FACULTY OF BUSINESS & LAW

Table of Contents

1. Module Overview 4
   • Key information 4
   • Learning outcomes 5
2. Learning and Teaching Strategy 6
   • Lectures 6
   • Workshops 6
   • Drop-insessions 6
   • One-to-onesessions 6
   • Programme outline and deadlines 7
   • Module coordinators and supporting materials 9
     • Module coordinators 9
     • Support through Moodle 9
     • Bal Academic Skills Tutors (AST) 9

3. Finding a topic 10
   • Topics that interest you or link to future careers 10
   • Choose a topic that facilitates an analytical focus 10
   • Relate to course content 10
   • Topic sarising from a placement or work experience 10
4. The dissertation process & the role of the supervisor 12
   • Allocating a supervisor 12
   • Support through supervision: Roles and responsibilities of supervisors andstudents 12
     • The module coordinator 12
     • The supervisor 12
     • The student 13
   • The dissertation process 14
     • Making and maintaining contact 14
     • Initial work 14
     • Student responsibilities 15
     • Reading drafts and feedback 15
     • Review of scholarship 16
     • Feedback after submission of the dissertation 16

5. The assessment details 17
   • Assessment one: The research proposal 17
     • Presentation and layout 17
     • Structure 18
     • Research proposal submission 20
     • Marking criteria 20
   • Assessment two: The dissertation 20
     • Presentation and layout 20
     • Structure 22
     • Dissertation submission 28
     • Marking criteria 29

6. Ethical considerations and ethical review 31
7. Plagiarism 32
8. Work that is not your own 33
9. Marks and Feedback 34
   10. Late Submission of Coursework 35
   11. Extenuating Circumstances 36
   12. Referral Work and Deferral Work 37
   13. Important Notes 38

Appendix I University wide Generic Grade Criteria for Level 6 39

Appendix II Research Proposal Grade Criteria 41

Appendix III Dissertation Grade Criteria Primary Research and Secondary Research 42

Appendix IV Dissertation Grade Criteria Documented Literature Review 43

Appendix V Ethical Opinion Form 44

1. Module Overview

Welcome to the module and to the start of your dissertation. This handbook seeks to assist you on your research journey from thinking to doing and being assessed. In this way, the handbook mirrors the process students engage in from thinking about their research question, to data collection and analysis, and successful completion of a high-quality research project.

The dissertation module aims to extend and enhance your analytical skills through engagement with detailed academic research into an area of academic and/or practice interest. It requires critical engagement with appropriate literature, sound choice of research methods and carrying the planned approach into practice to produce a piece of independent research. Students will be supported through a mix of lectures, face- to-face workshops, online drop-in sessions and individual appointments to develop a research idea and to realise it as a piece of written work. Individual appointments will be arranged between supervisor and student.

1.1 Key information

Assessment 1: Research Proposal	Due date: Friday 12 th January 2024, 23:55 GMT Weighting: 30% Word limit*: No more than 2,000 words excluding a reference list. Soft deadline and feedback: 1st December 2023 is a soft deadline for student to submit research proposal draft to supervisor for verbal feedback. The feedback will be provided by 15th December if handed in by the soft deadline.
Assessment 2: Dissertation	Due date: Friday 10 th May 2024, 23:55 GMT Weighting: 70% Word limit*: No more than 6,000 words excluding reference list, appendices, the cover page, abstract, glossary and list of tables, figures, charts and abbreviation. Soft deadline and feedback: 22nd April 2024 is a soft deadline for student to submit dissertation draft to supervisor for final feedback (no feedback will be provided if later than this date). The feedback will be provided by 6th May if handed in by the soft deadline.
Ethics Approval Form	Due date: Friday 9 th February 2024 . The ethics form must be authorised before any data collection begins.

*IMPORTANT: The word limits should not be exceeded. There is no 10% leeway on the word count.

1.2 Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able, at threshold level, to:

1. Select a topic for investigation that is appropriate in terms of its relationship with current developments in the respective subject area(s) and that is defined through clear research objectives or questions.
2. Access and critically evaluate a range of appropriate literature relevant to the

• Selectappropriate research method(s) and systematically organise and interpret data obtained in the course of the research project.

1. Derive relevant conclusions and recommendations from the research findings and discuss in relation to the relevant literatures.
2. Demonstrate an awareness of research ethics and safeguard the welfare of all subjects potentially affected by the research project.

2. Learning and Teaching Strategy

The dissertation module is based on independent study assisted by a dissertation supervisor. A mix of lectures, workshops, drop-in sessions and individual appointments is provided to support learning. Based on your chosen topic, you will be allocated a supervisor and, in this handbook, there are guidelines for expectations of supervisors and students. We will also provide signposts to extra materials through the module Moodle site.

2.1 Lectures

There are 6 lectures, including 4 in TB1 and 2 in TB2.

The first two introductory lectures include module essentials, assessment brief and library support. Following the introductory lectures, 2 subject-specific lectures are delivered to guide you in developing research questions, drafting literature review and designing your research.

Another 2 one-hour subject-specific lectures will be delivered at the beginning of TB2 to feedback on the first assessment and offer guidance on data collection and analysis.

2.2 Workshops

You are expected to attend 8 one-hour workshops, including 6 in TB1 and 2 in TB2. The workshops will offer you support to start your research, search and review literature, employ appropriate research methods, complete the ethics form, and write up the dissertation.

2.3 Drop-in sessions

A series of drop-in sessions are provided by the Academic Skills Tutors (AST) team to offer you extra support on your dissertation project. Details of the topics covered in each session will be listed on Moodle.

2.4 One-to-one sessions

You will be expected to schedule one-to-one meetings with your supervisor. Each meeting slot is expected to last up to thirty minutes. While there is some flexibility in when you arrange these, please see the programme outline below. It is expected, for example, that meeting one will take place no later than the end of week six (i.e. 3rd November).

In each supervisory meeting, you will be discussing your research progress with your supervisor. For example, the first meeting will be helping you to set up your proposed topic and discuss the initial research question. Then the following meetings will aim at supporting you to refine the research question, outline the research approach, and confirm your methodological choices. You data collection and analysis progress as well as the dissertation writing progress will also be discussed. Please note, aims of

each meeting may vary according to your progress, and meetings with your supervisor are not restricted to the abovementioned events.

You are responsible for managing your work and making contact with your supervisory for the one-to-one sessions.

2.5 Programme outline and deadlines

Teaching block 1
Weeks	Activities	Details
Week (18/09/23-22/09/23)	Induction week
Week 1 (25/09/23-29/09/23)	Lecture 1	Module and dissertation essentials Assessment brief Bal AST Support
Week 2 (02/10/23-06/10/23)	Lecture 2	Library resources and support
	Workshop 1	Learning and teaching strategy Research proposal brief
Week 3 (09/10/23-13/10/23)	Lecture 3	Developing research questions Literature review
Week 4 (16/10/23-20/10/23)	Lecture 4	Research design Methodology and methods
	Workshop 2	Structuring your research three structures
Week 5 (23/10/23-27/10/23)	Independent research
Week 6 (30/10/23-03/11/23)	Consolidation week
	One-to-one supervisory meeting 1 by week 6
Week 7 (06/11/23-10/11/23)	Workshop 3	Literature review (including using LR as research methodology)
Week 8 (13/11/23-17/11/23)	Workshop 4	Qualitative research methods
Week 9 (20/11/23-24/11/23)	Workshop 5	Quantitative research methods
	One-to-one supervisory meeting 2 by week 9
Week 10 (27/11/23-01/12/23)	Workshop 6	Business research ethics
Week 11 (04/12/23-08/12/23)	Independent research
Week 12 (11/12/23-15/12/23)	Independent research
Christmas break
Assessment 1 - Research Proposal due Fri 12 Jan 2024

