WESTMINSTER BUSINESS SCHOOL
Module Title: MA/MSc IBM Project
Module Code: MA 7MNST003W
/ MSc 7MNST004W
Module Status: MA/MSc
International Business and Management
(Core)
This handbook includes some key information about how to do
a successful project.
1.
Getting started and working with your
supervisor
1.1 Getting started is probably the most
difficult part!
Getting started
may seem daunting, but the Research Methods (7BUSS002W) module should have
prepared you (note: you MUST have passed Research Methods 7BUSS002W (‘proposal’)
before you can commence the project. To
recap, after you submitted a project topic form you will have been allocated a
project supervisor. You will also have
produced (and passed) a 3000-word project proposal. This will have been dual
marked by the Research Methods’ teaching team and your allocated supervisor.
1.2 Now you are
ready to get going.
Your project supervisor is probably the most important
person that you will work with for this module. They will guide you but will not be responsible for managing
your project. That is down to you. Therefore, you should approach your
relationship with your tutor in a professional manner.
The responsibility for making contact, for managing the
work and for producing a high quality project is yours. However,
both you and your supervisor should be clear about the important deadlines and
especially the submission date. It is also strongly recommended that you
complete the ‘Meeting Logs’ after each meeting (see appendix) so there can be
no confusion about what has been discussed and agreed.
1.3 Working with
your supervisor.
It is fair to say that breakdowns in
communication between the student and their supervisor probably account for the
Lion’s share of problems when they occur. To avoid this, please read the
following sections closely.
1.3.1 Project
supervision: You can expect:
• to be assigned a project supervisor
with general knowledge of the research area concerned. It is your
responsibility to establish contact with your supervisor (unless they have
contacted you first) and arrange for a preliminary discussion, which should
include feedback on your proposal and the start of the planning process. This initial meeting should take 40 – 60
minutes.
• to ascertain the availability of your
supervisor and to agree how and when project tutorials might be conducted.
Project “tutorials” can, by mutual agreement, take place in face-to-face
meetings, by telephone, by e-mail, ordinary mail or fax, or by a combination of
these modes. It is usual to plan for
around four “tutorials” during the year – each of about 30 minutes.
• to discuss with your supervisor your
ideas about how the research topic might be approached and structured, what
texts you might consult, what models, theories, hypotheses and the like you
might examine or test, the nature and method of data collection, and so forth.
• your supervisor to read and comment
on excerpts from your work-in-progress (note: try to make sure you provide
something worthwhile for your supervisor to read. You cannot expect them to
give feedback on three or four paragraphs or ‘cut-and-pasted’ downloads that is
supposed to be a ‘Literature Review’ etc.)
• that your submitted project will
normally be assessed by two staff including your supervisor and in some
instances an External Examiner
• that if you fail the project,
achieving a mark between 40-49%, your supervisor will provide an evaluation of strengths
and weaknesses, together with a detailed assessment of how you can improve your
grade. This will be 30 – 60 minutes
face-to-face, and may also include written instructions. Note
that your supervisor doesn’t have an obligation to provide you with supervision
beyond this.
If you achieve less than 40%, you will
have to retake the module and will probably have a new supervisor.
1.3.2 What NOT to
expect from your Project Supervisor
• The supervisor is not allowed to give
judgements on the mark that the project is likely to be awarded. Obviously, you want to know whether they have
done sufficient to ‘pass’ before submitting – and in reality, most supervisors
will provide indicative feedback. Remember, however, the supervisor role is
different from the marking role: marking
is a formal process involving more people than the supervisor.
• You shouldn’t expect your supervisor
to read the final version of your work and make detailed comments in order for
you to boost your grade. Again, many
supervisors will read and comment on the final draft – but they are not obliged
to. Do not expect your supervisor to tell you how your work can be embellished
(in order to enhance the mark). Think of
the final version as a commitment to the assessment process and you will
understand why it should be drafted unassisted.
• Do not expect your supervisor or
project coordinator to arrange for extensions of deadlines for you. They cannot, so do not ask. The procedure for applying for extensions is
clearly laid out in the MA IBM Course Handbook.
Bear in mind that supervisors have
professional commitments – such as attending conferences - and are also
entitled to holidays. That means certain
weeks, particularly around Christmas, Easter and July to August, you can’t
expect supervisors to maintain term-time office hours (for example, there may
be delays in response to emails or telephone messages). You can minimise
problems by liaising with your supervisor and being clear about availability.
1.4
Other questions:
What happens if you change your topic after you have submitted a project topic
form and been allocated a supervisor but before
you submit of your 3000-word project proposal?
