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Ashcroft International Business School

Postgraduate Major Project


Department: All AIBS Departments Module Codes: BC430998S BC445998S BC460998S

Academic Year: 2011/12 Semester/Trimester 1 :

Contents
1. Key information 2. Introduction 3. The major project process 4. Choosing a topic, issue, problem, or question 5. Using sources and referencing 6. The format and presentation of your major project 7. Criteria for assessing your major project 8. Characteristics of a postgraduate major project 9. Intended learning outcomes 10. Assessment 11. How will my work be assessed? 12. Assessment Offences 13. Feedback 14. Responsibilities of the student 15. Security 16. Learning resources 17. Module Definition Form Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4
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14 15 15-16 17-21 22 22 22 22-23 23 Postgraduate Major project Proposal Generic Assessment Criteria & Marking Standards Postgraduate Major project Assessment Form Supervisor Contact Log

1. Key Information
Module/Unit title: Postgraduate Major Project Leader: Postgraduate Major Project

Dr Andrew Armitage Chelmsford/MAB 301 Extension: 6846 Email: andrew.armitage@anglia.ac.uk

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ALL STUDENTS IN 2010/11


A very important change to the Academic Regulations which governs the assessment of all modules at Anglia Ruskin and its partner institutions has been introduced for all students with effect from the academic year 2010/11. Full details are in Section 10 of this module guide. Please make sure you read this section carefully. All modules delivered by Anglia Ruskin University at its main campuses in the UK and at partner institutions throughout the UK and overseas are governed by the Academic Regulations. You can view these at www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregs. A printed extract of the Academic Regulations, known as the Assessment Regulations, is available for every student from your Faculty Office (all new students will have received a copy as part of their welcome pack). In the unlikely event of any discrepancy between the Academic Regulations and any other publication, including this module guide, the Academic Regulations, as the definitive document, take precedence over all other publications and will be applied in all cases.

2. Introduction
In order to obtain a Masters degree you must prepare, submit, and pass a major project. Apart from this regulation requirement there are a number of reasons why the major project is a very important part of your studies. From the learning outcomes in the module definition forms (available on the VLE webpage) you will see that the major project is a demanding module. Perhaps a more attractive way of stating this is to say that it allows you an opportunity to demonstrate, at an advanced level, several important intellectual and practical skills. These skills are valued by employers and as the major project is your own work it is proof that you have mastered them. In fact, sometimes your major project will help you to obtain an interview or find the position you want. The major project is not a taught module and this means that the research and writing up of your findings is very much an individual effort that allows you to demonstrate both organisational and time management skills. You will have further honed your research skills and techniques and deepened your understanding of at least one major area of business and/or business related areas. Other high level skills which will be developed and improved include evaluation, synthesis, and critical thinking. Finally, a well-written major project enables you to demonstrate communication and presentation skills. You are advised to make yourself aware of the contents of the publication "Presentation and Submission of Projects and Major projects for Taught Higher Degrees" booklet before you

start your major project. You should read carefully the section on Formatting before you start any writing-up, as your major project will not be accepted if it doesn't comply with this section. Anglia Ruskin University regulations and guidelines do change from time to time. It is your responsibility to make sure that you are working to current regulations and guidelines so check that the Module Guide and Anglia Ruskin University publications you are using are up-to-date. If in doubt consult your supervisor and/or Postgraduate Major project Tutor.

3. The Major project Process


There are a number of formal processes associated with the major project. Registering your major project topic - this must be done on the Major project Proposal Form (appendix 1) by the published date. Wherever possible you should include an outline proposal as well as the title but we appreciate, in some cases, you cannot do this until you have consulted your supervisor. It is important that you submit this form on time, to the relevant Faculty office, as you will not be allocated a supervisor until it is submitted. You may indicate a preferred supervisor on the form but we cannot guarantee you will be allocated the preferred supervisor as a holistic view of staffing is taken in the Business School. Please do not approach staff to ask if they can supervisor your major project, the course leader assigns supervisors. Allocating your supervisor - after you have completed and submitted your Major project Proposal Form you will be allocated a supervisor. This will be done by your Programme Leader. One of the roles of the Programme Leader is to utilise the staff resource in the Business School as effectively and efficiently as possible. The Programme Leader will also endeavour to match your topic to staff expertise. Meeting your supervisor - you are strongly advised to meet your supervisor as soon as possible. The supervisor will be sent a copy of your proposal. Thereafter, you should meet regularly with your supervisor to discuss progress, resolve any problems you may have, etc. It is your responsibility to make and keep the appointments. If you have any problems in making appointments then please inform your Programme Leader immediately. Sometimes face-to-face meetings are not possible. In this case other means of communication, such as email, may be appropriate. Recording your meetings - you must keep a record of your meetings with your supervisor on the Contact Log Sheet (appendix 4) and the completed CLS must be put with your major project when handing in. Submitting your major project - you must submit two comb-bound copy of your major project to the Student Information Centre (Mel 002) on or before the submission date. You will know this date by the time you commence stage three of your programme. If you think you have a good reason for a later submission you must ask for an extension (maximum 10 days). Only the Student Advisor can give you permission. Do not ask for an extension at the "last minute". A copy of the extension form must be submitted to the faculty office. Please make sure you are familiar with University policy on extensions. You must also submit 2 separate copies of the abstract along with two copies of the assessment form (appendix 3) and an electronic copy of the major project on CD/USB.

