Research Methods and

Dissertation
BA (Hons) Business
BA (Hons) Business (Finance)
BA (Hons) Business (HRM)
BA (Hons) Business (Marketing)
BA (Hons) Business (Tourism)

RES6001
Module Handbook
 Contents Page

Section A: Introduction to the Module 3

Section B: The Research Proposal and

Ethics Application 9

Section C: The Dissertation Structure 11

Section D: Supervision 19

Section E: Submission 20

Section F: Recommended Reading 22

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Section A: Introduction to the Module

Dissertation Module Leaders (DMLs):

UK Based Study Centres and DMLs
Distance Learning (DL)
Programmes
BA (Hons) Business and Routes Dr Anjana Basnet
(UK)
BA (Hons) Business and Routes Hugh Smith
(UK)
BA (Hons) Business and Routes Dr Juston Mubwandarikwa
(UK)
BA (Hons) Business and Routes Michael Handrinos
(UK)
BA (Hons) Business and Routes Negroes Dube
(UK)
Berlin Only Programmes DMLs
BA (Hons) Business Dana Alomari
(Berlin)
BA (Hons) Business (HRM) Dr. Mujde Erdinc Kliem
(Berlin)
BA (Hons) Business (Marketing) Tobias Stähler
(Berlin)
BA (Hons) Business (Tourism) Bonna Bambilla
(Berlin)

Level: 6

Credits: 40

Learning Hours: 400

Aims

The Dissertation is an essential part of the process of achieving your BA (Hons) Business
degree from Arden University. It provides you with the opportunity to work independently to
develop your ability to make critical and evaluative judgements on a business topic of your
choice that is related to your studies. It is expected that this will provide an opportunity to
integrate the course with practice, developing your ability to be an effective reflective
practitioner. By completing a research proposal as part of the process, you should
demonstrate that you are able to produce work that is relevant in current theory and practice
in business. This is your opportunity to apply what you have learned from your programme
into your area of interest or your workplace, so ensure that it is a piece of work you invest
your time and effort into; you should be proud of the outcome!

To achieve the module learning outcomes, you are required to produce:

 A combined research proposal and ethics application (online) to be

3 approved before commencing any data collection for your study
(marked as either pass or fail)
 A Dissertation (10,000 words, worth 100% of the final overall grade)
Module Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Apply critical management thinking to an organisational issue or problem.

2. Collect, organise, understand and interpret data and information from a variety of
appropriate resources, acting autonomously, with minimal supervision.

3. Critically evaluate evidence to justify and support conclusions, recommendations and

reflections.

4. Critically evaluate the techniques and processes used to investigate an organisational

issue or problem.

5. Select and apply effective tools for information collection and analysis.

You will also be able to demonstrate the following Graduate Attributes:

Discipline expert

Knowledge and understanding of chosen field. Possess a range of skills to operate within
this sector, have a keen awareness of current developments in working practice being well
positioned to respond to change.

6. Demonstrate through development of a research project awareness of current

developments within chosen research area and the skills to respond to change within that
field.

Lifelong Learner

Manage employability, utilising the skills of personal development and planning in different
contexts to contribute to society and the workplace.

7. Work independently and plan effectively.

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Module Delivery

The Research Methods and Dissertation Module is divided into 10 separate lessons covering
the following topics:

Lesson 01: Understanding Research and the Research Process

Lesson 02: Deciding on a Topic and Setting Research Objectives

Lesson 03: Using Literature and Other Sources of Information to Underpin and Inform
Research

Lesson 04: Methodological Considerations

Lesson 05: Gathering and Analysing Quantitative Data

Lesson 06: Gathering and Analysing Qualitative Data

Lesson 07: Research Ethics

Lesson 08: Writing a Research Proposal

Lesson 09: Getting Started with the Dissertation Process

Lesson 10: Writing your Dissertation

The module lessons combine academic research and practical advice and will be a valuable
resource for you as you make progress towards developing your Proposal and completing your
Dissertation.

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Please note the following steps carefully:

Step One: Complete Lesson Materials

You will spend the first few weeks on the module working your way through the various lessons
and completing the range of activities that are included within the materials. These activities
are not part of the assessment process for the module, but they will help you develop your
understanding of the research process and assist you developing your ideas. You may note
that lessons 01, 02 ,07 and 08 will be helpful at the start of your study on this module.

The module lesson materials will therefore be available to you throughout your experience on
the module. In addition, a wide range of texts and articles are available to you on the library
portal that you can access via iLearn. You’ll also find additional resources on the iLearn pages
to help guide you through the process such as dissertation workshop sessions organised by
academics and also by our study skills tutors.

Step Two:

Prepare a Research Working Title

Whilst working your way through the lessons, you will be considering your ideas/area of interest
for your Dissertation title. When you have a clear idea and rationale for your project, submit this
via the Arden online ethics portal. Please register for the online system here:
https://ethics.arden.ac.uk/register.

