BUS9036M Business & Management Dissertation Module Handbook v2 2025 | UOL

Contents

Module Details
Contact Details    
Introduction
Learning Outcomes
Employability Skills / Skills for your Future
Principles of Responsible Management Education
Academic Support (for those students working in action learning sets and with facilitators).
ALS facilitator responsibilities
Research Ethics - LEAS
Securing Ethical Approval and using the Approved Templates
Teaching & Learning Methods
Contact Time
Directed Study
Independent Study
Module Delivery & Teaching Sessions    
Feedback Strategy
Assessment Rationale
Assessment and other Submission Details
Recording your research meetings
KEY ASSESSMENT DATES and ACTIVITIES
Formative and Summative Assessments
Information about your weighted assessments
Dishonesty and Plagiarism
Learning Resources
The Library (www.library.lincoln.ac.uk )
Digital Learning Resources (https://digitaleducation.lincoln.ac.uk/resources-hub/ )
Appendix  1: Final Dissertation Assessment Brief

Introduction

Welcome to your dissertation - the capstone project of the Masters programme. It allows you to explore your focus and interests in an independent manner.  It provides the opportunity for you to apply, integrate, and deepen the knowledge, insights, and skills that you have learned during your programme of study.  You can explore in this project a real-world issue or a research topic, which you execute in a manner consistent with the core philosophy and values of Lincoln International Business School (LIBS).

In keeping with the spirit of LIBS Masters programmes, this module seeks to enable and facilitate independence, innovation and creativity in terms of project foci, form and output.  This module also differs in how you engage with it. With the aim of creating independent and critical learners, you are required to not only undertake an in-depth study of a topic related to the title of your named degree but also to take responsibility for your own learning and negotiate the form and output of the final work. So, this work is led by you.

You should enjoy the experience because this really is a module you can own and direct.

You will decide on a proposal approach to your research, so as to provide a clear path to follow, goals to achieve and generate a final dissertation thesis / output. Although the foci and form of the dissertation are to be negotiated, you might produce one of the following:

• Independent research project
• Design of a new enterprise
• Guided individual research project (determined and initially scoped by an academic tutor)
• Work-based project
• Client based project
• Other negotiated project (consultancy, event/exhibition design, multi-media project, etc.).
• The exact format will vary and can be agreed with your seminar facilitators. As with the delivery last year, we will continue to use and develop the following resources: 
• The use and integration of the University’s online ethical application and approval process (LEAS)
• The use of a structured guidance to support your research dissertation.

Please note that this module is an independent learning project so which ever form of dissertation you chose, every one will get the same support through lectures, seminars and drop ins. 

These are reviewed in turn shortly in this book and available on the Blackboard site.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the module you should be able to:

LO1Communicate the aims, objectives and relevance of your chosen research project.
LO2  Develop achievable and logical plans to guide the implementation of your chosen research project.
LO3  Select, collect, analyse and interpret evidence from multiple sources in accordance with sound principles of research and investigation.
LO4  Synthesise and critically evaluate different sources of knowledge in order to articulate logical and cogent argumentation.
LO5  Evaluate critically and apply theoretical and methodological approaches in ways which augment understanding 
of the topic
LO6   Reflect critically on your own research practice and intellectual argument particularly in the context of contemporary debates in management or business.
LO7  Propose practical resolutions via conclusions and recommendations when appropriate .
LO8   Demonstrate depth of knowledge, expertise and critical understanding of your chosen topic area.

The dissertation represents the final independent study of your Masters. 

It is important to note that it must reflect your chosen degree in terms of subject matter. This is a requirement of your degree programme.

Employability Skills / Skills for your Future

The module enhances your employability by developing the following transferable Work Ready skills: 

• Learning and Adaptability through - problem solving and critical analysis: analysing facts and circumstances to determine the cause of a problem and identifying and selecting appropriate solutions.  
• Research and analysing: the ability to analyse and evaluate a range of business data, sources of information and appropriate methodologies, which includes the need for strong digital literacy, and to use that research for evidence-based decision-making.  Conceptual and critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.  
• Organisation through self-management: a readiness to accept responsibility and flexibility, to be resilient, self-starting and appropriately assertive, to plan, organise and manage time.  
• Organisation, adaptability and initiative through -self reflection: self-analysis and an awareness/sensitivity to diversity in terms of people and cultures. This includes a continuing appetite for development.

Principles of Responsible Management Education

The Lincoln International Business School is committed to the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) to develop future leaders that are socially responsible who will create sustainable environmental and economic value. 

