research method for manager

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Research Methods for Managers

Faculty: Lord Ashcroft International Business School

Module Code: MOD001104

Academic Year: 2012/2013Semesters: 1, 2 and 3


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Contents

1. Key Information ................................................................................................... 3

2. Introduction to the Module.................................................................................. 3

3. Intended Learning Outcomes ............................................................................. 4

4. Outline Delivery ................................................................................................... 5

4.1 Attendance Requirements ................................................................................ 5

5. Assessment ......................................................................................................... 66. How is My Work Marked? ................................................................................... 8

7. Assessment Criteria and Marking Standards 118. Assessment Offences ....................................................................................... 13

9. Learning Resources .......................................................................................... 15

9.1. Library ............................................................................................................. 15

10. Module Evaluation ........................................................................................... 16

11. Report on Last Delivery of Module ................................................................. 16


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1. Key Information

Module/Unit titl e: Research Methods for Managers

Module Leader: Dr. George PanagiotouLondon School of MarketingLS Education Group

Email: [email protected]

Module Tutors: Nayani Perere (Online Delivery)Gayan Jayasinghe (Online Delivery)

Every module has a Module Definition Form (MDF) which is the officially validated record of the module.You can access the MDF for this module in three ways via:

the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

the My.Anglia Module Catalogueatwww.anglia.ac.uk/modulecatalogue

Anglia Ruskins module search engine facility atwww.anglia.ac.uk/modules

All modules delivered by Anglia Ruskin University at its main campuses in the UK and at AssociateColleges throughout the UK and overseas are governed by the Academic Regulations. You can viewthese atwww.anglia.ac.uk/academicregs. A printed extract of theAcademic Regulations, known as theAssessment Regulations, is available for every student from your Faculty Office (all new students willhave received a copy as part of their welcome pack).

In the unlikely event of any discrepancy between the Academic Regulationsand any other publication,including this module guide, the Academic Regulations, as the definitive document, take precedenceover all other publications and will be applied in all cases.

2. Introduction to the Module

This module provides course participants with the appropriate knowledge, skills and abilities they willneed to effectively carry out a piece of small scale business / management research. A particularemphasis will be placed upon developing individuals towards their workplace based Masters dissertation/ project. A focus is given to the specific issues faced by managers and researchers when carrying outresearch in an organisational setting. These will include the philosophical aspects of enquiry in socialsettings, operating in political contexts, negotiating access to key individuals and data, and meeting theresearch outcomes expected by multiple organisational stakeholders. Consequently, this module willfocus on providing individuals with the skills necessary to meet these challenges and thereforeeffectively plan, carry out and report upon their Masters level dissertation / project.

One of the main focuses for the design of this module has been the further development of relevantemployability and professional skills. Such skills are implicit in the learning outcomes.

Multiculturalism has been considered during the design of this module and will be considered when theassessment brief is written.
http://www.anglia.ac.uk/modulecataloguehttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/modulecataloguehttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/modulecataloguehttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/moduleshttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/moduleshttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/moduleshttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregshttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregshttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregshttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregshttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/moduleshttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/modulecatalogue


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3. Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module you will be able to:

7. Learning Outcomes (threshold standards):

On successful completion of this module the student will be expected to beable to:

Knowledge andunderstanding

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the different approaches toresearch used in business / management and the social sciences.

2. Identify and justify decisions regarding their chosen topic, researchquestions and research methodology.

Intellectual,practical, affectiveand t ransferableskills

3. Synthesise and critically evaluate the current theoretical andmethodological developments in their chosen field of study, makingclear their own contributions to this body of work.

4. Demonstrate the required skills and abilities needed to successfully

plan, organise, undertake and communicate the findings of, a pieceof small scale business / management research.


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4. Outline Delivery

Indicative content for the module

Each masters module will be structured according to the relevant discipline, but in general the followingheadings outline what would normally be covered within the curriculum.

The nature of business and management research and its significance for researchers-ethics,politics, power, gender, the action imperative, expectations of sponsors/clients, stakeholders andresearchers.

Theories and conceptual frameworks perspectives on research methodologies positivist andphenomenological paradigms, variety of forms of research.

Methods and techniques Quantitative and Qualitative research, primary and secondary data,participant-observation, action research, ethnography, questionnaires, documentary analysis, datastorage, sampling theory, hypothesis testing, interviewing and recording.

Research Design research proposals, research questions, literature reviews, construction ofresearch frameworks, choice of investigative methods, data collection, analysis and interpretation,

formulating conclusions and recommendations. Constraints gaining acceptance, entry and intervention issues, bias, data access,

client/researcher relationships and multiple client dilemmas, researcher as change agent, micro-politics and confidentiality.

Presentation structuring and sequencing the dissertation and write-up, the canons of scholarlywriting, potential uses of findings and expectations of clients, summaries and dissemination.

4.1 Attendance Requirements

Attending all your classes is very important and one of the best ways to help you succeed in this module.In accordance with the Student Charter, you are expected to arrive on time and take an active part in allyour timetabled classes. If you are unable to attend a class for a valid reason (eg: illness), pleasecontact your Module Tutor. .

Anglia Ruskin will closely monitor the attendance of all students and will contact you by e-mail if youhave been absent without notice for two weeks. Continued absence can result in various consequencesincluding the termination of your registration as you will be considered to have withdrawn from yourstudies.

International students who are non-EEA nationals and in possession of entry clearance/leave to remainas a student (student visa) are required to be in regular attendance at Anglia Ruskin. Failure to do so isconsidered to be a breach of national immigration regulations. Anglia Ruskin, like all British Universities,is statutorily obliged to inform the UK Border Agency of the Home Office of significant unauthorised

absences by any student visa holders.


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STRUCTURE AND MARKING CRITERIA

1. Introduction (20%)

a)Title: initially this might be regarded as a working title, and ideally should mirrorclosely the content of the document.

b) Background: This informs the reader of the problem or the situation, and the context you are

interested in.

c) Rationale for the study. What is the research issue?Why is it an issue?Why is it an issue now?What could this research shed light on?

d) Research aims, objectives, questions or

hypothesis.

2. Literature Review and Conceptual Framework (30%)

This section will demonstrate your knowledge of the literature and make a critical link with the situationto be investigated. Students are expected to critically review 5 or 6 sources to underpin the study inorder to produce a conceptual framework.

3. Research Design and Methodology: (40%)

This section gives a detailed rationale of the following:

Explain the selection of your research paradigm.

Explain the choice of your chosen methodology.

Explain the rationale and choice of your research methods, for example how you will access data andyour methods of data capture.

Explain how you intend to analyse your data.

Ethical issues in your proposed research journey

4.Timetable and resources (10%)

Provide a plan of how you will use your available time to complete your proposed research. This willgive an indication of viability of your research proposal. The research process always seems to take

longer than anticipated. Justify your plan.

Feedback

You are entitled to feedback on your performance for all your assessed work. For all assessment taskswhich are not examinations, this is provided by a member of academic staff completing the assignmentcoversheet on which your mark and feedback will relate to the achievement of the modules intendedlearning outcomes and the assessment criteria you were given for the task when it was first issued.

Examination scripts are retained by Anglia Ruskin and are not returned to students. However, you areentitled to feedback on your performance in an examination and may request a meeting with the ModuleLeader or Tutor to see your examination script and to discuss your performance.


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Anglia Ruskin is committed to providing you with feedback on all assessed work within 20 working days

of the submission deadline or the date of an examination. This is extended to 30 days for feedback for aMajor Project module (please note that working days excludes those days when Anglia Ruskin Universityis officially closed; eg: between Christmas and New Year). Personal tutors will offer to read feedbackfrom several modules and help you to address any common themes that may be emerging.

At the main Anglia Ruskin University and our associate and partner institutes and colleges campuses,each Faculty will publish details of the arrangement for the return of your assessed work (eg: a marked

essay or case study etc.). Any work which is not collected by you from the Faculty within this timeframeis returned to the iCentres from where you can subsequently collect it. The iCentres retain student workfor a specified period prior to its disposal.

