Dissertation

The aims of the dissertation unit (worth 60 credits and forming the ‘research element’ of the Master’s programme) are:

  • to provide training in the identification, formulation and implementation of a specific research project;
  • to provide experience of working (researching) independently;
  • to test the extent to which you have achieved synthesis of your acquired skills and knowledge via a report (dissertation) of the research topic.

Objectives

  • On successful completion of the component, you will have acquired:

training to carry out a supervised research topic;

  • experience in preparing the research topic;
  • experience in producing a dissertation of up to 15,000 words based on original research and by the required submission date;
  • skills to be able to discuss and defend the research and results in an oral examination.

Ethical approval

It may be that the research you propose to undertake for your dissertation will require ethical approval from a relevant University Committee. Your supervisor will advise as to whether or not that may be the case. If your dissertation will require ethical approval, then the following University website guides you through the processes for that:

http://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/services/rbess/governance/ethics/.

Each student must undertake a research project and a review of the relevant literature, methodology and results presented in the form of a dissertation.

The Student Supervision and Dissertation Guidance document can be found on Blackboard.

This dissertation must be completed within the time span of the programme, it is essential that the project is commenced early in the programme. With this fact in mind, your Supervisor may request you to commence background reading and similar related tasks prior to the commencement of the programme.

You are encouraged to disseminate your research findings in a variety of ways, such as:

  • Presentation at research seminars
  • Presentation at national/international meetings
  • Publication in a professional journal (often non-refereed)
  • Publication in a refereed journal

It is essential that if you wish to submit an abstract for a poster or oral presentation that this is seen and approved by all of your supervisors as well as any other authors on the abstract (e.g. a statistician) before submission. This is important for two reasons:

Your supervisor will determine if there are sufficient funds to cover the cost of your attendance at the meeting and ensure that this is the most appropriate venue for your work to be presented. It is crucial that funding for travel is secured before abstracts are submitted.

It is a part of ethical research practice that all authors of materials submitted should have the opportunity to view work that is being submitted under their name. There may be political, academic or other reasons why an author may or may not want to be associated with a particular study and you should ensure that

Should you submit an abstract without following the above guidelines then you will be asked to withdraw the material immediately. If you have any questions about the etiquette surrounding authorship, abstract submission and the ownership of research – please consult with your supervisor

Regular meetings between you and your Supervisor will be arranged. These are inevitably frequent in the early stages of the project when design and preparation work demands a high intensity of work. Each meeting should be recorded with outcomes summarised and objectives set for research to be performed prior to the next visit.

Notice of Submission

Once dissertation production is well underway, and after the Final Meeting, you will need to complete a Notice of Submission at least six weeks prior to the deadline for submission. The Notice of Submission is an online form and the link for this will be sent to you by your Programme Administrator.

You should give notice once you have progressed with the writing and are confident of being on-target for meeting the submission date. Giving notice triggers the appointment of the examiners who are then expecting the dissertation to arrive on time.

Submission of Dissertation

You must complete and pass the taught element of the programme (the first 120 credits) before submission of a dissertation can be accepted.

Your Programme Administrator will advise you on the processes for submitting your dissertation online during the course of the academic year.

The deadline for submission of dissertations cannot be extended, unless approval is given in advance due to mitigating circumstances.

The dissertation must be submitted in accordance with University of Manchester prescribed guidelines, details of which may be obtained at: Guidance for the Presentation of Taught Dissertations for UG and PGT Provision

No other form of dissertation is acceptable.

Please note that dissertations will be run through the University’s plagiarism software.

Important note: Common deficiencies in dissertations include the bibliography. A meticulously systematic bibliography is required and advice on the presentation of the bibliography must be sought from Supervisors. As a guide, the dissertation should be approximately 10,000-15,000 words excluding the bibliography.

Graduate students are expected to write and submit their research dissertation during the prescribed period of their degree registration. Supervisors will exert pressure on students to ensure this important target is met.

Dissertation production always takes longer than planned, so you are advised to start early, with the first draft completed three months before the end of the prescribed programme.