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    Dissertation Framework

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    sapnaraj1612
    The document provides guidance on the structure and content of a business dissertation. It outlines the expected outcomes, which include demonstrating research skills and producing a written thesis with a literature review, methodology, findings, and conclusions. It then describes in detail the typical sections of a dissertation - introduction, literature review, methodology, findings/analysis, conclusions, references, and appendices. Emphasis is placed on justifying the research process and linking all sections back to the aims and conceptual framework.

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    Dissertation Framework

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    sapnaraj1612
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    The document provides guidance on the structure and content of a business dissertation. It outlines the expected outcomes, which include demonstrating research skills and producing a written thesis with a literature review, methodology, findings, and conclusions. It then describes in detail the typical sections of a dissertation - introduction, literature review, methodology, findings/analysis, conclusions, references, and appendices. Emphasis is placed on justifying the research process and linking all sections back to the aims and conceptual framework.

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    The document provides guidance on the structure and content of a business dissertation. It outlines the expected outcomes, which include demonstrating research skills and producing a written thesis with a literature review, methodology, findings, and conclusions. It then describes in detail the typical sections of a dissertation - introduction, literature review, methodology, findings/analysis, conclusions, references, and appendices. Emphasis is placed on justifying the research process and linking all sections back to the aims and conceptual framework.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as KEY, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as key, pdf, or txt
    4 views13 pages

    Dissertation Framework

    Uploaded by

    sapnaraj1612
    The document provides guidance on the structure and content of a business dissertation. It outlines the expected outcomes, which include demonstrating research skills and producing a written thesis with a literature review, methodology, findings, and conclusions. It then describes in detail the typical sections of a dissertation - introduction, literature review, methodology, findings/analysis, conclusions, references, and appendices. Emphasis is placed on justifying the research process and linking all sections back to the aims and conceptual framework.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 13

    BUSINESS DISSERTATION: MAR042-6

    Putting Everything Together

    My thanks to Dr. Rosemary Burnley, who produced this guide


    Expected Outcomes

    Demonstrate aptitude in the development and implementation of a


    management based research investigation;
    Demonstrate the ability to plan, monitor and control (project manage) the
    research to a successful conclusion in a structured, skilled and
    professional manner;
    Critically assess and determine a range of suitable research methods to
    progress the Dissertation.
    Produce a critical and detailed review of literature pertinent to the topic
    under investigation;
    Implement and evaluate a suitable process of data gathering
    Expected Outcomes (Cont.)

    Produce a written thesis that demonstrates a robust investigation, focus, rationale,


    analysis, interpretation, and conclusions for an empirically based business phenomenon.

    You should also identify findings and conclusions with respect to the frame of reference
    developed from the literature review and rigorously justify and defend the research
    process, findings, and conclusions/recommendations within the Dissertation
    The Structure of your Dissertation

    The layout of the majority of Dissertations follows a standard convention:


    Title page (see Appendix V for Template)
    Abstract
    List of Contents
    List of Figures and/or Tables (if applicable)
    Introduction
    Literature Review
    Methodology
    Findings/Analysis/Discussion
    Conclusions (and Recommendations where appropriate)
    References
    Appendices
    Title Page

    The title should be clear and succinct and accurately describe the contents of the
    Dissertation. Do not write the abstract or summary on the title page or the recommendations
    or conclusions.
    The title page must also include:
    Your name
    The date
    The name of the course
    The name of the department and University
    Any statements of confidentiality (page ii).
    NOTE: A template for this is in the Appendices of the Handbook
    The Abstract

    The abstract should succinctly set out what the Dissertation has accomplished in terms of:
    The stated aims and objectives
    What it looked at (the problems)
    How it looked at it (research methods, concepts, models)
    What was found
    The limitations of the research
    What conclusions can be drawn and recommendations made.
    Keep the abstract brief (around 250 words); it should not be too detailed, but must
    provide the salient points of the research. Remember, you cannot write the abstract until
    the report is finished!
    Introduction

