MSc Management & Marketing Dissertation Handbook | BU

Contents

Preface- Overview of The Dissertation Unit

Section 1 - Introduction

1.1.    Independent Learning
1.2.    Being an Effective Researcher
1.3.    Resources Available to Help You
1.4.    Ethical Standards in Research

Section 2 - Why Are You Doing A Dissertation?

2.1. Transferability of Skills
2.2. Handling a Major Piece of Independent Work

Section 3 - How Are You Going To Do Your Dissertation?

3.1. Taught Component
3.2. Supervision
3.3. Dissertation Milestones

Section 4 – Research Proposal Guidelines

Section 5 - Dissertation Brief

Appendices: Appendices 1 & 2 are embedded as links. Appendices 3 – 5 are included at the end as pages.

Example of Text for First Page 
Dissertation Declaration 
Dissertation Assessment Rubric

Preface-Overview of The Dissertation Unit

Aims and Intended Learning Outcomes

The Dissertation unit aims to provide students with an opportunity to undertake a significant piece of self-managed research in a relevant area of particular interest. This will allow the student to:

• Develop their knowledge of philosophy, methodologies and techniques of research relating to the domain of their named award.
• Provide an opportunity to critically investigate and report on a particular issue in depth.
• Enable them to engage with complex issues and present an analytically rigorous and well- argued case.

Having completed this unit, the student is expected to:

• Define a problem within its relevant context and articulate an approach for its critical examination
• Evaluate relevant literature to develop a conceptual understanding of existing knowledge in the given problem domain
• Develop a coherent methodological approach for the study of the given problem, whilst considering ethical principles
• Analyse and critically evaluate appropriate research data
• Formulate an answer or solution to the given problem based on the synthesis of research findings and evaluate its implications for relevant audiences or stakeholders.

Assessment

The topic of the Dissertation will be in an area associated with the student’s chosen pathway. This is a compulsory requirement at level 7.

The dissertation will be assessed based on:

• Clear identification of research questions, research aims and objectives    10%
• Identification and critical use of background literature, theory and research 20%
• Awareness of methodological issues and development of appropriate research methodology 15%
• Focused and relevant discussion of context, systematic data collection, analysis/ interpretation 25%
• Quality and validity of conclusions, recommendations, and further research, where appropriate, 20%
• Clarity and quality of presentation, referencing, and format    10%

A detailed assignment brief for the research project, including details on formatting and assessment, is given in sections 5 and Appendix 4.

Structure of the Unit

Indicative Key Learning Resources

Blumberg, B. F., Cooper, D. R., and Schindler P.S., 2014. Business Research Methods. 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill Education

Bell, E., Harley, B. and Bryman, A. 2022. Business Research Methods. 6th Edition, Oxford University Press Clough,
P. and Nutbrown, C., 2012. A Students Guide to Methodology. 3rd edition, Sage

Cooper, D. R., and Schindler P.S., 2014. Business Research Methods. 12th Edition, McGraw-Hill Education Gujarati, D.N. and Porter D.C. 2009. Basic Econometrics, Fifth edition, New York: McGraw-Hill.

Hart, C., 1998. Doing a Literature Review. Sage
Jankowicz, D., 2005. Business Dissertations. 4th edition, Thomson Mason. J., 2002. Qualitative Researching. 2nd edition, Sage

Rugg, G. and Petrie, M., 2007. A Gentle Guide to Research Methods. McGraw Hill
 
Prentice Hall

Wallace, M. and Wray, A., 2011. Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates. 2nd edition, Sage
Xian, H.P. and Meng-Lewis, Y. 2018. Business Research Methods for Chinese Students: A practical guide to your Dissertation. London: Sage

The above Key Texts are complemented by additional reading from book chapters and journal articles downloadable from Brightspace as selected by the Unit Tutors; monographs, journals, and other sources, predominantly made available online, located via the Library Catalogue; and relevant e-journal & e-book collections and other online databases.

In addition to these texts, there is additional material relevant to particular kinds of projects, such as consulting projects, case studies, or legal research. The supervisor will advise such additional materials where appropriate.

Section 1 – Introduction

1.1. Independent Learning

The individual Dissertation on level 7 programmes is the largest single piece of work you are required to complete. This makes it both an exciting challenge and a daunting task; it allows you to carry out an in-depth investigation into an area of your own choice and in the manner of your choice. Why it may be daunting is that it requires you to be self-motivated and highly independent. Much of the underlying philosophy of level 7 programmes in the Business School is concerned with facilitating learning and the development of independent learning.

While the concept of independent learning should be familiar to you, the Dissertation may still be a bit unnerving because:

• It is the single largest piece of independent learning you are required to undertake
• It contributes substantially to your final Master's marks
• It is probably the only piece of work where you have so much freedom regarding the choice of topic and how it may be undertaken
• It has a longer timescale for completion than previous assignments, making it more difficult for you to manage and easier for you to procrastinate
• It may have to be managed alongside other assignments, which may be given priority

The benefits of carrying out an independent Dissertation are enormous. Usually, students find the Dissertation the most rewarding part of their Master's programme. This is because of the amount of learning that takes place in both:

• the subject matter and
• the process

However, those same students who have found the Dissertation to be the most rewarding part of their programme will still say that, at times, they found it to be ‘challenging’ or ‘difficult’, and sometimes they did not know what they were doing or meant to be doing.

This booklet is designed to help prepare you for your research. It addresses questions of why you are doing a project and how the BUBS will handle the process. The support and resources available to help you through this part of your programme are discussed. Dissertation ‘milestones’ are outlined to help you plan your time. Finally, regulations for presenting projects and marking criteria are included.

1.2. Being An Effective Researcher

This section aims to:

• help you understand better the development of some of the skills required to be an effective researcher
• help you better understand the social context of a research community and your role within it

Being an effective researcher involves a range of skills. You need to know about research approaches and the research process, and how to apply these to your chosen topic. You also need to acquire several specific techniques and critical intellectual functions.

Being an effective researcher requires management skills. These include the need to manage yourself as well as a complex Dissertation. These skills can in turn, be broken down. Project management will involve managing relationships, managing time, managing resources, managing information, planning, etc.

