REMDISS30: Spatial Planning Dissertation Handbook | University of Reading

Contents

01 – Introduction    
02 – Learning outcomes    
03 – Required outputs    
05 – Key facts about the dissertation: An overview    
06 – Choosing a topic    
07 – How to develop your topic into a proposal    
08 – Structuring your research and dissertation    
09 – Compilation and editing: Detail matters!    
10 – Problems and solutions    
11 – Supervision    

REMDISS30 Introduction

The dissertation is the most substantial item of work that you complete during your course of study. It is designed to serve several purposes:

• It should reveal your ability to define and research a substantive issue or problem of relevance to the subject of your degree title and, normally, any specialisation you have followed within that degree;
• It contributes to the body of knowledge of the subject;
• It forms a significant item of evidence of your achievements as a student and may be of direct value in furthering your career.
• It provides an opportunity to research a topic in which you are particularly interested.

Students have to prepare a dissertation of 8,000 words (not including illustrations, tables and appendices) on a subject complementary to their programme and supervised by a Real Estate and Planning member of staff.  The Programme Handbook indicates that research topics will normally be on an aspect of the student's choice. Depending on the research question, secondary data sources will be a useful source of data. However, for some topics, primary sources may be required.

The dissertation is seen as the culmination of your postgraduate studies. The end product should:

• Have a meaningful concern relevant to your course of study with a problem to be investigated, a model to be tested, or issue/question to be answered;
• Have analytical/or evaluative content, relating the chosen topic to programme themes;
• Provide evidence of consulting a wide range of sources that have been critically reviewed;
• Provide evidence that the methodology adopted was appropriate for the topic selected;
• Achieve the objectives originally set; and
• Be effectively and clearly presented.

It is the visible end product and the object of assessment. However, the whole process of producing the dissertation is an important part of the whole learning exercise; supervisors will therefore be allocated to students at the end of the autumn term. In contrast to other modules, where coursework requirements will be more tightly specified and shorter, the dissertation is a much more challenging exercise.  Individual skills can thus be enhanced and the process of designing and executing the dissertation will encourage you to:

• Reach independent judgment(s);
• Develop practical skills;
• Handle new problems;
• Learn how to self-organise;
• Do something unique;
• Look critically at other work;
• To learn actively and develop a sense of initiative;
• Be discriminating with - and organise – information;
• Develop your presentational and communication skills.

Because the dissertation represents the biggest exercise in independent learning, it also means that you develop a greater sense of personal awareness.  In particular, you will learn more about your own strengths and weaknesses, gain a sense of autonomy and freedom in learning, and gain self-confidence through your personal achievement.

REMDISS30 Learning outcomes

The aims of the Real Estate and Planning dissertation are as follows:

• Provide an introduction, setting out the topic, motivation and approach, and guiding the reader as to the content of the substantive chapters to come;
• Establish a conceptual/theoretical context and provide a review of the work already done in the particular field;
• Justify a methodological approach followed by a presentation and analysis of research findings; and
• Put forward a generalisation of those findings, leading to conclusions and implications for policy or further research.

Additional outcomes:

Students will develop an understanding of the research process and the main challenges encountered in undertaking a research project. Their skills with regard to organising and executing such a project will be enhanced. Skills regarding the collection and analysis of data, the surveying and synthesis of existing literature on a topic, the application of theoretical models to practical questions, and the preparation and production of a substantial piece of academic coursework will also be improved. They will develop the skills to conduct research and write up their results independently.

REMDISS30 Assessment

The Real Estate and Planning dissertation is specifically intended to develop an independent practice-relevant research topic. Assessment criteria are grouped into five categories; each category is attributed a share of the overall grade. As such, the dissertation should demonstrate:

Acquaintance with relevant literature and context, and its integration with proposed research objectives and questions - 40%

• Ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the rest of the course to the proposed research design;

Appropriateness of data and collection method for undertaking research – 20%

• Ability to identify relevant data/method for undertaking research (primary and/or secondary data);

Analysis and discussion of findings – 30%

• Ability to bring research findings to reflect on previous analysis of literature and research questions; and

Clarity of writing and quality of presentation – 10%

• Ability to write clearly and communicate to an overall high standard of presentation

Refer to Appendix 1 for the relevant dissertation assessment criteria.

Key facts about the dissertation: An overview

Some basic information about the dissertation and how to survive it:

What’s it worth? – The dissertation has a credit value of 30.