Teaching block 2
Weeks	Activities	Details
Week 1 (22/01/24-26/01/24)	Lecture 5	Feedback on Assessment One
Week 2 (29/01/24-02/02/24)	Lecture 6	Data collection and analysis
Week 3 (05/02/24-09/02/24)	Workshop 7	Recap: Methodology and methods
	One-to-one supervisory meeting 3 by week 3
Ethics form due Fri 9 Feb 2024
Week 4 (12/02/24-16/02/24)	Workshop 8	Wrapping up: Write up a dissertation
Week 5 (19/02/24-23/02/24)	Independent research
Week 6 (26/02/24-01/03/24)	Independent research
Week 7 (04/03/24-08/03/24)	Consolidation week
	One-to-one supervisory meeting 4 by week 7
Week 8 (11/03/24-15/03/24)	Independent research
Week 9 (18/03/24-22/03/24)	Independent research
Week 10 (25/03/24-29/03/24)	Independent research
	One-to-one supervisory meeting 5 by week 10
Easter break
Week 11 (22/04/24-26/04/24)	Independent research
Week 12 (29/04/24-03/05/24)	Independent research
Week 13 (06/05/24-10/05/24)	Independent research
Assessment 2 - Dissertation due Fri 10 May 2024

**Please note, the teaching schedule is subject to change according to the university guidance.

2.6 Module coordinators and supporting materials

2.5.1 Module coordinators

2.5.2 Support through Moodle

Important information and materials relating to the dissertation module are posted on Moodle and will continue to be posted in advance of lectures and workshops. You should automatically be enrolled on the Moodle sites for the dissertation module. If you find that you are not enrolled, please email baldigital@port.ac.uk.

2.5.3 Bal Academic Skills Tutors (AST)

The Faculty of Business and Law AST team offer confidential and ongoing support with all aspects of study skills including: academic writing, essay structure, presentation skills and critical thinking. A key aim of the service is to ensure that you present your work in the most appropriate way for the specific assignment brief. AST can offer individual appointments to provide support and feedback, or can provide feedback by email. To make an appointment or to send your work, e-mail bal- ast@port.ac.uk.

For more information see: https://sites.google.com/port.ac.uk/bal-ast/Home.

3. Finding a topic

This section illustrates some of the routes and the processes that many students go through in order to find their dissertation topics and to develop their dissertation research to fruition. There are many different ways of producing a dissertation and the process illustrated is not intended to be prescriptive. Please note, your chosen topic should be subject-related.

3.1 Topics that interest you or link to future careers

Choosing a topic can be either one of the hardest aspects of the dissertation or one you find to be relatively easy. It goes without saying that if you choose to study a topic that interests you then you are likely to be enthusiastic and well-motivated with greater likelihood of that being maintained over the course of an academic year. You might want to consider orienting your research to a subject area in your degree you have found interesting. Alternatively, you might want to think about focusing on an organisational sector you would like to work in upon graduation or to an activity you have participated in for a period of time that has an organisational component. However, there are several important points to consider whatever topic you choose.

3.2 Choose a topic that facilitates an analytical focus

The proposed dissertation must be analytical rather than purely descriptive or narrative. For instance, a dissertation that simply describes the aspect of an operation within a company (e.g. marketing at Tesco) is inappropriate, but a dissertation, which examines the impact of loyalty cards on the performance of Tesco, would be acceptable. If you have any doubts as to your abilities to formulate an analytic research proposal, discuss this with your supervisor so that this analytic focus is attained as early as possible.

This issue of analytic focus usually forms one of the main areas of discussion with your supervisor. You will need to have this solidly in place and have done plenty of reading before you progress to the next stage of research design and engagement.

3.3 Relate to course content

The dissertation of your choice must use parts of your course content particularly in the analysis of the material that you have obtained. For instance, a dissertation about the effectiveness of performance related pay would need to be based upon such concepts as workplace motivation, the "psychological contract" and other theories drawn from Organisational Behaviour or Human Resource Management.

3.4 Topics arising from a placement or work experience

Many dissertations arise from a student's placement, or other work experience. Engaging in primary research is often easier if you are based in an organisation as either a placement student or employee even if it is only on a part-time basis.

In some instances, an organisation will ask a placement student to undertake a particular piece of work or research, which would otherwise not get done, and this can be a valuable basis for a dissertation. However, it is important to remember that there is a significant difference between the type of report, which might be needed by an organisation, and the academic requirements of a dissertation.

It is essential you have permission from an appropriate member of the organisation to carry out your investigation, and that you discuss any research you intend to undertake with a member of staff before you start collecting data. It is also worth being aware that, occasionally, organisations may withdraw their cooperation. You need to ensure that you will be able to fully develop your research and that the organisation will guarantee you access and support throughout the research process. Check existing organisational policy in this area because whilst a line manager might be willing to help you, the company might have policies that prevent it.

4. The dissertation process & the role of the supervisor

4.1 Allocating a supervisor

Once we know which subject area interests you through the Google form 2023/24 Dissertation Topic Survey that was sent to your university email address, a supervisor will be allocated to you based on the best match between staff expertise and your proposed topic. However, if a member of staff has already suggested that they might be prepared to supervise you, please inform the module coordinator and ask the member of staff to confirm his or her intention to supervise you by e-mail to the module coordinator. The supervisor allocation will take place when the new term starts and if you have completed the Google form to provide your research interest, you will be notified who your supervisor is by the end of Friday, 13th October 2023. A supervisor list and contact details of the supervisor will be available on Moodle.

Should you need to change the direction of your dissertation something we strongly argue against then you will need to get your supervisors explicit approval.

4.2 Support through supervision: Roles and responsibilities of supervisors and students

4.2.1 The module coordinator

The dissertation module coordinator is responsible for leading the subject specific module. The structure, format, word count etc. may be different for different subject groups as they will be adapted to fit with the fields of study. This is under the jurisdiction of the module coordinator. Please refer to the module Moodle site for more details.

The module coordinator does not provide detailed supervisory guidance. However, concerns about supervision should be reported to the module coordinator.

4.2.2 The supervisor

Supervisors will:

• Beopen about their availability (including time away from the University and vacations) so that a schedule of meetings can be drawn up;
• Advisethe student on the suitability of the research question and methodology;
• Provideadequate time for providing advice on structure and content of the dissertation;
• Readthrough a final draft and provide timely feedback;
• Respondto questions from the student regarding the complexity of the dissertation task;
• Guide the student in focusing their effort to effectively facilitate the final dissertation meets the Universitys requirements for good scholarship;
• Ensure the student and the University are aware of any ethical, legal or political problems associated with the work and any necessary approvals required;
• Ensurethe authorization the Ethics Approval Form, following agreement of ethical issues and before the data collection occurs; and in the case of a confidential dissertation agree this with both the student and the dissertation module coordinator;
• Should meetings need to be cancelled at short notice, to do so by email and rearrange as soon as is practicable.

4.2.3 The student

The student will:

• Ensure that an appropriate amount of time and effort is applied to the dissertation;
• Be available to meet during the work period and engage with the supervisor to establish a mutually acceptable and appropriately timed series of supervisory meetings;
• Be receptive to advice from the supervisor;
• Properly acknowledge all material and ideas created by others;
• Meet all University regulations relating to the work;
• Communicate any problems likely to affect the quality or timeliness of the work to the supervisor when such problems arise;
• Initiate and arrange meetings with the supervisor;
• Provide work on dates agreed with the supervisor so that the supervisor has time to thoroughly read the draft;
• Ensure that informed consent is gained from participants in the research and obtain all organisational approvals needed prior to data collection;
• Ensure that the Ethics Approval Form has been discussed and agreed with the supervisor anda peer reviewer prior to any data collection; and if the dissertation is considered to include confidential information that it has been agreed with the

supervisor and the dissertation unit coordinator that the dissertation be confidential.

