Bournemouth University Business School [BUBS]

Masters Dissertation

Handbook

[MSc Finance, MSc International Finance and Economics, MSc Sustainable Economic

Development and Emerging Markets & MSc International Accounting and Finance]

Jan. 2024 cohort

Disclaimer

Information contained within this unit handbook is correct at the time of going to press (Draft 1 September 2022). However, some information may change, and Bournemouth University reserves the right to make changes to procedures, regulations, and processes subject to maintaining equivalent standards.

CONTENTS

PREFACEOVERVIEW OF THE DISSERTATION UNIT

SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION

• Independent Learning

1.2. Being an Effective Researcher

• Resources Available to Help You

1.4. Ethical Standards in Research

SECTION 2 - WHY ARE YOU DOING A DISSERTATION?

• Transferability of Skills
• Handling a Major Piece of Independent Work

SECTION 3 - HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO YOUR DISSERTATION?

• Taught Component
• Supervision
• Dissertation Milestones

SECTION 4 RESEARCH PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

SECTION 5 - DISSERTATION BRIEF

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

Example of Text for First Page

Dissertation Declaration

Dissertation Assessment Rubric

PREFACEOVERVIEW OF THE DISSERTATION UNIT

AIMS AND INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

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

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

Having completed this unit, the student is expected to:

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

ASSESSMENT

ASSIGNMENT	DESCRIPTION	ASSESSMENT WEIGHTING
Dissertation	Intended learning outcomes 15 are assessed by a15,000-word(max. word count) individual Dissertation (100%). This is an independent piece of research containing an introduction defining the scope and aims of the study; a comprehensive literature review in the chosen area, culminating in detailed research questions; an appropriately detailed methodology, outlining research approach, data collection and analysis methods; a data analysis appropriate to the research purpose; conclusions, and where appropriate, recommendations for action	100%

The topic of the Dissertation will be in an area associated with the students chosen pathway.

Dissertationwill be assessment based on:

• Clear identification of research questions, research aims and objectives 10%
• Identification and critical use of background literature, theory and research 20%
• Awareness of methodological issues and development of appropriate research

methodology 15%

• Focused and relevant discussion of context, systematic data collection, analysis/

interpretation 25%

• Quality and validity of conclusions, recommendations, further research where

appropriate 20%

• Clarity and quality of presentation, referencing, format 10%

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

STRUCTURE OF UNIT

ACTIVITY	TIME
Research methods workshops	Runs throughout the semester (over 5-6 weeks)
Milestone 1: Submission of proposed research title/topic and proposal Development of research proposal with support of supervisor.	On specified date below, following first research methods workshop (deadline specified in section 3.3).
Allocation of Dissertation supervisor	Within 2 weeks of proposed title/topic submission Proposal developed further following supervisor allocation.
Milestone 2:Draft of materials completed since milestone 2 (e.g., introduction/literature/methodology chapters)	Deadline specified in section 3.3
Milestone 3:Draft of materials completed since milestone 2 (e.g., draft results/discussions/conclusions etc.)	Deadline specified in section 3.3
Work with supervisor on completing the Dissertation	Runs throughout the semester (13 weeks) Ensure you apply and receive ethical approval section 1.4 Also ensure you request access to Qualtrics (if required)
Supervisory cut-off date. No further supervision beyond this date, even if an extension is granted, students work independently.	Approx. 2 weeks after milestone 3 and one month before milestone 4 (specified in section 3.3)
Milestone 4: Dissertation submission	Deadline specified in section 3.3

The first and second markers have the right to ask for an oral viva if they are suspicious of the quality and originality of the proposal submission in accordance with BU Policies and Procedures:

https://staffintranet.bournemouth.ac.uk/aboutbu/policiesprocedures/academicregulationspoliciesprocedures/. The first and second markers can also ask for your raw data (for example interview recordings and raw data downloaded from an online survey provider). Section 1.4 below provides details of consequences of noncompliance.

Additionally, students are required to complete an online Ethics checklist before collecting data on their projects.They are strongly advised to do so as soon as practicable (seek supervisors advice). The link for the online Ethics checklist is as follows:https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/research-environment/research-governance-integrity/how-apply-formal-ethics-review/.