When is it undertaken? – It is expected that the majority of the work on your dissertation will begin to take place in the summer term and then be completed over the summer holidays.

How big should it be? – The word guide is 8,000 words.

What do I need to bear in mind in selecting a topic? –

• Relevance to practice
• Interest to you personally, to sustain you over the full term of researching and writing it;
• Sufficient scope should be given for a worthwhile exercise;
• Resources can easily become overstretched, and
• Research ability, including the prior existence of, possibility of access to, or generation of, necessary data.

Do I have to do the dissertation entirely independently? – Not entirely, you will have a supervisor who will give advice, initially in group sessions and later on an individual basis, and comment on draft work as the project progresses. But it is substantially a piece of independent work.

How much supervision can I expect? – Excluding the time the supervisor will spend reading your drafts, producing written comments and assessing the final product, it would be reasonable to expect a total of 8 hours of actual contact with your supervisor, roughly half of which would be accounted for by supervisory meetings, the rest individual contact (including email and telephone contact).

Will my supervisor keep me on schedule and take the initiative in getting me to produce drafts? – No, you have to do that.

Will my supervisor copy-edit and proofread the report? – No.

Will my supervisor be available throughout the summer to read and comment on my drafts at short notice? – Absolutely not. You will need to make specific arrangements as to when your supervisor will be available and how much time s/he will need to read drafts. Supervisor availability is likely to be limited in the July/August period.

What other support is available? – Please do make use of help outside the School.  The University’s In-Sessional English Support Programme (ISLC), Skills Opportunities at Reading (SOAR) and Study Advice services can give general non-subject-specific support on matters such as research planning and writing and more specific advice, such as support in identifying appropriate statistical methods for your analysis.

When does the dissertation have to be submitted? – Refer to section 3 of this handbook. Sometimes students need to extend for various reasons, and in those circumstances, you must immediately discuss the matter with your supervisor regarding your potential case for Extenuating Circumstances.

What happens if I miss the deadline? – There are penalties for late submission by University policy. Refer to your Programme Handbook for details.

What happens if something goes wrong that disrupts the whole of my research schedule? – The normal option here is to pursue an extension, something which will need to be formally agreed by the dissertation module convener following a written application that states the reasons an extension is required. Depending on the circumstances, this will normally require the payment of a continuation fee, calculated on a term basis. This entitles you to continue to use University facilities, but expect only very limited supervisory support.

But what if I’m ill for a long period or suffer a major personal problem? – Exemption from such fees is only permissible for medical or personal reasons for which appropriate documentary evidence is received. Depending on the exact circumstances, you may be able to suspend your registration for the course. This would need to be agreed by the senior tutor.

What happens when my dissertation is submitted? – It is read by your supervisor and a second assessor, who then agree on a mark. Any failure to agree on a mark will require a third marker to be involved.

Will I have to attend a viva voce examination with an External Examiner? – No. The External Examiner’s role is to oversee the processes and general standards of the course, not to determine the marks of individual research reports. However, the External will read a selection of dissertations and talk to the submitting group.

Choosing a Topic

You are required to choose a topic of relevance to the field of study. This could, for example, be an evaluation of a specific policy, consideration of an emerging issue or trend, or an evaluation of specific real estate and planning processes and/or outcomes. You need to demonstrate an understanding of the broader social and economic context within which particular policy and/or practice issues emerge.

How to Develop Your Topic into a Proposal

Before starting work on your dissertation, you must develop your initial idea into a viable proposal.  In a formal sense, the procedures outlined in section 8 are designed to help you do this.  However, before you get to this stage, you will need to carry out some preliminary investigations. Specifically, you are required:

• To familiarise yourself with the general background to the problem.
• To ascertain that there is a reasonable likelihood of sufficient information.
• To check that the subject has not already been dealt with in a similar vein by another author.  At a more personal level, you will also need to think hard about whether the topic is one that you will be able to ‘live with’ during the period of undertaking the dissertation.

The following are a series of preliminary, specific questions you need to ask yourself when you are choosing your topic:

• Am I intrinsically interested in the area of work or in solving this problem?
• What learning value does it have for me?
• Do I already know a lot about the subject?
• Is it a well-researched area?
• Can I cope with the likely demands in terms of both depth and breadth?
• Does the topic warrant the time and effort I am likely to put into it?
• Are the resources (time, facilities, money, equipment, staffing, knowledge, skills, etc) available?
• Will I need to learn new techniques and methods?
• If the dissertation could go wrong - in what ways?
• Would I be coping with an open-ended project or a clearly defined one?
• What is likely to be the balance between practical work and desk work (i.e. doing versus reading, collecting versus analysing) and how does this relate to my interests?
• Do I want to stay within the boundaries of the subject area or explore outside?

