You must use your Anglia Ruskin student e-mail account when you e-mail your tutor. If you use any other e-mail account you may not receive a reply.

 

Dissertation supervisors and their contact details are: 

 

 

Every module has a Module Definition Form (MDF) which is the officially validated record of the module.  You can access the MDF for this module in three ways via:

 

• the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
• the My.Anglia Module Catalogue at anglia.ac.uk/modulecatalogue
• Anglia Ruskin’s module search engine facility at anglia.ac.uk/modules

 

 

All modules delivered by Anglia Ruskin University at its main campuses in the UK and at Associate

Colleges throughout the UK and overseas are governed by the Academic Regulations.  You can view these at www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregs.  An extract of the Academic Regulations, known as the Assessment Regulations, is available at this website too (all new students will have received a printed 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 to the Module

 

This module is a 30 credit level 6 module that will count towards the classification of your award.  For your dissertation you choose your own topic. However, you should choose a subject area that is relevant to your course. This is because your dissertation title may be written on your C.V., and also because you will be able to take forward your knowledge base rather than start from scratch. The topic should both interest you and also enable you to carry out an original piece of work.

 

This module is supported as follows: –  ü Six lectures in semester one.

• Lecture in teaching week one of the second semester.
• A minimum of four individual tutorials with your appointed supervisor, two each semester. Deadlines for these tutorials are written on the tutorial sheets. Tutorials are to be held at a mutually convenient time, but it is your responsibility to contact your supervisor and to arrange your tutorials.
• Material on the VLE, including web links.
• The subject library has a limited number of dissertations for built environment undergraduates to see. These are selected for you to consider structure and also see what a finished piece of work might look like, but be aware your own dissertation may look quite different from these.

 

Your time management will be very important in this module. Remember – you are expected to work independently in this module.

 

It is important that you use material on the VLE and also check it from time to time for any notices.  Most of the hand-outs will only be available via the VLE, except for your tutorial sheet which will only be available as a paper version.  Should you need another, there are spare copies outside MAR325 – please help yourself, and make sure you collect the right colour for the semester and for your course.

 

There are dissertations in the short loan collection of the library and on the VLE.  These are so you can gain an insight into what a good piece of work looks like.  They help give you an insight to the kind of thing to produce.  Please note – the mark scheme is now revised and also these dissertations were produced prior to current university ethics requirements.

 

If there is something you are uncertain about then please ask as soon as possible.  Remember – if you are wondering what you should do then always go back to basics – look in this study guide and also at the mark scheme which should help you think about what you actually have to do.  This guide suggests what the chapters of your work might be, so you are really only filling in the gaps.  It is a good idea to look at the mark scheme as you write your work, full details are on the VLE, and there is an outline in this guide.

 

You have the opportunity to study something that interests you, may be topical, allows you to develop yourself, and help your career.  Use this opportunity wisely – it will pay dividends.

 

Enjoy your dissertation, Barbara.

 

 

3. Learning Outcomes and Outline Delivery

 

 

Knowledge and understanding

• Demonstrate an understanding of the research process and dissertation structure.
• Demonstrate a detailed understanding of current knowledge in your chosen topic area.

 

Intellectual, practical, affective and transferable skills

• Interpret and synthesise information from appropriate sources in your chosen topic area and in doing so demonstrating a capacity for conceptual, critical and independent thinking, using appropriate methodology and techniques.
• Communicate clearly and appropriately, demonstrating a sense of audience.
• Draw relevant conclusions and identify possible future research as a result of an awareness of the limitations of your research exercise.
• Identify achievements and skills and plan for progression post-degree.

 

 

Key words in this module

 

Research

Independent learning, and

Taking responsibility for your own learning and work.

 

These are very important; they should inform how you think about this module and what you do.

 

Outline Delivery

 

Week	Lecture/tutorial		Comments
Various, but a minimum of four *	Student arranged individual tutorials held at a time of mutual convenience with your supervisor.		Contact your supervisor to arrange these tutorials
1	Introduction
2	Thinking about research methods
3	Your results
4	Overview of your work.  Process and content.
5	Time management
6	Element three of assessment – your v  C.V. v  exit plan v  semester one tutorial sheet signed by your supervisor		Remember – this is an element of assessment in its own right, which you have to pass.
13	Keeping you on track and last minute checklist.		This is in teaching week one of the second semester.

 

* The tutorial sheets contain the dates by when you should have had each of your one-to-one tutorials.

 

 

 

Tutorials: –

• in semester one the signed tutorial sheet must be included in your submission of C.V., exit plan, and tutorial sheet element of assessment,
• the semester two tutorial sheet is worth part of your total module mark, see mark scheme for details.

Consequently, it is very important that you attend and perform well at your tutorials, and take your sheet to each meeting. The sheet is a record of what happened in tutorials and what you were to do following each tutorial. You must bind the completed semester one tutorial sheet into the C.V. and exit plan, and the semester two tutorial sheet into an appendix at the back of each paper copy of your dissertation.  The tutorials help you produce a sound piece of work.  See the mark scheme on the VLE for full details.