All work should be supported by an appropriate reference list using the BU Harvard referencing style:

https://libguides.bournemouth.ac.uk/ld.php?content_id=33139758

INDICATIVE KEY LEARNING RESOURCES

Gujarati, D.N. and Porter D.C. 2009.Basic Econometrics, Fifth edition, New York: McGraw-Hill.

Hart, C., 1998.Doing a Literature Review. Sage

Brooks C (2014) Introductory Econometrics for Finance, Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.

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

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

SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION

• INDEPENDENT LEARNING

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

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

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

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

• the subject matter

and

• the process

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

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

• BEING AN EFFECTIVE RESEARCHER

This section aims to:

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

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

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

• Management Skills

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

• Managing Self

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

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

• Time Management

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

• Managing the Research

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

• Planning- analysing the context, setting objectives, and designing an appropriate course of action. (This is largely what your project proposal is designed for)
• Organising- identifying the work which needs to be done, dividing it into manageable chunks.
• Monitoring- checking that the research is still on course and making changes as necessary.

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

• Managing Relationships

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

• The Research Community

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

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

• RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO HELP YOU

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

• Examples of Completed Dissertations

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

1.3.2.Computer Packages

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

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

1.3.3.University Library

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

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

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

• ETHICAL STANDARDS IN RESEARCH

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

https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/research-environment/research-governance-integrity/how-apply-formal-ethics-review

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

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

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

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

All students MUST:

• fill out a research ethics checklist no matter what type of research they are carrying out.
• you need to attach your questionnaire (quantitative research) or your interview questions, participation information sheet and participant consent form (qualitative research).
• it must be approvedbeforeyou begin data collection and analysis; and
• a copy of the approved checklist must be included in the submitted final dissertation
• Research ethics checklists are approved by the supervisor or by an ethics review panel comprised of staff in the department. The ethics review panel considers all ethics forms where the research is considered above minimal risk, which most often for our purposes is due to projects involving vulnerable participants, sensitive topics and video or photographic materials (for a detailed discussion of above minimal risk research, please read the BU Research Ethics Code of Practice).

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

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

In addition to setting out the university policy regarding research ethics, the BU Research Blog section on ethics (https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/research-environment/research-governance-integrity/how-apply-formal-ethics-review) also includes some resources that you might find helpful, including a guide on what to expect in the ethics checklist, an overview of the approval process for research ethics, a sample participant consent form, and guidance on developing an information sheet that you can provide to your participants.

Research Misconduct / Noncompliance with Research Ethics

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

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

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

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

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

Penalties for breaches of this nature could include a mark of zero being awarded, a significant reduction of marks on the grounds of poor research design or failure to follow best practices in carrying out research, or the exclusion of data gathered unethically.

In many cases, the extent of the penalty will depend on when the breach is discovered. For example, if a member of the supervisory team learns that youve carried out research before gaining ethical approval before the submission of the dissertation, then you will likely be required to remove the data gathered before gaining appropriate approval. However, no additional penalty would be applied if you comply with that instruction.

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

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

SECTION 2 WHY ARE YOU DOING A DISSERTATION?

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

• TRANSFERABILITY OF SKILLS

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

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

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

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

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

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

2.2.HANDLING A MAJOR PIECE OF INDEPENDENT WORK

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

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

SECTION 3 - HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO YOUR DISSERTATION?

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

3.1.TAUGHT COMPONENT

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

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

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

3. 2.SUPERVISION

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

What students expect of their supervisors:

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

What supervisors expect of their Masters research students:

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

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

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

Policy of Reading Draft Work:

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

Your Dissertation Co-ordinator

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

3.3.DISSERTATION MILESTONES

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

Masters Dissertation Milestones

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

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

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

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

Milestone 1	Proposed Dissertation title/topic submission/ Research Proposal submission [Firm date, no change allowed]	29/11/24
	Target date for the allocation of supervisors	10/01/25
	Supervision Begins for 13 weeks	13/01/25
Milestone 2	Draft of materials completed since milestone 2 (e.g., introduction/literature/methodology chapters) [Recommended date unless agreed with supervisor]	21/02/25
	Request for Ethics checklist approval (All students) & Qualtrics Access request (only if required) [Recommended date unless agreed with supervisor]	28/02/25
Milestone 3	Draft of materials completed since milestone 2 (e.g., draft results/discussions/conclusions etc.) [Recommended date unless agreed with supervisor]	28/03/25
	Supervisor cut-off date*** [Firm date, no change allowed]	02/05/25
Milestone 4	Dissertation submission [Firm date unless an extension is granted. No further access to supervision]	30/05/25

***Supervision cut-off date is unchanged even if you obtain a submission extension, except in unusual circumstances determined by the Dissertation Coordinator and your Programme Leader.

