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BIRMINGHAM CITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

UNDERGRADUATE/ POSTGRADUATE DEGREES

COURSEWORK FRONT SHEET

MODULE TITLE: Major Project Options 1 and 2 (Dissertation)

MODULE CODE: BUS7048

LECTURER: Dr Peter Samuels

ISSUE DATE: September 2020

HAND IN DATE: Research Topic: (under MAN7057) 5pm, Friday 19th June 2020

Research Proposal: (under MAN7057) 12 Noon, Monday 31st

August 2020

Dissertation/Report (100%): 12 Noon, Monday 11th January

2021

RESIT DATE: (Dissertation/Report 100%) TBC

HAND BACK DATE: 20 working days from the date of submission. Learning outcomes and assessment criteria specific to this assignment:

Learning outcomes:

By the end of this module, students will be able to:

1. Identify, determine and justify a disciplinary-relevant project, including its aims,

scopes and objectives.

2. Self-manage research, including managing the supervisory process and reflecting

critically on the work undertaken to identify improvements in research and project

practice

3. Understand how to identify and synthesise the relevant conceptual theory and

methodological techniques from the programme pathway, using a range of sources

and data, applying them to a particular topic, case or organisation.

4. Professionally present the analysis of the data and the results of the project,

including drawing appropriate conclusions and providing recommendations and

guidance for managerial judgements and decision making in the chosen discipline or

pathway.

5. To understand the ethical request process and apply it appropriately to the research

project.

Assessment Criteria:

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Assessment criteria are specified in the assessment brief marking scheme depending on

the option chosen.

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BIRMINGHAM CITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

BUS7048

MSc Management programme

Dissertation Assessment Brief for Options 1 & 2

January 2021 submission

Module Coordinator: Dr Peter Samuels

e-mail: peter.samuels@bcu.ac.uk

Phone: 0121 331 6962

Room: C242

mailto:peter.samuels@bcu.ac.uk
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MSc Management Major Project Assessment Brief: Options 1 and 2 –

Dissertation

Contents

1. The Aim of the Dissertation .............................................................................................. 4

2. The Nature of the Dissertation Module ............................................................................. 5

3. The Choice of Dissertation Topic...................................................................................... 6

4. The Dissertation Plan ....................................................................................................... 7

5. Keeping Records .............................................................................................................. 7

6. Dissertation Structure and Format .................................................................................... 8

7. Critical Literature Review ............................................................................................... 10

8. Methodology .................................................................................................................. 11

9. Supervisor and Student Roles and Expectations ............................................................ 12

10. Ethical Issues ............................................................................................................. 14

11. Reflective account ...................................................................................................... 14

12. Turnitin and Avoiding Plagiarism ................................................................................. 15

13. Final issues................................................................................................................. 15

14. Arrangements for Resubmitting Students ................................................................... 16

References (with BCU Library links) ...................................................................................... 17

Appendix 1: Indicative Assessment Checklist and Indicative Marking Scheme ...................... 19

Appendix 2: Individual Dissertation – Record of Tutorial ........................................................ 24

Appendix 3: Research Ethics Protocol................................................................................... 25

1. The Aim of the Dissertation

The aim of the dissertation is to provide you with an opportunity to further your intellectual and

personal development in your chosen pathway by undertaking a significant practical unit of

activity, having an educational value, and at a level commensurate with the award of an MSc

degree.

The dissertation is one element of your degree where you have the freedom to select what to

study or investigate in your chosen pathway. Because of this, it can be one of the most valuable

learning experiences you could ever go through. Most students, for instance, have used the

dissertation not only to develop a detailed study of a topic that interests them, but also to learn

about themselves and to produce a dissertation which fully demonstrates their intellectual and

personal capabilities.

A subsidiary benefit of the dissertation is that it provides tangible evidence of your abilities and

can be shown to prospective employers to lend further support to your job application.

Option 1 and Option 2

The key difference between Option 1 and 2 is the justification and use of primary AND/OR

secondary data:

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Option 1 consists of a management dissertation which includes a relevant literature

review, primary data collection and analysis.

Option 2 consists of a management dissertation which includes secondary research

ONLY. There may be a separate literature review if secondary data has also been

analysed. Alternatively, the findings of the extended literature review may be presented

over several chapters as a systematic review of published literature, which replaces the

normal data analysis chapter.

Module assessment

The Module is assessed using a dissertation/report which is due for electronic upload via

Moodle on Monday 11th January 2021 at 12 Noon.

2. The Nature of the Dissertation Module

The dissertation can be defined as a scholarly inquiry into a problem or issue, involving a

systematic approach to the gathering and analysis of information/data, leading to the production

of a structured report. The following characteristics are common to most dissertations, and

indicate how dissertations differ from coursework

Choice of topic

It is usual to give you some discretion in the choice of topic for the dissertation and in the

approach to be adopted. You will need to ensure that your dissertation is related to your chosen

pathway.

Independence

Choice requires you to act with independence and initiative, making decisions and carrying out

the research work for an extended period of time, albeit, under the guidance of a dissertation

supervisor.

Unpredictability

Neither you nor the dissertation tutor knows all the relevant inputs and problems, and the

outcome is not predetermined. There is no ‘approved answer’, it is your task to produce an

answer of your own that demands approval by its marshalling of evidence and the logic of its

argument.

These three aspects – choice, independence and unpredictability can mean that dissertations

are on the one hand more rewarding, but on the other more demanding, than normal

coursework.

Integration

This is the fourth factor. Dissertations often require you to integrate a variety of knowledge and

skills when tackling a problem, and to carry through a sequence of stages. This is true even

when dissertations are very specialised in subject matter.

In general, how you set about the dissertation and what you learn in the process are as important

as the result you achieve. You can sometimes learn more about an approach when things go

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wrong than when everything goes according to plan, and provided you can point to the lessons

you have learned, you will still get good marks.

Planning your dissertation

This will entail the following:

 Selecting a topic for investigation. This was covered in the MAN7057 Research Practice

module but your topic may still require adjustment according to the feedback you have

received from your supervisor on your proposal.

 Establishing the precise focus of your study by deciding on the aims and objectives