BUS7B63 Research Project Module Handbook | WGU

BUS7B63 Module Handbook

BUS7B63 Module Introduction

This Module Handbook is designed to provide you with specific information about the module, and you should refer to your Programme Handbook, the Student Guide, and the Academic Regulations appropriate to your award for additional supporting information. In addition, you should refer to the Student Guide to the Active Learning Framework (ALF) for information about the delivery of learning and teaching of programmes at the University. All of these documents can be found on the Student Administration pages of the Student Intranet.

BUS7B63 Overview

This module will run throughout your MBA and will run over multiple trimesters. This module will apply your learning from across your MBA. Engagement will be through taught sessions, supervisory sessions; and VLE content, and the mix of formats will change with the phase. For phase one in the first trimester, you will have taught sessions and VLE content to engage with as you consider which research study option to take and which topic to research. In phase two, you will carry out your research study and engage with supervision and VLE content. Then, in phase three, your focus will be on VLE content and writing up your research study as your dissertation submission.

The module lead will be: Dr. Jill Newman

During this module, you will complete a dissertation research project. Throughout the module, you will: design and implement your research; analyse the data/sources; and write up your research in a structured manner.

You have three research study options* to choose from:

1. Empirical-based research study
2. Literature-based research study
3. Project-based research study:

• Type A: A project led by your supervisor
• Type B: A project you develop and pitch to the Programme Team

Students are reminded that their choice of dissertation topic should reflect the subject area represented in the programme route they are studying.

Although dissertation research studies will ideally relate to ‘real-world’ situations or problems, the work undertaken for the module must be of a primarily academic and analytical nature. The research required will normally involve field work and the generation or acquisition of data or a set of literature sources for which ethical approval is required before entering the field. Substantial and thorough engagement with the literature will be expected, and considerable use of secondary information and/or data may be required.

Individual academic supervisors (where necessary in conjunction with the Programme Team) will consider each research study proposal on the grounds of its academic integrity and feasibility before agreeing to its suitability for the module. Therefore, students may need to revisit their topic and/or methodology (empirical-based and literature-based research studies); or commit to or revisit their project pitch (project-based research study) before commencing their dissertation research study.

You will be assigned an academic supervisor for the duration of phase two of the module and will be expected to make regular progress reports and accept guidance about the direction of your work. In phase three, you will be expected to work independently to complete your dissertation.

BUS7B63 Module Aims

There are several aims associated with this module: -

• This module will support students in carrying out independent research on a topic directly related to their working context and/or programme specialism.
• It will help students to identify a contemporary managerial problem that is sufficiently complex to warrant investigation and identify possible solutions.
• Enable students to apply knowledge and expertise gained during the taught element of the MBA programme; demonstrate mastery of a specific area of the subject; and facilitate the development of applied research skills.
• To provide an insight into the nature and make-up of academic research and to enable students to undertake a focused dissertation research study.

BUS7B63 Module learning outcomes

At the end of this module, students will be able to: -

1. Develop a viable research/project question/problem with a supporting aim and objectives that demonstrate rigour and are ethically sound.

2. Search literature relating to the proposed research/project topic systematically and synthesise and critically evaluate the literature to produce a narrative collating the review findings in support of a specific research/project question/problem.

3. Develop, outline and work within a comprehensive research/project framework which integrates relevant methodologies/approaches; design; quality measures and any ethical issues related to the research/project.

4. Analyse data in a critical manner appropriate to the methodology/approach outlined and present and review the results/findings in an appropriate format.

5. Synthesise the research/project results/findings and propose strategic recommendations of relevance to both practitioners and academics.

How you will learn in this module

You will be encouraged and supported to learn through the use and analysis of information to reach informed decisions that are influential and effectively communicated to demonstrate a professional and independent approach with leadership acumen.

Formal delivery related to research concepts and theory will be via taught sessions and VLE content to explore and question the links between theory and practice.

You will evaluate strategic management/organisational/business problems, drawn from developments related to the programme route chosen by you, to provide a foundation for specialist research that reflects your future direction.

