MODULE OUTLINE AND INFORMATION PAPER
- INTRODUCTION
Your thesis is the single most important piece of work a student will complete at
postgraduate level and is a key determinant in achieving the standard required to obtain a
Master’s degree. The module is worth 60 CAT points, one-third of your degree, meaning that
at least 600 hours of work are expected. The School of Natural and Built Environment
expects a high-quality piece of research to meet its established standards. As part of the
MSc City Planning and Design, your thesis will be in one of the following three formats:
- Dissertation – this option consists of a piece of independent research on a chosen topic to
be presented in a written form of 15,000 words (maximum).
- Work-based Study (WBS) – this option consists of a project report prepared in response
to a project brief negotiated with a real-world client. Work length and format for the WBS is
less prescriptive but an equally high standard of work is required. This type of project can
involve an informal work placement with an organisation or it can involve regularly meeting
with a public, private or community sector mentor. All students completing this option will
have an academic 代写EVP7044 MSc City and Design supervisor who will ensure that the project relates to the learning
outcomes of the programme. They will also help to manage the project to ensure that is an
appropriate standard to meet the requirements of a postgraduate thesis whilst containing
research that is beneficial to the client.
- Independent Design Project (IDP) – this option is for students who follow the design
pathway for this programme. Students will undertake a master-plan or design study for a
significant site in an urban or rural location. This may be carried out with a professional
design practice in collaboration with supervisors in the University. Opportunities to complete
design projects for the professional and community sector clients will be available to students
who select this option.
You should view the thesis as a showcase for your interests and capabilities, and an
important contribution to your employability. It is important for developing your analytical and
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problem-solving abilities and an opportunity to illustrate your grasp of planning and/or design
issues and competence as an independent researcher.
Your thesis is essentially a self-directed piece of work where you will have the prime
responsibility of establishing your own work targets and managing yourself to complete the
work by the hand-in date of Friday 5th September 2025. For most of you this will be the
most extensive piece of work you will have undertaken and you will soon realise that it
requires special project management skills, self-discipline and initiative, although you will be
building on skills you have learnt throughout the course as well as at undergraduate level.
These are all attributes that are essentially up to you to develop, assisted by the one-to-one
supervisory support offered by the School. You are strongly advised to take advantage of this
support. In previous years, some students who have not done so have encountered severe
difficulties with completing on time to the required standard.
This document provides the module outline information stipulated by QUB, plus a more
general guide on how to complete your dissertation or WBS. A specific separate guide has
been prepared for those who wish to complete Independent Design Projects. It aims to
provide guidance on how best to approach the research, what is expected of you and what
you can and cannot expect from your supervisor. It explains what you should do during the
study period, provides an outline of the key dates you should note in programming your
research, describes how the work will be assessed and provides detailed guidance on the
expected presentation and structure of the dissertation. More specific advice about the work-
based study is provided in Appendix One.
- LEARNING OUTCOMES
The thesis module is an opportunity for students to choose an area for in-depth research on
a topic of their choice, in the case of the WBS in association with a real-world client. The
topic should fall within your postgraduate specialism in planning or urban design, in other
words: issues related to the integration of social, economic and environmental regeneration
in urban and/ or rural areas.
Learning outcomes
On the successful completion of the dissertation or work-based study, you should be able to:
? Understand the overall research process, define problems and design appropriate
research strategies;
? Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of other research;
? Understand the role of researcher and ethical issues related to research;
? Collect, evaluate, analyse and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to answer
specific research questions;
? Conduct research requiring substantial individual initiative;
? Understand the importance of time and project management and prioritisation of work
tasks;
? Competently use ICT for presenting information and searching and retrieving complex
information;
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? Communicate research findings using a high standard of written and graphic
communication;
? Self-manage a long term project and reflect on your own progress.
On the successful completion of an Independent Design Project, students will be able to:
? Negotiate and develop a project brief and programme of work;
? Conduct independent design research relating to your site and its context or area of
study;
? Understand appropriate theories of urban design and their application in practice;
? Understand the design policy and guidance context within which development will be
considered;
? Produce a coherent design solution for a significant site or design challenge;
? Produce professionally-presented and practically-useful documentation for client and
community use;
? Understand and employ a financial appraisal of development proposals;
? Produce a coherent written commentary or narrative on the design process; and
? Confront contemporary ethical issues through the design process.