There are no clear prescriptions to be found in the answers to these questions, but when put together, they might help you in determining the strengths, weaknesses and risks of each notional proposal you may have.

Structuring Your Research and Dissertation

While there will be much that is specific to each research project, the work and the final dissertation itself should be able to show evidence of the following elements, which will often be reflected in actual chapter or section titles.

Introduction: what your research is actually going to do

At an early stage, you will need clarity in your mind about the research problem being addressed. Without this, it will be difficult to put limits on your dissertation or to assess the relevance of any particular data. A research question that is framed solely in terms of ‘finding out’ or ‘uncovering’ is likely to be less focused and difficult to put boundaries on. This may variously be framed as:

• A set of questions or issues to be addressed
• Propositions to be verified, or hypotheses to be tested;
• Problems for which explanations may remain unresolved;
• Particular policy- or business-related problems, for which the explanation remains inadequate; or
• A new method or technique for analysing datasets;

The research problem will also need to be communicated in a clear fashion and at an early stage in the dissertation itself. Few things are more irritating for readers (and assessors) than having to wade through a lot of introductory description and having to struggle to find what precisely the author is trying to do. The dissertation should not take the form of a detective story, which only gradually unfolds and reveals its nature.  It is a good idea to ‘signpost’ the route of your dissertation at the beginning, with a clear explanation of its structure.

Literature Review: What the Context is for Your Research

Once the problem is firmly established, you have to research the literature that is available on your topic and the light shed on it by other authors. You may well have to start assembling newspaper cuttings, websites, journal articles, book chapters and other literature, etc., which are relevant. This may entail visiting other libraries, academic departments, professional offices and actual sites. Keeping a clear, organised index of references from the start will ensure an accurate, comprehensive bibliography in your dissertation and save much time. As soon as you have decided on a subject, you should start to compile a reference list.

Methodology:

Methodology implies the selection and application of methods of gathering and analysing information appropriate to the research being undertaken. You will therefore need to think carefully and in a critical fashion about the methods you are going to use to answer your initial problem or questions. Do you have to assemble new data, or can your dissertation succeed by bringing together existing literature, data sources, etc.? Remember that all research has its methodological problems. Methods of collecting data may be skewed or biased in various ways.

Also, bear in mind specific data gathering. What specific data do you need, and how are you going to collect it? If you hope to interrogate data provided by other organisations or individuals (secondary data), will they be willing to release the information to you, and will it reach you in time? If you are going to undertake your surveys, do you have adequate time and resources to undertake them? How do you test your survey before becoming dependent on it? You should bear in mind the sensitivity of information from some public sources to inclusion in academic work. Again, all this will need to be written up.

Analysis:

With all the data you are dealing with, how do you analyse it? Remind yourself (and the reader) of the focus of your investigation. Keep the analysis sharp and to the point: presenting masses of data or lengthy quotations is no substitute for a clear and logical argument. Also, be mindful of the alternatives. It is unlikely that there is only one response or answer to your problem: various alternatives will probably need to be presented and their implications explored. State the reasons for selecting a particular conclusion or set of conclusions and identify their key characteristics. Otherwise, it could easily appear as something you wanted to say from the outset, rather than being evidence-based.

Discussion:

The discussion is tasked specifically with “referring back to the concepts in your literature review to help generalise your results and provide potential reasons to explain what you have found. What are the implications for further work, more research, etc? Though remember that, first and foremost, a discussion is neither a proposal, nor a recommendation, nor a design: it is a process of academic reasoning of your research findings through substantiated logical deduction. In other words, no assertions, no new evidence, bring together what you have found in your research in terms of the original question. Done well, discussions can really give greater coherence and meaning to the whole dissertation. Done badly, they can sound assertive, preachy and unconvincing.

If your discussion includes specific recommendations for action, you will need time and space to discuss how they might be brought about. However, you should remember that a dissertation should not be prescriptive. Also, remember that recommendations are no substitute for a good discussion.

Conclusion:

The conclusion will remind the reader of your research problem and will briefly summarise the main stages in the development of the research. Specifying the outcome of the dissertation clearly in terms of the initial proposition will be the most important feature. The discussion also should identify any errors or limitations in your approach or shortcomings in your analysis, rather than leaving it to the reader.