 

Health warnings about tutorial assessment

Remember that you need to contribute to your tutorial sessions.  In other words, you are to engage with the tutorial process, do the work required between each tutorial and demonstrate you have ownership of your work.  It is in your own interest to do this as students who have ownership of their work and contribute meaningfully to tutorials generally produce better work.

 

4. Assessment – three elements each of which requires a pass for the module to be successfully completed.

 

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE	Research proposal – ethics application form					Assessment Element	010
DETAILS ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT	A pass is required prior to your being able to gather data.
Learning Outcomes		1 and 4		Weighting	0	Marking Approach	Pass / Fail
WHAT IS BEING SUBMITTED	The ethics application form appropriately completed.					Qualifying Mark	100%
SUBMISSION	Date:		16 October 2015	Time:	2pm	Location	i-Centre
MARKER(S):	Submit for B Vohmann, but is marked by your supervisor
MODERATOR(S):
FEEDBACK	By Date:		Within 20 working days	Where to get your feedback		Your supervisor

 

 

 

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE	CV and exit plan with signed tutorial sheet					Assessment Element	012
DETAILS ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT	Your C.V., exit plan, and semester one signed tutorial sheet
Learning Outcome		6		Weighting	0	Marking Approach	Pass / Fail
WHAT IS BEING SUBMITTED	Your C.V., exit plan, and semester one signed tutorial sheet					Qualifying Mark	100%
SUBMISSION	Date:		4 December 2015	Time:	2pm	Location	i-Centre
MARKER(S):	Your supervisor
MODERATOR(S):
FEEDBACK	By Date:		Within 20 working days	Where to get your feedback		Your supervisor

 

 

 

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE	Dissertation				Assessment Element	011
DETAILS ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT	10,000 word dissertation
Learning Outcomes		1 – 5	Weighting	100%	Marking Approach	Fine Grade
WHAT IS BEING SUBMITTED	Two copies of your dissertation PLUS one disc copy in pdf format				Qualifying Mark	40%
SUBMISSION	Date:	29 April 2016	Time:	2pm	Location	i-Centre
MARKER(S):	Your supervisor
MODERATOR(S):	As advised on VLE nearer the time
FEEDBACK	By Date:	Within 30 working days	Where to get your feedback		Collect from your supervisor or the i-Centre.

Please note – the submission date for your dissertation is set by the university.

 

Important health warnings

 

It must be emphasised that your dissertation is entirely your own work and mark. Your Dissertation Supervisor may scan chapters or sections of your work to understand the context of the research and make observations. Your Dissertation Supervisor will not read the finished work prior to submission.

 

It is unreasonable to ask for comments on your work in the last 10 days prior to submission.  

 

 

 

Your dissertation proposal

 

The ethics sheet is now the template for your proposal, nothing else is required.  You must complete it very carefully.  No other form of submission is acceptable.  If you submitted and passed your proposal with the ethics form over the summer then no further submission is required.

 

 

Your CV, exit plan, and signed tutorial sheet

 

You must have in this submission each of the following: –

 

• Your C.V. which preferably should be two pages in length

 

• Your exit plan, which should be one page in length

 

• Your signed tutorial sheet. This is to show that you have attended and performed satisfactorily at a minimum of one tutorial.

 

 

Suggested structure for your dissertation

 

What follows is a suggestion for your dissertation – most of it is not compulsory, see below for full details.  Your supervisor might want something different, if so please be guided by them.  Remember check the marking criteria on the VLE.

 

The underlined words denote the separate chapters, each of which must begin on a new page.

  

Front cover hand-in sheet from e-vision. This is compulsory. 

 

Title page This page is compulsory. You must write each of the following and in this order: –

• Anglia Ruskin University
• your course title, for example BSc (Hons) Real Estate Management
• your SID number, and your name if you wish but not otherwise
• your dissertation title, which must be clear and a maximum of 15 words in length – the month and year of your submission

 

The declaration page This page is compulsory and the declaration may be found on the VLE. Do not change the wording.  You must sign and date the declaration in each of your two paper submissions.  It is suggested that you consider including an electronic signature, SID/name and date in advance to avoid forgetting this.

 

Abstract Approximately 200 words which begins “This dissertation…” and continuing in the present tense summarises what happens in the dissertation.  The abstract should contain each of the following: –

 

• Problem or issue under investigation
• Methods used to address the problem or issue
• Findings
• Conclusions

 

• Key words, from four to nine key words.

 

It is suggested that you have one short paragraph for each of the above bullet points.  Then, near the bottom of the page must be your key words.

 

The abstract cannot be written until the work is complete, so probably will be one of the last things you write.

 

Acknowledgements This page is where you acknowledge those people who may have helped you.  For example it might include people you interviewed or family member(s) who helped you by providing moral support. You do not have to name everyone, indeed some may need to be anonymous, but you must make reference to everyone who helped you.  Discretion and judgement are important here.  For each person or group you should state how helped you, for example providing you with documents, being interviewed, making cups of tea – whatever it was that they did to help you.  You should mention your supervisor by name.