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

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

Students who keep in contact with their supervisor are much more likely to produce a satisfactory project.

For ALL January starters, the 3 weeks of Spring Break are excluded from supervision. No supervisory contact is allowed during this period.

Specific information for MSc Management with Business Analytics Students:

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

SECTION 4 RESEARCH PROPOSAL GUIDANCE [Not Assessed]

Details of what you are expected to do: 1. Rationale Writing a research proposal is a crucial part of any research process. If you were going to be carrying out research for a commercial client, it is unthinkable that you would go ahead without a clear research proposal that you would submit for approval. Similarly, if you were paying someone to undertake a Dissertation for you or your organisation, you would want to see a research proposal before agreeing to let them start. Writing good research proposals is highly challenging. This is because you must think through your proposed workpriorto commencing it. Writing a good research proposal without doing a considerable amount of background work is impossible. The research proposal helps you organise your ideas and clarify precisely what you will be doing. It helps you plan your work. By thinking through what you will be doing and explaining how you will be going about it, you are helping to ensure it is achievable. All Masters research students find writing research proposals difficult. This is because you cannot write a good research proposal untilyou yourselfreally know and understandwhat you are going to do. In writing a research proposal, you are trying to give confidence to your reader that you have: a clear idea of what you intend to do; why it needs to be done; how it will be carried out; how data will be analysed; the likely contribution of the research. It will take you a significant amount of time and effort to write a good research proposal. The time and effort will be worth it as you will utilise much of it in the project itself. The proposal is invaluable in assisting and clarifying your thinking, and much of the work can be transferred into the final Dissertation. 2.Overview of the proposal The Research proposal is advised to be around 1,000 words long in total (excluding references). The content and style of research proposals will differ between individuals. Outlined in this section are the common elements that are found in the majority of research proposals. Title It is helpful to begin with, a working title/topic. These are often difficult to develop as one needs to capture the essence of the project in a few words, but they can be invaluable in focusing thoughts. One of the ways you might do this is to phrase the title/topic in the form of a question. Introduction Justification for your topic needs to be grounded in a real issue. This will involve showing the reader that there is something worthwhile in your topic choice. Overall research question setting is important at this stage. The purpose of your research needs to be expressed in a few sentences. This is difficult and will call for some clear thinking. The aims may well be revised as the work progresses, but it is important to begin with a clear aim. The aim of the research is the desired outcome. Whatever the stated aim, it needs to be supported by argument that shows its importance and value. Outline Literature Review The literature review aims to demonstrate your awareness and understanding of relevant literature on and around your chosen area. Literature refers to academic literature such as journal articles, book chapters, etc. Please remember to reference any article, book etc., in the BU Harvard style and include in your references section at the end of your Research Proposal. Your literature review at this stage is not the same as the critical literature review you will need for your final Dissertation. Instead, the literature review at this stage is designed to show that you have conducted some preliminary examination and have a sound general understanding of the issues.

