Eco Friendly Construction- dissertation

The research question is at the heart of the dissertation. It defines the topic covered by the

work, and indicates the type of information that the researcher will need to collect to answer

the question.

The development of the research question, problem or hypothesis is linked to the review of

the literature. Regardless of subject or background, it is important that your research is

grounded in existing work or literature. You might be continuing a long-line of research, or

entering a relatively new field of study; you might find contradictions in the existing research,

or just a missing piece in the jigsaw. The literature thus has a number of functions:

 it provides the background and context for your study;

 it will help you identify and refine your research question(s);

 it will help you understand the methods that might or might not be suitable for

answering your question.

The method of researching the topic is also important. This needs to be well thought-out in

order to achieve a systematic and thorough investigation that answers the central research

question. Thought will need to be given to the way in which information is gathered and the

way in which it is analysed.

You should note that you are not required to collect new (or primary) data in the course of

your dissertation. Analysing existing data or documents is perfectly acceptable, and has the

additional benefit of avoiding problems of data collection.

Whatever type of study you undertake, you must state:

 how you intend to go about collecting and/or using information; and

 why you regard the method you have chosen to be the most suitable.

Once the collection and analysis of information is complete, the dissertation should review

and revisit the original question(s) and aims, drawing conclusions about what has been

learned in the course of the study. Carrying out research often throws up new research

questions, or areas of uncertainty. Where this is the case, it is appropriate to include

recommendations about further research.

Learning Approach

Independent Study

Unlike most other modules, there is no formal teaching associated with the dissertation, and a

significant part of your learning on this module comes from doing the research. The

dissertation is an individual piece of work, and you are in control of when and how you make

progress. You should allow the equivalent of one and a half days a week in both semesters

for your dissertation, in other words about 180 hours.

Given the length of the dissertation, it is tempting to put off working on it and concentrate on

other things. In order to help you manage your time effectively, and to help you make

progress with refining your ideas the module has a number of stages: the proposal, the

synopsis and the final submission. Each stage gives you an interim deadline and provides

you with feedback about your progress and suggestions for possible improvements.

Support and Assistance

Although the dissertation relies on independent study this does not mean that you are on your

own. Every student will have a tutor to help and guide them, and you are encouraged to share

your ideas and experiences with others on your course, and at any meetings organised by your

dissertation co-ordinator.

The Module Dissertation Leader

Each programme has a module dissertation leader who has a number of tasks:

 assisting students with their initial choice of topic;

 assessing the feasibility of student proposals;

 allocating tutors to students;

 monitoring student progress;

 resolving problems and helping students make progress; and

 arranging the assessment of the dissertations.

 Co-ordinators may also organise specific sessions for your programme group. You

should check for details of these events regularly – keep an eye on your email account

and your programme web pages on Blackboard.

The Dissertation Tutor

Every student will be allocated a dissertation tutor. The role of the tutor is to offer guidance

and support throughout the course of your dissertation. In particular tutors will:

 assist with the development of your research question(s) and/or hypothesis;

 provide guidance on the literature review;

 advise on your research strategy (or method);

 suggest sources of information and/or contacts;

 advise on the structure of the dissertation;

 advise on presentation, illustrations, tables and appendices; and

 read and comment on draft material.

Draft Work

You must not expect your tutor to read more than one full chapter. Some tutors will specify

that this is to be the Introduction, since it is in this chapter that you will convey an overview

of the whole work and will present an outline of the structure. Allow your tutor a reasonable

time to read your work before you meet. You must not expect your tutor to discuss or

comment on the conclusions of your dissertation. As a guide, a cut-off date for draft work

has been set for 4 weeks before the submission date, past this point your tutor is not required

to review any further work.

Meeting your tutor

The time allowed for supervision equates to about 10 time 2 hours meetings throughout the

module. Some of these meetings maybe in small groups with other students under the same

supervisor. Irrespective of whether it is a one-to-one or group meeting you should make the

most of what the tutor has to offer.

The tutorial log

It is a good idea to keep a record of the meetings that you have with your tutor. A short

summary of your discussion, with notes about actions or references to follow up can be a

useful resource. See the log sheet in the Appendix.

Programme of study

Although the dissertation is an individual piece of work, the module has five stages, all

designed to help you make progress. In addition there may be programme specific tutorials

and meetings organised by your dissertation co-ordinator.

The 5 stages:

1. Introduction

2. Proposal

3. Allocation of tutor

4. Synopsis

5. Final submission

NB. Some students may be required to attend an oral examination

The Dissertation Programme

End May 2019 Dissertation Introduction

June 2019 Proposal submission

You should submit your proposal to your dissertation co-

ordinator. Once approved, you will be allocated a tutor.

