MA-History-Dissertation-handbook-2018-19

MA HISTORY
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK, 2018–19

Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Unit Leader: Craig Horner



v10.7.18 subject to revision


i


CONTENTS
1.

INTRODUCTION

2

2.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

3

3.

CHOOSING A TOPIC & DEVELOPING A RESEARCH PLAN

4

Choosing A Topic
Originality, Contribution & Coherence
Ethical Considerations
Planning the Research
Getting Organised
4.

WRITING THE DISSERTATION

8

5.

WORKING WITH YOUR DISSERTATION SUPERVISOR

8

6.

FINDING OTHER SUPPORT

11

7.

MANAGING YOUR RESEARCH AND DEADLINES

11

Submission Dates
Extensions
Meeting Deadlines
A Difficult Decision
8.

PRESENTATION OF THE DISSERTATION

13

Paper and Text
Title Page
Abstract
Acknowledgements
Author’s Declaration
Table of Contents
List of tables/illustrations/maps
Abbreviations
Chapters
Appendices
Bibliography
Word Count
Binding
9.

SUBMISSION

16

10.

ASSESSMENT PROCESS

16

APPENDIX 1: DISSERTATION ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

18

ii


APPENDIX 2: LEVEL CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT OF MASTERS
DISSERTATIONS

20

APPENDIX 3: CRITERIA FOR MASTERS AWARDS

22

APPENDIX 4: STYLE SHEET

23

iii


1. Introduction

This document is intended as a general guide to assist students in successful
completion of their Masters Dissertation. It explains the support available to you
in pursuing your studies, overviews choosing a topic and developing a research
proposal, offers advice on managing your project, explains submission
procedures, and includes a statement of assessment processes and criteria.
The Masters Dissertation is a separate and significant unit in the MA History. It
will probably be much the greatest challenge of your MA degree course.
Accordingly, the commitment required to complete a Masters Dissertation should
not be under-estimated. You will have to sustain a single theme over many
pages, develop a clear and coherent argument, and ensure a high quality of
presentation. The dissertation will set out the results of your own original, indepth research which in the best dissertations will be of publishable quality; it will
set out conclusions that you have reached independently, with your supervisor
providing advice and support.
Most students will conduct research based on the dissertation proposal which
they submit as part of their Methods unit. This topic should be relevant to the
discipline of History, and be informed by your own interests and career
aspirations. Choosing a topic and developing a research plan is discussed further
below.
After discussing your research interests, each student will be directed towards a
Dissertation Supervisor, who will provide advice and guidance at regular intervals
throughout the research and writing process. Supervisors are allocated on the
basis of the match between their subject expertise and the chosen research
topic. Individual tutorials are held as required and appropriate, and may be
supplemented by e-mail contact. Supervisors have a major role in advising on
research questions, the existing research and practice in the area, appropriate
research strategies and methods, and the process of researching for and writing
the dissertation. During the period in which you are researching and writing the
dissertation, however, you will be largely responsible for organising your time, for
keeping yourself motivated and making sure that you produce something that
reflects your capabilities. This will not be easy, and you must ensure that you

maintain contact with your supervisor, particularly if you feel that things are not
going so well.
Overall responsibility for the organisation of the unit lies with the Unit Leader. The
Unit Leader is Dr Craig Horner (). His role includes:



1

Working with potential supervisors to help students find suitable
dissertation topics
Ensuring students and their chosen topics are matched to supervisors







Providing guidance and resources to support the dissertation activity, in
general
Defining timescales, submission deadlines etc
Approving extensions
Organising assessment, liaising with internal and external examiners, and
seeking to maintain standards

The dissertation unit leader will organise a one-to-one tutorial with you at the
start of the Spring term to check on the progress of your dissertation planning
and to match you up with a supervisor.
2. Learning outcomes

