Master Dissertation
1
BUS7048: Major Project
Lecture 1: Overview,
Topics and Proposal
Writing
Dr Peter Samuels
10th June 2019
BUS7048:
Major Project
Summary
Introduction to the Major Project module
Major projects explored
The 4 module options
Assessment
The supervisory relationship
Firming up your topic idea
Doing your proposal:
Written proposal (Options 1 and 2)
Proposal presentation (Options 3 and 4)
Ethics (all options)
Avoiding plagiarism and referencing
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BUS7048:
Major Project
A major project is not … an extended essay
Area Essay Major project
Scope Generally quite broad
Narrow, achievable research project
Structure Simple or implicit Explicit, multilevel
Argumentation style
Generally moves from single opinion to discursive
Depends on chapter genre (e.g. literature review v. methodology)
Data Normally only secondary data
Most include primary data
Method Normally implicit An explicit chapter
BUS7048:
Major Project
What is a major project?
The product of a piece of personal research
An extended piece of academic writing (8,000 words plus references and appendices)
A structured document, divided up into a series of chapters
It contains a detailed exploration of a particular topic and demonstrates evidence of:
Theory and practice
which normally includes:
Both primary and secondary data analysis (Options 1 and 3)
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Why do it?
A requirement for you to complete your degree
To demonstrate competence in your discipline
Some students like the idea of greater autonomy (being in control of their own research) than in normal taught modules
It can be both interesting and enjoyable to carry out
It can be the basis for further research
The more you can motivate yourself through interest and enjoyment, the better your
performance will be
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Major Project
How do you achieve it? By choosing a good topic
By being methodical (definition of research)
By planning your work schedule
By adhering to the University’s criteria
By having a good working relationship with your supervisor
By getting (legitimate) support from peers and others
By writing well
By getting formative feedback on your work in progress
By generally working hard!
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What makes a good major project? Your topic is relevant to your course
Your research is unique, offers new insight or development
Your title, aims, and objectives are all clear and succinct
You’ve conducted some thorough and comprehensive background research which is well referenced
You’ve chosen suitable research methods and used them well
Your project report is the right length, well-written, well- structured, well presented and free from mistakes
Your arguments are convincing and well-thought out with evidence of critical thinking and analysis
Your conclusion is interesting and provides a good summary of the research
Source: (Dawson, 2006)
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Major Project
4 module options Option 1: Dissertation including primary data
collection and analysis as well as a literature review
Option 2: Dissertation including only secondary
data analysis as well as a literature review
Option 3: A work-based placement – your project
report must be based on this
Option 4: A business plan – only open to
Entrepreneurship students
Note: All non-entrepreneurship students who took
Module 7058 (Research Project Management)
should do Option 3
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Major Project
Assessment Part 1 (25%) by Wednesday 3rd July:
Options 1 and 2: A proposal (1,500 words, submitted via Moodle)
Options 3 and 4: A presentation (10mins + 10mins questions and answers – as arranged with your supervisor) – also submit your presentation file on Moodle
All options must also upload an ethical approval form (via Moodle)
Part 2 (75%) by Friday 20th September:
Options 1 and 2: a dissertation (8,000 words, via Moodle)
Option 3: a project report (8,000 words, via Moodle)
Option 4: a business plan (8,000 words, via Moodle)
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A supervisory relationship
is a bit like a dance Content (c.f. dance steps)
Other technical elements (e.g. academic writing, analysis software)
Overview (c.f. choreography)
Personal relationship
Developing your ‘voice’ as an academic researcher/writer (c.f. smile)
Source: (Derounian, 2011)
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Supervisors We are aiming to allocate supervisors to all
students who submitted an acceptable research topic or who are on the Entrepreneurship pathway by Wednesday this week (12th June)
The following students have not yet submitted a topic idea:
Junyi Shangguan
Ishann Mittal
Xuewei Li
Anita Raju
Zakariya Mear
Nuno Maria Vazao De Almeida Barata Da Cunha
BUS7048:
Major Project
Supervisors (continued)
Most of the interaction in this module takes place via your supervisory relationship
It is your responsibility to contact your supervisor to arrange meetings
There is no set number or length of supervisory meetings (although the brief suggests six). However, supervisors are only expected to spend a total of 10 hours on each major project including supervisory meetings, marking and administration.