An active learning environment will be fostered to progress from proposal/task/pitch to completed research study and dissertation.

Overview

 

Please note - this is an indicative timetable and may be subject to change.

Student-centred independent learning tasks providing clear detail of what you are expected to do in your own study time each week are outlined on Moodle and/or during supervision sessions. In phase one, tasks will relate to developing your understanding and engaging with the module textbook. In phase two, the majority of tasks are individualised depending on your progress with your research study. In phase three, the tasks will mostly be set by you. This progression represents your developing confidence and ability.

You are reminded that as a full-time student, it is expected that 564 hours are spent on independent study during this module. Students fail to commit this time to independent study are likely to struggle to complete their research study and dissertation.

How you will be Assessed on this Module

BUS7B63 Assessment Feedback

Details of the criteria on which you will be marked, the feedback date and how feedback will be provided are provided within the option briefs and also this module handbook (see Appendix C.).

You can expect to receive formal feedback on your final dissertation submission no later than three working weeks after it has been submitted, however, it may take up to six weeks to receive detailed feedback. If unexpected events result in that deadline not being met, you will be informed of the likely date that feedback will be received.

Any marks received for your dissertation will be provisional until formally approved by an Assessment Board.

BUS7B63 Formative assessment and Feedback

Your proposal and draft submission opportunities are formative, which means that you will receive feedback but no mark. The purpose of your proposal is to set out what you intend to do. You can expect to receive feedback on your proposal no later than three working weeks after it has been submitted. The purpose of your drafts is for you to develop and take forward your dissertation research study and write up. You can expect to receive feedback on your drafts no later than two working weeks after they have been submitted. If unexpected events result in deadlines not being met, you will be informed of the likely date that feedback will be received.

The University Formative and Assessment Feedback Guidelines can be found in the Policies and Procedures section of the Student Administration pages.

How can I give my views on this module?

You are welcome to discuss your views on the module at any time with your module tutor. Views may also be expressed through the Student Representative or via Student Voice Forum meetings. You will have the opportunity to provide formal feedback on this module by completing the online Student Evaluation of Module surveys (SEMs). Information about SEMs and the online feedback system is provided in the Student Voice section of your online programme pages in the VLE - Moodle.

Key resources to support learning

Glyndŵr Harvard referencing

For your dissertation submission, you should demonstrate academic rigor through the correct use of the Glyndŵr Harvard referencing style. Full guidance is available on the Student Portal under Learning Skills. Please speak to your module leader or dissertation supervisor if you are unclear.

BUS7B63 Assessment Briefs

Assessment briefs for each research study option are available in Appendix G. Details of the format for the dissertation are outlined in the following sections and associated appendices. Please ensure that you make use of the dissertation templates provided.

Ethical approval of Dissertations

All research conducted under the auspices of the University and which involves human participants, human material, personal data, animals, or which may hurt the environment, must receive approval from one of the University’s Research Ethics Committees or the Dissertation Supervisor before it commences.

Students are responsible for considering the ethical implications of their research projects, conducting their research following the University’s principles and procedures and obtaining formal research ethics approval from their supervisor or the relevant research ethics committee before research commences. See Ethics and Appendix F. for further details.

Essential Principles of the Dissertation

Introduction

Although the Master’s dissertation is not primarily intended to provide evidence of advanced skills in academic research per se, you will be expected to use a strategy for your dissertation that is founded upon sound research principles. Given this, it is important to recognise that the philosophy underlying academic research is fundamentally different to that of any other study activity and it is radically different to the everyday popular idea of what constitutes ‘research’.

Crucially, research is not merely ‘finding out about’ something or gathering and presenting information ‘about’ something or drafting an essay on the topic. Nor can credible results be achieved by discussing, however cogently, what amount to your own opinions, or by reporting unsubstantiated ‘facts’ - no matter how much you ‘know’ them to be ‘true’. Likewise, anecdotes, ‘common sense’ beliefs or ideas, or ‘what everyone knows’ are never likely, on their own, to provide convincing support for your conclusions.