Masters Dissertations are widely recognised across many professional and
academic disciplines to develop important skills and competencies in students.
These include skills that may be useful as the first stage in a research career, but
more importantly they include many skills that can be applied in a variety of
different contexts in the workplace. Completing a dissertation is a major learning
opportunity, during which you will learn about focusing a question, collecting and
analysing data, and systemic and coherent writing.
The formal learning outcomes of the Dissertation Unit suggest that on the
successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Obtain and critically assess literature and develop a systematic understanding
of knowledge relevant to the research undertaken
2. Select and justify appropriate research methods
3. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of research methods and
strategies applicable to their own research
4. Critically evaluate the research approaches adopted by other historians, and
understand how research is used to develop knowledge in the discipline
5. Demonstrate self-direction in organising and planning research and in
overcoming problems and challenges
6. Demonstrate clarity and rigour in systematic, academic analysis
7. Evaluate critically and make relevant deductions from original analysis of
primary research material
8. Form conclusions which are relevant to the topic under investigation
9. Develop a coherent and well-structured account of the research conducted in
the form of a dissertation.

2


In terms of transferable skills, this unit will support students in their development
of:

 the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility


conceptual understanding



their learning capabilities, as a platform for continuing professional
development.

3. Choosing a topic and developing a research plan
There is a firm upper limit of 15,000 words, and most dissertations approach this
limit. This may seem rather over-whelming when you are still working out what
your topic will be, but you will probably find that this is not the case once you
have started exploring what is of interest to you. By the time you near the end,
you may well find that you the problem is fitting in everything that you want to
say. In practice, you will find the whole task much easier if you start by breaking
the dissertation into sections and thinking carefully about how you will structure
these.
The process of choosing a topic and developing a research plan starts in the
Research Methods unit, when you are required to produce a research proposal.
A dissertation needs to be an original piece of work, by tackling a gap in the
existing literature, a neglected topic, or offering a new approach to a familiar
theme.
Choosing a topic
The choice of a topic may be informed by:


Your study in other units of the Master’s programme. It is legitimate, and
sometimes sensible (after all, you already know something about this

topic) to develop a topic covered in a unit assignment into a Masters
dissertation. Be under no illusions, however, that this will make life any
easier; there is a major gulf between a unit assignment and a Masters
Dissertation.



The availability of appropriate primary sources.



Your interests and background knowledge. What topic is likely to fully
engage your interests?



Suggestions made by tutors for possible research topics.

3




Your career aspirations. Conducting research may allow you to develop a
topic which will be useful in an interview for further postgraduate training,
as in the case of teaching.



The academic and professional literature. What are the topical themes of

the day? What questions would researchers and/or practitioners be
interested in the answer to?

Part of the skill of finding a suitable dissertation topic consists of identifying a
suitable range of primary sources which will be set within a framework of
secondary literature from which questions to be asked of the secondary literature
can be drawn.
The more detailed examination of source materials you undertake, the less
ground you can cover chronologically and geographically.
Once you have chosen a topic, you need to try to convert it into a research
question, which in turn may lead to clarification of the dissertation title, research
aims, research objectives, and if appropriate, research hypotheses. A good
research question defines the scope of the project, sets boundaries, and defines
the direction of the research.
FAQ: Do I have to do the same topic for my Masters Dissertation as I did
for my Research Proposal?
No. Often, especially for part-time students, things change, and it makes
sense to change topic. However, try if at all possible to stay within the
same subject area. You will have done a lot of reading for the literature
review, and you want to capitalise on this if at all possible
FAQ : If I change my topic who should I tell?
Make sure that you discuss any change of topic with your supervisor. If
they and you agree that it is a significant change of topic, send an e-mail
to the Dissertation Unit Leader (Craig Horner) to keep him informed
Originality, contribution and coherence
The dissertation ideally makes an original contribution to historical knowledge.
This can sound very intimidating, but it need not be. The contribution required of
a Masters dissertation is modest. You need not fear that you are being asked to
come up with something totally new and original; you will need to avoid simply
recycling the work of earlier historians.

You will be expected to show that you have surveyed all the relevant primary and
secondary sources and be up to date with the recent literature in your subject.
Your dissertation must be based on primary sources. It should be well written and

4


demonstrate your familiarity with appropriate scholarly conventions. An important
characteristic of a well-written dissertation is its coherence.
Remember, all research must be grounded in earlier literature which will provide
some proposals for further research. Masters research may, for example, involve:


critical analysis of a previously under-utilised primary sources.



investigating newly emerging historiography.