The last date for supervisory meetings is Friday 6th
September
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Supervisors (continued) Supervisors can only provide you with one written
feedback on your proposal and each chapter of your dissertation
They cannot proofread or ‘approve’ your work – their feedback is indicative of possible improvements and developmental rather than systematic or indicative of a pass or a specific mark
Please give them sufficient time to do this (up to one week)
If you are sending draft work in advance of a supervisory meeting please send it 3 working days in advance
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What you should do Attend all the support lectures
Keep regular contact with your supervisor – make them aware of a potential problem before it becomes big
Submit your draft work to your supervisor (once)
Take the lead but expect guidance
Respect the time constraints of your supervisory meetings
Respect the feedback you receive from your supervisor by trying to incorporate it into your revised work
Keep records of tutorial meetings: complete the template provided (on Moodle) and email it to your supervisor within 3 days of the meeting; also include a copy in your dissertation/project report appendices
Carry out any actions you agreed with your supervisor
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Tutorial
record
form
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What your supervisor can do Support you to focus your topic idea
Assign you some directed reading (but most of the responsibility for literature searching is yours)
Help you to draw up your dissertation plan
Provide you with a steady stream of interaction of ideas and guidance
Help you to develop a suitable methodology (e.g. mixed methods survey via a questionnaire)
Help you to improve your research instrument
Provide you with feedback on your analysis and conclusions
Inform you in advance when they will be on leave
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What your supervisor cannot do
Choose a topic for you
Provide feedback several times on the same chapter
Proofread your work
Reply to your messages out of hours or at weekends
Reply to many messages in a short period
Be available outside appointments
Chase you to book appointments
Give supervisions after the end of supervisions deadline (email support is at their discretion)
Indicate what mark you might expect to receive
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Learn to be assertive
Respect for others
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Assertiveness techniques Broken record: Repeat a suitable phrase, such as,
“This item is faulty. Under the sale of goods act I am entitled to my money back.” (without getting angry or further justifying yourself – until you are asked to)
Empathy: Express how you feel and that you are trying to understand how the other person feels (e.g. “I understand you need help but I’m sorry I can’t this time because …”)
Offer a compromise, whilst maintaining self- respect
A combination of all three techniques is often best
BUS7048:
Major Project
Firming up your topic idea
What makes a good topic?
Strategies for selecting a good topic
Creativity and divergent thinking in topic
selection
Suggested approaches
Example concept map
Your topic must lie within the scope of your
degree course
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Attributes of a good topic Relates to theory
Tightly defined: can be expressed succinctly as a research aim or question
Relates to individuals, groups or organisations
Small enough to be carried out in the time available
Big enough to be potentially original and contribution to research / practice
Feasible in terms of costs
Personal interest
Easy to access participants / data
Meets university requirements
Can be supervised
Adapted from (Horn, 2012)
Often a good way to
refine an initial idea
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Topic selection strategies Horn (2012) gives 8 possible strategies:
1. Burning desire – a long cherished idea
2. Replication – take published research and change its scope slightly
3. Career goals – something to assist your career path in the next few years
4. Solving a practical (organisational) problem
5. Convenient access, e.g. work placement, your workplace, family’s business, BCU data
6. Tutor driven – one of their current research areas
7. Development of your previous work
8. Important problem to society
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Creativity in topic selection
Creativity requires divergent thinking
There is an over-emphasis on convergent thinking in our education system
Source: (Robinson, 2010)
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Possible approaches
Brainstorming
Concept maps
Background reading
Talking your ideas over with others
Reflection
Topic ideas take time to crystallise
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Example topic concept map
Business
Retail
SMEs
Use of ICT
UK Nigeria
Developed Developing
Case studies
Effectiveness
Change theory
Systems analysis
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The written proposal Options 1 and 2 only (but this section is also relevant
to Options 3 and 4, so please listen)
1,500 words
25% of total mark
Submit by noon on Wednesday 3rd July via Moodle
Structure (with marks breakdown):
Title and Background (10%)
Aims and Objectives (10%)
Rationale (10%)
Outline Literature Review (30%)
Outline Methodology (25%)
Project Plan (15%)
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Front matter writing
Title
Aim
Research question(s)
Objectives
Each states what
the research is about
in a different way
States how the
research aim is going
to be achieved or
how the research
question(s) is(are)
going to be answered
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Title writing Purpose: to describe what your study is about
Qualities – it should:
Be clear
Be concise – not more than about 20 words
Avoid jargon and abbreviations
Avoid rhetoric (asking a question)
Express the aim, research area, data source and possibly methodology
Indicate an appropriate scope for a single MSc project
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Aim and research question(s) writing
Your aim should be synonymous with your title but written in the form of an action – good idea to start with “To …”
It should state what you are planning to achieve in your MSc project
Your main research question should be synonymous with your aim
It can be broken down into sub-questions which either explain your aim in more detail, or are more aligned with your objectives
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Writing objectives
State how your aim is going to achieved
More specific
Like your aim, it is good to start with “To …”
Ideal number: between 3 and 7
They could explain your topic in more detail…
Or they could indicate the different tasks you
need to carry out in sequence in order to
achieve your aim (e.g. literature review,
methodology, data collection, data analysis,
etc.)