- RESEARCH TIMETABLE
In order to complete the dissertation or WBS by the submission date and to a high standard,
it will be essential that you organise yourself, prioritise tasks and set and meet your own
targets. If undertaken properly, you will find this process to be extremely useful in developing
the skills of project and time management, which are essential in any planning-related
employment. In order to help you put an appropriate project management plan into place, the
key milestones have been noted below. It is recommended that you draw up a similar, but
more detailed chart to guide your study, which can be agreed with your supervisor and used
to ensure that you are on track with your studies.
Key milestones are:
? Friday 24
th
January: Title or outline of topic to be submitted to CANVAS to assist in
supervisor allocation. This does not need to be more than an outline of your research
idea. You should discuss your ideas with a member of staff beforehand.
? Late-February: Supervisors allocated by Module Coordinator. It is your responsibility to
contact the supervisor to discuss how to progress the early stages of developing your
research topic, contacting clients for Work-Based Studies and to discuss ethical approval.
? March – May: Finalise research subject, aims/ objectives and research questions. For
WBS, finalise negotiated project brief with client.
? June: Literature and policy reviews. Methodology.
? July-early August: Undertake (and complete) data collection, fieldwork and initial sorting
and analysis of research material. Start writing up, for example literature and policy
reviews, methodology.
? Early August: With guidance from your supervisor, fully analyse and interpret research
material.
? Mid August: Finalise full draft version of your dissertation or WBS and submit it to your
supervisor for comment by an agreed date. This is unlikely to be closer than two weeks
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to the hand-in date. If you submit a draft a few days from the hand-in date, your
supervisor may not have the time to read it. Some staff are away at conferences during
this period, so please ensure in advance that your supervisor will be available to read
your draft. This is your responsibility and no other staff member will take over this task if
your supervisor is absent unless this relates to a known leave of absence. If you are
having difficulties contacting your supervisor for a prolonged period over the summer, you
should contact the module coordinator.
? 5
th
September: Your dissertation / WBS / IDP is required to be handed in on this date.
Please note that a late submission will be subject the Schools standard penalty of 5% per
day up to a maximum of 5 days, after which a mark of zero will be returned.
- ROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR
You will be allocated a supervisor from the School’s academic staff. Once allocated, it will not
be possible to change supervisor. The supervisor is made available to support you, but
please consider that they will also be supervising a number of other postgraduate students,
as well as undergraduates. Because of this, the time they will have available to be assist you
will be limited and you are asked to respect that they also have a range of other duties. For
guidance it is expected that each supervisor will be able to spend no more than 12 hours
assisting you, including time to read any submitted documents.
The key functions of the supervisor are as follows:
? To guide the student in defining and specifying the precise nature of the research
problem to be investigated and discuss the potential planning and/or policy
implications of the chosen research topic;
? To help in clarifying conceptual/theoretical issues;
? To support the student in the literature review (however, the student is expected to
undertaken a full bibliographic review on their own initiative);
? To comment and respond to the student’s planned research strategy, execution of
empirical research and give guidance on sources of research material;
? To advise on any unforeseen difficulties arising during the research;
? To read and comment on an advanced draft of the dissertation or WBS.
It is recommended that you contact your supervisor at the earliest opportunity and agree with
them a timetable for your work and the best times at which you should consult them for
advice. It is entirely your responsibility to arrange these meetings by making an appointment
with the supervisor. If you want them to comment on any material, you should give the
supervisor at least three working days to read it. Please be aware that staff are sometimes
absent from the university over the summer vacation, either on leave or at conferences or on
other work-related business. This will delay your supervisor’s ability to respond to your work,
so please ensure you are aware of your supervisor’s summer timetable.
So that you are completely clear about the role of supervisor, please note the following:
The supervisor will:
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? Fulfil the duties described above;
? Offer guidance and support at the key stages outlined;
? Discuss any obstacles you may encounter during your research.
The supervisor will not:
? Be available on demand;
? Proof read draft chapters for spelling and grammar (you may seek guidance on these
issues from the Learning Development Service); if the supervisor receives a
document of poor written quality – it will be returned to you without comment and you
will be asked to resubmit it for comment once rewritten and checked;
? Read and return drafts overnight;
? Provide advice on other modules;
? Comment on the work of another supervisor’s students, unless an arrangement has
been made between the supervisors;
? Provide training in IT skills such as SPSS, word-processing or spreadsheets;
? Give any indication of the expected mark of the dissertation or WBS.
If you are unhappy with your supervision, you need to contact Neil Galway
(n.galway@qub.ac.uk ; +44(0)28 9097 4835) as soon as possible stating clearly the nature of
your complaint.
- ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED IN YOUR THESIS
It is essential that the thesis has a logical structure which builds up a robust discussion that
will ultimately answer the research question. While your supervisor can provide individual
guidance on the most appropriate structure for your individual study, the points below
describe the main elements that should be included in your project submission. Please note
this is not a suggested structure for the organisation of your thesis as this should be shaped
by the needs of your individual project:
Preliminary material
? You should ensure that the project includes the following before the main text starts:
? Title.
? Declaration (see below).
? Contents page and list of tables and figures.
? Abstract or summary.
? Acknowledgements.
A statement on the project context, the research question, the research approach
and the project report structure
? All project reports should start with a chapter on the project context, the research
question, the research approach and the project report structure. You should include
a brief justification of why the topic is worthy of study and identify its importance and
relevance to planning practice and / or policy development. This will create the vital
first impressions for the project readers, so try and convey the fact that you have a
clear grasp of the topic and are confident in the way you have tackled it.
Literature review
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? A literature review is very important for setting your research in a wider context and to
show that you are aware of and have mastered existing academic, policy and practice
material in your chosen area. A literature review may include:
? Brief introduction to the broad subject of concern, summarising relevant parts
of books, papers, reports etc.
? An identification of a more specific and narrowly defined focus of attention.
? A critical review of the literature in your narrowly defined area by highlighting
its strengths and weaknesses
? Conclusions that summarise the review and identify the elements of the
precise nature of the topic to be researched.
? Typically, the literature review should consist of 20-25% of the word count of
the project chapters.
Research findings
? This will be the core area of your thesis. You should aim to ensure that:
? The research context (eg the case study sites) is fully explicated
? All information and findings are rigorously analysed.
? You SHOULD NOT present raw, undigested data such as transcriptions of
interviews; Organise this material thematically and include a reasoned
analysis of how your findings relate to the research project questions.
? Results should be presented clearly and interpreted in a convincing way. You
should consider using appropriate graphs, summary tables, boxes and other
illustrative material including maps, diagrams and photographs.
Research Evaluation
? Many students underplay the extensive work undertaken by failing to apply full
evaluation of the information collected to the initially stated questions. Evaluate
your findings against the objectives initially set out for your research and respond
to the research questions you specified in your earlier chapters. Reflect on the
relationship between the wider literature discussion and your research findings.
Please note again, this is about the generic approach to data analysis and does
not suggest that findings and evaluation should be in separate chapters
Conclusion and recommendations
? The project should end with a conclusion that:
- You should identify what you consider to be the three key contributions to
planning knowledge from your Independent Specialist Research Project.
- Reflects on any limitations of your project, but emphasises its strengths.
- Identifies the prescriptive implications of your findings for planning practice and
policy development.
- Ends with a strong, convincing and positive statement.
- RESEARCH AND REFERENCING SKILLS
The dissertation or WBS requires you to work independently and to use the study skills you
have learned as an undergraduate and in the taught elements of this course. The work
presented for this module is expected to be of a high scholarly standard including writing
style and correct referencing (Harvard method). You should consult your course handbook
for advice on learning support and in particular you should consult the referencing guide.
Plagiarism
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The assignment declaration for this module requires you to state that the submission is your
own original work. Your assignment on CANVAS will go through TurnItIn, which can detect
any work taken from the internet or from previously recorded student work (including work
submitted from another university). Plagiarism is an increasingly serious problem in third
level education. Plagiarism is defined as the presentation of the work of others as the writer’s
own without appropriate acknowledgement. It includes auto-plagiarism (to use excerpts from
his or her previous work without appropriate acknowledgement) and self-plagiarism (to
submit one piece of work more than once, e.g. where such work has previously been
submitted for a different assignment).
In the case of this module, you may wish to undertake a dissertation or WBS in the same
subject area as your undergraduate dissertation. If so, you should discuss the matter with
your supervisor and ensure that you extend the scope of the work sufficiently in order not to
be accused of plagiarism. TurnItIn will pick up similarities with another piece of work and of
course you should not reproduce sections of your undergraduate dissertation in this
dissertation or WBS.
It is also an academic offence for a student to permit another student to copy his/her work
submitted for assessment, for two or more students to work together on an assignment that
is meant to be done individually (collusion), and to claim to have carried out experiments,
interviews etc which s/he has not carried out, or where s/he invents or falsifies data,
evidence etc (fabrication). When students are, quite legitimately, studying together and
perhaps even sharing notes, care should be taken that all sources have been read by each
student and that the sources of notes are clearly understood – copied notes that turn out to
be verbatim extracts from a published source are still plagiarised. Ignorance of the source of
notes will not be accepted as an excuse by the School’s Academic Offences Committee.