This should occur only in very rare cases. If it does happen, it probably means you had
not thought seriously enough at the outset about the topic you wanted to
pursue, and you must inform the course leader and the project administrator
(based in WBS Registry) as soon as possible.
What happens if you change your topic after you have
submitted the project proposal?
There are extremely rare circumstances in which you
will need to change your topic after having produced a project proposal. As an example, your project might have been
work based, and you may have changed jobs.
In any case where you need to change the topic after submitting a
Project Proposal, you must inform the course leader and the project
administrator as soon as possible.
Requesting a change of Project Supervisor
Once
allocated a Project Supervisor, you will not be permitted to change them unless
there are really exceptional circumstances (though it is hard to think of
many…….).
You can’t change your supervisor because you don’t like them or because you
think they don’t like you. If they are dismissive of your initial ideas, or
because they give you a hard time in some other academically legitimate way,
99% of the time it is because they are doing you a service.
Remember, your supervisor has
been through the same process and is passing on the benefits of their
experience in order to ensure you avoid the heartbreak of failing later.
Difficulties
making contact with your supervisor
If
you are experiencing difficulty making contact with your supervisor, you should
inform the Project Administrator and also the Course Leader who will
investigate any reasons for this. Different people have different working styles
- but sometimes supervisors need a ‘reminder’ about their responsibilities (as
much as students do).
When it
comes to contacting your supervisor try to take a balanced view; don’t get
upset if you don’t hear back after a day or so – but if you feel that you are continually
being ignored – you have every right to request that something is done to
improve matters. Your supervisor has been given hours in their contract to
supervise you – so it is not acceptable if they claim they are always too busy
to arrange a meeting.
2. Writing
the project
There are several differences between a report (i.e. your
project) and an essay. One of the main differences is that reports are usually
written for other people to read. Often,
they contain information that needs to be easily accessed by the reader – so
therefore the production should clear, systematic and structured.
One of the more familiar report structures is described
below (Section 3.1). This is not an unchangeable law of nature and you do not
have to follow it rigidly – but you will find that most people would find this
perfectly acceptable. (Note that the suggested word counts are guidelines – but
they indicate where the emphasis should be placed. So, if you have written 3000
words for the introduction and 1000 words for the literature review, you need
to look more carefully at your work.)
2.1 Typical Project Report Structure
This may have slight variation dependent on the type of
project, however the following is a general example:-
§ Cover Page: The title of your
degree, title of your project, your name and student ID
§ Executive Summary/Abstract –
2nd page: (approx. 250 words)
§ Contents Page - 3rd page (to
include Table of Contents, List of Figures)
-
Introduction
Ø
Background,
aim(s) & objectives of the project, and a clear statement of your research
question (around 1500 words)
-
Literature
Review:
Ø
A
summary of the most important pieces of previous research: at least 25
references (around 3000 words)
-
Methodology
Ø
Description
of methods you intend to use and a justification for your choice of methods (around 2000 words)
-
Main
Chapters with numbered Chapter Headings and Subheadings
Ø
2
or 3 chapters forming the main part of your report, containing:
- Analysis of results (around 1500 words)
- Interpretation (around 1000 words)
-
Conclusions
(around 1000 words)
-
List
of References Using Harvard convention and alphabetically ordered
§ Appendices
2.2 Further
Notes:-
Projects
should have a title page format which conforms to the following specification:
|
7MNST003W/7MNST004W*
Project
.......................................................... .......................................................... (Title
of Project)
a conceptual / fieldwork-based* project
submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master
of Arts/Science* in International Business and Management
at the
Westminster Business School of the University of Westminster, by
….......................................... (Full
name)
….......................................... (Date
of submission) *
Delete one or the other as appropriate |
The Executive
Summary/Abstract
This should briefly describe the scope of your project, the
research question being asked, the methods used and conclusions gained. It should give someone enough information to
be able to decide whether they wish to read the entire document.
Main Chapters
§
These
should
-
Start
on a new page, and should contain a title (not just “Chapter 1, Chapter 2”
etc).
-
Have
a brief introduction (putting the chapter into context of the work as a whole),
and a summary of your findings at the end of the chapter.
§
They
may
-
Include
analysis of data collected
-
Include
further literature reviewed as the work progresses.
-
Include
analysis of case studies
-
Include
International comparisons
-
Focus
on particular objectives of your research.
