Example risk and safety dissertation topic 3:

Risk assessment and university field trips: A rejoinder as to perspectives.

Risk assessment within academic departments such as Chemistry and Geography are well known and the protocols established. However, this dissertation proposes that risk assessments are not always given the deference they deserve by departments such as History and English. Interviewing the health and safety department personnel of three Russell Group universities (along with those in the departments aforementioned), this dissertation is a comparative study of differing perspectives to risk assessment both within and between institutions that operate in the same sector. The findings of this study (which will be based on both qualitative and quantitative research methods) has the potential to contribute to the furtherance of health and safety throughout the sector nationwide and should thus be readily publishable.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Bullard, J. (2010). Health and safety in the field: Key methods in geography. London: SAGE.
• Cook, V.A., Phillips, D. and Holden, J. (2006). ‘Geography fieldwork in a ‘risk society”. Area, vol. 38(4), pp. 413-420.
• Herrick, C. (2009). ‘Lost in the field: Ensuring student learning in the ‘threatened’ geography field trip’. Area, vol. 42(1), pp. 108-116.