Plagiarism is treated very seriously in the School and, if proven, can result in failure of the
module. In the past, cases have been brought against students in the Department of
Environmental Planning. Your student handbook provides further guidance on how to avoid
plagiarism, most particularly through guidance on correct referencing practice.
- ETHICS
Ethical approval for the project should be sought from your supervisor before you begin your
fieldwork. Information on the ethical approval procedures including links to the relevant forms
are included on CANVAS. It should be signed by yourself and your supervisor. You should
retain the original and send a copy to Dr Neil Galway. Ethical issues can arise at any stage
during your project and you should seek advice from your supervisor when necessary.
- STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS
See Appendix One for discussion of the structure of the WBS.
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It is essential that the dissertation has a logical structure which builds up a robust discussion
that will ultimately meet your research objectives and answer the research question. While
your supervisor can provide individual guidance on the most appropriate structure for your
individual study, the points below describe the main elements that should be included. You
do not have to stick exactly to these guidelines, but you should ensure all the key issues are
covered:
At the beginning of each chapter, an introduction should be given that relates the contents of
the chapter to the overall research aims and objectives, i.e. what it contributes in the overall
logic of the work. The introduction should also connect the chapter to the previous chapter. It
often helps a reader understand a text by using titles and sub-titles as effective signposts to
convey what will follow and how a chapter fits together, so pay attention to this.
? Preliminary material
You should ensure that the dissertation includes the following before the main text starts:
- Title
- Author (your name)
- Declaration (see “Presentation”, below)
- Contents page and list of tables and figures
- Abstract or summary
- Acknowledgements
? Research objectives and statement of the research problem
All dissertations should start with a chapter on research aims and objectives, including
the hypothesis to be tested (if used). Include a brief justification of why the subject matter
is worthy of study and identify its importance and relevance to planning practice and/or
policy development. Make clear what you have excluded from the study, what and why
other elements have been included. State any key assumptions made. This will create
the vital first impressions for the dissertation, so try and convey the fact that you have a
clear grasp of the topic and are confident in the way you have tackled it.
? Literature review and evaluation
A literature review is very important for setting your research in a wider context and to
show that you are aware of, and mastered, existing research in your chosen area. A
literature review may include:
? Brief introduction to the broad subject of concern, summarising relevant parts of
books, papers, reports etc.
? An identification of a more specific and narrowly defined focus of attention.
? A critical review of the literature in your narrowly defined area. It is vitally important
that you show that you are capable of evaluating existing research by highlighting
weaknesses in past research or highlighting why any particular journal article or book
is of particular importance. You should include a review of relevant theory in your
literature value, although some topics may require a whole chapter of theoretical
discussion.
? Conclusions summarising the review and identifying and justifying the precise nature
of the topic to be researched.
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? Notably the literature review must be:
? Composed only of relevant material.
? Comprehensive in its coverage of the key literature in your narrowly defined
area of interest.
? Up to date, quoting form recent articles and books.
? Evaluative. The existing research should not just be described, it must be
critically reviewed.
? Correctly referenced.
- Typically, the literature review should consist of 20-25% of the word count of the
dissertation.
? Research Design and Methodology
All dissertations should contain a chapter on research design and methodology, setting
out how this will appropriately address the research aims and objectives. Such a chapter
will probably include:
? A detailed specification of the research topic, explaining its relationship to the existing
research discussed in the literature review.
? Research design issues – especially how you isolated the influence of those variables
of interest from a wider set of influences e.g. how do you know that a certain outcome
was the result of a planning policy rather than broader economic or cultural factors?
? An explanation and detailed justification of the methodology used (e.g. sampling
issues, methods of data collection or policy analysis, use of secondary sources,
qualitative and/or quantitative modes of analysis).
? Description and justification of the study area(s) and time period(s) chosen for study.
The fact that the study is based on your home town only because it is your home
town will not be acceptable; you need to define why it is an appropriate place for his
particular study and why it was chosen over other areas.
? Research findings and their implications
This will be the core area of your dissertation for presenting your original thoughts and
the considered findings of your research. You should aim to ensure that:
- All information and findings should are rigorously analysed.
- You should not present raw, undigested data such as survey results or transcriptions
of interviews, but include a reasoned analysis of how your findings relate to your
research aims and objectives. If you think you can justify including extensive survey
returns, these can be included in an appendix – but aim for an effective summary of
data and analysis.
