EVP7044 MSc City and Design -优快云博客

School of Natural & Built Environment

Programme : MSc City and Design

Academic Year : 2023-24

Subject : Thesis

Module Number : EVP7044

Hand-in date : Friday 5

th

September 2025

MODULE OUTLINE AND INFORMATION PAPER


1. INTRODUCTION


Your thesis is the single most important piece of work a student will complete at

postgraduate level and is a key determinant in achieving the standard required to obtain a

Master’s degree. The module is worth 60 CAT points, one-third of your degree, meaning that

at least 600 hours of work are expected. The School of Natural and Built Environment

expects a high-quality piece of research to meet its established standards. As part of the

MSc City Planning and Design, your thesis will be in one of the following three formats:


1. Dissertation - this option consists of a piece of independent research on a chosen topic to

be presented in a written form of 15,000 words (maximum).


2. Work-based Study (WBS) - this option consists of a project report prepared in response

to a project brief negotiated with a real-world client. Work length and format for the WBS is

less prescriptive but an equally high standard of work is required. This type of project can

involve an informal work placement with an organisation or it can involve regularly meeting

with a public, private or community sector mentor. All students completing this option will

have an academic supervisor who will ensure that the project relates to the learning

outcomes of the programme. They will also help to manage the project to ensure that is an

appropriate standard to meet the requirements of a postgraduate thesis whilst containing

research that is beneficial to the client.


3. Independent Design Project (IDP) - this option is for students who follow the design

pathway for this programme. Students will undertake a master-plan or design study for a

significant site in an urban or rural location. This may be carried out with a professional

design practice in collaboration with supervisors in the University. Opportunities to complete

design projects for the professional and community sector clients will be available to students

who select this option.


You should view the thesis as a showcase for your interests and capabilities, and an

important contribution to your employability. It is important for developing your analytical and

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problem-solving abilities and an opportunity to illustrate your grasp of planning and/or design

issues and competence as an independent researcher.


Your thesis is essentially a self-directed piece of work where you will have the prime

responsibility of establishing your own work targets and managing yourself to complete the

work by the hand-in date of Friday 5th September 2025. For most of you this will be the

most extensive piece of work you will have undertaken and you will soon realise that it

requires special project management skills, self-discipline and initiative, although you will be

building on skills you have learnt throughout the course as well as at undergraduate level.

These are all attributes that are essentially up to you to develop, assisted by the one-to-one

supervisory support offered by the School. You are strongly advised to take advantage of this

support. In previous years, some students who have not done so have encountered severe

difficulties with completing on time to the required standard.


This document provides the module outline information stipulated by QUB, plus a more

general guide on how to complete your dissertation or WBS. A specific separate guide has

been prepared for those who wish to complete Independent Design Projects. It aims to

provide guidance on how best to approach the research, what is expected of you and what

you can and cannot expect from your supervisor. It explains what you should do during the

study period, provides an outline of the key dates you should note in programming your

research, describes how the work will be assessed and provides detailed guidance on the

expected presentation and structure of the dissertation. More specific advice about the work-

based study is provided in Appendix One.


2. LEARNING OUTCOMES


The thesis module is an opportunity for students to choose an area for in-depth research on

a topic of their choice, in the case of the WBS in association with a real-world client. The

topic should fall within your postgraduate specialism in planning or urban design, in other

words: issues related to the integration of social, economic and environmental regeneration

in urban and/ or rural areas.


Learning outcomes


On the successful completion of the dissertation or work-based study, you should be able to:


? Understand the overall research process, define problems and design appropriate

research strategies;

? Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of other research;

? Understand the role of researcher and ethical issues related to research;

? Collect, evaluate, analyse and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to answer

specific research questions;

? Conduct research requiring substantial individual initiative;

? Understand the importance of time and project management and prioritisation of work

tasks;

? Competently use ICT for presenting information and searching and retrieving complex

information;

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? Communicate research findings using a high standard of written and graphic

communication;

? Self-manage a long term project and reflect on your own progress.


On the successful completion of an Independent Design Project, students will be able to:


? Negotiate and develop a project brief and programme of work;

? Conduct independent design research relating to your site and its context or area of

study;

? Understand appropriate theories of urban design and their application in practice;

? Understand the design policy and guidance context within which development will be

considered;

? Produce a coherent design solution for a significant site or design challenge;

? Produce professionally-presented and practically-useful documentation for client and

community use;

? Understand and employ a financial appraisal of development proposals;

? Produce a coherent written commentary or narrative on the design process; and

? Confront contemporary ethical issues through the design process.



