7MG001
Project phase
BRIEFING
Dr Shaukat Ali
Postgraduate Dissertation Coordinator
Purposes
To provide an overview of the academically orientated 40 credit
project which postgraduate students on UWBS Masters Degree
courses work towards achieving their qualification.
To impress upon you the need to get working on identifying,
selecting and carefully defining the topic(s) of potential interest,
significance and value to you!
Schematic
Briefing in bite-size sections
Information
Aims, assessment
Timelines: common key milestones
What if or if or if ?
Process
Getting underway with help from Watson Box
A transparent research journey ahead
Peer workshops & supervisory relationships
Next steps: for action over the days ahead
Research Project 7MG001
Aims
To enable students to plan, research and write-up a
project that improves understanding of a contemporary
managerial, business or organisational topic.
Research Projects provide experience of collection and
analysis of reliable evidence to produce findings upon
which sound conclusions can be drawn and from
which, appropriate recommendations can be made.
Research Projects can framed around a practical
business problem (i.e. a consultancy focus) or around
generic conceptual issues utilising primary and
secondary data.
Key Milestone Deadlines:
Activity
Deadline
Topic Registration
Form
At the end of Block 1
Proposal Form
At the end of Block 2
Via WOLF
to include Request for Ethical
Approval
Submission of
project/dissertation
Date to be arranged by
BCAS/UWBS 2013
via e-submission on WOLF (located
assessment on the menu)
+ 2 hard copies (Marked for attention
of your supervisor)
What ifs
I dont submit a suitable Topic Registration on time?
I dont submit a satisfactory Proposal on time?
I dont submit a completed project on time?
I dont submit a suitable Topic Registration on time?
You will miss supervisor allocation .
It may mean you being allocated a supervisor who is not a
full-time member of staff.
I dont submit a satisfactory Proposal on time?
Not doing so will signal that you are not prepared to proceed.
You will fall behind
The time to revise a proposal will take up valuable project
time
Your supervisor commitment may be jeopardised
NOTE: your proposal must be approved by your
supervisor before you can proceed.
I dont submit a completed
project/dissertation on time?
Non-submission normally records a failure. You can
resubmit at the next available opportunity but your grade for
the project will be capped at D (i.e. a pass).
If your non-submission is due to pre-granted extenuating
circumstances, and your claim is supported by the Board,
then you will not record a fail. You will be advised of when
you will be expected to submit following the Assessment
Board.
Getting Your Journey Underway
What have you done to prepare:
not that much, not to worry
What you now have to do:
Start writing by preparing outline(s) for two possible topic(s)
that you have an interest in and do scoping research on
them. Use Watsons Box
Then meet in your groups and share your ideas with other
team members to see how well they make sense
Watsons Box
What?
What are the aims &
questions you intent to
investigate?
Why? (Objectives)
Are the key reasons which
provide the rationale for
your investigation strong?
Conceptual Framework How Methods?
What are the key theories,
principles, concepts, etc.
that will inform the study?
What are the methods &
techniques that will be
used in securing and
analysing data?
Note: draft a Watson Box for each potential topic
Finding out? Becoming specific!
Pre-Module
Focusing down
Topic
Workshops
Proposal
Supervision
Following through
Submission
Your Transparent Research Trail
Topic Selection
The Start!
Topic Registration
Supervisor Allocation
Proposal & Ethical
Approval
Critique & Approval by
Supervisor
Submission 2013
Contractual Commitment
You should recognise that in registering your topic you are
making a significant, contractual commitment.
Setting-up supervision arrangements will be based on the
information you provide on your Topic Registration Form. You
will be expected to develop your Proposal and to deliver your
research study or project report consistent with your Topic
Registration Form.
Now is the time for a sure start!
Its your self-managed investigative Project!
Additional Resources
Additional resources are available in the Project resources
folder in WOLF
Supervision
Supervisor- guiding and advising student on work in progress
Research Project
Any questions?
In conclusion
Realise that this is your project:
you decide on a topic, develop a
feasible design for inquiry, and
deliver a quality piece of
research.
Dive in and get started
Aspire to become an acknowledged authority in your topic area!
Next steps
for action now not later!
During the week ahead
brainstorm ideas & test out
topic ideas
talk: to peers & colleagues
read: start local via the
Library, widen search via
quality sources on paper
and/or online
think: is it do-able or not?
write: start a project
notebook, dont hesitate to
draft working notes based on
ideas or findings!
In the next 2 weeks ensure
you
short list & shape ideas for
topics an iterative creative
forging process!
really put some effort into
getting TWO Watson
Box(es) prepared.
Prepare draft topic
registration form (use
template) for your workshop
tutors comments