.6042C441E

Powers, Claire. Effects of economic development programs on the manufacturing industry : public policy implications / by Claire Powers. 1989. iii, 55 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Manufactures. 2. Economic development projects. 3. East Saint Louis (Ill.) — Economic conditions.  Q.338.4767P872E

Spiegel, Daniel Loren. Closing a military base and the community level economic impact : Chanute AFB and the Village of Rantoul, Illinois / by Daniel Loren Spiegel. 1989. vii, 108 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 89-92. 1. Air bases–Illinois–Rantoul–Economic aspects. 2. Rantoul (Ill.)–Economic conditions. 3. Chanute Air Force Base (Ill.).  Q.330.977366SP43C

Stoffel, Bruce Rothel. The enterprise zone as a supply-side response to central city distress : a framework for the design, administration, and evaluation of geographically- targeted financial incentives for business investment / by Bruce Rothel Stoffel. 1989. v, 43 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 41-43. 1. Enterprise zones–United States.  Q.307.340973ST66E

Aegerter, John Fred. Inglewood and Park View : a look at urban expansion and early subdivision in Salt Lake City’s original agricultural plats / by John Fred Aegerter. 1988. iv, 104 leaves, bound : maps ; 29 cm. Theses–UIUC–1988–Urban and Regional Planning. City planning–Utah–Salt Lake City–History. Salt Lake City (Utah)–History. Typescript. Thesis (M.U.P.)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1988.  Q. 711.40979225 AE23I

Ahern, Cecily P. The economics of preservation : an empirical analysis of the impact of historic district designation on property value in a Chicago neighborhood / by Cecily Pauline Ahern. 1988. viii, 60 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Historic buildings– Illinois — Chicago– Conservation and restoration –Economic aspects.  Q.363.69097731AH34E

Ali, Aznan B. Squatter settlements study of Kuala Lumpur : a proposal on squatter management plan / by Aznan B. Ali. 1988. iv, 54 leaves, bound : maps ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Squatter settlements–Malaysia. I. Title  Q.363.509595AL1S

Bastyr, Linda Diane. The role of history in city image / by Linda Diane Bastyr. 1988. iv, 29 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. City planning. 2. Urban economics. 3. Cities and towns– History. Q.307.76B298R / CPX ; 1988B298 / RBT

Cherniak, Theresa Anne. Trends in infrastructure financing in California / by Theresa Anne Cherniak. 1988. v, 95 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Infrastructure (Economics) — California — Finance.  Q.352.109794C423T

Douglas, Judy C. Traffic changes and land use impacts : Carbondale, Illinois / by Judy Carol Douglas. 1988. vii, 62 leaves, bound : maps ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Land use, Urban–Illinois–Carbondale. 2. One-way streets– Illinois–Carbondale.  Q.388.41109773D746T

Erb, Clinton Parker. International environmental impact assessment (IEIA) : an institutional approach / by Clinton Parker Erb. 1988. vii, 67 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Environmental impact analysis.  Q.720.954M725E

Forrest, Russell William. Contribution of phosphorus and nitrogen from point and nonpoint sources in Illinois stream ecosystems / by Russell William Forrest. 1988. vii, 51 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Water–Pollution–Illinois. 2. Sewage– Environmental aspects. 3. Stream ecology –Illinois.  Q.333.916214F761C

Halverson, James Edwin. A multiattribute analysis investigating the desirability of utilizing FGD and FBC technology to abate acid deposition precursors / by James Edwin Halverson. 1988. v, 114 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Acid deposition–Prevention.  Q.628.52H169M

Harman Shah, Abdul Hadi B. Inquiring into the Malaysian planning system : a case study : KEJORA regional authority / by Abdul Hadi B. Harman Shah. 1988. vii, 175 leaves, bound : maps. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 172-175. 1. KEJORA Regional Authority (Malaysia). 2. Regional planning– Malaysia.  Q.711.3095951H227I

Jayne, Wendy Louise. Preservation planning workshops: an evaluation / by Wendy Louise Jayne. 1988. iii, 51 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 50-51.  Q. 711.40711 J337P

Mohd Noording, Md. Nazri. Elements of Malaysia architectural heritage and principles for assimilation / by Md. Nazri Mohd Noording. 1988. x, 97 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references.  Q. 720.954 M725E

Omar, Mohd Zaki. Urban planning practice in Malaysia : case study, Urban Development Authority / by Mohd Zaki Omar. 1988. viii, 68 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographic references. 1. Urban Development Authority (Malaysia). 2. City planning — Malaysia — Case studies.  Q.307.1209595OM1U

Petritsi, Hrissoula. Evaluating the impact of financial incentives on regional economic growth / by Hrissoula Petritsi. 1988. iii, 57 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 55-57.  Q. 388.9 P448E

Stocum, Laura Berry. Lessons of the site : evaluating campus heritage / by Laura Berry Stocum. 1988. iii, 55 leaves, bound : ill., plans ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 2. Historic buildings — Illinois — Champaign –Conservation and restoration. 3. Historic buildings — Illinois — Urbana — Conservation and restoration.  Q.363.69097736ST62L

Williams, John James. Planning and education at the grassroots level in South Africa / by John James Williams. 1988. iii, 46 leaves, bound ; 28 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-46).  Q. 379.68 W673P

Desatnik, Brian Alan. Section 8 existing housing program in Chicago in Champaign County / by Brian Alan Desatnik. iii, 40 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 39-40.  Q. 363.58097736 D451S

Kennedy, Mark Aylsworth. The development of religiously-affiliated neighborhood development organizations / by Mark Aylsworth Kennedy. 1987. ix, 79 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 76-77. 1. Community organizations–Illinois–Chicago–case studies. 2. Church and social problems.  Q.361.75K385D

Pratt, Dana L. The National Register as a data base for preservation planning / by Dana L. Pratt. 1987. viii, 111 leaves, bound : ill., maps, forms ; 29 cm. Eight folded leaves of forms, in 2 envelopes. Typescript. Thesis (M.U.P.)–University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1987. Bibliography: leaves 84-86. 1. National Register of Historic Places. 2. Historic buildings– Conservation and preservation. Other: 1. Theses–UIUC–1987–Urban Planning  Q.720.288P888N

Blackstone, Mary Elizabeth. Guiding principles for restoring liveability to distressed neighborhoods / by Mary Elizabeth Blackstone. 1986. iii, 47 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 42-47. 1. Urban renewal–United States. Q.711.5B567G

Bloomquist, Kim Michael. A technique for defining regions of influence for use in socioeconomic impact analysis / by Kim Michael Bloomquist. 1986. viii, 62 leaves, bound : ill., maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 59-62. 1. Environmantal impact analysis–United States–Case studies. 2. Planning–Economic aspects–United States–Mathematical models. 3. Environment impact analysis–United States–Mathematical models. 4. Planning–Social aspects–United States–Mathematical models. Q.711.14072B623T

Choi, Mack Joong. Optimal lot size and configuration with zoning constraints / by Mack Joong Choi. 1986. iv, 31 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaf 31. 1. Real estate development–Mathematical models. Q.333.38C452O

DuBoe, Robert Neil. An American housing association model : local non-profit administration and reduced federal funding / by Robert Neil DuBoe. 1986. ix, 101 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 98-101. 1. Housing policy–United States. 2. Public housing–United States. 3. Housing–United States. Q.363.580973D852A

Hogue, James Michael. Integrated hazardous waste management : an alternative to landfilling / by James Michael Hogue. 1986. v, 66 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. “State of Illinois hazardous waste management program” : leaves 57-63. Bibliography: leaves 55-56. 1. Hazardous wastes–Illinois–Management. Q.363.7280973H679I

Rediehs, Christopher Robert. Churches, planning, and population growth / by Christopher Robert Rediehs. 1986. iv, 47 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 46-47. 1. Churches–United States–Planning. 2. Church growth. Q.307.12R248C

Wheeler, Irving W. Municipal extraterritorial land development in Illinois / by Irving W. Wheeler. 1986. v, 47 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 43-47. 1. Real estate development–Illinois. 2. Land use–Illinois– Planning. 3. Municipal powers and services beyond corporate limits– Illinois. 4. City planning–Illinois–Legal status, laws, etc. Q.711.409773W564M

Buckley, Mary Virginia. Cultural resource planning for national parks / by Mary Virginia Buckley. 1985. vii, 33 leaves, bound : map ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaf 33. 1. Conservation of natural resources.  Q.333.78B856C