• Should meetings need to be cancelled at short notice, to do so by email and rearrange as soon as is practicable.

Make contact with your supervisor. It is not your supervisors job to chase you, if you do not contact them they are not required to contact you.

We would suggest that at the first meeting you discuss the supervision process to establish how to work together. You should check on the supervisors vacation time and time away from the University, so you know when they are out of touch. You must plan your work around this. Remember supervisors are only required to read your work ONCE . Make sure you give them a good draft so that you can use this opportunity well.

If you experience problems with supervision it is important you raise any concerns as soon as you experience them. You should contact the module coordinator, raising an issue does not affect your mark.

4.3 The dissertation process

4.3.1 Making and maintaining contact

It is vital that YOU make and maintain contact with your supervisor once she/he has been allocated to supervise your dissertation. Most students have fairly broad ideas about their chosen topic and the initial discussions with your supervisor will help you focus your ideas into a "manageable dissertation".

Think of your supervisor as a sports coach and yourself as the contestant. You are to compete in the sports event, while your coach will do her/his best to guide you towards success. If you do not turn up on time, do not undertake sufficient preparation or start with a hangover then you are unlikely to succeed. If, however, you plan, prepare and give your best, you will have a good chance of collecting a medal for your achievement. Please keep a record of your communication with your supervisor.

4.3.2 Initial work

At this stage you are likely to receive advice on the general approach to undertaking your research, suitable research methods and possible sources of information you have not yet explored yourself. You will also be asked to provide your supervisor with a structure and an approximate timeframe for your research work. The purpose of your initial meetings with your supervisor is to "get you onto the right track" and to give you some clear objectives. Remember that you are only permitted to start collecting

your data after your research design and ethical approach have been approved by your supervisor and a peer reviewer.

4.3.3 Student responsibilities

It is your responsibility to write the actual dissertation and to conduct the necessary research . Your supervisors role is essentially supportive and strictly advisory. Once you have started on the dissertation, your supervisor is there to offer further advice and constructive criticism of your work in progress. You can also turn to your supervisor for help with suggestions should your research run into problems. Do not leave your work until the last minute as evidence strongly indicates is one of the most common reasons for achieving a poor mark or, failing the dissertation.

It is NOT your supervisors duty to chase the progress of your research and remember it is an unreasonable expectation of your supervisor to give large amounts of extra supervision at the end of the process.

Should you have difficulties in establishing or maintaining contact with your supervisor, please get in touch with the module coordinator, ideally providing evidence you have attempted to reach your supervisor. Before doing so, please be aware supervisors have many other responsibilities and practically may not always be able to get back to you as fast as preferred.

Students would normally be expected to schedule 5 one-to-one meetings with their supervisors over the duration of the dissertation.

4.3.4 Reading drafts and feedback

Please note that your supervisor has only a limited amount of time available for your supervision so use it wisely and have a detailed discussion as to how this will operate in practice early on in the supervision process.

Feedback during the dissertation process is continuous and does not simply occur with the final mark and feedback sheet. During the course of your research on your dissertation and while writing up your results, your supervisor will provide you with feedback and advice. You may wish to submit a draft of certain chapters of your dissertation or the dissertation as a whole. Your supervisor will be happy to look through and comment on your draft(s), but in order to gain feedback on all chapters it is advisable not to seek multiple reviews of one specific chapter such as the literature review. Therefore, try and ensure that you provide your supervisor with a very good first draft so that they can really give you the benefit of their expertise. Supervisors will not provide feedback on draft dissertation chapters after Monday 22 nd April 2024 (the dissertation draft soft deadline). The feedback will be provided by 3 rd May if handed in by the soft deadline.

Your supervisor is also able to offer verbal feedback to the draft of your research proposal if submitted prior to the end of Friday 1 st December 2023 (the research proposal draft soft deadline). The feedback will be provided by 15th December if handed in by the soft deadline.

**Please note , an extension of the soft deadline for feedback may be granted and it is only where there are circumstances that would amount to extenuating circumstances within the University policy. Please get in touch with your supervisor and the module coordinator as soon as you are aware of an extenuating circumstance. If an extension was granted by the supervisor and the module coordinator, it may be possible to extend the soft deadline for getting feedback and the student should be looking at an ECF for the submission itself.

4.3.5 Review of scholarship

It is recommended that all students put their final drafts through Turnitin in order to ensure that your work does not fall foul of charges of plagiarism or poor scholarship. Assistance is provided by the e-team with regards to this process and it is recommended that the report produced by the Turnitin process be discussed with your supervisor (if you have concerns). Please be aware: plagiarism is a serious offence . You will need to submit an electronic copy of your work, and markers reserve the right to run these electronic copies through Turnitin to help identify plagiarism.

**According to the new Student Conduct Policy, self-plagiarism is also treated as a breach of the academic regulations. Therefore, your work must be original. Recycled or reused work from your previous courses and modules is not allowed.

4.3.6 Feedback after submission of the dissertation

In accordance with the assessment regulations of the university, the completed dissertation will be marked by two members of academic staff, one of whom will be your supervisor.

Marking criteria for the research proposal and the dissertation are shown in Appendix II, Appendix III and Appendix IV. Please also refer to the Universitys general criteria for projects and dissertations at Level 6 (see Appendix I) and the indicative descriptions of typical strengths and weaknesses of dissertations in the different classification ranges in section 5.2.4 of this handbook. Feedback on your dissertation performance will be provided after the assessment.

Please note that the dissertation mark like all other marks is indicative and not confirmed until all due assessment procedures have taken place according with the Universitys assessment rules and procedures.

5. The assessment details

5.1 Assessment one: The research proposal

• Presentation and layout Focus

The research proposal provides a detailed plan of your dissertation research. You

need to identify your topic area, explain practical and academic rationales, state your research aim and research question(s), review key literatures, and outline the intended research methodology. Please note, your chosen topic should be subject-related.

This assignment will count 30% to overall module marks and covers the following learning outcomes:

1. Select a topic for investigation that is appropriate in terms of its relationship with current developments in the respective subject area(s) and that is defined through clear research objectives or questions.
   1. Accessand critically evaluate a range of appropriate literature relevant to the
   2. Demonstrate an awareness of research ethics and safeguard the welfare of all subjects potentially affected by the research project.

Length

The research proposal word count is a maximum of 2,000 words excluding a reference list . The word count should be stated on the cover page of your submission. A falsely stated word-count is an assessment offence, which will be referred to Bal Student Assessment and Assessment Regulations Lead.

Please note that the 2,000 word limit is final and should not be exceeded. There is no 10% leeway on the 2,000 words.

Page layout

• Theresearch proposal should be word processed in 5-line spacing on quality A4 paper with Normal margins.
• The font must be easy to read i.e. Calibri, Ariel, Times New Roman, and the font size must be 12.
• Textshould be left justified and paragraphs should not be
• The header must include the student number and the footermust include a page
• Headingsand sub-headings need consistent style and

Literary Quality and Editing

In addition to the quality of content of the research proposal, students are expected to achieve a high standard of presentation. The work must be logically arranged, clearly written and be free from spelling and punctuation errors.

Responsibility for the finished research proposal rests entirely with the student and therefore every aspect (including typing) must be carefully checked and thoroughly edited. A research proposal containing spelling, punctuation and typing errors will lose marks.

5.1.2 Structure Title page

Use your main research question as your title.

The first typed page (cover page) should contain title of the research proposal, your student number, your supervisors name and word count.

