WritingUpyourDissertationDr.MahfuzurRahmanPGDissertationCo-ordinatorLincolnBusinessSchoolWhatisadissertation?

Dissertationsaretheoutcomeofindependentresearch.Youareexpected,withsomeguidancefromasupervisor,todesignandconducttheresearchyourself.Itisnotamatteroftryingtoansweranexaminationquestionorwritinganassessedessayonapre-determinedtopic.Onthecontrary:YouchoosethetopicYouworkouthowtostudyitYoucollectandassessrelevantinformationYouanalyseandcriticisetheinformationYouwritetheaccountofhowitwasalldonein15,000words

LearningOutcomes

ImplementtheprogrammeofresearchandinvestigationEngageinaprocessofcriticalreflectionduringtheprocessofimplementation,amendingtheprocesswherenecessary;Gatherandanalysedatainaccordancewithsoundprinciplesofresearchandinvestigation;Evaluatecriticallyandapplytheoreticalparadigmsinamannerwhichaugmentsthebodyofunderstanding;Reflectcriticallyontheirownresearchpracticeandintellectualargumentparticularlyinthecontextofcontemporarydebatesinmanagementorbusinessresearch..Synthesisetheworkintoafluentandcogentpieceofwrittenwork.LearningSupport

TheBlackboard,whereannouncementsandlearningmaterialswillbeuploaded,aswellasinformationaboutthedissertationandotherrelevantdocumentsThesupervisorswillrespondtoallindividualrequestsandquestionsbyemailandagreedmeeting.TheAcademicSubjectlibrariansandlibrarywillalsobeveryhelpfulifyouseekassistanceregardingthesourcingandreferencingofinformation.PleaseenquireabouttheirshortcoursesorsessionsonacademicstudyskillsSubmissionArrangements

Youarerequiredtosubmitbound2hardcopiesofyourworktotheBusinessSchoolReceptionby15:00and1electroniccopysubmittedviaBlackboard.Onehardcopywillberetainedforthelibraryandonewillbeavailableforyourcollectionaftertheassessmentprocesshasbeencompleted.Theelectroniccopywillbeusedtocheckforplagiarism.Inadditiontothecopiesofthedissertation,youmustincludeEthicalApprovalform(EA1/EA2).Youarestronglyadvisedtomakeanextracopyforyourself.DissertationsubmissiondeadlinesSeptembercohort:16September2016Februarycohort:31January2017Thewordlimitis15,000wordswithanallowanceof10%eitherway.Thewordlimitincludeseverythingapartfromthetitlepage,abstract,acknowledgement,contentspage,appendices,footnotesandbibliographyLayoutWordlimit15,000words

(excludingcoverpage,abstract,tableofcontents,acknowledgments,appendices,footnotesandbibliography)lessthan13,500words-notlikelytobeofsufficientdepthtoreachtherequiredstandard.morethan16,500wordsisnotlikelytobesufficientlyfocussedandsuccinct.TrytobesharpandconciseLayout(…continue)Theworkmusthavepagenumbers.12FontSizemustbeusedwith1.5spacingononesideofgoodqualityA4paper.Colourprintingisnotnecessary.Marginsmustbe30mmontheleft-handsideofthepageand25mmontheright-handside,top,andbottomofthepage.Yourdissertationmustbeboundusingspiralbindingorheatbindingmethods.ConsultHandbookLayout(…continue)CoverTitlepageAcknowledgementsAbstractTableofContentsListoftablesandfiguresThebodyoftheworkdividedintochapters(e.g.Introduction,LiteratureReview,Methodology,Findings,AnalysisandDiscussion,Conclusions)ReferencesAppendices(ifany)Coverthetitleofthework;yourfullname;yourstudentnumberthetitleofyouraward(degreename)TheUniversityofLincolnthedateofsubmission.Wordcount(excludingabstract,tableofcontents,referencesandappendices).DissertationOutline–