 

Contents page You must number the pages of your work to be able to complete this page. The contents page is one of the last pages to complete, even though it is located at the front of the work.

 

List of tables, diagrams and illustrations This is to be a list of the figure and table numbers, together with captions and their corresponding page numbers.

 

Chapter 1 Introduction What the study is about, how you choose it, and in particular the question that you intend to address. This is where you engage attention of the reader. The title of your topic should be made very explicit here so the reader knows from the beginning what you are writing about. This section is not an overview of the work. It should contain your aims and objectives. Staff will be looking for these when they mark the work so it is important that you make them clear. You might define your key terms in this section, which may be a paragraph not simply one word. You should also give a rationale for your study and set out its limitations – in other words, what the study will not be considering. You should also tell the reader how the work is structured.

 

Chapter 2 Literature Review This section is where you set the scene for the reader by providing background information. Think about the issues relevant to your work to help you decide what to write about in this chapter.

 

As the title suggests it is text and journal based, possibly with internet information as well. Having read this section the reader should have a clear understanding of the key issues involved and what is relevant in your work. Everything you write should be in your own words and you must cite other peoples work using references. You should assume that your audience knows nothing about your topic but is intelligent – you need to write accordingly. It is very important that you draw from text and journal material here to underpin your work. You should, unless you are producing an historic piece of work, use contemporary material not out of date, old or irrelevant literature.

 

Sometimes a good starting point is to define what you mean by the key term or terms in your work. This will not be a short definition as you might find in dictionary but a rather longer definition of what you mean by the term(s) in your work. You should also think carefully about how you structure this chapter, as structure is important to the overall quality of you work.

 

You might have more than one literature chapter, but discuss this with your supervisor.

 

Chapter 3 Research Method This chapter is very important. This chapter is necessary to demonstrate to the reader how and why you decided to gather your data in the way you did and exactly what that involves. There may be quotes from texts in this chapter. You will need to have a rigorous explanation of why your method of gathering data is appropriate. It explains why you are investigating your topic in this particular way. Justifying what you do is important in this. Some supervisors prefer this chapter earlier in your work.  You will need to explain clearly the what, how, why, where, when, who and why them questions.

 

Chapter 4 Ethics Statement This chapter is compulsory. You are required to demonstrate that you have acted in an ethical way in the production of your dissertation.  You may feel there are no ethical issues; if so, then you must demonstrate the point in this chapter.

 

Not having ethics approval is a discipline offence. You are required to have approval of this by passing your proposal before you gather any data.

 

This chapter is an important part of your work. You may need to consider such things as: –

• The various categories of people with whom you will be involved in the production of your dissertation and how you will ensure that your conduct is ethical including consents and explanations. For example if you intend conducting interviews how will you allow people to decline to be interviewed without feeling guilty or pressured to participate?
• How you will use, handle or identify information that you gather?
• How you will deal with matters of confidentiality or anonymity?
• How you will manage parts of your research that may give rise to physical, mental, legal, financial or other kinds of risk or stress to people involved?
• How you will handle matters of commercial risk or reputation?
• What the outcome of your research is likely to be and how the ethical use of it may be assured.
• If you are conducting, for example, interviews how will you go about allowing people to not participate without making them feel under pressure to agree to do so?

 

Please remember that all dissertations must have an ethics statement, it is not an optional extra but a university requirement. Being in breach of this is a discipline offence.  You may feel that your work raises no ethical issues – this is unlikely but even if it is the case you must have an ethics chapter which demonstrates the point and also follow the ethics application below. Not doing so is a very serious omission in such a piece of work as this.

 

 

Research ethical approval  

 

When is ethical approval required?

Students undertaking major project modules which include elements of assessment based on research (both primary empirical research and secondary/desk-based research) must comply with Anglia Ruskin University’s ethical approval requirements. 

Why does research need ethical approval?

There are a number of reasons why you need to obtain ethical approval, including:

• to protect the participants, as well as yourself as the researcher and the reputation of Anglia Ruskin University
• in order that you are insured to carry the research out.

Please be aware that ethical approval is not just required for research involving human participants. The ethical review system applies to all students and staff at Anglia Ruskin University and students at our Franchise Associate Colleges.

You must comply with Anglia Ruskin University’s Research Ethics Policy and Code of Practice for Applying for Ethical Approval at Anglia Ruskin University, available at: http://ww2.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/faculties/fst/research0/ethics.html

Research undertaken in the name of Anglia Ruskin University and its Franchise Associate Colleges where ethical approval has not been obtained is a serious matter which could adversely affect our reputation.  Such behaviour may be construed as misconduct or gross misconduct and may be dealt with under the Student Disciplinary Procedures.

