Key Contact Information

Introduction

The aim of the module is to conduct management research and report on the findings. The module focuses on the management research project, which involves an investigation of a substantial management issue or problem. Students are required to demonstrate critical awareness of management practice, relevant theories and research techniques and approaches. The project element of the module in particular offers students the opportunity to apply course concept, theories and techniques, draw on internationally published literature and good practice, and develop and interpret knowledge about management practice in their area of study. The project’s subject matter involves the theoretical and empirical investigation of management and focuses upon topics covered in the student’s programme of study, the MBA. It requires students to demonstrate their ability to independently work. Each project will be supervised by an appropriate academic staff and if needed with additional management experts. This project may be based on a study trip or work experience. The MBA Project is normally primary data based and requires the student to adopt the role of a consultant. Students are required to secure an agreement in principal from the client organization prior to the finalization of the first piece of coursework. Regardless of the nature of the output intended, the project is required to be theoretically robust and methodologically sound to meet the academic requirements of the module.

Module Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of the module you should be able to:-

Building upon previous developed proposal, conduct empirical research, present an intellectually robust and evidence based analysis, and develop appropriate recommendations. CW2
Demonstrate a systematic and critical understanding of the relevant theory pertaining to the chosen topic. CW1 & CW2
Demonstrate the use of an appropriate methodological framework (incorporating consultancy based requirement where relevant) to meet the aim and objectives of the project. CW2
Appraise, reflect, interpret and synthesize the theory and evidence gathered and to inform future professional practice. CW2

Teaching and Learning strategy

The students are responsible for managing their learning journey and resources, and in initiating, developing and producing the final applied research report or consultancy report if applicable relevant to their chosen pathway specialization. To facilitate effective independent learning, the module leader/project coordinator, will conduct a briefing session prior to the commencement of the project. This session provides the means to disseminate vital information concerning both the academic and administrative requirements of the module, and a forum for students to seek clarification or discuss issues that may be of concern. GCU Learn shall be used to support the students’ learning experience through access to module relevant information, additional recommended reading to encourage wider reading and informative video clips. Students shall also receive a personal copy of the module Handbook. Peer feedback – similar to academic the academic peer review process – on the proposal poster will provide invaluable input but also help reflect on the student’s work. Research sets provide a degree of continuity from the taught element to the final project and GCU Learn shall be available for students to use to support each other. Key material such as the programme’s Ethics form, Consent Form, staff contact detail and other relevant material will be made available for students and posted via GCU Learn for convenient access. Communication to the Module Leader when required and also that between students via Blackboard will be encouraged to facilitate the sharing of ideas and enable peer support. Staff supervising the projects shall be encouraged to facilitate student research discussion forums. In addition to tutor and peer support to enrich the learning experience, the students also benefit from the expertise of their respective supervisor who have an appropriate research or scholarly background in the area. The role of the supervisor of the project is to support the development of the required conceptual maps and thought processes that underpin the proposal and the project and provide advice and guidance regarding project administrative, procedural and approach issues.

Attendance

You must swipe in at least once a week. If you do not swipe in least once a week then we will follow the usual attendance procedure (which has implications for UKVI and Visas). If at any time you have a personal matter that is impacting on your ability to attend class then you should book an appointment to discuss this with your Programme Leader or a member of your Programme Team and inform or . It is vital that you maintain contact with the University and allow us to help resolve problems where possible.

You are also expected to meet regularly with your supervisor.

International Students

International students must remain in the UK for the duration of their dissertation (See box below).

Leaving the UK during dissertation

Students can leave the UK for no more than 2 weeks. This time can be used to conduct research outside the UK.

If you wish to do this you must complete a permission to leave form which must be approved before leaving by their programme leader and their supervisor must be notified.

Students will not normally be permitted to complete their dissertations while outside the UK. Only in exceptional circumstances will students be permitted to leave for a longer period of time. This must be discussed and pre-agreed with their supervisor and the module leader. If you have any queries about this please contact the module leader or the School office or the International Office for further guidance.

Module Assessment

Assessment

Description

Weighting

No of Words

Coursework 1

Research proposal Poster presentation

20%

Coursework 2

Individual research report (dissertation)

80%

15000 (+/-10%)

Coursework 1: Research Proposal

Assessment Title	Research proposal poster presentation
Individual/Group	Individual
Submission Format	Poster
Submission Date / Time	Week beginning November 18th (Date and details TBC)
Submission Procedure	On presentation day and online via
Feedback	Within two weeks

Purpose of this assessment

You are required to produce and present a research proposal poster presentation, based on a topic area that you are interested in and will be the proposal for your research project. This will be an individual assessment. The recommended format is below – please ensure you make reference to the recommended content but the visual presentation can be as you wish.