3. RESEARCH TIMETABLE


In order to complete the dissertation or WBS by the submission date and to a high standard,

it will be essential that you organise yourself, prioritise tasks and set and meet your own

targets. If undertaken properly, you will find this process to be extremely useful in developing

the skills of project and time management, which are essential in any planning-related

employment. In order to help you put an appropriate project management plan into place, the

key milestones have been noted below. It is recommended that you draw up a similar, but

more detailed chart to guide your study, which can be agreed with your supervisor and used

to ensure that you are on track with your studies.


Key milestones are:


? Friday 24

th

January: Title or outline of topic to be submitted to CANVAS to assist in

supervisor allocation. This does not need to be more than an outline of your research

idea. You should discuss your ideas with a member of staff beforehand.

? Late-February: Supervisors allocated by Module Coordinator. It is your responsibility to

contact the supervisor to discuss how to progress the early stages of developing your

research topic, contacting clients for Work-Based Studies and to discuss ethical approval.

? March – May: Finalise research subject, aims/ objectives and research questions. For

WBS, finalise negotiated project brief with client.

? June: Literature and policy reviews. Methodology.

? July-early August: Undertake (and complete) data collection, fieldwork and initial sorting

and analysis of research material. Start writing up, for example literature and policy

reviews, methodology.

? Early August: With guidance from your supervisor, fully analyse and interpret research

material.

? Mid August: Finalise full draft version of your dissertation or WBS and submit it to your

supervisor for comment by an agreed date. This is unlikely to be closer than two weeks

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to the hand-in date. If you submit a draft a few days from the hand-in date, your

supervisor may not have the time to read it. Some staff are away at conferences during

this period, so please ensure in advance that your supervisor will be available to read

your draft. This is your responsibility and no other staff member will take over this task if

your supervisor is absent unless this relates to a known leave of absence. If you are

having difficulties contacting your supervisor for a prolonged period over the summer, you

should contact the module coordinator.

? 5

th

September: Your dissertation / WBS / IDP is required to be handed in on this date.

Please note that a late submission will be subject the Schools standard penalty of 5% per

day up to a maximum of 5 days, after which a mark of zero will be returned.



4. ROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR


You will be allocated a supervisor from the School’s academic staff. Once allocated, it will not

be possible to change supervisor. The supervisor is made available to support you, but

please consider that they will also be supervising a number of other postgraduate students,

as well as undergraduates. Because of this, the time they will have available to be assist you

will be limited and you are asked to respect that they also have a range of other duties. For

guidance it is expected that each supervisor will be able to spend no more than 12 hours

assisting you, including time to read any submitted documents.


The key functions of the supervisor are as follows:


? To guide the student in defining and specifying the precise nature of the research

problem to be investigated and discuss the potential planning and/or policy

implications of the chosen research topic;

? To help in clarifying conceptual/theoretical issues;

? To support the student in the literature review (however, the student is expected to

undertaken a full bibliographic review on their own initiative);

? To comment and respond to the student’s planned research strategy, execution of

empirical research and give guidance on sources of research material;

? To advise on any unforeseen difficulties arising during the research;

? To read and comment on an advanced draft of the dissertation or WBS.


It is recommended that you contact your supervisor at the earliest opportunity and agree with

them a timetable for your work and the best times at which you should consult them for

advice. It is entirely your responsibility to arrange these meetings by making an appointment

with the supervisor. If you want them to comment on any material, you should give the

supervisor at least three working days to read it. Please be aware that staff are sometimes

absent from the university over the summer vacation, either on leave or at conferences or on

other work-related business. This will delay your supervisor’s ability to respond to your work,

so please ensure you are aware of your supervisor’s summer timetable.


So that you are completely clear about the role of supervisor, please note the following:


The supervisor will:


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? Fulfil the duties described above;

? Offer guidance and support at the key stages outlined;

? Discuss any obstacles you may encounter during your research.


The supervisor will not:


? Be available on demand;

? Proof read draft chapters for spelling and grammar (you may seek guidance on these

issues from the Learning Development Service); if the supervisor receives a

document of poor written quality - it will be returned to you without comment and you

will be asked to resubmit it for comment once rewritten and checked;

? Read and return drafts overnight;

? Provide advice on other modules;

? Comment on the work of another supervisor’s students, unless an arrangement has

been made between the supervisors;

? Provide training in IT skills such as SPSS, word-processing or spreadsheets;

? Give any indication of the expected mark of the dissertation or WBS.


If you are unhappy with your supervision, you need to contact Neil Galway

(n.galway@qub.ac.uk ; +44(0)28 9097 4835) as soon as possible stating clearly the nature of

your complaint.



5. ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED IN YOUR THESIS


It is essential that the thesis has a logical structure which builds up a robust discussion that

will ultimately answer the research question. While your supervisor can provide individual

guidance on the most appropriate structure for your individual study, the points below

describe the main elements that should be included in your project submission. Please note

this is not a suggested structure for the organisation of your thesis as this should be shaped

by the needs of your individual project:


Preliminary material

? You should ensure that the project includes the following before the main text starts:

? Title.

? Declaration (see below).

? Contents page and list of tables and figures.

? Abstract or summary.

? Acknowledgements.


A statement on the project context, the research question, the research approach

and the project report structure


? All project reports should start with a chapter on the project context, the research

question, the research approach and the project report structure. You should include

a brief justification of why the topic is worthy of study and identify its importance and

relevance to planning practice and / or policy development. This will create the vital

first impressions for the project readers, so try and convey the fact that you have a

clear grasp of the topic and are confident in the way you have tackled it.


Literature review

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? A literature review is very important for setting your research in a wider context and to

show that you are aware of and have mastered existing academic, policy and practice

material in your chosen area. A literature review may include:

? Brief introduction to the broad subject of concern, summarising relevant parts

of books, papers, reports etc.

? An identification of a more specific and narrowly defined focus of attention.

? A critical review of the literature in your narrowly defined area by highlighting

its strengths and weaknesses

? Conclusions that summarise the review and identify the elements of the

precise nature of the topic to be researched.

? Typically, the literature review should consist of 20-25% of the word count of

the project chapters.


Research findings

? This will be the core area of your thesis. You should aim to ensure that:

? The research context (eg the case study sites) is fully explicated

? All information and findings are rigorously analysed.

? You SHOULD NOT present raw, undigested data such as transcriptions of

interviews; Organise this material thematically and include a reasoned

analysis of how your findings relate to the research project questions.

? Results should be presented clearly and interpreted in a convincing way. You

should consider using appropriate graphs, summary tables, boxes and other

illustrative material including maps, diagrams and photographs.


Research Evaluation

? Many students underplay the extensive work undertaken by failing to apply full

evaluation of the information collected to the initially stated questions. Evaluate

your findings against the objectives initially set out for your research and respond

to the research questions you specified in your earlier chapters. Reflect on the

relationship between the wider literature discussion and your research findings.

Please note again, this is about the generic approach to data analysis and does

not suggest that findings and evaluation should be in separate chapters


Conclusion and recommendations

? The project should end with a conclusion that:

- You should identify what you consider to be the three key contributions to

planning knowledge from your Independent Specialist Research Project.

- Reflects on any limitations of your project, but emphasises its strengths.

- Identifies the prescriptive implications of your findings for planning practice and

policy development.

- Ends with a strong, convincing and positive statement.



6. RESEARCH AND REFERENCING SKILLS


The dissertation or WBS requires you to work independently and to use the study skills you

have learned as an undergraduate and in the taught elements of this course. The work

presented for this module is expected to be of a high scholarly standard including writing

style and correct referencing (Harvard method). You should consult your course handbook

for advice on learning support and in particular you should consult the referencing guide.


Plagiarism


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The assignment declaration for this module requires you to state that the submission is your

own original work. Your assignment on CANVAS will go through TurnItIn, which can detect

any work taken from the internet or from previously recorded student work (including work

submitted from another university). Plagiarism is an increasingly serious problem in third

level education. Plagiarism is defined as the presentation of the work of others as the writer’s

own without appropriate acknowledgement. It includes auto-plagiarism (to use excerpts from

his or her previous work without appropriate acknowledgement) and self-plagiarism (to

submit one piece of work more than once, e.g. where such work has previously been

submitted for a different assignment).


In the case of this module, you may wish to undertake a dissertation or WBS in the same

subject area as your undergraduate dissertation. If so, you should discuss the matter with

your supervisor and ensure that you extend the scope of the work sufficiently in order not to

be accused of plagiarism. TurnItIn will pick up similarities with another piece of work and of

course you should not reproduce sections of your undergraduate dissertation in this

dissertation or WBS.


It is also an academic offence for a student to permit another student to copy his/her work

submitted for assessment, for two or more students to work together on an assignment that

is meant to be done individually (collusion), and to claim to have carried out experiments,

interviews etc which s/he has not carried out, or where s/he invents or falsifies data,

evidence etc (fabrication). When students are, quite legitimately, studying together and

perhaps even sharing notes, care should be taken that all sources have been read by each

student and that the sources of notes are clearly understood – copied notes that turn out to

be verbatim extracts from a published source are still plagiarised. Ignorance of the source of

notes will not be accepted as an excuse by the School’s Academic Offences Committee.