On occasion, you will receive feedback and marks for pieces of work that you completed in the earlierstages of the module. We provide you with this feedback as part of the learning experience and to helpyou prepare for other assessment tasks that you have still to complete. It is important to note that, inthese cases, the marks for these pieces of work are unconfirmed. This means that, potentially,marks can change, in either direction!

Marks for modules and individual pieces of work become confirmed on the Dates for the OfficialPublication of Results which can be checked atwww.anglia.ac.uk/results.

6. How is My Work Marked?

After you have handed your work in or you have completed an examination, Anglia Ruskin undertakes aseries of activities to assure that our marking processes are comparable with those employed at otheruniversities in the UK and that your work has been marked fairly and honestly. These include:

Anonymous marking your name is not attached to your work so, at the point of marking, thelecturer does not know whose work he/she is considering. When you undertake an assessment taskwhere your identity is known (e.g. a presentation or Major Project), it is marked by more than onelecturer (known as double marking)

Internal moderation a sample of all work for each assessment task in each module is moderatedby other Anglia Ruskin staff to check the marking standards and consistency of the marking

External moderation a sample of student work for all modules is moderated by externalexaminers experienced academic staff from other universities (and sometimes practitioners whorepresent relevant professions) - who scrutinise your work and provide Anglia Ruskin academic staffwith feedback, advice and assurance that the marking of your work is comparable to that in other UKuniversities. Many of Anglia Ruskins staff act as external examiners at other universities.

Departmental Assessment Panel (DAP) performance by all students on all modules is discussedand approved at the appropriate DAPs which are attended by all relevant Module Leaders and

external examiners. Anglia Ruskin has over 25 DAPs to cover all the different subjects we teach.

This module falls within the remit of the International Business, Strategy and Economics DAP.

The following external examiners are appointed to this DAP and will oversee the assessment of thisand other modules within the DAPs remit:
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Student submitswork / sits

examination

Work collated and passed toModule Leader

Work is marked by ModuleLeader and Module Tutor(s)1. Allmarks collated by Module Leader

for ALL locations2

Internal moderation samplesselected. Moderation undertaken

by a second academic3

Unconfirmed marks and feedbackto students within 20 working

days (30 working days for MajorProjects)

External moderation samplesselected and moderated by

External Examiners4

Marks submitted to DAP5

forconsideration and approval

Marks Approved by DAP5andforwarded to Awards Board

Any issues?

Any issues?

Students receiveinitial (unconfirmed)

feedback

Confirmed marksissued to students

via e-Vision

MarkingStage

InternalModeration

Stage

ExternalModerationStage

DAP4Stage

YES

YES

NO

NO

Flowchart of Anglia Ruskins Marking Processes

All work is marked anonymously or double marked where identity of the student is known (eg: in a presentation)2 The internal (and external) moderation process compares work from all locations where the module is delivered

(eg: Cambridge, Chelmsford, Peterborough, Malaysia, India, Trinidad etc.)3

The sample for the internal moderation process comprises a minimum of eight pieces of work or 10% (whicheveris the greater) for each marker and covers the full range of marks4 Only modules at levels 5, 6 and 7 are subject to external moderation (unless required for separate reasons). The

sample for the external moderation process comprises a minimum of eight pieces of work or 10% (whichever isthe greater) for the entire module and covers the full range of marks

5 DAP: Departmental Assessment Panel Anglia Ruskin has over 25 different DAPs to reflect our subject coverage


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7. Assessment Criteria and Marking Standards Level 7

Level 7 is characterised by an expectation of students expertise in their specialism. Students are semi-autonomous, demonstrating independence in the negotiation of assessment tasks (including the major project)and the ability to evaluate, challenge, modify and develop theory and practice. Students are expected todemonstrate an ability to isolate and focus on the significant features of problems and to offer synthetic and

coherent solutions, with some students producing original or innovative work in their specialism that is worthy ofpublication or public performance or display.

Mark Bands Outcome

Generic Learning Outcomes (GLOs) (Academic Regulations, Section 2)

Knowledge & UnderstandingIntellectual (thinking), Practical,

Affecti ve and Transferable Ski lls

Characteris

ticsofStudentAchievement

byMarkingBand

90-100%

Achievesmoduleoutcome(s)related toGLO at thislevel

Exceptional analysis of keyissues/concepts/ethics with veryclear originality and autonomy.Exceptional development of

conceptual structures and argumentmaking an exceptional use ofscholarly conventions.Demonstrates independence ofthought and a very high level ofintellectual rigour and consistency.Work pushes the boundaries of thediscipline and may be considered forexternal publication

Exceptional analysis of keyissues/concepts/ethics. Exceptionaldevelopment of conceptualstructures and argument, makingconsistent use of scholarly

conventions. Exceptional researchskills, independence of thought, anextremely high level of intellectualrigour and consistency, exceptionalexpressive/professional skills, andsubstantial creativity and originality.Exceptional academic/intellectualskills. Work pushes the boundaries ofthe discipline and may be consideredfor external publication

80-89%

Outstanding analysis of keyissues/concepts/ethics with clearoriginality and autonomy.Outstanding development ofconceptual structures and argumentmaking an exemplary use ofscholarly conventions.Demonstrates independence ofthought and a very high level ofintellectual rigour and consistency

Outstanding analysis of keyissues/concepts/ethics. Very high

level development of conceptualstructures and argument, makingconsistent use of scholarlyconventions. Outstanding researchskills, independence of thought, ahigh level of intellectual rigour andconsistency, outstandingexpressive/professional skills, andconsiderable creativity andoriginality. Exemplaryacademic/intellectual skills

70-79%

Excellent analysis of keyissues/concepts/ethics. Excellentdevelopment of conceptualstructures and argument makingexcellent use of scholarlyconventions. Demonstratesindependence of thought and a highlevel of intellectual rigour andconsistency

Excellent analysis of key

issues/concepts/ethics. High leveldevelopment of conceptualstructures and argument, makingconsistent use of scholarlyconventions. Excellent researchskills, independence of thought, ahigh level of intellectual rigour andconsistency, excellent expressive/professional skills, and considerablecreativity and originality. Excellentacademic/intellectual skills, andconsiderable creativity and originality

60-69%Good analysis of keyissues/concepts/ethics.Development of conceptual

Good analysis of keyissues/concepts/ethics.Development of conceptual


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structures and argument makingconsistent use of scholarlyconventions

structures and argument, makingconsistent use of scholarlyconventions

50-59%

Satisfactory knowledge of keyissues/ concepts/ethics in discipline.Descriptive in parts but some abilityto synthesise scholarship and

argument. Minor lapses in use ofscholarly conventions

Satisfactory knowledge of keyissues/ concepts/ethics in discipline.Descriptive in parts but some abilityto synthesise scholarship and

argument. Minor lapses in use ofscholarly conventions

40-49%

A marginalpass inmoduleoutcome(s)related toGLO at thislevel

Basic knowledge of keyissues/concepts/ethics in discipline.Generally descriptive, with restrictedsynthesis of existing scholarship andlittle argument. Use of scholarlyconventions inconsistent

Basic knowledge of keyissues/concepts/ethics in discipline.Generally descriptive, with restrictedsynthesis of existing scholarship andlittle argument. Use of scholarlyconventions inconsistent.

30-39%

A marginal failin moduleoutcome(s)

related toGLO at thislevel.Possiblecompensation. Sat-isfiesqualifyingmark

Limited knowledge of keyissues/concepts/ethics in discipline.Largely descriptive, with restrictedsynthesis of existing scholarship andlimited argument. Limited use ofscholarly conventions.

Limited research skills impede use of

learning resources and problemsolving. Significant problems withstructure/accuracy in expression.Team/Practical/ Professional skillsnot yet secure. Weak academic/intellectual skills. Limited use ofscholarly conventions

20-29%

Fails toachievemoduleoutcome(s)related to thisGLO.

Qualifyingmark notsatisfied. Nocompensationavailable

Little evidence of knowledge of keyissues/concepts/ethics in discipline.Largely descriptive, with littlesynthesis of existing scholarship andlittle evidence of argument. Littleevidence of use of scholarlyconventions.