Recommended headings for poster presentation:

Introduction and

Research Background

This section sets out the nature of the study, its purpose and structure and introduces the topic investigated.

Background and rationale

• In this section you should provide summary/ bullet points on:

• the background to the project

• the rationale for your study and its potential contribution to theory and practice.

o “Why is this study required?” o “Why is it of importance?”

• Although you do not have to provide a formal literature review at this stage, it should be clear how you are filling a gap in the research, and how your understanding and evaluation of the literature has contributed to the development of your research aim.

• How is your research located within the existing academic field?

• Research aims and objectives

• The aims of the study and the key objectives.

• The importance of each objective to fulfil the aim should also be justified;

• statement of hypothesis(es) if relevant.

Research Methodology

Present a summary/bullet points indicating the following:

• What will be your overall research approach/strategy?

• If relevant, what is your research design?

• What are your methods of data collection and why is this appropriate?

o What kind of data are you collecting?

o If relevant, what is your sampling strategy (sampling frame and sampling method) OR selection/recruitment criteria? o How much data do you need? o How will you collect your data?

• What are your methods of data analyses?

• Justify your choice of methodology and methods of data collection and analysis (i.e. what is your rationale for using these methods?)

• What is your epistemological position? o Based on the above information, what do you think is your research philosophy and why?

Planning, ethics and critical analysis

• Gantt Chart (or similar) should be provided to give a detailed timetable of all aspects of research (e.g. ethics application, literature review, background research; data collection; data analysis; writing deadlines etc).

• Bullet points regarding ethical considerations relating to the study

• Bullet points regarding any anticipated challenges in the conduct of the study

• potential limitations of the study o show that the researcher is aware and informed and thus better able to manage the research process.

o A good proposal will not only show awareness but also highlight potential options to overcome challenges and minimise limitations.

Reference List

Any sources referred to must be cited in the text and listed in the References following the Harvard referencing conventions.

Coursework 1 assessment criteria:

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING (30%)

Demonstrates a critical understanding of the research topic area including theories and concepts, critical awareness of current issues in relevant specialist areas (e.g. evident in references to literature and presentation of background to research; development of rationale for the project proposal)
Demonstrates a critical understanding of research methodology (e.g. evident in rationale developed for the methodology, including consideration of epistemological and theoretical underpinnings appropriate and relevant to the project)

PRACTICE: APPLIED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND UNDERSTANDING (25%)

Applies appropriate and significant range of theoretical frameworks (e.g. evident in background to project, development of rationale for project)
Applies appropriate research skills and techniques in the conduct of research, including methods of data collection and analysis (e.g. evident in rationale for methodology)
Demonstrates appropriate and relevant planning and execution of research

(e.g. evident in the articulation of the justification for methodology development and understanding of research methodology, methods and analysis)

Demonstrates originality and/or creativity (e.g. evident in developing rationale for research project based on understanding of topic area and research methodology which is relevant to the project)

GENERIC COGNITIVE SKILLS (20%)

Applies critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information, and relevant issues (e.g. evident in understanding of literature and background and rationale for the research project)
Identifies, conceptualises and defines new and abstract problems and issues (can be demonstrated in developing cogent arguments for rationale for research project, justification of methodology)

COMMUNICATION, ICT AND NUMERACY SKILLS (10%)

Poster is presented clearly, in appropriate academic/scientific language; there is a clearly organised structure and is visually logical and easy-to-follow
Meets requirements of presentation, which also supports the structure and clarity of poster
Demonstrates good standards of grammar, punctuation and spelling

AUTONOMY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND WORKING WITH OTHERS (15%)

Demonstrates good clear planning(evident throughout the proposal).
Demonstrates understanding and application of appropriate ethical and professional practice, makes informed judgements on relevant issues (demonstrated in articulation of proposed methodology and discussion of planning, ethics and critical analysis)
Demonstrates critical reflection on research proposal and implications, including limitations and weaknesses and potential impact on findings (demonstrated in planning and critical analysis)

Coursework 2: Research Project

Assessment Title	Research project
Individual/Group	Individual
Submission Format and procedure	Two hard copies to the school office AND 1 electronic copy to the digital drop-box, failure to submit all copies will be treated as a non-submission.
Submission Date / Time

Structure of your Research Project

Structure of your Dissertation

The research project can assume one of 3 forms: An Applied Research Project; a Management Inquiry Project or a Business Consultancy Project.

