Page 2 of 3
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:16 pm
by firky
Frodo wrote:Our guidelines include that it has to be totally unbiased, no rambling aimlessly on etc.
Well what else are you going to do? You're not doing a Masters so you have to regurgitate other peoples ideas and theories to support your own. This is where it will be difficult as there is no academic research on anything as subjective as dubstep. I would seriously have reservations about doing it. An essay of 2,500 needs 10 references (published) at the least so you would be looking at 15+. I'd be amazed if you found five to be honest.
Save yourself the bother and do something that is easy to research and keep your investigations into dubstep for a masters, then you can back up your own knowledge with research you have conducted.
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:19 pm
by firky
Actually since degrees are pretty much given to anyone these days, you could probably get away with it.
I wrote some utter shite when I did my first BA to see what I could get away with
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:20 pm
by j-sh
hardcore continuum
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:21 pm
by elbe
would be easy to get 3500 words done, but as others have said it might be best to look at something else.
It can be hard when writting on something you love to take into consideration that the audience prob won't get it or care, and trust it makes it all the more bitter when reading their criticism....I did something similar on Hip-Hop years back, had to go and see the tutor when she told me I didn't distinguish between fact and fiction and put her right, dumb bitch.
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:53 pm
by earlgrey
tankomatic wrote:
you will also face the daunting task of finding quantifiable literature, both in terms of its own credibility and then on top of that the credibility of your tutors.
that'd probably be the main problem with doing an academic essay on it
Very true......
possible way around the problem, though, - don't just talk about dubstep all the way through, instead make your focus comparing/relating/contrasting what's happened so far in the dubstep scene and now to how other underground scenes emerged/evolved in the past, e.g. even well documented and not-directly-related ones such as punk, etc.
That way, you'll have plenty of academic lit to draw from, an interesting perspective, and instead of going on about some subject your tutor can't relate to he/she will be relating to a new scene through stuff that
is familiar with.
cutting edge grade A essay - job done! give it a go I reckon!!
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:34 am
by surface_tension
I could probably write a 3500 word essay on just the growth of Bristol musically over the last 20 years.
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 2:14 am
by unlikely
Surface_Tension wrote:I could probably write a 3500 word essay on just the growth of Bristol musically over the last 20 years.
In that case you should. I want it on my desk monday morning mr Tension.
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 7:52 am
by funky stanton
I wrote the lyrics to/poem at the end of Intergalactic Radio Station by Vangelis at the end of one essay exam when I was at uni. I think my tutor got it as I got the highest mark out of all entrants. I'd eaten a large block of hash before revising the night before and hadn't got any sleep before going in to the exam. Ooops.
Vangelis - Intergalactic Radio Station
Listen all the way through to the end, the lyrics are amazing, then try listening to it on repeat for about 5 hours in a really small halls room while your mind is somewhere bobbling about in the stratosphere. Then write your essay.
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:48 am
by magma
I reckon there's more than enough to talk about for 3500 words. I'd maybe think about playing the definitions of the Dubstep Scene off against each other - is it a strict musical genre? Is it a community? Is it both/neither/something different.....
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 1:02 pm
by pk-
Magma wrote:I reckon there's more than enough to talk about for 3500 words. I'd maybe think about playing the definitions of the Dubstep Scene off against each other - is it a strict musical genre? Is it a community? Is it both/neither/something different.....
that'd be a good magazine article, but is it really the sort of thing to put in an academic essay? they're marking your use of other legitimate sources just as much as they are any original ideas, maybe moreso
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 1:06 pm
by magma
Depends how you approach the subject matter... you can make a conversation like that as academic or as simple as you like, tbh.
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 1:22 pm
by funky stanton
pk- wrote:
that'd be a good magazine article, but is it really the sort of thing to put in an academic essay? they're marking your use of other legitimate sources just as much as they are any original ideas, maybe moreso
Didn't you do your dissertation on Terry Pratchet?
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 2:59 pm
by pk-
Funky Stanton wrote:pk- wrote:
that'd be a good magazine article, but is it really the sort of thing to put in an academic essay? they're marking your use of other legitimate sources just as much as they are any original ideas, maybe moreso
Didn't you do your dissertation on Terry Pratchet?
Well yeah but I couldn't just have done 15,000 words of my own analysis of his work. I had to ground it in a comparison (with Juvenal, in my case) and refer to loads of literature about Juvenal, about satire in general, about the fantasy genre as a whole, about detective fiction, etc. Most of it was referring to other sources to make a point.
Magma wrote:Depends how you approach the subject matter... you can make a conversation like that as academic or as simple as you like, tbh.
I don't mean the tone of it, I mean the lack of academic sources about dubstep. If you compared to Jungle or something then there'd be loads of sources to cite and refer to or argue with or whatever. But you can't just do a dissertation that's just full of your own opinion, no matter how nicely put it is or how intelligent a point it's making
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:12 pm
by magma
Yeah, sure, I hear that.... I think there's plenty of courses though. Interviews about the scene, loads of journalism on it's hype... just look at all the ideas that Mala talks about in that Red Bull Music Academy video.
I'm sure it'd take some work, but someone will be the first to try/do it!
And anyway, the title says 3500 words.... that's a very different prospect to your 15,000 on Pratchett!
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:01 pm
by canby
3500 words? easy mate easy.
i find that if you write about something that your passionate about then the only thing you have to think about is watching that you dont go OVER the word limit. About 7 sides of A4 when typed in a standard font isnt it? i think you should go for it.
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:19 pm
by Dead Rats
Canby wrote:3500 words? easy mate easy.
i find that if you write about something that your passionate about then the only thing you have to think about is watching that you dont go OVER the word limit. About 7 sides of A4 when typed in a standard font isnt it? i think you should go for it.
Basically this.
By problem is continuity. I'm actually in the process right now of writing up an entry for the Chemical Records competition '
What does Dubstep mean to you?'
It starts well, but my last sentence makes no sense at all and contains the word 'Rabbit'.
In short, I am not winning this competition.
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 6:11 pm
by alfons
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 1:07 am
by frodo
Thanks, douchebag
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 11:17 am
by nousd
10%?
not worth any effort Freddo
mate, get wasted & enjoy yrself.
Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 7:27 pm
by MissBrass
easily.
I was queen of essays.
Essays where the choice of punishment at my school.