A Master’s dissertation can, of course, include some of these, but purely descriptive work is not sufficient. Occasionally, a ‘case study’ may be suitable, but only if it is analytical, uses a suitable methodology framed within an appropriate philosophical stance and is of sufficient depth and originality as to provide novel insights or significant examples of practice which might be transferable or of value to others.

Methodology

Academic research is a specialised activity that is conducted according to many established conventions. Of greatest importance is the need for a sound methodology.

Note that the term ‘methodology’ has considerable implications. It does not mean simply ‘a method’; it refers to the entire process of choosing an appropriate disciplinary perspective (or frame of reference) for your enquiries; identifying, explaining and justifying your assumptions; working out a suitable research design and a research strategy; choosing and designing appropriate research instruments/tools to generate data/sources or information; selecting techniques to interpret or analyse these (in line with your philosophical standpoint); and using particular styles of reasoning or argument to draw your conclusions.

It is extremely important that your methodology is workable. It should also be explicit and, amongst other things, it should ensure:

1. a systematic, disciplined and rigorous approach to the work involved;
2. enquiry and analysis methods which lead to valid/credible, reliable/dependable
and novel findings;
3. that the work is reproducible/confirmable and the outcomes verifiable and significant (i.e. neither trivial nor obvious).

These conditions reflect the standards required to successfully complete the Research Project module and dissertation at Master’s level. However, although you are not expected to become an expert in research techniques, you must demonstrate a sound understanding of these principles and ensure that you adhere to them in a practical way.

There are also a number of other methodological issues of similar importance that you will need to pay considerable attention to. It is essential, for instance that you carry out your search for relevant and useful literature at the start of your research activities making substantial use of a satisfactory range of literature sources in order:

1. to provide a theoretical foundation to justify what you do (and do not do) in addressing your topic;
2. to help inform a suitable methodology; and,
3. possibly, to provide secondary information.

Other Factors

At the planning stage of your dissertation study you should also consider problems of availability and access to data, information or sources; the reliability/dependability of the enquiry methods you plan to use, and the validity/credibility of secondary data; the overall feasibility of what you propose to do (i.e. whether or not it is likely to work); the symmetry of your proposal; and ethical concerns such as confidentiality.

Notwithstanding the essential requirement that your dissertation should conform to with these general academic principles, it is also important that it should produce useful results/findings. That is, your conclusions or recommendations should have some worthwhile theoretical or practical application in the world of management or organisations/business. Ask yourself whether or not your employer, a future employer, or sponsor will think your topic is worthwhile!

Bearing all this in mind, the importance of the module content in conjunction with your learning from across your MBA cannot be over emphasised. This module content provides an essential grounding of all of the above issues and offers guidance about how to set out on your studies and ensure that you complete a satisfactory dissertation.

Scope and Topics

Common questions from those setting out to complete a dissertation concern the ‘type’ of dissertation, the balance between theoretical, literature and empirical content, the purpose of it, and the sort of topics that it might focus on.

These are not easy questions to answer because many possibilities are equally acceptable; however, key criteria which apply to all Master’s dissertation topics are:

1. It must relate substantially to a management or organisational/business problem or a more specifically related problem for those students following a specialist Master’s route. Thus, any technical aspects should only be of marginal or contextual significance to the study. This is often an area for confusion because few problems are entirely devoid of technical aspects.

In cases where technical aspects are unavoidably woven into your topic area, you should ensure that the emphasis of your dissertation study is at least 70% upon managerial or organisational/business aspects. Perhaps the best way of understanding this point is to envisage the types of solution which might exist to your problem and ask yourself if it would be the responsibility of a manager to devise and apply them (rather than a technical specialist).

2. Your dissertation topic must have some sort of strategic implications (since this is the essence of management). In other words, the solution to your problem or the recommendations you come up with should, for instance, influence organisational/ business strategy, or management policies or procedures, or perhaps be of importance to a wider audience in your industry/sector or in the academic community.

3. Whatever the particular content or form of the dissertation that you eventually present, you will be expected to engage in study; enquiry; literature, information and data/source gathering; analysis; reflection; argument; and discussion over an extended period of time. These all require substantial amounts of sustained self- directed study, self-discipline and attention to detail.