The balance between primary material and critical discussion of the secondary
literature will differ between dissertations. The range, accessibility and quality of
primary sources varies between historical periods and fields of history as does
the quantity of secondary literature. A student may occasionally attempt a
historiographical study if primary sources are unobtainable or are in a language
with which s/he is unfamiliar. This type of study should only be pursued with the
full approval of your dissertation supervisor.
Ethical considerations
The University has established an Academic Ethical Framework through which
staff and students of the University give consideration to the ethical implications
associated with any academic activities with which they engage. This may not be

relevant to many History dissertations, but will certainly be if you intend to
conduct any research based on oral history testimony.
You will be briefed on ethical considerations in a session of the Research
Methods unit. If appropriate, you may need to complete the Ethics Check Form
(obtainable from your supervisor).
It is important to remember that research can be an intensely political and ethical
process. This is particularly important to bear in mind if you are intending to
collect your own oral history interviews. If you are considering a project that
involves working with individuals or groups you need to discuss the access and
ethical issues thoroughly with you supervisor at an early stage.
Planning the research
A research proposal is your best research planning document. However, don’t be
surprised if your topic initially has a rather ‘elastic’ quality as you define and redefine it. This process can best be done by writing up your ideas as you along.
Don’t expect to spend several months of research before putting your ideas down
on paper. Don’t be afraid to change your mind if an idea does not seem to be
working.

5


If you do find yourself undertaking a different project from that outlined in the
research proposal, or more modestly your topic has drifted from its original topic,
you should remind yourself of the issues that need to be considered in research
planning. The important thing is to keep in regular contact with your supervisor:
s/he will only be able to help if you have kept in touch and s/he know what you
are doing. It is your responsibility to maintain this contact. In many cases when
students perform badly on the dissertation, it is because they have not kept in
sufficient contact with their supervisor.
In order to assist with this the assessment criteria for the research proposal are
outlined in the table below.

Research planning is process which involves continuing reflection, and it is quite
likely that you will need to re-visit many of the questions in the table below to
ensure that your plan is relevant, and that things are progressing well. It is quite
possible that by the time you are writing up the conclusion you may need to revisit your research aims and objectives, and write them to reflect what you
actually did, rather than what you expected to do, maybe several months
previously.
Table 1: Research Proposal Assessment Criteria (for reference)
Aims, Objectives
Is this a clear and accurate reflection of the content of your
and Scope
research topic?
Is it an appropriate subject for an MA dissertation?
Is it at an appropriate level for an MA dissertation?
Is it feasible in scope?
Research Methods Does the proposal demonstrate an adequate understanding of
the research methods involved?
Are the methods appropriate? - in terms of answering the
research question and fulfilling the stated objectives?
Have appropriate primary source materials been identified?
Are primary sources specified in adequate depth?
Have ethical issues been addressed?
Have any additional research skills/techniques been
identified?
Literature Review
Has the student identified and consulted key texts & done a
and Bibliography
preliminary literature review?
Has the student demonstrated an adequate grounding and
understanding of the subject?
Does the review provide justification for the proposed study?

Are the bibliographic citations correct in form?
Organization
Has the dissertation been well-planned and is the structure
appropriate?
Is the timetable feasible?
Have appropriate milestones been identified?
Is the proposal clear, concise and grammatically correct?
6


Getting organised
Especially if the work for your dissertation extends over a number of months, and
you work on it in blocks of time, it is important to be organised:
 keep a realistic timetable and stick to it
 work at a steady pace
 keep records of everything, including documents you have read,
references, etc.
 decide on your dissertation structure early in the process and write up
notes into this structure as you go along; do not leave all of the writing up
until the end.
 back-up all computer files!
4. Writing the dissertation
When it comes to writing-up the dissertation, it will be a great help if you have kept
rough drafts on each piece of work. Hence, it is useful to start writing as soon as
possible. Early drafts can be revised as the work progresses. In addition, an initial
structure for the dissertation can be helpful, although this again will need revision.
In the early stages the emphasis should be on doing the research, not on writing
the dissertation – but the best way forward is to do the two in parallel.
Appendix 1 shows in some detail the characteristics of a good dissertation.
The length of a dissertation should be about 15,000 words, excluding tables and

references. It should demonstrate that you understand the background to your
research topic, explain clearly the methods used, present the results and discuss
them within an appropriate framework. Whilst at the beginning of the task the
spectre of 15,000 words may seem very daunting, later in the process you may well
find yourself needing to cut out sections of text. At all times try to avoid verbosity
and ‘padding’; it is a waste of everybody’s time!
Remember that for a dissertation, higher standards of preparation and presentation
are expected than for ordinary course work.