Ethics committee structure

Each faculty at Anglia Ruskin University has a Faculty Research Ethics Panel (FREP), which reviews higher risk research.  There are also Departmental Research Ethics Panels (DREPs), which review lower risk research.  Students need to discuss with and send their ethics application to their Dissertation Supervisors, who then submit the application to the relevant FREP or DREP.  Contact information for FREPs can be found here: http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/rdcs/ethics/about/frep.phtml

Ethical approval procedure

The Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 1) needs to be completed for all research, with the exception of research involving animal subjects only*. Our ethical approval system adopts a risk-based approach, with research categorised a lower risk being subject to a lighter touch ethical review.  According to the responses given on the Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 1), research will be classified into ‘Green’, ‘Amber’ or ‘Red’ categories.

If research falls into the ‘Green’ category the Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 1) needs to be submitted to the appropriate DREP for their records only.  If your research is only desk-based, the research ethics checklist does not need to be completed on the form.  You do need to ensure, however, that your research definitely falls under the desk-based category and that no parts of it will fall outside of this.

Research that is classified as ‘Amber’ requires a light-touch review by two members of the appropriate DREP, whereas risk-category ‘Red’ is the highest risk research and either has to be reviewed at a FREP meeting or constitutes external ethical approval which may be regarded as equivalent to our own (for further information regarding this please refer to Section 5 of the Code of Practice for Applying for Ethical Approval at Anglia Ruskin University).

The Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 1) can be downloaded from: http://ww2.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/faculties/fst/research0/ethics.html

You also need to refer to the Research Ethics Policy and other ethics guidance, including the QuestionSpecific Advice for the Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 1) and the Code of Practice for Applying for Ethical Approval at Anglia Ruskin University.

Completing the Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 1)

When completing the application form, please ensure that you have filled in Section 1: Researcher and Project Details, including ticking the boxes to indicate that you have understood and agree with each of the confirmation statements.  You also need to complete the project summary box at the end of the page.

You then need to complete Section 2: Research Ethics Checklist, referring to the Question-Specific Advice for the Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 1).   The exception to this is desk-based research.

Please then refer to the flow chart in Section 3: Approval Process.  This indicates which route for ethical approval you need to follow.

 

 

*For research involving animal subjects only, a separate checklist needs to be completed, which is available on the Faculty of Science and Technology’s website:

http://ww2.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/faculties/fst/research0/ethics.html

 

 

If you are applying for NHS, Social Care or Ministry of Justice ethical approval, these approvals are in some cases accepted as equivalent to our own, but the FREP will need to be sent a copy of the relevant letters and further documentation if Anglia Ruskin University is acting as Sponsor (for further information regarding Sponsor, please refer to Section 5.1 of the Code of Practice for Applying for Ethical Approval at Anglia Ruskin University).

For ‘Amber’ projects only, researchers need to complete Section 4 of the Research Ethics Application Form (Stage 1) and also submit the participant information sheet and consent form as a minimum requirement (some faculties are asking for additional information, please specify if this is the case for your faculty).

If your research falls into the ‘Red’ risk-category, please speak to your Dissertation Supervisor and FREP Chair in the first instance, given the approval process for this type of research is longer.

For research falling into the ‘Red’ (high risk category), researchers need to complete both Research Ethics Application Forms Stage 1 and 2 and submit all the documents they will be using for their research, including, as applicable.

• participant information sheet
• participant consent form
• recruitment poster
• travel insurance (travel registration form)

 

• risk assessment

 

• local ethical approval, e.g. if carrying out research in other organisations or outside of the UK

 

• written permission from organisations where you are carrying the research out

 

• equipment checks

 

• research visas, permits or other permissions if carrying out research oversea

 

• intellectual property agreements.

 

You must also ensure that you have obtained a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check if required.

Please see: www.anglia.ac.uk/apply/dbschecks

Further details regarding these permissions are in the Code of Practice for Applying for Ethical Approval at Anglia Ruskin University. 

 

Research ethics compulsory training

It is compulsory for all undergraduate and masters students carrying out research at Anglia Ruskin University to complete on-line ethics training and to successfully complete the quiz at the end of this, prior to submitting your ethics application.  The confirmation that you have successfully completed the quiz needs to be included with your ethics application.  If you need further information about the training, please speak to your Dissertation Supervisor.

The link to access the VLE for the training is below:  https://vle.anglia.ac.uk/sites/non-mod/ethics1/Pages/Home3.aspx

 

 

30.3.15

V1.0

 

Chapter 5 Results This is an important section. You will discuss and analyse the data you gathered.  Analysis of results depends very much on the type of data that you have gathered.  You need to plan your analysis at the beginning of your work prior to gathering your data, so that you know from the start what you will gather and how you will analyse it.

 

This is quite an important chapter although it may not be very long. You need to have rigour in how you analyse the findings. This will be important in contributing to your final mark. It does not need to contain every last piece of data you gathered but must provide and discuss the main points.  It might be more appropriate to put some detail into an appendix – you will have to use your judgement. Again, your supervisor may advise you here.