Statement of originality

On the second page, there MUST be a statement of originality and it MUST be typed in the centre of the page as following and MUST be signed and dated:

If you do change your mind at any point and decide you do not want your research proposal shared, you can withdraw your consent by emailing data- protection@port.ac.uk with your name, research proposal title, and module code.

Introduction

Introduce the context and background of the research topic / issue, as well as the rationale for undertaking the proposed research. Reference to key literature should be included to strengthen the rationale for conducting the research. This will enable the reader to understand what the research will be about and why it is worth investigating.

Research aim and research question(s)

The aims of the research relate to the purpose of conducting the research and what you specifically want to achieve. The research questions should be formulated to show how you will achieve the aims of the research and what you want to find out. Within this section you will need to clearly state your research question (and closely related sub-questions, if any). Your questions should logically and clearly flow from your analysis of the topic / issue. You should make it clear how your analysis led to these questions.

Literature review

This should expand on the key literature referred to in the introduction. The review of the literature will need to go further than listing individual studies or theories. You will need to demonstrate an awareness of the current state of knowledge and an understanding of key lines of argument and debates on the topic / issue.

The literature will need to be critically analysed, synthesised and evaluated rather than just described. This means demonstrating how studies, arguments and debates are linked and how the existing body of research links to your own research area / issue.

Methodology

This section outlines how the research will be conducted. This should generally include a description and justification of: sample / participants, research methods, data collection and analysis. To justify the chosen methodology, you can refer to previous studies conducted on your chosen topic.

References

You need to ensure that all your work is referenced appropriately failure to do this will result in loss of marks. Guidelines on the APA 7th edition referencing system you are required to adopt can be found on the library website.

If you have any queries, make sure you discuss them with your supervisor.

Please note, the above outline of what is expected in each section is general and may differ from topic to topic. Please refer to the module Moodle page for more details and further discuss with your module coordinator and supervisor about it as one structure does not fit all.

5.1.3 Research proposal submission

Your research proposal must be submitted to Turnitin drop box by 23.55 GMT on Friday, 12 th January 2024 .

5.1.4 Marking criteria

The research proposal must meet the formal presentation format explained above. In particular, it must include a correctly formatted reference list. It must be submitted by the appropriate date. Meeting the formal presentation criteria is a prerequisite for achieving the pass mark and a high quality of presentation will be expected from all research proposal submitted.

Appendix II shows the assessment criteria for the research proposal, which your supervisor and others will employ in marking. It is advisable that you ensure you make it clear within your work that you are doing what are asked. Please take some time to look at the categories described in the marking criteria table below to help avoid failure. University wide generic grade criteria for level 6 is shown in Appendix I.

5.2 Assessment two: The dissertation

• Presentation and layout Focus

The dissertation must be on a business-related area and the topic should be subject-

related.

This assignment will count 70% to overall module marks and covers the following learning outcomes:

1. Selecta topic for investigation that is appropriate in terms of its relationship with current developments in the respective subject area(s) and that is defined through clear research objectives or questions.

1. Access and critically evaluate a range of appropriate literature relevant to the

• Selectappropriate research method(s) and systematically organise and interpret data obtained in the course of the research project.

1. Derive relevant conclusions and recommendations from the research findings and discuss in relation to the relevant literatures.
2. Demonstratean awareness of research ethics and safeguard the welfare of all subjects potentially affected by the research project.

Length

The dissertation word count is a maximum of 6,000 words excluding reference list, appendices, the title page, the statement of originality page, acknowledge, abstract, and list of tables, figures, charts and abbreviation. Tables are expected to be primarily for the presentation of numerical data. Appendices should not exceed 10% of the main body of text.

Please note that the 6,000 word limit is final and should not be exceeded. There is no 10% leeway on the 6,000 words.

The word count should be stated on the second page of your submission (i.e. Statement of originality page). A falsely stated word-count is an assessment offence, which will be referred to Bal Student Assessment and Assessment Regulations Lead.

Page layout

• The dissertation should be word processed in 5-line spacing on quality A4 paper with Normal margins.
• The font must be easy to read i.e. Calibri, Ariel, Times New Roman, and the font size must be 12.
• Text should be left justified and paragraphs should not be
• The header must include the student number and the footermust include a page
• Headings and sub-headings need consistent style and
• Lists of items, tabulations should be single-spaced. Space should be allowed above and below tabulations, diagrams etc. which are integrated into the text.

Literary Quality and Editing

In addition to the quality of content of the dissertation, students are expected to achieve a high standard of presentation. The work must be logically arranged, clearly written and be free from spelling and punctuation errors.

Responsibility for the finished dissertation rests entirely with the student and therefore every aspect (including typing) must be carefully checked and thoroughly edited. A dissertation containing spelling, punctuation and typing errors will lose marks.

5.2.2 Structure Title page

Title of the dissertation should clearly relate to the topic area and research approach.

The first typed page should contain the dissertation title, your student number, your supervisors name, the title of the degree for which the dissertation is submitted and the year of presentation.

If your dissertation is CONFIDENTIAL, it must be clearly indicated in CAPITALS on the front cover as well. It will be stored separately and not sent onto the library for public access.

Statement of originality

On the second page, there MUST be a statement of originality and it MUST be typed in the centre of the page as following and MUST be signed and dated:

If you do change your mind at any point and decide you do not want your dissertation shared, you can withdraw your consent by emailing data-protection@port.ac.uk with your name, dissertation title, and module code.

In exceptional circumstance, a dissertation can be classified as CONFIDENTIAL . If the second sentence cannot be made for reasons of confidentiality, prior arrangements must be made with the unit coordinator and a specific statement of confidentiality included. Any confidential dissertations will not be logged in the University Library. For dissertations to be classed as confidential it must be agreed in writing by the module coordinator.

Any confidential dissertation will still have to be marked by the dissertation supervisor and the second marker, and may be read by a third marker (in the event of disagreement on the mark between the supervisor and moderator), an external examiner, the Head of Department (in the event of suspected plagiarism or other malpractice) and the Chairman of any relevant Board of Examiners. This list is not completely inclusive since other University regulations or procedures may apply.

Acknowledgements (if any)

It is optional to have an acknowledgements section. If you do wish to acknowledge the guidance and support of supervisor, friends, family etc., please remember to keep this as brief as possible and avoid long florid tributes.

Abstract

An abstract should be included at the beginning of the dissertation. The abstract is mandatory and is a maximum of 200 words.

The abstract outlines what you have done in your dissertation. It should contain the minimum information for someone to comprehend what you did. It should briefly cover all key aspects of the dissertation including conclusions.

Table of contents

You MUST include a table of contents giving chapter and section headings and respective page numbers.

List of tables, figures, charts and abbreviations (if any)

This is optional if you have included any of the above. It is useful for the reader to have a list of abbreviation if you have more than about twenty abbreviations throughout your dissertation as it can be difficult to read without this.

Key to abbreviations (if any)

This is optional.

Preface (optional)

If a preface is used it should contain a brief statement about the ideas presented and the contribution of the dissertation to the understanding of the problems addressed in the discussion to follow. You may prefer to establish these points in the introductory chapter.

Body of text

The main body of text is divided into chapters. Details of chapters depend on what dissertation structure is chosen.

Please note, the following dissertation structures and outline of what is expected in each chapter is general and may differ from topic to topic and from the different subjects. Please refer to your module Moodle page for more details and further discuss with your module coordinator and supervisor about it as one structure does not fit all.

Dissertation structure I Primary research

Primary research normally collects primary data via interviews or surveys to answer the research questions. The dissertation using primary research will usually comprise the following five chapters:

Chapter One: Introduction

This chapter will identify the main issues addressed in the dissertation and establish the context of the study. This may take the form of a statement of a hypothesis, or of a problem, and a general discussion of the approach used in the study as well as the sequence in which these are discussed in subsequent chapters.

