L6_RES6001 LM Module Handbook

L6_RES6001 LM Module Handbook

Section C: The Dissertation Structure

Helpful guidelines on developing your Dissertation are contained within the lesson materials and a summary is provided here:

Structure and content

The Dissertation itself is made up of a number of chapters, each of which serves a specific purpose. All of the chapters are tied together by the threads of the research question and should represent a coherent and complete picture of the work undertaken.  The Overall length of the Dissertation (excluding formatting pages and appendices) must not exceed 11,000 words (10,000 word count plus 10% allowance). Let’s consider the key chapters in the following sub-sections,

Formatting

The Dissertation takes the form of a formal academic report including a title page (stating the student name and ID number, course title, Dissertation title and word count), declaration, acknowledgements, 300-word abstract with 5 key words listed, a contents page and a list of tables and figures. These set the shape for the rest of the report and do not form part of the word count. The declaration should include three signatures, where appropriate, from the student showing that it is i) their own work, ii) that the work is not confidential, iii) agreeing for Arden to store and use the work as a reference.

As you develop your work using the following as guidance, please bear in mind that each of the next five chapter headings (from Introduction to Conclusion), as noted below, are worth the same amount of marks (20%). Please see page 17 for more information on the breakdown of the marking for the Dissertation.

Introduction

As the first chapter of the Dissertation this is probably the one that you will revisit last before submitting. The purpose of the chapter is to set out and justify the study that you have undertaken in the wider social context. Crucially, the whole Dissertation document should be written in the past tense, the idea being that the write up has been undertaken after the research has been completed. The introduction chapter should lead the author from an introduction to the topic through to presentation of the objectives and structure of the Dissertation. Key terms should be introduced and defined, and justification provided from different perspectives. If the study is based upon a specific organisation or context then it will require introducing and justification will need to be provided for conducting the study. The value of the study will also need to be considered.  A typical structure for this chapter would be as follows:

The Introduction section should include the research question(s) that was/were asked in order to address the objectives. A common error is not giving the Introduction section the time required to ensure that it is well referenced and clearly justifies the study.

Literature Review

The literature review chapter is where you will consider the work that has been undertaken previously, in areas that are relevant to the topic you are studying. You will discuss with your supervisor to identify the range of topics that you should cover.

There is a range of material that can be used in the literature review.  For example, books and academic journal articles are the most commonly used. When selecting information sources, it is important to consider the relative value of the source. Peer reviewed sources such as books and journals are much more valuable than organisational websites, for example. In some cases, news articles may be an important source of information. The most valuable sources of information are journal articles and wherever possible should constitute the bulk of the research sources you use. Once sufficient sources have been gathered there are considerations to be made. The relevance of the source should be considered. If it is not relevant, abandon it. If there are two sources, one of which is better, then use the better source. Once you have gathered sufficient information for a well referenced, balanced approach, you should conclude your argument. It is easy to become bogged down working on the literature review so take a tactical approach and know when to say enough is enough. A typical structure for this chapter would be as follows:

If the chapter is overly descriptive then you cannot expect to achieve more than a pass. A widely referenced literature review that critically evaluates the literature will score better marks. The literature review must be critical, identifying the relevant theoretical ideas, concepts, debates and issues in the relevant field.

Methodology and Method

The methodology chapter serves two purposes and it is important to include both in order to achieve a good mark. Methodology is the study of undertaking research to demonstrate your understanding of research at a fundamental level. It will include a review of different approaches, such as qualitative and quantitative with justification for your choice of approach in your own work. Once again, a balance between reviewing approaches and justifying those used must be struck.

The second purpose is to demonstrate, critique and justify the actual methods used. In this section, the research questions can be used to structure the critique of research methods. The methods used to answer each question should be presented, critiqued, justified and the approach to employing them, analysed. This activity is termed the operationalisation of methodology, the aim being to show the reader how to replicate the study, the issues that were encountered and why certain methods were used. A typical structure for this chapter would be as follows:

The chapter must be well referenced containing sources that go beyond the use of books. Excellent analysis and justification of the actual approaches used is crucial in achieving good marks.

Results and Discussion

This chapter is where the results of the primary or secondary investigation are presented, analysed and discussed. The chapter must go beyond simply presenting the results. The analysis of the data and research is essential. If a quantitative approach has been taken, then variables can be tested against one another to show relationships within the data set. Qualitative data can be coded and discussed by themes to characterise the trends which underpin the observed data. Essentially, the gathered results need to be compared to the findings of established literature to demonstrate either similarities or differences. Tight links to the literature is important in discussing the meaning of the results.

