oHas appropriate background information been provided with special terms andconcepts defined?
oAre the research objectives (research questions or hypotheses) clear, relevant,coherent and achievable?
oDo objectives etc. go beyond mere description, i.e. do they involveexplanation, comparison, criticism or evaluation?
• Literature review (25%)
o Has a comprehensive range of relevant literature been used to discuss relevant
concepts, models and theories?
o Are the sources used up to date, and of sufficient academic weight?
o Does the dissertation give evidence of a critical attitude towards source material?
o Are the key themes and issues surrounding the research questions clearly drawn from
the literature?
o Have sources been acknowledged and cited fairly and properly, in accordance with the
Harvard format? Is the references list at the end of the dissertation complete and in the
Harvard format?
• Research design and methodology (15%)
o Is there a clear rationale for the research design and methodology adopted?
o Are the research methods fully described and the advantages and disadvantages
of chosen methods discussed?
o Are any constraints or limitations identified?
o Are the relevant research instruments (e.g. blank questionnaire, interview questions
etc) included in the appendices? Are the research instruments well designed with all
questions etc. relevant to research objectives?
o Are sampling methods described in detail? I.e. who the respondents are, how many
there are and how they were selected?
o Are data analysis methods discussed?
o Is there evidence of care and accuracy in the data collection process? Are reliability
and validity issues addressed?
o Has the methodology been critically evaluated in retrospect?
• Results, analysis and evaluation of findings (30%)
o Is all data presented relevant to aims and objectives?
o Is the analysis thorough and appropriate to the data collected? E.g.:
▪
For questionnaires: Do the appendices contain a data matrix, and details of
statistical analysis undertaken? Is statistical analysis correctly performed and
interpreted?
▪
For interviews, focus groups, etc.: Do the appendices contain data collected
and analysed such as interview transcripts? Has qualitative data been
systematically analysed?
▪
For document, archive and other secondary data: Has the validity and reliability of
the sources been addressed? Has quantitative or qualitative data
been systematically analysed?
o Are the findings presented clearly and interestingly for the reader, with useful tables
and charts embedded in the text and with the appendices being used appropriately for
bulky and/or less interesting/essential data?
o Have the findings been discussed and evaluated?
o Have the findings of the primary research been compared and contrasted with findings,
theories, models and concepts derived from the literature review?
• Conclusions and recommendations (10%)
o Have the research objectives (research questions) been reviewed and addressed?
o Do the conclusions and recommendations follow on from the findings? Are they
well-grounded in the evidence and arguments presented?
o Has the relevance of the conclusions for management been discussed?
o Are the conclusions and recommendations discussed in context and are they more
widely applicable?
• Presentation, structure and writing (10%)
o Is the overall style and presentation of the dissertation in accordance with that specified
in the Assessment Brief, i.e. cover pages, title page, word count, spacing, chapter and
section headings, pagination, appropriate font, font size and font style (bold, italics,
etc.).
o Is the title concise and appropriate?
o Is the abstract a concise (no more than 300 words) summary of the main aims,
methodology, findings and conclusions?
o Are acknowledgements made as appropriate?
o Is the contents page clear, concise and logically numbered? Are appendices, tables
and figures numbered and listed in the contents page?
o Are all appendices referred to in the text?
o Is the writing clear and in an appropriate academic style?
o Is the standard of written English acceptable? Has the dissertation been spelling and
grammar checked?
Format of the dissertation
• First page: The first (cover) page of the dissertation should be set out as in the template that
you find on the Moodle site.
• Second page: The second page should contain the following statement and signed and dated:
DECLARATION FORM
The work I have submitted is my own effort. I certify that any and all the material in this
Dissertation, that is not my own work, has been identified and acknowledged. No
materials are included for which a degree has been previously conferred upon me.
Signed Date
A N Other
• Subsequent pages: The subsequent pages should include the following sections, each of
which must start on a new page:
o Abstract: This should be a summary of the content of the thesis and should not be
longer than 300 words.
o Contents page: This should be a listing of the contents of the thesis, giving page
numbers for each section and chapter, and is best presented in tabulated form.
o Acknowledgements: This is where you have the opportunity to thank the people and
organisations who have assisted in your work.
o Chapter 1: Introduction, organisational context and research objectives.
o Chapter 2: Literature review.
o Chapter 3: Research methodology (for secondary sources: account of sources,
methods of analysis, theory to be applied).
o Chapter 4: Findings, analysis and evaluation.
o Chapter 5: Conclusion and, if appropriate, recommendations.
o References.
o Appendices (including ethics form and schedule of meetings with supervisor).
Font and formatting:
• A single font style and size should be used for main text throughout. The font size may be
increased (slightly) for headings. The preferred font is one of, Calibri 11 point; Arial 11 point or
Times New Roman 12 point. Line spacing should be 1.5. All pages should be numbered
consecutively.
• Each chapter must be started on a new page.