On the portal you will create a new project and submit a working title for your project. Please
note that you MUST always use your Arden University email address for this process.

You will need to state your proposed design (quantitative methods, qualitative methods, or
mixed design), and describe your project idea. This will be sent to the module leaders through
the ethics system. From the information provided, one of the module leaders will allocate a
supervisor, with expertise in your area of interest and/ or methodology, to work with you
towards completion of the research project. It may be that further information is required from
you prior to the appointment of the supervisor, in which case the module leader will
communicate with you through the ethics system.

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You will be contacted by email when your supervisor has been appointed. Please see Section
D of this document for more information on working with your supervisor.

Step Three:

Prepare a Research Proposal and Ethics Application

The online proposal and ethics application will first be submitted to your supervisor for their
approval. Again, this will be done through the ethics system. Once supervisor approval is given,
it will be sent via the online system to the module leaders for their approval. For high-risk
projects the application will also be sent to the Research, Ethics and Enterprise Committee
(REEC). Section B of this document provides detailed information on the proposal stage.

Final ethical approval is needed before you can begin data collection.

No recruitment or data collection must be carried out until you receive formal
notification that your study has been approved by the module leaders or the ethics
committee.

The full Arden Ethics policy can be found at https://arden.ac.uk/about-us/our-policies-

standards under Student Policies.

The proposal and ethics application is submitted by you and is assessed on a pass/fail basis. In
the event of the proposal and ethics application not being approved, you are required to re-
design and resubmit based on the recommendations of your supervisor/ module leader. Again,
this is done on the online system: https://ethics.arden.ac.uk/

You will receive an email notifying you of any changes required and the approval status of your
proposed study. Recruitment and data collection can start as soon as the formal approval is
granted.

Section B of this document will assist you with the completion of the proposal and ethics
procedure. Additional guidance is also provided within the ethics system.

Step Four:

Formative Feedback of Dissertation Chapters

Whilst collecting data your Dissertation will be taking shape. To make sure you are on the
right track throughout the writing process you will share your chapters with your supervisor,
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for their formative feedback. Make sure that you communicate clearly throughout this stage,
agreeing with your supervisor as to when you will send each chapter to them. You should
keep a record of your meetings with your supervisor. This can be done using the ethics
system. Your supervisor will also complete one final review of a full draft of your Dissertation
before you submit. Remember that your supervisor has up to five working days to review
and provide feedback.

Step Five:

Dissertation Submission

The deadline for submission of the final Dissertation depends on your study mode.

If you are a distance learning student, the submission date should be agreed with your
supervisor, being mindful of the timing of your registration on the programme.

If you are a blended learning student, the submission date will be made available to you
when you access the module at the start of your Level 6 studies.

If you are unclear about your submission date, please make contact with your student
support team, who will be able to assist you with any queries.

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Section B: The Research Proposal and Ethics Application
After submitting your working title on the ethics system, you will need to work towards your
research proposal and ethics application. This process will help you to think through all the
details and ethical implications of your research design. It will also help you to produce all
the documentation you will need for recruiting participants. This is a gatekeeping stage for
your final Dissertation. You will work with your supervisor to complete your proposal and
ethics application. As previously mentioned, this is done on: https://ethics.arden.ac.uk/

Research Proposal:

The proposal part of the proposal and ethics application should be completed on the online
system and discussed with your supervisor before submission. The Proposal/ Project
Summary section contains the following sub-sections:

Project ID – This will have been allocated by the ethics system at the time of creating your
project and will remain the same code throughout your work on the dissertation.

Project Title – This will be the title submitted as part of the working title part of the process.
This title may have been updated following discussions with your supervisor as you started
to research the topic in more detail.

Start and end dates of your research – The system may allocate these dates automatically,
which you can leave on the system. However, please liaise with your supervisor or your
student support team as you make progress with your work so you can work towards the
correct date.

Proposed activity – The topic of your dissertation can relate to any field of business, but if
you are completing one of the pathway programmes, for example, HRM or tourism, your
dissertation should also be focused on that area of research. You should ensure that you
have a strong rationale for your chosen project outlined in the proposal form. Your rationale
should contain an explanation of the problem/issue you have identified, justification as to
why it is important. You should also demonstrate your knowledge of relevant, current
literature (academic and industry books/ articles) by identifying key pieces of research,
clearly showing how this will inform your own research design. This section should clearly
state the research aims, objectives, and research questions.

Methodology and Research Data Management Plan - These sections must include a full
description of the methodological approach you intend to employ and the rationale and
justification for these decisions. Your data collection method should be justified and
described, including issues around sampling and recruitment, if relevant for your study.

It may be, for example, that you propose to adopt a secondary research approach where you
are using existing published research for your own study rather than completing a survey or
interviews with participants.

Furthermore, you must read the Arden University Code of Ethics and allow this to guide your
planning, stating clearly in your proposal how you are navigating specific ethical
considerations.

