MSc Project Guidelines

2014 / 2015
Course Title
Abbr
Course Leader
Civil Engineering and Construction Management (D2J7, CECM A.Cuthbertson
A.Cuthbertson@hw.ac.uk
D2JP)
Structural and Foundation Engineering (D2R7, D2RP)
SFE
O. Laghrouche
o.laghrouche@hw.ac.uk

Safety & Risk Management

SRM
Safety & Risk and Reliability Engineering
SRRE
Water Resources and Catchment Management (D2A7, WR
D2AP)

P Thompson
p.thompson@hw.ac.uk

L.Beevers
L.Beevers@hw.ac.uk

Summary
Administrative
The decision to progress students to MSc Dissertation is dependent on them
achieving an average of 50% in their course exams and coursework with no marks
below 40%
A list of potential project titles nominated by the University academic staff is available
on Vision entry for this course under LEARNING MATERIALS (List is updated in
March each year)
If you wish to undertake one of the University nominated projects contact the
supervisor named in the project list directly
Student nominated project titles must be approved by the course leader, whose
names are shown above and Dr. M. Gul: m.gul@hw.ac.uk
External supervisors must be approved by the course leader
Submission of the completed dissertation will be via Turnitin on the Vision website
Dissertation
Two soft bound copies of the dissertation will also be submitted via the SBE Student
Office, PG admin desk.
Dates for submission:
o 15th of August 2014
o 5th of December 2014
o 2nd of April 2015
Guidelines
Each project should undertake in depth research resulting in a dissertation that is the
students own work and adds to the knowledge in the chosen research area
The MSc project is primarily the students own work. Supervisors will most likely
support at the beginning and the end of the project and may guide students with
expert questions.
Students should keep in regular contact with their supervisor to ensure supervisor
confidence that it is the students own work. On-campus students must maintain face to
face contact with their supervisors
Students should regularly consult the Vision website Dissertation (Civil Engineering
Discipline) for any new information
The Postgraduate Programme Handbook

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Students should monitor their progress continually so that the project workload can
managed efficiently
The project research methodology should be carefully considered to ensure that it is
logical and will achieve the desired outcomes
We expect the dissertation to be presented in a professional manner, using graphs
and tables where appropriate to support the research findings and should be rigorously
referenced throughout. Three soft bound copies are to be submitted to the student
office.

Administrative
Introduction
The final part of your MSc programme of study is a project dissertation on a topic to be agreed
between yourself and the respective course leaders. The dissertation is a substantial piece of work,
equivalent to 4 of the taught courses.

Proceed to Dissertation
You should bear in mind that the final decision to allow you to progress to the MSc project will not
be taken until after all of your taught course marks are available. This decision is dependent upon
you achieving an average mark of 50% in your course exams and coursework and none of your
marks being below 40%. If you decide to start your project before you have been formally
progressed you must do so at your own risk as it is possible that you may not achieve the
required criteria when your full set of results are available.
Although you may choose to start your dissertation project before you have been formally
progressed, the University will not accept it for marking until after you have been progressed to the
dissertation stage at a formal exam board. If you submit a dissertation before you have been
progressed, you will have the dissertation returned immediately.
Students who do not achieve an average mark of 50% will be required to transfer to the PG Diploma
course and graduate. Alternatively they may prefer to resit one or more of their courses to try to
improve their marks and achieve the performance level required for progression to the MSc project.
A maximum of three resits is allowed for each postgraduate student during their MSc / PGDiploma.

Role of Supervisor
The role of the supervisor is to supervise the project, not to do it for you. The supervisor will give
guidance and help but at all times it is the responsibility of the student to ask for help and
assistance. It is likely that most of the supervisors effort will be spent at the commencement of the
project getting it started and at the end in helping the student to finish.
The student should always drive the development and progress of their project and demonstrate
initiative and the ability to work independently throughout its execution.

Project Timescale
Duration
For

Full time on campus students, it takes a semester to complete their Masters dissertation
Part time on-campus students, it takes two semesters to complete their dissertation.

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Part time IDL/ALP students, it takes two semesters to complete their dissertation from when
they register for the dissertation
The dissertations will only be examined in May and September so full time on campus students
consider the August deadline and part time students the December deadline for submission of the
project dissertations.

Submission
You cannot submit a dissertation before formally being progressed to the dissertation stage by an
exam board. Any dissertations submitted before progression will be returned immediately.