Carlson, Walter Carl. Alternative methods of financing public waterway improvement projects in the United States / by Walter Carl Carlson. 1985. viii, 253 leaves, bound : maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 247-253. 1. Waterways–United States–Finance. 2. Waterways–United States–Maintenance and repair. 3. Inland navigation–United States–Finance.  Q.386.10973C197A

Colbert, Bruce Alan. The Panagia Transfer of Development Rights Plan / by Bruce Alan Colbert. 1985. ix, 75 leaves, bound : ill., maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 68-75. 1. Development rights transfer–Greece–Kavala. 2. Historic buildings–Greece–Kavala–Conservation and restoration.  Q.333.337C671P

Duncan, Michael Joseph. Economic transformation : impacts on cities and workers / by Michael Joseph Duncan. 1985. iv, 99 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 97-99. 1. Urban economics–Social aspects. 2. Employment (Economic theory) 3. Service industries–United States. 4. Industries–United States. 5. United States–Economic conditions.  Q.330.973D912E

Edwards, Alice Marilyn. The expansion of partnerships : certified local governments / by Alice Marilyn Edwards. 1985. iv, 43 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 42-43. 1. Federal aid to historic sites 2. Historic sites– Conservation and restoration–Finance. 3. Historic buildings– Conservation and restoration–Finance.  Q.363.690973ED95E

Hinsman, William John. Reducing the agricultural impact on water quality in Illinois / by William John Hinsman. 1985. iv, 47 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 44-47. 1. Water–Pollution–Illinois. 2. Sediment control–Illinois. 3. Water quality–Illinois.  Q.363.73947H596R

Hirsh, Paula. Evaluating the potential impact of industrial location decisions : economic development for municipalities / by Paula Hirsh. 1985. iv, 40 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 36-40. 1. Industrial sites–Planning. 2. Industry–Location–Economic aspects. 3. Economic development–Evaluation. 4. Factories–Location– Economic aspects.  Q.338.9H617E

Kraintz, Franz Peterlin. An assessment of the retail potential in downtown Champaign, Illinois / by Franz Peterlin Kraintz. 1985. vii, 60 leaves, bound : maps ; 29 cm Bibliography: leaves 59-60. 1. Central business districts–Illinois–Champaign. 2. City planning–Illinois–Champaign.  Q.711.5522K857A

Lorenz, Donald Alan. The impact of the Washington, D.C. convention center on the downtown area / by Donald Alan Lorenz. 1985. iv, 45 leaves, bound : maps, plans ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 44-45. 1. Washington Convention Center (Washington, D.C.). I. Title  Q.711.409753L887I

McRae, Janice. An assessment of the need for minor home repair programs for the elderly in Champaign County / by Janice McRae. 1985. iv, 64 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaf 64. 1. Dwellings–Illinois–Champaign County–Maintenance and repair. 2. Aged–Services for–Illinois–Champaign County.  Q.362.63097736M244A

Raymon, Linda Mary. Solid waste planning in Champaign-Urbana : an evaluation of two disposal practices / by Linda Mary Raymon. 1985. v, 67 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 65-67. 1. Refuse and refuse disposal–Illinois–Champaign–Planning. 2. Refuse and refuse disposal–Illinois–Urbana–Planning. 3. Sanitary landfills.  Q.363.728R213S

Bandele, Ramla. The underdevelopment of black towns / by Ramla Bandele. 1984. vi, 68 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 65-68.  Q. 307.77 B221U

Breck, Kevin Hamilton. Financing transit services and the new federalism / by Kevin Hamilton Breck. v, 64 leaves, bound : 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 63-64.  Q. 388.4042 B742F

Briassoulis, Helen. Evaluation of the use of the gravity shopping models from a planning viewpoint / by Helen Briassoulis. 1984. vii, 77 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 73-77. 1. Shopping–Mathematical models. 2. Stores, Retail–United States–Planning.  Q.658.8340724B76E

Cordwell, Ian Edward. Laying the foundation for the resource protection planning process in Illinois / by Ian Edward Cordwell. v, 46 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 45-46.  1984 C812

Douglas, Steven George. Evaluating the role of energy consumption in “more” and “less” developed countries : using causal modeling and path analysis / by Steven George Douglas. 1984. xiii, 145 leaves, bound : ill., map ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 144-145. 1. Energy consumption–Mathematical models. 2. Energy consumption–Developing countries.  Q.333.7913D747E

Harned, Catherine Corum. The effective inventory : building a preservation base / by Catherine Corum Harned. 1984. vii, 157 leaves, bound : ill., maps ; 29 cm. Maps in pockets: leaves 127, 129, 131. Bibliography: leaves 134-157. “Recommended reading”: leaves 114-117. 1. Historic buildings–Kentucky–Hardin County–Conservation and restoration. 2. Historic sites–Kentucky–Hardin County–Conservation and restoration.  Q.720.9769845H229E

Hazelton, Thomas Joseph. Paratransit in medium-size cities / by Thomas Joseph Hazelton. 1984. iv, 66 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 64-66. 1. Local transit. 2. Personal rapid transit.  Q. 388.042 H338P

Jacobson, Bonnie Deborah. Municipal help for neighborhood planning : a look at three cities / by Bonnie Deborah Jacobson. 1984. iii, 47 leaves, bound : ill. ; 30 cm. Bibliography: leaves 46-47. 1. City planning–Citizen participation–Case studies. 2. City planning–Georgia. 3. City planning–Oregon. 4. City planning–Minnesota. 4. Portland (Or.)–City planning. 5. Saint Paul (Minn.)–City planning. 6. Atlanta (Ga.)–City planning.  711.1j157M

Marlatt, Richard Marvin. Environmental preferences and nonmetropolitan growth turnaround in Illinois / by Richard Marvin Marlatt. 1984. iii, 86 leaves, bound : ill., maps ; 29 cm. Library’s copy misssing leaf 78. Bibliography: leaves 83-86. 1. Urban-rural migration–Illinois. 2. Illinois–Population.  Q.304.81M343E

Nedd, Rolda Verna. Improvement of squatter settlements : a policy analysis with implications for Trinidad and Tobago / by Rolda Verna Nedd. 1984. v, 88 leaves, bound : map ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 85-88. 1. Squatter settlements–Developing countries–Social policy. 2. Squatter settlements–Trinidad–Social policy. 3. Squatter settlements–Tobago–Social policy.  Q.363.51N283I

Swenson, Andrew Duane. The concept of auto restricted zones : a proposal for the town of Kavala, Greece / by Andrew Duane Swenson. 1984. viii, 63 leaves, bound : maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 60-63. 1. City traffic–Greece–Kavala. 2. City traffic–Developing countries. 3. Traffic engineering–Greece–Kavala. 4. Traffic engineering–Developing countries. 5. Urban transportation–Greece– Kavala.  Q.388.41314SW42C

Trujillo, Matthew Vincent. Encouraging small businesses through economic development efforts / by Matthew Vincent Trujillo. 1984. vi, 63 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Appendix A: State financial and technical assistance programs. Bibliography: leaves 62-63. 1. Small business–United States–Economic conditions. 2. Small business–United States–Economic policy.  Q.338.6420973T849E

Walden, Bruce Keith. A planner’s guide to tax increment financing in Illinois / by Bruce Keith Walden. 1984. viii, 71 leaves, bound : 29 cm. Bibliography: leaf 71. 1. Tax increment financing–Illinois. 2. Urban renewal– Illinois–Finance.  Q.336.014773W144P

Blewitt, Craig Roberts. A methodology for designing an island lake transfer of development rights program / by Craig Roberts Blewitt. 1983. iv, 81 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 79-81. 1. Development rights transfer. 2. Second homes. 3. Lakes–Recreational use.  Q. 333.784 B617M

Dory, William Adam. Investment incentives for businesses locating in urban enterprise zones. 1983. ix, 58 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 53-58. 1. Enterprise zones. 2. Investment tax credits–United States. 3. Urban renewal–United States.  Q. 338.973 D739I

Hoffman, Terrence Joseph. Preliminary development and application of a bimodal equilibrium assignment model / by Terrence Joseph Hoffman. 1983. vi, 94 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 92-94. 1. Transportation–Planning–Mathematical models. 2. Choice of transportation–Mathematical models.  Q. 711.7 H675P