1.2.1. Management Skills

There are certain management skills that are required to be an effective researcher. As your Master's Dissertation takes place in the final stages of the programme, you will likely have already developed many of these skills and learnt from your own experience. The skills we are referring to are: managing self, time management, managing the research, and managing relationships.

1.2.2. Managing Self

By this stage in your Master's programme, you will have realised the importance of being well organised. The kind of systems you set up will depend on the nature of your research, but the type of information management systems you will require may include:

• referencing systems - e.g., index cards or computer databases for references
• print and electronic filing systems for correspondence, journal articles, etc.
• diaries, timescales, project Gantt charts, etc.
• appropriate software packages and disk files
• systems for storing and updating versions of your Dissertation

1.2.3. Time Management

Time management is another aspect of managing oneself. Anyone who has ever undertaken a Master's Dissertation will tell you that the process takes much longer than expected. In order to manage your time effectively, you need to be clear about your priorities. How you plan your time depends on your lifestyle, your work commitments and your commitments to family and friends. It is not possible to tell you how to manage your time, as that will vary from person to person. But you do need to work out a way of planning and managing your time that works for you.

1.2.4. Managing the Research

You will need to manage your research. You might like to think of it in terms of:

Planning - analysing the context, setting objectives, and designing an appropriate course of action. (This is largely what your project proposal is designed for.)

Organising - identifying the work which needs to be done, dividing it into manageable chunks.

Monitoring - checking that the research is still on course and making changes as necessary.

One word of warning on managing your research. Most books you will read on the process of carrying out research imply that the process is linear and ordered. In reality, the process is far messier and cyclical. You are likely to be modifying and changing your ideas as time progresses and you start to know more about the research area you are investigating.

1.2.5. Managing Relationships

In your research, you will have to manage many relationships. For instance, you will have to manage relationships with those who are participating in your research, other participants undertaking Dissertations etc. One important relationship you will have to manage is your relationship with your supervisor. We will say more about this in Section 3.2. Your supervisor will contribute to your role as an effective and independent researcher. Your supervisor will know this and work hard to maintain a good working relationship. There are many ways in which relationships are maintained, but the most important are the need for regular and frequent contact and the need for open communication. Never meet your supervisor without having some written work to discuss, such work having been sent a few days previously.

1.2.6. The Research Community

You may be wondering what this heading has to do with you. You are doing your Dissertation, and the importance of independent learning has been emphasised. However, you are not alone. All the participants on your programme and other Master's programmes at the BUBS and the University are conducting Dissertations. The research community is an important source of motivation, inspiration, and ideas. Within it, you will find people who:

• are interested in the same ideas as you
• have experience with useful techniques you can learn and borrow
• know how to work certain software packages or databases
• can spark off ideas in discussion
• can help with resources and access
• can augment your research through collaboration
• can provide support, encouragement, and reassurance.

1.3. Resources Available to Help You

Several beneficial resources are available to help you with your Dissertation. These are briefly outlined below:

1.3.1. Examples of Completed Dissertations

Several completed and passed Master's Dissertations are available to access under the Bournemouth University Business School (BUBS) – Dissertation and Research Archive section of Brightspace. They will give you a feel of the standard you need to achieve. You will see that each Dissertation is totally different in content and approach to the research. However, they share common aspects regarding coherence, the flow of arguments, structure etc.

1.3.2. Computer Packages

Many Masters students either have their own computer or access to a computer. If you do not, there are Open Access facilities available with Microsoft Office.

While qualitative and quantitative software packages may sound appealing, there is a word of warning. You may have to invest considerable time in learning how to use the package. Also, the package is only an aid. Software such as R/SPSS/Eviews/STATA may be able to handle complex statistical analyses such as factor analysis. However, you still must understand what you are doing and interpret the statistical output. The same is true for qualitative packages such as NViVO/MaxQDA. The package may help you order themes and quotes from interviews, but you must still interpret the data's meaning. If you are only doing relatively simple statistics, it may be easier for you to work with a package you are familiar with, such as Excel, rather than using R/SPSS/Eviews/STATA. It depends on the type of information and data analysis you are considering. Similarly, it may be easier for you to analyse small numbers of interview transcripts manually than by using a software programme.

1.3.3. University Library

Several resources are available in the library: textbooks, monographs, print & electronic journals, and web-based research databases. The library also offers support on how to reference your work correctly. In addition, you will have a specific research methods seminar and workshop with the Bournemouth University Business School (BUBS) Subject Librarian, who will provide information and user education to assist you in your research. You will be provided with details of information sources that are particularly relevant for the focus of your particular degree. Further details on the resources available through the library can also be obtained from the Library tab on Brightspace.

Further research skills (reviewing literature, referencing work, English language support), resources and workshops are available to access through the Study Skills tab on Brightspace. These are centrally provided resources that are available to all students in the university.

You are strongly recommended to purchase texts such as Saunders et al. (2019), Research Methods for Business Students, or Bell, Harley & Bryman (2022) Business Research Methods. Further recommended reading may be suggested in workshops and by your supervisor.

Other Dissertation / Project Support Available

Beyond the specific role of your supervisor, a range of support is available to you as you develop your dissertation/project. This includes:

1. Programme-specific support – your unit leader will run a short programme of programme-specific lectures and/or seminars to support and guide you through the development of your dissertation/project. This programme is typically directly linked to the various milestones that are set to guide the development of your dissertation/project. The types of topics covered could include:

Dissertation process – basic guidance on the process of completing a dissertation and the key milestones (and dates thereof) as well as preparing a dissertation timeline, the role of your supervisor, etc.

Getting started – choosing a topic, narrowing down its focus and general guidance on how to write your aim and objectives / develop a hypothesis etc.

Completing the dissertation/project proposal – guidance on what is required;

Guidance on undertaking and then writing up a literature review;

General guidance on research methods and their analysis – guidance on the types and use of particular research methods in practice;

Guidance on completion of the online ethics checklist and a risk assessment (where necessary)

General support on writing up the dissertation/project.