Research Statement: This is just a line saying what your research is going to be.

Rationale: Should cover no more than a couple of paragraphs outlining what is interesting and/or important - why the problem is worth researching.

Research Questions/Objectives: The research questions are NOT the questions you are going to ask the respondents in your research.

Chapter Two: Literature Review

Literature review should be a constructively critical analysis that develops a clear argument about what the published literature indicates is known and not known about your research question. The purpose of the review is to highlight the area of study and suggest any gaps that your research will address. It should also highlight any theoretical concepts that might be relevant to your research. This means your literature review is not just a series of book and journal article reviews do not just say I am going to use a number of texts from a subject area and then going on to describe them. Rather, you will need to access what is significant to your research and, on this basis, decide whether or not to include it. You will be able to provide a reasonably detailed, constructively critical analysis of the key literature that relates to your research question. Within this you will need to include both theoretical research and empirical research that supports and opposes your ideas.

Chapter Three: Methodology

This chapter may discuss research approaches and research methods. Please refer to the dissertation module Moodle page for more details.

Chapter Four: Results and Discussion

Clear, logical and orderly presentation of research results/findings. You are telling your story here, so take the reader through it in a careful way.

Analysis of data should link to results/findings and to objectives. Discussion should be made in the analysis to other research and literature cited in the literature review.

Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations

The conclusion should present the main contribution of the dissertation and where appropriate include subsections on limitations, opportunities for further research and recommendations.

Dissertation structure II Secondary research

Secondary research could collect secondary data via documentary review for qualitative analysis to answer the research questions. The documented secondary data includes media news, business magazines, professional bodies' reports, government regulatory documents, corporate documents, and other publicly available online non-academic sources.

Secondary research could also collect secondary data via existing database for quantitative analysis to answer the research questions.

The dissertation using secondary research will usually comprise five chapters that are the same as Dissertation structure I Primary research. Please see the above for details.

Dissertation structure III Documented literature review

Documented literature review dissertations select, analyse and synthesis academic literature to answer research questions. Focused on a current issue, the documented literature review dissertations will usually comprise the following five chapters that are different from the above-mentioned chapters:

Chapter One: Introduction

This chapter will identify the main issues addressed in the dissertation and establish the context of the study. Clear and concise research aim and objectives should be concluded in this chapter.

Research Statement: This is just a line saying what your research is going to be.

Rationale: Should cover no more than a couple of paragraphs outlining what is interesting and/or important - why the problem is worth researching.

Research Questions/Objectives: The research questions you are going to answer based on your documented literature review.

Chapter Two: Methodology

Using literature review as a research methodology (Snyder, 2019). This chapter will locate, evaluate and select relevant papers. Criteria for selection of papers will be justified.

Chapter Three: Analysis and Discussion

Academic paper analysis and synthesis. This chapter may use content analysis or thematic analysis to provide a clear procedure of analysis and identify answers to research questions.

Chapter Four: Implications for practice

This chapter will suggest how the findings of the documented literature review will be used in practice.

Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations

The conclusion should present the main contribution of the dissertation and where appropriate include subsections on limitations, opportunities for further research and recommendations.

Notes

You may wish to refer the reader to brief explanatory notes in order to avoid breaking the continuity of the main text. These should be numbered consecutively and grouped at the end of each chapter. The indicative number should be an Arabic numeral, either enclosed in brackets or raised half a space.

References

You need to ensure that all your work is referenced appropriately failure to do this will result in loss of marks. Guidelines on the APA 7th edition referencing system you are required to adopt can be found on the library website.

If you have any queries, make sure you discuss them with your supervisor.

Appendices

These may include tables, schedules, supporting documents or explanatory notes which have been referred to in the text but which, if included there, would break the continuity of the argument. All appendices should have a title and the source should also be given if appropriate. Titles of appendices should be the same as those used in the text. It is also important when preparing the dissertation to make sure that material is not included in the text, which should be placed in an appendix and vice versa.

5.2.3 Dissertation submission

Your dissertation must be submitted to Turnitin drop box by 23.55 GMT on Friday, 10 th May 2024 (unless the dissertation has been agreed to be confidential). If your dissertation is marked confidential you need to submit a copy of the work on a CD Rom or equivalent to the Student Administration Centre . A copy of your dissertation will be retained by the University and may be placed in the library as a soft copy unless you have marked it as Confidential.

You are not required to submit your raw data, but you must retain it until the Board of Examiners confirms your marks in case the University asks to see your raw data.

BEFORE uploading the final dissertation to Turnitin, please make sure you have had draft submission to Turnitin Checkpoint on Moodle to test the similarity of your draft.

5.2.4 Marking criteria

The final year dissertation provides you with a unique opportunity to demonstrate the subject knowledge, skills and analytical abilities you have acquired and developed during the course of your studies for your degree. By choosing to work on a particular aspect or problem in a subject field of your choice (Marketing, Human Resource Management, Strategy etc.), you learn how to select the appropriate research methodology, how to find and analyse relevant data, how to review critically your own findings in the light of the current academic debate on your chosen topic, in short: everything required for constructive problem-solving in the professional or academic context of your future career. The emphasis is on original and independent research work and critical analysis; and this problem-solving ability demonstrated in a final year dissertation is highly valued by future employers.

Appendix III and appendix IV show the assessment criteria for the dissertation, which your supervisor and others will employ in marking the dissertation. University wide generic grade criteria for level 6 is shown in Appendix I. Please note, the assessment criteria for different dissertation structures are different.

Layout and submission

The dissertation must meet the formal presentation format explained above. In particular, it must include a correctly formatted reference list. It must be submitted by the appropriate date.

Meeting the formal presentation criteria is a prerequisite for achieving the pass mark and a high quality of presentation will be expected from all dissertations submitted.

Illustrative classifications: Typical strengths and weaknesses of dissertations achieving a mark of:

Below 40% = Fail : A dissertation which is inadequate in most or all of the following: structure, content, analysis, presentation. No clear rationale as to why the dissertation focus has been chosen with research questions being too wide or impracticable. Poorly structured literature review with few or no theoretical concepts discussed and little relevance of the literature to the research. A confused methodology with no clear linkages to the proposed research, or little explanation of the methods chosen. The findings are unclear and do not relate to the objectives of the study. Little consideration is given to the analysis with data being presented in unadulterated form.

40%-49% = 3rd : A dissertation which is barely adequate in content, structure, analysis and argument but demonstrating enough work and thought to avoid failure. Typically for the shortcomings of 3rd class dissertations are inconclusive structure, failure to include relevant literature in the literature review, major research methodology

problems and inadequacy of data generation and analysis as well as conclusions and recommendations which are not logically derived from the dissertations analysis proper. Referencing might be weak and research questions might not link logically to the main body of the dissertation. There might also be an over-reliance on a single literature source or type.

50%-59% = 2.2 : A solid piece of work displaying a thorough understanding of the topic chosen but with some noticeable shortfalls in content, structure, analysis or argument. Typically for such shortcomings are: insufficient clarity of research objectives, failures to link the literature review with the research questions or to carry the literature discussion throughout the dissertation, or problems with methodology such as suitability of the methods chosen, a lack of discussion or critique as to the methods used, or the quality of data collection. Finally, there might be problems with the data analysis or conclusions and recommendations that are not adequately derived from the main part of the dissertation.