Little evidence of research skills, useof learning resources and problemsolving. Major problems withstructure/ accuracy in expression.Team/Practical/Professional skillsvirtually absent. Very weakacademic/intellectual skills. Littleevidence of use of scholarlyconventions

10-19%

Inadequate knowledge of keyissues/concepts/ethics in discipline.Wholly descriptive, with inadequatesynthesis of existing scholarship andinadequate argument. Inadequate

use of scholarly conventions.

Inadequate use of research skills,learning resources and problemsolving. Major problems withstructure/accuracy in expression.Team/Practical/Professional skillsabsent. Extremely weak

academic/intellectual skills.Inadequate use of scholarlyconventions

1-9%

No evidence of knowledge of keyissues/concepts/ethics in discipline.Incoherent and completely but poorlydescriptive, with no evidence ofsynthesis of existing scholarship andno argument whatsoever. Noevidence of use of scholarlyconventions.

No evidence of use of research skills,learning resources and problemsolving. Incoherentstructure/accuracy in expression.Team/Practical/Professional skillsnon-existent. No evidence ofacademic/intellectual skills. Noevidence of use of scholarlyconventions

0%Awarded for: (i) non-submission; (ii) dangerous practice and; (iii) in situations

where the student fails to address the assignment brief (eg: answers thewrong question) and/or related learning outcomes


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8. Assessment Offences

As an academic community, we recognise that the principles of truth, honesty and mutual respect arecentral to the pursuit of knowledge. Behaviour that undermines those principles diminishes thecommunity, both individually and collectively, and diminishes our values. We are committed to ensuringthat every student and member of staff is made aware of the responsibilities s/he bears in maintainingthe highest standards of academic integrity and how those standards are protected.

You are reminded that any work that you submit must be your own. When you are preparing your workfor submission, it is important that you understand the various academic conventions that you areexpected to follow in order to make sure that you do not leave yourself open to accusations of plagiarism(eg: the correct use of referencing, citations, footnotes etc.) and that your work maintains its academicintegrity.

Definit ions of Assessment Offences

PlagiarismPlagiarism is theft and occurs when you present someone elses work, words, images, ideas, opinions ordiscoveries, whether published or not, as your own. It is also when you take the artwork, images or

computer-generated work of others, without properly acknowledging where this is from or you do thiswithout their permission.

You can commit plagiarism in examinations, but it is most likely to happen in coursework, assignments,portfolios, essays, dissertations and so on.

Examples of plagiarism include:

directly copying from written work, physical work, performances, recorded work or images, withoutsaying where this is from;

using information from the internet or electronic media (such as DVDs and CDs) which belongs tosomeone else, and presenting it as your own;

rewording someone elses work, without referencing them; and

handing in something for assessment which has been produced by another student or person.

It is important that you do not plagiarise intentionally or unintentionally because the work of othersand their ideas are their own. There are benefits to producing original ideas in terms of awards, prizes,qualifications, reputation and so on. To use someone elses work, words, images, ideas or discoveries isa form of theft.

CollusionCollusion is similar to plagiarism as it is an attempt to present anothers work as your own. In plagiarismthe original owner of the work is not aware you are using it, in collusion two or more people may be

involved in trying to produce one piece of work to benefit one individual, or plagiarising another personswork.

Examples of collusion include:

agreeing with others to cheat;

getting someone else to produce part or all of your work;

copying the work of another person (with their permission);

submitting work from essay banks;

paying someone to produce work for you; and

allowing another student to copy your own work.

Many parts of university life need students to work together. Working as a team, as directed by yourtutor, and producing group work is not collusion. Collusion only happens if you produce joint work tobenefit of one or more person and try to deceive another (for example the assessor).


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9. Learning Resources

9.1. Library

Library ContactsFaculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences

[email protected]

Lord Ashcroft International Business [email protected]

Faculty of Health, Social Care and [email protected]

Faculty of Science and [email protected]

READING LIST

Collis, J & Hussey, R Business Research; A Practical Guide for Undergraduate andPostgraduate Students, Palgrave Macmillan

9.2 Other resources

Saunders M.,Lewis P., Research Methods for Business StudentsThornhill A. FT Prentice Hall

Bryman, A Social Research Methods

Creswell, J Mixed Methods Research; Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches,Sage

Easterby-Smith, M, Management Research: An IntroductionThorpe, R & Lowe, A. Sage

Gill, J & Johnson, P Research Methods for ManagersPaul Chapman Publishing, 2002
https://webmail.anglia.ac.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=x4giGQeT-kKjYqEJMBK1JjuayRyTAs8IRnA71fQiSijBLG8rnExvb6C6Zs_HOuXrsplNJ7SDHtc.&URL=mailto%3alibteam.alss%40anglia.ac.ukhttps://webmail.anglia.ac.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=x4giGQeT-kKjYqEJMBK1JjuayRyTAs8IRnA71fQiSijBLG8rnExvb6C6Zs_HOuXrsplNJ7SDHtc.&URL=mailto%3alibteam.aibs%40anglia.ac.ukhttps://webmail.anglia.ac.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=x4giGQeT-kKjYqEJMBK1JjuayRyTAs8IRnA71fQiSijBLG8rnExvb6C6Zs_HOuXrsplNJ7SDHtc.&URL=mailto%3alibteam.fhsce%40anglia.ac.ukhttps://webmail.anglia.ac.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=x4giGQeT-kKjYqEJMBK1JjuayRyTAs8IRnA71fQiSijBLG8rnExvb6C6Zs_HOuXrsplNJ7SDHtc.&URL=mailto%3alibteam.fst%40anglia.ac.ukhttps://webmail.anglia.ac.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=x4giGQeT-kKjYqEJMBK1JjuayRyTAs8IRnA71fQiSijBLG8rnExvb6C6Zs_HOuXrsplNJ7SDHtc.&URL=mailto%3alibteam.fst%40anglia.ac.ukhttps://webmail.anglia.ac.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=x4giGQeT-kKjYqEJMBK1JjuayRyTAs8IRnA71fQiSijBLG8rnExvb6C6Zs_HOuXrsplNJ7SDHtc.&URL=mailto%3alibteam.fhsce%40anglia.ac.ukhttps://webmail.anglia.ac.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=x4giGQeT-kKjYqEJMBK1JjuayRyTAs8IRnA71fQiSijBLG8rnExvb6C6Zs_HOuXrsplNJ7SDHtc.&URL=mailto%3alibteam.aibs%40anglia.ac.ukhttps://webmail.anglia.ac.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=x4giGQeT-kKjYqEJMBK1JjuayRyTAs8IRnA71fQiSijBLG8rnExvb6C6Zs_HOuXrsplNJ7SDHtc.&URL=mailto%3alibteam.alss%40anglia.ac.uk


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10. Module Evaluation

During the second half of the delivery of this module, you will be asked to complete a module evaluationquestionnaire to help us obtain your views on all aspects of the module.

This is an extremely important process which helps us to continue to improve the delivery of the modulein the future and to respond to issues that you bring to our attention. The module report in section 11 of

this module guide includes a section which comments on the feedback we received from other studentswho have studied this module previously.

Your questionnaire response is anonymous.

Please help us to help you and other students at Anglia Ruskin by completing the Module Evaluationprocess. We very much value our students views and it is very important to us that you providefeedback to help us make improvements.

In addition to the Module Evaluation process, you can send any comment on anything related to yourexperience at Anglia Ruskin [email protected] any time.