2. BUBS Dissertation Clinic.

These weekly clinics are available to any undergraduate or postgraduate student. They run every Wednesday between 11.00 am and 1.00 pm and offer drop-in support with academic and professional staff. The support which these clinics offer is more general than that offered by your supervisor or programme-specific sessions and is not designed to address very detailed queries on a specific dissertation/project.

Typical subjects on which guidance is available within the clinic include:

Getting started – weighing up different topics and general guidance on choosing one topic and starting to narrow it down;

The Dissertation / Project process – guiding the process of undertaking a dissertation/project and reinforcing/explaining messaging from the relevant dissertation/project unit handbook;

General support for research methods/analysis - broad support on the use of different research methods in practice and some basic guidance on the use of research analysis tools (e.g. SPSS, Excel, NVivo), as well as signposting you to available online resources;

Support on the ethics checklist and risk assessment – support in completing the online ethics checklist and guidance on completing a risk assessment (where this is required);

Signposting to Academic & Study Skills support – providing you with access to materials and signposting to broader academic and study skills support, including online resources.

3. Supplementary Online Resources.

Some of the resources that might be particularly useful for you include:

BU-wide Brightspace Research Unit: Understanding Research Methods - the unit includes a range of modules that might be useful to supplement your programme-specific materials, including critical thinking, epistemological traditions, specific methods, etc.

Academic Integrity: Referencing and Plagiarism (Library & Learning Support Resources) - this is a link to the main LibGuide on referencing, which includes videos and other resources to help you avoid plagiarism and/or academic offences.

Managing References – Home - EndNote Online - LibGuides at Bournemouth University - this is a link to the online resources on EndNote Online, and the library also offers workshops on its use, which you can book through the Study Skills Workshops (link below.

Study Skills Workshops - the library offers a range of workshops that can supplement and/or support work on your dissertation/project. Some specific ones which might be particularly useful include: Academic Integrity (including plagiarism); Critical Thinking; Literature Reviews; Literature and Advanced Literature Searching, Reading and Notetaking; Reference Management (EndNote); Time Management and Staying Motivated.
 
Subject Guides - the library's subject guides are a great starting point and include guidance on some of the key journals for each discipline. Whilst you are likely to be familiar with these resources through their studies with us, sometimes the dissertation/project poses an opportunity for interdisciplinary research, and you may be less familiar with the resources of the other disciplines their research may connect to, so the subject guides can be useful for that purpose too.

1.4. Ethical Standards in Research

Bournemouth University is committed to maintaining high ethical standards in research. All staff and students at BU are responsible for considering the ethical implications of their research. As such, all taught students are required to read and be familiar with the Research Ethics Code of Practice and review ethical considerations at the outset of their research by completing an Ethics Checklist.  

You must inform your supervisor of all the methods and case studies you intend to use in your research. In addition, you must consider and discuss all potential ethical concerns with that staff member, as s/he will be able to advise you on appropriate professional judgment in this review.

Amongst the key principles set out in the university ethics code is that researchers ensure the integrity and quality of their work, which is done (in part) by:

• treating participants/stakeholders fairly
• ensuring the safety and fair treatment of the researcher/research team, participants, the public, and
• ensuring that the research avoids conflicts of interest (or appropriately discloses potential or perceived conflicts). 

The University ensures that research is carried out ethically, requiring researchers (including students carrying out dissertations) to submit an ethics form, which is done before carrying out any primary research.

All students MUST:

• Fill out a research ethics checklist, no matter what type of research they are carrying out.
• You need to attach your questionnaire (quantitative research) or your interview questions, participation information sheet and participant consent form (qualitative research).
• it must be approved before you begin data collection and analysis, and
• A copy of the approved checklist must be included in the submitted final dissertation (as an appendix).
• Seek and obtain all required permissions if using licensed or copyrighted materials and include the permission as one of your appendices.    

Research ethics checklists are approved by the supervisor or by an ethics review panel comprised of staff in the department. The ethics review panel considers all ethics forms where the research is considered ‘above minimal risk’, which most often for our purposes, is due to projects involving vulnerable participants, sensitive topics and video or photographic materials (for a detailed discussion of ‘above minimal risk’ research, please read the BU Research Ethics Code of Practice).

This online form asks you to briefly outline your research before guiding you through a series of yes and no questions to help you identify areas of potential ethical concern. The question(s) to which you answer yes are areas of potential ethical concern. You will then be offered an open text box to explain the steps you are taking to mitigate the ethical issue or a statement that justifies it (or both). For example, suppose your research involves children. In that case, the response in the open text box should address why children, particularly, are a necessary population for the research and the steps you are taking to obtain informed consent and parental permission. Although the panel will know that you are still in the design phase of your research, you need to be as specific as possible in the text boxes.

The checklist also allows uploading supporting documentation, such as your participant information sheet and consent form. Although it is useful to have the forms attached to the checklist, it is most important that your supervisor approves these forms before you use them in your data collection. The panel will not necessarily provide feedback on the forms themselves.

Ethics Checklist: An Important Reminder:

You should understand that all research (from both primary and secondary data sources) undertaken within the school must be subject to ethical reflection and consideration.

An audit is undertaken by your Supervisor and/or the Unit Leader to ensure that you have had your ethics checklist approved or that it is in the process of being approved.

Until you have done so, you will not be permitted to collect primary data by your Supervisor / Unit Leader and that if you choose to go ahead regardless, your final submission will be regarded as having committed an academic offence under the University’s regulations.

Research Misconduct / Noncompliance with Research Ethics

The university, BU Business School, and members of the programme team consider any breaches of the ethics policy to be serious, and so penalties for not complying or not adequately complying with the policy will be severe, ranging from a loss of marks for research design/methodology to referrals to student disciplinary proceedings. It is your responsibility to ensure that your research is carried out ethically and that you comply with the university regulations.

According to the university policy, the most serious breaches of the ethics code could result in a finding of misconduct in academic research and, therefore, result in a referral to student disciplinary proceedings. Examples of the most serious breaches that might arise in student research include, but are not limited to:

• Failure to submit a checklist where the research would be considered above minimal risk
• Not following appropriate procedures to gain informed consent from participants and/or appropriate parties (guardians, for example, in the case of vulnerable participants who cannot legally provide informed consent alone)
• Using proprietary or confidential information/documents gathered on placement without appropriate permission from the employer
• Failure to follow health and safety procedures (not appropriately adhering to risk assessment procedures) puts participants, the public, and/or yourself at unreasonable risk or harm.

