What is a dissertation

1. Introduction

This handbook aims to provide guidelines and advice to help you to successfully complete your dissertation.  By following the information in this guide you will be able to successfully meet the learning outcomes of the dissertation which include:

1. Identify and critically discuss appropriate literature sources
2. Identify and critically discuss the applicability of a range of research methodologies and paradigms within a range of disciplines
3. Critically evaluate and apply appropriate research tools and techniques
4. Appraise the validity and reliability of research data.

 

2. What is a dissertation?

Your dissertation is a 60 credit module that is expected to last 4 months.

The dissertation involves the execution and communication of a piece of investigative academic research which demonstrates an understanding of a specific problem, together with evidence of critical and analytical evaluation. It should provide evidence of a thorough understanding of your course of studies, and of the application of tools and theories to present a coherent academic argument with  the use of appropriate literature to support the work undertaken and the conclusions reached.

The dissertation is where you take charge of your own learning process, with the support of a designated supervisor. The principal point to realise is that it is you, as the researcher, who drive the process and the work itself.

Most students find the dissertation both challenging and rewarding. There will inevitably be ups and downs but by keeping in regular contact with your supervisor you will find that most problems can be overcome before they become too big.

There are three stages of dissertation progress: Proposal, Intermediate and Final. The proposal begins with your choice of topic.

3. The topic and the proposal

Topics can be generated from a variety of sources, for example they may be of interest to you or your supervisor, they may be generated from work experience, they may result from a seminar discussion, newspaper articles, journal article or from a piece of coursework.

The process begins with a proposal. The proposal tutor will provide you with guidance about what is an acceptable topic and h/she must approve it before you can continue to the dissertation proper.

The proposal not be purely descriptive, but should produce original conclusions and/or recommendations even though these may represent only a minor part of the work. The topic must have a theoretical content which is outlined in the literature review and this must be supported by references to academic literature, using the Harvard system. The literature review provides the platform of understanding for the work to come, and is not merely a report but a critical analysis of the available information. The work requires drive on your part from the outset, and the sooner you get down to it, following the residency, the better the likely outcome

It is difficult, and not advisable, to change dissertation topic once you have started and this may only take place after consultation with, and counselling by your supervisor.

The proposal process is in two steps.

4. The dissertation process

The dissertation is handled via X’s Thesis Repository which should be the main means of communication with your supervisor. The process is self-explanatory but your supervisor will help you to use the Repository if you have any difficulty. There is nothing to prevent you from communicating with your supervisor in any other way than via the Repository, but the Repository must be used for your drafts on which you expect feedback, as it is vital that there is as record, visible to the dissertation coordinators, of all submissions and all responses by the supervisor

On acceptance of the final proposal, you will be allocated a supervisor. All X supervisors are experienced in supervising dissertations at Masters level on a distance basis.  Where students have a preference to be supervised by a specific member of staff every effort will be made to accommodate this request but due to other commitments by staff this may not always be possible.

The  three stages of dissertation progress – Proposal, Intermediate and Final, — are labelled as such in the Thesis Repository.

Proposal , as above.

Intermediate indicates that the proposal has been accepted and that work on the dissertation proper can begin or has begun. The proposal tutor sets the new stage, and as it changes to Intermediate, you will be allocated a supervisor and receive an email to that effect.

Final indicates that the dissertation is complete and ready to be marked. Your supervisor sets the new stage.

Each time you upload a file to the Repository, your supervisor receives an auto-generated email to alert him or her to the fact that a uploaded file is awaiting feedback. When he or she has uploaded the feedback, you receive an auto-generated email to that effect. When your dissertation is complete, before uploading it you should tick the Finality box (see the screenshot). Once that is done, no further amendments can be made.

Uploaded files should be in MS Word (.doc or .docx) rather than as PDF files. Supervisors can then add comments in their feedback.

5. Roles and Responsibilities

5.1       The Student

The dissertation is your work and as such, you are ultimately responsible for the success of your dissertation. Your supervisor is there to offer guidance but you should assume ownership of the dissertation, managing your work load, meeting deadlines and understanding the requirements for the success of the dissertation. To that end you must:

• negotiate with your supervisor to determine a suitable dissertation topic;
• arrange and attend meetings with your supervisor;
• provide the supervisor with current contact details;
• allocate a sufficient amount of your time to your dissertation to carry out the work;
• inform your supervisor promptly and honestly, of your progress on the tasks allocated to you and of any problems encountered;
• comply with ethical considerations and restrictions;
• take responsibility for liaising with any external clients;
• ensure the dissertation is of an acceptable standard;
• submit the dissertation by the deadline.