Plagiarism is treated very seriously in the School and, if proven, can result in failure of the

module. In the past, cases have been brought against students in the Department of

Environmental Planning. Your student handbook provides further guidance on how to avoid

plagiarism, most particularly through guidance on correct referencing practice.



7. ETHICS


Ethical approval for the project should be sought from your supervisor before you begin your

fieldwork. Information on the ethical approval procedures including links to the relevant forms

are included on CANVAS. It should be signed by yourself and your supervisor. You should

retain the original and send a copy to Dr Neil Galway. Ethical issues can arise at any stage

during your project and you should seek advice from your supervisor when necessary.




8. STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS


See Appendix One for discussion of the structure of the WBS.


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It is essential that the dissertation has a logical structure which builds up a robust discussion

that will ultimately meet your research objectives and answer the research question. While

your supervisor can provide individual guidance on the most appropriate structure for your

individual study, the points below describe the main elements that should be included. You

do not have to stick exactly to these guidelines, but you should ensure all the key issues are

covered:


At the beginning of each chapter, an introduction should be given that relates the contents of

the chapter to the overall research aims and objectives, i.e. what it contributes in the overall

logic of the work. The introduction should also connect the chapter to the previous chapter. It

often helps a reader understand a text by using titles and sub-titles as effective signposts to

convey what will follow and how a chapter fits together, so pay attention to this.


? Preliminary material

You should ensure that the dissertation includes the following before the main text starts:

- Title

- Author (your name)

- Declaration (see “Presentation”, below)

- Contents page and list of tables and figures

- Abstract or summary

- Acknowledgements


? Research objectives and statement of the research problem

All dissertations should start with a chapter on research aims and objectives, including

the hypothesis to be tested (if used). Include a brief justification of why the subject matter

is worthy of study and identify its importance and relevance to planning practice and/or

policy development. Make clear what you have excluded from the study, what and why

other elements have been included. State any key assumptions made. This will create

the vital first impressions for the dissertation, so try and convey the fact that you have a

clear grasp of the topic and are confident in the way you have tackled it.


? Literature review and evaluation

A literature review is very important for setting your research in a wider context and to

show that you are aware of, and mastered, existing research in your chosen area. A

literature review may include:


? Brief introduction to the broad subject of concern, summarising relevant parts of

books, papers, reports etc.

? An identification of a more specific and narrowly defined focus of attention.

? A critical review of the literature in your narrowly defined area. It is vitally important

that you show that you are capable of evaluating existing research by highlighting

weaknesses in past research or highlighting why any particular journal article or book

is of particular importance. You should include a review of relevant theory in your

literature value, although some topics may require a whole chapter of theoretical

discussion.

? Conclusions summarising the review and identifying and justifying the precise nature

of the topic to be researched.

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? Notably the literature review must be:

? Composed only of relevant material.

? Comprehensive in its coverage of the key literature in your narrowly defined

area of interest.

? Up to date, quoting form recent articles and books.

? Evaluative. The existing research should not just be described, it must be

critically reviewed.

? Correctly referenced.


- Typically, the literature review should consist of 20-25% of the word count of the

dissertation.


? Research Design and Methodology


All dissertations should contain a chapter on research design and methodology, setting

out how this will appropriately address the research aims and objectives. Such a chapter

will probably include:


? A detailed specification of the research topic, explaining its relationship to the existing

research discussed in the literature review.

? Research design issues – especially how you isolated the influence of those variables

of interest from a wider set of influences e.g. how do you know that a certain outcome

was the result of a planning policy rather than broader economic or cultural factors?

? An explanation and detailed justification of the methodology used (e.g. sampling

issues, methods of data collection or policy analysis, use of secondary sources,

qualitative and/or quantitative modes of analysis).

? Description and justification of the study area(s) and time period(s) chosen for study.

The fact that the study is based on your home town only because it is your home

town will not be acceptable; you need to define why it is an appropriate place for his

particular study and why it was chosen over other areas.


? Research findings and their implications

This will be the core area of your dissertation for presenting your original thoughts and

the considered findings of your research. You should aim to ensure that:


- All information and findings should are rigorously analysed.

- You should not present raw, undigested data such as survey results or transcriptions

of interviews, but include a reasoned analysis of how your findings relate to your

research aims and objectives. If you think you can justify including extensive survey

returns, these can be included in an appendix – but aim for an effective summary of

data and analysis.