4. Choosing a Topic, Issue, Problem or Question


You choose your own topic but it has to be approved. You can choose a similar topic to which may have been assessed for another module as long as it does not cover identical ground. As a start, remind yourself that a major project is much more than just a simple descriptive account of some aspect of your course. Very often the success of your major project is determined by how successful you are in finding a good issue to pursue, a problem to investigate, a question to answer, and so on. Unless you are successful here you may be unable to develop a coherent and well argued major project. This first stage can be difficult so don't be afraid to spend some time on it. You may come up with a fairly broad topic but it will have to have a focus. Even at the broad topic stage you will have to ask yourself whether it is likely to be viable. You should also try to come up with a topic you are interested in personally, as a large amount of your time will be spent on background reading, fieldwork and/or other types of research, and finally writing up your research. If you are interested in your question, etc., then all this activity is likely to be a source of pleasure rather than an onerous and pointless burden. The activity associated with choosing the topic, problem, etc., should be done before you submit your Major project Proposal Form. Sometimes, even after much hard work, it may be difficult to come up with a focused topic, but please note that a broad general area may not be acceptable. You are advised to seek some specialist help before submitting your proposal if you run into difficulties. You are strongly advised to spend a good deal of time on choosing your topic. You will probably find it helpful to discuss possibilities with other students, and try out an initial literature search in areas you are considering. Even something quite simple such as writing out the nature of the problem or topic can be helpful at this stage. You are allowed to modify your topic, research question, etc., (and any necessary changes to your methodology) if you experience problems with your original intentions, your research throws up better and more interesting possibilities, and so on. Very occasionally, you may have to abandon your topic and change to something completely different but this is regarded as being exceptional.

5. Using Sources and Referencing


Do not forget that a major project depends crucially on source material. From the assessment criteria listed in a later section of this document you will see that you will be evaluated on the way you use your sources. Thus, before you finalise your topic and title, make sure that adequate and appropriate sources are available. This is particularly important if empirical research is a part of your major project. For instance, response rates to student questionnaires are often poor and/or slow. Your major project may depend mainly on primary sources such as surveys, interviews, statistics, etc. Many major projects depend more on secondary sources such as books, articles, and the internet. As you can see from the assessment criteria below, supervisors will look for evidence that you have located a good selection of appropriate sources and understood them.

Make sure that you have acknowledged these sources. If you don't this will be viewed as passing off other peoples words and ideas as your own, ie. cheating, and you will be penalised for this dishonesty. Good references are an indication that you have found and used available sources and this will be taken into account when your major project is marked. As all quotations and paraphrases must be acknowledged this means that you will need to keep careful records of your research and reading. The use of references can cause difficulties. You must use the Harvard System of Referencing. The essence of this system is that whenever you quote from a primary or secondary source you add in brackets, immediately after the quotation, the surname of the author, the year of publication, and the page reference The referencing system outlined can be found at the following website: http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/subjects/reference/harvard.php Example of Harvard referencing Carter persisted with the responsible import based recovery programme, hoping that the Germans and Japanese would ultimately follow their example. As a consequence of this policy the US trade deficit increased from $9.5 billion in 1976 to $31.1 billion in 1977 (Stein 1998, p159). (Stein 1998, p159) would appear after a direct quotation, or as in this case, the presentation of an idea. Direct quotes of more than 30 words or so should be indented on either side. Example: In my view, and notwithstanding some of the really important theoretical insights and results that the concept has generated, there are problems in trying to apply the concept of utility that have not had the attention they deserve. However, economists are now beginning to take more interest in the extent to which psychological evidence can inform the development of economic models. (Anand, 2006, p223) All books etc. you have cited in the text are listed in a reference list at the end of the major project in alphabetical order: author, initials, date, title, place of publication, publisher. Stein would thus appear as: Stein, J (1998) The Locomotive Loses Power: The Trade and Industrial Policies of Jimmy Carter; in Fink, G & Graham, HD (eds) The Carter Presidency: Policy Choices in the Post New-Deal Era, Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. Note that this is a chapter in a publication edited by someone else. The full volume also needs to be cited thus: Fink, G & Graham, HD (1998) The Carter Presidency: Policy Choices in the Post New-Deal Era, Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. Note the use of italics in these two examples. italicised. It is always the title of the book that is

All books etc. you have cited in the text are listed in a bibliography at the end of the major project in alphabetical order: author, initials, title, publisher, date. Mansfield would appear as: Mansfield, E.; Microeconomics: Theory & Applications, Norton and Company, 1995 If there is more than one book, journal article etc. by the same author your references will normally be distinguished by the year of publication. If the author has published more than one work in the same year, show them as 1992a, 1992b etc. Ensure that your document is spell-checked and pay particular attention to grammatical and punctuation errors.

Good scholarship, referencing and academic misconduct


In your project, as with all academic work you will be expected to demonstrate a high standard of academic referencing. To recap, this is for three reasons: 1 2 3 To show the breadth and depth of research you have carried out (e.g. get good marks!) To enable the reader to follow up on interesting ideas/research that you have discussed To avoid being accused o plagiarism.

As a level 3 student you should know all of the following information, but experience tells us that it is useful to include a re-cap. What is good scholarship? Academics (including you!) are engaged in the generation of new knowledge and insights that contribute to what we already know about the natural, supernatural and social world this is called scholarship. Good scholarship is the result of conventions that help the readers of academic research to see exactly what is new, what is the work of others and how it all fits together the main way this is done is through the referencing system. Put simply, authors (including you) need to make it clear what are not their own new ideas, by adding a citation after every idea or set of ideas they write about that are not their own. There are several different ways of doing this that have evolved from different academic disciplines (just as there are lots of different world languages). In the Business School we use the Harvard Referencing System. An excellent resource about referencing can also be found at the following website: http://www.learnhigher.org.uk/site/index.php We suggest that you select in depth mode from the drop-down menu on the bottom left of the page.