Remember to back up your work. The excuse that is often heard is that “my computer crashed”. This is the modern equivalent of “the dog ate my homework”. There is no real excuse for losing your work, except bad management. You should be well aware of the need to maintain additional copies of your work (electronic and paper). We know that is easier said than done, but do not learn the hard way. Hard disk failure, theft, etc. are not valid excuses for you to gain extra time

Collect references and write up as you go. The best time to record a reference is when you get it. It is far easier to write up your literature review at the time you are reading the books and papers you have found. Good habits start early – there is nothing worse than, when you get to the final stages, being unable to find the source of a central reference. Good housekeeping, good management is central to success. The process should be controlled.

If you have particular difficulties with written reports (perhaps your grammar or spelling is poor, or English is not your first language), you may need to seek additional help. Electronic spelling and grammar checkers can be useful, and a human proof-reader can be a valuable aid. But this person is not your supervisor, nor should he or she write your dissertation for you. Their role is strictly limited to correcting your English, and you must clearly acknowledge in your dissertation the precise level of help you have received.

Determine a structure and presentation style as soon as possible. You may wish to use outlining, styles and automatic tables of contents in MS Word. If so, the time to learn this skill is at the beginning of your dissertation.

Develop the skill of reading your dissertation as others may read it. The story ou tell needs to be lucid and intelligible to those without expert knowledge in the area, but you should assume that your readers are literate and intelligent.

5.2       The supervisor

Your supervisor will:

• offer advice on the aim and objectives of your dissertation;
• comment on your ideas;
• offer guidance on the dissertation process;
• inform you of planned absences and procedures for maintaining contact;
• make you aware of inadequate progress if that applies.

You should not expect your supervisor to list all the reading that will be required nor to write any part of the dissertation. Supervisors will agree appropriate supervision methods and will read and give advice on chapters. .

However, your supervisor will not:

• tell you what to do;
• direct the research; you the  researcher, not a research assistant.

You should agree a timetable with your supervisor indicating when various stages of the dissertation preparation – preliminary reading, overall design, document structure, write up of individual chapters, production of preliminary draft and final draft – will be completed. Your supervisor is not expected to intervene at each of these stages, but the Thesis Repository will help the process

Your supervisor will guide you as much as possible, while at the same time ensuring that it is your work and your ideas that are finally assessed. It is for you to implement his or her suggestions (or argue your case for doing otherwise if you wish). Also, your supervisor will not tell you what mark you will achieve or what your dissertation is worth.  It is your responsibility for ensuring that your work will achieve a pass mark.

 

6.0       Planning the dissertation

During your research methods module you will have already prepared a proposal for a dissertation. You will usually further develop this proposal in terms of final dissertation.  You will therefore find it useful to discuss your proposal with your supervisor before you start on the dissertation proper.  In order to assist you in this discussion you may find the following structure useful:

Proposed title

Central research question(s)

Rationale for the study

Context of the study

Aim

Objectives

Proposed methodology

Limitations of the study

Delimitations of the study

Proposed structure of the study

References

Be clear that this is an independent piece of work and the ultimate responsibility to produce your dissertation rests with you.

Submission of draft chapters to your supervisor via the Thesis Repisitory is by personal arrangement, but please be aware that supervisors often have several students and many other commitments, so allow plenty of time for return of your work. Normally a maximum of two weeks is required for feedback.

As a general rule, you should invest nearly as much time reading your work as writing it. Read your writing back to yourself, putting yourself in the mind of the reader. This will help you to produce coherent and precise writing. Leave sufficient time for reading and correction, re-reading and further correction. Do not be afraid of deleting work – just because you have written it down does not mean it is central, interesting, or appropriate. Rigorous pruning is often needed and beneficial.

 

7.0       Format and presentation

Dissertations should be between 12,000 and 15,000 words and include a word count.