11. Report on Last Delivery of Module

This module was delivered in the UK and at various oversees partnerships during the lat academic year.All module feedback reports showed positive comments. No centres reported any issues in terms ofdelivering the module.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Contents

1. Key information 3

2. Introduction 3-4

3. The Dissertation process 4

4. Choosing a topic, issue, problem, orquestion

5

5. Using sources and referencing 5-7

6. The format and presentation of yourdissertation

8-12

7. Criteria for assessing yourdissertation

12

8. Characteristics of a postgraduatedissertation

12-13

9. Intended learning outcomes 14

10. How will my work be assessed?10.1 Submitting a TurnitinUK

Originality Report

10.2 Feedback10.3 Reassessment

1516

16-1920

11. Assessment Offences 19-24

12. Feedback 26

13. Responsibilities of the student 26

14. Security 26

15. Learning resources 26-27

Appendix 1 Dissertation TimetableAppendix 2 Dissertation Proposal Coversheet

Appendix 3 Producing and submitting your dissertationproposal

Appendix 4 How to structure your dissertation proposalAppendix 5 Example of a Research Proposal

Appendix 6 Generic Assessment Criteria and MarkingStandards

Appendix 7 LAIBS Postgraduate Dissertation AssessmentForm

Appendix 8 LAIBS Supervisor Contact LogAppendix 9 Ethical Approval


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1. Key Information

Module/Unit title: Postgraduate Major Project

PostgraduateMajor ProjectLeader: Dr. George Panagiotou

London School of MarketingLS Education GroupEmail: [email protected]

Every module has a Module Definition Form (MDF) which is the officially validated record ofthe module. You can access the MDF for this module in three ways via:

the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) the My.Anglia Module Catalogueatwww.anglia.ac.uk/modulecatalogue Anglia Ruskins module search engine facility atwww.anglia.ac.uk/modules

All modules delivered by Anglia Ruskin University at its main campuses in the UK and atAssociate Colleges throughout the UK and overseas are governed by the AcademicRegulations. You can view these atwww.anglia.ac.uk/academicregs. A printed extract ofthe Academic Regulations, known as the Assessment Regulations, is available for everystudent from your Faculty Office (all new students will have received a copy as part of theirwelcome pack).

In the unlikely event of any discrepancy between the Academic Regulationsand any otherpublication, including this module guide, the Academic Regulations, as the definitivedocument, take precedence over all other publications and will be applied in all cases.

2. Introduction

In order to obtain a Masters degree you must prepare, submit, and pass a dissertation.Apart from this regulation requirement there are a number of reasons why the dissertation isa very important part of your studies. From the learning outcomes in the module definitionforms (available on the VLE webpage) you will see that the dissertation is a demandingmodule. Perhaps a more attractive way of stating this is to say that it allows you anopportunity to demonstrate, at an advanced level, several important intellectual and practicalskills. These skills are valued by employers and as the dissertation is your own work it isproof that you have mastered them. In fact, sometimes your dissertation will help you toobtain an interview or find the position you want.

The dissertation is not a taught module and this means that the research and writing up ofyour findings is very much an individual effort that allows you to demonstrate bothorganisational and time management skills. You will have further honed your research skillsand techniques and deepened your understanding of at least one major area of businessand/or business related areas. Other high level skills which will be developed and improved

include evaluation, synthesis, and critical thinking. Finally, a well-written dissertationenables you to demonstrate communication and presentation skills.
http://www.anglia.ac.uk/modulecataloguehttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/moduleshttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregshttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregshttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/moduleshttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/modulecatalogue


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Full details of how to present your dissertation can be found in the Anglia Ruskin Universitypublication, "Presentation and Submission of Projects and Dissertations for Taught HigherDegrees". A copy of this booklet can be obtained from the VLE. You are advised to makeyourself aware of the entire contents of this booklet before you start your dissertation. Youshould read carefully the section on Formatting before you start any writing-up, as yourdissertation will not be accepted if it doesn't comply with this section. Anglia RuskinUniversity regulations and guidelines do change from time to time. It is your responsibility tomake sure that you are working to current regulations and guidelines so check that theModule Guide and Anglia Ruskin University publications you are using are up-to-date. If indoubt consult your supervisor and/or Postgraduate Dissertation Tutor.

3. The Dissertation Process

There are a number of formal processes associated with the dissertation.

Registering your dissertation topic - This must be done by submitting a completedDissertation Proposal Coversheet, along with your outline Dissertation Proposal (For an

example see Appendix 5) to the IMSS by the published date. It is important that yousubmit your coversheet and proposal on time, to the relevant Faculty office, as youwill not be allocated a supervisor until it is submitted. You may indicate a preferredsupervisor on the form but we cannot guarantee you will be allocated the preferredsupervisor as a holistic view of staffing is taken in the Business School. Please do notapproach staff to ask if they can supervisor your dissertation, the course leaderassigns supervisors

.

Allocating your supervisor - after you have completed and submitted your DissertationProposal Form you will be allocated a supervisor. This will be done by the PostgraduateMajor Project Module Leader. One of the roles of the Postgraduate Major Project Module

Leader is to utilise the staff resource in the Business School as effectively and efficiently aspossible. The Postgraduate Major Project Module Leader will also endeavour to match yourtopic to staff expertise.

Meeting your supervisor - you are strongly advised to meet your supervisor as soon aspossible. The supervisor will be sent a copy of your proposal. Thereafter, you should meetregularly with your supervisor to discuss progress, resolve any problems you may have, etc.It is your responsibility to make and keep the appointments. If you have any problems inmaking appointments then please inform your Programme Leader immediately. Sometimesface-to-face meetings are not possible. In this case other means of communication, such asemail, may be appropriate.

Recording your meetings - you must keep a record of your meetings with your supervisoron the Contact Log Sheet (Appendix 8) and the completed CLS must be put with yourdissertation when handing in.

Submitting your dissertation - you must submit two comb-bound copies

of yourdissertation to the iCentre on or before the submission date. You will know this date by thetime you commence stage three of your programme. If you think you have a good reasonfor a later submission you must ask for an extension (maximum 10 days). Only the StudentAdvisor can give you permission. Do not ask for an extension at the "last minute". A copy ofthe extension form must be submitted to the faculty office. Please make sure you arefamiliar with University policy on extensions.

You must also submit 2 separate copies of the abstract along with two copies of theAssessment Form(Appendix 7)and an electronic copy of the dissertation on CD.


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4. Choosing a Topic, Issue, Problem or Question

You choose your own topic but it has to be approved. You can choose a similar topic towhich may have been assessed for another module as long as it does not cover identicalground.

As a start, remind yourself that a dissertation is much more than just a simple descriptiveaccount of some aspect of your course. Very often the success of your dissertation isdetermined by how successful you are in finding a good issue to pursue, a problem toinvestigate, a question to answer, and so on. Unless you are successful here you may beunable to develop a coherent and well argued dissertation. This first stage can be difficult sodon't be afraid to spend some time on it.

You may come up with a fairly broad topic but it will have to have a focus. Even at the broadtopic stage you will have to ask yourself whether it is likely to be viable. You should also try

to come up with a topic you are interested in personally, as a large amount of your time willbe spent on background reading, fieldwork and/or other types of research, and finally writingup your research. If you are interested in your question, etc., then all this activity is likely tobe a source of pleasure rather than an onerous and pointless burden.

The activity associated with choosing the topic, problem, etc., should be done before yousubmit your Dissertation Proposal. Sometimes, even after much hard work, it may bedifficult to come up with a focused topic, but please note that a broad general area may notbe acceptable. You are advised to seek some specialist help before submitting yourproposal if you run into difficulties.

You are strongly advised to spend a good deal of time on choosing your topic. You willprobably find it helpful to discuss possibilities with other students, and try out an initialliterature search in areas you are considering. Even something quite simple such as writingout the nature of the problem or topic can be helpful at this stage.

You are allowed to modify your topic, research question, etc., (and any necessary changesto your methodology) if you experience problems with your original intentions, your researchthrows up better and more interesting possibilities, and so on. Very occasionally, you mayhave to abandon your topic and change to something completely different but this isregarded as being exceptional.

5. Using Sources and Referencing

Do not forget that a dissertation depends crucially on source material. From the assessmentcriteria listed in a later section of this document you will see that you will be evaluated on theway you use your sources. Thus, before you finalise your topic and title, make sure thatadequate and appropriate sources are available. This is particularly important if empiricalresearch is a part of your dissertation. For instance, response rates to studentquestionnaires are often poor and/or slow.

Your dissertation may depend mainly on primary sources such as surveys, interviews,statistics, etc. Many dissertations depend more on secondary sources such as books,articles, and the internet. As you can see from the assessment criteria below, supervisors

will look for evidence that you have located a good selection of appropriate sources andunderstood them.


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Make sure that you have acknowledged these sources. If you don't this will be viewed aspassing off other peoples words and ideas as your own, ie. cheating, and you will bepenalised for this dishonesty.