To that end, students are encouraged to integrate these principles into their research practice and reflect on the implications of PRME for their own work. All human activity impacts upon our environment (natural, social, political) and should be a consideration in your work.  

Academic Support (for those students working in seminar groups  with facilitators).

What you need to understand about your academic support

Your facilitators are staff who are able to support you through the research process. It is not a requirement  for your facilitator to be an expert in your disciplinary area. 
You meet with your other seminar group members and your facilitators as timetabled during June and July (for the October intakes) and will be offered engagement opportunities during August and September (again for the October intakes). 
Meeting your facilitator and your seminar groups should allow you to develop a wider understanding of your topic and research design.

You then begin the work process as soon as possible. Remember, that central to the process is that this module is independent study, supported by regular contact with your facilitator and seminar group.  Independent study is not like a taught class, it is up to you to lead rather than be led; you choose the direction of travel, albeit after seeking advice from available staff and resources at the start of the module to develop your intention.

This is important to say again - your dissertation and independent research project is yours. You are expected to prepare for meetings and work to agreed commitments for them.

Your facilitator are to support you - by helping you to identify areas to develop and work on and by sharing good practice and knowledge. These may include useful suggestions and offer reassurance, but they are not there to do the work for you, or tell you what to do as such. This is your dissertation and the primary initiative rests with you.  Your facilitators have a working knowledge of the research process and journey- so that you can become an expert in the topic you have chosen. 

Finally - your facilitators are not going to proofread your entire thesis when you have finished. You can find services to do that if you wish outside of the university. 

What follows are guidelines for the relationship between you and facilitator.
Facilitator responsibilities

During the period of support from the time of the assignment of the start of the support process until the submission of the dissertation, responsibilities and obligations are as set out below. 

Facilitators are required:

• To behave in a professional manner and courteous manner towards their tutees and uphold the values of mutual respect;
  To be inclusive, have empathy with their seminar group members and respect diversity
  To advise students about the planning of the dissertation, to discuss through prompting and reflection, an appropriate timetable and to give advice on the necessary completion dates of successive stages of the work so that the dissertation may be submitted within the scheduled time;
• To encourage students to acquire and maintain familiarity with relevant developments in their subject;
• To give advice about requisite techniques and signpost appropriate learning resources where known and, if appropriate, to advise students to undertake instruction in written/spoken English;
• To maintain contact through seminars and respond to email queries in a timely manner (staff are expected to respond in 3-5 days when not on leave).  
• To offer times when they can be accessible to the student when advice may be needed;
• To ensure that the student is made aware if the standard of work is likely / suspected as being below that expected;
• To advise the student on appropriate University Policies and Regulations as they affect the research process, including, but not exclusively, health and safety, research ethics, lone working, data protection and so on;
• To advise the relevant programme leader and the student, as soon as it is recognised that there is a problem, if in their opinion, there is significant likelihood that the student is likely to fail the dissertation. Facilitators do not predict grades based on any draft work;
• To give advice on the preparation of work and advise the student if the standard of English is inadequate;
• To read a draft section(*) of the student’s dissertation once only. Further readings are at the discretion of the facilitator.  The facilitator nor any other academic engaged, is expected to undertake substantial editing or revision of a draft.
• To monitor student engagement with UoL Ethical Approval Process (LEAS) and to highlight any significant concerns to the dissertation coordinator
• To sign ethical approval forms as and when required to do so
• To normally support discussions on the structure of the dissertation, the balance of the sections and the content of various sections.
• To take the opportunity to read through and annotate (with the use of indicative comments), where the student needs to make changes in the section identified for feedback (*).

Your responsibility as the student in the research process

You, in consultation with the module coordinator and/or facilitator, are responsible for choosing your dissertation topic, carrying out the research and submitting on time. The role of the facilitator is to provide guidance and advice; they are not responsible for the quality of the submitted work.  Facilitators are not responsible for chasing students who fail to arrange or attend meetings.