5. Working with your Dissertation Supervisor
First and foremost it is important to emphasise that the dissertation is selfdirected study. You are responsible for planning and managing your own
programme of work towards the successful and timely completion of your
dissertation. However, in this endeavour, your dissertation supervisor will provide
7


advice and guidance at regular intervals throughout the research and writing
process. Their approach will be to ask questions to help you to think through your
own research dilemmas. Specifically, supervisors will normally:









Provide assistance in refining the aims and scope of a research project
Offer comments on historiography: recent and other relevant secondary

literature for you to read and search
Advice about archives, and letters of introduction, if necessary
Discuss with you structure, focus, line of argument of dissertation
Encourage you to work sensibly towards deadlines
Help you find your way through any major difficulties – such as slow
progress in accessing sources
Comment on complete drafts of some sections of the dissertation
Layout and presentation of the dissertation

Students will benefit most from liaison with their supervisor in the early stages of
the project. Accordingly, the student and supervisor should endeavour to ensure
that discussion has occurred around the first three points above. If the project is
set-up correctly in the first place, the later stages should need much less support
from the supervisor.
The quickest and easiest way to fail a dissertation is not to maintain contact with
your supervisor. You are therefore advised to:







Meet your supervisor early on and discuss strategy
Be clear about the questions and issues that you want to discuss in any
meeting
Contact your supervisor regularly. Make appointments for meetings. Use
e-mail for sending drafts or for quick questions. You are entitled to about
10 hours of contact time over the supervision period, but frequency of
meetings will depend on your needs and the topic that you choose.

At the close of a meeting agree what you will try to do before the next
meeting, and, if appropriate, set the date for the next meeting (then you
can be sure to find a slot in your supervisor’s busy schedule).
Send your supervisor drafts for comment. Remember to give your
supervisor a reasonable amount of time to comment, and to tell him/her
the context and the key issues on which you want feedback. It can help
the supervisor if you sent your statement of aims and objectives with each
draft.

Just to be clear, your supervisor will NOT:



Tell you what to do: It is your project!
Sort out a research question for you!
8








Correct your spelling, punctuation and grammar (although they may mark
errors that they happen to spot)
Give you instant feedback in a meeting; they need drafts in advance of a
meeting
Facilitate access to your research respondents
Read a complete draft of your dissertation prior to submission

Force you to meet them, or otherwise chase you up. It is your
responsibility to ensure that meetings take place.

Finally, important points about supervisors and assessment. Your supervisor is
one of the examiners for your dissertation. All dissertations will also be marked
by another internal examiner and reviewed by an external examiner. When your
supervisor gives feedback on your work, they are not ‘marking’ it. They are
making a judgement on the part of your work that they are looking at, at a given
time. Also, their feedback will be dependent on context. For example, if a student
who has had little contact with a supervisor, sends a draft methodology chapter
to the supervisor for comment about two weeks before the submission deadline,
the tutor may indicate that the student has made ‘good progress’. This does not
mean that the overall dissertation is good, or even, that the chapter would be
awarded a mark of 65%. The tutor will be taking into account the looming
deadline and be concerned to re-assure and encourage the student towards
completion. In short, if you want your supervisor to understand your research
potential and help you to maximise it, you need to interact with them throughout
the research process. They will do their best to support you in achieving as good
a mark as possible.
The following is a useful website for help with grammar:
/>Even if you do not have any problems in these areas, it is always advisable to get
a friend to proofread a dissertation. It is very difficult to find all of the minor
mistakes in a long document that you have written.
FAQ: What if I think that I want to change my supervisor?
Discuss your concerns with the Dissertation Unit Leader. He will seek to
investigate the cause of your concerns. If the supervision process really is
not working satisfactorily then a new supervisor will be allocated; no
judgements will be made against either the student or the supervisor.
Students should, however, remember that there will be workload
restrictions that may affect the choice of any new supervisor.