A good Master’s dissertation will be based upon a well thought out and thorough strategy designed to integrate the results of several different types of activity. Optimally, it will combine the outcomes of coherent practical, theoretical and empirical work based upon sound research principles. Crucially, you are expected to demonstrate high levels of cognitive and conceptual ability, and analytical and critical reasoning.

Academic 'level'

It is difficult to describe succinctly the academic 'level' required for a Master’s dissertation. However, a commonly used rubric is that work at Master's level is expected to make full use of relevant existing knowledge but is not expected to go beyond the limits or boundaries of existing knowledge (as expressed by current theory and published academic or professional debate). Note that you should, however, endeavour to go as far as possible in your discovery and usage of current relevant knowledge.
Some necessary aspects of this are as follows:

1. Your dissertation must have sound theoretical foundations. This means that you should start off from a position which has a considerable accepted theoretical basis. During the taught parts of your Master’s you will study many basic theories relating to several management and business disciplines and amongst these you may find a starting point for your dissertation topic. However, you will need to go much further than this in searching for deeper meanings and more focused knowledge about the key issues you are investigating.

2. In particular, you will need to carry out a literature search and detailed studies of contemporary academic texts and journals in order to gain a richer theoretical understanding and basis for your topic. It is also important that, in your dissertation, you make use of the knowledge you gain through literature study by application to the problem forming the topic of the dissertation.

3. It is thus essential that your dissertation includes a substantial literature review; background and context chapter; or presentation of your review findings and discussion. This is the part of your finished work in which you critically discuss aspects of published material (i.e. existing knowledge) which provide useful insights for your study topic. These may include discussion of other relevant research with an emphasis on the most recent material, description or analysis of appropriate concepts, theories or strands of theory which other works have proposed; and academic debate and argument about the relevance of certain concepts, methods, techniques, and so on.

In this context, ‘textbooks’, used alone, are not adequate as literature sources; you will need - primarily - to make substantial use of journals, and academic or scholarly works. Students who rely largely upon textbooks are unlikely to achieve a 'pass' standard.

Your engagement with the literature may provide useful arguments in support of both your chosen methodology and your analysis and discussion of your results/findings. In some cases, literature work may yield secondary information which will complement the results/findings from your own work. In others, the literature will take centre stage.

4. Empirical work, sometimes referred to as ‘fieldwork’, will be a significant part of empirical-based research studies. This is work designed to generate or elicit new information or data about your topic. You will normally design specialised ‘research instruments’ or ‘tools’ or use selected ‘enquiry techniques’ to produce desired results and/or findings. There are very many such techniques commonly used in research, and you should give plenty of thought to the choice of suitable methods.

There are approaches beyond the limitations of interviews and questionnaires. Practical aspects should be considered before commencing data collection exercises. Secondary data only methodologies are acceptable; however, students should be explicit in relation to the source, nature and type of raw data that is collected and clear as to the specific procedures used for analysis.

Literature-based research studies require considerable thought as to the fieldwork process and how the resulting sources will be presented in summary and then analysed. The process should be rigorous, systematic and documented or risks not meeting the high methodological standard required to successfully execute documentary/ archival research.

Project-based research studies offer an alternative research option that is based upon fieldwork that seeks to address a clear and well-documented management problem. Projects need to incorporate sufficient data analysis, and this often takes the form of multiple data sets brought together to consider the management issue that has been identified. The outcome may be a redefinition of the problem or a set of clear recommendations for management practitioners.

For all three project options, insufficient data or sources (or analysis of the data or sources) will lead to difficulty in meeting the dissertation requirements in terms of aspects such as word count, study depth and/or originality.

5. Selected mono-method or mixed methods analysis techniques will often be needed to make sense of the data or sources that you have access to. It should be remembered that there is a clear link between your analysis approach, the type of data/sources under consideration and your research philosophy (i.e. your research philosophy, which is based upon a specific well-documented set of assumptions and shared worldview, provides the analysis process ‘rules’ you should adhere to).