- Results should be presented clearly and interpreted convincingly. You should

consider using appropriate graphs, summary tables and other illustrative material.

- You should go beyond merely describing what you found (e.g. listing the numbers of

people who gave particularly answers to a survey), but analyse what it may mean in

relation to the research questions.

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- Do not forget to incorporate the findings of previous research (i.e. that discussed in

the literature review).


? Research Evaluation

Many students underplay the extensive work undertaken by failing to apply full evaluation

of the information collected to research aims and objectives. You should therefore ensure

that you include a section that evaluates the overall research project and should:

- Evaluate your findings against the aims and objectives initially set out for your

research and answer the research questions you specified in your earlier chapters.

- Reflect on the overall research process and should include a re-engagement with the

theory and wider literature discussion as part of the literature review.

- Compare your findings to the findings of previous research.


? Conclusion and recommendations

The dissertation should end with a conclusion that:

- MUST identify what you consider to be the three key contributions to planning

knowledge from your research and this is specifically highlighted in the marking

scheme.

- Reflects on any limitations of your research, but emphasises its strengths.

- Identifies and elaborates the prescriptive implications of your research findings to

planning practice and policy development.

- Ends with a strong, convincing statement that relates to your initial research purpose.


? References

An alphabetical list of all the references mentioned in the dissertation, including those

included in Appendices, figures and tables is required. The Harvard referencing style is

required.


? Appendices

These should be selective and must be of specific relevance to the research aims and

objectives. This may be a place to show very detailed material of relevance to the

dissertation or WBS, such as intricate tables, methods of calculations or other

background data. It should not be used as a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings or policy

documents. You should be able to justify any material that is included in any part of the

dissertation.



9. PRESENTATION AND FORMAT OF THE DISSERTATION OR WBS


The dissertation should be no more than 15,000 words in length (See Appendix One for the

format of the WBS as this section does not relate to this type of submission). A standard

format of presentation must be followed, but minor deviations in detail may be

accommodated provided they have been discussed with and agreed by your supervisor. You

should follow the following format:




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? The dissertation must include a Declaration. In the preface to the manuscript, the

following statement MUST be included and SIGNED by the student:


Declaration


I certify that this is my own original work (unless otherwise specified) and does not

exceed 15,000 words (excluding references and appendices).


Signed............................................................. Date ............................


? The dissertation should be typed with one-and-half spacing on A4 paper, each page

typed on one side only. Footnotes and quotations should be in single-spacing. It may be

appropriate for a WBS to be presented in another format, e.g. A3 landscape.

? Margins should be 4 cm on the left hand edge and 2.5 cm on the right hand edge. All

pages in the text must be numbered.


It is essential that the presentation of the dissertation or WBS is clear, concise and of a high

standard. If it is poorly put together, it can be a major obstacle to the examiners perceiving its

other strengths and marks will be deducted for poor presentation.


As each dissertation or WBS must be typed, please ensure that you keep more than

one saved copy of your work as you go along and ensure that the computers you are

working on are virus free.


In considering the presentation elements of the dissertation or WBS, students should take

the following issues into account:


? Word count. As a result of the above declaration, any text over the 15,000 word limit for

dissertations will be ignored by the examiners and in some cases, a penalty imposed by

the Exam Board. Appendix One sets out guidance for the WBS.

? Illustrations. Maps, diagrams graphs etc should be referred to as “Figures” and

numbered consecutively in chapters (e.g. 2.1, 2.2, 3.1. 3.2 etc). The same numbered

scheme should be adopted for tables. Do not under-estimate the time involved in

compiling high quality illustrations and prepare these as you go along or leave plenty of

time at the end to pay attention to them. Figures and tables should be referenced if they

contain secondary data.

? Referencing. A consistent referencing system is essential and it is expected that you use

the Harvard system. Guidance on referencing is available in the course handbook.



10. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA


The dissertation or WBS will be marked by two internal examiners, the second of which will

be your supervisor. It may go to a third independent internal examiner for moderation. Some

work is also sent to an external examiner as part of the moderation process. In some cases,

the external examiners may want to discuss submitted work directly with the students. These

meetings usually take place in October or November.


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Dissertation marking criteria


See Appendix One for WBS criteria. In marking the final dissertation, the internal and

external markers will be guided by the following criteria:


Marking Criteria Weight


Research topic and objectives – questions, rationale for the argument,

relevance and significance

10

Literature review – scope, coverage, review and application of existing

knowledge, critical evaluation of the material, a capacity to

link together various strands of the literature(s)

25

Research strategy and methodological approach, including research methods

employed, mix of methods, critical reflection on research instruments and fit

between methods and objectives. Ethical considerations, if relevant, should

also be addressed.