60-69% = 2.1 : A clear, well-structured and well-argued dissertation based on thoughtful and independent work and which covers the chosen topic in a thorough, competent manner. Research questions are answered well, and where appropriate, relevant recommendations are provided. There is an awareness of the limitations of the research and the research process and a link exists between the literature, the research questions and the research findings. The literature review covers a variety of sources, provides an analysis of key concepts and theories and shows the position/relevance of the dissertation research. The methodology is sound, with clear presentation of findings and analysis of results.

70% plus = 1st class : As the above, plus:

An outstandingly well-argued and intelligent piece of work which has been thoroughly researched and documented and which contains relevant, original and thought- provoking ideas, views and approaches to the subject. The research ideas are insightful, possibly new and original, and potentially offer new insights to current academic or practitioner debates.

6. Ethical considerations and ethical review

The University takes ethical research very seriously, and you need to think about and discuss with your supervisor the importance of ethical behaviour. You need to consider the importance of ethical behaviour when engaging in research and in your relationships with your research respondents and the organisation itself. This means particularly that you must design primary data collection in such a way as to avoid doing harm to yourself as a researcher, to anyone who might assist you in your research within the organisation or here at the University.

All the information and relevant forms you need with regards to ethics, including guidance on how to complete the ethical approval form, can be found on Moodle. See the dissertation Moodle site for details, including the ethical review process, templates that can be adapted to write invitation letters/emails to potential participants, participant information sheets, sheets to document respondent consent and information assisting you in filling out the ethical approval form.

You MUST complete an ethics review form and have had it approved according to Faculty procedures BEFORE collecting any data or recruiting any participants. Failure to do so means you cannot use any data thus collected in your dissertation. Failure to include an approved ethics opinion form, dated and with all necessary signatures, at the end of the dissertation submission document, will result in dissertation failure with a mark of zero .

When you have completed your ethics opinion form (see Appendix V, Word file is available on Moodle site) you should send it initially to your supervisor, together with any drafts of any documentation you plan on issuing to participants (e.g. consent forms, participant information sheets, invitation letters, questionnaires, interview schedules, focus group preambles). Your supervisor will forward your application to an independent reviewer.

Faculty policy is that a member of academic staff who is neither the supervisor nor the second marker for your dissertation will be the person responsible for granting ethical approval. Please allow sufficient time (2-3 weeks) for this process. You may be asked to make amendments before ethical approval can be granted. If you propose to amend what has been previously given a favourable ethical opinion (e.g. if an additional or different research instrument or sample group is deemed necessary or a major change to the sample size is proposed), then you will have to fill in an amendment form and the process will have to be repeated.

You must also always seek the consent of your informants/respondents and you should respect their confidentiality needs. The independent reviewer and your supervisor will need to sign off the ethical opinion form.

The signed and dated (by the student, the supervisor and the peer reviewer) Ethical Opinion Form must be submitted by Friday, 9 th February 2024 .

7. Plagiarism

Students must avoid plagiarism in all assessments. The University Regulations describe plagiarism as:

the incorporation by a student in work for assessment of material which is not their own, in the sense that all or a substantial part of the work has been copied without any adequate attempt at attribution, or has been incorporated as if it were the students own when in fact it is wholly or substantially the work of another person or persons.

Any student suspected of plagiarising will be referred to the BaL Student Assessment and Assessment Regulations Lead and an Academic Misconduct Hearing will be arranged.

You must ensure all the sources you use within your work are fully cited and that indentation or quotation marks (as appropriate) and a page number are used when quoting directly from sources. All your sources should be listed in a reference list in accordance with APA 7th edition. Students who fail to include a reference list will be penalised.

Further guidance on referencing can be found at www.library.port.ac.uk/referencing

8. Work that is not your own

As a student it is expected that you demonstrate the ability to select appropriate reading material, think, analyse, synthesise, and then produce your own work to submit for assessment. When you graduate you know that you earned your degree and that it is a reflection of your personal effort. In future, you may look back with pride on the achievement.

Sadly, some students deliberately submit work for assessment that is not their own. Working together with others to produce a piece of work that is supposed to be individual work (i.e. not group work), is NOT your own work and is plagiarism. Copying the work of others, including the work of current or past students, and incorporating it as if it is your own work, is plagiarism. Work commissions from contract tutors of paying a friend/other person to write your assessment work means that this is not your own work. Using online ghostwriters, private tutors, contract cheating, or any other third party (i.e. having any third party produce an essay or assignment and incorporating it as if it is your own work) is plagiarism.

If you have any questions about what is meant by your own work please contact your personal tutor or your course leader. BAL study support will also be happy to offer advice about what your own work means.

Do not devalue your or others qualifications by submitting work that is not your own.

9. Marks and Feedback

The Universitys Examination and Assessment Regulations detail the marking and feedback process. You can usually expect your marks to be returned to you within 20 working days of the submission deadline. If there is any delay in the processing of marks, this will be communicated to you.

Please note that all marks remain provisional until the Module Assessment Board has confirmed them.

Please ensure that you read your feedback. Feedback can highlight the strengths of your work and identify development points to help you to work out where you went wrong and how you can improve your performance in the future.

The Marking and Feedback section of the Universitys Examination and Assessment Regulations make it clear that students may not question the academic judgement of the examiners and states that any requests for a review of a mark based on such grounds alone will be dismissed. Students can only request a re-mark under the following circumstances: there has been a material and significant administrative error; or there has been a procedural irregularity in the assessment process as defined in the Examination and Assessment Regulations.

10. Late Submission of Coursework

Coursework submitted within ten working days of the submission deadline will be marked but without valid Extenuating Circumstances, the mark will be capped at 40%. Work submitted after this date will not be marked and will be recorded as a non- submission. Full details are provided in the Coursework section of the Universitys Examination and Assessment Regulations.

11. Extenuating Circumstances

The University has an Extenuating Circumstances policy which is designed to support students who have short term circumstances relating to their health and/or personal matters, which are of a sufficiently serious nature to have prevented the student from completing or submitting an assessment artefact on time. The Extenuating Circumstances policy of the University is based on the principle that if a student attempts an assessment, they are deemed well enough to have taken the assessment and cannot then submit an Extenuating Circumstances Form. To be considered for extenuating circumstances, you must complete and submit an Extenuating Circumstances Form. You are also encouraged to talk to your personal tutor so that he/she can ensure you are receiving necessary support from the University.

If the Extenuating Circumstances Officer has deemed a student has valid extenuating circumstances, the student will be able to submit their work without penalty, up to ten working days after the submission deadline. If the student is unable to submit within ten working days, they will be given a deferral.

12. Referral Work and Deferral Work

Referral and deferral work must take place within the referral/deferral period. Please do not book holidays in this period until you know that you have passed all modules.

Please note that referral/deferral work may be a different piece of work to the original assessment that was set.

Referral arrangements

Students who have failed a module at the first attempt may be eligible for a referral in that module. Referral work is agreed at the Module Assessment Board and need not be the same task or the same format as the initial assessment. Referral work is capped at 40%.

Deferral arrangements

Students are eligible for deferral work if they have valid Extenuating Circumstances. Deferral work is agreed at the Module Assessment Board and need not be the same task or the same format as the initial assessment. Deferral work is not capped and students are entitled to receive the full range of marks for their work.

Extenuating Circumstances in the refer/defer period

You may submit an Extenuating Circumstances Form to cover the refer/defer assessment period. However this may result in you being unable to progress and having to repeat the module in the following academic year. If you are in this situation you should speak to the module coordinator and/or your personal tutor.

It is your responsibility to check the student portal and make sure that you are registered for any referral or deferral assessments.

13. Important Notes

Regulations can change during the course of the year. You will be notified of any changes to the Extenuating Circumstances Regulations, the Examination & Assessment Regulations, and/or any other important changes via your university email account so you must check this regularly. However, please note that all regulations are available to view at any time.