The Applied Research Project involves collection of primary or secondary data.
The Management Inquiry Project is secondary-data based and can assume the form of an exploration of an aspect of the development of global trends in the relevant business literature and an assessment of its implications for local practice.
The Business Consultancy Project is normally primary data based and requires the student to adopt the role of a consultant. Students intending to choose this option are required to secure an agreement in principal from the client organisation prior to the finalisation of the project.

The dissertation can take the form of one of the following formats depending on which form of project you will be conducting.

Option 1 – Dissertation format for an Applied Research

Project/Management Inquiry Project. Choose this option if you are planning to undertake an applied research project (standard dissertation) or a management inquiry project;

Option 2 – Dissertation format for a practice-based Business

Consultancy Project. Choose this option if you are planning to undertake a business consultancy project.

Regardless of the nature of the output selected, the dissertation is required to be theoretically robust and methodologically sound to meet the academic requirements of the module. Equivalence in the assessment of all three projects is maintained.

Option 1 – Dissertation format for an Applied Research Project/Management

Inquiry Project

Preliminaries

(Not included in the word count).

Title page: Full name, student id, programme, module, title of your project, number of words, date submitted, module leader.

Declaration: a signed and dated declaration incorporating the following statement should be included on a separate page following the title page: “This dissertation is my own original work and has not been submitted elsewhere in fulfilment of the requirements of this or any other award”

300-word abstract – summary of aims, methods and findings of study

Table of contents and List of Figures

Introduction

This section sets out the nature of the study its purpose and structure and introduces the topic investigated.

Background and rationale

In this section you should provide a background to the project and provide the rationale for your study and its potential contribution to theory and practice. You should seek to answer the following questions: “Why is this study required?” and “Why is it of importance?”

Research aims and objectives

This section presents the aims of the study and the key objectives. The importance of each objective to fulfil the aim should also be justified; statement of hypothesis(es) if relevant.

Literature review and evaluation

In this section you should discuss the contributions of other authors to your research topic: what have other authors said about your topic? You should discuss relevant theoretical concepts and frameworks you will use to underpin your project and provide an evaluation of the existing research, which develops and argument/narrative that leads to the rationale for your project.

Research

Methodology

This section should present and justify the different components of your research design. Justification of the choices made is particularly important. The reader should clearly understand how the study design was chosen and developed to achieve the research aim and objectives.

In this section you should therefore refer to:

• Research philosophy;

• Research approach and strategy (e.g. Inductive, deductive, qualitative, quantitative etc.)



Methods of data collection and analysis

You should describe how the research was conducted, including the details of what methods of data collection and analysis you used. This should include details on:

o Sampling strategy; selection criteria; recruitment strategy as relevant

o How data was collected: e.g. interview procedures/ questionnaire design and administration; secondary data collection methods

o how primary/secondary data was analysed

• Discuss how you ensured validity and reliability of your research design (as relevant);

• Is your methods section written in a way that can either be replicated and/or can provide a clear account of how the study was conducted to allow for evaluation?

• Research ethics: discuss how you have taken into consideration relevant research Ethics issues. You are advised to consider Ethical guidelines for research outlined here:

Discussion of results/analysis and findings

In this section you should present the findings of your analysis (you may have a separate “Results” section, particularly if you are utilizing quantitative design) and provide discussion of them in relation to your research aims and objectives and the implications of your research. You should also relate your findings to your literature review

You should discuss the potential limitations (including methodological limitations) and outline any issues which could have an impact on the intended outcomes of your project. Please note, discussion of limitations should be secondary to the overall discussion of your findings in this section.

Conclusions

This should not be repetition of previous points but should state the overall outcomes of your discussion in the previous section, how far your aims and objectives have been met, how your research has developed from and contributed to knowledge in the area, future research recommendations and for the industry if relevant.

Reference List

(Not included in the word count).

Any sources referred to must be cited in the text and listed in the References following the Harvard referencing conventions.