The above breaches primarily relate to projects carrying above minimal risk. Still, a breach of the policy for projects that carry minimal ethical risk will also be penalised. Examples of such breaches include, but are not limited to:

• Failure to submit an ethics checklist when research is seen as carrying minimal ethical risk (including projects that use only secondary research or content available in the public domain)
• Failure to submit a new checklist when the research design has changed substantially
• Gathering data on a project carrying minimal ethical risk before ethical approval has been granted.

Penalties for breaches of this nature could include a mark of zero being awarded, a significant reduction of marks on the grounds of poor research design or failure to follow best practices in carrying out research, or the exclusion of data gathered unethically.
 
In many cases, the extent of the penalty will depend on when the breach is discovered. For example, if a member of the supervisory team learns that you’ve carried out research before gaining ethical approval before the submission of the dissertation, then you will likely be required to remove the data gathered before gaining appropriate approval. However, no additional penalty would be applied if you comply with that instruction.

If we learn after submission that research has been carried out unethically, then a marking penalty will apply. For example, suppose we instruct you to remove data from your research because we deem it to be gathered unethically, and you fail to comply with that request (or attempt to disguise that such data was included). In that case, such action will then rise to the most serious breaches and will be referred to student disciplinary proceedings.

As always, please consult with your supervisor for guidance as it specifically relates to your project.

Academic Integrity: The Use of a Student Viva

A viva is typically used where a supervisor has doubts about the academic integrity of your submitted work. In this instance, you may be called upon and invited to attend a meeting with your supervisor to discuss a preliminary investigation of your submitted work. The discussion will be carefully recorded, and you will be briefed in advance about the concerns that your supervisor has about your work. You should be aware that if, as a result of the meeting, the academic integrity concerns are taken forward, the formal notes of the initial meeting will then form part of the evidence trail for the alleged academic offence.

In supporting the process of a viva, you are reminded that the university requires you to retain the following:

A copy of your questionnaire / interview schedule or any other data collection protocol; ~ your original data set, which should include every completed questionnaire or transcribed interview, and/or any other data collection method;

Your original data analysis approach should include every qualitative or quantitative test run.
You may be required to submit these to the viva meeting.

The key elements of this viva process are as follows:

• You will be contacted typically by e-mail to confirm that you are being invited to attend a meeting with your supervisor or the unit leader to discuss a suspected academic integrity issue with your dissertation/project. The concerns identified by your supervisor will be outlined in this email. You will be informed who will be present at the meeting, that it will be minuted (usually by your PSO) and that the resulting minutes might be taken forward to a formal Academic Offences Panel hearing. You will also be informed that you may bring a friend with you to the meeting and/or someone from SUBU Advice.
• The purpose of the meeting is to provide you with an opportunity to clarify the development of your work, your supervisor/unit leader will simply gather information from you. If (for instance) you are unable to answer one or more of their questions, then it will be simply recorded as such in the minutes.
• At the end of the meeting, it will be made clear to you whether the matter has now been resolved or whether it will now be taken forward through the normal Academic Offences process.
• If you choose not to attend the meeting or simply decide not to turn up on the day, this will be recorded in the minutes, and the matter will then be considered within the normal Academic Offences process.

Section 2 – Why Are You Doing A Dissertation?

Practically all Masters programmes require students to undertake a Dissertation. This is because of the learning that takes place through carrying out an independent Dissertation. Much of this learning is to do with the transferability of skills and being able to handle a significant piece of independent work.

2.1. Transferability of Skills

The Master's Dissertation is placed towards the end of your Master's programme. This is so you can draw on the learning and skills you have acquired. For instance, by this stage in the programme, you will be familiar with:

• Database and library searches for information
• citing references correctly
• collating and critiquing information • writing in an appropriate academic style

You will also have grasped a good understanding of a range of disciplines and knowledge, which will form a foundation for your Dissertation. Think of all the units and assignments you have covered so far in your Master's programme. You will soon start to see that you have a lot of learning on which to draw.

Concerning your Dissertation, transferable skills may be considered from two different angles. On the one hand, there are transferable skills and understanding from how you integrate and synthesise your existing learning into the Master's project. On the other hand, there are transferable skills from carrying out Master's level research that you will draw upon throughout your career. It is the latter aspect on which we will focus.

In undertaking your Dissertation, you will gain a good, rounded knowledge of research methods and research skills, regardless of the specific subject matter of your research. This knowledge and learning will come partly through your research methods course but mainly through the independent study and learning, you carry out. Whatever career you are in or choose to follow after your Master's programme, this grounding will stand you in good stead. At some stage in your working life, you are likely to have to: carry out research; commission research; critically evaluate others' research findings or research reports. In addition, businesses require people to have a broader, more reflective understanding of research methods and techniques. The skills and learning you develop through undertaking your Dissertation will be transferable to other organisational and/or legal settings.

In undertaking your research, you will likely find that the subject matter is not confined neatly to one subject discipline. Most research cuts across disciplines and subject areas. Practising managers know that this reflects the world in which they work. Your Master's Dissertation mirrors this issue.

2.2. Handling A Major Piece of Independent Work

As discussed in Section 1.1, your Dissertation is the most significant single piece of independent work you are required to submit. The supervised development of your research proposal and ensuing research will enable you to become increasingly self-directed in your research activities. In addition, independent learning will enable you to explore issues in-depth and follow up on areas of interest.

Producing a quality Dissertation of around 15,000 words is a major challenge. The Dissertation provides you with the experience of working on a complex and intellectually challenging task over a period. Moreover, it allows you to produce a Dissertation of interest and value to you and others, including your current or future employers. Part-time students’ choice of research area is frequently influenced by current issues or perceived future issues in their employing organisation. Full-time students find prospective employers are very interested in discussing Masters Dissertations as this sustained piece of work demonstrates an ability to co-ordinate a complex piece of work. By handling a major piece of independent work such as your project, you are demonstrating your ability to take personal responsibility for your work and sustain your interest and commitment to completing a major task.