When undertaking a literature review, there are several stages to the process. First, you must locate and gather the information. Secondly, you must read and understand it. Finally, you must show how you have made sense of the material in a written literature review. In your research proposal, the reader will judge how you have made sense of the material. They will not want a list of books, articles, reports etc. Nor will they want a synopsis of the content of each article or report separately. You need to develop a literature review that evaluates and synthesises the material found so far which relates to your research. In the literature, you demonstrate your critical understanding of relevant literature and should show how your proposed research fits into work already done by others. Your literature review must work towards concluding paragraphs that focus on the research questions you want to ask. These questions must flow from the literature. Proposed Methodology and Design, Data Collection and Analysis The methodology is the analysis of, and rationale for, the particular method or methods used in a given study. It consists of the ideas underlying data collection and analysis. Research design and data collection refer to how you intend to conduct the research. The research design gives an overview of the chosen research method(s) and the reasons for doing so. It includes an explanation of how you intend to carry out the research. For instance, surveys, interviews, examination of secondary data, case studies or a combination of methods. Depending on the research you are undertaking, you may need to address sampling issues and explain and justify the reason for your particular sample or sampling approach. In your research proposal, it is essential to show you have thought through how you will collect and analyse the data. For instance, if you are interviewing people, who will be interviewed? Will the interviews be taped and transcribed? If so, what will you do with the transcripts? How will you analyse them? If you are doing a case study, what will you include in your study? How will you be analysing and presenting the material? If you are using secondary source data, what variables are you measuring? How will you construct measures for each variable? Where will you source the data? At the research proposal stage, you may not have had time to prepare draft questionnaires, collect data etc. The research proposal needs a coherent link between aims and objectives, literature review, data collection and analysis. Your research proposal is somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle. Each section must fit together to help build a coherent picture. References You must give full reference details in the BU Harvard referencing style at the end of your research proposal. In addition, all authors/sources mentioned in the body of your research proposal must be cited with full bibliographic references (see Section 5.2). 3.Submitting your Research Proposal The research proposal will be submitted online through Turnitin on the date specified under the Milestones outlined in section 3.3 of the unit Handbook. No hard-copy submission is required on the research proposal. 4.There are no formal Assessment criteria for the Research Proposal Nevertheless, submitting your Research Proposal is a fundamental stage in the Dissertation process. It will guide the rest of the journey as you progress your independent research in the Dissertation unit. Your supervisor will return the proposal with feedback on areas to improve. If a fail is returned, the Research Proposal must be resubmitted. Once the dissertation proposal has been submitted and approved, you must not significantly change the focus of your dissertation without the approval of your dissertation supervisor.

Disclaimer:The information provided in this assignment brief(version number: 1)is correct at time of publication. In the unlikely event that any changes are deemed necessary, they will be communicated clearly via e-mail and/or Brightspace and a new version of this assignment brief will be circulated.

SECTION 5 DISSERTATION BRIEF

Bournemouth University Business School (BUBS) Dissertation Brief
Programme:All Postgraduate Management / Markerting Postgraduate programmes, except MSc Innovation Management & Entrepreneurship	Level:7
Unit Name: Dissertation	Unit Tutor:
Assignment Marker: Appointed supervisor.
Assignment Title: Dissertation Feedback method: electronic

Issue date:

Submission date: 12.00 noon* on the date specified in section 3.3. of the unit handbook (i.e., Milestones) *In accordance with University regulations, any coursework submitted after the due deadline will be regarded as late and awarded a mark of 0%.

Weighting of this assignment: (as % of total coursework assessment for the unit)

100%

It is your responsibility to be aware of University Regulations relating to academic offences and to avoid committing them. The BU definitions and the penalties are listed in:Academic Offences: Policy and Procedure for Taught Awards[PDF] If you are unable to submit your assignment on time due to medical or other mitigating circumstances, you must complete anExceptional circumstances form | Bournemouth UniversityPRIOR to the deadline and submit it for approval.

Details of what you are expected to do:

1. Rationale

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

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

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

2. The learning outcomes being assessed

Having completed this unit, the student is expected to:

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

3. Overview of assignment

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

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

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

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

FORMAT GUIDELINES

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

Size of Typing

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

Margins

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

Page Numbering

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

Headings

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

Order of Presentation

The first page after the title page should be an Abstract. An Abstract is a 250300-word summary of the research, how it was conducted and the findings. This is normally written after the main report is complete.

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

Paragraphs

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

AdditionalSpacing

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

ParagraphNumbering

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

Graphs, Diagrams and Tables

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

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

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

Footnotes

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

Abbreviations

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

REFERENCING

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

When writing up a piece of work, you will need to quote (cite) the bibliographical references of all documents which you have used or referred to according to the Harvard and Citing Law Referencing styles. It is essential to be consistent and accurate when citing references because someone else may want to obtain the work referred to at a later date. Therefore, the same set of rules should be followed every time you cite a reference. Copies of the guide to Harvard referencing and Citing Law References are available at the library enquiry desk and at:

https://libguides.bournemouth.ac.uk/bu-referencing-harvard-style

The pdf is available at:

https://libguides.bournemouth.ac.uk/bu-referencing-harvard-style/pdf-guide

References must be madeboth within the textandat the end of the work.

4. Submitting your Project

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

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

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

5. Assessment criteria and weightings

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

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

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

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

6. Marking

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

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

7. Word Count

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

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

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

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

You must state your word count underneath the abstract in the final submission.