Selection of Project Topics

It is important that you choose a topic which interests you and will help you develop the knowledge,
understanding and skills which will help you further your career. All students have the option of
undertaking a Student Nominated Project in which you propose your own topic, perhaps on
consultation with your employer or colleague, or a University Nominated Project where you select
from a list proposed by academic staff of the School of the Built Environment

Student Nominated Projects

Proposals for student nominated project topics must be sent to the dissertation co-ordinator. Once
you have decided upon the area you wish to research, you will need to provide the dissertation coordinator with a title and a paragraph of your proposed project. You can also nominate a potential
supervisor, the final decision however will be made by the course leader.
When considering supervisors in SBE, part time and IDL students are encouraged to visit the
websites of the members of staff in SBE and learn more their research interests and fields of
expertise. You can contact those whose areas are close to yours and discuss your projects with
them.
Part time and IDL students may wish to consider nominating a local supervisor from amongst your
senior colleagues and acquaintances within the engineering profession. However they must be
approved at the start of the project by the course leader and be willing to submit their CV to the
course leader for consideration. The format of what you are required to submit for approval is given
in Appendix 1.
If the project involves access to a construction site and laboratory facilities, the student needs to
provide a cover letter from the authorized person confirming the accessibility to the project, risk
assessments and safety certificate (samples in Appendix 2).

University Nominated Projects

If you wish to select a University Nominated Project, you should consult the list available on Vision.
The list is published annually, usually around the end of March and is updated regularly to show
availability. You should contact directly the member of staff who has nominated the topic for his/her
agreement to act as supervisor (you may also want to find out more details of what the project will
entail). You should apply for the project

Research Proposal
Once the project title and abstract has been agreed with the course leader/supervisor, the student
must develop the project idea into a research proposal. It should be about 2 pages long and provide
details of the planned research methodology and tasks that will be undertaken.
Your Submitted Research Proposal should contain the following.
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Your name, course title, registration number and the title of the project.
An outline research proposal, describing in no more than 2 pages:
The background to the project,
A statement of aims & objectives
An outline of your planned research method,
A list of potential beneficiaries or end users of the research.
A list of any resources required from Heriot-Watt University
A list of any resources required from other sources
Supplementary supervision (if appropriate)
A statement confirming that issues of confidentiality will be addressed.
A list of any ethical issues that may arise form the project.
Name, relationship & expertise (brief CV) of proposed local supervisor should additionally be
provided where appropriate
If the course leader approves the research proposal, they will allocate a project supervisor from
amongst the University staff. This will normally be the academic who nominated the project for a
University Nominated Project.

Submission Procedures
Submission of the final dissertation will be in electronic format via Turnitin the Schools virtual
learning environment Vision. Documents can be submitted in *.pdf or MS Word format. Please
make sure that Content Copying or Extraction is allowed when you submit the dissertation as a *.pdf
document. You can verify this setting by choosing Document -> Security -> Show Security Settings
for this Document.
The submission deadlines each year are usually in
April
August
December
Two paper copies must also be forwarded to the student office. They should be printed on A4 paper
and securely bound in ring binders or an equivalent system of binding (loose leaf binders are not
acceptable).
Students must make their own arrangements for copying and binding of the dissertations.

Marking and Assessment of the Dissertation

Each dissertation will be independently read and assessed by two members of staff, one of whom
will be the supervisor. Once the markers have completed their marking report they will then have a
meeting to seek to reach an agreed mark. In determining the final mark, you may be asked to attend
an interview/viva. Failure to attend a viva or, within reason, show that the work is not your
own may result in you failing the Project/Dissertation.
If the two assessors disagree about the standard of the report a third assessor will be appointed to
adjudicate the result. An agreed mark is then reported to the postgraduate examination board.
A local supervisor, if nominated, may be asked to provide an opinion on the quality and originality of
the submission, but responsibility for assessment lies wholly with the university.
The assessment guidelines for marking the dissertations are detailed in Appendix 3.

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Plagiarism
The School and the University treat plagiarism extremely seriously. Suspected cases of plagiarism
will result in disciplinary action being initiated against the student. Section 9 of the School
Dissertation Guide explains the issue of plagiarism in greater detail. Please work with your
supervisor to ensure that any published work used in the preparation of your dissertation is done so
legitimately and referenced appropriately. You will normally be expected to submit your work for
plagiarism checking electronically through the Turnitin site prior to final submission.

