That's a pretty damn good reason.

If you don't mind me asking, what are you studying?

My dissertation was on algorithmic "Refocussing of Digital Images". Statistics and experimentation can make or break a report.

Proving the "validity of the data" means essentially asking things like:

• What question am I trying to answer?
• Does that question adequately represent the problem I'm trying to solve?
• Does my data help me answer that question?
• Could I improve my data to better answer the question?
• Do I have enough data?
• Do I have quality data?
• Does my data agree with other, similar experimental results?
• Have I over-simplified the question?
• Have I over-simplified the data?
• Does my data prove what I say it does?
• Have I influenced the data by the way in which I asked the question?...

.....etc.

Proving the "trustworthiness of the results" means essentially asking things like:

• Was my testing rigorous?
• Was my data collection rigorous?
• Was my testing repeatable?
• Was my data collection repeatable?
• Does my analysis distort the data?
• Does my analysis help answer the question?
• Is my analysis consistent?
• Is my analysis rigorous?
• Is my analysis objective?
• Does my analysis agree with other, similar analyses?
• Have I introduced errors in my data?
• Have I introduced errors in my analysis?
• Is there a better way to get the data?
• Do I have any interest/stake in the outcome?
• Am I suitable to ask this question?
• Am I the right person to collect data?
• Am I the right person to perform the analysis?
• Am I trustworthy?...

... etc.

Thanks Mr. Bucket (bouquet?), that's very useful!

No probs

Truthfully though, you should have a personal tutor to whom you go to ask exactly these questions. He/she might be a knob but they're there because they know how to run & write up an experiment. This is where you get (or not) your monies worth with regard to tuition fees.

Especially useful will be asking your tutor what kind of analyses you should be performing. E.g. it's no good trying to do a Chi² test to prove concordance of a string data set. They'll be much better placed to answer such intricate things.

I'm having to ask these questions because of the 4 students my dissertation supervisor is responsible for, he doesn't get back to any of us. About anything.

TBH he's that useless I was considering putting in a formal written complaint...

Before you do that, go and have a quiet word with the Programme Director (the guy in charge of your course). Be (very) polite, state your issues and ask if anything can be done.

Maj. Computing Min. History - odd combination!

The dissertation surrounds Visual Semiotics in Immersion Environments.