Johannesson, Bjarki. Urban revitalization modes : a comparative study of England, Sweden and the United States / by Bjarki Johannesson. 1983. vi, 90 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 85-90. 1. Urban renewal–Great Britain. 2. Urban renewal–Sweden. 3. Community development. 4. Urban renewal–United States.  Q. 711.5 J597U

Johnson, Rhonda Kay. Minimizing travel time, distance, and inconvenience for airport users within the terminal / by Rhonda Kay Johnson. 1983. iv, 67 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 64-67. 1. Airports–Design and construction. 2. Terminals (Transportation). 3. Airports–Planning.  387.742 J636M

Jordan, Vallmer Wayman. Measuring the interest of high school students to plan in their neighborhoods / by Vallmer Wayman Jordan. 1983. v, 59 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 57-59. 1. Community leadership–Study and teaching. 2. Community development. 3. High school students–Illinois–Chicago.  Q. 373.0115 J767M

Kingma, Hildy Lynne. The role of the local church and synagogue in neighborhood revitalization / by Hildy Lynne Kingma. 1983. iv, 65 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 63-65. 1. Church and social problems. 2. Urban renewal–Illinois–Chicago. 3. Community development–Illinois–Chicago.  261.8K559r

Oakes, Kevin Donald. Economic development in a boomtown region / by Kevin Donald Oakes. 1983. vi, 101 leaves, bound : map ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 99-101. 1. Cities and towns–Growth. 2. Lincoln County (Wyo.)–Economic policy. 3. Uinta County (Wyo.)–Economic policy.  Q. 307.14 OA4E

Okafor, Wilfred Ike. Comparative new town implementation strategies : toward an implementation model for the proposed Kalamitsa satellite new town expansion program at Kavala, Greece / by Wilfred Ike Okafor. xiii, 156 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 151-156. 1. New towns. 2. City planning–Greece. 3. Kalamitsa (Greece)–City planning. 4. Kavala (Greece)–Social conditions.  711.409495 K119O

Petrie, Patricia Donahoe. To TIF, or not to TIF : that is the question : a manual for local decision-making / by Patricia Donahoe Petrie. vi, 65 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 55-65. 1. Tax increment financing.  336.2014 P448T

Prem, Clyde Eliot. The impacts of energy prices on urban development and change / by Clyde Eliot Prem. iv, 79 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 76-79. 1. Power resources–Costs. 2. Energy consumption. 3. City planning. 4. Community development, Urban.  Q. 711.14 P916I

Rimavicius, Lucia Egle. Weaknesses of Illinois property tax abatement as a redevelopment tool / by Lucia Egle Rimavicius. 1983. iv, 69 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 64-69. 1. Urban renewal–Illinois. 2. Property tax credits–Illinois. 3. Tax remission–Illinois.  Q. 336.22509773 R46W

Sjursen, Nancy Joy. The Lowry model : development and extensions / by Nancy Joy Sjursen. 1983. vi, 167 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 164-167. 1. City planning–Mathematical models.  Q. 711.12 SJ76L

Skov, Mitchell McCormick. Sprawl and infill in small communities : some theoretical and practical considerations / by Mitchell McCormick Skov. 1983. v, 62 leaves, bound : 1 fold. map in envelop ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 61-62. 1. City planning. 2. Land use, Rural–Planning. 3. City Planning–Illinois–Monmouth. 4. Monmouth (Ill.)–City planning. Stiles, Sandra Larson. Improving the energy efficiency of buildings in the rental housing sector / by Sandra Larson Stiles. 1983. v, 88 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 86-88. 1. Rental housing. 2. Energy conservation.  Q. 333.77 SK58S

Stiles, Sandra Larson. Improving the energy efficiency of buildings in the rental housing sector / by Sandra Larson Stiles. v, 88 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 86-88.  Q. 333.7917 ST53I

Ancar, Robert Peter. A matrix method : an approach to evaluating the Federal regulatory impacts of increased coal use. iii, 65 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 64-65. 1. Coal mines and mining–Law and legislation–United States. 2. Coal mines and mining–Environmental aspects. 3. Energy policy–United States. 4. Environmental policy–United States.  343.07752 AN13M

Chinn, Karen Leah. Federal mandates, local results : an evaluation of relocation housing maintenance in Champaign, Illinois / by Karen Leah Chinn. 1982. iv, 35 leaves ; 30 cm. Bibliography: leaf 35. 1. Relocation (Housing)–Illinois–Champaign. 2. Dwellings–Illinois–Champaign–Maintenance and repair.  Q. 363.58C441f

Jordan, Brevetta Omega. Neighborhood visual quality : a comprehensive checklist / by Brevetta Omega Jordan. v, 51 leaves, bound ; 30 cm. Bibliography: leaves 48-51. 1. Human ecology–Public opinion. 2. Neighborhood. 3. Aesthetics. 4. Visual perception.  Q.307.32J761n

Lieberman, Judith Ruth. The federal landlord : a case study of redevelopment under the HUD multifamily property disposition program / by Judith Ruth Lieberman. iv, 72 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 71-72. OTHER NAME: United States. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. 1. Housing–United States–Finance. 2. Public housing–Law and legislation–United States. 3. Foreclosure 4. Housing–Illinois–Champaign.  363.58 L621F

Montarzino, Alicia. The migrating capitals of the world : past and present / by Alicia Montarzino. iv, 91 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 87-91. 1. Migration, Internal. 2. Capitals (Cities)  307.2 M762M

Poyant, Denise Marie. Neighborhood change in the twentieth century : a planner’s perspective / by Denise Marie Poyant. iv, 67 leaves, bound : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 62-67. 1. Neighborhood. 2. City planning. 3. Urban renewal. 4. Housing–Finance.  711.58 P876N

Przypyszny, Karen Ann. Assessing neighborhood change : a manual for conducting impact evaluations for Neighborhood housing service programs / by Karen Ann Przypyszny. ix, 95 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 93-95. 1. City planning. 2. Housing–Finance. 3. Neighborhood. 4. Urban renewal.  711.58p958a

Siyanbade, Akindele Olusegun Adeniran. Managing urban growth in Nigeria : applicability of capital improvement programming / by Akindele Olusegun Adeniran Siyanbade. 1982. vii, 73 leaves, bound : ill., maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 71-73. 1. City planning–Nigeria. 2. Cities and towns–Nigeria–Growth.  Q. 711.409669 SI99M

Tarr, Julie Elaine. Limited equity cooperatives : an alternative for low and moderate income housing planning / by Julie Elaine Tarr. 1982. 46 leaves, bound ; 30 cm. Bibliography: leaves 43-46. 1. House buying. 2. Housing, Cooperative.  Q. 346.0433 T17L

Young, Vivian. Toward a more effective design review process / by Vivian Young. 1982. vi, 59 leaves, bound ; 30 cm. Bibliography: leaves 57-59. 1. City planning. 2. Aesthetics.  Q. 307.32 Y87T

Zimmerman, Clare Elizabeth. Identifying and rehabilitating inactive toxic waste sites in Illinois / by Clare Elizabeth Zimmerman. 1982. iii, 50 leaves : maps ; 30 cm. Bibliography: leaf 50. 1. Hazardous wastes–Illinois. 2. Reclamation of land–Illinois.  Q.344.0462Z66i

Castilia, John Allen. Agricultural areas : implications for Illinois / by John Allen Castilia. vii, 213 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 189-198. 1. Land use–Planning–Illinois. 2. Land use, Rural–Planning–Illinois.  333.76 C278A

Devitt, Mary Louise. Nursing home resident councils : taking stock / by Mary Louise Devitt. v, 93 leaves ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 59-63. 1. Nursing homes. 2. Nursing home patients.  362.16 D496N

Lenski, William Ross. Creating harmony out of dissonance : a strategy for coordinating planning activities under Circular A-95 / by William Ross Lenski. iv, 69 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 61-65. 1. Regional planning–Law and legislation–United States. 2. City planning and redevelopment law–United States.  346.045 L548C

McDaniel, Gregory Edward. The evolution of the Comprehensive employment and training act and implications for future planning and policy development / by Gregory Edward McDaniel. iv, 92 leaves ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 70-71. 1. Comprehensive employment and training act. 2. Manpower policy–United States. 3. Vocational education–Law and legislation–United States.  331.11 M141E

Mandel, Robert Gordon. Assessing the human capital approach to manpower policy : an analysis of Job Corps impacts on employment and earnings / by Robert Gordon Mandel. iv, 56 leaves ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 53-56. 1. Manpower policy–United States–Evaluation. 2. Occupational training–United States–Evaluation.  331.11 M3122A