Section 3 - How Are You Going To Do Your Dissertation?

This section explains some of the procedures and milestones which the Business School has put in place to help you develop and manage your Dissertation.

3.1. Taught Component

There will be Research Methods workshops. The general purpose of this component is:

• to help you generate ideas and select an appropriate research topic to pursue
• to introduce you to different research paradigms and to identify the different methodologies associated with each paradigm
• to help you make informed choices about your own research and the research paradigm and methodologies underlying the approach(es) you adopt
• to help you make appropriate use of literature searches and secondary data
• to introduce you to different ways of gathering data
• to introduce you to different ways of analysing data
• to make you aware of different resources for handling and analysing data, such as qualitative and quantitative software packages
• to help you structure a research proposal
• to help think through ways of structuring and presenting your final Dissertation

As you appreciate from the lengthy list above, the Research Methods workshops can only hope to introduce you to the above areas. They provide the foundation upon which to build your own reading, exploration of research methods; exploration of handling and analysing data; development of research writing skills and presentation skills. The foundation which the taught component will provide, together with your own independent, self-directed learning, which you will achieve through carrying out a Dissertation, will make it possible to achieve the generic objectives of Masters Dissertations. Remember to make full use of supporting materials and resources, including the recommended textbooks.

3.2. Supervision

All students undertaking a Dissertation are allocated an individual research supervisor with a specific allocation of time. Your supervisor is there to help, guide and assist you in your individual Dissertation. As discussed in Section 1.2.5, you must manage the relationship between you and your supervisor. So, what do students normally expect of supervisors and vice versa? The following list has been adapted from Phillips and Pugh (1987):

What students expect of their supervisors:

• to be supervised
• their work to be read in advance of meetings
• their supervisor to be available when needed
• their supervisor to be friendly, open, and supportive
• their supervisor to be constructively critical
• their supervisor to have a good knowledge of the research process

What supervisors expect of their Master's research students:

• their students to be independent learners
• their students to produce work for them to comment on
• their students to seek advice and comment on their work from peers and other students
• students to listen to advice and make an informed decision before accepting or rejecting it
• to have regular meetings with supervisors
• students to arrange and keep appointments or give notice of cancellations
• Students are to be honest when reporting their progress
• students to be interested and excited by their research

All those supervising Master's projects are very familiar with the process involved in undertaking a Dissertation. As discussed in Section 2.1, Dissertations cut across disciplines and subject areas. Your project supervisor may not be an expert in the precise area of your research. While there is comfort in having a subject expert supervisor, it has its downside. It can mean that Master's research students come to rely largely on a tutor-type system where they are given their ideas, readings, and methods by their supervisor. While this may work well in producing Dissertations in discrete research areas, it does work against independent learning. Being too strongly guided and directed may produce Master's students who cannot transfer their abilities to other research situations. Please do not expect your supervisor to be a subject expert. That is not their role. Their role is to assist you in managing the research process. Your supervisor will, though, be able to point you in the right direction for finding out about your research area and help you to gain knowledge and expertise through your independent learning.

As soon as you know who will supervise your Dissertation, please contact them. In your first meeting, it may be useful for you both to discuss arrangements for a meeting, the nature and timing of written material, and mutual expectations of each other. Help ensure your supervision sessions effectively use your time and that of your supervisor by preparing for meetings. Depending on the supervisor and specific Masters programme you are on, there may be different models for meetings. For instance, supervisors may see their students in small groups of about five students, and additionally individually. The exact arrangements may differ depending on your supervisor. We strongly advise that you contact your supervisor regularly, especially in the early stages of your research. This is to ensure that you are clear about what you are doing and can report on the progress of your research and that the undertaking of your dissertation is a pleasurable process with a successful outcome. Supervisors will not proofread your work for grammar and spelling. Please remember that you are responsible for contacting your supervisor to arrange meetings. The total supervision period is 13 weeks.

Policy of Reading Draft Work:

Supervisors will read draft sections or chapters to comment generally on the nature of the work produced. Supervisors will, however, only read and provide detailed feedback on a completed draft section or chapter once. This policy ensures that the work produced is an accurate indicator of your ability rather than a reflection of your supervisor's gradual upgrading of the work. While you clearly should not submit draft work to your supervisor too early, it is recommended that you wait until the final possible date and hand in a complete draft, as it may be more beneficial to get ongoing feedback. Remember that your supervisor will have several students to support. Therefore, you must keep your supervisor informed of when you intend to hand in draft work.

The Supervisory Experience.

Whilst undertaking your dissertation/project with us, you will experience a supervisory model which includes both group and individual 1:1 elements. The model works as follows:

Group supervision – typically run during the start of your dissertation/project experience, your supervisor will run one-hour sessions with groups of approximately. 5 students. These sessions will be used to introduce the dissertation/project, the various milestones and guide you on completing the dissertation/project proposal. Group sessions may also be used to cover aspects of undertaking and then writing a literature review, completing the ethics checklist (and risk assessment) and selecting the appropriate research method. The use of group supervision sessions enables student peer support to develop as part of the overall supervision process, as well as offering opportunities for additional formative feedback and social support.

1:1 Supervision – These sessions with your supervisor will typically be interspersed with occasional group supervision sessions. The duration of individual meetings can be flexible to meet your needs, although typically your supervisor will offer you a 15-minute to 20-minute appointment. These individual sessions will focus on discussing your progress as well as enabling your supervisor to provide you with formative feedback on the overall development of your dissertation/project. In some sessions, your supervisor may also comment on your draft work. Please remember your supervisor will only read and comment once on a chapter or milestone submission you have written.

Your Dissertation Co-ordinator

Should you wish to discuss any aspect of the administration of your dissertation, or should you have concerns about the supervision of your dissertation, you should discuss these with your Dissertation Coordinator, who will help to ensure the smooth running of the dissertation process as a whole. Your Dissertation Coordinator is also responsible for granting you access to Qualtrics, the online platform used to conduct surveys.