Good references are an indication that you have found and used available sources and thiswill be taken into account when your dissertation is marked.

As all quotations and paraphrases must be acknowledged this means that you will need tokeep careful records of your research and reading.

The use of references can cause difficulties. You must use the Harvard System ofReferencing. The essence of this system is that whenever you quote from a primary orsecondary source you add in brackets, immediately after the quotation, the surname of theauthor, the year of publication, and the page reference

The referencing system outlined can be found at the following website:http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/subjects/reference/harvard.php

Example of Harvard referencing

Carter persisted with the responsible import based recovery programme, hoping that theGermans and Japanese would ultimately follow their example. As a consequence of thispolicy the US trade deficit increased from $9.5 billion in 1976 to $31.1 billion in 1977 (Stein1998, p159).

(Stein 1998, p159) would appear after a direct quotation, or as in this case, the presentationof an idea. Direct quotes of more than 30 words or so should be indented on either side.

Example:

In my view, and notwithstanding some of the really important theoreticalinsights and results that the concept has generated, there are problems intrying to apply the concept of utility that have not had the attention theydeserve. However, economists are now beginning to take more interest inthe extent to which psychological evidence can inform the development ofeconomic models.

(Anand, 2006, p223)

All books etc. you have cited in the text are listed in a reference list at the end of the

dissertation in alphabetical order: author, initials, date, title, place of publication, publisher.Stein would thus appear as:

Stein, J (1998) The Locomotive Loses Power: The Trade and Industrial Policies of JimmyCarter; in Fink, G & Graham, HD (eds) The Carter Presidency: Policy Choices in the PostNew-Deal Era, Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas.

Note that this is a chapter in a publication edited by someone else. The full volume alsoneeds to be cited thus:

Fink, G & Graham, HD (1998) The Carter Presidency: Policy Choices in the Post New-DealEra, Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas.
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Note the use of italics in these two examples. It is always the title of the book that isitalicised.

All books etc. you have cited in the text are listed in a bibliography at the end of thedissertation in alphabetical order: author, initials, title, publisher, date. Mansfield wouldappear as:

Mansfield, E.; Microeconomics: Theory & Applications, Norton and Company, 1995

If there is more than one book, journal article etc. by the same author your references willnormally be distinguished by the year of publication. If the author has published more thanone work in the same year, show them as 1992a, 1992b etc.

Ensure that your document is spell-checked and pay particular attention to grammatical andpunctuation errors.

Good scholarship, referencing and academic misconduct

In your project, as with all academic work you will be expected to demonstrate a highstandard of academic referencing. To recap, this is for three reasons:

1 To show the breadth and depth of research you have carried out (e.g. get good marks!)2 To enable the reader to follow up on interesting ideas/research that you have discussed3 To avoid being accused o plagiarism.

As a level 3 student you should know all of the following information, but experience tells usthat it is useful to include a re-cap.

What is good scholarship?

Academics (including you!) are engaged in the generation of new knowledge and insightsthat contribute to what we already know about the natural, supernatural and social world this is called scholarship. Good scholarship is the result of conventions that help thereaders of academic research to see exactly what is new, what is the work of others andhow it all fits together the main way this is done is through the referencing system.

Put simply, authors (including you) need to make it clear what are not their own new ideas,by adding a citation after every idea or set of ideas they write about that are not their own.There are several different ways of doing this that have evolved from different academicdisciplines (just as there are lots of different world languages). In the Business School weuse the Harvard Referencing System.

An excellent resource about referencing can also be found at the following website:http://www.learnhigher.org.uk/site/index.php

We suggest that you select in depth mode from the drop-down menu on the bottom left ofthe page.

What do I reference?As the above section suggests, you should attribute all your sources regardless of themedium the material comes in (e.g. You Tube video, journal article, blog, radio programme,book chapter etc.) There is a general rule of thumb that says that which is commonknowledge does not need to be referenced, but of course, what counts as common

knowledge? So-called common sense hides many assertions and prejudices that good
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quality academic work should seek to expose. A useful technique to use if you want toinclude general assertions is to use constructions like:

It is generally accepted that or, Arguably, or It is reasonable to assumeBut do take care, even assertions need some justification in the text to be credible.

It is also a good idea to completely avoid cutting and pasting text from the internet, even ifyou correctly enclose a paragraph in quotation marks and add the reference underneath,you are unlikely to get many marks since this is not your own work and does notdemonstrate your understanding.

Quotations are good to see, but use them judiciously for the above reasons. If you can say itjust as well yourself, write it in your own words and add the citation at the end of thesentence / passage.

You need to include page numbers for all direct quotations.

A useful reference, particularly with regard to referencing new electronic sources is at thefollowing:

http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/subjects/reference/citation.php

6. The Format and Presentation of Your Dissertation

Your dissertation must be written in English in typescript form on A4 paper. Your name mustnot appear on the dissertation. TWO hard copiesof your completed, bound dissertation anda CD

to the i-centre by the published deadline (TBA). It is advisable to retain a copy for yourown records. Please note submitted dissertations will only be returned in cases of failure.

The maximum length of the dissertation depends on your chosen programme. Typically, thedissertation is 18,000 words (60 credits). However, some programmes allow 15,000 words(45 credits) or 12,000 words (30 credits). Please check with your Course Leader or CourseAdministrator.

One of the approved regulatory changes in the word limits for Postgraduate Major Projectmodules which for all new learning from 1stJuly 2011 onwards will be:

Postgraduate

30 credits: 12,000 words

45 credits: 15,000 words60 credits: 18,000 words

PLEASE NOTE: these revised word l imits o nly apply to al l new learning . Previous

wor d l imits as detai led in the third edit ion of the Academ ic Regulat ions app ly to any

student who comm enced a Major Project mo dule on or before 30th June 2011

(including any resi t that may b e required).

NoteThe maximum number of words does not include footnotes, the abstract, the bibliography,indented quotations, appendices and tables.

When you submit the copy of your dissertation you may be asked to submit, either on disk,using Word, or in manuscript, your working papers which have formed the basis of your
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introduction) and should indicate the nature and scope of the work, outlining the researchproblem, key issues, findings and your conclusion/recommendations.

Table of Contents

An outline of the whole project in list form, setting out the order of the sections, with pagenumbers. It is conventional to number the preliminary pages (abstract, table of contents) withlower case Roman numerals (i.e. (i), (ii), (iii) etc.) and the main text pages (starting with thefirst chapter) in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) as shown below.

Contents PageList of Tables iList of Figures iiList of Abbreviations iiiAcknowledgements iv

Chapter 1 (Title) 11.1 (First Section heading)1.2 (Second etc.)1.3 (Third)

List of tables and figuresYou can present a list at the beginning of your dissertation/ project of the tables and figuresyou have included.

A table is a presentation of data in tabular form; a figure is a diagrammatic representation ofdata or other material. Tables and figures should be clearly and consistently numbered,either above or below the table or figure. Each table and figure should have a separateheading (caption). The reader should be able to understand what the table or figure is aboutfrom this heading / caption without referring to the text for explanations. The numbers of thetables and the figures you use in the text and in the lists at the beginning should correspondexactly.

Main body of document, appropriatelystructured(this structure may vary depending onthe nature of your dissertation.)

Bibliography / References

Appendices(these should only contain material which is genuinely supportive of the

argument in the main body of the dissertation).

Supervisor Contact Log (completed) (See Appendix 8)

White Card Back (from Reprographics)

Black Comb Binding (from Reprographics)

Do remember that clear writing makes a good impression. If your grammar is poor, sentenceconstruction clumsy, and spelling bad, then your communication with the reader will also beaffected. You will not be penalised for poor English unless it is so bad that the meaning ofwhat you have written cannot be understood.

You are required to use the following format:


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Use A4 size paper only. Type 1.5 or doublespaced. (You may want to use single spacing for indented

quotes, footnote materialsand the bibliography). Use one side of paper only. Margins shouldbe approximately:

o

3 cms on left hand side of page to allow for binding.o At least 1 cmon the right hand sideo 3 cms top andbottom.