Mathien, James Arthur. A theory of design and livability / by James Arthur Mathien. vii, 87 leaves : ill., plans ; 28 cm. Bibliography : leaves 82-87. 1. Shopping malls–Designs and plans. 2. Architecture–Human factors. 3. City planning.  711.5522 M426T

Rocker, Lois Christine. Downtown change in Urbana, Illinois : trends and prospects / Lois Christine Rocker. vi, 61 leaves : maps, plans ; 30 cm. Bibliography: leaves 60-61. 1. Central business districts–Illinois–Urbana. 2. City planning–Illinois. 3. Urbana (Ill.)–City planning.  711.40973UR1r

Westervelt, James Dahl. Development and demonstration of LAGRID : a grid-cell data base management and analysis package. vii, 182 p. leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 89-92. 1. Computer graphics. 2. LAGRID. 3. Cartography–Data processing.  526.80285W525d

Cook, Warren Jay. Public intervention opportunities in Illinois coal mining operations / by Warren Jay Cook, Jr. viii, 116 leaves : charts, maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 74-77.  333.82217 C773P

Perry, Gregg Ellis. Rental housing recession / by Gregg Ellis Perry. iii, 57 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. Bibliography: leaves 55-57. 1. Rental housing–United States.  Q. 363.5 P429R

Adegboro, Coker. A proposal for village planning in Nigeria / by Coker Adegboro. 1979. vii, 149 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 145-149. 1. Community development–Nigeria. 2. Nigeria–Rural conditions.  309.25 AD27P

Cahill, William Dean. The participation of urban community development corporations in the community development block grant program / by William Dean Cahill. i, 28 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 20-21. 1. Community development corporations. 2. Grants-in-aid–United States. 336.39 C119P

Campbell, Ann Raymond. The distribution of circuit-breaker benefits to the elderly / by Ann Campbell. v, 82 leaves : maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 75-77. 1. Property tax–Illinois–Deductions. 2. Aged–Illinois.  336.22 C15D

Fleming, Beverly Ann. The costs and benefits of applying a historic preservation strategy to residential rehabilitation in central city neighborhoods / by Beverly Ann Fleming. 1979. iv, 96 leaves ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographies.  711.58 F62C

Munshaw, Nancy Clare. A case study of participation in the Shaw neighborhood / by Nancy Clare Munshaw. iv, 80 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 73-76.  307.76 M92C

Olanipekum, Olayinka Akanni. Optimal transportation network : a case study of western Nigeria / by Olayinka Akanni Olanipekun. vii, 143 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 139-143. 1. Transportation–Planning. 2. Transportation–Nigeria.  Q. 711.7 OL1O

Russelmann, Anita Marie. Land banking for urban redevelopment / by Anita Marie Russelmann. iv, 56 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 53-56.  307.76 R19L

Lin, Ching-Fung. Formulation of a low rent public housing allocation model and its application to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois / by Ching-Fung Lin. 1978. ii, 100 leaves : ill., fold.maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 59-61. 1. Public housing–Illinois–Urbana. 2. Public housing–Illinois–Champaign.  331.833 L63F

Reeder, Kirsten Ruth. Illinois preservation commission : some mechanisms for enhancing their roles / by Kirsten Ruth Reeder. 1978. vii, 146 leaves. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 93-96. 1. Historic buildings Conservation and restoration–Illinois. 2. Historic buildings–Law and legislation–United States. 3. Historic sites–Law and legislation–United States. 4. Historic sites–Illinois.  Q. 917.73 R25I

Rees, Susan Elizabeth. Planning CETA public service jobs: a case study and suggested approaches / by Susan Elizaeth Rees. 1978. v, 151 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 149-151. 1. Manpower policy–United States. 2. Comprehensive employment training act of 1973.  331.11 R252P

Sands, Carolyn Marie. The Illinois Cooperative Extension Service : its role in rural historic preservation in Illinois / by Carolyn Marie Sands. 1978. iii, 106 leaves ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographies.  917.73SA571

Suwanamalik, Nuntana. Economic impact of Lake Shelbyville on Moultrie and Shelby Counties, Illinois / by Nuntana Suwanamalik. 1978. viii, 158 leaves : ill., maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 157-158. 1. Shelbyville, Lake (Ill.)–Economic aspects.  627.44 SU92E

Thornbury, Gregory Myron. Flood Related Land Use Allocation Program (FLUAP) / by Gregory Myron Thornbury. 1978. x, 182 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaf 82. 1. Flood damage prevention. 2. FLUAP (computer program). 3. Floodplains.  Q. 627.4 T39F

Wood, Anthony Christopher. The perils of preservation : a study of the criticisms of historic preservation / by Anthony Christopher Wood. 1978. ix, 198 leaves ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 179-186.  917.3 W852P

Majors, Karen Louise. Revenue-sharing and local government reorganization / by Karen Louise Majors. 1977. x, 99 leaves. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 96-99. 1. Revenue sharing. 2. Metropolitan government. 3. Local government–Illinois.  336.185M288R

Page, John Michael. Assessment of highway impacts : an application of factor analysis / by John Michael Page. 1977. iv, 163 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 142-144. 1. Roads–Environmental aspects. 2. Environmental impact statements.  301.3 P143A

Canzoneri, Sarah Edwards. The price of risk : mortgage lending in the inner city : a study of the causes of redlining and policy responses. Urbana [1976]. v, 78 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 75-78. 1. Mortgage loans–U.S. 2. Urban renewal–France.  332.72C16p

Harris, Arnold Davis. A case study of an innovative California social planning program : the action plan for the social responsibilities of cities. Urbana [1976]. ix, 185 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 180-185.  309.1794H24c

Isley, David Lee. A planning retail evaluation model. Urbana [1976]. iii, 120 leaves : maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 87-90. 1. Shopping centers–Planning–Mathematical models. 2. Regional planning–Mathematical models. 3. Shopping centers–Champaign, Ill.  711.552Is4p

Widell, Charles D. Landmark preservation: perspective, techniques, prospects / by Charles D. Widell. 1972. 122 leaves, bound ; 29 cm. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-97).  Q. 720.973 W63l

Ghareb, Mohamed Noshy Mohamed. Planning for rural development in the U.A.R. (Egypt). Urbana [1971]. ix, 108 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 106-108. 1. Community development–Egypt. 2. Egypt–Economic policy.  338.962 G34P

Daniel, Robert Earl. Local residential mobility in Decatur, Illinois, 1962 to 1968. Urbana [1969]. ix, 234 leaves : maps ; 29 cm. 1. Residential mobility. 2. Decatur, Ill.–Population.  301.32D226l

Porter, Diane Marie. An analysis of zoning changes : a case study of Norwalk, Connecticut. Urbana [1969]. xii, 84 leaves : ill., map ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 82-84. 1. Zoning–Norwalk, Conn. 2. Zoning.  711.5173N83p

Spore, James Knox. Metropolitan open space : a procedure for analysis and program formulation. Urbana [1969]. vi, 91 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 89-91.  719.32Sp67m

Urbonas, James Edward. The changing role of urban desing as a public planning function. 1969. vi, 131 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. Includes bibliographical references.  Q. 711.4 UR18C

Youngman, Robert Paul. An analysis and critical evaluation of areal units in urban planning at the city level. Urbana [1969]. vi, 70 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 60-63.  711.1Y88a

Beal, Franklyn Harry. Policies planning : a review of the various concepts. Urbana [1968]. v, 106 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 104-106. 1. Cities and towns–Planning.  309.26B36p

Button, Patricia Alice. Normative indices for use in the evaluation of metropolitan plan alternatives. Urbana [1968]. v, 85 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 81-85.  711.4B98n

Carroll, Michael Anthony. An exploration of the relationship between urban planning and human behavior : toward the identificaiton of professional responsibilities. Urbana [1968]. v, 222 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 208-222. 1. Cities and towns–Planning. 2. City planners.  711.01C23e

Galloway, Kaye Bruce. The treatment of urban planning in the magazine press. Urbana [1968]. 95 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 86-95.  711.1G13t

Hock, Joan Carol. Planning the multi-purpose neighborhood service center. Urbana [1968]. viii, 96 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 88-96. 1. Social settlements. 2. Community organization.  361.43H65p

Levy, Michael Vincent. Possible paths of responsibility for the professional urban planner. Urbana [1968]. v, 153 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 142-153. 1. City planners.  711.12L57p