20

Presentation of research findings; relevance and rigour of conclusions and

recommendations. An emphasis on critical analysis rather than description

should be highlighted. If appropriate, correct use of software to analyse

data should also be recognised in marking.

30

Structure and presentation including logical construction, quality of written and

graphical presentation, correct spelling and grammar, correct referencing

style.

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In deciding the allocation of marks for the dissertation to each of these categories, the

examiners will inter alia consider the following:


? Definition of research topic/question

? Are there clear and relevant aims and objectives?

? Has a focussed research question been defined?

? Is the student aware of the significance of the topic and how it relates to the broad

field of spatial planning?

? Is the research question appropriate to the aims of the dissertation as specified at the

beginning of this paper?


? Review of existing knowledge

? Is there a critical literature review that covers the key sources on the topic?

? Does the dissertation indicate a grasp of the theory and practice related to the topic?

? Does this review identify an appropriate research question and methodology?

? Is the literature review well integrated into the dissertation? (It does not have to be a

freestanding chapter)

? Does the policy review demonstrate appropriate knowledge of the policy environment

for the topic, including comparative material if relevant?


? Application of appropriate research strategy

? Is there an evaluative discussion of the possible methodologies that could be adopted

for this research?

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? Is there a clear description of the methodology adopted for the research, its

constraints and advantages?

? Does the methodology fit the research aims and objectives?

? Has the collection of qualitative or qualitative data been executed in an appropriate

and rigorous way?

? Is there critical reflection on the methodology and data collection?


? Evidence of critical thinking and analytical ability

? Does the student go beyond description and critically reflect on the topic and

findings?

? Have comparative aspects of the research been used appropriately and within their

constraints?

? Does the analysis indicate independence of thought?

? Does the student ask and answer appropriate research questions?

? Is there evidence of a rigorous approach to understanding the research questions?


? Research evaluation

? Is there an appropriate strategy for interpreting the research findings?

? Are the findings of the research properly evaluated?

? Are the most relevant findings drawn from the research and used to test the

research aims and objectives, research questions, and hypothesis if used?

? Are problems of interpretation or application acknowledged and overcome?


? Relevance and rigor of conclusions

? Do the conclusions answer the research aims and objectives, research questions,

and hypothesis if used?

? Do they emanate from and are they supported by the analysis?

? Do they indicate an understanding to the key issues?

? Do they add “value” to existing knowledge?


? Identification of contribution to knowledge

? Has the student considered and included three key contributions of the research

to the overall body of planning knowledge?

? Are these contributions based on valid grounds?

? Are these contributions appropriate to the scope and focus of the dissertation?

? Do these contributions suggest a process of reflection on the overall research

project?


? Presentation

? Does the dissertation meet the requirements set out in the sections on Structure

and presentation above?

? Is the dissertation logically structured and well argued?

? Is the dissertation well written, properly proof read and presented?

? Does it have appropriate and well laid out illustrations and tables?

? Are the results adequately presented (tables and data graphs etc)?

? Is it fully referenced according to the guidelines attached to this paper?


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In addition to the above criteria, the examiners will take into consideration the time and

resources available to the student (i.e. 4-5 months of private study time) and the scope and

originality of the material presented.


Marks will be allocated using the conceptual equivalents set out in your student handbook.


It is highly recommended that you review previous dissertations which have received a mark

of 70% or higher, which are available in the library at shelfmark: R/HT395.N6DISS.


11. SUBMISSION


A digital copy should be uploaded to CANVAS by the deadline of 5

th

September. Late

submission of coursework will incur a penalty of a 5% deduction from the total available

marks for each working day, up to a maximum of 5 working days after which a mark of zero

will be given. Exemptions from this penalty will only be granted at the student’s request and

in line with exceptional circumstances as noted in the university regulations. Students

seeking exemption should complete the appropriate form, available in the course handbook.

The request should include documentary evidence such as a medical certificate and must be

submitted to the module co-ordinator within three days of the deadline for submitting the

coursework concerned. Further information is available in the student handbook.


Failure of the module, including failure to submit a dissertation or WBS without extenuating

circumstances, will require payment of a supplementary fee for resubmission. No fee is

required for deferred submission with exceptional circumstances.



12. FEEDBACK


Feedback to you: Feedback will be given in this module through one-to-one sessions with

your supervisor. Feedback will be verbal and through comment on draft written work.


