The Mba Research Project Guidelines

8/13/2019 The Mba Research Project Guidelines

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THE MBA RESEARCH PROJECT

GUIDELINES


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(BLANK PAGE)


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THE RESEARCH PROJECT GUIDELINES

Contents

1 Identifiction of S!it"#e To$ic

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Objectives

1.3 Requirements

1.4 Selecting a topic

1.5 Past projects

1. Organisational support

1.! "cademic approval

2 C%%&in' O!t o!% Disse%ttion

2.1 "cademic support during #our researc$

2.2 %imescale

2.3

&a#

out

o'

'inal

rep

ort

Page 1()" Project *uidelines +niversit# o' Portsmout$ ,September 2--/


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2.4 Submission date

2.5 Submission instructions

2. 0on'idential dissertations

2.! "ssessment

A$$endices

1 +niversit# general criteria 'or assessing projects

2 t$ical revie guidelines

Page 2+niversit# o' Portsmout$ ,September 2--/ ()" Project *uidelines


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Rese%c Metods * Unit RM

+ Identifiction of S!it"#e To$ic

+,+ Int%od!ction

%$e Project represents t$e culmination o' #our studies. It is an opportunit# 'or #ou to researc$

somet$ing o' interest and importance to #ou andor #our organisation. ou s$ould also

develop a state o' t$e art6 e7pertise in #our c$osen area.

%$is document la#s out t$e requirements o' t$e Project and t$e process to be 'olloed. ,our

stud# o' researc$ met$ods is also important 'or developing t$e bac8ground to t$e researc$

process./

+,- O".ecti/e of te disse%ttion

%$e objectives o' t$e dissertation are to develop t$e abilit# to investigate speci'ic issues

relevant to #our degree and to communicate 'indings in an appropriate manner.

+,0 Re1!i%e2ents

%$e overall requirement is t$at t$e design9 e7ecution and reporting o' t$e investigation must

be o' an appropriate standard 'or a (asters degree.

To achieve this, the report must include sections on (a) the background and aims, (b) a

literature review, (c) the research methods adopted, (d) the analysis of the data/research

problem, and (e) conclusions and recommendations:

a t$e aims o' t$e investigation s$ould be

relevant to t$e practice o' management at a strategic level9

clearl# speci'ied9 and

s$ould present an appropriate level o' c$allenge.

%$e bac8ground s$ould also be e7plained to provide motivation 'or t$e researc$.

b t$e investigation s$ould revie9 criticall# evaluate and dra on relevant previous

empirical and t$eoretical researc$:

c t$e investigation s$ould use appropriate researc$ met$ods ,normall# involving t$e

collection and anal#sis o' empirical data/9 $ic$ s$ould be discussed and justi'ied:



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d t$ese met$ods s$ould be used to provide a clear and critical anal#sis $ic$ meets t$e

researc$ aims:

e t$e results9 conclusions and recommendations put 'orard s$ould be supported b#

appropriate evidence and arguments:

The report should be clearly written and presented in an acceptable format (see Section 2!

below) The number of words in the pro"ect (including te#tbo#es, footnotes and endnotes, but

e#cluding appendices, abstract, references and the list of contents) must be stated somewhere

in the beginning of the pro"ect, and must not e#ceed $%,&&& 't is also essential that the

ethical checklist in ppendi# 2 should be completed, signed, dated and submitted with the

pro"ect as an appendi# (otherwise the pro"ect cannot be awarded a pass mark)

+,3 Se#ectin' to$ic

ou s$ould $ave studied researc$ met$ods be'ore starting #our project9 because t$is provides

essential guidance 'or good practice in researc$ and ill provide initial ideas 'or possible

topics.

%o select an area o' stud#9 t$e 'olloing questions ma# be o' use;

< =$ere do I ant to be in 'ive #ears>

< =$at s8ills and 8noledge do I additionall# need to get t$ere>

< =$at problem areas are t$ere in m# job or compan# t$at I ould li8e to see tac8led>

< =$at aspects o' t$e course ould I li8e to pursue 'urt$er in t$eir practical application

to m# present or 'uture circumstances>

< =$at organisational problems do m# (? or ot$er contacts see as being important to

investigate and solve>

< =$at practical outcome ould I li8e to see ac$ieved as t$e result o' spending

considerable time on a stud# and investigation>

< Is t$e proposed project 'easible> "m I li8el# to be able to get access to t$e required

in'ormation>



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+,4 Pst $%o.ect %e$o%ts

Project reports $ic$ are not con'idential are available in t$e librar#. Selected e7amples are

available at overseas centres.