The following are not included in the word count: abstracts; indented quotations (of more than 50 words); tables; figures; diagrams; footnotes/endnotes used for reference purposes and kept within reasonable limits; bibliography; and appendices.

The dissertation must word-processed in double line-spacing, and in Arial 11 pt or Times New Roman 12 pt on A4 page size. The abstract and bibliography should be single spaced.

Illustrative items such as tables and diagrams etc. should be produced and reduced to A4 size unless this would seriously detract from their illustrative value.  They should be inserted as near as possible to the main portion of the text referring to them and should be titled and numbered sequentially throughout the report for ease of reference. The reader does not wish to refer to a reference, or an appendix, to follow the argument presented.

The abstract, a 1-page précis of the work done, is not written in the future tense, and reports factually on the research carried out and the results. Pay attention to tenses (past, present, future) and be careful not to mix them within chapters. Methodology and results, for example, include what has been done/found and so should be in the past tense.

Page numbering up to the abstract should be by small Roman numerals, (i, ii, iii, iv, etc) and the main body of the text plus appendices should be numbered consecutively throughout in Arabic numerals. The general style of layout should be similar to that in academic works and journals, except that in relevant cases, that part of any dissertation which also serves as a report to a host company may be prepared with numbered paragraphs and greater use of headings, sub-headings, and other appropriate devices for emphasis, etc. (underlining/italics, etc).

Each chapter should contain an introduction, the main body of arguments and a conclusion. You should attempt to anchor each chapter into the body of the text so that its relevance to the whole dissertation is clear to the reader.

The format of the dissertation should be as follows:

1. Title Page (see appendix 1 for example)b. Declaration (see appendix 2 for example)
2. Abstract

The aim of this is to give the reader an overview of the work contained in the dissertation. It should be no longer than one page of A4, single spaced and should make reference to the aims and objectives, the methods of investigation, the main findings and the conclusions reached. It is NOT a description of you contents page, nor is it an introduction.

1. Acknowledgements

You should refer to those people who have assisted you in your research, for example your supervisor, advisors, and those who completed questionnaires and interviews etc.  Please ensure you spell names correctly and ensure that you conform with ethical issues (do not name any individuals or companies who have provided you with data or personal information)

1. Contents Page

Your contents page should list the sections and subsections of your dissertation followed by references and then appendices.  You should provide the title of each appendix and it is common practice to number the pages in the appendix A1, A2, A3 etc.  Pages in the contents table are normally numbered in small case Roman numerals.

1. List of Tables and Figures

List all, figures, tables and diagrams by number, title and page number

1. List of abbreviations

Abbreviations should be listed.  In the text, the abbreviation should only be used after its first mention, which should be written in full.

1. Introduction (word length guide 1,500 words)

This should set the scene and give the reader a complete overview of what you intend to do. It should include a general introduction, a rationale for doing the research which is based on secondary data, an aim and some supporting objectives and a specific research question or questions, the proposed methodology, limiting and delimiting factors and an outline of the organisation of the study.

1. Literature Review (word length guide 5,000 words)

A literature review is “an interpretation and synthesis of published work” Merriam, 1986, Case Study Research in Education) and not simply an extended essay.  As such your literature review should involve the following processes:

Searching for sources

Searching for references is a standard part of your dissertation and should be done as early as possible. Search tools are available and include:

internet search engines such as Business Source Premier (EBSCO), Emerald, Google other databases

bibliographic databases such as the Web of Science and OCLC the X library catalogue).

Your most accessible sources are those those electronic journals to which X subscribes. Electronic journals are an exciting innovation, and as the situation is very fluid, so you need to keep up to date with exactly what is available.