Pages shouldbe numbered in a single sequence from the contents page onwards. Short quotations can run in the text within single quotation marks (double quotation

marks reserved for quotations within quotations). Quotations longer than about 30words should be set in from the side of the page (normally the indent should be morethan the paragraph indent).

Always write incomplete sentences. Do not resort to note form. Do not use abbreviations in the text unless they are for the organisations documents

etc which are commonly initialised or referred to by acronyms eg. BBC

All abbreviations must be explained when they first appear and included in the frontof the document following the contents page and the list of tables and figures.

Your documents must be bound using a plastic or metal comb binding. The cover should beplain except for the title and the authors SID number. Reprographics will copy and bindyour work. There is a charge for this service.

Forms of DissertationThe final form your dissertation takes will depend on the topic and the approach you take forthe presentation of the data. Two examples are:

Example AChapter 1 - IntroductionAn explanation as to what the Dissertation is all about and why it isimportant. The research questions or hypotheses.

Chapter 2 - Literature Review A critical analysis of what other researchers have said andwhere your topic fits in. The theoretical framework.

Chapter 3 - Methodology Why certain data was collected and how it was collected andanalysed.

Chapter 4 - ResultsA presentation of your research results.

Chapter 5 - Analysis and Discussion Analysis of your results showing the contribution toknowledge you have made and acknowledgement of any weaknesses/limitations in yourwork.

Chapter 6 - Conclusions/Recommendations A description of the main lessons to be learnedfrom the study and what future research could be carried out.

Chapter 7 - References and Bibliography References are a detailed list of sources fromwhich information has been obtained and which has been cited in the text. The bibliographyis a detailed list of other sources you have used but not cited.

Appendices - Detailed data referred to but not shown elsewhere.


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Example B

You may wish to elect to write a descriptive type of dissertation that looks for patterns, ideas

and hypotheses. If you do the quality of the dissertation will depend on:

How thoroughly the issues are covered. How closely the facts relate to the original research question. Whether the data collected provides valuable and new information that is a

contribution to knowledge. Whether the research could be built upon by future writers. The extent to which creativity has been used in building the narrative.

NB - This approach is not an extended essay, but evidence of critical reflection and analysis.

The two forms of dissertation outlined above are given as an indication of possible formats.

It is possible that your dissertation may require a different approach or modification to the

above possibilities in presentation and content. Both presentation and content should be

discussed with your Dissertation Supervisor at an early stage.Remember, study at Master's level encourages innovative application of research principles

to academic work.

7. Criteria for Assessing Your DissertationThe criteria for assessing your dissertation are shown OR the Postgraduate Dissertation

Assessment Criteria Form that is included as Appendix 3 in this document. They are:

Introduction Is the abstract adequate? Is there a clear purpose and rationale for thestudy? Clear set of objectives / research questions?

Research Design & Methodology Was research design and methodology discussed?Was the approach appropriate?

Use of Literature / Sources Was the range suitable and adequate? Has a critical reviewof the literature been adopted? Has the student made a link between existing literature andtheir own research?

Results, analysis and interpretation of data Has the data been accurately presentedand analysed or are the findings merely a description? Appropriate theory applied?Interpretation Has the student made reasoned judgements on their findings?

Conclusion & recommendations Are conclusions reasoned? Do they correspond withthe objective(s) of the dissertation? Has the student reflected on the extent they haveachieved their objectives? Was limitations and future research discussed?

Presentation- structure & language, Harvard Referencing correctly applied, appropriate useof tables/diagrams

8. Characteristics of a Postgraduate Dissertation

You will have gained some idea of what is required in a postgraduate dissertation from the

learning outcomes of the module and from the assessment criteria above. In general terms

we expect an emphasis on the critical literature review and an in-depth understanding oftheory and methodology. Specifically,


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Methodology - you will be expected to critically review the theoretical, empirical, and

methodology literature. The theory should be comprehensively discussed and understood,

and paradigms of inquiry and different methodologies should be explored. You should show

awareness of the soundness of the methodology you use and its rationale.

Problem formulation - you will need to be precise and rigorous about the problem

formulation and the setting of objectives. Relevance and originality in the choice of topic is

also important.

Content and Analysis - your dissertation should clearly meet stated objectives and indicate

the extent that arguments are based on valid and reliable evidence, and identified and

worked within a critically analysed theoretical framework.

Evaluation of Implications - the evaluation of the implications in the dissertation, based

upon the analysis undertaken and upon any data collected, should be of high quality and

aim for originality.

Presentation - your dissertation should be well-structured in terms of both paragraphs and

chapters. There should be attention to detail, expression should be clear, the title

appropriate, and arguments coherent. Any appendices (and you are encouraged to keep

these to a minimum) should be used. The same applies to references and the bibliography.

Tables and diagrams should be of a high standard and make use of appropriate software.


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9. Intended Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes (threshold standards)

No. Type On successful completion of this module the student

will be expected to be able to:

1 Knowledge andunderstanding

With reference to a chosen significant and complex areafor enquiryestablish a method for investigation / exploration of keyconcepts,models and principles. (University outcome)

2 Knowledge andunderstanding

Critically evaluate complex issues from a variety ofviewpoints

3 Knowledge and

understanding

Develop effective arguments to support relevant

conclusions

4 Intellectual,practical,affective andtransferableskills

Critically justify and rigorously apply appropriatemethodologies,techniques and practical strategies; being sensitive to thecontext.(University outcome)


Where appropriate formulate solutions to business ormanagementproblems in discussion with peers, clients, mentors andothers.


Reflect critically on the process and outcomes of theinvestigation/enquiry.

Anglia Ruskin modules are taught on the basis of intended learning outcomes and that, onsuccessful completion of the module, students will be expected to be able to demonstrate

they have met those outcomes.


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10. How will my work be assessed?

All dissertations or projects are marked first by your supervisor and then by a secondmarker. In addition, a sample of dissertations will be sent to an External Assessor.

Dissertations are graded using the criteria set out on the dissertation assessment form (SeeAppendix 7).

A Viva may be held if examiners feel unable to reach a final decision on a mark, based

on the wri t ten work subm itted. A Viva may also be held if a student is susp ected of

plagiarism.

All coursework assignments and other forms of assessment must be submitted by thepublished deadline which is detailed above. It is your responsibility to know when work isdue to be submitted ignorance of the deadline date will not be accepted as a reason forlate or non-submission.

All student work which contributes to the eventual outcome of the module (ie: if it determineswhether you will pass or fail the module and counts towards the mark you achieve for themodule) is submitted via the iCentre using the formal submission sheet. Academic staffCANNOT accept work directly from you.

If you decide to submit your work to the iCentre by post, it must arrive by midday on the duedate. If you elect to post your work, you do so at your own risk and you must ensure thatsufficient time is provided for your work to arrive at the iCentre. Posting your work the daybefore a deadline, albeit by first class post, is extremely risky and not advised.

Any late work (submitted in person or by post) will NOT be accepted and a mark of zero willbe awarded for the assessment task in question.

You are requested to keep a copy of your work.

10.1 Submitting a TurnitinUK Originality Report

For the Postgraduate Major Project you are required to submit your TurnitinUK DigitalReceiptwith your work at the iCentre.

Work submitted without the Turnitin Originality Report Receipt will have 10% of theoverall mark deducted.

The Originality Report will not be used to make assessment decisions unless concernsabout poor academic practice, plagiarism or collusion arise out of the usual anonymousmarking arrangements. The report may then be considered as part of the normalinvestigatory procedures undertaken by the academic team and the Director of Studies(please see Section 10 of the Assessment Regulations).

10.2 Feedback

A completed Report Form for the dissertation will be sent to you. The dissertation remainsthe property of Anglia Ruskin University and will not be returned to you. You should

therefore make an additional copy for your own use.


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Anglia Ruskin is committed to providing you with feedback on all assessed work within 20working daysof the submission deadline or the date of an examination. This is extended to30 days for feedback for a Major Project module

(please note that working days excludesthose days when Anglia Ruskin University is officially closed; eg: between Christmas andNew Year). Personal tutors will offer to read feedback from several modules and help you toaddress any common themes that may be emerging.