 

Chapter 6 Conclusions Based on what you found in the earlier part of the dissertation, this section draws together the challenges you determined from the literature, your key findings, and your analytical discussions. These are your key conclusions.  This chapter presents a concise but comprehensive understanding of what you have been investigating.

 

Conclusions should follow logically from your findings and not contain any new material. This section should verify that you have addressed all the points of your research questions. Remember the conclusions do not introduce any new facts or data into your work.

 

Chapter 7 Recommendations Based on your conclusions, recommendations should be of two types.  First, state how you intend your conclusions to be deployed.  Second, indicate and justify further research that you would suggest follow from what you have found.

 

Chapter 8 Reflection This chapter is for you to reflect on the process of producing this piece of work, which is your first major piece of work where you have both chosen your own topic and worked independently albeit under supervision.  You may also wish to comment on skills you have developed that will be of value to you in the workplace.

 

Glossary You may wish to have a glossary of terms or acronyms. This is optional. 

 

References This is essential. This lists all articles or information to which you have actually referred.

 

Bibliography Listing information you have read and which may have informed you and your thinking, but to which you have not specifically referred.

 

Appendices You must have the following appendix, you may add more of your own material in subsequent appendices if it is appropriate.

 

Appendix One Your tutorial sheet on coloured paper, signed by your supervisor. If you do not include the tutorial sheet then you will receive no marks at all for this and it is worth part your final mark, see mark scheme for details.  The sheet is a record of your performance in tutorials. It is therefore imperative that you include this in your bound work. These sheets are distributed in class and not available on the VLE.  Spare copies are available from a box outside MAR325, but you must be sure to get the correct sheet. Second semester sheet is on coloured paper, and the colour of tutorial sheet you should use is as follows for each course:-  Construction Management and Civil Engineering – Red

Building Surveying – Yellow

Real Estate Management – Green

Quantity Surveying – Blue

Property & Surveying, Planning – Pink

 

You may have other appendices of your own. Appendices are to provide supporting evidence and must be appropriate.

 

This is the end of the suggested structure for your dissertation. Please remember this is only a suggestion. However, it does mean that you now have a great deal of work that you can be getting on with whether or not you have met your supervisor!

 

Please remember too that if you submit incomplete work then it will be marked as it stands – you cannot subsequently add anything. So be careful as there is a great deal to include and it is easy to forget something. Remember to submit in word format, two paper copies and one disc copy of your dissertation.

 

 

 

 

Setting out, writing, formatting, and binding your dissertation

 

Make sure your dissertation is smartly presented and that you take pride in this, your signature piece of work.  

 

Remember to liaise with your supervisor in case they have any specific requirements.

 

♦ Do not use the word ‘I’ under any circumstances in any part of your work.

♦ Do not refer to your dissertation as a report, this is an error.

♦ Your dissertation must be word processed and printed only on one side of each sheet of paper.

♦ Use A4 size paper.

♦ Each chapter must begin on a new page.

♦ Line spacing should be one-and-a-half or double.

♦ Use Arial and the same font size throughout except for headings if you wish. It is suggested you use font size 12.

♦ There must be a contents page with chapters each numbered consecutively and in addition each chapter should have a suitable title.  For example, Chapter One, Introduction.

♦ There must then be a section listing and the figures and tables that are included, giving the page number of each.

♦ Pages should be numbered consecutively, with numbers at the bottom of each page.  For the each of the title page, authors declaration, acknowledgement, abstract, contents and list of tables, use Roman numerals – i, ii, iii, and so forth.  Starting at the beginning of chapter one, you should then use Arabic numerals – 1, 2, 3 and so forth.

♦ All diagrams and tables must contain a title and also be numbered. Any source must also be acknowledged.  See the tables and diagrams section of the Anglia Ruskin Harvard referencing web page for an example.

♦ It is a good idea to have two sub-headings one for each of your aim and objectives, so that the reader or marker can easily see what your work is investigating.

♦ Any direct quotations in the text must be properly indicated as such, and their sources listed in the references.  Use the Harvard system referencing, see the Anglia Ruskin web page for help with this.

♦ It is suggested you keep your entire dissertation as a single word document so that when you click print a complete piece of work comes off your printer and is ready to submit with only the tutorial sheet to be added.  If you have your work as a number of documents you run the risk of accidentally forgetting to add in one part.

♦ Avoid blank pages where possible, but if used they should carry the word ‘BLANK’ and the page number.

 

 

Your work must be either hard-bound or comb-bound with a card cover at the back and clear plastic cover at the front.    You may submit one copy of each type of binding if you wish.  Don’t forget the disc copy.

 

 

4.1 Submission

 

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 (i.e.: 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 this 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 on your work

 

You are entitled to 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 module’s intended learning outcomes and the assessment criteria you were given for the task when it was first issued.  This feedback may be completed electronically and sent directly to your Anglia Ruskin e-mail account.

 

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 the Major Project module (please note that working days excludes those days when Anglia Ruskin University is officially closed; e.g.: 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 (e.g.: 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.   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.  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.