Appendix I University wide Generic Grade Criteria for Level 6

Level 6: Grade criteria applicable for essays, reports and aspects of projects and dissertations

80% + As below plus: Outstanding work contains accurate, relevant material, demonstrates understanding of complex subject matter and is able to view it in a wider context. Shows originality and confidence in analysing and criticising assumptions, is aware of the limits of knowledge. Likely to add new insights to the topic and approaches the quality of published material. Evidence of extensive research, uses and presents references effectively. Outstanding quality in terms of organisation, structure, use and flow of language, grammar, spelling, format, presentation, diagrams, tables etc.

70-79% As below plus: Outstanding work contains accurate, relevant material, demonstrates understanding of complex subject matter and is able to view it in a wider context. Shows originality and confidence in analysing and criticising assumptions, is aware of the limits of knowledge. Evidence of extensive research, uses and presents references effectively. Excellent in terms of organisation, structure, use and flow of language, grammar, spelling, format, presentation, diagrams, tables etc.

60-69 As below plus: Very good work contains most of the information required, is accurate and relevant and demonstrates understanding of the subject matter and attempts to view it in a wider context. Shows some originality of thought with good critique and analysis assumptions, is aware of the limits of knowledge. Well-researched, good use and presentation of references. Very good in terms of organisation, structure, use and flow of language.

50-59% As below plus: Work that attempts to address the topic with some understanding and analysis, key aspects of the subject matter covered. Research extends to primary sources. Appropriately cited and presented references. Satisfactory presentation with respect to presentation, organisation, language, grammar, spelling, format, diagrams, tables etc.

40-49 % Adequate work which attempts to address the topic with limited understanding and analysis. Some research using texts, Internet and key reference sources with reference citation and presentation according to convention. An attempt to follow directions regarding organisation, structure, use and flow of language, grammar, spelling, format, diagrams, tables etc.

30-39?IL Anything which is inadequate in most or all of the following: length, content, structure, analysis, expression, argument, relevance, research and presentation. Work in this range attempts to address the question / problem but is substantially incomplete and deficient. Serious problems with a numberof aspects of language use are often found in work in this range.

0-29?IL No serious attempt to address the question or problem, and / or manifestsa serious misunderstanding of the requirements of the assignment. Acutely deficient in all aspects.

Appendix II Research Proposal Grade Criteria

	Introduction	Research aim and research questions	Literature Review	Methodology	Presentation
80%	An outstanding introduction that identifies	An outstanding explanation of	An outstanding literature review	An outstanding methodology that explains the	Outstanding quality in terms of
+	the main issues to be addressed, establishes the context of the study and	research aim and research questions.	that demonstrates extensive research and a sound critical	research philosophy and approach, and convincingly justifies the methods used.	organisation, structure, use and flow of language, grammar,
	explains the rationale.		approach to theoretical concepts		spelling, format, presentation,
			relevant to the area of research.		diagrams, tables etc.
70%	An excellent introduction that identifies	An excellent explanation of	An excellent literature review that	An excellent methodology that explains the	Excellent in terms of
-	the main issues to be addressed,	research aim and research	demonstrates extensive research	research philosophy and approach, and	organisation, structure, use and
79%	establishes the context of the study and explains the rationale.	questions.	and a sound critical approach to theoretical concepts relevant to	convincingly justifies the methods used.	flow of language, grammar, spelling, format,
			the area of research.		presentation, diagrams, tables etc.
60%	A very good introduction that identifies	A very good explanation of	A very good literature review that	A very good methodology that explains the	Very good in terms of
-	the main issues to be addressed,	research aim and research	demonstrates detailed research	research philosophy and approach, and	organisation, structure, use and
69%	establishes the context of the study and explains the rationale.	questions.	and a critical approach to theoretical concepts relevant to	accurately justifies the methods used.	flow of language.
			the area of research.
50%	A satisfactory introduction that identifies	A satisfactory explanation of	A satisfactory literature review that	A satisfactory methodology that explains some	Satisfactory presentation with
-	the main issues to be addressed,	research aim and research	demonstrates some areas of	aspects of the research philosophy and	respect to presentation,
59%	establishes the context of the study and explains the rationale.	questions.	detailed research and discusses theoretical concepts relevant to the	approach, and discusses the methods used.	organisation, language, grammar, spelling, format, diagrams, tables
			area of research.		etc.
40%	An adequate introduction that identifies	An adequate explanation of	An adequate literature review that	An adequate methodology that attempts to	An attempt to follow directions
-	the main issues to be addressed,	research aim and research	attempts to research the subject	explain some aspects of the research philosophy	regarding organisation, structure,
49%	establishes the context of the study and explains the rationale.	questions.	area and shows a limited understanding of relevant	and approach, and shows a limited understanding of the methods used.	use and flow of language, grammar, spelling, format, diagrams, tables
			theoretical concepts.		etc.
30%	Some attempt to identify issues to be	Some attempt to explain	Some attempt to research the	Some attempt to explain basic aspects of the	Serious problems with a number of
-	addressed, but substantially incomplete	research aim and research	subject area, but substantially	research philosophy and approach, but	aspects of language use are often
39?IL	and deficient.	questions, but substantially incomplete and deficient.	incomplete and deficient.	substantially incomplete and deficient.	found in work in this range.
0%
	No serious attempt to identify relevant	No serious attempt to explain	No serious attempt to research the	No serious attempt to explain the research	Acutely deficient in all aspects.
-	issues or the context of the study.	research aim and research	subject area or theoretical	philosophy and approach, or the methods used.
29%		questions.	concepts.
FAIL

Appendix III Dissertation Grade Criteria Primary Research and Secondary Research

Appendix IV Dissertation Grade Criteria Documented Literature Review

Appendix V Ethical Opinion Form

2023/24 Ethics form for all taught programmes except MRes

Section 1

Preliminary ethics checklist : You should discuss this form with your supervisor at your first supervision session. Does your project/dissertation/thesis require an ethics review? If you answer YES to any of questions 4-7, you will need to complete the full Research Ethics Application that follows this section.
BASIC DETAILS
Student name
Student number
Email address
Supervisor name and email
Dissertation/project title (this may be a draft at this stage)
BALTAUGHT/ ethics reference number This will be given to you by your supervisor
CHECKLIST QUESTIONS
Q1a. What is the aim of your research? Provide a short summary of your project Q1b What are the objectives of your project? These do not have to be SMART at this stage but an overview of the goals youd like to achieve
Q2. Have you read the Research Ethics Guidance on the module Moodle site for this unit? If you havent please do so now. You will find further information on BaL Faculty Ethics Moodle page	Yes ?	No ?

https://moodle.port.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1012 2
Q3. What data sources do you intend to use in your project? Please describe the sources of information for your project, e.g. academic articles, surveys, archival research. If you already know that you will use specific resources, please note these here.
Q4. Will your research involve collecting information or objects (directly /indirectly related to) from living human participants? This refers to information that you collect yourself directly from participants, such as through interviews, surveys, experiments, observations etc. This also includes artefacts such as diaries or similar objects that can be traced to a living human being.	Yes ?	No ?
Q5. Do you intend to collect personal or confidential data about living individuals? This refers to information which would enable someone, directly or indirectly, to identify a person, and which would be covered by General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Personal information includes not only things like name and address, but also race, ethnic origin, religious beliefs, criminal offences, or anything else specific to the individual. Technically, GDPR only applies to living individuals; however, consideration should also be given to sensitivities around information related to the recently deceased.	Yes ?	No ?
Q6. Do you intend to collect data that entails a security risk? All primary data collection (information you collect yourself) involving the following fall within this category: field research; material produced by or likely to be useful to a person or organisation engaged in committing or preparing an act of terrorism; prosecutable criminal activity.	Yes ?	No ?
Q7. Does the research entail any conflict of interest? Do you stand to gain financially or	Yes	No

professionally from the research? For example, are you collecting data for an employer?	?	?
NEXT STEPS
If you have answered No to questions 4 to 7, you do not need to take further action. **Your supervisor will give you BAL TAUGHT/ ethics reference number to insert here and you can continue with your project. However, you must submit this section of the form with your dissertation otherwise it will be deemed to be a fail. Supervisor signature Date
FOR SUPERVISORS USE ONLY. ** Supervisor to enter details of research onto Faculty spreadsheet on Google Drive (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1j4-uxvgNZO7Y8OsHb5v8ECrAFcQMPkQZoj8a- XcRvIc/edit#gid=0), using next available reference number, and enter the number in the space below.
If you have answered Yes to any of questions 4 to 7, you will need to complete Section 2 the full Research Ethics Application Form below before you can start your research.