Your responsibilities include: 

• To attend timetabled sessions.
• To familiarise yourself with the requirements of the dissertation, by attending the research design and dissertation classes and reading the material on Blackboard.
• To cooperate with the facilitator and uphold the values of mutual respect;
• To discuss (as required or needed) a suitable focus for research and work on that topic within your seminars
• To abide by UoL Ethical Approval processes (LEAS)  and comply with University regulation;
• To undertake work in accordance with any schedule agreed with your facilitator before proceeding to the next stage of the project;
• To take the initiative in raising problems or difficulties with the dissertation , however elementary they may seem. 
• To attend formal instruction or presentations as required;
• To familiarise themselves with guidelines issued on dissertation projects, contained on Blackboard (in particular the guidance for laying out your thesis (See ASSESSMENT INFORMATION))
• To discuss as required/needed the preparation and completion of the dissertation and to take due account of advice from the facilitator and learning set;
• To provide the facilitator with a chosen initial draft section of their dissertation in good time well before the submission date.  This is a minimum of 2 days before any meeting. Facilitators are only required to look at a draft section of the dissertation once and with your comments about areas of interest/concern you require feedback upon. Therefore, every effort should be made to ensure that the draft section is sufficiently developed. 

The quality of the final submission rests with the student;

• To make necessary amendments to their dissertation as indicated before submission and to proofread the final draft;
• To submit a dissertation within the time allowed by the regulations. Facilitators are not responsible for chasing students to submit on time.
• To inform the Facilitator if they are intending to leave the country or interrupt their dissertation in anyway.
• Students should not be any making substantive requests in the two weeks prior to the deadline.

Responsibilities of the School

The responsibilities of the School include:

• To provide appropriate training and instruction in research methods and other skills necessary for satisfactory completion of the dissertation in general
• To communicate deadlines to both facilitators and students.
• To allocate double markers and ensure appropriate engagement with external examiners;
• aim that students are assigned a facilitator who will act for the duration of their dissertation;
• To provide students with information and guidance on the College processes and University regulations and to make students aware of relevant regulations and legal issues including, but not limited to, plagiarism, copyright, data protection, health and safety, and any ethical issues that might arise in the course of dissertation research;
• To ensure that students are informed of sources of independent advice should the student-facilitator relationship breakdown;
• To provide students with dissertation module information by Blackboard
• To facilitate extensions to dissertation assessments according to UoL policies

Every dissertation is different and unique. The nature of your experience of it will therefore vary between you and other learners on the module. Facilitators, like you, are busy people and have other commitments other than yourself. It is not realistic to expect them to be available to respond instantly to your demands.  Likewise, submitting drafts 24 hours before expecting feedback is unlikely to meet with the level of feedback you are expecting!   Different disciplines have different procedures for dissertation, so don’t expect your friends to be doing exactly the same thing in other areas of the University. 
If in doubt speak to your facilitator and remember it is your work.

Research Ethics - LEAS

The University requires that all those carrying out research engage with the University’s commitment to conduct research to high ethical standards; understand the reasons for, and participate fully in, the ethical review process; and fulfil their moral and legal responsibilities in respect of the rights and welfare of participants. 

The Research Ethics Policy can be found here (at https://lncn.ac/re).

The conduct of students must always be overseen by the School, who takes responsibility for ensuring that the Code of Practice for Research and all relevant policies and procedures are followed. 

The research code of practice can be viewed here (at https://lncn.ac./copr) 

The University of Lincoln is committed to ensuring that its research activities involving human participants and personal data are conducted in a way which:

• respects the dignity, rights and welfare of all participants in research; 
• minimises risk to participants, researchers and third parties; 
• appropriately manages personal data; 
• aims to maximise the public benefit of research. 
Securing Ethical Approval and using the Approved Templates 
All primary research undertaken in the Business School (staff and student (all levels)) requires ethical approval. For this research module - you will need to work with your allocated approver to secure ethical approval using the online Lincoln Ethical Approval System (LEAS). 

You can find the starting point for this process here.[ethicsapply.lincoln.ac.uk] The moment you login to the LEAS system with your university ID, an account (called a Work Space) is created for you.

Primary research needs approval BEFORE you start any data collection. For PRIMARY DATA research designs, you will complete an individual (ethical) LEAS application. Remember to ask questions of your support staff when completing this application as you will then request their authorisation which is more likely to be granted. Once you are happy that you have addressed all the comments, then your request for approval will then go to your second marker for a review of your application (they are the LEAS approver). There is an option in your LEAS application when you select submission to note that you are a PGT student from LIBS to facilitate this.

The second marker will only electronically sign the form when they are happy with it, otherwise they will add comments and reject the authorisation request prompting you to reflect further upon their concerns by making and submitting an amendment to your application. [You do this by creating a SUB FORM on the Application].