Guidelines
Introduction
All MSc students studying with the School of the Built Environment at Heriot Watt University are
required to undertake research and to prepare and submit a project dissertation. The project
provides an opportunity to undertake an in depth research programme and make a contribution to
our knowledge of the subject in question. The end of project dissertation should be the students
own work and it will involve considerable effort in its preparation. Although all dissertations are
different and vary according to the topic studied there are many features such as style and layout
that are common. This guidance note introduces some of the features and conventions to be found
in good dissertations and provides a starting point for further reading on research dissertation
preparation.
The MSc dissertation is equivalent to 4 taught courses and is the most substantial piece of
individual work undertaken during the course. It is not the length of the dissertation that is assessed
by the examiners but the quality of the research. As an indication the dissertation should be around
50 pages excluding Appendices. It should demonstrate that the student has the ability to conduct a
piece of rigorous research in their chosen field and analyse the results using informed judgment and
critical thinking and essentially, to reach hard conclusions based on your work. It is not sufficient for
a dissertation to be about description, measurement and summary alone. These activities simply
provide a framework for the thinking and reasoning.

Maintaining progress on the dissertation

It is most important to maintain progress on the research work in your project even in the face of
competing demands for your time. A dissertation cannot be completed satisfactorily in an intensive
campaign close to the submission date because the planning of the research tasks and writing up of
the dissertation takes time. Therefore students should work back from their intended submission
date allowing sufficient time for the various stages of the work in consultation with their supervisor.
The final stage is writing the dissertation (dissertation should be written continuously to avoid
excessive writing up time towards the end, maybe mention this somewhere). This always takes
much longer than expected particularly the final stages when all the basic text is completed. Usually
it is only when writing up that certain features of the results are noticed and often require further
analysis or reading. It is not uncommon for a student to start writing with one opinion and completely
change their mind during the process. Students should be prepared to revise the structure of the
dissertation as different aspects of the work vary in importance. The introduction and final
conclusions should not be written until the main text is finished so that you can be sure of the
conclusions that will be drawn from your research.

Research methodology
Every MSc dissertation should give due consideration to research design and method. Research
design includes evaluating the type of data that has to be collected, evaluating methods of selection,
and designing the sample and subsequent analysis of the data. There are numerous texts on

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research methodology and dissertation preparation that can be consulted and a Heriot-Watt courses
is available to you Research Methods in Civil Engineering, which you may consider taking to
support your project studies. The research strategy should be discussed thoroughly with your
supervisor.

Ethics
Formal ethical approval is only required for MSc dissertations in sensitive cases e.g. working with
children, elderly or otherwise vulnerable people or investigating sensitive topics like criminality,
poverty, homelessness, drug issues (and thered be many other examples). In most other cases it
will be enough for the supervisor to discuss ethical issues with the student and ensure that ethical
practice is being followed.

Presentation of the Completed Dissertation

Detailed specifications for the presentation of the dissertation are contained in the School
Dissertation Guide. It is extremely important that you conform to these specifications. Errors of nonstandard presentation can cost significant marks, yet they are easily avoided. In particular, your
attention is drawn to the form of referencing to be used. The Harvard referencing system, as
explained in the School Dissertation Guide, is recommended, although other conventions may be
used, such as the numbering system, which allows the automatic tracking of your references using
the Word Endnote Tool.

Expectations
Dissertation Quality
To illustrate the possible range in quality that may be found in completed dissertations, the following
examples show typical features that might be found in 3 dissertations of varying quality- poor, good
and excellent. As your work progresses you should reflect on where you feel your dissertation might
be placed and do all you can to ensure the best quality possible is achieved.

An Example of a Poor Dissertation

The introduction is woolly and neither the general subject area nor the specific topic of
investigation is properly introduced.
The literature review is little more than a summary of documents with no attempt to be
critical, no attempt to place the text in a logical sequence and no discussion on the
implications.
The logical development of the hypothesis will probably be unclear and there is probably
little or nothing on research methods and data analysis.
The attempt at data collection is poor, experimental work would be poorly described and
badly executed e.g. no calibration, did not follow the ISO method, selective collection of
published data, or poorly thought out questionnaires, incomplete case studies or
haphazard use of archives or literature.
The resulting analysis of the information is poor. There is little data to consider and this is
described rather than rigorously analysed.
Presentation of the results and other information is likely to be haphazard.

An Example of a Good Dissertation

There is a good overview of the subject and a reasonable description of the aims and
objectives which are then appropriate for the rest of the dissertation.
The literature review contains a summary of the key documents and has some
discussion. Some documents are compared to others though some probably appear to be
unconnected to the main aims and objectives.