At the main Anglia Ruskin University campuses, each Faculty will publish details of thearrangement for the return of your assessed work (eg: a marked essay or case study etc.).Any work which is not collected by you from the Faculty within this timeframe is returned tothe iCentres from where you can subsequently collect it. The iCentres retain student workfor a specified period prior to its disposal.

To assure ourselves that our marking processes are comparable with other universities inthe UK, Anglia Ruskin provides samples of student assessed work to external examiners asa routine part of our marking processes. External examiners are experienced academic stafffrom other universities who scrutinise your work and provide Anglia Ruskin academic staff

with feedback and advice. Many of Anglia Ruskins staff act as external examiners at otheruniversities.

On occasion, you will receive feedback and marks for pieces of work that you completed inthe earlier stages of the module. We provide you with this feedback as part of the learningexperience and to help you prepare for other assessment tasks that you have still tocomplete. It is important to note that, in these cases, the marks for these pieces of work areunconfirmedas the processes described above for the use of external examiners will nothave been completed. This means that, potentially, marks can change, in eitherdirection!

Marks for modules and individual pieces of work become confirmed on the Dates for the

Official Publication of Results which can be checked atwww.anglia.ac.uk/results.

After you have handed your work in or you have completed an examination, Anglia Ruskinundertakes a series of activities to assure that our marking processes are comparable withthose employed at other universities in the UK and that your work has been marked fairlyand honestly. These include:

Anonymous mark ing your name is not attached to your work so, at the point ofmarking, the lecturer does not know whose work he/she is considering. When youundertake an assessment task where your identity is known (eg: a presentation or MajorProject), it is marked by more than one lecturer (known as double marking)

Internal moderat ion a sample of all work for each assessment task in each module ismoderated by other Anglia Ruskin staff to check the marking standards and consistencyof the marking

External moderat ion a sample of student work for all modules is moderated byexternal examiners experienced academic staff from other universities (and sometimespractitioners who represent relevant professions) - who scrutinise your work and provideAnglia Ruskin academic staff with feedback, advice and assurance that the marking ofyour work is comparable to that in other UK universities. Many of Anglia Ruskins staffact as external examiners at other universities.

Departmental Assessm ent Panel (DAP) performance by all students on all modulesis discussed and approved at the appropriate DAPs which are attended by all relevant
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Student submits

work / sitsexamination

Work collated and passed to Dissertation

Supervisors and second markers1

Work is marked by DissertationSupervisor and second marker.

Marks are subsequently agreed2

Internal moderation samplesselected. Moderation undertaken

by a third academic3

Unconfirmed marks and feedbackto students within 20 working

days (30 working days for Major

Projects)

External moderation samplesselected and moderated by

External Examiners4

Marks submitted to DAP5forconsideration and approval

Marks Approved by DAP andforwarded to Awards Board

Any issues?

Any issues?

Students receiveinitial (unconfirmed)

feedback

Confirmed marksissued to students

via e-Vision

MarkingStage

InternalModerationStage

ExternalModerationStage

DAP4Stage

YES

YES

NO

NO

Flowchart of Anglia Ruskins Marking Processes

All work is marked anonymously or double marked where identity of the student is known (eg: in a presentation)2 The internal (and external) moderation process compares work from all locations where the module is delivered

(eg: Cambridge, Chelmsford, Peterborough, Malaysia, India, Trinidad etc.)3 The sample for the internal moderation process comprises a minimum of eight pieces of work or 10% (whichever

is the greater) for each marker and covers the full range of marks4 Only modules at levels 5, 6 and 7 are subject to external moderation (unless required for separate reasons). The

sample for the external moderation process comprises a minimum of eight pieces of work or 10% (whichever isthe greater) for the entire module and covers the full range of marks

5 DAP: Departmental Assessment Panel Anglia Ruskin has over 25 different DAPs to reflect our subject coverage


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10.3 Reassessment

Whilst we hope that all our students are successful in all the assessment tasks they complete, onoccasion some students fail their dissertation and are therefore given oneopportunity to resit theassessment. In these circumstances, the e-Vision system will tell you if you have failed and what itis you have to do to retrieve that failure, e.g. a resit examination, write a new piece of coursework,

etc. The e-Vision system will also tell you when this has to be completed.

It is your responsibility to make sure you are aware of any resit requirements, the exact details ofthe reassessment and when it will take place, e.g. the submission deadline or the period for anyexamination.

Please note that the overall mark for any module which you pass after you have been reassessed,e.g. undertaken a resit examination, will be capped at 40%.

11. Assessment Offences

You are reminded that any work that you submit must be your own. All suspectedassessment offences will be investigated and can result in severe penalties. Please notethat it is your responsibility to consult the relevant sections of the Academic Regulations(section 10 seewww.anglia.ac.uk/academicregs)and the Student Handbook.

When you are preparing your work for submission, it is important that you understand thevarious academic conventions that you are expected to follow in order to make sure that youdo not leave yourself open to accusations of plagiarism (eg: the correct use of referencing,citations, footnotes etc.) and that your work maintains its academic integrity.

Plagiarism is theft and constitutes the presentation of anothers work as your own in order togain an unfair advantage. You will receive advice and guidance on how to avoid plagiarismand other elements of poor academic practice during the early stages of your studies atAnglia Ruskin.

Guidance on being honest in your work

Introduction

Being honest in your work is at the heart of studying and working at university. To be honestin your work you must acknowledge the ideas and work of others you use, and you must not

try to get an advantage over others by being dishonest. It is important that you understandwhat it means to be honest in your work. Although there is general agreement within the UKacademic community about the types of activity that are unacceptable, this does vary slightlybetween institutions, and may be different from where you studied before.We have developed this guidance to help you understand what it means to be honest in yourwork, and what you should do to make sure that you are handing in work that meets ourexpectations. This means we can make sure that we can maintain reliable standards for ouracademic awards, and students continue to enjoy studying for academic qualifications thathave a good reputation. In this guidance we will:

clearly define what being honest in your work and good practice mean, and how you canachieve this;

define assessment offences, including plagiarism, cheating and collusion;
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identify the resources, help and advice available to help you learn the academic skillsyou need to avoid committing assessment offences;

explain how we expect you to behave; and describe what happens if we think you have committed an assessment offence.

Being honest in your work and good practice

You can show good practice when you do your work independently, honestly and in a properacademic style, using good referencing and acknowledging all of your sources.

To show good academic practice you must:

show you understand the literature; use research from academics and others in your area of study; discuss and evaluate ideas and theories; develop your own independent evaluation of academic issues; and develop your own arguments.

To support your own good practice you will need to develop your:

skills at studying and getting information (for example, reading, taking notes, researchand so on);

skills in looking at an argument and making your own evaluation (for example, having abalanced opinion, using reasoning and argument);

writing skills for essays, reports, dissertations and so on; referencing skills (how you include your sources of information in your work); and exam techniques (for example, revising and timing).

Achieving good practice is not as complicated as it may appear. You need to do thefollowing.

Know the rules. Make sure you reference all of your information sources. Poor practice or dishonesty in

your work (such as plagiarism, cheating, fraud and so on) can be a result of you notknowing what you are allowed to do.

Develop your own style. Sometimes students include too much original text from thework of others, as they believe that they cannot put it any better. Although you shouldtry to express ideas in your own words, quoting or summing up ideas from academicsources is fine, as long as you say where you have taken this from. You must alsoreference other peoples performances or art in your own work. It fine to use otherpeoples performances and art, but you must be completely clear about why you areusing that work, and make sure it is obvious that it isnt your own.

Definitions of assessment offences

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is when you present someone elses work, words, images, ideas, opinions ordiscoveries, whether published or not, as your own. It is also when you take the artwork,images or computer-generated work of others, without properly acknowledging where this isfrom or you do this without their permission.

You can commit plagiarism in examinations, but is most likely to happen in coursework,

assignments, portfolios, essays, dissertations and so on.


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Examples of plagiarism include:

directly copying from written work, physical work, performances, recorded work orimages, without saying where this is from;

using information from the internet or electronic media (such as DVDs and CDs) which

belongs to someone else, and presenting it as your own; rewording someone elses work, without referencing them; and handing in something for assessment which has been produced by another student or

person.