June 2019 Induction Briefing

Reminder about the requirements of the module. Synopsis brief

published.

Synopsis submission (15%)

You should submit a 3,000-word synopsis. The synopsis carries

15% of the module mark.

FINAL SUBMISSION (85%)

You should submit a 12,000-word dissertation. This submission

carries 85% of the module mark.

Dissertation Vivas

After your dissertation has been submitted you may be called for a

viva with academic staff and/or the external examiners. This will

normally take place before or on the day of the examining board

meeting. Please ensure you are available, and that we can contact

you if necessary.

5. Assignment Brief

The dissertation is assessed through the submission of a proposal, a synopsis and the final

dissertation. The assessment of each of these elements is explained below.

The Dissertation Proposal

The proposal is the very first stage in the development of your dissertation. It indicates the

broad area that you wish to investigate and the types of information and literature you will

need to work with. Your topic must be related to Construction Project Management

The proposal form is simple and easy to follow. You can find a copy in the Appendix or you

can download an electronic version from the module website.

The proposal will be assessed by your dissertation co-ordinator. Although it does not

contribute any marks to the module, the proposal is important for five reasons:

 it gives you feedback and guidance about your ideas;

 it is used to allocate your tutor;

 it stops you ending up with a topic that will be hard to research;

 it stops you choosing a topic which is inappropriate;

 it encourages you to start thinking about ethical issues at an early stage.

Your dissertation leader will return your proposal with feedback which will indicate whether:

 the proposal is accepted

 the proposal is accepted with some qualifications; or

 the proposal is not accepted.

If your proposal is accepted, you will also be allocated a dissertation tutor. If your proposal is

not accepted, you should re-submit it as soon as you can. If this is the case, you will probably

find it helpful to discuss your ideas with your dissertation leader.

The Dissertation Synopsis (15% of the module mark)

The synopsis is the first formal piece of work associated with the module. The synopsis is a

short 3,000 word detailed outline of your dissertation. It should be based on your review of

existing literature, and should explain in detail your research question (or problem), your

research aims and your research strategy (or method).

The synopsis should cover the following:

 the context for the study - explaining the state of play in and around the topic (what are

the key issues?)

 a review of the literature - looking in more detail at the work of others, establishing

previous findings, gaps in the literature and/or contradictions

 the aims of your study

 your central research question (or hypothesis) - you will need to explain and justify your

choice

 the research method - explaining and justifying your strategy for answering the central

question

and include

 the ethical review check list (see Appendix 3)

 a detailed research timetable (see Appendix 5)

Guidance:

There is no strict formula for structuring your synopsis but, in addition to the above, you

should include:

 an introduction and conclusion

 a full reference list

Presenting and submitting the Synopsis

Your synopsis should be presented in a similar format to other academic submissions, using a

professional font (Arial 11 or Times New Roman 12), 1.5 line spacing, 3cm left margin and

using the Havard referencing system.

The submisission must be made online by midnight(GMT+8) on the published date.

The Final Submission (85% of the module mark)

Your final submission for the dissertation will be approximately 12,000 words in length. This

submission is the culmination of your work over the year, and should be presented as

professionally as possible. Employers often ask about dissertations, and it is good to have

something that you feel proud of, and want to show to other people.

Instructions about how many copies to submit, page layout, etc. are given in a subsequent

section.

The dissertation submission will be assessed against the following criteria:

 clarity of aims, questions and/or hypothesis

 grounding in existing research and literature

 coherence and clarity of the research methodology

 quality of analysis and material obtained

 coherence and clarity of conclusions and recommendations

 quality of organisation, expression and presentation

Please note the criteria are not strictly weighted but each will be taken into account when

determining the final mark. Each dissertation is marked by at least two members of staff, and

our External examiners also read a selection of the dissertations in each programme to ensure

that the appropriate marks are awarded.

Marks and Feedback

You will be able to collect the tutors’ feedback and agreed mark through the module website

system

Important Notes

1. The topic of your dissertation must be related to your programme of study

2. The topic must be approved by your module dissertation leader.

Presentation of the final submission

Word Limit

The word limit for the final submission is 12,000 words. This limit relates only to the main

text (from the introduction through to the final conclusion). It does not include the title page,

abstract, contents list, your list of references or the appendices.

If you depart from the 12,000 word limit by more than 1,000 words in either direction, you

are likely to lose marks. In the case of work that is too long, the additional words will be

ignored and the mark awarded on the work within the word limit. In the case of work that is

too short, it is likely that you will not be able to address the assessment criteria to the best of

your ability.