3.3. Dissertation Milestones

Throughout your Dissertation, there are certain ‘milestones’ which students are required to meet. The timetable and deadlines for completion of the Dissertation and its ‘milestones’ vary from programme to programme, the mode of study (fulltime or sandwich) and the date of entry. All students who want to do Placement must complete their dissertation before going on Placement. The milestones outlined in this document refer to the typical milestones that all Dissertation students must meet.

Masters Dissertation Milestones

Detailed below are milestones to help you progress to the successful completion of your project.

The first milestone relates to the submission of your proposed Dissertation title/topic Meeting this milestone is important as the proposed title/topic is the trigger for us to allocate a supervisor to you, and it will enable us to identify staff that may have a broad interest in your area of research.

Guidance on producing your proposal is included in Section 4. The non-assessed proposal should be 1,000 words in length, and you should submit an electronic copy through Turnitin. The final draft of the Dissertation should be no more than 15,000 words. Guidance on producing your Dissertation is included in Section 5.

The role of your supervisor is to be a resource for you to call upon to assist you in completing your project, i.e., they are there to give advice and guide you through the process. However, it is entirely your responsibility to contact your supervisor. If your supervisor fails to hear from you, they will assume that you are comfortable with your progress.

Milestones: These milestones have been set to help you plan the work on your project. In addition, we suggest you make frequent contact with your supervisor and regularly supply them with examples of your work.

• Milestones 1 is a firm date, and no change or extensions are permissible.
• Milestones 2 and 3 do not require formal extensions, so students unable to submit on the recommended dates do NOT need to contact PSOs requesting extensions. Instead, students should contact their supervisor to inform them and obtain their permission and agree a submission date.
• Milestones 4 is a firm date for the final submission, unless a student has obtained a formal extension following BU procedure and regulations on extensions.

Students who keep in contact with their supervisor are much more likely to produce a satisfactory project.
 
For ALL January starters, the 3 weeks of Spring Break are excluded from supervision. No supervisory contact is allowed during this period.

Specific information for MSc Management with Business Analytics Students:

• All Business Analytics students must submit the R script alongside the dissertation, and the supervisor needs to approve all other languages other than R.
• MSc Management with Business Analytics should be aware they are also required to refer to the Community page on Brightspace, which has additional help for the particularity of analytics dissertations.

Section 4 – Research Proposal Guidance – [Not Assessed]

Details of What you are expected to do:

1. Rationale

Writing a research proposal is a crucial part of any research process. If you were going to be carrying out research for a commercial client, it is unthinkable that you would go ahead without a clear research proposal that you would submit for approval. Similarly, if you were paying someone to undertake a Dissertation for you or your organisation, you would want to see a research proposal before agreeing to let them start. Writing good research proposals is highly challenging. This is because you must think through your proposed work prior to commencing it. Writing a good research proposal without doing a considerable amount of background work is impossible. The research proposal helps you organise your ideas and clarify precisely what you will be doing. It helps you plan your work. By thinking through what you will be doing and explaining how you will be going about it, you are helping to ensure it is achievable.

All Masters research students find writing research proposals difficult. This is because you cannot write a good research proposal until you yourself really know and understand what you are going to do. In writing a research proposal, you are trying to give confidence to your reader that you have: a clear idea of what you intend to do; why it needs to be done; how it will be carried out; how data will be analysed; the likely contribution of the research.

It will take you a significant amount of time and effort to write a good research proposal. The time and effort will be worth it as you will utilise much of it in the project itself. The proposal is invaluable in assisting and clarifying your thinking, and much of the work can be transferred into the final Dissertation.

2. Overview of the proposal

The Research proposal is advised to be around 1,000 words long in total (excluding references). The content and style of research proposals will differ between individuals. Outlined in this section are the common elements that are found in the majority of research proposals.

Title

It is helpful to begin with, a working title/topic. These are often difficult to develop as one needs to capture the essence of the project in a few words, but they can be invaluable in focusing thoughts. One of the ways you might do this is to phrase the title/topic in the form of a question.

Introduction

Justification for your topic needs to be grounded in a real issue. This will involve showing the reader that there is something worthwhile in your topic choice.

Overall research question setting is important at this stage. The purpose of your research needs to be expressed in a few sentences. This is difficult and will call for some clear thinking. The aims may well be revised as the work progresses, but it is important to begin with a clear aim. The aim of the research is the desired outcome. Whatever the stated aim, it needs to be supported by argument that shows its importance and value.

Outline Literature Review

The literature review aims to demonstrate your awareness and understanding of relevant literature on and around your chosen area. ‘Literature’ refers to ‘academic’ literature such as journal articles, book chapters, etc. Please remember to reference any article, book etc., in the BU Harvard style and include in your references section at the end of your Research Proposal.

Your literature review at this stage is not the same as the critical literature review you will need for your final Dissertation. Instead, the literature review at this stage is designed to show that you have conducted some preliminary examination and have a sound general understanding of the issues.

When undertaking a literature review, there are several stages to the process. First, you must locate and gather the information. Secondly, you must read and understand it. Finally, you must show how you have made sense of the material in a written literature review. In your research proposal, the reader will judge how you have made sense of the material. They will not want a list of books, articles, reports etc. Nor will they want a synopsis of the content of each article or report separately. You need to develop a literature review that evaluates and synthesises the material found so far which relates to your research. In the literature, you demonstrate your critical understanding of relevant literature and should show how your proposed research fits into work already done by others.

Your literature review must work towards concluding paragraphs that focus on the research questions you want to ask. These questions must flow from the literature.

Proposed Methodology and Design, Data Collection and Analysis

The methodology is the analysis of, and rationale for, the particular method or methods used in a given study. It consists of the ideas underlying data collection and analysis.

Research design and data collection refer to how you intend to conduct the research. The research design gives an overview of the chosen research method(s) and the reasons for doing so. It includes an explanation of how you intend to carry out the research. For instance, surveys, interviews, examination of secondary data, case studies or a combination of methods. Depending on the research you are undertaking, you may need to address sampling issues and explain and justify the reason for your particular sample or sampling approach.