- Results should be presented clearly and interpreted convincingly. You should
consider using appropriate graphs, summary tables and other illustrative material.
- You should go beyond merely describing what you found (e.g. listing the numbers of
people who gave particularly answers to a survey), but analyse what it may mean in
relation to the research questions.
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- Do not forget to incorporate the findings of previous research (i.e. that discussed in
the literature review).
? Research Evaluation
Many students underplay the extensive work undertaken by failing to apply full evaluation
of the information collected to research aims and objectives. You should therefore ensure
that you include a section that evaluates the overall research project and should:
- Evaluate your findings against the aims and objectives initially set out for your
research and answer the research questions you specified in your earlier chapters.
- Reflect on the overall research process and should include a re-engagement with the
theory and wider literature discussion as part of the literature review.
- Compare your findings to the findings of previous research.
? Conclusion and recommendations
The dissertation should end with a conclusion that:
- MUST identify what you consider to be the three key contributions to planning
knowledge from your research and this is specifically highlighted in the marking
scheme.
- Reflects on any limitations of your research, but emphasises its strengths.
- Identifies and elaborates the prescriptive implications of your research findings to
planning practice and policy development.
- Ends with a strong, convincing statement that relates to your initial research purpose.
? References
An alphabetical list of all the references mentioned in the dissertation, including those
included in Appendices, figures and tables is required. The Harvard referencing style is
required.
? Appendices
These should be selective and must be of specific relevance to the research aims and
objectives. This may be a place to show very detailed material of relevance to the
dissertation or WBS, such as intricate tables, methods of calculations or other
background data. It should not be used as a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings or policy
documents. You should be able to justify any material that is included in any part of the
dissertation.
- PRESENTATION AND FORMAT OF THE DISSERTATION OR WBS
The dissertation should be no more than 15,000 words in length (See Appendix One for the
format of the WBS as this section does not relate to this type of submission). A standard
format of presentation must be followed, but minor deviations in detail may be
accommodated provided they have been discussed with and agreed by your supervisor. You
should follow the following format:
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? The dissertation must include a Declaration. In the preface to the manuscript, the
following statement MUST be included and SIGNED by the student:
Declaration
I certify that this is my own original work (unless otherwise specified) and does not
exceed 15,000 words (excluding references and appendices).
Signed……………………………………………………. Date ……………………….
? The dissertation should be typed with one-and-half spacing on A4 paper, each page
typed on one side only. Footnotes and quotations should be in single-spacing. It may be
appropriate for a WBS to be presented in another format, e.g. A3 landscape.
? Margins should be 4 cm on the left hand edge and 2.5 cm on the right hand edge. All
pages in the text must be numbered.
It is essential that the presentation of the dissertation or WBS is clear, concise and of a high
standard. If it is poorly put together, it can be a major obstacle to the examiners perceiving its
other strengths and marks will be deducted for poor presentation.
As each dissertation or WBS must be typed, please ensure that you keep more than
one saved copy of your work as you go along and ensure that the computers you are
working on are virus free.
In considering the presentation elements of the dissertation or WBS, students should take
the following issues into account:
? Word count. As a result of the above declaration, any text over the 15,000 word limit for
dissertations will be ignored by the examiners and in some cases, a penalty imposed by
the Exam Board. Appendix One sets out guidance for the WBS.
? Illustrations. Maps, diagrams graphs etc should be referred to as “Figures” and
numbered consecutively in chapters (e.g. 2.1, 2.2, 3.1. 3.2 etc). The same numbered
scheme should be adopted for tables. Do not under-estimate the time involved in
compiling high quality illustrations and prepare these as you go along or leave plenty of
time at the end to pay attention to them. Figures and tables should be referenced if they
contain secondary data.
? Referencing. A consistent referencing system is essential and it is expected that you use
the Harvard system. Guidance on referencing is available in the course handbook.
- ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
The dissertation or WBS will be marked by two internal examiners, the second of which will
be your supervisor. It may go to a third independent internal examiner for moderation. Some
work is also sent to an external examiner as part of the moderation process. In some cases,
the external examiners may want to discuss submitted work directly with the students. These
meetings usually take place in October or November.
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Dissertation marking criteria
See Appendix One for WBS criteria. In marking the final dissertation, the internal and
external markers will be guided by the following criteria:
Marking Criteria Weight
Research topic and objectives – questions, rationale for the argument,
relevance and significance
10
Literature review – scope, coverage, review and application of existing
knowledge, critical evaluation of the material, a capacity to
link together various strands of the literature(s)
25
Research strategy and methodological approach, including research methods
employed, mix of methods, critical reflection on research instruments and fit
between methods and objectives. Ethical considerations, if relevant, should
also be addressed.