6. A very high standard of conceptual and writing skills will then be needed to discuss your results/findings and present reasoned conclusions and recommendations.

You will receive further guidance about the different aspects of your specific research during the supervision sessions of this module.

The Dissertation Process

There are a number of important steps in the management of a Master’s dissertation. These are as follows:

1. During phase one of the module you will prepare a written dissertation proposal. If you are taking the empirical-based; literature-based or project-based study (type b) study option, you must address any points of feedback before commencing work on your dissertation research study in phase two. This could be around clarity with your methodology or the refocusing scope of your broad topic, for example. In some instances you may be asked to improve or refine your proposal/pitch before you gain approval to proceed. If you have opted for project-based research study (type a) your supervisor will direct you in the completion of the project. Do not commence your study before obtaining formal research ethics approval (see Appendix F.).

2. In phase two an academic supervisor will be assigned to you with whom you will meet for arranged supervision sessions to receive guidance, support and advice. It is of critical importance that you attend and engage with supervision sessions.

Guidelines for good supervision practice (shown in Appendix E.) place an onus upon students to fulfil certain requirements in relation to supervision. You should study these carefully and comply with them fully. There is considerable evidence which suggests that failure to maintain regular contact with dissertation supervisors is a major factor in non-completion or failure of dissertations. Non-attendance may result in your removal from the programme.

3. In phase two/three you will need to plan and carry out your own programme of study and practical work (in consultation with your supervisor) during the research and writing up period assigned, in order to complete the dissertation.

4. You will be advised of a submission date for your dissertation in the Assessment and Feedback section on Moodle. This will be treated as a final deadline. Extensions beyond this time may be granted only in exceptional circumstances. Candidates who fail to submit their dissertation by the deadline and who have not applied for an extension may be deemed to have failed the dissertation stage.

In the event of failure, Wrexham Glyndŵr University regulations allow only one further attempt to complete the dissertation satisfactorily. It is thus extremely important that candidates who anticipate failure to complete their dissertation in time for the deadline date should formally apply for an extension. Omitting to do this may lead to the loss of one of your two opportunities to pass your Master’s Degree.

5. Details of completion and submission requirements and of Wrexham Glyndŵr University submission procedures are explained in Appendix B.

6. Finally, you will need to prepare and edit the final version of your dissertation and submit the document through Turnitin by the hand-in date, to meet the requirements of the module. Dissertations submitted for Master’s programmes at Wrexham Glyndŵr University are expected to comprise original work of 18,000 words (plus or minus 10% - excess may be penalised at 5 marks per 1,000 words). In addition to this, illustrations of research instruments/tools and other supporting documentary material should be included in appendices (not included the word count). Please ensure that you make use of the correct dissertation template provided for the research study option you have selected.

Getting Started

Whilst it is obviously important not to waste time, you are advised not to be too hasty in development of your research instruments/tools. In order to carry out a successful piece of research you will need to (depending on the option you have selected):

frame your research instrument/tool within the literature and carefully test and pilot your instrument/tool to ensure it is viable;

follow a systematic approach to identifying relevant sources; or

fully engage with the project task outline/pitch.

In any event, you should not embark on your research until you have gained approval to proceed.

Supervision

As mentioned above, you must attend supervision sessions and keep in regular contact with your academic supervisor. Appendix E. sets out the guidelines for good practice in this area and you should ensure that you meet your responsibilities. If you have any concerns about either your own ability to proceed or about the supervision you are offered, you should raise these without delay with either the Dissertation Stage Lead or with the relevant Master’s Programme Leader.

Rules and regulations

It is an overarching policy of the Master’s Programme Teams at Wrexham Glyndŵr University to maintain high standards in the Research Project module. Part of this is related to conditions surrounding the satisfactory completion of dissertations.
The appendices to this handbook deal with a number of important issues.

Appendix A. provides some suggestions about the structure of your finished dissertation. These are not definitive, and the question of content is only briefly touched on. This is because the content of dissertations varies greatly according to the topic. You will receive guidance during the module and should engage with the module content in addition to guidance from your academic supervisor concerning appropriate content for your own dissertation. It is essential that you make use of the correct template provided for the research study option you have selected.