Quality of information

Information overload has become a familiar term recently but it is a concept that is likely to be clear to you after your search. Your problem may not be finding the information, but selecting what you should use (particularly with Internet searches). Internet sources are of very variable quality, you need to be particularly critical in your use of these sources. It is often worth asking yourself: who supplied this information and why did they supply it? An evaluation of, say, Customer Relationship Management software from a peer-reviewed journal may carry more weight than one offered by the leading supplier of that type of software. Wikipedia, for example is of variable quality, and is not peer reviewed – be very careful as to how you use this source which is, in general, best avoided

Use of information

At this level, it is essential that you observe scholarly conventions for the attribution of the work of others. Please read the notes on plagiarism in your student handbook. References are those sources (written and unwritten) which were consulted in the course of your research and which are actually referred to in your text. During the literature search of your dissertation topic, you will find published material (books, book chapters, scientific articles, magazine articles, press articles, commercial reports, etc.). It is essential to refer to your source when quoting actual text, when referring to numerical data, and when using a diagram or figure found in the literature. Figures (pictures, diagrams, models, maps, etc) and tables (numerical or textual data) should be clearly labelled and of a sufficient size to be readable. The source of each map, picture, diagram or statistical table should be clearly acknowledged. Thus each figure or table should have:

• a number (so that you can refer to it as an explanation or illustration of your argument in the main text – reciprocally, all figures and tables should be referred to and used in the text);
• a title;
• the source, if the figure or table has been found in a book, article or report (if it is a result of your own work, it does not need a source).

For details of citation conventions, please see the link in appendix 5.

In the interest of accuracy and to avoid having to waste time checking sources at the last minute, it is very strongly recommended you take careful notes when material is being collected during your investigation, when using primary sources (people you interview for instance) or secondary sources (books you read, i.e. work done by someone else). Be careful to record accurately name of author, title of work, page numbers, date, publisher, etc. or name of the person interviewed, job title, date, company, location, etc. and indicate clearly in your notes from published work what is copied exactly and what is a précis (a summary in your own words).

Where original sources have been studied only in a reprint edition or published collection of readings, this secondary source should be documented as well as the original publication. Incidentally, direct and indirect quotations (both of which should be referenced to their original sources) should be used only sparingly – the object of the dissertation is to establish the student’s own personal understanding and contribution in the area of study. Similarly, an outline style or the excessive use of short paragraphs should be avoided in the dissertation; in the dissertation each topic should be as rigorously and deeply discussed as practicable, which normally requires longer paragraphs. This should culminate in a chosen theory or theories with an outline expressing how these are to be tested – the design of this is reported in the next section.

Finally, do not cite your lecture notes or your assignment submissions.

 

1. Methodology (word length guide 2,000 words)

You must give reasoned arguments for your choice of research methodology, including any alternative methods that have been deemed less suitable. Selections of your sample should be discussed along with details of how you implemented your methodology (how? where? when? who? why?). Information on pilot studies should be included, together with details of any changes made as a result. You must discuss and justify how the field work was undertaken, what happened, and the methods used to analyse data.  Reliability and validity issues should be discussed including the steps you have taken to ensure your findings may be relied on by others as accurate and trustworthy.  The main emphasis of this chapter is on justifying what you have done and the process you have applied in data collection and analysis.

1. Results and Discussion (word length guide 5,000 words)

The results should be presented in a logical manner using tables and figures as necessary. You should discuss the meaning of the results as you present them. Remember to relate your results back to your aim and objectives, research question(s), and literature review. This section should not be just a description of your results but should include a discussion and evaluation of the findings you have made.

1. Conclusions and Recommendations (word length guide 1,500 words)

Your conclusions are a summary of your overall findings and should relate to your original your original aim, objectives and research question(s). The conclusions should be based on your results and discussions section but should not be a regurgitation of this section. The key parts of the literature should be revisited in this section and where appropriate your conclusions should assess implications of your work.

Your recommendations should be based on your conclusions chapter.  Where appropriate, your recommendations should include aims, implementation strategies, resource costs and resource benefits.

1. Evaluation of Study and Scope for Further Research

This section gives you the opportunity to reflect on what you have done. There may be obvious opportunities for further research other than the same work carried out in a different geographical area or using a different sample.

In your evaluation don’t be afraid to state what went wrong preferably with ways that this could be avoided if the research were to be carried out again. Critically evaluate your methodology again with ways that this could be improved. Discuss the limitations of your work.