What do I reference?
As the above section suggests, you should attribute all your sources regardless of the medium the material comes in (e.g. You Tube video, journal article, blog, radio programme, book chapter etc.) There is a general rule of thumb that says that which is common knowledge does not need to be referenced, but of course, what counts as common knowledge? So-called common sense hides many assertions and prejudices that good quality academic work should seek to expose. A useful technique to use if you want to include general assertions is to use constructions like:

It is generally accepted that or, Arguably, or It is reasonable to assume But do take care, even assertions need some justification in the text to be credible. It is also a good idea to completely avoid cutting and pasting text from the internet, even if you correctly enclose a paragraph in quotation marks and add the reference underneath, you are unlikely to get many marks since this is not your own work and does not demonstrate your understanding. Quotations are good to see, but use them judiciously for the above reasons. If you can say it just as well yourself, write it in your own words and add the citation at the end of the sentence / passage. You need to include page numbers for all direct quotations. A useful reference, particularly with regard to referencing new electronic sources is at the following: http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/subjects/reference/citation.php

6. The Format and Presentation of Your Major project


Your major project must be written in English in typescript form on A4 paper. Your name must not appear on the major project. One copy of the major project should be submitted. It is advisable to retain a copy for your own records. Please note submitted major projects will only be returned in cases of failure. The maximum length of the major project is 20,000 words (45 credits). Note The maximum number of words does not include footnotes, the abstract, the bibliography, indented quotations, appendices and tables. When you submit the copy of your major project you may be asked to submit, either on disk, using Word, or in manuscript, your working papers which have formed the basis of your major project; for example, copies of articles, working notes and summaries, completed questionnaires and tapes or notes of interviews. These may provide the basis for a viva voce should that be necessary. These will be returned to you after the assessment process is complete. The cover sheet of the major project must include the following declaration: 'I declare that the above work is my own and that the material contained herein has not been substantially used in any other submission for an academic award'. The major project must be prefaced by an abstract. This is not an introduction but a summary which outlines the plan and argument of the major project. It should include brief details of the methodology employed. The abstract should not be longer than 300 words. It should be included immediately after the title page and it will be examined as part of the major project. A list of contents, such as the glossary, chapters, and appendices - with page references should be included at the front of the major project.

Pages should be numbered and double-line spacing used. Diagrams, figures, tables, and illustrations should be incorporated into the text at the appropriate place, unless there is a series of them or they are continually referred to throughout the text. In this case they should be placed in appendices at the end of the work. You are advised to use a drawing package for diagrams and scan in other illustrations. The work of other authorities must be acknowledged. When quotations or general references are made they must be suitably referenced by using the Harvard system. Appendices should not contain material which is not used or referred to in the text. Similarly, illustrative material should not be included unless it is relevant, informative, and referred to in the text. A bibliography should be included at the end of the major project and should list, alphabetically, all the sources (including magazines and newspapers) that you have consulted. Books should be listed as: Author (surname then initials); title, edition, publisher, date. Other sources such as journals, magazines, and newspapers should be treated in a similar fashion. If sources are used which are not written in English then the English translation is required in the bibliography. You should also submit a copy of your major project on CD ROM or USB. This will be used to help verify the sources you have used. Your major project should be presented as follows, ALL major projects should include the following (but they may include more): Plastic Front Cover White Card Cover Disclaimer Page Abstract Set out on a page of its own immediately after the title page. The abstract is likely to be the last section to be written. It is a short (300 words maximum.) summary of the project (not an introduction) and should indicate the nature and scope of the work, outlining the research problem, key issues, findings and your conclusion/recommendations. Table of Contents An outline of the whole project in list form, setting out the order of the sections, with page numbers. It is conventional to number the preliminary pages (abstract, table of contents) with lower case Roman numerals (i.e. (i), (ii), (iii) etc.) and the main text pages (starting with the first chapter) in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) as shown below.

Contents
List of Tables List of Figures List of Abbreviations Acknowledgements Chapter 1 (Title) 1.1 (First Section heading)

Page
i ii iii iv 1

1.2 (Second etc.) 1.3 (Third)

List of tables and figures


You can present a list at the beginning of your major project/ project of the tables and figures you have included. A table is a presentation of data in tabular form; a figure is a diagrammatic representation of data or other material. Tables and figures should be clearly and consistently numbered, either above or below the table or figure. Each table and figure should have a separate heading (caption). The reader should be able to understand what the table or figure is about from this heading / caption without referring to the text for explanations. The numbers of the tables and the figures you use in the text and in the lists at the beginning should correspond exactly. Main body of document, appropriately structured (this structure may vary depending on the nature of your major project.) Bibliography / References Appendices (these should only contain material which is genuinely supportive of the argument in the main body of the major project). Supervisor Contact Log (completed) White Card Back Black Comb Binding Do remember that clear writing makes a good impression. If your grammar is poor, sentence construction clumsy, and spelling bad, then your communication with the reader will also be affected. You will not be penalised for poor English unless it is so bad that the meaning of what you have written cannot be understood. You are required to use the following format: Use A4 size paper only. Type doublespaced. (You may want to use single spacing for indented quotes, footnote materials and the bibliography). Use one side of paper only. Margins should be approximately: o 3 cms on left hand side of page to allow for binding. o At least 1 cm on the right hand side o 3 cms top and bottom. Pages should be numbered in a single sequence from the contents page onwards. Short quotations can run in the text within single quotation marks (double quotation marks reserved for quotations within quotations). Quotations longer than about 30 words should be set in from the side of the page (normally the indent should be more than the paragraph indent). Always write in complete sentences. Do not resort to note form. Do not use abbreviations in the text unless they are for the organisations documents etc which are commonly initialised or referred to by acronyms eg. BBC

All abbreviations must be explained when they first appear and included in the front of the document following the contents page and the list of tables and figures.