+,5 O%'nistion# s!$$o%t

Provisional acceptance o' t$e topic s$ould be obtained 'rom t$e organisation 'rom $ic$ #ou

plan to collect t$e majorit# o' t$e data9 be'ore a 'ormal proposal is submitted to t$e +niversit#.

I' appropriate9 e recommend a supportive organisational mentor s$ould also be involved

$o ill be illing to discuss ideas 'rom t$e organisation@s viepoint and $o ill be able to

provide contacts and obtain permission 'or data to be collected. =$enever possible t$isperson s$ould rite one page on t$e use'ulness o' t$e dissertation to t$e organisation at t$e

beginning o' t$e dissertation9 to be included in t$e 'inal dissertation submission as an appendi7

be'ore submission.

+,6 Acde2ic $$%o/# of to$ic $%o$osed

=e ill normall# treat t$e project plan assignment as a project proposal. I' #our proposal is

considered acceptable ,and most are/ it ill be passed on to an appropriate academic

supervisor ,see 2.1 belo/.

- C%%&in' O!t o!% Rese%c P%o.ect

-,+ Acde2ic s!$$o%t

"n academic supervisor ill be appointed to supervise #our project.

It is &o!%responsibilit# to ma8e contact it$ #our supervisor9 to arrange a regular series o'

tutorials and to ma8e sure #ou are ma8ing satis'actor# progress. It is nott$e supervisor@s role

to c$ec8 #ou are carr#ing out t$e or8 to t$e agreed timetable. ,%$e development o' t$e

abilit# to or8 independentl#9 and to arrange #our on sc$edule o' or89 is an important part

o' t$e Researc$ Project process./

Supervisors ill tr# to respond to requests promptl# < normall# it$in ten da#s. Aolida#s9 and

periods aa# on business9 ma# inter'ere it$ t$is; supervisors s$ould let students 8no o' an#

periods o' ten da#s or more $en t$e# ill not be available. It is a good idea to discuss t$e

sc$eduling o' #our project it$ #our supervisor at an earl# date so t$at an# problems can be



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resolved.

ou s$ould also note t$at #ou cannot normall# e7pect #our supervisor to comment in detail on

revisions t$at #ou ma8e in response to #our supervisor@s comments. ,Obviousl# i' #our

supervisor $ad to comment on ever# c$ange9 t$e job mig$t never be 'inis$edB/

ou s$ould ma8e sure #ou communicate it$ #our supervisor to;

1 ?iscuss scope and obtain advice on bac8ground reading.

2 ?iscuss t$e literature revie and $o t$is lin8s it$ #our researc$.

3 ?iscuss #our researc$ design and met$ods. It is ver# important to c$ec8 it$ #oursupervisor be'ore starting to collect empirical data ,eg sending out questionnaires or

arranging intervies/9 and to c$ec8 t$at #our supervisor considers t$at #our project

satis'ies t$e appropriate et$ical guidelines ,see "ppendi7 2/.

4 ?iscuss #our anal#sis9 conclusions and recommendations.

5 Revie t$e 'inal report. Obviousl#9 #ou ill need to allo time 'or #our supervisor to

read t$e 'inal dra't and 'or #ou to respond to suggestions C #ou s$ould c$ec8 it$

#our supervisor $o long t$is is li8el# to ta8e.

our supervisor ma# also o''er comments and 'eedbac8 on #our or8 at appropriate points

during t$e project ,eg loo8ing at dra't c$apters/. ou s$ould note9 $oever9 t$at a

supervisor@s role is not to provide a detailed c$ec8 o' #our or89 nor is it to correct #our use

o' nglis$ or #our spelling. %$e supervisor@s role is to provide general guidance and advice on

t$e content and process o' #our researc$ project.

-,- Ti2esc#e of disse%ttion

Drom past e7perience9 on average9 dissertations ma# ta8e mont$s to complete b# part


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2 mont$s < anal#sis9 recommendations and report riting

1 mont$ < revisions

%$e 'inal 3 mont$s include suppl#ing a 'ull dra't cop# to #our supervisor 'our ee8s be'ore

submission9 to allo 'or comments9 'eedbac8 and an# revisionsimprovements.