Compilation and editing: Detail matters!

General:

Producing a dissertation is, amongst other things, an exercise in managing paperwork in both hard and electronic forms. This includes notes, drafts, drawing, typing, binding, etc. It is, therefore, essential to be methodical and tidy, with careful procedures for filing and storing material to encourage a speedy write-up. This also includes regular backups of all your work!

Writing style:

Dissertations are exercises in methodological thinking, and both the style of writing and method of expression should reinforce this objective. They should be evidence-based, objective and dispassionate. Also, remember that the reader needs to follow the detailed unfolding of your argument and analysis clearly. There are some clear things that you should avoid. You should not:

• Start from a personal standpoint or use the first person singular.
• Make declamatory statements (such as ‘the committee chairman was a fool to make this decision’, though you might be able to say that ‘press reporting at the time called him a fool’ if you have evidence to substantiate this).
• Make generalised or unsubstantiated pronouncements.

A dissertation consists of sound scholarship that is based on your research and a thorough knowledge of the work of others. Therefore, the author's knowledge of such work must be made clear in the text. To reinforce a sense of orderly thought, some authors organise their text into numbered paragraphs and sections, in the manner of an official report. This is not acceptable. It sometimes leads authors to move too abruptly from one aspect to another without making the links in the argument explicit in the reader’s mind. Complex paragraph numbering systems may also be distracting (they never conceal gaps in research or analysis). All studies must be fully edited, that is to say, prepared as if for publication. If it is of sufficient calibre and interest, a student may indeed be encouraged to publish their dissertation as an article.

Copy-editing and Proof-reading:

The importance of careful attention to detail in these matters of detail cannot be overemphasised. In this, the rule is: check – and check again. Skimming reading your work on the screen is not sufficient because you will know what you are trying to say and will therefore too readily assume that that is what it says on the page. You have to go through line by line on the page in a highly disciplined way, forcing yourself to look at every single word and punctuation mark. If you can, get someone else to read it as well – non-authorial readers can often notice any slips very quickly. If these slips get through to the submitted version, they convey an impression of overall sloppiness that quickly undermines the credibility of the substance of your topic. Assessors have no sympathy with authors on this and will reduce marks accordingly.

Especially watch for the following. Misspellings and the associated lack of care in using the spell check that often produces inappropriate (sometimes hilariously so) words are particularly damaging to the overall impact of your dissertation. Another problem is associated with minor misuses of words or punctuation that are all too frequent in integrated studies. Also, beware of the following very common confusions:

Its = ‘belonging to it’ / it’s = ‘it is’
Principal = ‘the leading or main…’/ principle = ‘overarching or organising theme, ethic…’
Complementary = ‘complementary to (i.e. completing) each other.’ / complimentary = ‘as a gift or an act of praise…’

Dissertation format:

Submit your dissertation electronically via Turnitin.

Title Page. The first page of the dissertation should have the following headings:

• An abstract page of the work should be placed on the next sheet.  This is an essential requirement for examination purposes.  An abstract is a concise summary of the dissertation, not an introduction.  This should provide a synopsis of the content, setting down the nature and scope of the work undertaken, and the main conclusions reached (300 words maximum).
• At the bottom of the abstract, state a word count, ignoring front matter (e. g., contents page), appendices, bibliography and tables.  Also, text/data in tables, figures, including quotations from respondent data do not count towards this total.  A word count of the text should be undertaken, and this should be inserted immediately following the abstract. Dissertations over 8,000 words may be penalised or referred back for editing; though this will account for a 10% leeway above or below the word guide.
• There should then follow, on a separate page, a list of contents, together with a list of 
  tables, with their page references, and a list of figures and their page references.
• An author's preface. This is a personal statement by the author, and it provides a convenient opportunity to acknowledge any intellectual or practical help received in the execution of the dissertation. This should be kept as brief as possible and should not extend beyond the strict confines of the dissertation (i.e. it is not necessary to acknowledge personal relationships, etc.).
• Main body of the dissertation. The dissertation should then be divided into chapters, with appropriate use of headings and sub-headings (for example, introduction, background, literature review, methodology (if applicable), case studies and conclusions, etc.).  An introductory chapter should set out the context, objectives and methodology of the dissertation, and a substantial discussion chapter should draw together the main findings in a manner that is more than a straightforward resume. The opportunity should be taken in this chapter to put forward recommendations for future research, as well as recommendations for change in practice.
• Reference list presented in the Harvard system.
• Appendices. Detailed, lengthy tables and other information obtained during the investigation, which are relevant - but not strictly central - to the main theme. However, note that appendices should not be too cumbersome and should only include material that is referred to in the main body of the dissertation.