FAQ: What if for some reason I don’t have a dissertation supervisor or
have been unable to make contact with them over an extended period of
time?
9


Make contact with the Dissertation Unit Leader, initially by e-mail, as soon
as possible. He will be able to investigate further and offer advice.
FAQ How can I make sure that I can contact my dissertation supervisor
over vacations, such as Easter and Summer?
Most supervisors will take some leave during these periods. If you are
likely to need to be in contact, and deadlines are looming, find out before
the end of term when your supervisor may be available for meetings or email contact during vacation periods.
FAQ: Life has ‘got on top of me’ and I haven’t made much progress with
my dissertation
Continue to maintain contact with your supervisor. He/she will help you
make a plan of work that will ensure you meet your deadlines.
If you have any other questions or are unhappy with any aspect of your
supervision, please see the MA Programme Leader as soon as possible.
6. Finding other support
In addition to your supervisor there are a number of other avenues of support
that may from time to time be useful:





Other staff in the Department – such staff do not have the time to take on
the role of an extra supervisor – but they may be able to spend 20 minutes
pointing you in the right direction on a specific issue.

Other students – Your fellow Dissertation students can act as a very
valuable support group. On a practical level, you can discuss your work
with them.
On an emotional level, they are travelling the same journey, so you can
help keep each other moving along, especially in the long and lonely
writing-up phase.
Colleagues, friends and family – Can offer a range of practical and
emotional support.

7. Managing your research and deadlines
Make sure that your topic is a manageable one and that your dissertation:



Says something – makes a case, draws conclusions, is coherent and
meaningful
Makes an informed and critically aware use of primary sources to prove its
point
10




Shows a clear and informed awareness of related secondary literature –
i.e. describes and critically assesses the past and current state of
historical understanding and debate, and sets itself firmly within that
debate.

Make sure that you:





Keep writing as you go, even though you probably have to re-write a
certain amount at the end
Keep thinking: what you are trying to find out, or to say? Are your ideas
changing?
Keep in touch with your supervisor

Submission dates
All students are required to submit a research proposal as part of the Historical
Skills and Research Methods unit. This proposal is marked by the proposed
supervisor and an appropriate second marker who will give you written and
verbal feedback.
Full time dissertation deadline: September 2019.
Part time: September 2020. If necessary, part-time students may submit on the
last day of the spring term following the year in which they complete the taught
element of the programme but they will need to let the Dissertation unit leader
know so that they can retain use of IT and library facilities.
Extensions
Any student who is not able to meet these deadlines has three options:
1. To indicate, in writing to the MA Programme Leader that they do not wish
to continue to progress to Masters, and wish to be awarded the
Postgraduate Diploma instead.
2. To apply for an extension, initially contact the MA Programme Leader and
your Dissertation supervisor to discuss the situation. An extension cannot
be granted b the Programme Leader; instead, the student must apply for an
extension via procedures set out on the Exceptional Factors website
( />These will usually only be granted in extreme cases, such as bereavement
or serious illness. In cases where a period of extension is refused, the

Department may award the Postgraduate Diploma.
3. Where no extension has been requested and no Dissertation submitted, the
student will be deemed to have elected to terminate their studies and the
Department will automatically award the Postgraduate Diploma.
11


Meeting deadlines
A dissertation is a significant piece of work, so planning is vital. You should have
already submitted a plan as part of your research proposal. This is a good
starting point, but you will need to re-visit the plan as things proceed and
continually re-assess how you will fit the work into the time available. In this
process, it is very important to allow for delays generated by others. Full time
students often have difficulty contacting potential respondents during July and
August. In order for a busy supervisor to fit an interview with you into their
schedule you can expect to give them at least two weeks notice. The better
organized you are, the more flexibility you will have for dealing with contingencies
outside of your control. Remember the hand-in date for the dissertation is your
deadline, not anyone else’s.
A common mistake is to assume that at the beginning of the project you have all
the time in the world. As a part-time student, you may feel that you have many
months stretching out in front of you. Some part-time students seem to think they
can complete a dissertation between May and September. Well maybe they can,
if they are not working too hard during that period, but…
When planning your time allocation you should remember that the ‘notional’ time
allocation for a Masters dissertation is 600 hours. Also a student studying fulltime has at least 3 months, five days a week, to complete a dissertation. If you
are not in a position to complete your studies in such a concentrated period you
need to think seriously about allocation of weekends, periods of leave, and other
‘time windows’.
A difficult decision