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Data collection is well thought out and explained, leading to collecting of data in a
systematic manner.
The dissertation demonstrates that the student has a good grasp of the results and a
relatively clear understanding of their importance. The results will be well presented
though it is likely that their full implication will not be appreciated. Inconsistencies in the
data will probably be missed or ignored.

An Example of an Excellent Dissertation

There is an excellent overview of the subject and a clear description of the aims and
objectives of the dissertation, which are then appropriate for the rest of the dissertation.
There is an excellent literature review with documents being reviewed which are all up to
date and relevant.
There is appropriate cross-referencing and points of agreement and dispute are
identified and discussed. The aims and objectives of the dissertation are seen to emerge
naturally from the review.
Areas where the literature is deficient are also correctly identified.
Research methods are identified and appropriate methods selected. Data analysis
methods are identified and discussed.
The approach to data collection follows from the literature review but is modified to suit
local experience and the topic. The student has collected data in a consistent and
appropriate manner and has used a method specifically designed to answer the original
aims and objectives.
An excellent analysis of the data is carried out. In the case of non-numerical, or
qualitative, data a thorough examination will lead to underlying themes and trends being
revealed and presented in a highly structured way.
Discussion of the themes is carried out with reference to the issues being investigated in
the dissertation, leading to appropriate and concisely expressed conclusions being
drawn.
In the case of numerical results they would be clearly presented probably in graphical
form and would establish clearly whether or not the original hypothesis (aims and
objectives) had been met. Statistical analysis would probably have been carried out
establishing beyond doubt whether or not the conclusions were justified. Inconsistencies in
the data would be highlighted and explained.

Dissertation Structure
Every dissertation should address the following aspects. The emphasis placed on each of these
should be discussed with your supervisor to ensure the most appropriate balance of effort.

Introduction and general context

It is necessary to give context to your investigation within the first chapter to help locate the work
academically. This helps justify why your study is timely and relevant by making reference to other
related published work in the field, and evaluating the contribution your dissertation will make to the
field. This section will not normally exceed 3 pages. The preparation of this chapter necessarily
requires a student to read widely about the subject even though not all material read will appear in
the dissertation.

Literature review
The object of the literature review is to review the scholarly literature on the subject and critically
review it. This review will almost certainly include a comparison between references and therefore
discrepancies and differences of opinion should be highlighted and discussed. The review must
include a general review of the subject leading to a hypothesis, a review of research methods and a
review of data analysis methods.

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Research methodology
The research methods should demonstrate that the student is able to undertake research
appropriate to the subject in a systematic and meaningful manner. The method adopted would
follow from the literature review and may include experimental work in the laboratory or in the field,
interviews, questionnaires, surveys, case studies or the systematic collection of data and other
information from the literature or archives. Note that collection of published data is not the same as
a literature review of that data and a student should be aware of the difference. The collection of
information for analysis and discussion is central to a dissertation and the rigour that would be
expected for laboratory experiments should be the same as for any other data source.

Discussion, information analysis, interpretation and conclusions

The analysis of the information and the conclusions should demonstrate that the student
understands the significance of the findings, present them in an appropriate manner and can draw
sensible conclusions.

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Appendix 1: Student Nominated Projects

The Outline Research Proposal
The research proposal is the essential first step in laying the groundwork for the dissertation. It
involves taking your initial idea and developing it into a more structured format which considers the
elements outlined below. Preparing the proposal will obviously involve some initial investigation and
library work to look at articles, books and perhaps other dissertations related to your topic of interest
(It is not merely describing your idea!) The effort involved is not wasted as the research proposal
forms the first chapter of the dissertation itself. You will also find that a thorough approach to the
proposal will help clarify your own ideas and direction for the project.
The selection below is adapted from Dissertation Research and Writing for Construction Students
by S.G Naoum, which is a good text to refer to for further guidance.

Rationale for the study

A discussion of approximately 500-800 words which sets out the problem and the reason for the
proposed study, highlighting the issues to be investigated. This should explain to the reader why it is
a timely and worthwhile investigation. The rationale should be supported by a few key references to
related work in the area which you are proposing to build on (a precursor to the literature review).
Key references should be drawn from related research in the proposed area of study. Journals,
conference proceedings, reports etc. are a good source of up-to-date material.

Aim

A clear one or two sentence aim should be provided, highlighting your ultimate goal for the
dissertation.