In your research proposal, it is essential to show you have thought through how you will collect and analyse the data. For instance, if you are interviewing people, who will be interviewed? Will the interviews be taped and transcribed? If so, what will you do with the transcripts? How will you analyse them? If you are doing a case study, what will you include in your study? How will you be analysing and presenting the material? If you are using secondary source data, what variables are you measuring? How will you construct measures for each variable? Where will you source the data? At the research proposal stage, you may not have had time to prepare draft questionnaires, collect data etc.

The research proposal needs a coherent link between aims and objectives, literature review, data collection and analysis. Your research proposal is somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle. Each section must fit together to help build a coherent picture.

References

You must give full reference details in the BU Harvard referencing style at the end of your research proposal. In addition, all authors/sources mentioned in the body of your research proposal must be cited with full bibliographic references (see Section 5.2).

3. Submitting your Research Proposal

The research proposal will be submitted online through Turnitin on the date specified under the Milestones outlined in section 3.3 of the unit Handbook. No hard-copy submission is required on the research proposal.

4. There are no formal Assessment criteria for the Research Proposal

Nevertheless, submitting your Research Proposal is a fundamental stage in the Dissertation process. It will guide the rest of the journey as you progress your independent research in the Dissertation unit. Your supervisor will return the proposal with feedback on areas to improve. If a fail is returned, the Research Proposal must be resubmitted.

Section 5 – Dissertation Brief

Details of what you are expected to do:

1. Rationale

The Dissertation unit aims to provide students with an opportunity to undertake a significant piece of self-managed research in a relevant area of particular interest. This will allow the student to:

• Develop their knowledge of philosophy, methodologies and techniques of research relating to the domain of their named award.
• Provide an opportunity to critically investigate and report on a particular issue in depth.
• Enable them to engage with complex issues and present an analytically rigorous and well-argued case.

Practically all Masters programmes require students to undertake a Dissertation. This is because of the learning that takes place through carrying out an independent Dissertation. Much of this learning is to do with the transferability of skills and being able to handle a major piece of independent work.

2. The Learning Outcomes being Assessed

Having completed this unit, the student is expected to:

• Define a problem within its relevant context and articulate an approach for its critical examination
• Evaluate relevant literature to develop a conceptual understanding of existing knowledge in the given problem domain
• Develop a coherent methodological approach for the study of the given problem whilst considering ethical principles
• Analyse and critically evaluate appropriate research data
• Formulate an answer or solution to the given problem based on the synthesis of research findings and evaluate its implications for relevant audiences or stakeholders.

3. Overview of Assignment

This section does not guide the structure or content of the final Dissertation, as this will vary from student to student and is best decided through discussions between the student and their supervisor. Instead, the focus here is on the format guidelines and assessment criteria for the final Dissertation.

The final Dissertation will be no more than 15,000 words long, including all materials from the start of the introduction to the end of the conclusion (i.e., excluding appendices, tables of contents, abstract, acknowledgements, references). The minimum word count advised is 13500 words.

Please note that you may be required to submit and present your primary and secondary data (if applicable), and you are required to make a complete set of data available upon request.

You may also be required to attend a Viva with the markers to explain or confirm data that has been collected.

Format Guidelines

Numerous formats can be used for writing Dissertations, as you have no doubt seen from the material you have read. However, the following guidelines, which cover all Postgraduate Dissertations in the Business School, will help you prepare your report to an acceptable standard. Size of Typing

The project should be typed in one and a half line spacing and Times New Roman 12-point text size.

Margins

The margins should be 25mm all round. (In one and a half line spacing, this gives approx. 300 words to a page of continuous text).

Page Numbering

The preliminary pages are numbered in Roman Numerals (i), (ii), etc., except that (i) is not actually shown on the Title Pages. Numbering starts with 1 on the first page of the first chapter or section, and the pages are numbered consecutively. Appendices are numbered A1, A2, B1, B2 etc.

Headings

Chapter headings should be centred at the top of the page and in bold or underlined. Headings within chapters help the reader and often arise from the original headings used in constructing the report. There are no hard and fast rules about the number of headings, but too many can break up the flow of the report. Headings should be in upper and lower case and underlined, in italics or in bold and at the left of the page. Headings should not be part of sentences.
 
Order of Presentation

The first page after the title page should be an Abstract. An Abstract is a 250–300-word summary of the research, how it was conducted and the findings. This is normally written after the main report is complete.

If you wish to acknowledge help from your colleagues or family, this should be on the next page. The next pages are the table of contents, lists of tables and figures, and a list of abbreviations (if applicable).

Paragraphs

These contain related material and can be quite long. There is no optimum length but avoid single-sentence paragraphs as these can give an impression of just a list of points.

Additional Spacing

The convention with one-and-a-half-spaced typing is not to indent the start of a paragraph but to separate headings and paragraphs by an extra space.

Paragraph Numbering

It should not be necessary to number paragraphs; you may, however, wish to number sections to ‘guide’ the reader. Numbering is usually used in complex reports with considerable cross-referencing. Careful structuring of your material should minimise the need for cross-referencing. Some readers find numbering irritating, particularly if it is not used for cross-referencing.

Graphs, Diagrams and Tables

These should be used sparingly and placed in the text so the reader can use them without breaking up the flow of the argument. The best place is usually at the end of the paragraph(s) that deals with the issue. Pay attention to the labelling and layout of diagrams and tables. Remember, they are used primarily as shorthand to explain or illustrate a point that is difficult to get over in a narrative. They should be simple, and any possible ambiguity dispelled by a note. Use captions and callouts for tables and figures.

If the material comes from elsewhere, such as Government reports, surveys or books, then properly acknowledge the source where the diagram is used. If you are amalgamating material from different sources in one diagram, make this clear in either the acknowledgement or the narrative.

Numbering should be consecutive, e.g., Figure 1.2, Table 1.2, etc. and listed on the contents page.

Footnotes

Footnotes interfere with the flow of reading. However, if you need to provide background information at a specific point that cannot be dealt with by a quotation, then use brackets for a short explanation.

Abbreviations

Almost inevitably, abbreviations appear. If they are unknown to the reader, they are an irritant. There are two ways of dealing with them. Firstly, spell the words out in full the first time they are used with the abbreviation in brackets. For example, Statements of Standard Accounting Practice (SSAP). Alternatively, list the abbreviations used at the end of the contents page, so the reader has a point of reference if the abbreviation is unclear.