Sometimes it is better to submit a weaker (but still passable) piece of work, and
move on, rather than to seek an extension. Whilst we always encourage you to
produce your best piece of work, sometimes life is against this. It can be a
difficult decision as to whether to apply for an extension, or to submit a piece of
work which you do not feel is a true reflection of your abilities - think about this.
8. Presentation of the Dissertation
The structure of the dissertation is explained in the Assessment Criteria that
follow. This section offers more specific guidance on a few key aspects of the
presentation of the dissertation
Paper and text
The dissertation must be word processed and printed on one side of A4 white
paper. Pages should be numbered consecutively. Text should be in at least 1.5
line spacing, and in a font size of 12. Quotations and footnotes (if used) should
be single spaced and inset (footnotes are normally 10 point font size). Headings
12


should be in a font size no larger than 14. Margins at the binding left hand side
should not be less than 4 cm, and top, bottom and right-hand side margins
should not be less than 2.5 cm.
Title page
The title page must contain, in this order: the name of the Institution, Faculty, and
Department; the full title of the dissertation (full caps); the full name of the student;
and the words 'Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree of Master of Arts in History’ followed by the month and year of submission.
Some like to follow the title page with a single blank sheet.
Abstract
A brief outline (300 words maximum). This should be a factual summary of the
dissertation that briefly provides:





the aim and rationale for the research
the research methods adopted
the major findings and conclusions.

Acknowledgements
Not essential, but you may like to thanks those who have given you advice during
the research and writing process.
Author’s declaration
A signed declaration is required which states that the dissertation is the
candidate’s own work and has not previously been published or submitted in
support of any other degree or diploma. For example:
I declare that the work in this dissertation was carried out in accordance with the
Regulations of the Manchester Metropolitan University. The work is original
except where indicated by special reference in the text and no part of the
dissertation has been submitted for any other degree. The dissertation has not
been presented to any other University for examination either in the United
Kingdom or elsewhere.
Signed:

Date:

Table of contents
Chapters in sequence with brief titles; appendices, if any; bibliography, all with
respective page numbers.

13

List of tables/illustrations/maps
You may not have any. If you do have them, a separate sheet is used for each
category, listing each item in order, with page numbers. Where the total number
of items is very small, you may combine the lists on one page. All the tables,
diagrams and other illustrations should be listed in the order in which they appear
in the text, together with page numbers.
Abbreviations
It can be very convenient for the reader to have a list of abbreviations when a
large number is used in the text and notes. If you do provide such a list, it should
be on a separate sheet.
Chapters
Where the first chapter is short and of an introductory nature it may be
appropriate to entitle it ‘Introduction’, in the Table of Contents, with the title
‘Chapter One’ reserved for the first substantive chapter. Similarly, there may be a
short final chapter simply called ‘Conclusion’. On the other hand, it may be that
the argument is introduced and/or concluded in the course of larger opening or
closing chapters.
Appendices
Sometimes you may have a large body of information which does not fit easily
into either the text or notes, as in the case of large statistical tables. Always ask
yourself whether you need to provide such information in an appendix.
Bibliography
You must provide a full bibliography of all the material you have used in
preparing the dissertation, separated into primary and secondary sources.
Word count
The word count should be typed at the bottom right hand side of the contents
page.
Binding
Two copies are to be bound in soft covers (usually plastic front and colour card in

back), with a spring or spiral binding; ring binders are not acceptable. The
student’s surname and initials, 'M.A.' and the year of submission must be printed
on the front title page. Selected copies may be deposited in the University Library
after all assessment procedures have been completed.