Your documents must be bound using a plastic or metal comb binding. The cover should be plain except for the title and the authors SID number. Reprographics will copy and bind your work. There is a charge for this service.

Forms of Major project


The final form your major project takes will depend on the topic and the approach you take for the presentation of the data. Two examples are: Example A Chapter 1 - Introduction An explanation as to what the Major project is all about and why it is important. The research questions or hypotheses. Chapter 2 - Literature Review A critical analysis of what other researchers have said and where your topic fits in. The theoretical framework. Chapter 3 - Methodology Why certain data was collected and how it was collected and analysed. Chapter 4 - Results A presentation of your research results. Chapter 5 - Analysis and Discussion Analysis of your results showing the contribution to knowledge you have made and acknowledgement of any weaknesses/limitations in your work. Chapter 6 - Conclusions/Recommendations A description of the main lessons to be learned from the study and what future research could be carried out. Chapter 7 - References and Bibliography References are a detailed list of sources from which information has been obtained and which has been cited in the text. The bibliography is a detailed list of other sources you have used but not cited. Appendices - Detailed data referred to but not shown elsewhere. Example B You may wish to elect to write a descriptive type of major project that looks for patterns, ideas and hypotheses. If you do the quality of the major project will depend on: How thoroughly the issues are covered. How closely the facts relate to the original research question. Whether the data collected provides valuable and new information that is a contribution to knowledge. Whether the research could be built upon by future writers. The extent to which creativity has been used in building the narrative.

NB - This approach is not an extended essay, but evidence of critical reflection and analysis. The two forms of major project outlined above are given as an indication of possible formats. It is possible that your major project may require a different approach or modification to the above possibilities in presentation and content. Both presentation and content should be discussed with your Major project Supervisor at an early stage.

Remember, study at Master's level encourages innovative application of research principles to academic work.

7. Criteria for Assessing Your Major project


The criteria for assessing your major project are shown OR the Postgraduate Major project Assessment Criteria Form that is included as Appendix 3 in this document. They are: Introduction Is the abstract adequate? Is there a clear purpose and rationale for the study? Clear set of objectives / research questions? Research Design & Methodology Was research design and methodology discussed? Was the approach appropriate? Use of Literature / Sources Was the range suitable and adequate? Has a critical review of the literature been adopted? Has the student made a link between existing literature and their own research? Results, analysis and interpretation of data Has the data been accurately presented and analysed or are the findings merely a description? Appropriate theory applied? Interpretation Has the student made reasoned judgements on their findings? Conclusion & recommendations Are conclusions reasoned? Do they correspond with the objective(s) of the major project? Has the student reflected on the extent they have achieved their objectives? Was limitations and future research discussed? Presentation - structure & language, Harvard Referencing correctly applied, appropriate use of tables/diagrams

8. Characteristics of a Postgraduate Major project


You will have gained some idea of what is required in a postgraduate major project from the learning outcomes of the module and from the assessment criteria above. In general terms we expect an emphasis on the critical literature review and an in-depth understanding of theory and methodology. Specifically, Methodology - you will be expected to critically review the theoretical, empirical, and methodology literature. The theory should be comprehensively discussed and understood, and paradigms of inquiry and different methodologies should be explored. You should show awareness of the soundness of the methodology you use and its rationale. Problem formulation - you will need to be precise and rigorous about the problem formulation and the setting of objectives. Relevance and originality in the choice of topic is also important. Content and Analysis - your major project should clearly meet stated objectives and indicate the extent that arguments are based on valid and reliable evidence, and identified and worked within a critically analysed theoretical framework. Evaluation of Implications - the evaluation of the implications in the major project, based upon the analysis undertaken and upon any data collected, should be of high quality and aim for originality.

Presentation - your major project should be well-structured in terms of both paragraphs and chapters. There should be attention to detail, expression should be clear, the title appropriate, and arguments coherent. Any appendices (and you are encouraged to keep these to a minimum) should be used. The same applies to references and the bibliography. Tables and diagrams should be of a high standard and make use of appropriate software.

9. Intended Learning Outcomes


Learning outcomes (threshold standards) No. 1 Type Knowledge and understanding On successful completion of this module the student will be expected to be able to: With reference to a chosen significant and complex area for enquiry establish a method for investigation / exploration of key concepts, models and principles. (University outcome) Critically evaluate complex issues from a variety of viewpoints Develop effective arguments to support relevant conclusions Critically justify and rigorously apply appropriate methodologies, techniques and practical strategies; being sensitive to the context. (University outcome) Where appropriate formulate solutions to business or management problems in discussion with peers, clients, mentors and others. Reflect critically on the process and outcomes of the investigation/ enquiry.

2 3 4

Knowledge and understanding Knowledge and understanding Intellectual, practical, affective and transferable skills Intellectual, practical, affective and transferable skills Intellectual, practical, affective and transferable skills

Anglia Ruskin modules are taught on the basis of intended learning outcomes and that, on successful completion of the module, students will be expected to be able to demonstrate they have met those outcomes.

