7014MHR Dissertation Module Handbook

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7014MHR

Dissertation Module Handbook

May 2024 Term

PART ONE

1. What is a Dissertation/Project Module?

The dissertation/project module is usually the final part of a course. It is one of the most significant parts of your study through which you develop and research an idea or concept. It is an individual undertaking and the ultimate responsibility for the successful planning, development and completion rests with you. Therefore, you need to demonstrate the ability to work independently and ethically in selecting and researching the relevant topic of your choice. Dissertation/projects usually involve either an element of original research and/or the re-work of secondary material from an original perspective. The successful completion of the dissertation/project module differentiates between students who successfully complete the taught part of a course and those who can additionally demonstrate the ability to carry out a significant piece of independent study.

1.1 Aims and Objectives of the Coventry University London Dissertation

The dissertation builds on the research proposal and provides an opportunity for students to develop their interests in a specific subject area and to demonstrate an ability to undertake independent research, which is of relevance not only to the workplace but also for students considering doctoral level research.

Students completing the Dissertation will be assessed on the following skills and abilities:

· Independently develop a research problem guided by gaps in existing knowledge and an organisational issue, and determine appropriate research strategies

· Demonstrate critical rigour in the analysis of literature and data by making effective use of multiple and critical sources of data/information/knowledge

· Derive new insights based on a critical review of the literature and/or findings of management and organisational practice

· Operate at the interface between theory and practice to derive valid and reliable conclusions

· Demonstrate skills depending on research methods chosen but these can include: interviewing, questionnaire design and administration, focus group management (including diary management), project management, information search, text analysis, content analysis, statistical techniques

· Communicate the research outcomes in a manner that demonstrates clarity of organisational thinking, logical argument and practical recommendations for further research and practice

A dissertation should include well-defined research questions and/or objectives, specified by the student at the outset. It should present a logically developed argument and provide supporting evidence to validate and verify the rationale for the case.  Dissertations will need to follow an appropriate and relevant research strategy and design from the overall approach to data collection and analysis techniques, such as: a case study, a comparative study using a quantitative and/or a qualitative approach. During the dissertation, students are supported by a Coventry University London lecturer who supervises their research activities towards the completion of the dissertation.  

1.2 Aims and Objectives of the Coventry University Internship/Consulting Project

The internship/Consulting Project provides students with an opportunity to engage in a real business project, which is agreed upon by all parties and includes a set of specific, measurable and achievable outcomes. During the internship/consulting project, students are supported by a Coventry University London lecturer who supervises their research activities in completion of a report.  At the same time, students are supported by a business mentor based within the organisation. The business mentor’s role is to provide guidance and offer feedback to the student related to their performance within the organisation.

Students completing the Internship/Consulting Project will be assessed on the following skills and abilities:

· Work independently or as part of a group within an organisation

· Operationalise a business issue into a set of specific project objectives in negotiation with the interested parties or develop a research idea based on the placement (where a business issue is not set by the placement provider)

· Critically analyse the literature relating to a business issue

· Design and write a feasible project plan for tackling business objectives

· Analyse valid and reliable evidence to draw sound business conclusions

· Reflect on their working practice from a managerial perspective

Coventry University London works closely with employers in the sectors and industries that relate to its programmes.  This means that while Coventry University London cannot guarantee this at all times, depending on employer demand, it will try wherever possible to place students into organisations that will value and take advantage of the theoretical studies that they are undertaking and therefore provide a superior level of contextual understanding.

1.3 Aims and Objectives of the Coventry University London Entrepreneurship Business Plan

The Business Plan is the culmination of many students postgraduate studies, and provides an opportunity to apply all those studies to a practical and useful piece of work embodied in a business plan. The module is structured to support the student to compile an original and individually produced business plan for a business situated of the student’s choice and anywhere in the world. The student will also be assessed on their pitching of the business plan. The cornerstone of the module is a good and comprehensive research of the business in question.