14


FAQ : Where can I get my dissertation bound?
There are a number of possibilities. These include MMU Students Union,
or your local print shop. No one is necessarily better than any other but
you do need to check out these arrangements before the last minute.

9. Submission
Two bound copies of the dissertation must be submitted.
Copies should be submitted in person (not by post) to the Coursework Receipting
Office in the Geoffrey Manton building. They will give you a receipt; you must
keep this. The opening hours of this Office are often restricted at times when
students may seek to submit their dissertations; it is your responsibility to ensure
that your dissertation is received by the Office before the deadline passes.
ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION IS NOT ACCEPTED.
10. Assessment process
Each dissertation is assessed independently by the supervisor and a second
internal assessor. Assessment is based on the criteria listed in Appendices 1 and
2, and recorded on the standard form in Appendix 5.
The two internal assessors discuss their assessment and agree a provisional
mark. All marks are submitted to the Dissertation Unit Leader, who will resolve
any issues. On occasions, when the internal markers have significantly divergent
views of the strengths and weaknesses of a piece of work, a third internal
assessor may be asked to assess the work. The unit leader will compile a list of

marks and review the overall performance of the cohort. All dissertations will then
be sent to one of the external examiners for the programme for external
moderation to assure standards and consistency. Marks will then be considered
at the Board of Examiners, and only after that meeting will marks by released to
students.

15


Appendix 1: Dissertation Assessment Criteria
Introduction
In assessing dissertations markers will be seeking the following elements in each
section. This checklist is offered to assist you; markers will always be seeking
adequate coverage of the points listed below under the chapters, but there are
occasions in which elements may for good reason appear in another chapter.
Marks are not allocated on a chapter by chapter basis; this leaves markers scope
to reward achievement, rather than to penalise omissions. Not all dissertations
follow exactly the same structure.
In addition to checking that all elements are covered, markers will consider how
well each element is addressed as a means of allocating marks at an appropriate
level. This will be guided by the level assessment criteria in the following
appendix.
Preliminaries
The following preliminary elements either should or may (optional shown in
brackets) be included at the beginning of a dissertation:
 Declaration
 Title page
 (Dedication)
 (Acknowledgements)
 Abstract (see below)

 Contents list (including list of any appendices)
 (List of tables)
Abstract (300 word maximum)
This should be a factual summary of the dissertation that briefly provides:
 The aim and rationale for the research
 The research methods adopted
 The major findings and conclusions.
The structure of the dissertation will depend on your topic, and should be decided
in consultation with your supervisor. The following are, however, key elements:
Introduction (around 1000 words)
This chapter should help the reader understand what the research is about and
how it has been conducted. It should provide:





Any necessary background information
The rationale for the research (typically including both theoretical and
practical rationales)
The research aims, question and/or objectives, as appropriate
An overview of the chapters that follow
16


Literature Review/methods (around 4000 words)
This chapter reviews previous research, and sometimes practice, that is relevant
to your research. It should:
 be informed by a reading in a good range of relevant sources – with an
emphasis on academic sources.

 provide definitions of key concepts
 identify major issues, current debates or areas of interest to both
researchers and practitioners
 offer a clear view of how the dissertation research fits with existing
knowledge, and the modest contribution that it seeks to make
 be analytical and evaluative, comparing and structuring previous research,
and not just be a descriptive account of previous research.
 give a statement of the research strategies and research methods chosen
and why
 reference ethical issues (if appropriate)
 provide details of the selection of sample interviewees, if you have used
oral history testimony
 inform and lead into the subsequent chapters of the dissertation
Conclusions (around 2000 words)
This chapter concludes the dissertation. It should:
 offer a summary of the key issues identified which your dissertation has
identified, referring back to aims, and the sources identified in the
literature review
 evaluate the research your have conducted
 summarise its ‘contribution’ – what is known now that wasn’t known before
this research was conducted?
 identify recommendations for further research.
References
References must:
 cover all primary and secondary sources cited in the dissertation,
 list secondary sources divided into book and journal articles, in
alphabetical order of authors’ names
 adopt a consistent citation practice. This handbook offers a style guide,
but academic styles vary and you should agree a consistent style with
your supervisor.