Objectives

Usually between three and five, single-sentence, objectives should be developed. Objectives are
the breakdown of the aim into those separate, but related, issues that when investigated will allow
you to achieve the main aim. The aim can be considered to be strategic in nature while the
objectives are operational.

Outline research methods.

This explains your approach to the study in terms of its deskwork and fieldwork aspects. The
deskwork will be the literature review, and you should identify what the main themes of the literature
review will be (what is it that you are looking for from the literature). Also what type of journals and
other publications you will investigate for the literature review. (you should try to identify a few
named journals that you will use). The fieldwork relates to the actual data you will collect. In
construction management research this is normally through case studies, questionnaires or
interview of relevant personnel. What form of data do you envisage collecting and how will this be
used to help achieve your objectives.

Literature review

For helping to develop the literature review there are a many good civil engineering and construction
management related journals available on-line through the university library web site. The internet
also contains a wealth of information on most research topics; however they can often require
registration and payment to access details of the research.

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Appendix 2 RISK

ASSESSMENT FORM

Risk Assessment Form and Guidance

Description of Activity
being Assessed:

Attach WORK TASKS LIST or a METHOD STATEMENT describing in

chronological
order
all
tasks
that
make
up
the
activity/project/visit/laboratory based test programme/field trip/etc.

Location:

Who is exposed to the

hazard:

Strike through those not applicable

Academic/technical/administrative/secretarial/research/undergradu
ate
&
postgraduate
students/visitors/members
of
the
public/cleaning staff/security staff/others (identify).

Assessment
Team
Members (at least 3
persons):

Team
Leader Job
Title:

Team
Signature:

Date
of
assessment
:

Leaders

Review (by) date:

Legislation applicable:

Risk Assessment Form Page 10 of 17

Activity
No.
(See
Attached
Work
Tasks
List).

Hazards

Control Measures already

in place to control the risk

List the hazards

associated with the
activity.

Risk rating
score with
existing
controls

Consequence/
Hazard Effect
List consequences/
effect of hazards.

List any safety measures that are

already in place to control the
risks.

L x S or C
Refer to matrix
below.

Additional controls required

Risk rating
score with
new
controls
(Residual
Risk)

List in this column any extra safety

controls or precautions that are
required but are not currently in
place.

L x S or C
Refer to
Matrix
below.

Completed
(Control
measures met)
Where
Additional
Control
measures are
required, fill
this column in
with the date
that they were
put in place.

Risk Assessment Form Page 11 of 17

Activity
No.
(See
Attached
Work
Tasks
List).

Hazards

Control Measures already

in place to control the risk

List the hazards

associated with the
activity.

Risk rating
score with
existing
controls

Consequence/
Hazard Effect
List consequences/
effect of hazards.

List any safety measures that are

already in place to control the
risks.

L x S or C
Refer to matrix
below.

Additional controls required

Risk rating
score with
new
controls
(Residual
Risk)

List in this column any extra safety

controls or precautions that are
required but are not currently in
place.

L x S or C
Refer to
Matrix
below.

Completed
(Control
measures met)
Where
Additional
Control
measures are
required, fill
this column in
with the date
that they were
put in place.

Risk Assessment Form Page 12 of 17

Activity
No.
(See
Attached
Work
Tasks
List).

Hazards

Control Measures already

in place to control the risk

List the hazards

associated with the
activity.

Risk rating
score with
existing
controls

Consequence/
Hazard Effect
List consequences/
effect of hazards.

List any safety measures that are

already in place to control the
risks.

L x S or C
Refer to matrix
below.

Additional controls required

Risk rating
score with
new
controls
(Residual
Risk)

List in this column any extra safety

controls or precautions that are
required but are not currently in
place.

L x S or C
Refer to
Matrix
below.

Completed
(Control
measures met)
Where
Additional
Control
measures are
required, fill
this column in
with the date
that they were
put in place.

10

11

Continue on separate sheet(s) if necessary.

Risk
assessment
acceptable
by
manager/supervisor
Date:

reviewed
as
accountable

Yes/No ?
Signed:
Job Title:

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ASSESSMENT GUIDANCE
Risk = Likelihood x Severity or Consequence
Use the hazard matrix below to calculate the risk rating for the activity:

Very likely
Fairly likely
Likely
Unlikely
Very unlikely

First Aid injury/

illness
1
5
4
3
2
1

5
4
3
2
1

Minor injury/
illness
2
10
8
6
4
2

3 day injury/
Illness
3
15
12
9
6
3

Major injury/
illness
4
20
16
12
8
4

Fatality/
disabling injury
5
25
20
15
10
5

Risk and Planned Corrective Action to be rated from the following:

Risk Level

Category

Tolerability

Comments

1- 2

VERY LOW

acceptable

No further action is necessary other than to ensure that the controls are maintained.