AnoutlineofthemainbodyIntroductionLiteratureReviewMethodologyFindingsDiscussionConclusionsDissertationOutlineAbstract(250wordsormax1page)ThisisasummaryoftheentiredissertationItcontainsatleast1paragraphofintroduction,1paragraphofmethods,1paragraphoffindings.Morestructuredparagraphsmaycontainthefollowingsections:PurposeMethodologyFindingsResearchLimitations/ImplicationsPracticalImplicationOriginality/ValueDissertationOutline(…continue)Chapter1–IntroductionThisisthebackgroundtothestudyIncludesalltheinformationnecessarytoputthereaderintherightperspectiveforreadingtheentiredissertation.AimandObjectivesofthestudySignificanceofthestudyStructureofthedissertationDissertationOutline(…continue)Chapter2-LiteratureReview(one-thirdofthewordcount)StartthischapterbytellingthereaderwhattheyaregoingtolearnfromthischapterMainbodyofthischapterisusuallysplitinto2sections:first,thetheoreticalsettingincludingthedefinitionsandsecondthepractical/industrialsettingincludingthefactorstobeinvestigated/examinedinyourdissertationThetheoreticalpartmustdescribe,compareandcontrastliteratureaboutthetheoreticalbasisoftheresearchEndthischapterbytellingthereaderwhattheyhavelearnedfromthischapterandhowitlinkstotheMethodologychapterDissertationOutline(…continue)Chapter3–MethodologyStartthischapterbytellingthereaderhowthischapterlinkstotheLiteratureReviewandwhattheyaregoingtolearnfromthischapterYoucanstartthemainbodyofthischapterwiththedefinitionandimportanceofresearchmethodology.Thenyoucandiscussaboutthedefinitionandtypesofresearchprocesses/procedures.Forexample,thestepssuggestedbySaundersetal.(2011)inResearchMethodsOnionareshowninthefollowingfigure-Source:Saunders,M.N.,Saunders,M.,Lewis,P.,&Thornhill,A.(2011)Researchmethodsforbusinessstudents,5/e.PearsonEducationIndiaDissertationOutline(…continue)Chapter3–MethodologyForeachandeverystepdefineanddiscusssomeoftheimportantoptionsandthenidentifythesuitableonewiththejustification.Basicallyyouneedtoidentifywhichone(ineachstep)ismostsuitableforthisstudyandjustifyyourchoice.Sampling:samplingmethod,samplesize?MustbetheoreticallyjustifiedDatacollectionandanalysis:methods(e.g.focusgroups,interviews,survey)?MustbetheoreticallyjustifiedEndthischapterbytellingthereaderwhattheyhavelearnedfromthischapterandhowitlinkstotheFindingschapterDissertationOutline(…continue)Chapter4–FindingsStartthischapterbytellingthereaderhowthischapterlinkstotheMethodschapterandwhattheyaregoingtolearnfromthischapterThischapteriswritteninthepasttense(e.g.“Dataweresubjectedtoanalysisofvarianceandshowed...”)Useyourresearchquestionsassub-headingsinthischapterAnswereachresearchquestionsequentiallyandprovideanalysisresultsThischapternevermentionsanyliteraturenormallyEndthischapterbytellingthereaderwhattheyhavelearnedfromthischapterandhowitlinkstotheDiscussionchapterDissertationOutline(…continue)Chapter5–DiscussionStartthischapterbytellingthereaderhowthischapterlinkstotheResultschapterandwhattheyaregoingtolearnfromthischapter)Youcanuseyourresearchquestions/factorsassub-headingsinthischapterForeachresearchquestion/factor,summarisetheresultsandsayhowiftheyagree/disagree/notsurewiththecontentsoftheLiteratureReview(Chapter2)EndthischapterbytellingthereaderwhattheyhavelearnedfromthischapterandhowitlinkstotheConclusionchapterDissertationOutline(…continue)Chapter6–Conclusions(1500words)StartthischapterbytellingthereaderhowthischapterlinkstotheDiscussionchapterandwhattheyaregoingtolearnfromthischapterAbriefsummaryoftheresultsDiscussionofthelimitationsoftheresearchSuggestionsforfutureresearchImplications:theoreticalimplicationsandpracticalimplicationsEndthischapterbytellingthereaderwhattheyhavelearnedfromthischapterandtheentiredissertationPlagiarism&ReferencesWhentoReferenceYoumustgivethereferencewheneveryoudrawonasourceofinformation:asyourinspirationasthesourceofaparticulartheory,argumentorviewpointforspecificinformation,suchasstatistics,examplesorcasestudiesfordirectquotations(reproducingthewritersexactwords)fortextswhichyouparaphraseratherthanquoteReferencingUseHarvardReferencingStyleForin-textreferencing:AccordingtoLaforetandLi(2005),thetraditionalcash-carrybankingcultureandtheperceptionsofrisksarethebarrierstoacceptanceofcreditcards.OrThetraditionalcash-carrybankingcultureandtheperceptionsofriskshavebeenidentifiedassomeofthebarrierstoacceptanceofcreditcards(LaforetandLi,2005).Referencing(…continue)Directquotes-ifyoutakewordsstraightfromthesourcethenyouMUSTuse“quotemarks”andincludeapagenumberwiththecitationi.e.Author(s)(year,pagenumber):WillsandWorthington(2006,p.72)alsosupporttheissuethatgroupinfluencescannotbeignoredinChineseconsumerbehaviour.TheysuggestedthatoneofthekeyreasonsthatChineseconsumerswanttoobtainaforeigncreditcardisbecauseof“thepositiveimpactitwouldhaveontheirfriendsandcolleagues”.ORIthasbeensuggestedthatoneofthekeyreasonsthatChineseconsumerswanttoobtainaforeigncreditcardisbecauseof“thepositiveimpactitwouldhaveontheirfriendsandcolleagues”(WillsandWorthington,2006,p.72).Referencing(…continue)Referencesattheendofthedocument:JournalpaperAkerlof,G.A.(1970)Themarketfor"lemons":Qualityuncertaintyandthemarketmechanism.TheQuarterlyJournalofEconomics,84(3),pp.488-500.BookRogers,E.M.(1995)DiffusionofInnovations.NewYork:TheFreePress.BookchapterWilkinson,S.(2004)Focusgroupresearch.In:Silverman,D.(eds).QualitativeResearchTheory,MethodandPractice.London,UK:SagePublications,pp.177-199.WebsiteCourtney,P.(2007)BoutiqueWool.Australia:ABC.Availablefrom:.au/landline/content/2006/s1860209.htm[Accessed5March2007].Websitewithnodate