Feedback from you: The School welcomes feedback on any aspect of the module and

encourages every student to complete an anonymous evaluation form for all second

semester modules at the end of the teaching period. You are also welcome to raise any

issues with the module co-ordinator or course co-ordinator, or through your student

representatives at the Staff Student Consultative Committee. On submission of your

dissertation/ WBS, you will be given a feedback form to complete.



13. USEFUL REFERENCES for BOTH DISSERTATION AND WBS



Additional references for the WBS are included in Appendix One


Alasuutari, P., Bickman, L. and Brannen, J. (2008) The SAGE handbook of social research

methods London: Sage.


15


Barbour, R. (2008) Doing Focus Groups. The Sage Qualitative Research Kit. London and

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.


Bell, J. (2005) Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers in education

and social science 4

th

ed. Buckingham: Open University Press.


Berry, R. (2000) The research project: how to write it, 4th ed, London: Routledge.


Blaxter, L. Hughes, C. and Tight, M. (2010) How to research, 4

th

ed. Buckingham: Open

University Press. And previous editions.


Boeije, H. (2010) Analysis in Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications.


Bryman, A. (2012) Social Research Methods, 4

th

ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press. Other

editions are also available in the library.


Connolly, P. (2003) Ethical Principles for Researching Vulnerable Groups, Belfast: Office of

the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/victims/docs/connolly03.pdf


Creme, P. and Lea, M.R. (1997) Writing at university: a guide for students, Buckingham:

Open University Press.


Craswell, G. and Poore, M. (2012) Writing for Academic Success. London: Sage Publications


Creswell, J. W. (2014) Research Design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods

approaches. 4

th

ed., London: Sage.


Davies, M.B. (2007) Doing a Successful Research Project, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.


della Porta, D. and Keating, M. (2008) Approaches and methodologies in the social sciences.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.


Denscombe, M. (2007) The good research guide for small-scale social research projects, 3

rd


ed., Buckingham: Open University Press. And previous editions.


Denzin, N. and Lincoln, Y. (2008) Strategies of Qualitative Inquiry 3

rd

ed. London, Thousand

Oaks: Sage


Denzin, N.K. and Y.S Lincoln (Eds.) The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, Thousand

Oaks: Sage. Various editions include useful chapters


Flick, U. (2014) An Introduction to Qualitative Research, 5

th

ed. London: Sage.


Flowerdew, R. and Martin, D. (eds.) (2005) Methods in human geography: a guide for

students doing a research project 2

nd

ed., London: Routledge.


Franklin, A. and Blyton, P. (2011) Researching Sustainability, Washington: Earthscan.

16



Fry, R. (1997) Improve your writing, London: Kogan Page.


Gibson, W.J. and Brown, A. (2009) Working with Qualitative Data. London: Sage

Publications


Glatthorn, A. (2005) Writing the winning thesis or dissertation 2

nd

Ed. California: Corwin

Press.


Gomm, R. (2008) Social Research Methodology, 2

nd

ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan


Gray, D. E. (2014) Doing research in the real world, 4

th

ed., Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. (also

previous editions)


Greenfield, T. (ed) (2002) Research methods for postgraduates, 2nd ed, London: Arnold.


Hamilton, A. (1990) Writing theses, London: RIBA.


Hammersley, M. (2013) What is qualitative research? London: Bloomsbury.


Kvale, S. and Brinkman, S. (2009) Interviewing. Learning the craft of qualitative research

interviewing, Sage. 2

nd

edn. Thousand Oaks, CA.


McMillan, K. (2010). How to write dissertations and project reports Harlow: Prentice Hall.


Maginn, P., Thompson, S. and Tonts, M. (eds.) (2008) Qualitative Housing Analysis: An

International perspective, Bingley: Emerald.


May, T. (2001) Social Research: Issues, Methods and Processes (3rd. ed.), Buckingham:

Open University Press.


Moore, N. (1999) How to do research, 3rd ed London: Library Association.


Murray, R. (2002) How to write a thesis 2

nd

ed. Maidenhead: Open University Press.


O’Leary, Z. (2010) The essential guide to doing your research project, London: Sage.


Oliver, P. (2004) Writing your thesis, London: Sage.


Oliver, P. (2010) Understanding the research process. London: Sage.


Oliver, P. (2012) Succeeding with your literature review : a handbook for students,

Maidenhead : McGraw-Hill Open University Press


Parsons, A.J. (2005) How to do your dissertation in geography and related disciplines,

London: Routledge.


17


Pole, C. & Lampard, R. (2002) Practical Social Investigation: Qualitative and Quantitative

Methods in Social Research, Harlow: Prentice Hall.