Appendices (not included in the word count)

If submitted, appendices should be sequentially numbered, labeled and referenced appropriately in the main body.

Option 2 – Dissertation format for a practice-based Business Consultancy Project

Preliminaries

(Not included in the word count).

Title page: Full name, student id, programme, module, indicative title of your project, number of words, date submitted, module leader.

300-word abstract – summary of aims, methods and findings of study

Table of contents and List of Figures

Introduction

This section sets out the nature of the study its purpose and structure and introduces the topic investigated.

Background and rationale

Research aims and objectives

This section presents the aims of the study and the key objectives. The importance of each objective to fulfil the aim should also be justified.

Literature Review

Proposed consultancy approach and output

This section presents, discusses and justifies the consultancy approach and choices made. The discussion must be well scoped with robust theoretical underpinning.

Research

Methodology

In this section you should therefore refer to:

• Research philosophy;

• Research approach and strategy (eg. Inductive, deductive, qualitative, quantitative etc)

Methods of data collection and analysis

You should describe how the research was conducted, including the details of what methods of data collection and analysis you used. This should include details on: o Sampling strategy; selection criteria; recruitment strategy as relevant

o How data was collected: e.g. interview procedures/ questionnaire design and administration; secondary data collection methods

o how primary/secondary data was analysed

• Discuss how you ensured validity and reliability of your research design (as relevant);

• Is your methods section written in a way that can either be replicated and/or can provide a clear account of how the study was conducted to allow for evaluation?

• Research ethics: discuss how you have taken into consideration relevant research Ethics issues. You are advised to consider Ethical guidelines for research outlined here:

Discussion of results/analysis and findings

In this section you should present the findings of your analysis (you may have a separate “Results” section, particularly if you are utilizing quantitative design) and provide discussion of them in relation to your research aim and objectives and the implications of your research. You should also relate your findings to your literature review

You should also discuss the potential limitations (including methodological limitations) and outline any issues which could have an impact on the intended outcomes of your project. Please note, discussion of limitations should be secondary to the overall discussion of your findings in this section.

Conclusions

Reference List

(Not included in the word count).

Any sources referred to must be cited in the text and listed in the References following the Harvard referencing conventions.

Appendices (not included in the word count.)

If submitted, appendices should be sequentially numbered, labeled and referenced appropriately in the main body.

Coursework 2 assessment criteria:

In line with Integrated Feedback Matrices the following criteria will be used to assess the Research Project. Please note that the way in which the criteria are applied, the evidence required and weightings are all indicative.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING (30%)

Demonstrates a critical understanding of the research topic area including theories and concepts, critical awareness of current issues in relevant specialist areas (evident in the introduction, critical literature review, development of rationale for the project, and discussion of how findings contribute to knowledge/practice in topic area)
Demonstrates a critical understanding of research methodology (evident in rationale developed for the methodology, including consideration of epistemological and theoretical underpinnings appropriate and relevant to their project)

PRACTICE: APPLIED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND UNDERSTANDING (25%)

Applies appropriate and significant range of theoretical frameworks (evident in critical literature review, development of rationale for project and interpretation of findings)
Applies appropriate research skills and techniques in the conduct of research, including methods of data collection and analysis (evident in rationale for methodology and articulation of how research was executed)
Demonstrates appropriate and relevant planning and execution of research (evident. in the articulation of the justification for methodology, development and understanding of research methodology, methods and analysis)
Demonstrates originality and/or creativity (evident in developing rationale for research project based on understanding of topic area and research methodology which is relevant to the project)

GENERIC COGNITIVE SKILLS (20%)

Applies critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information, and relevant issues (evident in the critical literature review, rationale for the research project and interpretation of results)
Identifies, conceptualises and defines new and abstract problems and issues (can be demonstrated in developing cogent arguments for rationale for research project, justification of methodology, and interpretation and discussion of findings)

COMMUNICATION, ICT AND NUMERACY SKILLS (10%)

Report is written clearly, in appropriate academic/scientific language; there is a clearly organised structure which takes reader in a logical and east-to-follow

way through arguments/narrative being developed;

Meets requirements of presentation and formatting, which also supports the structure and clarity of the narrative of the report
Demonstrates good standards of grammar, punctuation and spelling

AUTONOMY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND WORKING WITH OTHERS (15%)

Demonstrates good clear planning(evident throughout the report).
Demonstrates understanding and application of appropriate ethical and professional practice, makes informed judgements on relevant issues

(demonstrated in articulation of research conduct and discussion)

Demonstrates critical reflection on execution of research and implications of findings, including limitations and weaknesses in research conduct and findings (demonstrated in the discussion of findings and conclusions)

It is strongly recommended that you retain an additional copy of your dissertation/project for your own records. This may be useful if you are called for a viva voce (oral) examination or in the case of resubmission.