Appendices
Appendices are optional. Typically they include examples of useful background
information or evidence. There is no merit in a thick bundle of Appendices.
17


Style, structure and presentation
 Appropriate use of academic style and language
 Coherence or arguments, both within sections, and between sections
 Spelling, punctuation and grammar
 Labelling of figures and diagrams

18


Appendix 2: Level Criteria for the Assessment of Masters Dissertations
70% and above: Distinction level
This grade is awarded for work in which all unit learning outcomes are achieved
at an excellent/outstanding level. The work shows a wide breadth of knowledge
and application, together with an ability to develop and sustain an appropriate
depth of argument across the whole of the dissertation. A thorough synthesis of
the available literature is given to set the study into context. Key themes are
identified and developed, and the research remains focused at all times, with
appropriate selection, execution, explanation and justification of methods used.
A high level of accuracy, insight and clarity of thought is demonstrated in the
analysis of the findings, leading to valid conclusions and recommendations. The
work provides some evidence of originality in its approach to theory and/or
method and/or application, and is close to professional standards for publication.
The organisation and presentation are excellent throughout, with accurate and
consistent bibliographic citations.

60-69% Merit level
This grade is awarded for work in which all unit learning outcomes have been
achieved at a good level. There will be a thorough investigation of the literature,
the themes explored will be relevant raising significant issues, but some areas
may require further discussion or analysis to really pull out the key points or
make comparisons. A dissertation at this level is well focused, shows clear
understanding of the research methods and provides an appropriate level of
evaluation and critical analysis of the findings. Adequate conclusions and
recommendations are reached, but the work may lack the in-depth understanding
and synthesis of work reaching Distinction level. The structure and presentation
are of a high standard, with accurate and consistent bibliographic citations.
50-59% Pass level
This grade is awarded for work in which all unit learning outcomes have been
achieved at least at threshold level. A dissertation at this level identifies key
issues and demonstrates competence in carrying out an advanced, independent
study, although one or more aspects of the work may be weak or insufficiently
developed. The literature review sets the study into context and gives adequate
coverage of key items, although some aspects might have merited deeper
investigation. There is evidence that adequate knowledge of research methods
has been acquired, although there may be some weaknesses in execution,
design or analysis. The work identifies conclusions but may not contextualize
them by referring back to the objectives or literature review, and may omit to
formulate appropriate recommendations. The structure and presentation is
sufficient to convey a clear message, but there may be grammatical or stylistic
weaknesses. The bibliographic citations may on the whole be satisfactory, but
may include some inaccuracies and inconsistencies.

19

45-49% Marginal Fail level (eligible for re-submission)
This grade is awarded for work that achieves most but not all unit learning
outcomes and those that are achieved are predominantly achieved only at a
threshold level. This might be exhibited in a number of different ways. It may be
that the literature review fails to provide a coherent rationale for the study.
Appropriate issues may not have been identified and themes may have not have
been developed adequately. The argument or approach may be unclear because
of the inclusion of irrelevant or inconsistent material. The research methods may
have been poorly understood and applied. Analysis and evaluation may be
incomplete or unsystematic, with discussion and conclusions poorly developed.
The work may be poorly expressed or presented. The standard of bibliographic
citations may fall below an acceptable level.
<45% Fail level
This grade is awarded for work that fails to demonstrate that the student has
achieved the unit learning outcomes. There may be evidence of some acquisition
of knowledge or skills in research methods, but this will have been seriously
flawed by the lack of comprehension, application or effort. Typically the
dissertation is likely to be inadequately grounded in previous work, and
demonstrate an extremely poor grasp of previous research. Research methods
and instruments demonstrate little learning, and appreciation of the nature of
research and the issues in research design. Lack of coherence, often starting
with poorly articulated research questions is likely to be in evidence. Discussion
and conclusions are typically weak and insufficiently linked to the research. The
work is likely to be meagre in extent, poorly expressed, poorly organised, or a
combination of these. There may be excessive quotation or paraphrasing of
published material to the extent it signifies a lack of comprehension. The
standard of bibliographic citations may fall significantly below an acceptable
level.

20