Students completing the Entrepreneurship project will be assessed on the following skills and abilities:

· Understand, analyse and evaluate the dimensions of the business opportunity in its dynamic context

· Develop a coherent and integrated business plan that identifies the appropriate strategy and tactics to enter or to develop a specific market sector whilst recognising the operational and financial constraints to create a holistic concept

· Conduct the research and planning in a reflective and self-critical manner recognising the constraints of the resources and the risk environment in planning for the opportunity and its implementation

· Identify and apply the relevant knowledge, capabilities and skills of project management; data collection to build the business model; creative and evaluative thinking; interpersonal skills to identify and build a reliable and contributory network of contacts as resources for the plan

· Communicate the plan as a coherent document based on analysis and evaluation, logically integrated with internal coherence and realistic projections to support a potential future opportunity, presented in a manner that meets professional standards

· Prepare a research proposal or feasibility study which critically reviews relevant current knowledge, reflects originality and demonstrates an understanding of relevant research methods and their limitations

Each student is also given further opportunity to express themselves in a pitch that articulates their business plan. 

2. Contact Details for Dissertation/Project Module Leaders

Each Dissertation/Project module will have a module site in Aula, which will provide you with the name, contact details and Advice and Feedback hours for your Dissertation/Project Module Leader.  Please refer to your module page in Aula for the most up-to-date info on your module leadership.

3. Dissertation/Project Modules Management, Timelines and Deadlines

Dissertation/project modules are usually completed within the 13 weeks of a semester (11 teaching weeks and 2 assessment weeks), depending on the course. This period starts from the first date of the semester. At Coventry University London there are three cohorts of dissertation/project students: September Semester, January Semester and May Semester.

It is vital for students to manage their time effectively throughout developing and completing the dissertation/project. Below are recommended timescales and milestones:

In addition to the group supervisory support progress meetings in weeks 1, 3, 5, 7 and 11 and the 1-2-1 appointments available in weeks 8 and 10, you can also contact your Supervisor via drop-in sessions held during their weekly Advice and Feedback (Office) Hours.

3.1 Selecting and Agreeing a Dissertation/Project Topic

The topic of your dissertation/project module may arise from the literature relating to your field of study or a practical business problem. Alternatively, you may relate it to your current/past work experience and select a topic that is practically based. You may be able to use the research topic that you developed in the Research Methods module. You will need to think carefully about the exact focus of your dissertation/project module topic. The chosen topic needs to be initiated by you and needs to be of interest to you, as you will be spending around 450-600 hours of work on it. Given the lengthy process of dissertation/project development, you will need to sustain interest in the topic throughout the process of researching and the final write up.

The topic can be further developed through discussion with your Supervisor.  The topic selected will need to be appropriate to the field of study, logistically feasible, adequately resourced and will adequately address ethics, safety and any required permissions. Therefore, you will need to invest some time in thinking about your chosen area and topic for research.  

The online Dissertation/Project Module First Information Form (FIF) will be used to assist in allocating a Supervisor in the proposed subject discipline and student will complete this in the semester before they are due to complete their dissertation/project module (the exception to this is for EPP students who will complete it in semester 3).

3.2 Supervision Management and Dissertation/Project Development

All students will be assigned to a Supervisor, who will guide and support students throughout the development of their dissertation/project report. Supervisors are NOT responsible for the progress of your dissertation/project but can help you with guidance on the structure, content and overall coherence of the dissertation/project report. It is vital that you keep in regular contact with your Supervisor and consider the advice that you are given very carefully.   

Attending regular meetings with your supervisor is your responsibility. Your Supervisor will have received a time allocation for your supervision, which incorporates time for reading drafts and your final submission, plus second marking of other students’ work. Five 2-hour face-to-face group on campus meetings, will be scheduled with your Supervisor. If you fail to turn up for your session, this will be recorded as a 'no-show' for that supervision meeting.

 You will also have the opportunity to book a 1-2-1 appointment with your supervisor in weeks 8 and 10 and your Supervisor will also hold weekly drop-in sessions in their Advice and Feedback (Office) Hour that you can attend.

It will benefit you to make every effort to use the time with your Supervisor effectively, e.g.

· Prior to meeting the Supervisor, forward any chapter or other significant piece of work you have completed with time for your supervisor to read before the meeting.

· Always have clear objectives in mind and be prepared to discuss your ideas and progress rather than simply asking what to do next.

· Bring copies of what you want to discuss to the meeting. Do not expect that your Supervisor will have these ready.