Section 2

Ethical opinion form for Faculty of Business and Law (BAL) taught undergraduate and postgraduate students (except MRes)

Instructions to student

The questions on this form should be completed by the student on relevant taught dissertation

/ project modules collecting primary data. If you need support with completing the form please refer to the Guidance Notes in the Taught student section of the BaL Faculty Ethics Moodle site https://moodle.port.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=10122

1. If you are collecting primary data that would enable someone, directly or indirectly, to identify a person you will need to complete this form with any supporting documentationyou intend to issue to Next you should pass all documents to your supervisor. If your supervisor is satisfied that your application is capable of review, he / she will send it to an appointed independent reviewer to decide whether ethical approval can be supported.

2. Thereviewer and your supervisor are responsible for approving the ethical dimension of your project, although you may be asked to amend your documentation to the satisfaction of the reviewer before a favourable ethical opinion can be granted. This may take several rounds and so do not leave this form to the last minute.

No data collection or recruitment of potential participants must be undertaken before a final version of this form has been approved. A final signed and dated version of this form MUST be electronically attached/embedded with the dissertation/project for submission. The form MUST be signed and dated by 1) the student, 2) the supervisor and 3) the peer ethics reviewer (unless the University has specifically previously agreed that the supervisor alone can sign off).

If the dissertation is submitted without a fully completed, signed and dated ethics form, containing a BALTAUGHT/ ethics reference number, it will be deemed to be a fail. Second attempt assessment may be permitted by the Board of Examiners.

TITLE OF YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT

Ethics questions

1. What are the objectives of the dissertation / research project?

(If you are unsure how to write objectives please ask your supervisor)

2. Does the research involve any of the following organisations?

YES / NO (please delete as applicable). If YES, please specify which one(s).

National Health Service (NHS) Ministry of Defence (MoD)

HM Prisons and Probation Service

Any other organisation with its own policy and procedures for the ethical review of research?

If YES to any of the above, you must first discuss your proposal with your supervisor, module coordinator, and/or course Leader and see Guidance Notes in the Taught student section of the BaL Faculty Ethics Moodle site https://moodle.port.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=10122

3. Do you intend to collectprimary data from human subjects or data that are identifiable with individuals? (This includes, for example, questionnaires and interviews) YES / NO (please delete as applicable).

If you do not intend to collect such primary data then please go to the Preliminary Checklist at the beginning of this form.

If you do intend to collect such primary data then please respond to ALL the questions from Q4 onwards. If you feel a question does not apply then please respond with n/a (for not applicable).

4. How will the primary data contribute to the objectives of the dissertation / research project?
5. What is/are thepopulation(s) you are researching?
6. a) How big is thesample for each of the research populations,
7. b) how was this sample arrived at? (You should refer to literature for support and cite the reference here).
8. How will respondents beidentified (eg., what criteria must they fulfil?)

8. How will respondents be recruited?(eg., a poster, a call on social media?)
9. What steps are proposed to ensure that the requirements of informed consent will be met for thosetaking part in the research? If an Information Sheet for participants is to be used, please attach it to this If not, please explain how you will be able to demonstrate that informed consent has been gained from participants.
10. How willdata be collected from each of the sample groups?
11. a) How willdata be stored (here you should elaborate on what will happen to the data you collect eg, where will you store interview transcript & recording?)
12. b) All data will be stored for a standard university data retention period of 2

Any paper-based data will be disposed of securely upon completion of the project. The data destruction, retention and reuse will full comply with the UoP guidance on retaining data (schedule 7.3.2)

If you have additional intentions for the data other than the standard policy above such as publication of a conference paper or journal article please explain here. If not, indicate with N/A.

12. . What measures will be taken to prevent unauthorised persons gaining access to the data, and especially to data that may be attributed to identifiable individuals?
13. What steps are proposed to safeguard theanonymity of the respondents?
14. Are there anyrisks (physical or other, including reputational) to respondents that may result from taking part in this research? YES / NO (please delete as applicable).

If YES, please specify and state what measures are proposed to deal with these risks.

Please consider the following:

Risks to participants : The risk is perceived as High /Medium/Low (delete as applicable)

(eg., Low Participation in the survey is not expected to cause physical, psychological or physiological harm)

Risks to researchers : The risk is perceived as High /Medium/Low (delete as applicable)

(eg., Low The research does not involve lone worker conditions and the research will be conducted via an online survey)

Reputational risks : The risk is perceived as High /Medium/Low (delete as applicable) (eg, Low no damage to UoP reputation)

Security risks: The risk is perceived as High /Medium/Low (delete as applicable). (eg, Low- All data management will comply with data protection regulations and policies with data being password protected).

15. Will anydata be obtained from a company or other organisation? YES / NO (please delete as applicable) For example, information provided by an employer or its employees.
16. What steps are proposed to ensure,
17. informed consent will be gained for any organisation in which data will be gathered?
18. How willconfidentiality be assured for the organisation?
19. Will the proposed research involve any of the following (please put

a ? next to yes or no; consult your supervisor if you are unsure):

	Potentially vulnerable groups (e.g. adults unable to consent, children)?	YES			NO
	Particularly sensitive topics?	YES			NO
	Access to respondents via gatekeepers?	YES			NO
	Use of deception?	YES			NO
	Access to confidential personal data (names, addresses, etc)?	YES			NO
	Psychological stress, anxiety, etc.?	YES			NO
	Intrusive interventions?	YES			NO

If answers to any of the above are YES, please explain below how you intend to minimise the associated risks.

18. Arethere any other ethical issues that may arise from the proposed research?

Print name	Signature		Date signed
Student
I / we grant a favourable ethical opinion and the supervisor confirms that the ethical approval details have been entered on the Universitys Google Drive register of ethically approved research and in the box below:
Supervisor
Peer reviewer (unless University has agreed that supervisor can sign off)

number

The student should ensure that the above ethics reference is included on any documentation issued to research participants (e.g. preamble to survey questionnaire, information sheet, consent form, instructions to participants about the research, etc.).

AMENDMENTS

If you need to make changes please ensure you have permission before recruiting any participants and any primary data collection. If there are major changes, fill in a new form if that will make it easier for everyone. If there are minor changes then fill in the amendments (next page) and get them signed before the primary data collection begins.

CHANGES TO ETHICS PERMISSION VERSION:

Please describe the nature of the change and impact on ethics:

	Print name	Signature	Date signed
Student
I / we grant a favourable ethical opinion:
Supervisor
Peer reviewer

(please cut and paste the next section, together with the heading at the top of this page, as many times as required)

VERSION:

Please describe the nature of the change and impact on ethics:

	Print name	Signature	Date signed
Student
I / we grant a favourable ethical opinion:
Supervisor Peer reviewer