1. Reference List

Throughout your dissertation you will be referring to the work of others. You must provide a list of those sources you have used and referred to in the dissertation. All sources you use must be referenced and must be included in this list. Each source in the list must in a form that is traceable by the reader—thus you need to include the authors’ names, the year, the title of the source, etc.  The School and X insist that you use the Harvard system. Failure to acknowledge and reference correctly may lead to accusations of plagiarism and if proved, you will be subjected to the disciplinary process of the University.  These may be accessed at

 

1. Appendices

Appendices are not marked and hence should not be included in the word count. They should include only relevant information to aid in the understanding of the text, e.g. questionnaires, interview questions, letters and responses to and from third parties, relevant raw data, etc. There is no need to present each complete questionnaire although it is extremely important that this is saved and as it may be required for inspection.  This also applies to taped transcripts of any interviews.

 

10. Assessment

Your dissertation will be double marked, firstly by your supervisor and secondly by one of the other supervisors. If there is a significant difference in the marks they will be moderated by a third marker. Many dissertations are sent out to external examiners and, thus, some may be marked up to four times.

Due to the nature of the marking, no marks will be released until they are ratified at the Examination Board.

A copy of the marking scheme is included in appendix 3

12        Ethical Approval

As part of your proposal you will be required to obtain ethical approval.  Within X Business School, the ethical approval process is based on the following assumptions

That it is primarily the duty of Schools to ensure that all research studies, undertaken by students on UG and PG  taught programmes comply with the Ethical Approval  requirements of the University, and where appropriate, of other bodies (such as the NHS),

That primary research undertaken in X Business School does not in general involve the use of highly personal and sensitive data about participants or participation in clinical or other trials,

That many pieces of  student research on taught programmes are largely or even wholly of secondary rather than primary nature,

That it will be apparent from the student proposal and their ethical approval form, that every student must complete it, whether or not  ethical issues are involved in the proposed research

That it is part of the supervisor’s role:

to ensure that the design of the proposed research respects the rights of those participating in the research and

that the research is in fact carried out in compliance with ethical principles,

That where the research proposed does involve vulnerable participants [1], or those for whom a separate ethical approval regime exists[2] then particular regard must be had to the ethical basis upon which the research is being conducted,

That where such groups, identified above, are involved, then X Business School must take responsibility for granting ethical approval for the research proposed,

That, based on the application forms submitted by all students  for ethical approval of their research proposals, applications could be categorised[3] as:

 

Type 1: secondary research only.  No ethical approval required

Type 2: some primary research involving human participants but no vulnerable groups involved

Type 3; vulnerable or otherwise ethically significant groups involved (see para 6 above).

 

Based on these assumptions, the following procedures have been developed for all research studies in UG and PG taught programmes[4] within X Business School.

1. All students submit completed application forms (signed by proposed supervisor) for ethical approval to Ethical Approval Co-ordinator (EAC)[5] for taught programmes. Theo form to be completed is included in appendix 4.
2. EAC calls meeting of the School Ethical Approval Committee (SEAC)[6] to review all applications for Ethical Approval.

(i)         Type 1 applications: approved and passed to supervisor.

 

(ii)        Type 2 applications: approved and passed to supervisor with written reminder that ethical issues should be carefully monitored and supervised throughout the period of the research.

(iii)       Type 3 applications (and including any borderline Type 2 applications) should be passed as soon as possible to the Colleges Ethical Approvals for Taught Programmes Committee for a thorough but speedy decision as to whether approval should be given, and if not, a ruling as to what actions a the student and supervisor should take to remedy the deficiencies of the application.

(iv)       the Colleges Ethical Approvals for Taught Programmes Committee reports the outcomes of all ethical approval applications to College Council and Board.

(v)        College Council and Board reports the decisions from the Colleges Ethical Approvals for Taught Programmes Committee to the relevant committee of Senate[7]

 

Appendix 1    Example of Title Page

 

 

 

 

Business School

 

An evaluation of the of stakeholder perceptions of the factors influencing customer satisfaction with online banking.

 

 

 

A dissertation is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of The University of X for the degree of MSc International Banking and Finance

 

 

 

Appendix 3    Dissertation Marking Scheme

X Business School – Dissertation Marking Scheme

STUDENT			Roll Number
PROGRAMME
TITLE
1st MARKER     Signature		DISSERTATION       MARK (%)                   Date
2nd MARKER   Signature		DISSERTATION MARK  (%)   Date
Sign (1st Marker) Sign (2nd Marker)		AGREED MARK (%)
External examiner comments       Sign (External examiner)		Date

 

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Marker’s overall comments and rationale for mark       Abstract, Introduction and Literature Review       Methodology     Results, Discussion, Conclusion  Recommendations and Presentation

 

Appendix 4

Ethical Approval

X Business School

 

Ethical Approval Form for research projects on Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Programmes.