 

5. Learning Resources

Faculty of Science and Technology libteam.fst@anglia.ac.uk

 

 

Resources

Comments

Books   Bell, J., 2005. Doing your research project. 4th edition Maidenhead: Open University Press (NB this was reprinted in 2008)   Breach, M., 2009. Dissertation writing for engineers and scientists. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd   Creswell, J., 2003. Doing your research project. Buckingham: Open University.   Farrell, P., 2011. Writing a built environment dissertation. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.   Naoum, S. 2013., Dissertation research and writing for Construction Students. 3rd edition Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann *   Rudestam, K. and Newton, R., 2001. Surviving your dissertation. A comprehensive guide to content and process. London: Sage Publications Inc.   Walliman, N., 2004. Your undergraduate dissertation. The essential guide for success. London: Sage Publications Inc.

Please do not limit yourself to these texts.                           *  Available as an E-Book

 

5.2. Other Resources

 

• Lectures
• VLE
• One to one tutorials with your supervisor – please remember it is your responsibility to contact your tutor and arrange these.

 

6. How is My Work Marked?

 

After you have handed your work in or you have completed an examination, Anglia Ruskin undertakes a series of activities to assure that our marking processes are comparable with those employed at other universities in the UK and that your work has been marked fairly, honestly and consistently.  These include:

 

• Anonymous marking – your name is not attached to your work so, at the point of marking, the lecturer does not know whose work he/she is considering. When you undertake an assessment task where your identity is known (eg: a presentation or Major Project), it is marked by more than one lecturer (known as double marking)

 

• Internal moderation – a sample of all work for each assessment task in each module is moderated by other Anglia Ruskin staff to check the standards and consistency of the marking

 

• External moderation – a sample of student work for all modules is moderated by external examiners – experienced academic staff from other universities (and sometimes practitioners who represent relevant professions) – who scrutinise your work and provide Anglia Ruskin academic staff with feedback, advice and assurance that the marking of your work is comparable to that in other UK universities. Many of Anglia Ruskin’s staff act as external examiners at other universities.

 

• Departmental Assessment Panel (DAP) – performance by all students on all modules is discussed and approved at the appropriate DAPs which are attended by all relevant Module Leaders and external examiners. Anglia Ruskin has over 25 DAPs to cover all the different subjects we teach.

 

This module falls within the remit of the construction and surveying DAPs.

 

The following external examiners are appointed to these DAPs and will oversee the assessment of these and other modules within the DAP’s remit:

 

External Examiner’s Name	Academic Institution	Position or Employer
CONSTRUCTION
Dr Billy Hare	Glasgow Caledonian University	Reader, Construction management
Mr Simon Lee	University of West of England	Senior Lecturer
Professor Peter Walker	University of Bath	Head of Department
SURVEYING
Dr Aaron Anvuur	Loughborough University	Senior Lecturer
Dr Alan Davies	Northumbria University	Senior Lecturer
Mr Paul Denny	Practitioner	Partner, Potter Raper Partnership
Mr Adam  Elwell	Practitioner	Director, Elwell Taylor
Mrs Jill Fortune	Sheffield Hallam University	Principal Lecturer
Mr Kevin Mullis	Practitioner	Senior Partner, Ingleton Wood

 

The above list is correct at the time of publication.  However, external examiners are appointed at various points throughout the year.  An up-to-date list of external examiners is available to students and staff at www.anglia.ac.uk/eeinfo.

 

Anglia Ruskin’s marking process is represented in the flowchart below:

 

Flowchart of Anglia Ruskin’s Marking Processes

• All work is marked anonymously or double marked where identity of the student is known (eg: in a presentation)
• The internal (and external) moderation process compares work from all locations where the module is delivered (eg: Cambridge, Chelmsford, Peterborough, Malaysia, India, Trinidad etc.)
• The sample for the internal moderation process comprises a minimum of eight pieces of work or 10% (whichever is the greater) for each marker and covers the full range of marks
• Only modules at levels 5, 6 and 7 are subject to external moderation (unless required for separate reasons). The sample for the external moderation process comprises a minimum of eight pieces of work or 10% (whichever is the greater) for the entire module and covers the full range of marks ⁵ DAP: Departmental Assessment Panel – Anglia Ruskin has over 25 different DAPs to reflect our subject coverage

 

 

 

7. Assessment Criteria and Marking Standards

 

Assessment criteria Below is the breakdown of marks, there is a more detailed document on the VLE.

 

Remember you are responsible for the mark you earn, not your supervisor.

 

If there are more than 7% marks difference between first and second markers then a third marker may also assess your work, and the three agree your final mark.

 

Research Proposal – Assessment Criteria

 

Is the work complete, containing all elements as per the ethics template, and is it achievable?