10. Assessment
IMPORTANT CHANGE TO ACADEMIC REGULATIONS IN 2010/11 PLEASE READ CAREFULLY For all modules delivered from July 2010 onwards, the following regulations apply in all locations and to all students. The important change to the assessment process (ie: different from previous academic years) is highlighted in point (d) below: a) You must undertake all assessment tasks which form part of the module (eg: submit all coursework assignments by the appropriate deadline and/or attend all presentations/examinations on the appropriate date etc.). If there is a valid reason for you not being able to complete any assessed work, you must either seek an extension from your Student Adviser or submit a claim for mitigation (see www.anglia.ac.uk/mitigation for more information). If you undertake all assessment tasks which form part of the module but you do not pass the module, you will be allowed one further attempt to undertake some or all of the assessment tasks (ie: resit) in order to pass the module. If you do not undertake one or more of the required assessment tasks which form part of the module (eg: you simply do not attend an examination or do not submit a coursework assignment on time etc.) AND this is not explained by a successful claim for mitigation, you will NOT be allowed any further attempt at assessment in the module and are deemed to have failed the module completely.

b)

c)

d)

11. How will my work be assessed?


All major projects or projects are marked first by your supervisor and then by a second marker. In addition, a sample of major projects will be sent to an External Assessor. Major projects are graded using the criteria set out on the major project assessment form (see Appendix 3). A Viva may be held if examiners feel unable to reach a final decision on a mark, based on the written work submitted. A Viva may also be held if a student is suspected of plagiarism. All coursework assignments and other forms of assessment must be submitted by the published deadline which is detailed above. It is your responsibility to know when work is due to be submitted ignorance of the deadline date will not be accepted as a reason for late or non-submission. All student work which contributes to the eventual outcome of the module (ie: if it determines whether you will pass or fail the module and counts towards the mark you achieve for the module) is submitted via the iCentre using the formal submission sheet. Academic staff CANNOT accept work directly from you. If you decide to submit your work to the iCentre by post, it must arrive by midday on the due date. If you elect to post your work, you do so at your own risk and you must ensure that

sufficient time is provided for your work to arrive at the iCentre. Posting your work the day before a deadline, albeit by first class post, is extremely risky and not advised. Any late work (submitted in person or by post) will NOT be accepted and a mark of zero will be awarded for the assessment task in question. You are requested to keep a copy of your work. Feedback You are entitled to written feedback on your performance for all your assessed work. For all assessment tasks which are not examinations, this is provided by a member of academic staff completing the assignment coversheet on which your mark and feedback will relate to the achievement of the modules intended learning outcomes and the assessment criteria you were given for the task when it was first issued. Examination scripts are retained by Anglia Ruskin and are not returned to students. However, you are entitled to feedback on your performance in an examination and may request a meeting with the Module Leader or Tutor to see your examination script and to discuss your performance. Anglia Ruskin is committed to providing you with feedback on all assessed work within 20 working days of the submission deadline or the date of an examination. This is extended to 30 days for feedback for a Major Project module (please note that working days excludes those days when Anglia Ruskin University is officially closed; eg: between Christmas and New Year). Personal tutors will offer to read feedback from several modules and help you to address any common themes that may be emerging. At the main Anglia Ruskin University campuses, each Faculty will publish details of the arrangement for the return of your assessed work (eg: a marked essay or case study etc.). Any work which is not collected by you from the Faculty within this timeframe is returned to the iCentres from where you can subsequently collect it. The iCentres retain student work for a specified period prior to its disposal. To assure ourselves that our marking processes are comparable with other universities in the UK, Anglia Ruskin provides samples of student assessed work to external examiners as a routine part of our marking processes. External examiners are experienced academic staff from other universities who scrutinise your work and provide Anglia Ruskin academic staff with feedback and advice. Many of Anglia Ruskins staff act as external examiners at other universities. On occasion, you will receive feedback and marks for pieces of work that you completed in the earlier stages of the module. We provide you with this feedback as part of the learning experience and to help you prepare for other assessment tasks that you have still to complete. It is important to note that, in these cases, the marks for these pieces of work are unconfirmed as the processes described above for the use of external examiners will not have been completed. This means that, potentially, marks can change, in either direction! Marks for modules and individual pieces of work become confirmed on the Dates for the Official Publication of Results which can be checked at www.anglia.ac.uk/results.

12. Assessment Offences


You are reminded that any work that you submit must be your own. All suspected assessment offences will be investigated and can result in severe penalties. Please note that it is your responsibility to consult the relevant sections of the Academic Regulations (section 10 see www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregs) and the Student Handbook. When you are preparing your work for submission, it is important that you understand the various academic conventions that you are expected to follow in order to make sure that you do not leave yourself open to accusations of plagiarism (eg: the correct use of referencing, citations, footnotes etc.) and that your work maintains its academic integrity. Plagiarism is theft and constitutes the presentation of anothers work as your own in order to gain an unfair advantage. You will receive advice and guidance on how to avoid plagiarism and other elements of poor academic practice during the early stages of your studies at Anglia Ruskin. Guidance on being honest in your work Introduction Being honest in your work is at the heart of studying and working at university. To be honest in your work you must acknowledge the ideas and work of others you use, and you must not try to get an advantage over others by being dishonest. It is important that you understand what it means to be honest in your work. Although there is general agreement within the UK academic community about the types of activity that are unacceptable, this does vary slightly between institutions, and may be different from where you studied before. We have developed this guidance to help you understand what it means to be honest in your work, and what you should do to make sure that you are handing in work that meets our expectations. This means we can make sure that we can maintain reliable standards for our academic awards, and students continue to enjoy studying for academic qualifications that have a good reputation. In this guidance we will: clearly define what being honest in your work and good practice mean, and how you can achieve this; define assessment offences, including plagiarism, cheating and collusion; identify the resources, help and advice available to help you learn the academic skills you need to avoid committing assessment offences; explain how we expect you to behave; and describe what happens if we think you have committed an assessment offence.