· In particular, Supervisors can help enormously by reviewing drafts of questionnaires or interview questions before you carry out your primary research; you only get one chance at carrying out your primary research.  

Remember that the meetings with your Supervisor are part of the management of the dissertation/project report. These will be recorded in your Dissertation/Project Module Log (Appendix 1) and signed by yourself. During the supervision meeting, you will be expected to review the work you have done on your dissertation/project report since the last meeting and to set goals to be achieved by the next meeting.

Please note that most academic staff take annual leave during the academic year. It is your responsibility to plan with your supervisor to ensure that you receive support prior to or over these periods. Please also note that the Academic Skills Unit has a range of support sessions for different skills and tasks related to your assessments.  

If for any reason or at any time you feel your relationship with your allocated supervisor is not working, you must contact the Module Leader for advice and guidance in the first instance.

Failure to seek regular supervisory support and record progress in the Dissertation/Project Module Log will be taken into account when your dissertation/report is being assessed.

3.3 Request for Absence – Student Visa Students

The study period for full-time students covers all the semester even when no teaching is taking place. In general, students are expected to be available for supervision at Coventry University London for the whole of the dissertation/project module development period.  If you are an overseas student and return home at any time during this period, you need to ensure that your Supervisor is aware of this and you have obtained approval from your Course Director and the Registry Team. Supervisors may be happy to continue the supervision by email or video conference tools. You must be prepared to be available for possible viva voce (personal interview) arrangements during the assessment period.

If you have any queries related to your visa, please seek advice from the Visa Compliance Team [email protected] 

4. Dissertation/Project Report Support

Your supervisor is the main point of contact should you need any form of support. Additionally, there are other means of support to help you:

Module Leaders

Contact information for Module Leaders can be found on your module page in Aula and Module Leaders can also be reach during their Advice and Feedback hours (office hours) which are advertised on Aula and via the Student Portal. Module Leaders are able to advise on the administrative details of your Dissertation, such as deadlines, required elements, submission details etc.

Academic Skills Unit

The Academic Skills Unit (ASU) can support you to improve your academic skills required for your Dissertation, and advise you on any other issues which may affect the progress of your Dissertation/Project report.

Spotlight Sessions

The Academic Skills Unit offers a range of workshops for students and provide students with a variety of resources that you can use for your self-study. Spotlight Sessions include:

• Citing and Referencing workshop.

• Editing and Proof Reading Strategies

• Finding Company Information and Market Research

• Using Research in Your Writing

Book a 1-1 Academic Skills Tutorial

Book an appointment with one of the University’s librarians for expert help and guidance with assignment research.

Book a 1 - 1 Academic Writing Tutorial

Book an appointment with one of the University's academic writing tutors for help and guidance with planning, structuring, using research, developing your ideas and improving your academic writing style.

Company Information and Market Research

Support in finding company information and marketing research is available via the ASU site.

Statistics Support

Sigma provides free mathematics and statistics support for all Coventry University students and staff. This support comes in a variety of forms including online workshops and 1 to 1 online tutorials. Details of these services and how to book them can be found on the Sigma website.

5. Ethics Guidance for Research 

The University has general ethics guidelines for research which must be complied with by students within Coventry University London.  These guidelines offer a framework which embraces the ethical responsibilities of researchers and contains procedures which should be adopted to formulate good research practice.

Prior to embarking on any research, it is imperative for students to justify the need for collecting information or data as, in some cases, this could be more easily obtained through published sources. Researchers should be aware of their role, the parameters of their responsibility and to whom they are accountable. They need to be sensitive to some fundamental ethical issues that may arise in research activities that could have an impact, either positive or negative, on individuals or participants.  It is recognised that there may be circumstances when there is a conflict between the value of the furtherance of knowledge and ethical considerations.

If the nature of your research changes during the process of the Dissertation/Project report you MUST speak to your Supervisor and your Module Leader, as you may be required to submit another ethics form. The ethics guidelines vary between primary research and secondary research but both require approval of the ethics application before any data is collected.

5.1 Primary Research

Primary research (data gathering that involves human participants) requires ethics approval prior to any data collection. The ethics approval can be gained by submitting an ethics application via the online Research Ethics Platform. Any disertations/projects submitted without going through the ethical approval process and that have not received ethical approval will be given a fail mark of 0. 