Appendices B. and C. deal with matters which you will need to attend to at later stages as you approach the end of your dissertation. However, it may be useful to have some advance understanding of what you are aiming for.

Various guidance notes included in Appendix D. will be of considerable importance as you plan your work. The use of literature and the library is one of the most demanding areas for many Master’s candidates. Signposts to guidance notes for Glyndŵr Harvard referencing and avoiding plagiarism are also provided. Although you may find these hard going, you should pay great attention to them.

Ethical procedures are detailed in Appendix F. and it is crucial that this process is followed to ensure that the appropriate ethical approval is granted prior to the commencement of your research.

Guidelines for Structure and Content

The guidelines for structure and content to complete your Master’s dissertation, which accords with the module specification and with relevant Wrexham Glyndŵr University regulations, are laid out in Appendix A.

Other Issues

Many other issues arise or cause problems for Master’s dissertation candidates. Amongst these, the following are common:

Style

The need to adopt an appropriate writing style requires quite a bit of practice. There is no need to attempt flowery or even what you might think of as an ‘academic’ writing style. A clear, simple style is most effective - avoiding long words or long sentences. However, you do need to write in good English using correct syntax free from grammatical or spelling errors. In addition, the writing style should be impersonal (i.e. third person); use of the first person (“I”, “my”, etc.) is not appropriate (except for within the short reflexivity section as part of a qualitative study/stage). Nor are terms such as "one", “the author”, “the writer” or “the researcher”. It is worth consulting a good tutorial text on the use of English to achieve a high standard of writing. Several books on dissertation writing are available in the library.

Originality

It is clearly important that your dissertation is original. In other words, it must be entirely written by you and any quotations, ideas, arguments, conclusions, and so on, which you have gleaned from other sources should be properly attributed using the Glyndŵr Harvard referencing system. Failure to attribute the work or even the ideas of others may be deemed to be plagiarism. This is an improper practice for which you could be penalised - possibly even barred from the Master’s course.

It is important to understand that your dissertation is founded on pre-existing knowledge i.e. the work of others. Demonstrating that you recognise this by correctly attributing the sources enhances the credibility of your work. Direct quotations should always be placed within single quotation marks e.g. ‘quote’, and as a general rule you should not use quotations that are more than two or three lines long. In fact, you should altogether make only limited use of direct quotations (perhaps no more than about 5% of the text in your literature review). Appendix D. provides links further guidance about referencing and plagiarism. Plagiarism is an academic offence. You are strongly encouraged to use the Draft Turnitin Submission Point on Moodle to check your draft dissertation.

Ethics

It is a normal rule of academic research that all investigative techniques should be carried out to a high ethical standard. In practice this simply means that you should be entirely open and honest with any research subjects (people or organisations) with which you deal. You should not do anything 'underhand' or secretive, and you should also obtain approval from any interested authorities. You should also forewarn people that their contributions may be made public. It is important to ensure that the actual identity of individuals or organisations is obscured by the use of anonymisation and pseudonyms, etc., although you may be asked to identify these, in confidence, to your Master’s Programme examiners. Appendix F. outlines the ethical process in detail. Ethical approval is always required prior to commencing your research.

Confidentiality and bars

It is a requirement of Wrexham Glyndŵr University regulations that your dissertation should become publicly available after you have passed the Master’s Programme that you undertook. This means that it could be placed in a library and/or catalogued in an online repository.

If you think that you may be using confidential information in your dissertation, you may apply for a bar on access and/or a bar on photocopying to be placed on your dissertation for a fixed period of time (no more than five years). This is not always granted.

If you anticipate this need, you should apply in writing at an early point in your dissertation studies for your application to be considered via the Programme Leader who will advise you of the correct procedure.

Completion Periods

Wrexham Glyndŵr University regulations require that all stages of a part time Master’s course must be completed within five years of initial registration for the course and full-time candidates following the one-year scheme must complete in not more than two years. All referrals should be completed within the registration period.