Being honest in your work and good practice You can show good practice when you do your work independently, honestly and in a proper academic style, using good referencing and acknowledging all of your sources. To show good academic practice you must:

show you understand the literature; use research from academics and others in your area of study; discuss and evaluate ideas and theories; develop your own independent evaluation of academic issues; and develop your own arguments.

To support your own good practice you will need to develop your:

skills at studying and getting information (for example, reading, taking notes, research and so on); skills in looking at an argument and making your own evaluation (for example, having a balanced opinion, using reasoning and argument); writing skills for essays, reports, major projects and so on; referencing skills (how you include your sources of information in your work); and exam techniques (for example, revising and timing).

Achieving good practice is not as complicated as it may appear. You need to do the following.

Know the rules. Make sure you reference all of your information sources. Poor practice or dishonesty in your work (such as plagiarism, cheating, fraud and so on) can be a result of you not knowing what you are allowed to do. Develop your own style. Sometimes students include too much original text from the work of others, as they believe that they cannot put it any better. Although you should try to express ideas in your own words, quoting or summing up ideas from academic sources is fine, as long as you say where you have taken this from. You must also reference other peoples performances or art in your own work. It fine to use other peoples performances and art, but you must be completely clear about why you are using that work, and make sure it is obvious that it isnt your own.

Definitions of assessment offences Plagiarism Plagiarism is when you present someone elses work, words, images, ideas, opinions or discoveries, whether published or not, as your own. It is also when you take the artwork, images or computer-generated work of others, without properly acknowledging where this is from or you do this without their permission. You can commit plagiarism in examinations, but is most likely to happen in coursework, assignments, portfolios, essays, major projects and so on. Examples of plagiarism include: directly copying from written work, physical work, performances, recorded work or images, without saying where this is from; using information from the internet or electronic media (such as DVDs and CDs) which belongs to someone else, and presenting it as your own; rewording someone elses work, without referencing them; and handing in something for assessment which has been produced by another student or person.

It is important that you do not plagiarise intentionally or unintentionally because the work of others and their ideas are their own. There are benefits to producing original ideas in terms of awards, prizes, qualifications, reputation and so on. To use someone elses work, words, images, ideas or discoveries is a form of theft.

Collusion Collusion is similar to plagiarism as it is an attempt to present anothers work as your own. In plagiarism the original owner of the work is not aware you are using it, in collusion two or more people may be involved in trying to produce one piece of work to benefit one individual, or plagiarising another persons work. Examples of collusion include: agreeing with others to cheat; getting someone else to produce part or all of your work; copying the work of another person (with their permission); submitting work from essay banks; paying someone to produce work for you; and allowing another student to copy your own work.

Many parts of university life need students to work together. Working as a team, as directed by your tutor, and producing group work is not collusion. Collusion only happens if you produce joint work to benefit of one or more person and try to deceive another (for example the assessor). Cheating Cheating is when someone aims to get unfair advantage over others. Examples of cheating include: taking unauthorised material into the examination room; inventing results (including experiments, research, interviews and observations); handing your own previously graded work back in; getting an examination paper before it is released; behaving in a way that means other students perform poorly; pretending to be another student; and trying to bribe members of staff or examiners.

Help to avoid assessment offences Most of our students are honest and want to avoid making assessment offences. We have a variety of resources, advice and guidance available to help make sure you can develop good academic skills. We will make sure that we make available consistent statements about what we expect in this document, and in student handbooks and module guides. You will be able to do tutorials on being honest in your work from the library and other central support services and faculties, and you will be able to test your written work for plagiarism using TurnitinUK (a software package that detects plagiarism). You can get advice on how to honestly use the work of others in your own work from the library website (www.libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/referencing.htm) and your lecturer and personal tutor. You will have an opportunity to do a formative assignment before you finish and hand in your first summative assignment. A formative assignment is one in which you can talk about your work thoroughly with your tutor to make sure that you are working at the correct

level for your award, and that you understand what is meant by good practice (a summative assignment counts towards the assessment for your course). You will be able to use TurnitinUK, a special software package which is used to detect plagiarism. TurnitinUK will produce a report which clearly shows if passages in your work have been taken from somewhere else. You may talk about this with your personal tutor to see where you may need to improve your academic practice. We will not see these formative TurnitinUK reports as assessment offences. If you are not sure whether the way you are working meets our requirements, you should talk to your personal tutor. They will be able to help you and tell you about other resources which will help you develop your academic skills. What we expect from you We will make sure you have the chance to practice your academic skills and avoid accidentally breaking our Academic Regulations. On page nine of the Student Charter (see http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/students/pdfs/09_student_charter.pdf), it says you have to be aware of the academic rules relating to your studies. To make sure that you are aware of the rules, we expect you to agree to: read this guidance and make sure you thoroughly understand it; work through PILOT, the online tutorial available on our library website (http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/pilot/), which aims to help you learn good practice and has a useful section on plagiarism; make sure that you are familiar with how to reference (acknowledge other peoples work); correctly reference all the sources for the information you have included in your work; identify information you have downloaded from the internet; never use someone elses ideas for a performance, film or TV programme, their artwork, graphics (including graphs, spreadsheets and so on and information from the internet) as if they are yours; only hand in your own original work; never use another persons work as if it were your own; and never let other students use or copy your work.