20
Presentation of research findings; relevance and rigour of conclusions and
recommendations. An emphasis on critical analysis rather than description
should be highlighted. If appropriate, correct use of software to analyse
data should also be recognised in marking.
30
Structure and presentation including logical construction, quality of written and
graphical presentation, correct spelling and grammar, correct referencing
style.
15
In deciding the allocation of marks for the dissertation to each of these categories, the
examiners will inter alia consider the following:
? Definition of research topic/question
? Are there clear and relevant aims and objectives?
? Has a focussed research question been defined?
? Is the student aware of the significance of the topic and how it relates to the broad
field of spatial planning?
? Is the research question appropriate to the aims of the dissertation as specified at the
beginning of this paper?
? Review of existing knowledge
? Is there a critical literature review that covers the key sources on the topic?
? Does the dissertation indicate a grasp of the theory and practice related to the topic?
? Does this review identify an appropriate research question and methodology?
? Is the literature review well integrated into the dissertation? (It does not have to be a
freestanding chapter)
? Does the policy review demonstrate appropriate knowledge of the policy environment
for the topic, including comparative material if relevant?
? Application of appropriate research strategy
? Is there an evaluative discussion of the possible methodologies that could be adopted
for this research?
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? Is there a clear description of the methodology adopted for the research, its
constraints and advantages?
? Does the methodology fit the research aims and objectives?
? Has the collection of qualitative or qualitative data been executed in an appropriate
and rigorous way?
? Is there critical reflection on the methodology and data collection?
? Evidence of critical thinking and analytical ability
? Does the student go beyond description and critically reflect on the topic and
findings?
? Have comparative aspects of the research been used appropriately and within their
constraints?
? Does the analysis indicate independence of thought?
? Does the student ask and answer appropriate research questions?
? Is there evidence of a rigorous approach to understanding the research questions?
? Research evaluation
? Is there an appropriate strategy for interpreting the research findings?
? Are the findings of the research properly evaluated?
? Are the most relevant findings drawn from the research and used to test the
research aims and objectives, research questions, and hypothesis if used?
? Are problems of interpretation or application acknowledged and overcome?
? Relevance and rigor of conclusions
? Do the conclusions answer the research aims and objectives, research questions,
and hypothesis if used?
? Do they emanate from and are they supported by the analysis?
? Do they indicate an understanding to the key issues?
? Do they add “value” to existing knowledge?
? Identification of contribution to knowledge
? Has the student considered and included three key contributions of the research
to the overall body of planning knowledge?
? Are these contributions based on valid grounds?
? Are these contributions appropriate to the scope and focus of the dissertation?
? Do these contributions suggest a process of reflection on the overall research
project?
? Presentation
? Does the dissertation meet the requirements set out in the sections on Structure
and presentation above?
? Is the dissertation logically structured and well argued?
? Is the dissertation well written, properly proof read and presented?
? Does it have appropriate and well laid out illustrations and tables?
? Are the results adequately presented (tables and data graphs etc)?
? Is it fully referenced according to the guidelines attached to this paper?
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In addition to the above criteria, the examiners will take into consideration the time and
resources available to the student (i.e. 4-5 months of private study time) and the scope and
originality of the material presented.
Marks will be allocated using the conceptual equivalents set out in your student handbook.
It is highly recommended that you review previous dissertations which have received a mark
of 70% or higher, which are available in the library at shelfmark: R/HT395.N6DISS.
- SUBMISSION
A digital copy should be uploaded to CANVAS by the deadline of 5
th
September. Late
submission of coursework will incur a penalty of a 5% deduction from the total available
marks for each working day, up to a maximum of 5 working days after which a mark of zero
will be given. Exemptions from this penalty will only be granted at the student’s request and
in line with exceptional circumstances as noted in the university regulations. Students
seeking exemption should complete the appropriate form, available in the course handbook.
The request should include documentary evidence such as a medical certificate and must be
submitted to the module co-ordinator within three days of the deadline for submitting the
coursework concerned. Further information is available in the student handbook.
Failure of the module, including failure to submit a dissertation or WBS without extenuating
circumstances, will require payment of a supplementary fee for resubmission. No fee is
required for deferred submission with exceptional circumstances.
- FEEDBACK
Feedback to you: Feedback will be given in this module through one-to-one sessions with
your supervisor. Feedback will be verbal and through comment on draft written work.