Viva Voce Examination

All post-graduate students undertaking dissertations may be called upon for a viva voce examination. You will be advised of this after submission and marking of the dissertation if relevant to you.

Choosing or changing Your Topic

If you keep the same project idea as the one which you developed for your Research Proposal, this has already been approved. If you want to change this topic, you must discuss this with your supervisor and if in agreement, notify the module leader, by email as soon as possible.

Altering your dissertation topic after supervisors have already been allocated to students complicates the process of your dissertation considerably. Students opting to make such changes do so at their own risk and should note this will neither qualify them for an extension to the dissertation submission deadline, nor a change of Supervisor, given the administrative problems each would entail.

Your Dissertation Supervisor

The Dissertation is above all your project, and its success or failure will ultimately depend on your commitment, effort and organisation. The role of the Supervisor is to offer general advice and guidance and to be an appropriate point of contact during the researching and writing of the dissertation in terms of discussing ideas, in helping you to come up with a suitable structure and reading draft chapters. You must be in regular contact with your supervisor throughout the dissertation process.

You will not have an infinite amount of access to your Supervisor, so you will need to prepare well for each meeting you have with them. Responsibility for arranging meetings and making sure you attend regular consultations is very much yours. Be sure to establish at the start of the process if there are times when your supervisor will be unavailable so you can take account of this in your planning. You must keep meeting records for each meeting/interaction with your supervisor. A template for a suggested format for your meeting records will be provided .

Experience shows overwhelmingly that students who do not maintain regular contact with their supervisor do very badly, and in some cases fail, the Dissertation. Though most tutors are happy to accept e-mail communications from their students, you must remember that they have many other demands on their time and they cannot guarantee to respond to unsolicited e-mails quickly.

If you choose not to reply to written or email requests from your supervisor to attend a meeting, without offering a valid reason for your non-appearance, this will be taken into account in the assessment of your performance.

The following is a summary of the responsibilities of each party, student and Supervisor.

What is expected of students:

to be independent
to seek advice and comment on their work
to have regular meetings with the Supervisor
to be honest when reporting progress
to follow advice which has been specifically requested
to be interested in the work
to take ultimate responsibility for the direction and content of the dissertation

Supervisors’ responsibilities:

to read the student’s work and be familiar with it
to be available when necessary, and within reason, up to thirty minutes per month
to be friendly, open and supportive
to be constructively critical
to have a fair knowledge of the research area (or to seek advice or direct to alternative colleagues and/or sources)
to exchange ideas freely
to be aware of potential pitfalls in the research topic and methodology

Please do not expect your supervisor to provide feedback on multiple drafts of chapters or the entire dissertation. It is recommended that you should not expect feedback on more than one draft of each chapter.

Ultimately, how you organise contact, meetings and feedback, should be negotiated between you and your supervisor.

Ethical Considerations

If your dissertation involves only textual analysis of one kind or another – in other words if you focus solely on, for example, the analysis of a film, television programme, newspaper articles, adverts or other sources of secondary data – ethical considerations are unlikely to arise. However, if your dissertation involves direct contact with other people as part of your research – e.g. face-to-face questionnaire studies; participant observation, interviews or focus groups – then ethical considerations always arise, and more so the more involved your contact might be. You must therefore ensure you have obtained their informed consent and ensure you maintain confidentiality of their identity and their data (as far as possible) and they are clear how this will be done and who has access to any information they provide. Above all, you must ensure that they do not come to any harm by participating in your study, and you have implemented procedures to ensure that any harm is minimised and any ‘aftercare’ is provided (if relevant) . Further details on ethical issues can be found at:

Further information and advice on ethics will be provided on the module site on

All students are required to complete and sign two copies of the Ethics Approval Form, even if it is simply to indicate that such considerations will not arise in your case. These are to be submitted to your Supervisor for countersigning. Electronic versions of this form can be found on the site. You cannot begin collecting data for your project until your ethics form has been countersigned and approved. Any research (other than desk research) carried out before the EAF has been signed and countersigned will be considered null and void. The copy of the form retained by the student must be included in the final submission. A dissertation submitted without a completed and countersigned EAF will be considered invalid and will not be marked.