    The introduction should state the purpose and intention of the project by setting out:
    Background history/information
    The detailed aims and objectives
    Identification of the problem
    Any definition of terms (if no Glossary)
    The general methodology to be used in the investigation
    Keep it brief and stick to the significant points only.
    For those counting words, remember that appendices are useful for providing supplementary
    information and backing up arguments and discussions and can be excluded from the word count.
    Literature Review

    It will be necessary for you to understand the fundamental issues involved in the chosen area of
    research therefore a substantial amount of reading is required. In essence, a literature review offers,
    "… a selection of available documents (both published and unpublished) on the topic, which
    contain information, ideas, data, and evidence written from a particular standpoint to fulfil certain
    aims or express certain views on the nature of the topic and how it is to be investigated, and the
    effective evaluation of these documents in relation to the research being proposed.”(Hart, 1998, p.
    13)
    Be prepared to read a lot; be prepared to write a lot. The essence of a good literature review is to be
    able to set out and critically develop the main themes or schools of thought on the chosen topic.
    Compare and contrast specific ideas, models or commentators within one of these schools, or
    combine themes from various schools and synthesise them into a coherent and rigorous analytical
    framework of your own. Remember that the model or framework you ultimately end up with must
    be able to shed some understanding on the topic under investigation – so it must be able to be
    defended.
    Methodology

    All research employs some form of data and information collection; how these are collected and
    the problems associated with such collection are important factors to be considered within the
    context of the research.
    A methodology can been defined as, “A system of methods and rules to facilitate the collection and
    analysis of data. It provides the starting point for choosing an approach made up of theories, ideas,
    concepts and definitions of the topic.” (Hart, 2009, p. 28).
    The precise methods of conducting the research will vary depending on the topic and the question.
    There are advantages and disadvantages to all methods of data collection, and some may be
    inappropriate for certain studies. It is important that you consider carefully the methods you choose,
    as they must then be justified in terms of the approach taken.
    Findings/Analysis/Discussion

    This is the part of the project where the facts or evidence are presented. The presentation should be
    structured around the conceptual framework chosen and must incorporate references, views, ideas,
    and critiques from that perspective.
    Remember: the Management Dissertation is meant to be an in-depth piece of work focusing on a
    narrow issue or problem - do not try to fit in all your discoveries, facts, histories and information
    that you generate, use only that which is specific and relevant to the main issues and which meet
    the set objectives.
    Arrange material into groups of similar information and sub divide as you feel necessary
    Give each section a heading which indicates the contents
    Ensure that all related ideas are grouped together and not scattered throughout the report
    See that sections follow each other logically: chronologically; geographically, historically
    Present the facts then analyse the information.
    Build your argument step-by-step towards your conclusions
    Conclusions and Recommendations

    Conclusions and recommendations can be combined or dealt with


    separately though the latter is more usual in larger research projects. They
    should be clear and precise and they are better listed with headings.
    Conclusions should draw out the implications from the main body of the
    work. They should always relate to the conceptual/theoretical framework
    of the report and you should not introduce new material into this section.
    Recommendations should be based only on the explicit conclusions and
    should describe a clear course of action.
    References

    All referencing should be wholly consistent with Harvard style. You


    should refer to the various information/sources made available to you.
    There are study guides from the University. There is also information in
    several research books in the library. Note, there are a number of
    referencing styles used throughout academia, ensure that you use Harvard,
    simply copying and pasting from another source and claiming it is right
    will not be good enough if it isn’t consistent with the Harvard style you
    use.
    Remember; reference lists are written in alphabetical order.
    Appendices

    Appendices contain all the supporting information that would otherwise


    hinder speed-reading of the report. It is also where you place all the
    information you have collected in the form of data, letters etc. Appendices
    are used to present:
    Information which is useful to the understanding of the presentation but
    not essential to the text.
    Information which is referred to continuously in the text and has therefore
    no one logical position in the text.
    Other supporting evidence not available in normal published sources and
    held only by you. e.g.: letters, trade literature, etc.

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