Conclusions
Chapter should
- Refer
to your original aims and objectives
- Summarise
your overall findings
- Make
connections between findings in different chapters
- Make
connections between your findings and those in your literature review
- Identify
shortfalls/weaknesses in your work
- NOT
introduce new material that hasn’t been discussed within your report
- Make
recommendations for future work
Appendices
should
·
Only
include items which will be discussed fairly extensively in the body of your
report.
·
Include
‘evidence’ of the work you did e.g. completed questionnaires, transcripts of
interviews etc
2.3 Preferred
style of the project report
We are not overly prescriptive about what your final report
should look like – however there are certain style conventions that we advise
you to consider. By following these, you
will ensure that your report looks clean, professional and pleasing to the eye.
Your report should be:
• Single
sided word processed
• Adequate
left margin for binding
• Font
should be Times New Roman or Arial (point 11 or 12)
• Line
spacing should be 1.5 or double
• Written in
the 3rd person (avoid “I”, “you” etc.)
• Written in
an academic style (avoid journalistic/sales type of speech/slogans/slang
etc.)
• Written with enough clarity that
someone OTHER than your Project Supervisor will be able to follow the work you
have done. (note: the Dissertation will be 2nd marked by
another lecturer in the subject area of your project, and reviewed by one or
more external examiners)
• Spell
checked & grammar checked
• Proof read
(this is not the responsibility of your Project Supervisor)
• Pages
should be numbered
The word count does not include cover page,
table of contents, executive summary, references, appendices.
3.
Submitting
your work
3.1 Project Submission: Electronic
You are required to submit all coursework for this
module in both hard copy and electronic form. You should always retain a
back-up copy of the project documentation until the module results are
published.
This electronic submission via Blackboard is in
addition to your submission of such coursework in hard copy as set out below.
The purpose of electronic submission is in order that all coursework might be
checked for plagiarism, thereby protecting the value of your qualification.
The procedure for submitting your coursework in this
way is very straightforward, very quick and should present you with little or
no difficulty at all. You are NOT
required to include in your electronic submission any original or photocopied
Appendix material not drafted by yourself. Otherwise your electronic assignment
submission must be identical to your submitted hard-copy version; this is
subject to checking so please ensure you get it right.
Remember:
BOTH hard and electronic copies must be submitted by
the due date for your work to be fully processed and to avoid attracting a late
submission penalty (except in the case of general and verifiable network system
failure). Late submissions must be submitted via the late Submission category.
Late or non-electronic submissions carry the same
penalty tariff as late or non-hard-copy submission.
Your electronic submission has been correctly
submitted ONLY if you receive an e-mail receipt from Blackboard. No receipt =
no electronic submission.
3.2 Project Submission: Hard Copy
Submit two hard copies of the dissertation to the
Postgraduate Office by the due date. Download and complete form CA1 for each
copy. Be sure that the only staff name you enter on the form is that of the
person who will be marking your work, normally your dissertation supervisor. If for whatever reason you have not been
allocated a supervisor then write ‘No supervisor allocated’ in the space. But
DON’T leave it blank
Attach form CA1 to each copy of the dissertation
cover; single staple in the top left-hand corner if feasible. Avoid the use of
paper clips as these may become detached during processing
3.3
Posting to the UK from abroad
It is quite often the case that students work on
their projects away from the UK. The
University DOES permit submission of your final dissertation to be made by
international courier e.g. Federal Express.
In such circumstances, you will need to check arrangements for doing
this with the Registry e.g. exact address to which to send the work.
If you do wish to submit your report by
international courier, you should have the work delivered 2 or 3 days prior to
the due date and ensure that you have documentation proving date of postage. (Note:
If you miss the postal deadlines, it is not acceptable to email your completed
project to your supervisor / course leader – even if they receive it by the
submission deadline.)
4.
Assessment
For this module, you will be assessed on a single piece of
work: your dissertation. The pass mark
is 50%.
The marking criteria and mark allocation can be seen in
Appendix 1.
If
you obtain a mark between 40-49%, you will be ‘referred’ i.e. you will:-
- Re-submit
your dissertation at the next hand-in date for projects e.g. referral in
September will mean you would re-submit in the following January. Referral in January would mean that you
would re-submit in the following August.
- Remain
with the same Project Supervisor.
- Have
your final mark for the project capped at 50%.
If
you obtain a mark less than 40%, you will have to re-take the whole module, and the mark
you obtain will be capped at 50%. For a
re-take, you will:
- Need
to select a new topic and complete a new Project Topic form
- Possibly
be allocated a different Project Supervisor
- Possibly
be asked to provide a new Project Proposal by your Supervisor, however,
this will be not be assessed.