Feedback from you: The School welcomes feedback on any aspect of the module and
encourages every student to complete an anonymous evaluation form for all second
semester modules at the end of the teaching period. You are also welcome to raise any
issues with the module co-ordinator or course co-ordinator, or through your student
representatives at the Staff Student Consultative Committee. On submission of your
dissertation/ WBS, you will be given a feedback form to complete.
- USEFUL REFERENCES for BOTH DISSERTATION AND WBS
Additional references for the WBS are included in Appendix One
Alasuutari, P., Bickman, L. and Brannen, J. (2008) The SAGE handbook of social research
methods London: Sage.
15
Barbour, R. (2008) Doing Focus Groups. The Sage Qualitative Research Kit. London and
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Bell, J. (2005) Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers in education
and social science 4
th
ed. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Berry, R. (2000) The research project: how to write it, 4th ed, London: Routledge.
Blaxter, L. Hughes, C. and Tight, M. (2010) How to research, 4
th
ed. Buckingham: Open
University Press. And previous editions.
Boeije, H. (2010) Analysis in Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications.
Bryman, A. (2012) Social Research Methods, 4
th
ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press. Other
editions are also available in the library.
Connolly, P. (2003) Ethical Principles for Researching Vulnerable Groups, Belfast: Office of
the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
Creme, P. and Lea, M.R. (1997) Writing at university: a guide for students, Buckingham:
Open University Press.
Craswell, G. and Poore, M. (2012) Writing for Academic Success. London: Sage Publications
Creswell, J. W. (2014) Research Design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods
approaches. 4
th
ed., London: Sage.
Davies, M.B. (2007) Doing a Successful Research Project, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
della Porta, D. and Keating, M. (2008) Approaches and methodologies in the social sciences.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Denscombe, M. (2007) The good research guide for small-scale social research projects, 3
rd
ed., Buckingham: Open University Press. And previous editions.
Denzin, N. and Lincoln, Y. (2008) Strategies of Qualitative Inquiry 3
rd
ed. London, Thousand
Oaks: Sage
Denzin, N.K. and Y.S Lincoln (Eds.) The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, Thousand
Oaks: Sage. Various editions include useful chapters
Flick, U. (2014) An Introduction to Qualitative Research, 5
th
ed. London: Sage.
Flowerdew, R. and Martin, D. (eds.) (2005) Methods in human geography: a guide for
students doing a research project 2
nd
ed., London: Routledge.
Franklin, A. and Blyton, P. (2011) Researching Sustainability, Washington: Earthscan.
16
Fry, R. (1997) Improve your writing, London: Kogan Page.
Gibson, W.J. and Brown, A. (2009) Working with Qualitative Data. London: Sage
Publications
Glatthorn, A. (2005) Writing the winning thesis or dissertation 2
nd
Ed. California: Corwin
Press.
Gomm, R. (2008) Social Research Methodology, 2
nd
ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Gray, D. E. (2014) Doing research in the real world, 4
th
ed., Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. (also
previous editions)
Greenfield, T. (ed) (2002) Research methods for postgraduates, 2nd ed, London: Arnold.
Hamilton, A. (1990) Writing theses, London: RIBA.
Hammersley, M. (2013) What is qualitative research? London: Bloomsbury.
Kvale, S. and Brinkman, S. (2009) Interviewing. Learning the craft of qualitative research
interviewing, Sage. 2
nd
edn. Thousand Oaks, CA.
McMillan, K. (2010). How to write dissertations and project reports Harlow: Prentice Hall.
Maginn, P., Thompson, S. and Tonts, M. (eds.) (2008) Qualitative Housing Analysis: An
International perspective, Bingley: Emerald.
May, T. (2001) Social Research: Issues, Methods and Processes (3rd. ed.), Buckingham:
Open University Press.
Moore, N. (1999) How to do research, 3rd ed London: Library Association.
Murray, R. (2002) How to write a thesis 2
nd
ed. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
O’Leary, Z. (2010) The essential guide to doing your research project, London: Sage.
Oliver, P. (2004) Writing your thesis, London: Sage.
Oliver, P. (2010) Understanding the research process. London: Sage.
Oliver, P. (2012) Succeeding with your literature review : a handbook for students,
Maidenhead : McGraw-Hill Open University Press
Parsons, A.J. (2005) How to do your dissertation in geography and related disciplines,
London: Routledge.
17
Pole, C. & Lampard, R. (2002) Practical Social Investigation: Qualitative and Quantitative
Methods in Social Research, Harlow: Prentice Hall.