BUS7048:
Major Project
Writing your background Purpose: To provide context for your proposed research topic
One or two paragraphs should be sufficient
Metaphor: A big
cat marking its
territory –
demonstrate that
you are in control
of the broader
academic context
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Rationale
Explains why your proposed study is interesting
or important
Might also include limitations of the study
One or two paragraphs should be sufficient
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Paragraphs: definition
A paragraph is a group of connected sentences which develops one new topic, idea or theme
They are the ‘building blocks’ of your writing, dividing it into easy-to-follow, comprehensible parts
A paragraph should be like a mini essay with some sort of introduction, main body and conclusion
The ideal length for a paragraph is about 125 words – use this to help you plan your writing
Always leave a blank line between paragraphs
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Argumentation styles
Arguments form the backbone of academic writing
Choice of appropriate style depends on the part of your proposal, e.g.:
Discursive structure more appropriate in your literature review section
Single argument/opinion more appropriate for your background, rationale and methods sections
Single argument/opinion Discursive
Already made up your mind
Introduce assertion
Supporting evidence from different sources
Conclusion (as expected)
Introduce topic
Evidence from one side
Evidence from another side
Evaluation / Conclusion (can’t be anticipated)
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Literature reviews Initial conception: an annotated bibliography:
About 4-5 paragraphs, each of which summarises or critiques an individual study relevant to your proposed study, with an introduction and conclusion
This is not enough for a literature review:
You need to combine sources thematically
Give more prominence to some sources according to their relative importance using critical thinking
Also use critical analysis
The purpose of a literature review is to provide your reader with an essential background
perspective to understand/evaluate your research
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Step by step guide to doing a literature review
1. Have a plan
2. Use critical thinking to select your sources
3. Divide your literature into themes
4. Structure and plan your review
5. Carry out some critical analysis – use discursive
style paragraphs
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1. Have a plan
Initially capture your reader’s interest
Move from the general to the specific
Include relevant theories
Finish by summarising your findings
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2. Use critical thinking to select your sources
WHAT? Define the purpose of your review
HOW BROAD? Define the scope of your review
HOW TO CHOOSE? Establish and apply appropriate selection criteria consistently, e.g.:
Quality of research
Quality of publication
Age of publication
Relevance
Have you emphasised recent developments?
Have you focussed on sources involving primary research with only selective use of secondary sources (which add value to other primary sources)?