What we will do for you To help you avoid making assessment offences, our staff will: make sure they are familiar with the guidance on being honest in your work and the Academic Regulations; tell you clearly about the guidance on being honest in your work and any guidelines on misconduct, and record the dates for future reference; arrange library information sessions for you; promote the resources on the library website and put links to them in module guides and student handbooks; include statements on academic honesty in each module guide, making sure they are consistent throughout our university; make you aware of the punishments for misconduct early in the course; give you effective guidance on how you should acknowledge the information you have used;

tell you, in writing if possible, how far you may work with other students in your coursework; plan procedures for assessing work in a way that reduces plagiarism, cheating and collusion; be aware that you may have worked differently in the past and make sure that you are aware of good practice in the UK; familiarise themselves with TurnitinUK and its reports; and report all suspected misconduct using the proper disciplinary procedures.

Procedures for assessment offences An assessment offence is the general term used to define cases where a student has tried to get unfair academic advantage in an assessment for themselves or another student. We will aim to give you as much help as possible to avoid an assessment offence. We listed a number of possible assessment offences earlier in the document. These and any relevant breaks of the Academic Regulations are dishonest, unacceptable and not allowed. We will fully investigate all cases of suspected assessment offences. If we prove that you have committed an assessment offence, we will take action against you using our disciplinary procedures. For full details of what punishments you may receive for assessment offences, see the Academic Regulations, section 10 at: www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregs And finally One of the main aims of university is to give you the ability to learn, have independent judgment, academic rigour and intellectual honesty. You should encourage people to ask questions, to show personal and professional honesty, and have mutual respect. You, university teachers and support staff are responsible for working together to achieve this aim. References Adapted from Scott, M, (2000), Academic Misconduct Policy. A model for the FE Sector. (Copyright _ Association of Colleges 2000) More information Academic Regulations, section 10 (www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregs) PILOT, the online tutorial in academic practice (www.libweb.anglia.ac.uk/pilot/ ) Referencing procedures (http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/referencing.htm) RefWorks, a bibliographic management service that allows you to create a personal database and collect bibliographies in a variety of styles (www.libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/refworks.htm) The Student Charter (http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/students/pdfs/09_student_charter.pdf)

13. Feedback
A completed Report Form for the major project will be sent to you. The major project remains the property of Anglia Ruskin University and will not be returned to you. You should therefore make an additional copy for your own use.

14. Responsibilities of the Student


It is your responsibility to prepare and present your major project by the deadline given. Failure to submit by that date will result in the major project being assessed as a FAIL. There will be NO EXTENSIONS allowed except in highly exceptional circumstances agreed by the Student Adviser. You should also be aware that you are responsible for: Submitting an initial synopsis (outline of your topic and title) by the specified date. Submitting a proposed timetable of work and research by the specified date. Building a substantial contingency into your timetable to allow for unforeseen and unexpected problems. Undertaking the necessary research. Ensuring that your Supervisor is kept informed of your progress. Ensuring that all progress reports, drafts etc are submitted to your Supervisor by the specified date. Arranging for the major project to be presented according to the guidelines given in this guide.

15. Security
As your work for the major project is of great importance, you should keep copies of all relevant material to guard against loss. It is advisable to have back-up copies of any disks on which you have stored information.

16. Learning Resources


Recommended Reading: Wilson, J. (2010), Essentials of business research: a guide to doing your research project, London: Sage Publications. Bell, J. (2010), Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers in education, health and social science, Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill. Burnett, J. (2009), Doing your social science major project, London: Sage Publications. Fisher, C.M. (2010), Researching and writing a major project: an essential guide for business students, Harlow: Prentice Hall. OLeary, Z. (2009), The essential guide to doing your research project, London: Sage Publications. White B (2000), Major project Skills for Business and Management Students, Cassell.

Recommended Internet Resources Your supervisor may be able to recommend internet resources of particular relevance to your area of research. Other Resources Use of a copyright library (letters will be provided by the Project supervisor to enable students to access a copyright library). Anglia Ruskin Digital Library: http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/diglib.htm
Link to the University Library catalogue and Digital Library http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/ Link to Harvard Referencing guide http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm

Faculty Liaison Librarians AIBS Diana Garfield (diana.garfield@anglia.ac.uk) extn 3192

Specialist Learning Resources


None.

17. Module Definition Form


Please access the VLE/web environment in order to view the MDF for this module.

Appendix 1 POSTGRADUATE MAJOR PROJECT PROPOSAL


Student Name: Student Number:

Degree Programme:

Managing Field:

Major project to be submitted: April/June/November (delete as appropriate) Area of Major project - This must be a minimum of 2-3 paragraphs and include an overview of the research topic, along with aims and objectives. An additional page can be attached if required.

Please tick the most appropriate subject area for your Major project (one box only) Accounting and Finance Business Economics Organisational Behaviour HRM

Business Decision Making Corporate Strategy Marketing Information Technology

Signature of Student:

Date:

Please hand this form into the Faculty Office and you will be allocated a Supervisor. Lists of allocations will be posted on the general notice board to the right of COS009.

Office Use Only


Proposed Major project Supervisor:

Appendix 2. Generic Assessment Criteria and Marking Standards


ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY GENERIC ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND MARKING STANDARDS LEVEL 4

Assessment criteria by level Generic Learning Outcomes


(Academic Regulations, Section 2)

70%+
Achieves module outcome/s related to this GLO at this Level of Study DISTINCTION As MERIT but showing independence of thought, a high level of intellectual rigour and consistency.