Mariner, Richard Dean. The arts in urban America : new responsibilities for government. Urbana [1968]. iv, 94 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 90-94. 1. Art and state–U.S.  Q.706.9M33a

McLaughlin, James Francis. Application of linear programming to urban planning. Urbana [1968]. vii, 124 leaves : maps, diagrs. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 121-124. 1. Cities and towns–Planning–Mathematical models. 2. Linear programming.  711.12M22a

Muscovitch, Arthur Sol. Design for renewal of an ethnic neighborhood. Urbana [1968]. vi, 120 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 118-120. 1. Urban renewal–Chicago.  711.09M97d

Pollock, Leslie Stuart. Driver distraction as related to physical development abutting urban streets : an empirical inquiry into the design of the motorist’s visual environment. Urbana [1968]. vii, 311 leaves : ill., maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 247-250.  614.862P76d

Smith, Allan John. Determining shopping needs. Urbana [1968]. v, 106 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 103-106. 1. Shopping centers. 2. Retail trade.  711.552Sm5d

Thomas, Gareth Brynmor. Study of the cost of rehabilitation projects and its implications in urban renewal areas. Urbana [1968]. vi, 136 leaves : 7 fold. maps (in pocket) ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 127-129. 1. Urban renewal–Finance. 2. Urban renewal–Chicago.  711.59T363s

Anderson, DeWayne Henry. Housing objectives and housing consequences : toward a better balance. Urbana [1966]. viii, 145 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 135-145.  728An2h

Davis, Paul Thomas. The public responsibility for design in urban renewal : a case study. Urbana [1966]. vi, 61 leaves : ill., maps, photos ; 29 cm. mup Bibliography: ll 60-61. 1. Urban renewal–Chicago.  711.59D29p

Gelman, William Thomas. An examination of the dispersed metropolis concept and its application to East Central Illinois. Urbana [1966]. vii, 82 leaves : ill., map ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 81-82.  301.36G28e

Gilchrist, Martin Charles. Planning for University expansion into the community : the University of Illinois : a case study. Urbana [1966]. viii, 202 leaves : ill., fold. maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 197-202. 1. Illinois. University–Buildings.  711.57G42p

Juengling, Charles Edward. Towards the development of a plan design model : a case study of Decatur, Illinois. Urbana [1966]. viii, 133 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 131-133.  711.12J93t

Mendelson, Robert Eugene. Case studies in planning initiation and implementation. Urbana [1966]. vi, 125 leaves : ill., photos ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 118-125.  711.40973Sp84m

Schneidermeyer, Melvin Joseph. The Metropolitan Social Inventory : procedures for measuring human well-being in urban areas. Urbana [1966]. vi, 110 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 105-110.  301.36Sch52m

Weaver, Robert Lawrence. Disparities between actual and potential planning in a modern large-scale development : Elk Grove, Illinois. Urbana [1966]. xv, 88 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 85-86. 1. Land subdivision. 2. Cities and towns–Planning–Elk Grove Village, Ill.  333.38 W37d

Bareta, Anthony Steve. The inhibiting effects of regulatory requirements : a survey of opinions on zoning and subdivision regulation requirements as they apply to the development of single-family residential areas. Urbana [1965]. vi, 96 leaves : ill. (part fold.) ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 80-81.  711.58B23i

Conner, James Boliver. Urban blight analysis for community renewal. Urbana [1965]. vi, 192 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 186-192. 1. Urban renewal–U.S.  711.59C763u

Hatcher, Harris Daniel. Downtown employment (service-financial-office) as a factor affecting metropolitan central business district retail sales. Urbana [1965]. v, 78 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 46-52.  711.552H28d

Kolste, Lamonte Ellis. Planning the urban university area : design policy and potential. Urbana [1965]. vi, 149 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 144-149. 1. Universities and colleges–U.S. 2. Cities and towns–Planning–U.S.  711.57K83p

Lewis, Charles Fielden. Planning against decline : opportunities for state government in the revitalization of eastern Kentucky. Urbana [1965]. vi, 99 leaves : ill., map ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 83-86.  338.973L58p

Scheck, Charles Springer. Planning the community’s schools : the cases of Champaign and Urbana, Illinois. Urbana [1965]. vii, 147 leaves : maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 119-124.  371.6Sch2p

Simon, Charles Herbert Leopold. Factors affecting the creation of visual edges by major urban highway lines. Urbana [1965]. iv, 117 leaves : ill., plates ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 106-109. 1. Roads–Design.  625.72Si5f

Stuart, Darwyn Gale. Community planning for pedestrian circulation. Urbana [1965]. iii, 81 leaves ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 80-81. 1. Walking. 2. Cities and towns–planning.  711.74St9c

Wasmann, Jean Claire. Commercial linkages : a study in optimal spatial arrangements. Urbana [1965]. ix, 209 leaves : ill. (part fold.) ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 205-209. 1. Shopping centers. 2. Cities and towns–Planning.  711.552W28c

Womack, Edwardd Peters. A design study of Champaign’s central business district : with emphasis on the re-use of vacant upper floor spaces. Urbana [1965]. viii, 123 leaves : ill., maps (1 fold. in pocket) ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 122-123. 1. Central business districts–Champaign, Ill. 2. Cities and towns–planning–Champaign, Ill.  711.552W84d

Albert, Frank Lynn Ballif. The initiation of urban renewal in a middle size community : a case study of Champaign, Illinois. Urbana [1964]. vii, 66 leaves : ill., maps (1 fold.) ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 58-59. 1. Urban renewal–Champaign, Ill.  Q.711.59Al1i

Haar, Herbert Raymond. Capital improvement programming aspect of metropolitan planning : Washington, D.C. : a case study. Urbana [1964]. ix, 121 leaves : ill., map ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 119-121. 1. Cities and towns–Planning–Washington, D.C.  711.40973W277h

Harris, Paul Clyde. Work programs of metropolitan planning agencies : a study of variations in concept and content. Urbana [1964]. vi, 66 leaves : fold. ill. (1 col.) ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 64-66. 1. Cities and towns–Planning.  711.173H24w

Issel, William Edgar. Physical and spatial aspects of urban migrant neighborhoods. Urbana [1964]. viii, 129 leaves : ill., maps (1 fold), photos ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 127-129. 1. Migration, Internal–U.S. 2. Migration, Internal–Decatur, Ill. 3. Cities and towns–Planning–Decatur, Ill.  711.13Is7p

Kaminsky, Jacob. An analysis of migration patterns between a central city and its surrounding towns : a case study of Decatur and its urban hinterland. Urbana [1964]. vi, 96 leaves : ill. (part fold.), fold. maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 94-96. 1. Migration, Internal–Decatur, Ill. 2. Migration, Internal–Illinois. I. Title: Migration patterns between a central city and its surrounding towns.  711.13K12a

Malik, Bir Bal. An exploration of the need for integrated planning at the state level in India with special reference to agricultural development in Punjab. Urbana [1964]. iv, 76 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 73-76.  630.9545M29e

Susman, Newton Bradley. A general systems approach to urban growth and development. Urbana [1964]. iv, 89 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 87-89.  711.1Su8g

Adams, Edwin Carl. Implications for comprehensive planning of centralized versus decentralized urban renewal operations : Baltimore, Md., and Washington, D.C. Urbana [1963]. vi, 97 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 84-85.  711.59Al17i

Bailey, Donald Edgar. Public policy effects on residential land development costs : a case study of the urban fringe in Lexington, Kentucky. Urbana [1963]. vi, 85 leaves : ill., maps, tables ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 83-85.  711.43B15p

Fondersmith, John Addison. The rehabilitation of areas into prestige neighborhoods. Urbana [1963]. vi, 105 leaves : ill., maps, plans ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 98-102. 1. Cities and towns–Planning–U. S. 2. Urban renewal–U.S. 3. Urban renewal–Chicago.  711.59F73r

Freund, Eric Conrad. The birth of a New Town : the development of Crawley, Sussex, England. Urbana [1963]. xx, 364 leaves : ill., maps (1 fold. in pocket) ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 325-328.  711.4092C859f

Kanhere, Gopal Krishna. Visual characteristics of small communities : a comparative study of Mahomet, St. Joseph, and Tolono, Illinois. Urbana [1963]. v, 52 leaves : ill., plates ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 51-52.  711.4K13v