You must state the word count on your title page.

Abstract (200 words)

A single page summary explaining the purpose, method and results of your dissertation -

including your conclusions. The purpose of the abstract is to help others decide whether the

work is relevant and interesting to them. The abstract should thus begin with the title of the

work, your name, your programme and the year of submission. You should also try to write

in a clear, concise and impersonal manner - using no more than 200 words.

Acknowledgements

It is usual to acknowledge others that have assisted you in some way. This may include the

following:

 individuals and/or organisations that have contributed information;

 publishers for permission to reproduce copyright materials;

 individuals that have given you advice and/or supported you.

Table of Contents

This should set out the page numbers of the chapters and main sections (including

appendices) in the dissertation - it does not need to include all headings and sub-headings.

You should also include page references for ALL of your tables and illustrations. This is

often achieved by including a separate List of Tables and a List of Figures (or Illustrations).

Main text

This is normally organised into a number of chapters, and structured using headings and sub-

headings. The first chapter briefly introduces the subject area and identifies the main research

objectives, the central question and details of the methodology.

The subsequent chapters explore the topic area in detail, drawing on and demonstrating

grounding in existing work. These chapters should also set out the research methods, the

analysis of information and/or data, and a discussion of any issues that arise from that

analysis, before the final chapter draws conclusions about the study. This chapter should

return to the initial research question and reflect on the answers that have (or have not)

emerged from the study.

References

This should include a full list of the documents, articles and sources that you used in the

course of your study, and that are referred to in the text.

The list should be presented alphabetically by author, following the Harvard style. It is

important that all materials cited in the main text are accompanied by a complete entry in the

reference list.

Appendices

An appendix is a useful but not compulsory device for presenting information which is

relevant to the study, but not suitable for inclusion in the main text. Examples include

interview protocols showing the key questions for each interviewee, a spreadsheet showing

the raw data on which your analysis and charts are based, or field notes from site visits.

It is not appropriate to reproduce policy documents or other published material in your

appendices.

You should also include the ethical review checklist in an appendix to indicate that you have

properly considered ethical issues in your research.

If you do include appendices in your dissertation, these should be referred to in the main text

so that the reader understands what they show and why they are there.

Practical Issues

The following provides a brief overview of the practical issues that we need to consider when

conducting any research. For further details please go to the university’s Research

Observatory.

Contacting External Organisations

Completing a dissertation often involves contact with the outside world - with practitioners,

employers, members of the public and institutions of various kinds.

Whenever you contact others to help with your work you should consider the following:

 what information do you need;

 why do you need it, and

 what will you do with it?

If you are clear about the questions you want to ask, then you will get better results - and are

likely to get better responses from others. You also need to make sure that you approach

organisations and individuals in a professional way. Letters and/or emails should be properly

written, with no errors or grammatical lapses. It is advisable to get someone else to comment

on your draft before you send it out.

When you do contact others for help, be clear about what you are doing, and what you are

asking them to help with. It is important to make a good impression, so be business-like and

polite at all times. Remember to thank those who have assisted you - a short letter or email is

all that is needed.

Data Protection and Ethical Issues

When you are collecting any data about people or organisations, you must work in accordance

with the data protection legislation and University policy. Guidelines for students are

available on the faculty intranet.

The main issues that you have to think about include: data security, confidentiality and

anonymity. There are ethical reasons for this: it is ethically wrong for data to be used or

stored in ways that could result in harm to people. There are also legal reasons for this:

researchers (whether students or academic staff) have legal obligations regarding the storage

and use of personal data.

To help you make sure that the data protection and data security aspects of your research are

properly considered, you should follow the procedure set out below:

When preparing your research proposal you should read the Faculty guidelines on data

protection and data security, and think about any implications they might have for your

proposed research.

You should discuss this with your dissertation tutor before you begin collecting data.

If you intend to collect information from participants who may be able to help you answer

your research question through primary research, e.g. using a questionnaire, survey, interview,

or field studies, you must discuss this with your tutor and complete the Ethical Review check

list included at the end of the module guide.

If your tutor considers that there are any issues that might not be covered by taking normal

precautions, your proposal will be passed to the Faculty Data Protection Officer and also to

the Faculty Ethics Committee for advice and action.

You must complete the Faculty Risk Assessment Form – See Appendix

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of presenting the ideas or discoveries of someone else as your own. It is

an assessment offence and will be treated very seriously at this level of study.

You must ensure that each time you use someone else's words or ideas you acknowledge them

correctly using the Harvard referencing system. N.B. Not acknowledging other people's work

is intellectually dishonest, illegal and an assessment offence.