Please note in particular that research involving minors – defined in Scotland as anyone under sixteen, and in England as anyone under eighteen – raises particularly difficult ethical issues. Anyone considering research involving minors will have to obtain a Disclosure – available on-line at a cost (approx. £25), which you will have to pay for yourself – and the completed Ethics Form will have to go to the School’s Ethics Committee for formal approval. This can be a time-consuming process and suitable allowance for it will have to be made when planning the research project.

Electronic Submissions and Plagiarism Detection Software

The individual report will be processed through Turnitin in to ascertain whether or not there is a suspicion of plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined in the Assessment Regulations as the deliberate and substantial unacknowledged incorporation in students’ work of material derived from the work (published or unpublished) of another (see below for further information on plagiarism). It is considered by the University to be a very serious offence and can result in severe penalties. The regulations concerning this area are complex and students are strongly advised to consult the regulations on the following link:

All students must submit their dissertation to Turnitin before final submission and include a copy of the Turnitin report in the Appendix of your dissertation.

A dissertation submitted without a Turnitin receipt will be considered invalid and will not be marked.

Turnitin is available throughout the academic year, and you can submit your work as often as you want, something we would encourage you to do. You should not, however, under any circumstances submit work for anyone else.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is an extremely serious academic offence. In will lead at the very least to a reduction in any mark awarded, including, depending on the degree of plagiarism present, the possibility of a reduction to zero with a requirement to resubmit the piece of work in question. In more severe cases it will lead to investigation by a Plagiarism Assessor and, depending on the outcome of that investigation, the possibility of disciplinary action being taken against the student. It is essential, therefore, that you take all necessary steps to ensure that there can be no suspicion of plagiarism in relation to your work – if we suspect plagiarism we always pursue our suspicions vigorously. In addition, prior to final submission all students must submit their dissertation to the plagiarism-checking software Turnitin as explained below. Fortunately, it is very easy to avoid such suspicions arising in the first place.

What is Plagiarism?

At its simplest plagiarism is taking someone else’s words or ideas and presenting them in such a way as to give the impression that they are your own. In other words, it is a form of theft. The person whose words or ideas you “steal” in this way can be the author of a book or article, the author of an internet site (even if he or she is not named in any way on that site), a journalist, someone interviewed on television or radio or in the press, or indeed another student. In order to avoid any possibility of being accused of plagiarism, every time you use someone else’s words or ideas you must reference these clearly using the Harvard system as explained at the end of this handbook.

It is important to bear in mind that plagiarism occurs every time you use someone else’s words or ideas without referencing them, whether you quote their original words directly or not. Even if you change some of their words for others, or move their ideas around a bit – techniques known as paraphrasing – or even just use their ideas in a general way without using any of their original words or expressions at all, you will still be guilty of plagiarism if you do not indicate the author and the source of the ideas you are using.

Here are some of the most common cases of plagiarism:

Quoting someone else’s words exactly without indicating that this is a quote and without indicating where the words have been taken from.
Paraphrasing someone else’s words without indicating the text on which the paraphrase is based
Using someone’s ideas in a general way without acknowledging that they are someone else’s ideas.
Referring to a book or article or website about someone’s work in such a way as to give the impression that you have read that book/article/website yourself, when you have merely come across information relating to it somewhere else. To avoid any suggestion of plagiarism this “somewhere else” must be clearly referenced as the source of your information.

It goes without saying, of course, that commissioning someone else to produce work for you is also a form of plagiarism.

The Internet

The widespread availability of a huge range of texts on the internet has led to a very significant increase in plagiarism among students in recent years. But beware – we are extremely good at finding material which has been plagiarised from the internet, and you should avoid this – and of course all other forms of plagiarism – at all costs.

Help with Plagiarism Guidelines

Help with understanding the definition of plagiarism, including some useful examples, can be found on this website:

The university publishes comprehensive regulations regarding plagiarism. These can be found on this website:

If at any time you have any doubts about plagiarism, you can also contact your Module Leader or Supervisor, who will be happy to help.