To gain ethics approval, you must follow the ethics guidance and complete the relevant ethics application forms. Ethics training will be delivered to students online (See Appendix 2 for the guidelines).

Integrity of Research

As an underlying principle, there must be a sense of openness and transparency when conducting research.  Researchers have the responsibility to:

· Use the information or data collected only for the purpose intended and are under an obligation to prevent its misuse.

· Recognise that they must not influence the opinion or behaviour of participants, though, in some instances, their presence may well influence the participant’s response.

· Ensure that bias is eliminated or, at least, minimised.

· Alert potential users of the research about any limitations of validity and reliability of the research methodology.

· Preserve the data on Coventry University OneDrive until final results are announced.

· Make the data available to supervisors and examiners if requested and seek necessary advice regarding the adequacy, reliability and validity of  the data collected.

Awareness and Sensitivity

Any research involving human participants should be explained, as comprehensively as possible, to all concerned.  Researchers must take into account the nature and the degree of sensitivity relating to the specific area under investigation.  The following elements should be fully communicated:

· The nature and purpose of the research.

· How information or data is collected, stored and analysed.

· Assurance given in relation to identity, anonymity and confidentiality, as appropriate, ensuring that guarantees are fulfilled.

· Individuals must have the right to refuse participation or withdraw their responses.

· Research using under 18s will be undertaken only under exceptional circumstances. Any such proposal would need to be discussed with your Supervisor

5.2 Secondary Research

Secondary research (research which uses information from secondary sources and does not involve direct contact with participants) also requires ethics approval prior to any data collection. The ethics approval can be gained by submitting an ethics application via the online Research Ethics Platform. Any disertations/projects submitted without going through the ethical approval process and that have not received ethical approval will be given a fail mark of 0. 

Secondary data is classified as:

· data that has already been collected by others

· Examples of secondary data include sourcing information from websites, library resources, published academic papers, historical documents in the public domain, publicly available data sets and private data sets with permission to use for research purposes

To gain ethics approval, you must follow the ethics guidance and complete the relevant ethics application forms. Ethics training will be delivered to students online (See Appendix 2 for guidelines).

5.3 Ethical Research Dos and Don’ts

Things to make sure you do and you don’t do regarding primary and secondary research:

ü Do register on the online Ethics Research Platform and submit an application for ethics approval form

ü Do discuss and explain clearly the work with your supervisor

ü Do observe local customs and regulations

ü Do inform participants of the purpose and method of the investigation. ‘Covert’ research (research without telling participants) will not be approved

ü Do obtain permission, consent or approval before the start of the investigation if the research takes place in a work environment

ü Do assure confidentiality or ensure acceptability from the participants for disclosure of information or data obtained

ü Do ensure consideration and respect for others

ü Do be aware of responsibilities to the University, organisation, industry, profession and the general public

ü Do seek advice from the supervisor prior to carrying out primary research

ü Do be aware of the University’s guidelines on intellectual property rights

ü Do make sure there is security of information or data, where appropriate

ü Do ensure that any assurances given are honoured

ü Do create a good impression by behaving ethically to open doors for future researchers and students on placements

ü Do always recognise sources of information

û Don’t cause unnecessary emotional stress, embarrassment or annoyance to participants

û Don’t ask potentially offensive or intrusive questions, especially in relation to sexuality, race or religion

û Don’t plagiarise

High ethical standards must be maintained at all times as the integrity of researchers and the image of the University are at stake.  If ever in doubt, always ask.

5.4 Academic Misconduct

Make sure that your work has academic integrity and that it is truly your own work. Any circumstances of academic misconduct will face serious consequences. Most academic misconduct incidents fall under the following categories: plagiarism, collusion, self-plagiarism, use of material written by professional agencies or other persons, breach of professional confidentiality, failure to obtain ethics approval prior to undertaking work involving human participants and failure to comply with the terms and conditions of an ethics approval granted for work involving human participants. The following is a brief definition of plagiarism, collusion and use of material by professional agencies or other persons:

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of using other people's words, images etc. (whether published or unpublished) as if they were your own.