BUBS Dissertation / Dissertation Handbook

Additional text for 2023 / 24 AY.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence demonstrated by a computer and includes advanced web search engine technology; strategic gaming systems; a whole variety of online personalised recommendation systems that we use on a day-to-day basis notably in enhancing our online shopping experience and most recently, tools which generate or create text and/or other content.

AI tools which generate content in one form or another are already making a significant impact across the higher education sector and the use of such AI platforms as ChatGPT, DALLE-2, CoPilot, Google Bard and Bing is being widely debated. These AI platforms can be used to help you produce content for your dissertation / project and here at BU, we want to ensure that you are guided on how to use AI appropriately, whilst also making sure you are aware of the risks of plagiarism, bias and inaccuracy in material generated through AI platforms.

You should remember that AI is artificial intelligence, and it does not have the same understanding that you have, when producing content, notably when that material is applied to real world practical situations. If you choose to use AI platforms to provide you with background information and ideas which you will then work-up for your dissertation / project, you should be aware of some of the currently recognised limitations of AI generated content, which include:

• Factual inaccuracies and unusual biases;
• Inconsistent performance across subject areas;
• Variable validity of sources used and identified within searches;
• Issues with the quality of references identified.

If you do choose to use an AI tool or platform to generate material for your dissertation / project, the source of this material if it is quoted directly, should be cited in the normal way.

If you are in any doubt about the use of AI to support the development of your work, you should first consult your dissertation / project handbook and, if you still have queries, contact the relevant unit leader who will guide you on the scale and extent to which AI could or should be used. This constitutes the authorised use of AI for your dissertation / project. Any use of AI in your dissertation / project outside these parameters is deemed to be unauthorised. You are reminded that any unauthorised use of AI in an assignment is considered an academic offence by the university and may be investigated and penalised as such.

For further guidance on these matters, please refer to:

• InformationoncitingreferencesincludingtheBUGuidetoCitationintheHarvardstyle;
• Informationonavoidingacademicoffences;
• Informationonresearchethicscan be found here:

https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/research-environment/research-governance-integrity/how-apply-formal-ethics-review

How to be transparent in acknowledging your use of AI in your dissertation / project

You must acknowledge using AI by naming the tool you used and how it was used within your List of References. You should use one of the following options:

• No content generated by AI technologies has been presented as my own work.
• I acknowledge the use of to generate materials for background research and self-study in the drafting of this assessment.
• I acknowledge the use ofto generate materials that were included within my final assessment in modified form.

You must describe how the information or material was generated (including the prompts you used), what the output was and how the output was changed by you. You should use the following format of wording, depending on the nature of use:

• The following prompts were input into :
• The output obtained was:
• The output was changed by me in the following ways:

Here is an example of how to include the use of AI within your references:OpenAI, 2022. ChatGPT: Optimizing Language Models for Dialogue [online]. Available athttps://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/. [Accessed 30 June 2023].

You also need to reference the use of AI in-text. Here is an example of how you should write this: (OpenAI, 2022).

The table below illustrates the expectations of the submissions for the key drafts for your milestones:

Sections in the research paper	Research Proposal	Draft research paper (Milestone 3)	Final paper
Title page	Yes	Yes	Yes
Summary (Abstract)	No	No	Yes
Acknowledgements (optional)	No	No	Optional
Contents pages; (List of figures; list of tables)	Yes	Yes (Including completed and unfinished chapters)	Yes
Introduction	Yes	As applicable	Yes
Literature review	outline	As applicable	Yes
Methodology	outline	As applicable	Yes
Findings and Discussions	No	As applicable	Yes
Conclusions	No	As applicable	Yes
References & Bibliography lists (in Harvard Referencing Style)	Yes (initial list)	Yes (Updated)	Yes
Appendices Data collection instrument(s) (questionnaire, interview schedule, consent form, participant information sheet etc.) Appendix 1 Ethic checklist Appendix 2 An example of a single transcribed interview/focus group if you have carried out either of these methods Appendix 3 {if applicable] Survey data results to evidence the data collection [If applicable] Examples of transcripts, analysis techniques or summaries of interviews [If applicable] Evidence of pilot (if applicable) Observation log / data preparation log / examples of transcripts (if applicable) Background company or organisation information, strategic plans, etc. [If applicable] You should not include every completed questionnaire or transcribed interview in the appendices, however. Others...	No	If applicable	Yes

Disclaimer:The information provided in this assignment brief(version number: 1)is correct at time of publication. In the unlikely event that any changes are deemed necessary, they will be communicated clearly via e-mail and/or Brightspace and a new version of this assignment brief will be circulated.

