Dissertation (AS2), weighting 90% of the mark (LO1 – LO7) Learning Outcomes The learning outcomes being addressed through this assignment are: LO1 – Critically evaluate business and management practice and literature to construct a relevant research question and appropriate aims and objectives LO2 – Critically analyse, evaluate and review appropriate literature from a wide range of relevant sources LO3 – Critically examine a range of data collection methods, exploring limitations to propose and justify an appropriate methodological approach to address the aims and objectives of a research study. LO4 – Plan and implement a structured research, demonstrating effective data collection methods and data analysis, whilst conforming to ethical requirements. LO5 – Critically analyse and interpret data to develop coherent findings and conclusions. LO6 – Develop recommendations for practice which recognise the limitations of your own study. LO7 -Defend findings and demonstrate critical reflection in an effective and structured manner. You are requested to write a dissertation (up to 12 000 words), weighting 90% of the mark. Please find attached Research Proposal report as your reference. The dissertation must be prefaced by an abstract. This is not an introduction but a summary which outlines the plan and argument of the dissertation. It should include brief details of the methodology employed. The abstract should not be longer than 300 words. It should be included immediately after the title page and it will be examined as part of the dissertation. A list of contents, such as the glossary, chapters, and appendices – with page references – should be included at the front of the dissertation.Diagrams, figures, tables, and illustrations should be incorporated into the text at the appropriate place, unless there is a series of them or they are continually referred to throughout the text. In this case they should be placed in appendices at the end of the work The work of other authorities must be acknowledged. When quotations or general references are made they must be suitably referenced by using the Harvard system. Appendices should not contain material which is not used or referred to in the text. Similarly, illustrative material should not be included unless it is relevant, informative, and referred to in the text. Characteristics of your dissertation You will have gained some idea of what is required in a postgraduate dissertation from the learning outcomes of the module and the assessment criteria, however, in general terms we expect an emphasis on the critical literature review and an in-depth understanding of theory and methodology. Specifically, 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. Presentation of your dissertation Your Dissertation should be presented as follows, ALL dissertations should include the following (but they may include more): Disclaimer Page Abstract Set out on a page of its own immediately after the title page. The abstract is likely to be the last section to be written. It is a short (300 words maximum.) summary of the project (not an introduction) and should indicate the nature and scope of the work, outlining the research problem, 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 page numbers. It is conventional to number the preliminary pages (abstract, table of contents) with lower case Roman numerals (i.e. (i), (ii), (iii) etc.) and the main text pages (starting with the first chapter) in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) as shown below. Contents Page List of Tables i List of Figures ii List of Abbreviations iii Acknowledgements iv List of tables and figures You can present a list at the beginning of your dissertation/ project of the tables and figures you have included. A table is a presentation of data in tabular form; a figure is a diagrammatic representation of data 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 separate heading (caption). The reader should be able to understand what the table or figure is about from this heading / caption without referring to the text for explanations. The numbers of the tables and the figures you use in the text and in the lists at the beginning should correspond exactly Main body of document, appropriately structured (this structure may vary depending on the 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). Do remember that clear writing makes a good impression. If your grammar is poor, sentence construction clumsy, and spelling bad, then your communication with the reader will also be affected. You will not be penalised for poor English unless it is so bad that the meaning of what you have written cannot be understood. You are required to use the following format: • Use A4 size paper only. • Type 1.5 or doublespaced. (You may want to use single spacing for indented quotes, footnote materials and the bibliography). • Use one side of paper only. • Margins should be approximately: o 3 cms on left hand side of page to allow for binding. o At least 1 cm on the right hand side o 3 cms top and bottom. • Pages should be 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 30 words should be set in from the side of the page (normally the indent should be more than the paragraph indent). • Always write in complete 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 front of the document following the contents page and the list of tables and figures. Dissertation Structure The final form your dissertation takes will depend on the topic and the approach you take for the presentation of the data. A general structure includes Chapter 1 – Introduction An explanation as to what the Dissertation is all about and why it is important. The research questions or hypotheses. Chapter 2 – Literature Review A critical analysis of what other researchers have said and where your topic fits in. The theoretical framework. Chapter 3 – Methodology Why was this methodological approach taken, how data was collected, how it was analysed and how were ethical issues addressed. Chapter 4 – Results A presentation of your research results. Chapter 5 – Analysis and Discussion Analysis of your results showing the contribution to knowledge you have made and acknowledgement of any weaknesses/limitations in your work. Chapter 6 – Conclusions/Recommendations A description of the main lessons to be learned from the study and what future research could be carried out. Chapter 7 – References and Bibliography References are a detailed list of sources from which information has been obtained and which has been cited in the text. The bibliography is a detailed list of other sources you have used but not cited. Appendices – Detailed data referred to but not shown elsewhere. 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. Please note, 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. Your dissertation should cover the followings; Introduction – Is the abstract adequate? Is there a clear purpose and rationale for the study? Clear set of objectives / research questions? (10/100 marks) Research Design & Methodology – Was research design and methodology discussed? Was the approach appropriate? Evaluation of the effectiveness of the methodology. This section should include a justification of the methodology used. It should also include an outline of any ethical issues associated with the research undertaken and how they have been addressed. (20/100 marks) Use of Literature / Sources – Was the range suitable and adequate? Has a critical review of the literature been adopted? Has the student made a ‘link’ between existing literature and their own research? (20/100 marks) Results, analysis and interpretation of data – Has the data been accurately presented and analysed or are the findings merely a description? Appropriate theory applied? Interpretation – Has the student made reasoned judgements on their findings? (30/100 marks) Conclusion & recommendations – Are conclusions reasoned? Do they correspond with the objective(s) of the dissertation? Has the student reflected on the extent they have achieved their objectives? Was limitations and future research discussed? (10/100 marks) Presentation – structure & language, Harvard Referencing correctly applied, appropriate use of tables/diagrams (10/100 marks) Please find attached my research proposal report and class notes:
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