It is important to understand that you cannot complete a LEAS application until you have progressed with your thinking and reading and writing in your research. This is because to COMPLETE an individual application to LEAS you will need:

• Any participant information sheets (PI sheet)
• Any questionnaire /interview questions and their schedule
• Any schedule for focus groups of other data collection approaches
• Have considered the risks and data management of your proposed work
• Have considered the literature AND methodological arguments outlined so far for your work before you commence your application.
• Have considered the language used in your data collection instruments with your participants

There are approved university templates (see the relevant section of the BlackBoard site) to guide you through a number of these tasks that you can use and adapt. You can also find these templates here and on Blackboard.

All of this information is submitted at the same time as your LEAS application.

You cannot therefore undertake a successful LEAS application BEFORE you have considered a significant portion of your literature and your methodology.

The outcome of an application to LEAS will be either:

• A favourable opinion – to support the work and allow it to proceed
• An unfavourable opinion – whereby queries have been raised you need to address in your amendment to your application.

PLEASE NOTE - If your proposed research involves any aspect of a special human characteristic (such as working with children) then your LEAS application is reviewed by a committee in LIBS prior to a decision being taken. This will take more time to approve. Where this is the case, LIBS will allocate reviewers for projects that are vulnerable groups or sensitive topics (the second staff signature will not be available for those projects).
There are exemplar applications available on the portal here (and which are available of Blackboard -see the ‘ethics’ tab).

Once the module has started, you will be asked to think about and start to gather information about what you intend to research which will be used to support you and help you through the ethical approval process and support you in your research.

In all cases of an individual LEAS application, please ensure you allow enough time between submission of an application (and any potential amendments) and the intended start of your data collection (this may take upto 2-3 weeks if there are complications, required amendments and difficulties in the proposed work. 

The first deadline for this is the 18th June. There will be a final cut off for approvals of LEAS applications is the 1st July and if you have not got approval by this date, you will have to switch to secondary research.

Remember – all LEAS applications must include ALL supporting documentation required – this includes any questionnaires, interview schedules and participant information sheets etc. The University provides a number of templates for this information here. They are available as files also on the Blackboard site.

Remember – you may ONLY use approved questionnaire services – presently this is onlinesurveys.ac.uk (where the university will create an account for you) or MS Forms. An account will be created for you that you will then need to confirm when you receive the email invitation. You can also contact surveyhelp@lincoln.ac.uk directly to set up your account.

Remember – you may NOT start any research involving humans, until your application has received a ‘favourable review’ (received by email) unless it is previously supported by the approved PRF. 

FINALLY – a successful ethical application requires you to have a significantly progressed literature and methodological understanding. This is why the LEAS application seems later in the research time available to you. Again – please factor this into your time management.

Teaching & Learning Methods

Contact Time

There will be a series of lectures delivered across Semester C (depending upon your class) and up to 6 hours of support in seminar groups. Please see the Blackboard site for what this means in practice. [Teaching Sessions]

Directed Study

You are encouraged to reflect on the database of staff interests (see the Blackboard site) to seek to align your research with available staff so as to direct research questions you may have.

All staff in LIBS are capable of supporting you in your independent research journey. 

Independent Study

You are expected to invest approximately 600 hours of time into your Masters dissertation.  This is a significant volume of time as befits a significant part of your Masters study. 

Most of this time will be used in your independent study.  

Module Delivery & Teaching Sessions

The module will be delivered through a mix of lecture and seminars in the first instance. These will be recorded as part of your engagement with your research. You are expected to articulate your research focus and develop key research questions to guide your investigation.  Staff can advise, but will not direct your study.

Delivered lecture and seminar sessions (correct at time of writing 27/03/20224) – please check and attend ONLY those sessions that refer to your seminar group allocation.

Please check your timetable for your seminar group schedule.

Feedback Strategy

Receiving formative feedback during your learning is essential to ensure you are prepared for your final assessment. To support your learning throughout the module the following formative feedback strategies are used:

• Feedback on draft work, directions and themes
• Meetings with your support

Assessment Rationale

Assessment and other Submission Details

This module will be assessed through ONE is graded dissertation

1. SUMMATIVE  (graded)- You will create a final dissertation/thesis (or a portfolio / format output equivalent to no more than 14000 words (including references).The exact format is agreed with your support as part of your negotiated project and written into the agreed Plan of work.  The deadline for this submission is the 27th September 12 noon (UK) time 2024

KEY ASSESSMENT DATES and ACTIVITIES

BUS9036M Assessment Rubric (Final Project)