Pass/fail

 

 

CV and Exit Plan – Assessment Criteria

 

Is the work to a satisfactory standard, and containing the following elements: –

1. i) C.V. ii) exit plan, and iii) semester one tutorial sheet signed by tutor to demonstrate evidence of

satisfactory performance at one or more tutorials
Dissertation – Assessment Criteria			Pass/fail
Introduction			10%
Knowledge in relevant discipline			20%
Research methods			20%
Analysis and evaluation of results			25%
Conclusions and recommendations			10%
Structure and presentation			10%
Student performance at semester two tutorials			5%

 

 

TOTAL 100%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY GENERIC ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND MARKING STANDARDS

 

LEVEL 6

 

Level 6 is characterised by an expectation of students’ increasing autonomy in relation to their study and developing skill sets.  Students are expected to demonstrate problem solving skills, both theoretical and practical. This is supported by an understanding of appropriate theory; creativity of expression and thought based in individual judgement; and the ability to seek out, invoke, analyse and evaluate competing theories or methods of working in a critically constructive and open manner. Output is articulate, coherent and skilled in the appropriate medium, with some students producing original or innovative work in their specialism.
Mark Bands		Outcome	Generic Learning Outcomes (GLOs) (Academic Regulations, Section 2)
			Knowledge & Understanding	Intellectual (thinking), Practical, Affective and Transferable Skills
	90-100%	Achieves module outcome(s) related to GLO at this level	Exceptional information base exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and ethical issues with extraordinary originality and autonomy.  Work may be considered for publication within Anglia Ruskin University	Exceptional management of learning resources, with a higher degree of autonomy/exploration that clearly exceeds the assessment brief. Exceptional structure/accurate expression. Demonstrates exceptional intellectual originality and imagination.  Exceptional team/practical/professional skills.  Work may be considered for publication within Anglia Ruskin University
	80-89%		Outstanding information base exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and ethical issues with clear originality and autonomy	Outstanding management of learning resources, with a degree of autonomy/exploration that clearly exceeds the assessment brief. An exemplar of structured/accurate expression. Demonstrates outstanding intellectual originality and imagination.  Outstanding team/practical/professional skills
	70-79%		Excellent knowledge base that supports analysis, evaluation and problem-solving in theory/practice/ethics of discipline with considerable originality	Excellent management of learning resources, with degree of autonomy/research that may exceed the assessment brief. Structured and creative expression. Excellent academic/ intellectual skills and practical/team/professional/problemsolving skills
	60-69%		Good knowledge base that supports analysis, evaluation and problem-solving in theory/ practice/ethics of discipline with some originality	Good management of learning resources, with consistent self-directed research. Structured and accurate expression. Good academic/intellectual skills and team/practical/ professional/problem solving skills
	50-59%		Satisfactory knowledge base that supports some analysis, evaluation and problem-solving in theory/practice/ethics of discipline	Satisfactory management of learning resources. Some autonomy in research but inconsistent. Structured and mainly accurate expression. Acceptable level of academic/ intellectual skills going beyond description at times. Satisfactory team/practical/professional/problem-solving skills
	40-49%	A marginal pass in module outcome(s) related to GLO at this level	Basic knowledge base with some omissions at the level of theoretical/ethical issues. Restricted ability to discuss theory and/or or solve problems in discipline	Basic use of learning resources with little autonomy. Some difficulties with academic/intellectual skills. Some difficulty with structure/accuracy in expression, but evidence of developing team/practical/professional/problem-solving skills
	30-39%	A marginal fail in module outcome(s) related to GLO at this level. Possible compensation. Satisfies qualifying mark	Limited knowledge base.  Limited understanding of discipline/ethical issues. Difficulty with theory and problem solving in discipline	Limited use of learning resources. Unable to work autonomously. Little input to teams. Weak academic/ intellectual skills. Still mainly descriptive. General difficulty with structure/accuracy in expression. Practical/professional/ problem-solving skills that are not yet secure
	20-29%	Fails to achieve module outcome(s) related to this GLO.  Qualifying mark not satisfied.  No compensation available	Little evidence of knowledge base. Little evidence of understanding of discipline/ethical issues.  Significant difficulty with theory and problem solving in discipline	Little evidence of use of learning resources. Unable to work autonomously. Little input to teams. Very weak academic/ intellectual skills. Work significantly descriptive. Significant difficulty with structure/accuracy in expression. Little evidence of practical/professional/problem-solving skills
	10-19%		Inadequate knowledge base. Inadequate understanding of discipline/ethical issues. Major difficulty with theory and problem solving in discipline	Inadequate use of learning resources. Unable to work autonomously. Inadequate input to teams. Extremely weak academic/intellectual skills. Work significantly descriptive. Major difficulty with structure/accuracy in expression. Inadequate practical/professional/ problem-solving skills
	1-9%		No evidence of knowledge base; no evidence of understanding of discipline/ethical issues.  Total inability with theory and problem solving in discipline	No evidence of use of learning resources. Completely unable to work autonomously. No evidence of input to teams. No evidence of academic/intellectual skills. Work wholly descriptive. Incoherent structure/accuracy and expression. No evidence of practical/professional/ problemsolving skills
	0%		Awarded for: (i) non-submission; (ii) dangerous practice and; (iii) in situations where the student fails to address the assignment brief (eg: answers the wrong question) and/or related learning outcomes

 

 

8. Attendance

 

Attending all your classes and tutorials is very important and one of the best ways to help you succeed in this module.  In accordance with the Student Charter, you are expected to arrive on time and take an active part in all your timetabled classes.  If you are unable to attend a class for a valid reason (e.g.: illness), please contact your Module Tutor.