- Pay
the same fee as before
- Submit
the final dissertation approximately one year later (either the following
August or the following January, dependent on when you start your re-take
of the module).
If you get a
mark of less than 50%
following your second opportunity to submit your project (whether referral or
re-take), you will not be allowed any
further attempts at the module, and you will fail to obtain a Masters.
Non-submission of your project without accepted Mitigating
Circumstances will result in a mark of 0% being awarded and you will not be allowed any further
attempts at the module, and you will fail to obtain a Masters.
However, in each of the above cases, you could qualify for
an intermediate award eg Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate,
depending on the number of credits passed.
Publication of Results
Results
are normally published a week or so after the meeting of the relevant Progression
and Award Board (PAB).
Note: Checking your results is your
responsibility. Check on the SRS system
(not on Blackboard) a day or two after the relevant Exam Board has taken place.
- Some final Do’s and Dont’s
Do:
·
start work on your dissertation as
early in the year as you can
·
follow the procedures for dissertation
presentation conventions
·
follow the guidelines for dissertation
content and Learning Outcomes
·
attend any research methods seminars
and/or academic dissertation/essay writing seminars arranged by the WBS
·
take note that some dissertation module
members may be required to attend a viva before a decision on their work is
reached
·
retain all of your
fieldwork notes –
interview schedules, questionnaires, and similar material not normally included
as part of your completed submission – as you may be asked to produce them at
any time after formally submitting your dissertation. Take care not to lose or
destroy such notes since, if they are requested for viewing and cannot be
produced, your dissertation may be deemed invalid.
·
resist the temptation to
retrospectively blame others – e.g. your supervisor - if your dissertation has
not attracted the level of mark you think it deserves. Remember that he or she can only guide and
suggest, and that the manner in which they do so may not always match your
expectations.
Do
not:
·
go to supervision
consultations empty-handed, that is, without having prepared for them even a
little, without having read in advance or thought about some of the issues you
intend to raise
·
expect your supervisor to think for
you. S/he can only offer thoughts and suggestions which you must then appraise
as to their value for your work
·
take any notice
of rumours about certain supervisors being ‘soft touches’ or demanding and
hard-to-please. All supervisors work
to the same rigorous standards and their final judgement on your work is always subject to the scrutiny of
others. (Note: Supervisors do not
have hidden agendas. There has never been a case of a student failing because a
supervisor ‘…was out to get them’. This is a myth – usually perpetuated by
students who failed and didn’t want to admit to their own shortcomings. Work is
double marked (and sometimes triple marked) so supposed vindictive action would
be picked up.)
·
select and pursue dissertation topics which are too vague,
too slight, too obvious or too ambitious
·
select and pursue dissertation topics where
organisational/library access and/or data-collection looks like being a problem
·
freight your dissertation with
unnecessary appendices and/or effusive acknowledgements
·
forget that all writing has its moments
of difficulty, doubt and despair, and that if it were all easy it would probably not be worth doing
in the first place
·
plagiarise i.e. lift data from
elsewhere, pass off as your own, or have work custom-written for you
·
expect any leniency or sympathy from
the University authorities if you do and get caught. Cheating is fraud and,
particularly in the dissertation, it could cost you your degree. Don’t go
there.
Appendices
- Meeting
log
- Feedback
sheet
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Appendix 1 Supervision Meeting Log
Student: Supervisor:
Topic:
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Key Areas of Discussion:
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Expected Progression before Next Meeting:
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Possible Date/Week for the Next Meeting:
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Student Signature:
Supervisor Signature: |
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Appendix
2
IBM
Project Marking & Feedback Sheet
Name Student: ID
number:
Project
Title:
Name First Marker:
Name Second Marker:
Agreed
Mark: /100%
Structure
& Presentation /10%
Clear Executive Summary /Abstract; Clear Introduction with background,
aims, objectives and a clear research question; Chapters have clear titles,
logical flows between chapters, well structured; References are cited and
listed correctly; Documentation standard (word processing, structure, logical
flow, use of English)
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Research
/30%
Literature Review; evidence of a range of relevant background reading;
Research methods are applied correctly; Methods used are clearly justified;
Sources of data are wide and appropriate; Samples obtained for primary
research, if used, are realistic and fully described
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Analysis
/50%
Critical argument; Independent thought; Application of knowledge gained
from more than one subject area; Analysis is appropriate and thorough,
including the use of theories from taught modules
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Conclusion
/10%
Conclusions are relevant, well formulated; Refer to original aims and
objectives; Make links with literature review and analysis in chapters; Make
appropriate recommendations for future work
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