Extension to Dissertation Submission Deadlines

In circumstances where candidates are able to demonstrate personal mitigating circumstances (e.g. bereavement, illness, etc.) extensions may be granted to the normal period for completion of your dissertation. This is not automatic and you must apply in writing if before the deadline you anticipate this need.

Extensions cannot normally be granted beyond the stipulated completion period for the Master’s programme as a whole. Extensions may be granted up for up to two weeks or to the next submission date in the cased of an approved extenuating circumstances application.

In some circumstances (e.g. prolonged illness) a 'suspension of studies' may be allowed. However you should note that a suspension of studies does have visa implications.

Requests relating to any issue surrounding extension or suspension must be made in writing, using the appropriate documentation, to your supervisor or the Master’s Programme Leader in good time. Referring to University procedures is also recommended.

Resubmission Fees

In the event that you fail on first submission of your Master’s dissertation, you are allowed only one further attempt to gain a pass. In this case there may be a resubmission fee payable to Wrexham Glyndŵr University. Resubmission must be made at the next available opportunity.

Marking your Dissertation

Your dissertation will be marked and second marked by lecturers from Wrexham Glyndŵr University, one of whom will not have been involved in your individual supervision. In exceptional circumstances an arbitration process may be invoked where work requires marking by a third reader. It is expected that feedback on your final dissertation submission will be provided within three weeks. Students are required to comply with the stipulated hand-in dates agreed to facilitate this process. If there is likely to be a delay, you will be informed of this longer turnaround period. The provisional mark for your dissertation will be sent for consideration and confirmation by the Postgraduate Academic Board.

The criteria used to mark your dissertation are listed in Appendix C. It is suggested that these should be read through when writing up your dissertation as they will guide you in ensuring all aspects that the internal readers and external examiners will be referring to when they mark your work.

Appeals are not allowed against the grade awarded, only for alleged procedural failings or irregularities.

Please note the information contained within this handbook is indicative and may be subject to change.

Assignment Brief : Empirical-Based Research Study

Assessment Task Details

During this module, you will complete a dissertation research project (empirical-based study). The first step is to choose a research topic. You will then need to develop this into research question and outline the rationale for your research together the methodology you intended to use. Over the course of the module you will: design your research instrument/tool; secure approval; collect data; and analyse the data. You will write up your research as a dissertation in the format outlined in the module handbook by following the empirical-based study template provided.

You are reminded that your choice of dissertation topic should reflect the subject area represented in the programme route you are studying.

Submission Instructions

A single Word or PDF document only, containing your final dissertation and reference list. Appendices are permitted. A template is provided on the module space, which must be followed. Please submit online via the appropriate Turnitin submission on the module space on Moodle.

Hints and Tips

You have opted to submit an empirical-based research study. Your dissertation should follow the empirical-based research study template provided on the module Moodle space. In your submission you must demonstrate a substantive analysis of empirical data.

If you are unsure about the content of any dissertation chapter or chapter section, please review the content provided on Moodle and speak to your supervisor during supervision where you are unclear. Suggested chapter word limits are provided in the dissertation Marking Criteria below. Take on board the feedback you are provided in your draft submission opportunities. Follow all submission instructions given in the module handbook.

All submitted work is expected to observe academic standards in terms of referencing, academic writing, use of language etc. Failure to adhere to these instructions may result in your work being awarded a lower grade than it would otherwise deserve.

Marking and Moderation

See the dissertation Marking Criteria below.

All dissertation submissions are marked by two members of the MBA programme team. Submissions are also reviewed by the external examiner before presentation to board.

Employability Skills Applied

On successful completion of this module, you will have had opportunities to demonstrate achievement of the following Employability Skills:

Marking Criteria

Assignment Brief : Literature-Based Research Study

Assessment Task Details

During this module, you will complete a dissertation research project (literature-based research study). The first step is to propose a review topic. From this you will develop a specific, focused a review question to allow you to explore an aspect of the topic discourse in critical depth. In the proposal, you will outline the rationale for your research. Over the course of the module you will: design your source collection approach (search sentence; inclusion and exclusion criteria; etc.); secure approval; collect the literature sources; and analyse the sources. You will write up your research as a dissertation in the format outlined in the module handbook by following the literature-based research study template provided.