Referencing

Throughout these guidelines, the importance of using the literature has been emphasised. You may be using the literature for background reading or specifically to quote as sources of ideas, theories, concepts, or material such as statistics. Where you are specifically using existing work, it is important to recognise this both to indicate what is yours and what is others and to enable the reader to check the source if necessary.

4. Submitting your Project

The Dissertation will need to be submitted electronically ONLY through Turnitin by 12 noon, and NO hardcopy is required on the date specified under the Milestones in section 3.3.

The final submitted Dissertation (electronic) should start with the following additional pages:

• Cover page (see appendix 2) bears the title of the work, your name, your course, the year of submission, and your supervisor’s name.
• A copy of your Research instrument (either questionnaire or the interview guide) (Attach as Appendix 1).
• A copy of your ethical approval. (Attach as Appendix 2).

5. Assessment Criteria and Weightings

The total mark of the final project will depend on the 15,000-word Dissertation (100%).

The final project (100%) will be assessed on the following criteria:

1. Clear identification of research questions, research aims and objectives 10%
2. Identification and critical use of background literature, theory and research    20%
3. Awareness of methodological issues and development of appropriate research methodology 15%
4. Focused and relevant discussion of context, data collection, analysis and interpretation 25%
5. Quality and validity of conclusions, and recommendations, further research where appropriate 20%
6. Clarity and quality of presentation, referencing, format 10%

For a more detailed description of the marking criteria, please look at the project marking rubric in Appendix 4. Your supervisor and second marker will use this rubric to arrive at an agreed mark for your project

6. Marking

All Masters Dissertations are blind double marked. The first marker is normally your supervisor. The second marker is another academic. Both markers assess your project independently. Only once the project has been read and marked by both assessors independently do they get together to discuss your project and agree on a final mark. Samples of Dissertations are sent to an External Examiner. You will not be able to receive the mark until after the meeting of the Assessment Board. Your Programme Administrator's dates of the Assessment Board for your programme are available and published on Brightspace.

Additionally, first and second markers of PG Dissertations have the right to ask for an oral viva.

7. Word Count

The maximum word count for the dissertation is 15,000 words. You cannot receive a 10% allowance for the dissertation for any reason, and work of over 15,000 words will be penalised as follows:

15,001-16,500 words – penalty of 10% deducted from the final agreed mark 
16,501-18,000 words – penalty of 20% deducted from the final agreed mark 
over 18,000 words – mark of 0% to be awarded

Note: If you are an ALS student, you are advised to liaise with your ALS Support Supervisor to identify and discuss the strategies which you might use in order to meet the word count (as stated in this Handbook) as well as the time and task management strategies which you might adopt in order to meet the overall dissertation deadline.

The word count runs from the beginning of the introduction to the end of the conclusion. Therefore, sections such as the abstract, reference list and appendices do not count.

You must state your word count underneath the abstract in the final submission.
 
The table below illustrates the expectations of the submissions for the key drafts for your milestones:

The AACSB Assurance of Learning (AOL)

AACSB bases accreditation judgement on 15 standards. A critical area of learning and teaching addresses Curricular Management and Assurance of Learning (AOL). We assess Assurance of Learning through a set of generic Learning Goals (listed below) that are mapped against your programme learning goals.

Our graduates possess an array of knowledge, skills, attributes, behaviours, and values, which enable them to succeed. We believe they stand out in four key areas in particular. We express these through our AACSB Assurance of Learning Goals and Objectives.

For our postgraduate students:

The AOL Goals are listed below, with those assessed in this unit’s assessments as indicated below:

 

During your time with us in the Bournemouth University Business School (BUBS), you will find that a number of your assignments will be assessed using both BU marking criteria and the AOL assessment criteria. The marking scale that we use for AOL is as follows:

It is important for you to be aware of the distinction between passing under BU assessment regulation and still ‘not yet met’ the AOL assessment threshold. If this is the case, you will still be able to progress, as you meet BU assessment requirements. However, you will be able to receive feedback to enable you to benchmark your performance against the AOL goals.

If you have any questions about how AOL has been incorporated into the marking of one of your assignments, please contact the Unit Leader.

5.5. Copyright

Third party copyright materials may be included in a Dissertation without permission of the copyright owner under Section 32 of the CDPA 1988, which allows copying of material solely for the purpose of setting or answering an examination question. If any person, including the Dissertation author, wishes to publish any part of the Dissertation containing third party copyright material, then they are first required to gain permission from the copyright owner.

5.6. Confidentiality

The author’s permission must be explicitly obtained before using any Dissertation for reference. The author is entitled to withhold permission if they wish in which case the University would not retain any copies of the Dissertation in question.

It is expected that personal information contained within any piece of work (other than that which would normally be expected to be in the public domain) should be anonymised unless the person to whom the information relates has given their explicit permission that it may be quoted in the Dissertation. Examples of personal information which should be anonymised include religious or political beliefs, information relating to someone’s health, ethnicity, criminal history, or sex life. Likewise, when commercial or human rights issues may be compromised all references to individuals or organisations within any piece of work should be anonymised.

Where personal information is contained within the Dissertation or there are other issues of confidentiality (including commercial confidentiality) this should be identified by the author at the time of submission to the BUBS. Confidential Dissertations should not be retained by Bournemouth University.

The Dissertation should also include the declaration in Appendix 2 immediately following the cover page.

5.7 MSc Management with Business Analytics Community

The community on your Brightspace provides you with abundant resources in one stop. It is all you require to work towards excellence on your dissertation, do take maximum advantage of it.

5.8. Appendices

Appendix 1: Assessment Offecces

Extract from Bournemouth University’s Academic Offences Policy & Procedure for Taught Awards – 6H. The full version can be found on the Student Portal using the following link:
6h-academic-offences-policy-and-procedure-for-taught-awards.pdf (bournemouth.ac.uk)

Appendix 2: The Online Ethics Checklist is located at the link below:

Appendix 3: Example of Text for First Page of Dissertation & Declaration Page 
Appendix 4: Dissertation Declaration
Appendix 5: Grading Rubrics

Dissertation Assessment Rubric