CIS7017 Technology Dissertation: Guidelines for Dissertation Project

ABSTRACT 

This document gives guidance on undertaking MSc dissertation projects in the Cardiff School of Technology. The first section outlines project requirements, beginning with a consideration of the learning outcomes and objectives, then goes on to describe some of the requirements of Master’s projects in terms of dissertation submission, assessment criteria and supervision. The phases and deliverables of a Master’s dissertation project are dealt with in some detail, including topic selection and planning and the execution of projects. The next section considers the research process with discussions on literature reviews, statements of research objectives and hypotheses, data collection and the analysis and interpretation of results. The final section focuses on the dissertation, that is the report that must be produced to complete the project. The requirements for the dissertation are specified in terms of both structure and style. This document also serves as a stylistic exemplar for MSc dissertations.  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

The content of this guide has been heavily influenced by a booklet written by Dr Ted Lawson from Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff. I am indebted to him for providing the “building blocks” to construct this document. I am also indebted to Dr Tom Carnduff, original Programme Director for this course now of University of Glamorgan.. 

CHAPTER 1 THE PROJECT 

1.0 Introduction 

This handbook is intended to guide you through the process of preparing a dissertation as part of your Master’s programme. It is not intended as a definitive statement of the Cardiff Metropolitan University Regulations for Taught Master’s Degrees which are available from the Cardiff Metropolitan University. 

1.1 Objectives 

 To undertake an integrated programme of research around a central theme,   to provide the opportunity for students to work under their own initiative,  to provide the opportunity for students to report on their work in a way which will further analytical skills and 
 to further students’ oral and written skills. 

1.2 Dissertation Submission 

Electronic copy of dissertation should be submitted via Moodle. Submission deadline will be mentioned in the Moodle task. 
One difference between a good dissertation and a poor one is the time and trouble taken after the first draft is complete. Peter Drucker calls the first draft "the zero draft" - after that he can start counting. Most writers share the feeling that the first draft, and all of those which follow, are opportunities to discover what they have to say and how best they can say it. To produce a progression of drafts, each of which says more and says it more clearly, the writer has to develop a special kind of reading skill (Murray 1990). The list of review questions in the appendix "How to read a research article" is a helpful guide in this respect.

1.3 Assessment Criteria 

Dissertations will be assessed according to the following general criteria:   problem identification,  
 definition and investigation of the issues, and  
 presentation of the results. 

CHAPTER 2 THE RESEARCH PROCESS 

The Oxford Dictionary defines research as "the systematic investigation into and study of materials, sources, etc., in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions" and "an endeavour to discover new or collate old facts etc. by the scientific study of a subject or by a course of critical investigation". Scientific research is a systematic investigative process and increases the sum of human knowledge. Thus the rearrangement of what is already known is not in itself the essence of research unless it leads on to the development of patterns or classification systems which do reveal new knowledge about relationships and prompt further research. In any case it is essential that a dissertation should clearly show how it relates to the present general state of knowledge in the area and how the results might tend towards the support or rejection of existing ideas (Preece 1994). 

2.1 Literature Review 

As no study starts from scratch but rests on earlier work, a review of the relevant literature is essential. A survey of the literature helps identify research problems and refine research ideas as well as possible hypotheses. It is commonly part of the ground-clearing and preparatory work undertaken in the initial stages of research. 

2.2 Research Objectives and Hypotheses 

In order to succeed, research must be guided by a clear statement of the problem or issue to be addressed by the research. The two common forms such statements take are the hypothesis and the research objective. A research objective states the goal of study which is often intended to discover and describe. A hypothesis is developed to guide research intended to test an explanation. A hypothesis states that there is a relationship between two concepts and specifies the direction of that relationship. Usually a hypothesis takes the form 'X causes Y' or 'X is related to Y'. However, in some cases it is not possible or desirable to try to specify the relationship among variables beforehand. There are also times when developing a research objective may be a more desirable way to narrow the focus of a research project (Bouma 1993). 

2.3 Methodology 

The research objectives or hypotheses need to be operationalised (mapped into a series of actions) and this process will be described in the methodology section of your final dissertation, explaining how you decided to answer the research questions. A research methods design represents a strategy or procedure for collecting data about variables identified in the conceptual framework. Ackoff (1953, cited in Mitchell 1989) urged investigators to begin by identifying an ideal research design.

2.4 Conclusions 

"While the quality of all aspects of a dissertation is important, it is the quality of the concluding discussion which is likely to be the most important single influence on an assessor's mind. The conclusions are where most opportunity for critical and original thought lies" (Preece 1994). 

CHAPTER 3 THE DISSERTATION 

3.0 Introduction 

This chapter describes the required structure, format and stylistic conventions for the project report, that is the dissertation. This handbook exemplifies these conventions. 

3.1 Arranging Material and Structuring the Dissertation 

Once you have started to gather material you can begin to arrange it in a form which can be refined into the final dissertation. All good dissertations, whatever their subject, follow certain well-established conventions and have a similar overall structure. They all consist of a main body surrounded by other textual structures which support the body in various ways. These structures include such items as the abstract, the introduction and the conclusions. They are illustrated in figure 3.1, below, along with other details of the structure which will be described shortly. 

3.2 Writing the Dissertation 

Once you have gathered and organised enough material you can begin to turn it into written prose. To write effectively requires sustained concentration over long periods of time. Even with the incremental authoring possibilities that word processing offers, writing is best done in long uninterrupted sessions. Most people find it difficult and exhausting.  
There are rules that you can follow which may make the task easier and which will certainly improve the quality of your writing. For useful guidelines you should refer to (Comford & Smithson 1996, Howard & Sharp 1983, Preece 1994, Rudestam & Newton 1992), however, the general advice is: 
 keep your potential readership in mind, 
 use chapters, sections and subsections, and 
 follow stylistic conventions. 

3.3 Supporting Structures 

In section 3.1 it was stated that a dissertation consisted of a main body plus other textual structures that surround and support the body. There are well-established conventions governing the purpose and format of these supporting structures which we will describe now.

The structures are, in order of appearance in the dissertation: 
 the title page, 
 the abstract, 
 the acknowledgements, 
 the table of contents, 
 the list of tables, 
 the list of figures, and 
 the introduction. 

Then comes the main body of the dissertation, and this is followed by 
 the conclusions, 
 the bibliography. and possibly 
 a glossary, 
 a list of abbreviations, and  
 one or more appendices.