Ritchie, J. and Lewis, J. (2014) (Eds.) Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social
Science Students and Researchers, 2
nd
ed., London: Sage.
Silva, E., Healey, P., Harris, N. and Van Den Broeck, P. (2015) The Routledge Handbook of
Planning Research Methods, London: Routledge.
Stake, R.E. (1995) The Art of Case Study Research, Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Swanborn, P. (2010) Case Study Research: What, why and how? London: Sage.
Thomas, G. (2011) How to do your Case Study: A guide for students and researchers.
London: Sage.
Thomas, G. (2013) How to do your research project, 2
nd
ed. London: Sage.
Wolcott, H. (2009) Writing up qualitative research, London: Sage.
Yang, K. (2010) Making Sense of Statistical Methods in Social Research. London: Sage.
Yin, R.K. (2013) Case Study Research: design and methods (5
th
edition), Thousand Oaks:
Sage. And previous editions.
Appendix One
WORK-BASED STUDY: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION AND READING LIST
(i) Introduction
This is supplementary information to that in the main body of the text, much of which is also
related to the WBS. It is intended to provide students with more precise guidance on the
development of an agreed brief with the client, working practices, timetable and submission
requirements.
The section on the role of the supervisor in section 4 of the main text applies. Supervisors
allocated for WBS projects all have previous experience of this path to meeting the EVP7044
learning objectives. In addition, if he is not your supervisor, Dr Galway is also available for
18
consultation and advice (by appointment) if you are undertaking a work-based study:
(ii) Learning Outcomes
As explained in section 2 of the main text, the module’s learning outcomes are that, on the
successful completion of the dissertation or work-based study, you should be able to:
? Understand the overall research process, define problems and design appropriate
research strategies;
? Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of other research;
? Understand the role of researcher and ethical issues related to research;
? Collect, evaluate, analyse and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to answer
specific research questions;
? Conduct research requiring substantial individual initiative;
? Understand the importance of time and project management and prioritisation of work
tasks;
? Competently use ICT for presenting information and searching and retrieving complex
information;
? Communicate research findings using a high standard of written and graphic
communication;
? Self-manage a long term project and reflect on your own progress.
The tasks that allow you to meet the learning outcomes through the WBS are to:
? Negotiate and develop a project brief and programme of work with client and
supervisor;
? Understand and appreciate the importance of punctuality, professionalism and value
for money in real-world planning practice;
? Conduct independent research and professional literature review on a subject of
relevance to professional practice;
? Carry out location and site context analysis and appraisal or contextualisation of the
theme of research if not related directly to a particular site;
? Generate practical development and regeneration options and final proposals;
? Communicate effectively with consultants, government bodies, and/ or community
organisations
? Produce professionally presented and practically useful documents for client and/or
community use.
(iii) Project Content
You will act as a professional planning consultant to a client in relation to a specified real-
world project in a specified location and site (normally local, but possibly regional, national or
international). This will involve the development of a brief and programme of work in
agreement with your client, the undertaking of relevant contextual and comparative
background research, the carrying out of necessary location and site survey and analysis,
the production and evaluation of development and/or regeneration options, the presentation
19
of final proposals in written, graphical and/or computer-based formats. In addition you will
work with your appointed supervisor to ensure the maintenance of appropriate academic
standards in your work practices and final submission. Much of the material in sections 5 and
6 applies. In particular, you should take care to guard against plagiarism through a lack of
appropriate referencing of your client’s policy documents and any other material.
(iv) Venue and timetable
Venues for the different work-based projects will be identified by the client during introductory
meetings – it will be the responsibility of individual students to arrange travel to site meetings
as necessary. Attendance at specified project seminars, professional meetings or site visits
will be compulsory and attendance will be recorded as part of the assessment process.
All students will be allocated an academic supervisor but the responsibility for organising the
client is a student responsibility. As part of the brief you will arrange a timetable of work with
your client and a programme of supervision with your supervisor. It is intended that much of
this will be done on a collective basis. The outline research timetable in section 3 applies.
(v) Project structure
The project will, in most cases, consist of a combination of written and illustrated material, so
the word-count cannot be specified. The submitted document will have a maximum of 100
pages and it will have the format of a professional report to a client, so clarity of presentation
is essential, as well as high quality visual illustration. All submissions will have an executive
summary of no more than 750 words. The format is more flexible than for a dissertation (as
outlined in section 7). The report should look like a consultant’s report and flexibility in terms
of page size and orientation will be allowed for work-based studies.