THEAACSBASSURANCE OF LEARNING(AOL)

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

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

For our postgraduate students:

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

Goal 1: Our graduates will be highly competent communicators
Goal 2: Our graduates will be capable, independent researchers
Goal 3: Our graduates will have a critical understanding of responsible business practice
Goal 4: Our graduates will have an in-depth understanding of their subject specialism in a global context

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

BU mark (at Postgraduate Level)	0-49.9%	50-69.9%	70-100%
AOL assessment rating	Does Not Yet Meet Expectations	Meets Expectations	Exceeds Expectations

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

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

If you would like to learn more about the AACSB, you can visit their website athttp://www.aacsb.edu/

Alternatively, you can contact our Accreditations Team atBUBSAccreditations@bournemouth.ac.uk

5.5.COPYRIGHT

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

5.6.CONFIDENTIALITY

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

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

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

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

5.7MSc Management with Business Analytics Community

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

1. Repository for learning resources:https://brightspace.bournemouth.ac.uk/d2l/le/lessons/58192/units/1176030
2. Data analytics with R:https://brightspace.bournemouth.ac.uk/d2l/le/lessons/58192/topics/1176033
3. Study Skills in the UK:https://brightspace.bournemouth.ac.uk/d2l/le/lessons/58192/topics/1190094

5.8.APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1:ASSESSMENT OFFENCES

Extract from Bournemouth Universitys Academic Offences Policy & Procedure for Taught Awards 6H. The full version can be found on the Student Portal using the following link:

6h-academic-offences-policy-and-procedure-for-taught-awards.pdf (bournemouth.ac.uk)

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

https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/research-environment/research-governance-integrity/how-apply-formal-ethics-review

Appendix 3:Example of Text for First Page of Dissertation & Declaration Page

Appendix 4: Dissertation Declaration

Appendix 5: Grading Rubrics

APPENDIX 3

Example of Text for First Page

BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY

Top of the page:

('The Title of your Dissertation') A dissertation submitted by (your full name) in partial completion of the award of (name of degree / your course name)

In the middle of the page:

'I hereby declare that the dissertation submitted is wholly the work of (your full name) Any other contributors or sources have either been referenced in the prescribed manner or are listed in the acknowledgements together with the nature and scope of their contribution.'

In lower half of the page:

Bournemouth University Business School (year of submission)

Under the supervision of: Your Supervisors name goes here

APPENDIX 4

Dissertation Declaration

The following declaration page should be included in your dissertation, with eitherSection A(if the dissertation contains no confidential information) or,Section Bcompleted (if the dissertation contains confidential information).

Section A

I agree that, should the University wish to retain it for reference purposes, a copy of my dissertation may be held by Bournemouth University normally for a period of three academic years. I understand that once the retention period has expired my dissertation will be destroyed. Confidentiality I confirm that this dissertation does not contain information of a commercial or confidential nature or include personal information other than that which would normally be in the public domain unless the relevant permissions have been obtained. In particular, any information which identifies a particular individuals religious or political beliefs, information relating to their health, ethnicity, criminal history or gender, has been made anonymous, unless permission has been granted for its publication from the person to whom it relates. Ethical and Health & Safety issues I confirm that the on-line ethics checklist was completed and that any ethical considerations associated with the proposed research were discussed with my supervisor and an appropriate research strategy was developed which would take them into account. I also confirm that any potential health & safety risks associated with the proposed research were discussed with my supervisor and where necessary, appropriate precautions were documented, including an appropriate risk assessment. Copyright The copyright for this dissertation remains with me. Requests for Information I agree that this dissertation may be made available as the result of a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act. Signed: Name: Date: Programme