 

Name of student:

 

Programme of study:

Supervisor:

Title of proposed research project (refer to guidelines section 1)

 

 

2. Project focus and objectives (refer to guidelines section 2)

 

3. Research Methodology (refer to guidelines section 3)

 

 

How many subjects will be recruited and/or involved in the research study? (refer to guidelines section 4)

 

 

State whether you need to obtain organisational agreement for the research study to take place? (refer to guidelines section 5)

 

YES/ NO (delete as appropriate and explain response)

How will you ensure that you gain informed consent from anyone involved in the study?(refer to guidelines section 6)    

 

 

Are there any data protection issues that you need to address? 

(refer to guidelines section 7)                             

YES / NO (delete as appropriate and explain response)

 

Are there other ethical issues that need to be considered (refer to guidelines section 8) 

 

 

 

I certify that the above information is, to the best of my knowledge, accurate and correct.  I understand the need to ensure I undertake my research in a manner that reflects good principles of ethical research practice.

 

Signed by Student:

 

Date …………………………………………….

 

 

In signing this form I confirm that I have read and agreed the contents with the student.

 

Signed by Supervisor:

 

Date ……………………………………….

 

 

 

 

Guidance Notes for Completing the Ethical Approval Form (2010/11)

The following notes have been compiled to act as a guide for applicants pursuing ethical approval for research to be undertaken as part of their taught programme. Each section below refers directly to the sections on the application form and highlights what minimum information is required.

Applications with insufficient information will be returned unapproved to the applicant, and will have to be re-submitted at a later date, resulting in a delay to the start of the research study.

Title of proposed research project

 

The title of the research project needs to be clear and succinct giving an idea to the reader exactly what the project involves. A title to a study should not contain any acronyms but all words should be explained in full.

 

Project focus and objectives

 

Provide a short overview of the aims of the research study, such as: what are you going to do, who will it involve, what do you hope to achieve.

 

Summarise the main objectives or outcomes expected of the research study, for example:

 

To generate an understanding of certain issues…

To evaluate a particular phenomenon or service…

To highlight the differences between…

To describe/understand the experiences of…

To measure the difference between X and Y…

To improve the knowledge of…

 

3. Research methodology

This section provides a summary of the methods you are going to use to perform the research study. Briefly describe the following:

Who will be approached, how many, what will their involvement entail, how often, where are they from/located. You need to describe the sampling frame you have chosen, why you have selected the sample size, and identify how the sample represents the wider population, so that results can be generalised.

Identify the research methodology you have adopted (such as phenomenology, action research etc).Whatever you choose, make sure it is clear why this method is important.

What method are you using to gather data, data collection tools, interview guides, questionnaires etc. Whatever you use you should include (with the application) a copy of the relevant documents or at least a draft copy of such.

Explain how the data will be analysed – for example using quantitative data packages such as SPSS, what statistical tests will be applied, and/or any qualitative techniques such as thematic, content, explanation building analysis.

 

4. Number of participants to be recruited and rationale for sample size

For a study to be ethical, it needs to be performed on sufficient numbers to allow the results to fully represent the wider population and thus to be generalised. It is understood, particularly for student research, that large samples may be unmanageable but the rationale as to how you determined the size of your study sample needs to be explained and what problems a small sample may have on the study findings acknowledged. One method of determining a sample size could be to use similar numbers recruited within previous work/studies that have been shown to be appropriate to substantiate the study findings.

To fully understand the impact of the number of participants you have selected for your study sample it is important to provide a total number of potential participants so a percentage of the total possible sample can be reviewed (for example total number of people on a course compared with the 20 students enrolled in the study).

 

5. Organisational agreement for the research study to take place

If the proposed participants in your study belong to a specific organisation ((eg commercial company, hospital, university, sports club) you need to ensure that you gain the consent of the organisation before you approach these individuals in the first instance. It is also necessary to seek the express consent of the specific managers of your proposed group of participants.