Ritchie, J. and Lewis, J. (2014) (Eds.) Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social

Science Students and Researchers, 2

nd

ed., London: Sage.


Silva, E., Healey, P., Harris, N. and Van Den Broeck, P. (2015) The Routledge Handbook of

Planning Research Methods, London: Routledge.


Stake, R.E. (1995) The Art of Case Study Research, Thousand Oaks: Sage.


Swanborn, P. (2010) Case Study Research: What, why and how? London: Sage.


Thomas, G. (2011) How to do your Case Study: A guide for students and researchers.

London: Sage.


Thomas, G. (2013) How to do your research project, 2

nd

ed. London: Sage.


Wolcott, H. (2009) Writing up qualitative research, London: Sage.


Yang, K. (2010) Making Sense of Statistical Methods in Social Research. London: Sage.


Yin, R.K. (2013) Case Study Research: design and methods (5

th

edition), Thousand Oaks:

Sage. And previous editions.











Appendix One


WORK-BASED STUDY: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION AND READING LIST


(i) Introduction


This is supplementary information to that in the main body of the text, much of which is also

related to the WBS. It is intended to provide students with more precise guidance on the

development of an agreed brief with the client, working practices, timetable and submission

requirements.


The section on the role of the supervisor in section 4 of the main text applies. Supervisors

allocated for WBS projects all have previous experience of this path to meeting the EVP7044

learning objectives. In addition, if he is not your supervisor, Dr Galway is also available for

18


consultation and advice (by appointment) if you are undertaking a work-based study:

n.galway@qub.ac.uk


(ii) Learning Outcomes


As explained in section 2 of the main text, the module’s learning outcomes are that, on the

successful completion of the dissertation or work-based study, you should be able to:


? Understand the overall research process, define problems and design appropriate

research strategies;

? Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of other research;

? Understand the role of researcher and ethical issues related to research;

? Collect, evaluate, analyse and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to answer

specific research questions;

? Conduct research requiring substantial individual initiative;

? Understand the importance of time and project management and prioritisation of work

tasks;

? Competently use ICT for presenting information and searching and retrieving complex

information;

? Communicate research findings using a high standard of written and graphic

communication;

? Self-manage a long term project and reflect on your own progress.


The tasks that allow you to meet the learning outcomes through the WBS are to:


? Negotiate and develop a project brief and programme of work with client and

supervisor;

? Understand and appreciate the importance of punctuality, professionalism and value

for money in real-world planning practice;

? Conduct independent research and professional literature review on a subject of

relevance to professional practice;

? Carry out location and site context analysis and appraisal or contextualisation of the

theme of research if not related directly to a particular site;

? Generate practical development and regeneration options and final proposals;

? Communicate effectively with consultants, government bodies, and/ or community

organisations

? Produce professionally presented and practically useful documents for client and/or

community use.


(iii) Project Content


You will act as a professional planning consultant to a client in relation to a specified real-

world project in a specified location and site (normally local, but possibly regional, national or

international). This will involve the development of a brief and programme of work in

agreement with your client, the undertaking of relevant contextual and comparative

background research, the carrying out of necessary location and site survey and analysis,

the production and evaluation of development and/or regeneration options, the presentation

19


of final proposals in written, graphical and/or computer-based formats. In addition you will

work with your appointed supervisor to ensure the maintenance of appropriate academic

standards in your work practices and final submission. Much of the material in sections 5 and

6 applies. In particular, you should take care to guard against plagiarism through a lack of

appropriate referencing of your client’s policy documents and any other material.


(iv) Venue and timetable


Venues for the different work-based projects will be identified by the client during introductory

meetings – it will be the responsibility of individual students to arrange travel to site meetings

as necessary. Attendance at specified project seminars, professional meetings or site visits

will be compulsory and attendance will be recorded as part of the assessment process.


All students will be allocated an academic supervisor but the responsibility for organising the

client is a student responsibility. As part of the brief you will arrange a timetable of work with

your client and a programme of supervision with your supervisor. It is intended that much of

this will be done on a collective basis. The outline research timetable in section 3 applies.


(v) Project structure


The project will, in most cases, consist of a combination of written and illustrated material, so

the word-count cannot be specified. The submitted document will have a maximum of 100

pages and it will have the format of a professional report to a client, so clarity of presentation

is essential, as well as high quality visual illustration. All submissions will have an executive

summary of no more than 750 words. The format is more flexible than for a dissertation (as

outlined in section 7). The report should look like a consultant’s report and flexibility in terms

of page size and orientation will be allowed for work-based studies.