Section B

I confirm that this dissertation contains information of a commercial or confidential nature or includes personal information other than that which would normally be in the public domain and that it must not be made available for public access. Ethical and Health & Safety issues I confirm that the on-line ethics checklist was completed and that any ethical considerations associated with the proposed research were discussed with my supervisor and an appropriate research strategy was developed which would take them into account. I also confirm that any potential health & safety risks associated with the proposed research were discussed with my supervisor and where necessary, appropriate precautions were documented, including an appropriate risk assessment. Copyright The copyright for this dissertation remains with me. Requests for Information I agree that this dissertation may be made available as the result of a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act. Signed: Name: Date: Programme:

Dissertation Assessment RubricAPPENDIX 5

PROJECT ASSESSMENT RUBRIC AND ASSESSMENT WEIGHTING
	Fail (0%-49%)	Pass (50% - 59%)	Merit (60%-69%)	Distinction (70%-100%)	%
Research Focus and Rationale	?Thearea of studyis not clear or incorrectly described;justifiedwith loose/no links to the literature. ?Aimsare not fully defined and not linked to the research rationale. ?Objectivesare too broad or narrow. ?The specificcontextis not fully discussed or integrated.	?Thearea of studyis identified andjustified;some attempt is made to relate it to existing literature. ?Aimsare clear but do not fully arise from the research rationale. ?Objectivesare adequately stated. ?Meaningful description of the specificity of thecontextgiven, but no relation to the research rationale.	?Thearea of studyis very well identified andjustified, and is well embedded in existing literature. ?Aimsare very well defined and derived from research rationale. ?Objectivesare very clearly and succinctly stated. ?Very good description of the researchcontext,clearly embedded in the literature.	?Thearea of studyis clearly identified andjustified, with a clear gap and potential for new discovery. ?Aimsare original and will greatly extend previous work in the area. ?Objectivesvery clearly exhibit mature, refined critical thinking. ?Excellent description of the researchcontext,clearly embedded in a mastery of the literature.	10%
Literature Review	?Demonstrates lack ofknowledge in subject fieldand associated literature. ?No or little evidence of understanding oftheoretical (conceptual) foundationsin subject field. ?Expression of subject knowledgeis not clear or well-articulated. ?Insufficient amount ofrelevant scholarly contributionsreferenced. ?Poor attempt atsynthesisof the presented literature for own research.	?Demonstrates some in-depthknowledge in subject fieldand associated literature. ?Some understanding oftheoretical (conceptual)foundationsin subject field is evident. ?Adequateexpression of subject knowledge. ?Adequatereferences torelevant scholarly literature. ?Satisfactorysynthesisof the presented literature for own research.	?Demonstrates very good in-depthknowledge in subject fieldand associated literature. ?A very cleartheoretical (conceptual) frameworkunderpins the study that is logically developed and justified. ?Fluent, logical and directexpression of subject knowledge. ?Comprehensive references torelevant scholarly literature. ?Very goodsynthesisof the presented literature leads logically to own research.	?Demonstrates excellent or exceptionalknowledge in subject fieldand associated literature. ?A refinedtheoretical (conceptual) frameworkunderpins the study, which is well-reasoned and well-supported using the literature. ?Masterful, mature and criticalexpression of subject knowledge. ?Excellent references toscholarly literatureat the forefront of the area. ?Excellentsynthesisof the presented literature leads logically to own research.	20%
Methodology	?Research methodsare inappropriate to research question. ?Insufficient attempts are made tojustifyandexplainthe research methods. ?Little or no clarity on data collection (and selection of participants)process. ?Thecollected datais not sufficient in terms of quality or quantity. ?Research process is not sufficiently described and justified. It is not clear how the research was done (not replicable)	?Research methodsare appropriate for research question. ?Limitedexplanationandjustificationfor the research methods is provided. ?Limited description ofdata collection (and selection of participants)is provided. ?Thecollected datais limited, but sufficient for research question. ?Research process has limited description and justification (replicable)	?Research methodsare very wellsuited to research question. ?Research methods are very wellexplainedandjustified. ?Data collection (and selection of participants)is very well described. ?Thecollected dataare very well suited to the research question. ?Research process is very well described and justified (replicable).	?Research methodsare at the forefront of research in the area. ?Research methods areexplainedexcellently, acknowledges limitations and critically considers alternatives. ?Data collection (and selection of participants)is described excellently and is embedded in the research methods. ?Thecollected datais excellently well suited to the research question and shows a high degree of sophistication. ?Research process is excellently described and justified (replicable)and shows a profound understanding of the research process.	15%