Note: You will need to find more sources than you use
BUS7048:
Major Project
Ways of obtaining sources Use Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/) or
Summon (https://bcu.summon.serialssolutions.com/)
Enter key words, or phrases using “”
Try a variety of synonyms, not just one word
The best hits with the most people citing them are displayed first
Try not to get too many or too few hits (between about 10 and 500)
Some sources are freely available
In Google Scholar the “cited by” link can be useful for obtaining additional sources or missing details of references
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A specific journal (full list of available journals) or database (full list of available databases) such as WARC (Marketing) might also be particularly relevant to your review
Consider doing a keyword search of all articles published in one of them in the last 10 years
For more information on information searching please check out the specific Lib Guide for your course at http://libguides.bcu.ac.uk/?b=s or contact: Linda Garratt for Marketing, or
Sharon Stephens for everything else
You can also book an appointment with them from here
BUS7048:
Major Project
The 50:40:10 principle
10%
40%
50% Evidence found
but eventually
not used
Less important
evidence used:
generally
assert or quote
More important evidence
used: generally
summarise or critique
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How to cite information
Back up factual assertions – every claim
needs to be backed up with evidence
Direct quote:
There are two formats (short and long)
Use sparingly, e.g. at the start to get you flowing
Summary – go into more depth and rewrite in
your own words
Critique – go beyond a summary and provide
an objective evaluation of the findings/claims
made
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Theme 2
~4 references
Theme 1
~4 references
Main research
question/’niche’
~2 references
3. Divide your literature into about 2 initial themes
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4. Structure your review
Suggested structure:
Paragraph 1: introduction
Paragraph 2: theme 1
Paragraph 3: theme 2
Paragraph 4: main research question
Paragraph 5: conclusion / conceptual
framework
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5. What is critical analysis?
Shallower
questions
Deeper
questions
Source: (Plymouth University, 2010 )
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Other forms of critical analysis Discursive style argument (see next slide):
Introduce topic
Summarise one side
Summarise another side, etc.
Evaluate / conclude
Levels of criticality: 1. Describe, summarise, present facts
2. Make simple implications / analyse (half critical)
3. (Personal) interpretation, evaluation
Questioning a topic:
Brainstorming, common sense, anticipating reader’s questions
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[Topic sentence] There is disagreement between researchers over the
appropriateness of a deep approach to studying within STEM subjects. [First
view] There is some alignment between the deep learning construct and
relational understanding construct in Skemp’s (1962) schematic learning theory,
which he promotes as being particularly effective in mathematics education,
providing evidence of improved retention of concepts. [Evidence] In a study of
236 first year undergraduate mathematics students in Australian, Crawford et al.
(1993) demonstrated a significant (p < 0.001) association between a cohesive
conception of mathematics (similar to Skemp’s relational understanding) and a
deep approach to studying, and a fragmented conception of mathematics
(similar to Skemp’s instrumental understanding) and a surface approach to
studying. However, [Alternative view] Kirschner et al. (2006) argue against the
effectiveness of discovery-based learning and constructivism, providing
evidence that students learn more deeply from strongly guided learning
experiences. In addition, [Another view] Beattie at al. (1997) also argue against
the universal appropriateness of a deep approach to studying where learning
requires the practising of skills and processes, as is common in STEM subjects.
In summary, [Evaluation] a deep approach to studying does not appear to be
universally appropriate in STEM contexts.
Notice how the evaluation is more specific than the topic sentence
The discursive style paragraph
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The methods section
Different argumentation style to the
literature review – outlines and justifies the
method you have chosen and how you are
planning to implement it
About 4 paragraphs:
Conceptual framework / philosophy
Strategy (e.g. survey – why?)
Data collection (e.g. questionnaire, semi-
structured, via email, etc.)
Data analysis (use tentative language)
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Purposes of a conceptual framework
To apply relevant theories to your context
To explain how you believe a situation will work (e.g. a business intervention)
To inform the design of your study:
This may translate into measurable variables in a quantitative study but you should not assume this
Your study might need to be mixed methods
It may be difficult to measure your constructs
You conceptual framework should relate directly to the discussion/conclusion of your literature review
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Example
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Focus on these areas
Source: (Saunders et al., 2016)
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Common mistakes Writing a section about every layer in Saunders et
al.’s “onion” to “educate” your reader
Describing what these layers mean rather than focusing on your choices
Not explaining how you are planning to implement your choices, e.g. a questionnaire:
Who is your population?
How will you choose your sample (random/non-random)?
How large will it be?
How will you maximize your response rate?