Maps, tables, graphs, photographs and other figures:

These should add value to the dissertation and attention should be given to their appropriate format and presentation.  In particular, care should be taken to ensure all maps, diagrams etc. are fully titled and numbered, and cross-referenced appropriately to the relevant part of the text. It is inadvisable to overburden the text with an undue weight of illustrative material, which often can more appropriately be located in appendices at the end of the text.  However, see note below on overburdening the appendices.

• Maps, diagrams and figures should be reproduced in each copy and be legible and clear. Maps should be scaled, presented in a consistent format. 
• Unless prior permission to submit a separate folio has been obtained (not recommended), all maps photographs, graphs, etc. should be embodied in the text.
• For simplicity of compilation and of reading, you are advised to refer to all other non-text insertions - maps, charts, graphs, diagrams, photographs and other illustrations as 'Figures' and number them in consecutive order as a single series. However, the actual requirement is simply that you should follow clear and consistent scheme for presentation and annotation.
• Tables should be identified as such and numbered consecutively.
• Line diagrams.  No illustration (including caption) should be greater than a size that can be readily folded to A4 format. Illustrations should be produced to acceptable standards of craftsmanship using stencil and/or typeset at A4 size. Where reduction is by xerographic processes, these must be clear.
• Images:  all images should be clear and reproduce legibly when printed. Please note that images taken directly from webpages are rarely of a good enough technical standard. It is usually preferable, if possible, to download PDF versions or those from TIFF, JPEG or similar files. All images must be acknowledged.
• Sources of information used on compiling Figures and Tables must be acknowledged, making clear whether they are directly reproduced from the original or whether you have yourself undertaken further statistical analysis.

Stylistic Notes:

Please follow these notes on house styles:

• The dissertation must be typed on one side only of A4 paper (210mm x 297mm) with double spacing throughout. The text should be justified on both sides. Margins should be employed, on the left and right of 30mm and at the top and bottom of 40mm.
• Text should be presented at 12 point in Times New Roman or a comparable typeface. (You may choose the typeface yourself, but please bear in mind that it should be as readable as possible. This typeface is Calibri.
• Use 'S' not 'Z' where there is an alternative (e.g. organise / ize ).
• Dates in the text to be written, e.g. 1 January 2003, without points, not January 1st, 2003; but months can be abbreviated, in notes, tables, etc., to three letters except for June and July, which are spelt out.
• Numbers: Adopt a rule that all numbers under 10 should be spelt out in letters except where attached to a unit of quantity e.g. 1m or 3ha) or where the context makes this awkward (e.g. use spelt-out forms at the beginning of a sentence).    Inclusive numbers to include the fewest possible figures, e.g. 106-8, 1932-
  8.  But note that in 'teen' numbers the l is repeated, e.g. 1914-18; and that periods of twelve months or less that bridge two calendar years are expressed as e.g. 'the fiscal year 1982/83', 'the academic year 1983/84'. Wherever possible, express quantities in metric form.  Figures should always be used in equations and tables.  Try to avoid starting a sentence with a figure.  Four-figure numbers in the text should be without a comma, and in tables, the comma omitted from all numbers.
• When it is appropriate to use direct quotations, these should generally be kept as brief as possible. Integrate short quotations into your sentence and use single quotation marks (for example: Turner (2007:14) suggests that you should work 'better not longer'. Double quotation marks should be reserved for quotations within quotations (for example, Turner (2007:14) suggests that you should work 'better not longer', explaining that subjects in her research reported feeling “truly exhausted” and “knocked sideways” by exams).  Quotations of more than about five or six lines should be indented in your typescript.  When doing so: begin on a new line; indent the whole quotation (that is, reduce the margin on both sides of the paragraph); use the exact wording and punctuation; use …….. if you omit words and [ ] if you add words of your own;  do not use quotation marks (except for quotations within the quotation, as above).  For example:
  Working better not longer is an important concept … [you should] learn to work more effectively in the time available … rather than working longer hours (Turner, 2007:14).
• Initial capitals are used, in principle, to distinguish the specific from the general (e.g. 'He is Professor of Land Economy and X' but 'He is a professor').  This principle, however, is capable of very wide interpretation, and in general excessive capitalisation should be avoided.  For titles of books and articles, capitals should be used for the initial letter of the first word only.  For the titles of journals and series, the initial letter of all principal words should be capitalised.
• Use italics for emphasis very sparingly.  Alternatively, text may be underlined for emphasis.
• Hyphenation is optional in many cases, for example words such as macroeconomic of socioeconomic, or where usage is changing: e.g. it is customary to insert a hyphen in words where the same vowels come together, as in pre-empt, but cooperate and coordinate are now frequently spelt without.  The main criterion is consistency.
• Abbreviations:  Initial letter of abbreviations should be typed with no full point (e.g. UK, RICS, RTPI).  Abbreviations in which the last letter of the abbreviation is the same as the last letter of the word should also have no full point (e.g. Mr., St. - but no., str., etc.).  The term 'per cent' should be spelt out, with no point and usually preceded by a figure, e.g. 20 per cent, but the symbol % may be used in tables to save on space.
• Headings: In dividing chapters under headings, please weight your headings:

Subheading numbered 1, 2, 3, etc.
Sub sub-heading numbered 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.
Sub sub sub-heading numbered a, b, c, etc.

NB. Please avoid using more than three weights or levels of subheading.

• Pages should be numbered consecutively through the main text, including tables, figures and photographs, etc. The pagination of appendices should continue from the main text. The page number should be located centrally, 20mm above the bottom of the page.
• Footnotes should be indicated in the appropriate part of the text by consecutive Arabic numerals and should be listed at the end of the thesis in numerical order under successive chapter headings.
• Special care must be taken when proof-reading and editing the final typescript before it is bound, to correct typographical and other mistakes. Integrated studies, which contain an unwarranted number of such presentational errors, will not be accepted for examination.

Problems and solutions 

Many students suffer from all or some of the three problems:

• Difficulties in defining the research problem and developing a logical argument from the initial proposition to the final conclusions;
• Selecting and deploying research methods appropriate to the analysis of data and upon which consequent conclusions can be reasonably justified; and
• Poor management of time.

Considering the first two problems, the most significant preparation you can make to secure the production of a good dissertation is by thoroughly the preparation of the research proposal. (The skills necessary to do this will be covered in this module.)

In devising an overall timetable, allow time for your supervisor to read and comment on drafts of select chapters. It is in your interest to submit a significant part of your draft text to your supervisor at an appropriate time for formal comment. Though please remember that supervisors are not expected to read full drafts in detail. The overall timetable (at the end) gives details of when it is sensible to do this. Allow time also for careful reading to check punctuation, spelling errors, etc. Also, allow time for producing the final copy and for getting it bound. Illustrations can take a lot of time, whether you are inserting them manually or electronically. You should also leave time to check the final version before it is actually handed in.

Refer to section 5 for web links to University support services in these problem areas.

 Supervision

Each student will have a supervisor. The supervisor's role is largely:

• To help clarify the topic at the beginning.
• To help you come to decisions about methods, timing and other matters.
• To act as an adviser on subject matter, style and production.
• To read drafts of your text and make comments for improvement.
• To act as one of the two internal assessors.

However, the dissertation is an independent piece of work written by a student judged capable of achieving a MSc degree. You should not expect the supervisor

• To help write it.
• To supply you with research data, subjects or specific material.
• To give very detailed copyediting advice.
• Prior to the assessment, the role is one of advice and guidance only. You should also note the following points
• The time allocation received by supervisors for each student involves only about 8 hours of supervisory meetings, with about half of these accounted for by group meetings. Make sure, therefore, that you make good use of this time!
• You are responsible for taking the initiative in making contact by booking appointments to see your supervisor. A supervisor may chase you up from time to time, but you should not rely on it.
• Regularity of contact is recommended, and from an early stage. This is because the supervisor is involved the marking of the dissertation and therefore it is important that he/she is aware of how you have actually done the work and properly appreciates any problems which may have arisen.
• Consult with your supervisor regularly once you have been assigned to one. This will be essential for the development of your proposal and subsequently during the write up of your findings.
• Frequent contact also will allow you to find out when the supervisor will be away. Like most other people, the supervisor will probably have holiday or other commitments throughout the year, which may involve his/her absence from the University.

Therefore, do not expect the supervisor to sign off your proposal and ethics application and read long drafts of your dissertation at short notice, especially if you have previously made little contact with the supervisor. This is another way of saying; do not leave everything until the last minute! 

Appendix 1. Dissertation Marking Criteria