In this section you need to describe the plan of what you intend to do to achieve this consent/agreement to access participants. Any letters to/or from the managers of organisations, both asking for consent from the organisation and the response to the request (see example letter Appendix 1) need to be submitted with the application. It is not appropriate to answer this section as Not Applicable, the response should be Yes or No and the answer explained fully.

In the case of an external organisation you need to find out what processes are involved in gaining the consent of the organisations management, such as appropriate committees or management agreement. If the participants are to be recruited from within the University of X you will need to find out what processes are involved in gaining the consent/agreement of the management from where the research participants originate (for example the Research Committee /Heads of Departments/ Programme Leaders).

 

6. Gaining informed consent

An ethical requirement with respect to recruiting participants for research is that they are fully informed of what the study entails, what their participation will involve,  how long the study will take, what difference it will make to them. Once people understand the research study and their involvement then they can make an informed decision about whether to get involved and provide informed consent.

In this section you need to describe the process by which you are going to ensure that research participants provide informed consent. This must include providing participants with an information sheet in clear easy to understand format (Appendix 2). Research participants should be given a minimum of 24 hours to consider their involvement in a research study and you need to make clear to participants how much time they will be given to consider whether or not they wish to become involved.

Once research participants have decided to be involved in the research study informed consent must be obtained. Written consent should be obtained from all participants where at all possible,anda standard consent form should be used (see Research Participant Consent Form Appendix 3). For survey research where questionnaires are posted to participants it may be appropriate to presume participants consent to being involved in the research by returning a completed questionnaire, so written consent is not necessarily required.

It is equally as important that research participants understand that they can withdraw from a research study at any time without any consequences, even after data has been collected, as they can ask for their data not to be included and subsequently destroyed. This is stipulated on the written consent form and information sheet but you need to mention it in your description of how informed consent is to be obtained.

 

7. Data protection issues

You need to consider how you can protect sensitive data and ensure that participants’ personal data remains confidential.

You need to describe the methods you will use to achieve this and it is recommended that:

All research participants will be provided with a research code, known only to the researcher to ensure that their identity remains anonymous and confidential

Names and contact details of research participants should be stored on a password protected computer, accessed only by the researcher.

All data collected such as questionnaires, interview tapes, transcripts, should be anonymous and coded, hard paper copies of data should be stored in a locked filing cabinet within a locked room, accessed only by the researcher

Data stored electronically must be on a password protected computer, accessed only by the researcher. It is recommended that information is stored on a network drive which is password protected.

All data transported on computer discs, CD’s and USB memory sticks should be anonymous identified only by a code and where possible encrypted to protect against loss.

All publications of data should be written in a way so as to disguise the identity of the research participants involved. Data should not be used which can identify an individual unless prior consent has been obtained from the individual involved.

Data should be stored and archived for a minimum of 3 years, after the graduate award has been made, to allow verification of data from external sources if necessary, or longer if used for further research.

 

8. Other ethical issues to consider

There are a number of other ethical issues that you need to consider and explain in this section if they are relevant to your study. Examples include:

Language Barriers . It is unethical to exclude participants who do not speak English as their first language, unless your study is particularly focusing on English speaking individuals. Therefore you must identify whether non-English speaking people could be part of your sample and what steps you will take to make sure they can participate in the study, understand the information provided and be able to provide informed consent.

Minority Groups. It is important to ensure that minority groups are considered and where appropriate equally represented within a research study sample. You need to identify how you will make sure that your sample is representative of the wider population, that there are sufficient numbers of minority group participants to ensure that findings can fully represent a particular group. This may involve participant’s who are blind/deaf and it is important to clearly explain the methods taken to involve all participants, ensure they are adequately informed.

Addressing Sensitive Issues. The researcher needs to demonstrate that they are aware that when participants recollect/describe bad experiences, discuss sensitive information/feelings, that this could impact negatively upon the research participant.  A clear explanation should be provided which describes how this impact will be minimised or prev

[1]such as children, people with learning difficulties, residents of a nursing home etc

[2] such as patients and workers in the NHS

[3] an indicative classification for the purposes of this document only

[4] All names of  individuals and committees  are working titles only

[5] The person appointed by  the Head of  School to fulfil the role

[6]  Chaired by EAC, membership to include for instance, AHT, Programme Leaders, RI representative

[7]APPC or LTEC