You are reminded that your choice of dissertation topic should reflect the subject area represented in the programme route you are studying.

Submission Instructions

A single Word or PDF document only, containing your final dissertation and reference list. Appendices are permitted (though are unlikely to be required for this option). A template is provided on the module space, which must be followed. Please submit online via the appropriate Turnitin submission on the module space on Moodle.

Hints and Tips

You have opted to submit a literature-based research study. Your dissertation should follow the literature-based research study template provided on the module Moodle space. In your submission you must demonstrate a substantive analysis of systematically sourced and selected literature sources.

If you are unsure about the content of any dissertation chapter or chapter section, please review the content provided on Moodle and speak to your supervisor during supervision where you are unclear. Suggested chapter word limits are provided in the dissertation Marking Criteria below. Take on board the feedback you are provided in your draft submission opportunities. Follow all submission instructions given in the module handbook.

All submitted work is expected to observe academic standards in terms of referencing, academic writing, use of language etc. Failure to adhere to these instructions may result in your work being awarded a lower grade than it would otherwise deserve.

Marking and Moderation

See the dissertation Marking Criteria below.

All dissertation submissions are marked by two members of the MBA programme team. Submissions are also reviewed by the external examiner before presentation to board.

Employability Skills Applied

On successful completion of this module, you will have had opportunities to demonstrate achievement of the following Employability Skills:

Assignment Brief : Project - Based Research Study

Assessment Task Details

During this module, you will complete a dissertation research project (project-based research study). You can either:

A. Sign up to a specific project task proposed by a supervisor or

B. Pitch and implement a project that you have conceived and developed to meet the research study assessment requirements

Type A:

The project task outlines detail the rationale for the research and the data that will be analysed. See specific project task outlines for full details of the project.

Type B:

In your pitch you will need to outline the rationale for your research. You will need to clearly identify the management problem and provide full details of the data you intend to analyse. Your project pitch must be reviewed and agreed by your supervisor in the first instance and then approved by the module lead or programme leader. Your pitch must be: relevant to your MBA; propose sufficient data analysis; and needs to be achievable within the module timeframe.

Over the course of the module you will: retrieve the data specified in the project task outline/your pitch and/or design your data collection approach; secure approval; prepare/collect the data; and analyse the data. You will write up your research as a dissertation in the format outlined in the module handbook by following the project-based research study template provided.

You are reminded that your choice of dissertation topic should reflect the subject area represented in the programme route you are studying. You should not sign up for a Type A project or pitch a Type B project which requires you to deviate from this rule.

Submission Instructions

A single Word or PDF document only, containing your final dissertation and reference list. Appendices are permitted. A template is provided on the module space, which must be followed. Please submit online via the appropriate Turnitin submission on the module space on Moodle.

Hints and Tips

You have opted to submit a project-based research study. Your dissertation should follow the project-based research study template provided on the module Moodle space. In your submission you must demonstrate a substantive analysis of organisational/business data as described in the specific project task outline or in your project pitch.

If you are unsure about the content of any dissertation chapter or chapter section, please review the content provided on Moodle and speak to your supervisor during supervision where you are unclear. Suggested chapter word limits are provided in the dissertation Marking Criteria below. Take on board the feedback you are provided in your draft submission opportunities. Follow all submission instructions given in the module handbook.

All submitted work is expected to observe academic standards in terms of referencing, academic writing, use of language etc. Failure to adhere to these instructions may result in your work being awarded a lower grade than it would otherwise deserve.

Marking and Moderation

See the dissertation Marking Criteria below.

All dissertation submissions are marked by two members of the MBA programme team. Submissions are also reviewed by the external examiner before presentation to board.

Employability Skills Applied

On successful completion of this module, you will have had opportunities to demonstrate achievement of the following Employability Skills:

Marking Criteria