Presenting the findings needs to be a priority in this chapter. Selecting appropriate methods needs to be considered carefully. Graphs should only be used where they add value to the work and make a visual impact. Where graphs are included, different graph types must be used correctly for the data being presented and the information presented must be clear. A typical structure for this chapter would be as follows:

A descriptive presentation of the results will not achieve any more than a pass. Where links are made between your results and the literature, and/or variables are tested against one another, higher marks will be achieved. Appropriate statistical testing, where valid, will also improve the marks achieved. The highest marks will be attributed to Dissertations pushing the boundaries of what is published in the literature.

Conclusions

Like the introduction, this chapter is often overlooked and not given enough care. The conclusion chapter is essential in tying together the threads that have been woven throughout the work bridging the literature review with the results and discussions section. It relates directly to the beginning of the Dissertation and shows what was found in the process of addressing the objectives and answering the questions that were initially set. This chapter also provides the opportunity to reflect on process as well as look forward to where the work could be taken next, for example, to build on your study.

Crucially, the research questions that were set in the introduction and discussed again in the methodology chapter must be addressed directly here to demonstrate how they were answered and what was found. This chapter also allows the opportunity to evaluate where the Dissertation fits within the literature. The conclusions chapter is not the opportunity to introduce new things.

A strong set of conclusions that contain all of the listed elements are needed in order to achieve a good mark. Many, otherwise strong Dissertations, have fallen apart in this chapter, leading to a lower mark.

A typical structure for this chapter would be as below.

References and Appendices

A good reference list is essential in achieving a good mark. The list should only contain references that are directly cited within the text. As with all other assessments, a bibliography is not required. Ensure your referencing conforms to Arden Harvard style of referencing.

Appendices are opportunities to include supporting documentation such as a copy of a survey or interview schedule that the reader can be directed to. If appendices are used, they must be referred to in the main body of the work. Marks cannot be awarded for work contained in appendices, but these can assist in the understanding for arguments and discussions made within the Dissertation.

Presentation

There are marks available for presentation. When considering this the marker will look at the use of language, the overall structure and coherence of the document and the referencing. A consistent use of font size and spacing is essential.

References must be used in Arden Harvard style and spelling and grammatical errors should not be present in the final document. With some care these are easy marks to add to your overall score.

DISSERTATION ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Presentation: structure, language, grammar, visuals, logic and coherence and appropriate and systematic use of the appropriate referencing system will be form part of each sections assessment.

Introduction A clear statement of the purpose of the Dissertation: The objectives of the research should be clearly stated and explained where appropriate.   The rationale for the investigation is justified in terms of academic/ organisational importance	20%
Literature Review Critical review of the literature: Provide an evaluation and interpretation of relevant earlier work and where appropriate develop a conceptual framework that draws together the key literature(s) / ideas	20%
Methodology and Method State what methods were considered, what was selected and why. In doing so you should: Justify the approach adopted including decisions surrounding the collection of primary/secondary data (where appropriate) Consider the appropriateness of the approach within constraints present Detail with justification the overall sampling strategy adopted Detail how the data was analysed Address issues of validity, reliability and generalisability	20%
Results and Discussion Data presentation: Detailed and logical presentation and analysis of the data	20%
Conclusion and recommendations Analysis of findings with reference to purpose of study; issues from the literature review. Practical application (recommendations).  Recommendations should include a detailed analysis of implementation issues and costings (financial and other relevant costs), where relevant. Detailed consideration of the limitations of the study and a future research agenda including the application of alternative research designs.	20%

Section F: Recommended Reading

There is a wide range of texts on Research Methods available on the online libraries.  Please take time to explore the online library resources. A selection follows:

Texts

Beech, J., (2015). Doing Your Business Research Project. London: SAGE.

Cassell, C., Cunliffe, A.L. and Grandy, G. (eds), (2018). The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Business and Management Research Methods: Methods and Challenges. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Greetham, B., (2014). How to Write Your Undergraduate Dissertation. Palgrave Study Skills., Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Hair, J.F. Jr., (2020) Essentials of Business Research Methods. New York: Routledge.

Leedy, P., Ormrod, J., (2015). Practical research: planning and design. 11^th edition. Harlow: Pearson

Saunders, M. N. K., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., (2019). Research Methods for Business Students. 8th edition, Harlow: Pearson.

Sekeran, U. and Bougie, R., (2016). Research Methods for Business: A Skill-Building Approach. 7^th edition. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Smith, M., (2015). Research Methods in Accounting. 3rd edition, London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Walliman, N., (2018) Research Methods: The Basics. 2^nd edition. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Wilson, J., (2014). Essentials of Business Research: A Guide to Doing Your Research Project. 2^nd edition, London: SAGE.