Analysis	?Overly simpleanalysiswith a lack of evidence. ?Little or no evidence ofcoherent and clearanalysis of results. ?Analysis and Discussion have insufficientconnection with research questions. ?Discussion on findings is insufficiently related to thebody of knowledgeon the topic. ?Shows insufficient awareness of the relevance ofcontext (and sample)for interpretation and discussion.	?Goodlevel ofanalysis. ?Analysis demonstrates some independentsynthesiseof findings and ideas occasionally offers new insights. ?Analysis and Discussion have somewhat limitedconnection toresearch questions. ?Discussion of the findings has some connection to thebody of knowledgeon the topic. ?Context (and sample)has some input in the interpretation and discussion of results.	?Very goodlevel of analysis. ?Analysis demonstrates a very good ability to independentlysynthesisefindings and ideas to create new insights. ?Analysis and Discussion reflects very well theresearch questions. ?Critical discussion of findings well placed in thebody of knowledgeon the topic. ?Context (and sample)are very well integrated in the interpretation and discussion of results.	?Excellentlevel of analysisthat extends previous research. ?Analysis demonstrates excellent independentsynthesisof findings and knowledge to create new insights. ?Analysis and Discussion fullyreflects theresearch questionsand demonstrates excellent evidence of discovery. ?Excellent theoretical and applied significance for thebody of knowledge. ?Context (and sample)are very well integrated in the interpretation and discussion of results.	25%
Conclusions and recommendations	?Theconclusionsdrawn from the study are not sufficiently supported by the preceding analysis, or are inconsistent with each other and the general arguments given in the study. ?Insufficient discussion ofimplications of findings for stakeholder. ?Insufficient discussion of widerimplications for society/policy-makers/business. ?Insufficient discussion ofimplications for responsible business practice and/or sustainable development(where applicable).	?Theconclusionsdrawn from the study are somewhat supported by the preceding analysis. ?Some discussion of implications of findings for stakeholder. ?Some discussion of widerimplications for society/policy-makers/business. ?Some discussion of implications for responsible business practice and/or sustainable development(where applicable).	?Theconclusionsdrawn from the study are comprehensive and very well supported by the preceding analysis. ?Very good discussion ofimplications of findings for various stakeholders. ?Very good discussion of widerimplications for society/policy-makers/business. ?Very good discussion of implications for responsible business practice and/or sustainable development(where applicable).	?Conclusionsclearly follow from results, are accurately described in detail in terms of data analysis, show methodological and conceptual rigor, and are discussed from numerous perspectives. ?Full discussion ofimplications of findings for various stakeholders. ?Full discussion of widerimplications for society/policy-makers/business. ?Full discussion ofimplications for responsible business practice and/or sustainable development(where applicable).	20%
Academic style	?Structuredoes not correspond clearly with intended audience. ?Layout of tables, graphs and diagramsis omitted, poor or misleading. ?It is difficult to follow the presentedarguments; fails to distinguish between evidence and personal opinion. ?Inadequatestandard of written English, many spelling, punctuation and/or grammatical errors; limited use of discipline-specific terminology. ?Little or no evidence of clear and consistentreferencingor incorrect use of standard convention (e.g. BU Harvard system).	?Structuresomewhat appropriate for intended audience. ?Mostly legible choice forlayout of tables, graphs and diagrams. ?It is possible to follow the presentedargumentswith some good will. ?Generally satisfactorystandard of written Englishbut with some spelling, punctuation and/or grammatical errors, some use of discipline-specific terminology. ?Most sources are referenced butreferencinginconsistently uses standard convention (e.g. BU Harvard system).	?Structurevery well suited to intended audience. ?Neat and legible choice forlayout of tables, graphs and diagrams. ?Argumentsare clear and logical, work draws on evidence. ?Very goodstandard of written English, mostly free of spelling, punctuation and/or grammatical errors; very good use of discipline-specific terminology. ?Sources are correctlyreferencedwith consistent use of standard convention (e.g. BU Harvard system).	?Structurespeaks directly to intended audience. ?Layout of tables, graphs and diagramsin line with published research in area. ?Argumentsshow mature, refined critical thinking skills. ?Standard of written Englishis at a publishable level of quality. ?Sources are correctlyreferencedwith flawless use of standard convention (e.g. BU Harvard system)	10%