Dull


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%$e rest o' t$e report must use double line spacing or 1.5 line spacing. ,%$e abstract ill

probabl# need to use single line spacing to 'it it onto a single page./ %$e report must be t#ped

or printed on one side or bot$ sides o' "4 paper it$ ide margins ,at least 3 cm on t$e le't

$and side to allo 'or binding/9 pre'erabl# using %imes Ee Roman t#pe'ace siFe 12 pt.. "n#

s#stem o' numbering c$apters9 sections9 'igures9 tables and appendices ma# be used9 provided

it is clear and consistent. %$e pages s$ould be numbered.

It is essential $en incorporating anot$er person@s ideas in #our project t$at 'ull credit is given

to t$em b# proper re'erencing. Dailure to do so is 8non as plagiarism and is treated

e#tremely seriously by -niversity regulationsIt ma# result in #ou being immediatel# e7cluded

,e7pelled/ 'rom t$e course ,see universit# regulations in 0ourse o''ice/. Re'erences s$ould

'ollo one o' t$e standard st#les; e recommend #ou use t$e Aarvard s#stem ,t$ere are

boo8lets available on t$is 'rom t$e librar#/.

-,3 S!"2ission dte

ou ill be given a deadline 'or submitting #our project. %$is is li8el# to be t$e =ednesda#

a'ter t$e end o' t$e autumn term 'or 'ull


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-,4 S!"2ission inst%!ctions

%o bound copies o' t$e dissertation must be submitted to t$e 0ourse "dministrator. ou

must also submit an electronic cop# as a single (icroso't =ord 'ile on a 0? or ?H?. ,Please

put #our name on t$e 0?. I' possible9 #ou s$ould include t$e appendices on t$e 0? or ?H?9

but t$is is not essential./

-,5 Confidenti# disse%ttions

%$e purpose o' universities is to s$are 8noledge9 and copies o' non


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A$$endi: +7 Po%ts2o!t Uni/e%sit& Assess2ent C%ite%iGene%# c%ite%i $$#ic"#e to ess&s; %e$o%ts nd s$ects of $%o.ects nd disse%ttions

&evel (G-J "s belo plus;

7cellent or8 < able to e7press an original reasoned argument in a lucid mannerb# revieing K critiquing a ide range o' material. Original9 critical t$in8ingbased on outstanding insig$t9 8noledge K understanding o' material. (aterialcontributes to current understanding K is o' potentiall# publis$able qualit# interms o' presentation and content

=ide reac$ing researc$ s$oing breadt$ K dept$ o' sources

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A$$endi: -7 STUDENT DISSERTATION ETHICAL RE


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. Ao ill data be collected'rom eac$ o' t$e target groups>

1-. Ao ill data bestoredand $at ill $appen to t$e data at t$e end o' t$e researc$>

11. Ao ill confidentiality be assured 'or respondents>

12. =$at steps are proposed to sa'eguard t$e anonymityo' t$e respondents>

13. "re t$ere an# ris8s ,p$#sical or ot$er9 including reputational/ to respondentst$at ma# result 'romta8ing part in t$is researc$> I' so9 please speci'# and state $at measures are proposed to deal it$ t$ese ris8s.

14. "re t$ere an# ris8s ,p$#sical or ot$er9 including reputational/ to t$e researcher or to the -niversity t$at ma# result 'rom conducting t$is researc$> I' so9 please speci'# and state $at measures are proposed tomanage t$ese ris8s.

15. =ill t$e proposed researc$ involve an# o' t$e 'olloing ,please ring M#es@ or Mno@: consult #oursupervisor i' #ou are unsure/;

Hulnerable groups ,e.g. c$ildren/> S EO Particularl# sensitive topics> S EO

"ccess to respondents via Mgate8eepers@> S EO

+se o' deception> S EO

"ccess to con'idential personal data> S EO

Ps#c$ological stress9 an7iet# etc> S EO

Intrusive interventions> S EO

1. "re t$ere an# ot$er et$ical issues t$at ma# arise 'rom t$e proposed researc$>

Eame ,student/; Eame ,supervisor/;

Signed ,student/; Signed ,supervisor/;

?ate; ?ate;


The Mba Research Project Guidelines

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