All types of work submitted by students are covered by this definition, including, written work, diagrams, designs, engineering drawings and pictures, computer code, illustrations, graphs etc.

Collusion

Collusion occurs when, unless with official approval for example in the case of group projects, two or more students consciously collaborate in the preparation and production of work which is then submitted by each in an identical, or substantially similar, form and/or is represented by each to be the product of his or her individual efforts. Collusion also occurs where there is an unauthorised co-operation between a student and another person in the preparation and production of work which is presented as the student’s own.

Use of Material Written by Professional Agencies or Other Persons

You should never make use of professional agencies to produce your work nor submit material that has been written for you even with the consent of the person who has written it. It is vital to your intellectual training and development that you should undertake the research process unaided.

Other academic misconduct includes: falsification of data, verbatim (word for word) copying without clear acknowledgement, cutting and pasting from the internet without clear acknowledgement, paraphrasing - rewording or interpreting without acknowledgement/credit, presenting someone else’s work as your own,  self-plagiarism, duplication of assessed work without acknowledging a previous submission, allowing or helping another student to copy or paraphrase your work without acknowledgement. A detailed definition of each can be found in the Academic Integrity section of the Student Portal.

5.5 TurnItIn

Every dissertation/project submitted in Aula will be checked for plagiarism via Turnitin software, and the similarity reports will be used to identify suspected plagiarism. Supervisors will report suspected academic misconduct to the Academic Conduct Unit. Therefore, students are strongly advised to use the Turnitin self-check facility to check draft submissions and make amendments prior to the final submission.

The Turnitin check facility will be set up by your Module Leader when the assessment(s) is set up under the relevant module site. Any Turnitin related queries should be addressed to your Module Leader.

6. Dissertation/Project Report Structure and Formatting

The dissertation/project report should be presented to a high standard. Your Module Leaders will provide you with samples of dissertations/project reports and you are advised to view them to see what such a final dissertation/project assessment looks like.

The following structure is recommended, although this may change based on whether you are completing a dissertation or project so your Supervisor may suggest an alternative heading:

1. Front Cover Page (Appendix 3)

2. Title Page (Appendix 4)

3. Acknowledgement

4. Executive Summary or Abstract

5. Table of Contents and Page Numbers

6. List of Figures and Tables

7. Chapter One – Introduction

8. Chapter Two – Literature Review

9. Chapter Three – Research Methodology and Methods

10. Chapter Four – Data Findings and Analysis

11. Chapter Five – Conclusions and Recommendations (where appropriate)

12. References

13. Appendices: This must include the research instruments like a questionnaire and interview guide. It should also include your ethics certificate (Any disertations/projects submitted without going through the ethical approval process and that have not received ethical approval will be given a fail mark of 0) and meeting diary. In some cases, a sample of your interview transcript can be needed

Word Count

The word limit (+/- 10%, see your module for the actual word limit, as this depends on your module/course):

INCLUDES	EXCLUDES
All discussion from the first chapter up to and including the final chapter of conclusions and recommendations	Front Page, Acknowledgment, Executive Summary or Abstract, Table of Contents, List of Figures and Tables
	Tables, charts, diagrams within the body of the discussion
In-text References/ In-text Citations	List of references and appendices

The normal penalty for exceeding the word limit is:

· The mark will be reduced by one grade classification (ie 10 marks, with a maximum penalty leading to a mark of no less than 40% being awarded.

Referencing

You MUST use the APA Referencing Style for all referencing, both in-text citations and the final list of references.  If you need help putting your references into the correct style, you might like to start with the APA Referencing: A Guide for Students. The Academic Skills Unit also offers bookable workshops on APA referencing.

Layout Specification

Margins:	Left Margin	2.54cms	Bottom Margin	2.54cms
	Right Margin	2.54cms	Top Margin	2.54cms
Typeface:	Font	Use sans serif fonts such as Arial, Calibri, Comic Sans, Tahoma or Verdana. Font size should be 12 – 14 points or equivalent.
	Spacing	1.5 point spacing
	Pagination	Sequentially numbered in Arabic numerals
Headings/ Subheadings:	Emboldened not underlined. All headings should have section numbers
Justification:	Left align text, without justification.
Footer:	Every page should contain a footer in small font (9 point) stating: “Coventry University London Dissertation (year)”
Title Page:	The cover sheet in Aula should be used. This should not be paginated.