Presentation and Layout

When you come to prepare your dissertation for final submission, please follow strictly the rules on dissertation layout and presentation as outlined

Word count: 15000 words (+/- 10% tolerance). The count includes all text from the first word to the last word of your report. It does not include: abstract/executive summary, title page, table of contents, list of figures, tables and charts in the report (including caption and description), reference list and the appendices;
Presentation: Font – Arial 12pt with 1.5 line spacing. Margins: 2.5 cm top/bottom/left/right.
Harvard referencing: any sources referred to must be cited in the text and listed in the References (not included in the word count), following the Harvard referencing conventions.
Only reports submitted via – Turnitin and hard copies to the school office will be accepted. Email or file transfer submissions will not be accepted. Work handed in via email or file transfer services only, will be counted as a nonsubmission.
You are expected to allow yourself enough time to successfully upload your assignment and check that the submission has been accepted. Work handed in after the deadline (or via the wrong platform) will be counted as a nonsubmission;
You should keep an electronic copy of all your written and digital work.

Extensions

The only person who can grant you an extension is the Module Leader though you should discuss your request with your Supervisor first. When contacting about extension queries you must also copy in your supervisor.

Extension Policy

While it is expected that all students will submit their assessment on time, students occasionally face difficulties, which are beyond their control. In such situations students may apply for an extension. All requests for an extension must be submitted in advance, of the deadline, providing as much notice as possible to the Module Leader.

Extensions are not granted automatically and may only be issued in particular circumstances, such as:

medical reasons supported by a doctor’s certificate;
extenuating personal circumstances, such as bereavement – documentary evidence must normally be submitted to support any request for an extension;
exceptional and unanticipated additional work commitments, supported by a letter from the student’s employer

Students should plan their time carefully and remember to back-up their work on a PC or laptop at frequent intervals. The loss of work due to a crash/ICT failure, loss of USB pen, etc. is insufficient reason for an extension.

A request for an extension should be submitted to the Module Leader and copied to the Programme Administrator and Programme Leader. The regulations and further information regarding appropriate evidence to support an extension request are available on the University website:

Unless an extension has been granted by Module Leader, any submission which is handed in after the assignment deadline without written permission will not be accepted and marked as a non-submission/‘Fail at First attempt’. In such cases students will have to undertake the second diet assessment.

If the Module Leader believes that a student cannot successfully complete the necessary work in the available time, even with an extension, they may advise the student to submit a Mitigating Circumstances Form.

For further guidance on Mitigating Circumstances and Retrospective Mitigating Circumstances, please refer to Appendix 6 of the University Assessment Regulations on the Exams page –

Students who do not submit an assignment either for the submission date or for an extended deadline without prior agreement with the Module Leader will be deemed to have failed that submission and will be required to resubmit if another attempt is available to the student. Normally students are entitled to two attempts at passing any piece of coursework.

Problems with the Dissertation

For the vast majority of dissertation students, their most immediate source of support throughout the duration of the project will be their Dissertation Supervisor. At the same time, the Dissertation module leader (Dr Bipasha Ahmed) will be available to deal with any general queries you may have regarding the Dissertation and to offer any general advice and support you may need over the course of your studies.

In the event that problems arise, you should raise these in the first instance with your Dissertation Supervisor. If this does not resolve the issue, you should take it up with the Module Leader, , who will endeavour to resolve any problems

you raise and if necessary, investigate on your behalf the source of your dissatisfaction, or refer to other relevant staff if this is deemed necessary.

If the problem or grievance is of such a nature that it requires to be aired at a more formal level, students should take it up, in the first instance, with their elected Year Representative who will be able to raise it on their behalf Student-Staff Consultative Committees. Should it be deemed serious enough, the Student Representative then has the option of raising it at a higher level at the Programme Board that oversees the running of your programme and of which s/he is an automatic member. In this way, students have a number of methods and levels for raising and airing any problems they may be having with their dissertation.

Please note, however, that for obvious reasons any such problem or grievance, where it relates to the standard of dissertation supervision, must be initiated prior to the submission of the final dissertation, and above all in sufficient time for the issue to be addressed. The University’s general guidelines are explicit on this: no appeal against the mark awarded for the Dissertation/Project will be entertained unless the student has initiated the grievance procedure prior to submission of the Dissertation/Project (see Section 23 Glasgow Caledonian University Guidelines on Projects/Dissertations”).

At the same time, students should be aware that you can seek advice from the Academic Development Tutor, and/or the student liaison officer make use of these services, particularly if they are finding work on the dissertation a struggle.