 

Anglia Ruskin will closely monitor the attendance of all students and will contact you by e-mail if you have been absent without notice for two weeks.  Please remember to “tap-in” using your Ruskin card at every taught session.  Continued absence can result in various consequences including the termination of your registration as you will be considered to have withdrawn from your studies.

 

International students who are non-EEA nationals and in possession of entry clearance/leave to remain as a student (Tier 4 student visa) are required to be in regular attendance at Anglia Ruskin. Failure to do so is considered to be a breach of national immigration regulations.  Failure to do so will have serious implications for your immigration status in the UK.  Anglia Ruskin, like all British Universities, is statutorily obliged to inform UK Visa & Immigration (Home Office) of significant unauthorised absences by any student visa holders.

9. Assessment Offences

 

 

As an academic community, we recognise that the principles of truth, honesty and mutual respect are central to the pursuit of knowledge. Behaviour that undermines those principles weakens the community, both individually and collectively, and diminishes our values. We are committed to ensuring that every student and member of staff is made aware of the responsibilities s/he bears in maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and how those standards are protected.

 

You are reminded that any work that you submit must be your own.  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 (e.g.: the correct use of referencing, citations, footnotes etc.) and that your work maintains its academic integrity.

 

 

Definitions of Assessment Offences

 

Plagiarism

 

Plagiarism is theft and occurs when you present someone else’s 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 it is most likely to happen in coursework, assignments, portfolios, essays, dissertations 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 else’s 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 else’s work, words, images, ideas or discoveries is a form of theft.

 

Collusion

 

Collusion is similar to plagiarism as it is an attempt to present another’s 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 person’s 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 committing 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 accordance with our ‘Academic Honesty Policy’, you will be able to do tutorials on being honest in your work from the library (http://anglia.libguides.com/GAP) and other central support services and faculties, and will be able to review your work for plagiarism using ‘Turnitin®UK’ (where appropriate), an online service for matched-text. You can get advice on how to use honestly 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.

 

Turnitin®UK will produce a report which clearly shows if passages in your work have been matched with another source. Originality of assessment is an academic judgement and there is no generally acceptable upper or lower similarity score. You may talk about the matched-text in the

‘Turnitin®UK’ report with a member of academic staff to see where you may need to improve your academic practice. If you are not sure whether the way you are working meets our requirements, you should talk to your personal tutor, module tutor or other member of academic staff. They will be able to help you and tell you about other resources that will help you develop your academic skills.

 

 

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 himself or herself or another student.

 

In cases where the Module Leader suspects that the assignment submitted is not the work of the student, and may have been produced by another person, the Module Leader informs the Director of Studies of the suspicion of an assessment offence. In the process of considering the academic integrity of the work, the Director of Studies may invite the student to a meeting, with the Module Leader, to answer questions about the assignment.

 

We will fully investigate all cases of suspected assessment offences. If we prove that you have committed an assessment offence, an appropriate penalty will be imposed which, for the most serious offences, includes expulsion from Anglia Ruskin.  For full details of our assessment offences policy and procedures, see Section 10 of the Academic Regulations at: www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregs.

 

10. Module Evaluation

 

During the second half of the delivery of this module, you will be asked to complete a module evaluation questionnaire to help us obtain your views on all aspects of the module.

 

This is an extremely important process which helps us to continue to improve the delivery of the module in the future and to respond to issues that you bring to our attention.  The module report in section 11 of this module guide includes a section which comments on the feedback we received from other students who have studied this module previously.

 

Your questionnaire response is anonymous.

 

Please help us to help you and other students at Anglia Ruskin by completing the Module Evaluation survey.  We very much value our students’ views and it is very important to us that you provide feedback to help us make improvements.

 

In addition to the Module Evaluation process, you can send any comment on anything related to your experience at Anglia Ruskin to tellus@anglia.ac.uk at any time.

 

 

11. Report on Last Delivery of Module

 

In 2014/2015 marks ranged from in a very good first to fail, which may have been caused by failure in any one of the three elements of assessment.

The successful students put in a great deal of work and did not leave it to the last minute.  This is very important if you are to be successful – you cannot produce this piece of work in a last minute rush, and you may not discover this until it is too late to deal with.  This module is not the same as any other you have done.  You will only realise this towards the end of the module when it is much too late to remedy insufficient time spent producing the work!

 

A very small number of students failed. Mostly, they had either not produced a complete dissertation or they had written their work very badly and not engaged with the process of producing their dissertation.  They had also ignored what their supervisor told them.  Some had left the work to the last minute, and consequently did not have enough time to produce work to the required standard.

 

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