When you present your final submission, you must include a signed statement on the title

page confirming the dissertation as your own work. This does not mean that you cannot use

the work of others, only that it MUST be properly acknowledged.

At this level of study, we expect all students to have learnt how to appropriately and correctly

acknowledge the sources used in their work. Therefore if you still struggle with this issue,

please refer to the Study Skills resources for help and assistence.

Referencing

You are expected to correctly and consistently cite and reference the work of others in your

dissertation. You should do this using the Harvard referencing style, citing your sources in

the text like this (Glucksmann, 1990) and including the page number when you have quoted

from the author’s work, like this (Glucksmann, 1990, p.143). You should not use footnotes

or endnotes.

Keeping a full record of the sources you use as you go along will help avoid panic and stress

before hand-in. Remember that you must indicate the source of all material that is not your

own – failing to do so is plagiarism.

Correct referencing is important. If you need guidance about referencing see the Study Skills

resources on the library web-site.

Changing your topic

You should avoid changing your topic unless absolutely necessary. However, if you wish to

change your topic then you must explain your reasons for changing and agree the new topic

with both your tutor and your dissertation leader. You will not be permitted to change

your topic after the end of June 2019

Dissertation Proposal Form

Student

Name:

Click or tap here to enter text. Std

No.

Type ID Here

Email: Click or tap here to enter text.

Programme: Click or tap here to enter text.

Date: Click or tap here to enter text.

The broad subject area of my dissertation is….

Click or tap here to enter text.

I think my research question might be…

Click or tap here to enter text.

The purpose of this dissertation is…

Click or tap here to enter text.

The three most useful references I have found so far are…

(NB Refer to academic literature – academic journal articles, government publications, text

books. Use the Harvard referencing system to list them below)

1. Click or tap here to enter text.

2. Click or tap here to enter text.

3. Click or tap here to enter text.

The key issues that have come out of my reading so far are…

 Click or tap here to enter text.

 Click or tap here to enter text.

 Click or tap here to enter text.

The sort of information I think I will need is…

Click or tap here to enter text.

I intend to get this information from…

Click or tap here to enter text.

The difficulties I foresee in making progress are…

Click or tap here to enter text.

My action plan until October is…

Click or tap here to enter text.

Programme Dissertation Coordinator’s Comments…

Click or tap here to enter text.

Dissertation Tutor Details:

Name: Click or tap here to enter text. Room No. Add room number

Email Click or tap here to enter text. Office Phone: Add phone number

OYOU SHOULD CONTACT YOUR TUTOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE AN

APPOINTMENT TO DISCUSS YOUR DISSERTATION

Appendix 2

CHECKLIST QUESTIONS Yes/No Explanation

1. Does the proposed project involve human tissue, human participants,

animals, environmental damage, or

the NHS.

If the answer to this is ‘No’ then no

further checks in the list need to be

considered.

2. Will participants be clearly asked to give consent to take part in the

research and informed about how data

collected in the research will be used?

3. If they choose, can a participant withdraw at any time (prior to a point

of “no return” in the use of their

data)? Are they told this?

4. Are measures in place to provide confidentiality for participants and

ensure secure management and

disposal of data collected from them?

5. Does the study involve people who are particularly vulnerable or unable

to give informed consent (eg, children

or people with learning difficulties)?

6. Could your research cause stress, physical or psychological harm to

humans or animals, or environmental

damage?

7. Could any aspects of the research lead to unethical behaviour by participants

or researchers (eg, invasion of

privacy, deceit, coercion, fraud,

abuse)?

8. Does the research involve the NHS or collection or storage of human tissue

(includes anything containing human

cells, such as saliva and urine)?

Your explanations should indicate briefly for Qs 2-4 how these requirements will be met, and

for Qs 5-8 what the pertinent concerns are.

 Minimal Risk: If Q 1 is answered ‘No’, then no ethics approval is needed.

 Low Risk: If Qs 2-4 are answered ‘Yes’ and Qs 5-8 are answered ‘No’, then no approval is needed from the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC). However, your

supervisor must approve (a) your information and consent forms (Qs 2 & 3) and (b) your

measures for participant confidentiality and secure data management (Q4).

 High Risk: If any of Qs 5-8 are answered ‘Yes’, then you must submit an application for full ethics approval before the project can start. This can take up to 6 weeks. Consult

your supervisor about how to apply for full ethics approval.

Risk Assessment: Separate guidance on risk assessment can be found

Your tutor must check your responses above before you submit this form via the

Assignments area in Blackboard . Also the repsonses ust be submitted in Google

classroom

Formal Approval is indicated by a mark of 100% for the submission