Including too much critical discussion (this belongs in your literature review)
BUS7048:
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Project plan Best to use a GANTT chart
You can modify the template provided Week commencing 10/06 17/06 24/06 01/07 08/07 15/07 22/07 29/07 05/08 12/08 19/08 26/08 02/09 09/09 16/09
Number 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15
Firm up topic
Prepare research
proposal
Literature review (1st
draft)
Methodology (draft)
Design research
instrument
Methodology (final)
Collect data
Analyse data (draft)
Literature review (final)
Data analysis (final)
Discussion (draft)
Discussion (final)
Full dissertation (draft)
Proofreading and final
preparation
Proposal deadline
End of supervisions
deadline
Hand-in deadline
20/09/19
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Proposal presentation (Options 3 and 4)
10 minutes + 10 minutes questions and answers
Arrange with supervisor to present by 3rd July
Also upload your presentation file on Moodle by Noon on 3rd July
Structure – Option 3:
Background of your chosen organisation
Identified business problem
Literature review
Appropriate methods, techniques and approaches
Scope of your research project
Justification for the project
Detailed project plan with clear timelines, deliverables and milestones, resource requirements and control mechanisms
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Structure – option 4
1. An analysis of the customer problem(s), the suggested
solution(s) and features delivering that solution including
the value proposition
2. A brief analysis of the associated industry and market(s)
3. The start-up costs and likely costs (expenditure) and
sales (income) of running the business for the first 3
years
4. The research plan for identifying and proving market
demand exists for the stated value proposition
5. A project plan for completing the business plan project
and presentation
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Ethics request form Please complete with your proposal by noon on 3rd
July via Moodle (all options)
Download and complete the online form provided
Should be straightforward once you have written your proposal (it might even help you to write your proposal methodology section)
Make sure it is consistent
Send it to your supervisor for approval
They will sign it and send it back to you, then you should upload it
Please do not upload the form unless your supervisor has signed it!
BUS7048:
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Avoiding plagiarism
Plagiarism is using some else’s work without
proper citation
It is viewed as a form of academic stealing at
BCU and may lead to a reduction in your marks
or disciplinary action
Your proposal will be checked for plagiarism
You can submit a draft for plagiarism checking
here
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Turnitin reports Click on the percentage when it appears – it opens your
Turnitin report
Then click on this number: makes the matching text and match overview appear
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Understanding your report A high percentage might indicate plagiarism
Obviously, the higher the number the bigger the potential problem, but there is more to it than just the percentage
Matching can be caused by:
Standard forms (e.g. participant information sheet, cover sheet, etc.)
Quotations
References
None of these indicate plagiarism
So what is plagiarism?
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Which of these is plagiarised?
A A paragraph is copied but some small changes are made, for example, a few verbs are replaced, an adjective is replaced with a synonym. There is an citation in the reference list.
B
A paragraph is written by taking a number of short phrases from a single source then modifying them. These phrases are put together using your own words to create a new paragraph. There is an in-text citation plus a reference to the source is placed in the reference list.
C
A paragraph is cut and pasted retaining some of the original sentences. Some of the sentences are omitted, and one or two of the sentences are placed in a different order. There are no quotation marks. There is an in- text citation plus a reference to the source is placed in the reference list.
D
A paragraph is rewritten making major changes in the language and organisation. More details and examples are used from other sources. There is an in-text citation plus a reference to the source is placed in the reference list.
E A paragraph is copied word for word, from a source without any citation.
F A paragraph is quoted. There is an in-text citation plus a reference to the source is placed in the reference list.
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Solution
A – plagiarised: definitely don’t do this – either rephrase or quote and include a citation
B – fine: this is a summary
C – plagiarised, despite there being a citation: don’t do this – rephrase or use quotation marks
D – fine: most well referenced provided that the other sources are cited
E – most plagiarised: definitely don’t do this
F – ok, but avoid too many quotes
The best way to avoid plagiarism is to learn how to summarise, cite and reference correctly
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What is summarising? Summarising is saying the same as your source (or a section
from it) but in your own words. The source must always be
acknowledged, as with a quotation.
Try to get away from the original language as much as possible: it
is not enough to simply change one or two words. However, at the
same time, you need to be careful not to change the meaning.