Richter, Alan Charles. Analysis of the demographic characteristics of residents in the Plaza Square Apartments in St. Louis. Urbana [1963]. viii, 104 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 82-84. 1. Housing–St. Louis. 2. St. Louis–Population. 3. Apartment houses. I. Title  331.833R41a

Robinson, Raymond Clifford. The neighborhood park : its functions in relation to its surrounding residential areas : case studies, Champaign, Illinois. Urbana [1963]. vii, 122 leaves : ill., plates, tables, forms ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 116-118.  711.558R55n

Schenk, Carl John. Changes in metropolitan freight yard patterns and some urban planning applications. Urbana [1963]. vii, 103 leaves : ill., maps, tables ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 97-102.  711.75Sch2c

Schmidt, Allan Henry. Urban planning implications which may result from the use of public schools as public fallout shelters. Urbana [1963]. vii, 110 leaves : ill. (5 in pocket) ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 104-108.  711.40973Sch53u

Suddleson, Roger Lee. Park Forest, Illinois : a case study of the application of selected design principles in new town development. Urbana [1963]. vi, 82 leaves : ill., plates, maps, tables ; 28 cm. Bibliography: l. 82.  711.4Su2p

Williams, Erwin Lewis. The functions of a suburban county planning agency operating within a multi-county metropolitan complex. Urbana [1963]. vi, 79 leaves : tables ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 70-72.  711.43W67f

Ellis, Franklin Courtney. The small community airport : its role in community development planning. Urbana [1962]. vi, 104 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 95-97  711.78 El5s

Hauersperger, Richard Charles. Locational factors of urban motels in moderate-sized communities : case studies in three east central Illinois cities. Urbana [1962]. vii, 97 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 82-84.  711.557 H29l

Powers, William Francis. Industrial movement into Chicago : a study of firms which have entered the city since 1947. Urbana [1962]. vi, 72 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. Bibliography: l. 67.  338.4P87i

Richter, Robert William. Planning for the suburban commuter railroad. Urbana [1962]. vi, 76 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 73-76.  711.75R418p

Sulzer, Kenneth Edward. Achieving urban renewal goals : a case study of projects Hyde Park A and B, Chicago, Illinois. Urbana [1962]. vii, 77 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 70-71.  711.59Su5a

Wilding, Theodore Gene. The capital improvement programming function in state planning. Urbana [1962]. vi, 101 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 91-93.  711.3W646c

Brinkman, Charles Louis. Flood damage prevention : a review of the problem with special reference to administration and planning. Urbana [1961]. v, 83 leaves : maps, diagrs. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 81-83.  627.44B77f

Choudhury, Gopal Krishna. Housing in Calcutta : planning standards for low income families. Urbana [1961]. viii, 68 leaves : ill., maps, plans ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 67-68. 1. Housing — Calcutta.  331.833C457h

Hopkins, Edward Leasure. The relation of residence to work place : a study of the labor force location of four selected industries in Decatur, Illinois. Urbana [1961]. vii, 70 leaves : maps (part fold.) ; 20 cm. Bibliography: leaves 69-70.  331.112H77r

Kaliszewski, Ronald Edmund. The master plan : its functions, potential, and limiting factors. Urbana [1961]. viii, 51 leaves ; 28 cm. Bibliography: l. 51.  711K125m

Laird, David Alexander. The potential industrial use of abandoned strip mines in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Urbana [1961]. vii, 114 leaves : ill., maps (2 fold. col.) ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 101-104.  333.73L14p

Rahman, Anis Ur. Ribbon commercial development : a case study of University Avenue, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Urbana [1961]. ix, 131 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 107-109.  711.552R12r

Reed, Wallace Elzie. Institutional evolution and land use change : a case study of the wholesale produce industry, with special reference to Chicago. Urbana [1961]. v, 85 leaves : ill., maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 74-76.  333.77 R251i

Teska, Robert Bents. Parking in the CBD core : a guide to the planning and evaluation of terminal parking facilities. Urbana [1961]. vii, 78 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 73-75.  388.33T283p

Aichbhaumik, Debajyoti. An approach to physical planning of the villages in West Bengal, India. Urbana [1960]. iii, 81 leaves : ill., maps ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 74-78. 1. Cities and towns–Planning–West Bengal. 2. Villages–West Bengal. 3. India–Economic policy. I. Title: Physical planning of the villages in West Bengal, India.  Q.711.40954Ai16a

D’Alessio, Mario Walter. Growth in commercial areas of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, 1947-1959. Urbana [1960]. viii, 122 leaves : maps, tables ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 100-102. 1. Champaign, Ill. –Comm. 2. Urbana, Ill.–Comm. 3. Cities and towns–Growth. II. Title: Commercial areas of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, 1947-1959.  Q.381D15g

Jentsch, Robert William. The changing satellite community, 1950-1959 : case studies of Mahomet, St. Joseph, and Tolono, Illinois. Urbana [1960]. vii, 98 leaves : ill, maps ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 96-98. 1. Mahomet, Ill. 2. St. Joseph, Ill. 3. Tolono, Ill. 4. Champaign, Ill.–Suburbs.  301.362J45c

McCullough, David Ray. An analysis of the powers of the Toledo, Ohio, Administrative Board and an evaluation of how those powers were exercised from 1946 through 1954. Urbana [1960]. vii, 104 leaves : ill, maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 102-104. 1. Toledo–Administrative Board. 2. Zoning–Toledo.  711.5173T575m

Neville, Donald Clay. Trends in commercial areas of three satellite communities in Champaign County. Urbana [1960]. vi, 113 leaves ; 28 cm.  711.552 N416t

Porter, Douglas Roger. The changing edge of downtown : determinants of land use in the consumer-oriented fringe of downtown Champaign, Illinois. Urbana [1960]. vi, 79 leaves : maps, diagrs. ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 71-73. 1. Land–Champaign, Ill. 2. Central business districts–Champaign, Ill.  333.7P833c

Smart, Clifton Murray. Design and the development of the institutional community : the University of Illinois–a case study. Urbana [1960] viii, 206 leaves : ill., col. plans (part fold.) ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 203-206.  C Il6uWs

Adekoya, Olatunde Cole. The potential usefulness of the process of state planning in the western region of Nigeria. Urbana [1959]. vi, 91 leaves : ill., maps ; 28 cm. Bibliography: : leaves 86-91. 1. Regional planning–Nigeria.  710.2Ad3p

Lamont, William. Industrial location factors in east central Illinois. Urbana [1959]. vii, 83 leaves : map, tables ; 28 cm. Bibliography: ll 81-83. 1. Industries, Location of–Illinois.  338.4L19i

Milliner, Walter Thomas. Planning for land uses near jet airports. Urbana [1959]. vii, 82 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 80-82. 1. Airiports–Planning.  711.78M62p

Einsweiler, Robert Charles. Galena, Ill. : visual values in planning a small town. Urbana [1958]. vii, 99 leaves : ill. (part col.), maps ; 29 cm. Bibliography: leaves 98-99. 1. Cities and towns–planning. 2. Cities and towns–Planning–Galena, Ill.  711.40973G31e

Giltner, Robert Eugene. The effect of high traffic volumes on residential areas. Urbana [1958]. vi, 65 leaves : ill., maps, forms, tables ; 28 cm. Bibliography: : l. 62. 1. Real property–Denver. 2. City traffic–Denver.  333.3G428e

Macris, Dean Louis. Social relationships among residents of varied housing types in a planned community. Urbana [1958]. v, 62 leaves : ill., maps, tables ; 28 cm. Bibliography: l. 62.  301M24s

Peterson, John Eric. Location requirements for civil airfields serving heavy turbojet aircraft. Urbana [1958]. vi, 100 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: : leaves [84]-87.  711.78 P44L

Saber, Abdel-Aziz Mohamed. Planning for Egypt : a development program for tourism. Urbana [1958]. ix, 99 leaves : ill., maps ; 28 cm. Bibl. : leaves 98-99. 1. Tourist trade–Egypt.  916.2Sa13p

Bobotek, Walter. Location of new industrial establishments in three central Illinois urban communities. Urbana [1957]. vi, 25 leaves : maps, tables ; 28 cm.  338.4 B632l

Mandalia, Gopaldas Maganlal. Neighborhoods for tomorrow, an evaluation of moderate-sized communities. Urbana [1957]. xii, 135 leaves : ill, maps, plans, tables ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 130-135.  710.1M312n

Minnoch, James Edward. Planning the annexation of unincorporated fringe areas in Illinois. Urbana [1957]. vi, 48 leaves : ill., maps ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 47-48.  352.0773M66p

Gucker, Richard Arnold. A planning guide for Monticello, Illinois. Urbana [1955]. vii, 74 leaves : ill., maps ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 73-74.   1955 G933

Scmitt, Miriam White. The elementary school–nucleus for community development. Urbana [1955]. vii, 122 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. Bibliography: leaves 120-122.  Q.727.1 Sch56e

Davis, Dean Allen. A citizen’s summary of planning for West Palm Beach, Florida. Urbana [1954]. ii, 138 leaves : ill., maps, plans ; 28 cm. Bibliography: (l. 138). 1. Cities and towns–Planning–West Palm Beach.  710.1D291c

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University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

School of architecture & urban planning, news / events / video, resilient transportation connections.