34

LOW

acceptable

No additional controls are required unless they can be implemented at very low cost (in terms of time, money and
effort).

57

MEDIUM

tolerable

Consideration should be given as to whether the risks can be lowered, where applicable, to a tolerable level, and
preferably acceptable level, but the costs of additional risk reduction measures should be taken into account. The
risk reduction measures should be implemented within a defined time period.

8 - 14

HIGH

tolerable

Significant efforts should be made to reduce the risk. Risk reduction measures should be implemented urgently
within a defined time period and it might be necessary to consider suspending or restricting the activity, or to apply
interim risk control measures, until this has been completed. Considerable resources might have to be allocated to
additional control measures.

VERY HIGH

unacceptable

Significant improvements in risk control are necessary, so that risk is reduced to a tolerable or acceptable
level.

15 and above

Risk Assessment Form Page 14 of 17

Hazard Prompt List

Present?
YES
NO

HAZARD
PHYSICAL
Slippery or uneven ground
Work from heights
Falling objects, i.e. tools and/or materials
Inadequate workspace
Manual handling
Trapping, entanglement, burns or other equipment related
Transport
Electricity
Noise/vibration
Fire and/or explosion
Stored energy (e.g. pressure systems)
Unsuitable thermal environment
Violence to staff
CHEMICAL
Via skin contact
Via inhalation
Via eye contact
Via ingestion
Sensitising
Oxidising
BIOLOGICAL
Inhaled
Contact with bodily fluids
Ingested
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Excessive workload
Physical violence, bullying or intimidation
Involvement in an accident/post traumatic stress
OTHER HAZARDS
Are there Hazards other than those listed above that are
relevant to activity? if so identify and add to Risk
Assessment

Risk Assessment Form Page 15 of 17

Work Tasks List

Project Identification Details:

Activity
No.

Location

People
(E),(YP),(CON),(PUB),(VIS)

Equipment

Activities

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Assessor/team members:

Date of completion:

Assessor/Team leader:

Signature:

Dissertation Guideline

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16

Appendix 3: Assessment Criteria

School of the Built Environment Civil Engineering Programme

Postgraduate MSc Dissertation Assessment

Student name:

Registration No:

Course title:

Study mode:

Assessment Grading
Grade

Guidance Notes:

A+
Distinction
(Normally 80+%)

A
Distinction
(Normally 70- 79%)

B
(Normally 60- 69%)

C
(Normally 50-59%)

D
(Normally 40-49%)

Diploma Pass
Fail
(Normally <40%)

As following category, but in addition, displaying a very high ability to comprehend the subject matter
within the wider context and demonstrating considerable originality. The highest level of structure and
presentation.
An extremely thorough, distinction level piece of research. Thorough understanding of the subject and
issues. Demonstrates a high degree of critical appraisal analysis, clear ability to formulate/construct
hypotheses and excellent understanding and application of research methods. Conclusions are well
supported by the content. Very well structured and presented.
A good understanding of the subject and issues. Demonstrates a clear ability to ask the right questions
and formulate/construct hypotheses to address the issues. Good understanding and application of
research methods.
Critical appraisal and analysis is demonstrated and conclusions and
recommendations supported. Well structured and presented over and above the basic standard.
A reasonable understanding of the subject and issues, which asks questions and addresses potential
answers, supported by a reasonable degree of analysis and critique. Acceptable consideration of
research methods. Conclusions are reasonably formed and recommendations are generally supported
by the work undertaken. Reasonable structure and presentation.
Does not meet MSc standard. A basic piece of work which demonstrates limited knowledge/effort and
understanding, supported by only little analysis and minimal review. Poor or non-existent consideration
of research methods. Identifies the basic issues only where conclusions are not supported. Meets the
basic requirement for structure and presentation.
Does not meet Diploma standard. Poor piece of work which demonstrates very limited knowledge or
understanding of the issues. Very poor or non-existent consideration of research methods. Inadequate
discussion with very poorly or unsupported conclusions. Poorly structured and presented.

Indicative length 20000 words (excluding appendices)

Comments:

(please continue overleaf if required)

Supervisor:

Second
Reader:

Dissertation Guideline

Recommended
Mark:

Signature:

Recommended
Mark:

Signature:

Final
Grade

11/11/2014

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