Summarising is an opportunity to show your reader that you are in
control of your material. A successful summary means that you
have thought carefully about what you have read and are able to
manipulate the information for your own ends.
It is a difficult technique to master, especially if English is not your
first language. Many students worry that their writing is not going
to be as good as the original: well, it probably isn't, but that
doesn't matter. What is important is your ideas, your arguments
and your ability to fulfil the task.
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How to summarise Quickly read through the text to get an idea of what its about
Decide if any parts of it would be useful for your purposes
Read the relevant parts in more detail in order to understand the meaning more clearly
Without looking at the source, make some notes of the points useful for you
Check that your notes agree with the original
Write up the summary from your notes (not the original) in order to try and ensure that the construction and wording are different from the original
Check that you have kept the same meaning and tone
Check that your summary is consistent with the rest of your writing and flows into it
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BCU Harvard referencing system A version of Harvard specific to BCU available from here
Required in the Business School
Comprises of citing in text and a reference list
Uses (author, year) style for indirect citations
Can also use the author’s name directly within the text followed by (year) – more personal style
References are given in an alphabetically ordered list at the end of the document (all types of source together)
Reference list entries depend on the type of source but generally have the structure:
Author, Initials (Year) Title. Other required information.
The main document title will be in italics
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Citing a single author 1. Plagiarism is an important issue in contemporary higher
education (Neville, 2007). (backing up an assertion)
2. Neville (2007) reports that… (summary)
There are many alternative reporting verbs, e.g.:
Found
Argues
Suggests
Claims
Concludes
See Manchester Academic Phrasebank
3. “Referencing is not a new idea” (Neville, 2007: 2) (short quote – must have a page number, if available; page numbers are optional for other types of citation)
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Citing multiple authors
Two authors – use and:
Directly:
White and Brown (2004) in their recent study found...
Indirectly:
A recent investigation (White and Brown, 2004) suggests that...
Three or more authors – use et al.:
Directly:
Green et al. (1969) identified the following …
Indirectly:
Further research (Green et al., 1969) showed that ...
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Referencing a paper journal article
Format:
Author, Initials (Year) Title of article. Full Title of
Journal, Volume number(Issue/Part number), pp.
page numbers.
Example:
Driscoll, J. and Teh, B. (2001) The potential of
reflective practice to develop individual orthopaedic
nurse practitioners and their practice. Journal of
Orthopaedic Nursing, 5(2), pp. 95-103.
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Referencing a book
Format:
Author, Initials (Year) Title of Book. Edition (if not
the first edition). Place of publication (this must
be a town or city, not a country): Publisher.
Example:
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2016)
Research Methods for Business Students, 7th
edn. Harlow: Pearson.
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Referencing a pdf report
Format:
Author, Initials or Institutional Author (Year) Full Title of
Report. [pdf] Place (optional): Publisher (optional).
Available at: full URL [Accessed date].
Example:
Plymouth University (2010) Critical Thinking. [pdf] Available at:
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/uploads/production/documen
t/path/1/1710/Critical_Thinking.pdf. [Accessed 9
November 2018].
Note: If a report is also published in paper format then cite that
one instead.
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Referencing a website
Format:
Author, Initials or Institutional Author (Year) Title of
document. Place (optional): Publisher (optional).
Available at: Full URL [Accessed date].
Example:
Coventry University (n. d.) The writing process: steps 1 and
2; step 3; and steps 4 and 5. Available at:
http://curve.coventry.ac.uk/open/items/58f5ef96-aa60-
316c-c30b-f945aa89bfc7/1/. [Accessed 9 November
2018].
Note: Try to avoid too many electronic sources as they are
often not peer reviewed so less academically important
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References Dawson, C. (2006) The Mature Student’s Study Guide, 2nd edn.
374.130281/Daw and e-book.
Derounian, J. (2011) Shall we dance? The importance of staff–student relationships to undergraduate dissertation preparation. Active Learning in Higher Education, 12(2), pp. 91–100.
Horn, R. (2012) Researching and Writing Dissertations: A complete guide for business and management students. 2nd edn. London: CIPD.
Plymouth University (2010) Critical Thinking. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/uploads/production/document/path/1/1 710/Critical_Thinking.pdf.
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