It is important that you do not plagiarise intentionally or unintentionally because the workof others and their ideas are their own. There are benefits to producing original ideas interms of awards, prizes, qualifications, reputation and so on. To use someone elses work,words, images, ideas or discoveries is a form of theft.

Col lus ion

Collusion is similar to plagiarism as it is an attempt to present anothers work as your own.In plagiarism the original owner of the work is not aware you are using it, in collusion two ormore people may be involved in trying to produce one piece of work to benefit one individual,or plagiarising another persons work.

Examples of collusion include:

agreeing with others to cheat; getting someone else to produce part or all of your work;

copying the work of another person (with their permission); submitting work from essay banks; paying someone to produce work for you; and allowing another student to copy your own work.

Many parts of university life need students to work together. Working as a team, as directedby your tutor, and producing group work is not collusion. Collusion only happens if youproduce joint work to benefit of one or more person and try to deceive another (for examplethe assessor).

Cheating

Cheating is when someone aims to get unfair advantage over others.

Examples of cheating include:

taking unauthorised material into the examination room; inventing results (including experiments, research, interviews and observations);

handing your own previously graded work back in; getting an examination paper before it is released; behaving in a way that means other students perform poorly; pretending to be another student; and trying to bribe members of staff or examiners.


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What we will do for you

To help you avoid making assessment offences, our staff will:

make sure they are familiar with the guidance on being honest in your work and theAcademic Regulations;

tell you clearly about the guidance on being honest in your work and any guidelines onmisconduct, and record the dates for future reference;

arrange library information sessions for you; promote the resources on the library website and put links to them in module guides and

student handbooks; include statements on academic honesty in each module guide, making sure they are

consistent throughout our university; make you aware of the punishments for misconduct early in the course; give you effective guidance on how you should acknowledge the information you have

used; tell you, in writing if possible, how far you may work with other students in your

coursework; plan procedures for assessing work in a way that reduces plagiarism, cheating and

collusion;

be aware that you may have worked differently in the past and make sure that you areaware of good practice in the UK;

familiarise themselves with TurnitinUK and its reports; and report all suspected misconduct using the proper disciplinary procedures.

Procedures for assessment offences

An assessment offence is the general term used to define cases where a student has tried to

get unfair academic advantage in an assessment for themselves or another student.

We will aim to give you as much help as possible to avoid an assessment offence. We listeda number of possible assessment offences earlier in the document. These and any relevantbreaks of the Academic Regulations are dishonest, unacceptable and not allowed. We willfully investigate all cases of suspected assessment offences. If we prove that you havecommitted an assessment offence, we will take action against you using our disciplinaryprocedures.

For full details of what punishments you may receive for assessment offences, see theAcademic Regulations, section 10 at:www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregs

And finally

One of the main aims of university is to give you the ability to learn, have independentjudgment, academic rigour and intellectual honesty.

You should encourage people to ask questions, to show personal and professional honesty,and have mutual respect.

You, university teachers and support staff are responsible for working together to achievethis aim.
http://www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregshttp://www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregs


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12. Feedback

A completed Report Form for the dissertation will be sent to you. The dissertation remainsthe property of Anglia Ruskin University and will not be returned to you. You shouldtherefore make an additional copy for your own use.

13. Responsibilities of the Student

It is your responsibility to prepare and present your dissertation by the deadline given.Failure to submit by that date will result in the dissertation being assessed as a FAIL. Therewill be NO EXTENSIONSallowed except in highly exceptional circumstances agreed by theStudent Adviser.

You should also be aware that you are responsible for:

Submitting an initial synopsis (outline of your topic and title) by the specified date. Submitting a proposed timetable of work and research by the specified date. Building a substantial contingency into your timetable to allow for unforeseen and

unexpected problems. Undertaking the necessary research. Ensuring that your Supervisor is kept informed of your progress. Ensuring that all progress reports, drafts etc are submitted to your Supervisor by the

specified date. Arranging for the dissertation to be presented according to the guidelines given in

this guide.

14. Security

As your work for the dissertation is of great importance, you should keep copies of allrelevant material to guard against loss. It is advisable to have back-up copies of any diskson which you have stored information.

15. Learning Resources

Recommended Reading:

Wilson, J. (2010), Essentials of business research: a guide to doing your research project,London: Sage Publications.

Bell, J. (2010), Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers in education,health and social science, Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill.

Burnett, J. (2009), Doing your social science dissertation, London: Sage Publications.

Fisher, C.M. (2010), Researching and writing a dissertation: an essential guide for businessstudents, Harlow: Prentice Hall.

OLeary, Z. (2009), The essential guide to doing your research project, London: SagePublications.White B (2000), Dissertation Skills for Business and Management Students, Cassell.


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Recommended Internet Resources

Your supervisor may be able to recommend internet resources of particular relevance toyour area of research.

Other Resources

Use of a copyright library (letters will be provided by the Project supervisor to enablestudents to access a copyright library).Anglia Ruskin Digital Library: http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/diglib.htm

Link to the University Library catalogue and Digital Libraryhttp://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/Link to Harvard Referencing guidehttp://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm

Faculty Liaison Librarians

ALSSKaren Ready ([email protected])extn 2304

LAIBSJolene Cushion ([email protected])extn 2470

FoECarol McMaster ([email protected])extn 4643

FHSCMaurice Wakeham ([email protected])extn 3766

FSTRuth Rule ([email protected])extn 2313

Specialist Learning Resources

None.
http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htmmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htmhttp://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/


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Appendix 1 Dissertation Timetable

Most students will begin their dissertation at the beginning of the second semester.

The guidelines below commence at week one

of the second semester of your

postgraduate course.

Week 1 You should be deciding upon a subject area, title andinitial study plan for your dissertation.

By Week 5 You should have submitted a hardcopy of your completedDissertation Proposal Coversheet and DissertationProposal form to the Faculty Office.

NB without a proposal form we are unable to allocatea supervisor, it is therefore imperative that yourproposal form is received on time.

By Friday Week 7 Details of allocated supervisors will be published for allstudents that have submitted a Dissertation Proposalform. The list will be made available on the VLE.

From Monday Week 8 Make contact with your supervisor in order to arrange aninitial meeting to discuss your dissertation.

By Dissertation DeadlineGet your dissertation printed and bound (this must be inthe correct format see section 8 of this guide) andsubmit two hard cop ies

of your completed, bounddissertation and a CD to the i-centre by the publisheddeadline (tba).

The dissertation deadline for submission will be notified to you by

your centre.


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Appendix 2

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL COVERSHEET

Student Name: Student Number:

Degree Programme:

Dissertation to be submitted: May 2013

Please tick the most appropriate subject area for your Dissertation (one box only)

Accounting and Finance Business Decision Making Business Economics Corporate Strategy Organisational Behaviour Marketing HRM Information Technology

Other (please specify):

Signature of Student: Date:

Off ice Use Only

Proposed Dissertation Supervisor:


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Appendix 3

Producing and submitting your dissertation proposal

You are required to produce a 750-800 word Dissertation Research Proposal. This shouldbe based on your chosen dissertation topic. A guide to the structure of the proposal is setout in (Appendix 4), followed by an example of a Dissertation Research Proposal(Appendix 5).Although this example is slightly longer than what we are expecting from you,it still contains all of the key elements typically found in a research proposal. Its importantto follow this structure as it makes it easier for us when it comes to allocating yourDissertation Supervisor.

Once you have finished your completed proposal, it should be submitted to the FacultyOffice along with your completed Dissertation Proposal Coversheet (Appendix 2).

Thisis so that a Dissertation Supervisor can be allocated to you. The name of your DissertationSupervisor will be posted on the VLE. This is likely to be done 7-10 days after you submit

your proposal. Once you have found out the name of your supervisor, it is down to you tomake contact in order to arrange an initial meeting to discuss your dissertation.

Do not worry at this stage if you have not fully formulated your research topic. The importantthing is that you have some idea of your proposed area of research. You can change yourtopic, although try to keep it within the same broad discipline e.g. Marketing, Economics, HR.

*Your proposal must contain a minimum of 5 references


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research method for manager

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