Watch Video

The Innovative Cities Lecture Series

“Resilient Transportation Connections for Improved Mobility” presentation by Dr. Tabitha “Tab” Combs, Research Associate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

AICP CM Credit #9285769

Lecture Summary:

Cities are resilient places, and this was made evident in the Covid-19 pandemic, when cities adapted to changing demands in public space and transportation. In this lecture, UNC professor Tab Combs will discuss resilience and transportation connections in the context of pandemic-related mobility responses and the practices that cities can and must continue today to improve mobility.

Tabitha “Tab” Combs is a Research Associate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a concentration in transportation planning and policy. Her expertise is in transport and land use planning, the built environment-travel behavior connection, equity impacts of new mobility innovations, and transport planning in developing contexts, with a particular focus on social and environmental impacts of transport policies. Tab’s overarching research goals are to expand our knowledge of the environmental determinants of travel behavior and vehicle use and to apply that knowledge to support efforts of decision-makers to create more sustainable, healthy, socially just communities. Prior to her work at the University of North Carolina, Tab was a Senior Lecturer in Environment, Society, and Design at Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand. Tab earned Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning and a Master of City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Davidson College.

AICP-CM credits will be awarded.

Questions, comments?

All lectures are free and open to planners, students, staff, faculty, and friends of the University. Please contact Blythe Waldbillig, Department of Urban Planning Project Assistant at [email protected]

International Cooperation

Directions of International Working Relationships:

4. Participation of professors, teachers, and students of the university in overseas training.

5. Co-operation with overseas companies and the incorporation of modern technology and equipment in the education process.

6. Distance learning programmes.

7. Work with overseas students

8. Who are we interested in working with in the future?

• Economics and management
• Land management
• History and law
• Architecture and landscape
• Ecology and economics

Hugo Dewar 1957

The Moscow Trials ‘Revised’

Source : Problems of Communism , Volume 6, no 1, January-February 1957. Scanned and prepared for the Marxist Internet Archive by Paul Flewers.

For many years Soviet propagandists and pro-Soviet Western observers presented ‘Soviet justice’ as a forward step in the advancement of legal science. Thus, the British jurist DN Pritt wrote, in a contemporary eulogy of the Moscow purge trials of the 1930s, that ‘the judicature and the prosecuting attorney of the USSR [Andrei Vyshinsky] have established their reputation among the legal systems of the world’. [1] Pritt was not at all disconcerted by the singular fact, unparalleled in Western jurisprudence, that the accused in the Soviet trials did not raise a finger to defend themselves, but instead confessed with seeming eagerness to the most heinous crimes. The Soviet government, he blandly stated, ‘would have preferred that all or most of the accused should have pleaded not guilty and contested the case’. [2]

The naïveté, or wilful blindness, of such statements has long been apparent. As early as 1937, an independent commission of inquiry conducted an exhaustive investigation into the Moscow trials of 1936 and 1937 and found them to be clear-cut travesties of justice. [3] The commission’s findings were bolstered by an ever-mounting accumulation of evidence regarding the methods employed to produce the victims’ obviously abnormal eagerness to sign their own death warrants.

Today not even the most naïve apologist can continue his self-deception. At the Twentieth Congress of the CPSU the myth was broken for all time when Nikita Khrushchev, in a secret report to a closed session of the congress, revealed the depths to which Soviet ‘justice’ had sunk:

Stalin originated the concept ‘enemy of the people’. This term automatically rendered unnecessary that the ideological errors of a man or men engaged in a controversy be proven... The formula was specifically introduced for the purpose of physically annihilating such individuals... [4]

It is significant, however, that, in denouncing ‘violations of socialist law’, Khrushchev made no direct mention either of the show trial as such, or of its exportation to the satellites. His remarks about Zinoviev and Kamenev and about the ‘annihilation’ of Lenin’s closest colleagues as ‘enemies of the party’ were furthermore clear attempts to restrict the discussion to ‘violations of socialist law’ in the period following Kirov’s assassination in December 1934 – to the great trials and purges of the 1930s. [5]

This effort is a transparent indication that the present collective leadership cannot make a decisive, radical break with their Stalinist past. It is to Stalin that the present Soviet leaders owe their positions, and it was during his reign that their methods of ‘governing’ and dispensing ‘justice’ were decisively moulded. That is why Khrushchev and his colleagues will not admit that the genesis of the Stalin-type inquisitorial trial goes much farther back than 1934, indeed, as far back as 1922.

The idea of exploiting the judicial trial of political opponents for the purpose of ‘educating’ the masses was first given concrete expression in 1922, when a trial of 22 prominent members of the Social Revolutionary Party was staged. At that time the technique of the show trial had not been perfected, and only ten police stooges consented to play the role of cringing penitents and government propagandists. At first, the state was content with this number and even permitted the rest to defend themselves stoutly. They openly proclaimed their political convictions and even refused to recognise the court. Just prior to the trial, the Bolsheviks entered into an agreement in Berlin with representatives of the international socialist movement by which several prominent socialists were invited to participate in the defence; and in the early stages of the trial they were very active on behalf of the accused. As the trial progressed, however, the intolerable contradictions between accepted conceptions of justice and a Soviet-sponsored political trial were revealed. Bit by bit the essential elements of the show trial, with which the world later became familiar, emerged.

The presiding judge struck the keynote for the proceedings by declaring that the court would be guided not by objective considerations but by the interests of the government. During the course of the trial Bukharin declared the Berlin agreement null and void, and this, coupled with the prosecution’s obstructive tactics, caused the foreign socialists to withdraw. Perhaps most important in the development of the show trial, however, was the first utilisation of the technique of agitating against the accused outside of court. Yuri Pyatakov, the president of the tribunal, spoke at one of the mass demonstrations, as did Bukharin, who applauded the role played in the trial by the ten who had ‘confessed’. [6]

In the course of the next few years the show trial was gradually brought to a high stage of perfection. ‘Evidence’ was manufactured and, by means of inhuman tortures, the accused were brought into court ‘prepared’ to cooperate in arranging their own destruction. During the course of the so-called Shakhty trial (1928), for example, a group of engineers, personifying the ‘bourgeois specialists’, took the blame for the country’s chronic economic ills and accused foreign ‘interventionist circles’ of directing their sabotage. [7] By 1930 the technique had been further perfected, and during the Industrial Party trial every single one of the accused confessed to ‘planned’ sabotage in drafting or implementing the First Five-Year Plan. One of the witnesses, brought in under heavy GPU guard, was Professor Osadchy, formerly a member of the CEC (Central Economic Council) of the Supreme Soviet, and assistant chairman of the State Planning Commission. Incredible as it may seem, Osadchy, who was one of the prosecutors at the Shakhty trial, confessed to having plotted with the very men whom he had sentenced to death in 1928! [8]

Stalin’s speech at the Sixteenth Congress (June-July 1930) gave at least the outward rationale for all the great Moscow trials. [9] His thesis was that whenever the contradictions inherent within the capitalist system grow acute, the bourgeoisie tries to solve them by turning on the Soviet Union. By the bourgeoisie Stalin meant primarily foreign nations, but his main purpose was to justify the purge of internal opposition to his rule. The vast international ‘plots’ which were uncovered regularly involved certain native Communists; often these were among the most celebrated of the revolutionary heroes, their ‘crimes’ consisting in their opposition to Stalin’s dictatorship. Without respect to their previous service, these men were condemned as saboteurs working in collaboration with the outside enemy to wreck the economy of the Soviet Union.