Reading

The following is a list of further reading materials, covering all aspects of the researching, writing and submission of dissertations, which you may find useful as background to the information contained in this Handbook.

Recommended:

Braun, V. and Clarke, V., (2013) Successful qualitative research: A practical guide for beginners. Sage; London

Field, A., (2018) Andy. Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics. Sage: London

Kumar, R., (2019) Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Sage Publications Limited.

Referencing using the Harvard System

The simplest way of referencing works you are quoting or referring to – and the one which is used in the examples given above – is the so-called Harvard System where page reference summaries are given in the main text in brackets. The format is (Author(s), date of publication: page number). Please note that the reference should always be located inside the sentence, never outside it (in other words, full stops come after the reference, not before it).

For example:

In one sense, “globalisation may have become so ubiquitous because it is right” (Curran and Seaton, 1997: 239).

This indicates that the quotation “globalisation may have become so ubiquitous because it is right” can be found on page 239 of the book by Curran and Seaton published in 1997, full details of which can be found in the Bibliography (see below).

If the book has more than two authors, give the name of the first only and follow it by et al. e.g. (Blain et al., 1993: 145).

If the name of the author(s) is given elsewhere in the sentence, it is not necessary to repeat it in the reference, but the other information – year of publication and page number – must still be provided:

Boyle and Haynes argue that “The study of media sport provides an arena in which students can investigate some of the wider issues concerned with media, power and ideology” (2000: 14).

If the author or authors have published more than one item in any given year, you differentiate between them by putting “a”, “b” etc after the date:

Gardner (2004b: 32) suggests that “public service television has no long-term future in the twenty-first century”.

This indicates that the quote is to be found in the second item under Gardner’s name in the Bibliography, which will also be identified as (2004b).

If you change anything in or add anything to the original quote, this must appear in square brackets:

Smith argues that his analysis “is based on extensive observations [he] carried out in the field” (2005: 5).

The original quote was “is based on extensive observations I carried out in the field”, but “I” has been changed to “he” to make the sentence more readable.

If the original quote contains a mistake you must not correct it. You must quote the original text exactly as it is, but put [sic] after the mistake to indicate that you are aware it is a mistake:

Jones argues that the purposes of such trailers is “to wet [sic] the audience’s appetite” (1999: 43).

This should be “to whet the audience’s appetite”: the [sic] indicates that you are quoting the text exactly as it is, including the mistake.

If in your reference you miss out any of the original text, this must be indicated using suspension points, as follows:

As Allen points out, “Printed pamphlets or broadsides … were slowly beginning to replace newsletters copied by hand by the start of the sixteenth century” (2004: 9).

The section omitted from the original read “which sometimes presented news narratives in the form of prose or a rhyming ballad”.

If you are paraphrasing an author’s argument, you must still give a full reference:

Smith argues (2005: 33) that the decline in the television news audience is now irreversible.

Although none of the author’s original words are used here, a full reference is still required.

If you are referring to the argument of an entire book or article it is permissible not to give a precise page number, e.g.:

Baudrillard (1976) argues that we are now experiencing an implosion of the real.

Please note that a reference is still required here even though there is no direct quotation from the work in question – absolutely all sources used in your text must be acknowledged whether direct quotations are taken from them or not.

If you are using a quote from a book or an article which you have found somewhere else (not in the original book or article but in a text about them), you must indicate clearly where you found the quote:

As Allen (cited in Humphreys, 2005: 45) points out, “Printed pamphlets or broadsides … were slowly beginning to replace newsletters copied by hand by the start of the sixteenth century” (2004: 9).

This indicates that, although you are citing Allen, you found this quote on page 45 of a book published by Humphreys in 2005. If you refer to a source which you have not read yourself in such a way as to give the impression that you have read it, this is also a form of plagiarism.

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Demonstrate a systematic and critical understanding of the relevant theory pertaining to the chosen topic. CW1 & CW2

Key Contact Information

Module Learning Outcomes:

Teaching and Learning strategy

Attendance

International Students

Module Assessment

Coursework 1: Research Proposal

Coursework 2: Research Project

Structure of your Research Project

Viva Voce Examination

Choosing or changing Your Topic

Your Dissertation Supervisor

Electronic Submissions and Plagiarism Detection Software

Plagiarism

Presentation and Layout

Extensions

Extension Policy

Problems with the Dissertation

Reading

Referencing using the Harvard System