60-69%

Marking standards (by mark band) 50-59% 40-49%


Achieves module outcome/s related to this GLO at this Level of Study PASS Satisfactory knowledge of key issues/ concepts/ ethics in discipline. Descriptive in parts but some ability to synthesise scholarship and argument. Minor lapses in use of scholarly conventions Achieves a marginal pass in the module outcome/s related to this GLO at this Level of Study PASS Basic knowledge of key issues/ concepts/ ethics in discipline. Largely descriptive, with restricted synthesis of existing scholarship and little argument. Use of scholarly conventions inconsistent. PASS Basic knowledge of key issues/ concepts/ ethics in discipline. Largely descriptive, with restricted synthesis of existing scholarship and little argument. Use of scholarly conventions inconsistent.

30-39%
Fails marginally to achieve module outcome/s related to this GLO Limited information base, understanding or research skills in discipline.

1-29%
Fails to achieve module outcome/s related to this GLO Inadequate information base. Lack of understanding of key issues and/or research skills in discipline.

Characteristics of student achievement per mark band

Achieves module outcome/s related to this GLO at this Level of Study MERIT Good analysis of key issues/ Concepts/ethics. Development of conceptual structures and argument making consistent use of scholarly conventions.

Intellectual (thinking), Practical, Skills

UnderstandingKnowledge and

Level 4 (FHEQ level 7) is characterised by an expectation of students expertise in their specialism. Students are semi-autonomous, demonstrating independence in the negotiation of assessment tasks (including the major project) and the ability to evaluate, challenge, modify and develop theory and practice. Students are expected to demonstrate an ability to isolate and focus on the significant features of problems and to offer synthetic and coherent solutions, with some students producing original or innovative work in their specialism that is worthy of publication or public performance or display.

A mark of 0% may be awarded for non-submission, poor or dangerous practice, incoherent and insufficient work, and in situations where the student fails to address the assignment brief and related learning

Affective and Transferable

Level 4 (FHEQ level 7) is characterised by an expectation of students expertise in their specialism. Students are semi-autonomous, demonstrating independence in the negotiation of assessment tasks (including the major project) and the ability to evaluate, challenge, modify and develop theory and practice. Students are expected to demonstrate an ability to isolate and focus on the significant features of problems and to offer synthetic and coherent solutions, with some students producing original or innovative work in their specialism that is worthy of publication or public performance or display.

DISTINCTION As MERIT but excellent research skills, independence of thought, a high level of intellectual rigour and consistency, excellent expressive/professional skills, and considerable creativity and originality. Excellent academic/intellectual skills, and considerable creativity and originality

MERIT Good analysis of key issues/ Concepts/ethics. Development of conceptual structures and argument, making consistent use of scholarly conventions.

PASS Satisfactory knowledge of key issues/ concepts/ ethics in discipline. Descriptive in parts but some ability to synthesise scholarship and argument. Minor lapses in use of scholarly conventions

Limited research skills impede use of learning resources and problem solving. Major problems with structure/ accuracy in expression. Team/ Practical /professional skills not yet secure. Weak academic/ intellectual skills. Inconsistent use of scholarly conventions

Inadequate research skills prevent use of learning resources and problem solving. Major problems with structure/ accuracy in expression. Very weak academic/ intellectual skills. Ignorance of scholarly conventions Very weak team/ practical /professional skills

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APPENDIX 3: ASHCROFT INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL, POSTGRADUATE MAJOR PROJECT ASSESSMENT FORM Student Number: Major project Title:

First Marker: Second Marker: Marking Criteria Introduction Is the abstract adequate? Is there a clear purpose and rationale for the study? Clear set of objectives / research questions? Research Design & Methodology Was research design and methodology discussed? Was the approach appropriate? Use of Literature / Sources Was the range suitable and adequate? Has a critical review of the literature been adopted? Has the student made a link between existing literature and their own research? Results, analysis and interpretation of data Has the data been accurately presented and analysed or are the findings merely a description? Appropriate theory applied? Interpretation Has the student made reasoned judgments on their findings? Conclusion & recommendations Are conclusions reasoned? Do they correspond with the objective(s) of the major project? Has the student reflected on the extent they have achieved their objectives? Limitations and future research discussed? Presentation - structure & language, Harvard Referencing correctly applied, appropriate use of tables/diagrams?

Suggested Mark: Suggested Mark: Comments

% % Agreed Mark: Mark % Weight 0.1 %


Weighted Mark

0.2

0.2

0.3

0.1

0.1

TOTAL:
Marks under each heading should be given careful consideration. If the default weight is inappropriate please indicate a new weight and explain this in your report overleaf (e.g. a work based project might involve less attention being paid to literature review).

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OVERALL ASSESSMENT (please comment)


This part MUST be completed. Your comments should give justification for the marks overleaf. In particular, comments should pay attention to: How well the student has displayed an understanding of the research topic. How well the student was able to formulate a set of research questions. The students ability to present their findings and analyse their data. Literacy and professional presentation of the major project.

Markers Comments on Major project:

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Appendix 4 ASHCROFT INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL


SUPERVISOR CONTACT LOG (TO BE SUBMITTED WITH MAJOR PROJECT) Student Number: Degree Programme: Proposed Major project Title (as submitted to Faculty Office):

Agreed Title (as agreed with supervisor):

Supervisors Signature:

Date: Date and time of meeting Notes Supervisors initials

This form is to be submitted for signature by your supervisor on every occasion that you consult him or her regarding your major project. The completed log must be submitted with your major project.

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