Thus, the Great Purge, as well as the thousands of unpublicised local purges, served the double purpose of removing those who opposed Stalin and of providing for the population an ‘explanation’ of the continuing low standard of living. Vyshinsky made the point in the following manner:

It is now clear why there are interruptions of supplies here and there, why with our riches and abundance of products, there is a shortage first of one thing and then of another. It is these traitors who are responsible. [10]

Vyshinsky also underlined the connection between the various trials. Stalin’s thesis had been proved, he said: all the trials had uncovered ‘systematically conducted espionage... the devilish work of foreign intelligence...’. [11]

Characteristically, although it was ostensibly against Stalin’s thesis and its implications that Khrushchev railed at the Twentieth Congress, his anger was aroused most of all by the fact that Stalin’s wrath had been turned against the party itself:

Using Stalin’s formulation... the provocateurs who had infiltrated the state security organs together with conscienceless careerists... [launched] mass terror against party cadres... It should suffice to say that the number of arrests based on charges of counter-revolutionary crimes had grown ten times between 1936 and 1937. [12]

Khrushchev summed up the Stalin era in anguished tones:

In the main, and in actuality, the only proof of guilt used, against all norms of current legal science, was the ‘confession’ of the accused himself; and, as subsequent probing proved, ‘confessions’ were acquired through physical pressures against the accused. [13]

Khrushchev’s speech is a masterpiece of hypocrisy. To be sure, of the 1966 delegates to the Seventeenth Party Congress (1934), 1108 were arrested on charges of counter-revolutionary activity. But Khrushchev well knows that it was not a question of ‘subsequent probing’: every leading Communist in the Soviet Union knew at the time what was going on. They were aware that the ‘confessions’ were shot through with contradictions and obvious absurdities; they knew that the trials were frame-ups.

As a matter of fact, Khrushchev’s speech itself corroborates our previous evidence that the Politburo was well aware of what was going on:

At the February-March Central Committee Plenum in 1937 many members actually questioned the rightness of the established course regarding mass repressions under the pretext of combating ‘two-facedness’. [14]

Khrushchev thus confirms that opposition to Stalin’s iron-heel policy was expressed even within the Politburo. People who had employed the most despicable methods against both non-party and party opponents began to voice ‘doubts’ when the police terror menaced them. Among those who ventured to speak up in 1937 was Pavel Postyshev, candidate member of the Politburo. Indeed, Khrushchev said that Postyshev expressed his doubts ‘most ably’, as did Stanislav Kossior, a member of the Politburo – both were liquidated. Other prominent Stalinist victims of the monster they themselves helped create were Vlas Chubar, Yan Rudzutak, Grigory Petrovsky and Robert Eikhe: all men of the Lenin era who had thrown in their lot with Stalin in his struggle for power.

How was it, then, that Molotov, Mikoyan, Voroshilov, Khrushchev and others survived? They saved themselves either by keeping their mouths shut or, where their closeness to Stalin made this impossible, by sedulously fostering the cult of the ‘brilliant leader’. Certainly Khrushchev was not unaware of what was going on. Kossior, for example, was purged in the Ukraine while he was closely associated with Khrushchev.

Without speculating about the possible splits and rivalries within the top leadership of the CPSU revealed by the varying degrees of vehemence with which individual Soviet leaders condemned Stalin’s ‘cult of personality’, the central goal of the leadership as a whole is perfectly obvious. Khrushchev and his supporters are vitally concerned with ‘rehabilitating’ the party and strengthening its authority vis-à-vis the police apparatus. The terrors of the Stalinist era left party cadres either demoralised and spiritless or, much worse, cynically and brutally opportunistic. In any event, the leadership felt that the support of the new generation of Communists – the managerial caste and the intellectuals – required assurances that the days of arbitrary terror were over. In Khrushchev’s words:

Arbitrary behaviour by one person encouraged and permitted arbitrariness in others. Mass arrests and deportations of many thousands of people, execution without trial and without normal investigation created conditions of insecurity, fear and even desperation. [15]

The exportation of the macabre and revolting confessional trial to Eastern Europe was never much of a success. The process that had transformed the CPSU into a terrorised and docile instrument of the leader took 14 years; in Poland, Bulgaria and Hungary it was telescoped into less than four years – somewhat longer in Czechoslovakia and Rumania. During this time the weak satellite Communist parties (only in Czechoslovakia could the Communists claim any sizeable following) were deprived of their ablest leaders. It was clear from the trials, moreover, that these leaders were imprisoned and executed because they attempted to stand up to the Soviet Union and that the leaders who remained were mere Soviet satraps. The confession trials of ‘national Communists’ therefore destroyed what little basis the Communist parties had for claiming to represent national interests, or even the interests of the industrial workers. At the same time, they failed dismally to destroy either national sentiment among the people or Titoist tendencies within the rank-and-file of the Communist parties.

Quite on the contrary, there can be no doubt that the confession trials in Eastern Europe played a great role in enhancing anti-Soviet feeling and in undermining the Communist parties’ faith in themselves. The enormous crowds that attended the reinternment of Rajk in Hungary after his posthumous rehabilitation were symptomatic of the anti-Soviet mood that had been generated by the ‘educational’ methods of Soviet-inspired ‘justice’. The bloodless revolt in Poland and the heroic uprising of the Hungarian workers, peasants and intellectuals were due in large part to the exposure of Soviet methods and aims which resulted from the export of the ‘modern inquisition’. The people of the satellite nations share with the Russian people a deep and bitter hatred of the secret police, and a deathless desire to end the insufferable horrors which the confession trial represented.

That the Soviet leaders were, and remain, keenly aware of this was implicit in their repudiation at the Twentieth Congress of the Stalinist inquisition and in the gradual steps that have been instituted to correct some of the more objectionable features of the police and judicial apparatus. They obviously are attempting to restore public confidence in a party and system that had become thoroughly and openly compromised. In so doing, however, they paradoxically underlined still further the bankruptcy of the system that claimed to have produced that ‘glorious workers’ paradise’, the ‘most advanced country in the world’, and they reveal nakedly their inability to cast off the imprint of this system of terror and ‘educational justice’.

1. DN Pritt, The Moscow Trial Was Fair (Russia Today, London, nd).

2. DN Pritt, The Zinoviev Trial (Gollancz, London, 1936).

3. This Commission was headed by the noted American philosopher, John Dewey. Its findings were published in two books: The Case of Leon Trotsky (Secker and Warburg, London, 1937); and Not Guilty (Secker and Warburg, London, 1938).

4. The Anti-Stalin Campaign and International Communism: A Selection Of Documents (Columbia University Press, New York, 1956), p. 13.

5. For a full discussion of these trials see this author’s The Modern Inquisition (Allan Wingate, London, 1953).

6. The most complete record of this trial is in VS Voitinski, The Twelve Who Are About To Die (Delegation of the Party of Socialists-Revolutionists, Berlin, 1922). The death sentences passed against the accused were never carried out.

7. No official records of this trial have been published. Of secondary sources, the best are HH Tiltman, The Terror in Europe (Frederick A Stokes, New York, 1932); and Eugene Lyons, Assignment in Utopia (Harcourt, Brace, New York, 1937), especially pp. 114-33.

8. Andrew Rothstein (ed), Wreckers on Trial (Modern Books, London, 1931).

9. Some of the sources on the most important Moscow trials are the following: on the 1931 Menshevik trial – The Menshevik Trial (Modern Books, London, 1931); on the 1933 Metropolitan-Vickers Industrial Company Trial – The Case of NP   Vitvitsky... [and others] Charged With Wrecking Activities at Power Stations in the Soviet Union (three volumes, State Law Publishing House, Moscow, 1933); on the 1936 trial – The Case of the Trotskyite – Zinovievite Terrorist Centre (People’s Commissariat of Justice of the USSR, Moscow, 1936); on the 1937 trial – Report of Court Proceedings in the Case of the Anti-Soviet Trotskyite Centre (People’s Commissariat of Justice of the USSR, Moscow, 1937); on the 1938 trial – Report of Court Proceedings in the Case of the Anti-Soviet ‘Bloc of Rights and Trotskyites ’ (People’s Commissariat of Justice of the USSR, Moscow, 1938).

10. Report of Court Proceedings in the Case of the Anti-Soviet ‘Bloc of Rights and Trotskyites ’, pp. 636-37.

11. Report of Court Proceedings in the Case of the Anti-Soviet ‘Bloc of Rights and Trotskyites ’, pp. 636-37.

12. The Anti-Stalin Campaign , p. 30.

13. The Anti-Stalin Campaign , p. 12.

14. The Anti-Stalin Campaign , p. 29.

15. The Anti-Stalin Campaign , p. 14.

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