The final dissertation/project report should be saved in one single document in Word format with the file name consisted of "Given Name + Surname + Student ID" (e.g. John Adams 0110100101) to be submitted in Aula.

7. Arrangement for Dissertation/Project Report Submission

7.1 Electronic Submission

The final dissertation/project report must be submitted to the relevant module site’s submission link in Aula, in a single file saved by your "Given Name, Family Name, Student ID" (e.g. John Adams 0110100001).  

Prior to the final submission, you will be allowed to submit your dissertation/project report draft to Turnitin to check your similarity score. This will enable you to submit the draft work, receive a similarity report generated by Turnitin and see the impact of your changes before the final submission.

7.2 Request for an Extension

In exceptional circumstances, an application can be made for an extension of up to five working days. Students will need to complete and submit their request via the relevant online form. All extension requests are reviewed by Registry.

Further information on Extensions and Deferrals and a link to the online extension/deferral request form can be found on the Registry Site on the Student Portal.

7.3 Dissertation/Project Marking and Late Submissions

Your finished work will undergo a rigorous assessment process. It will be assessed by your Supervisor, afterwhich all dissertations/projects will undergo internal moderation. Therefore, it is vital for you to understand what merits your module will be assessed on.

Samples of dissertations/project reports from each subject area will be sent to External Examiners whose role is to confirm that the quality of dissertation/project modules at Coventry University London is comparable with those of other UK Universities. The relevant Board of Examiners will confirm the final grade.

Late Submission Penalties

Late submissions will be awarded a grade of ZERO.  Referred Dissertations submitted after the published deadline will be awarded a grade of ZERO unless an extension has been granted.

8. Dissertation/Project Module Results: Pass, Referrals and Deferrals

Provisional module results and feedback are normally released within 15 working days of the original submission date. Specific dates will be published in Aula nearer the time. Your marks will be formally approved once an external examiner has completed their review and Board of Examiners has ratified the results.

Passed Dissertations/Project Reports

A Pass is when your dissertation/project report is graded at 39.5% and above. Congratulations, you have passed your module.

To learn more about how degree classifications are calculated, please refer to the Academic Regulations, specifically the regulations which refer to the Taught Postgraduate Awards.

Referred Dissertations/Project Reports

Dissertations/project reports marked between 0% and 39% on the first attempt are ‘referred’. This means the student will get another chance to submit, without paying any further fee. Referred dissertation/project report students are entitled to 2 hours of supervision meetings with their supervisor to receive clear and constructive feedback and action plans in order to revise accordingly. Students must agree on a schedule of when and how these meetings will take place. A record of meetings must be kept and attached to the Dissertation/project as an appendix.

Referred Dissertation/project students should not change the research topic or ethics number, but may need to complete a new ethics application via the online Research Ethics Platform, if there are any changes of ethics.

Referred Dissertation students do not have to stay in the UK to resit their module and can communicate with their supervisors via email, Microsoft Teams or Zoom. However, as this will be the final time students leave the UK after their course, they will need to provide evidence of exit to [email protected] – entry stamp, flight ticket, boarding pass scan etc.

The final grade of a referred Dissertation will be capped at 40%.

Deferred Dissertations/Project Reports

Students with deferred dissertations/project reports are those who have successfully applied for a Deferral which impacted on their original progress and could not submit their dissertation/project report at the expected submission date. Deferred dissertations/project reports are normally submitted at the next available submission date, the following semester.   

Students may still be able to obtain support from their Supervisor if they have remaining supervision meetings outstanding, or as kindly agreed by their Supervisor.  However, if the student is deferred at a late stage and all support, including the five supervisory meetings, have already taken place, then the student can no longer expect any further support.

Deferred Dissertation students are not expected to stay in the UK (they can if they want to).

The final grade will NOT be capped at 40%.

Submission of Referred/Deffered Assessments

All deferral/referral assessments will be published on Aula by week 4 of the subsequent semester.

The submission period for all referred/deferred work is week 12 and/or 13. Please check your submission link for the exact date.