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In addition, you should also discuss relevant practical issues relating to the research to be
undertaken. For example, the possible need to obtain organisational consent as well as the
timescales involved in completing your project.

References - You must include references in support of your proposal, which should be used
and presented in accordance with Arden Harvard guidelines.

Project Management – This section should include a draft outline of how you intend to
complete your project. You could, for example, create a Gantt Chart or simply provide a
table or list of the dates and actions that you intend to complete over the next several
months.

Planned outputs etc - You must include a description of the planned outcomes of the study.
This may include disseminating your findings in conferences, publishing it on various
platforms, public outreach, or you may hope that the findings will assist your employers. This
could also simply be that you intend to complete your dissertation document.

Use Professional Code of Ethical Practice – This could be relevant if you are completing a
study where additional ethical approval may be required from a professional body. However,
in most cases you will simply follow the Arden University code of ethics so this will be the
information to insert in this section.

Primary or Secondary Data – Your answer to this part will determine how much you need to
complete of the ethics part of the process. If you are taking a secondary data approach then
you will only need to answer a small number of questions on the ethics form. If you are
planning to complete primary research through use of a survey, questionnaire or perhaps
observations, you will need to complete all parts of the ethics form.

Will you be using human participants? – You will only answer ‘Yes’ to this if you are
completing primary research as stated above.

Research Ethics Application

The Ethics application questions continue immediately after the research proposal questions
on https://ethics.arden.ac.uk/

Here you must answer the questions relating to the ethical considerations of your project.
For primary research studies, the questions will ask details about your design and measures,
your recruitment plan, and how you will handle and protect your data. You will be required to
describe the risk of harm associated with your study, and how you will mitigate against it.

On this system you will also be required to upload participant documents (Information sheet,
consent form, debrief sheet, and a draft survey/ list of interview questions, as appropriate).
You will first submit this to your supervisor, and once approved by the supervisor it will be
submitted automatically to the module leader for final approval.

When your proposal and ethics stage has been approved by the module leaders/ ethics
committee, you will then be able to collect data and begin the process of writing your final
report. You cannot submit your final Dissertation without your proposal and ethics
application being formally approved.

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Section C: The Dissertation Structure
Helpful guidelines on developing your Dissertation are contained within the lesson materials
and a summary is provided here:

Structure and content

The Dissertation itself is made up of a number of chapters, each of which serves a specific
purpose. All of the chapters are tied together by the threads of the research question and
should represent a coherent and complete picture of the work undertaken. The Overall
length of the Dissertation (excluding formatting pages and appendices) must not exceed
11,000 words (10,000 word count plus 10% allowance). Let’s consider the key chapters in
the following sub-sections,

Formatting

The Dissertation takes the form of a formal academic report including a title page (stating the
student name and ID number, course title, Dissertation title and word count), declaration,
acknowledgements, 300-word abstract with 5 key words listed, a contents page and a list
of tables and figures. These set the shape for the rest of the report and do not form part of
the word count. The declaration should include three signatures, where appropriate, from
the student showing that it is i) their own work, ii) that the work is not confidential, iii)
agreeing for Arden to store and use the work as a reference.

As you develop your work using the following as guidance, please bear in mind that each of
the next five chapter headings (from Introduction to Conclusion), as noted below, are worth
the same amount of marks (20%). Please see page 17 for more information on the
breakdown of the marking for the Dissertation.

Introduction

As the first chapter of the Dissertation this is probably the one that you will revisit last before
submitting. The purpose of the chapter is to set out and justify the study that you have
undertaken in the wider social context. Crucially, the whole Dissertation document should be
written in the past tense, the idea being that the write up has been undertaken after the
research has been completed. The introduction chapter should lead the author from an
introduction to the topic through to presentation of the objectives and structure of the
Dissertation. Key terms should be introduced and defined, and justification provided from
different perspectives. If the study is based upon a specific organisation or context then it will
require introducing and justification will need to be provided for conducting the study. The
value of the study will also need to be considered. A typical structure for this chapter would
be as follows:

 Background – an overview of the topic and its merit as a research topic

 Rationale – justification for the study
 Case study – if relevant, an overview of the organisation or study context
 Objectives and research questions
 Dissertation structure
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Guideline word count: 1,500 words
The Introduction section should include the research question(s) that was/were asked in
order to address the objectives. A common error is not giving the Introduction section the
time required to ensure that it is well referenced and clearly justifies the study.

Literature Review

The literature review chapter is where you will consider the work that has been undertaken
previously, in areas that are relevant to the topic you are studying. You will discuss with your
supervisor to identify the range of topics that you should cover.

There is a range of material that can be used in the literature review. For example, books
and academic journal articles are the most commonly used. When selecting information
sources, it is important to consider the relative value of the source. Peer reviewed sources
such as books and journals are much more valuable than organisational websites, for
example. In some cases, news articles may be an important source of information. The most
valuable sources of information are journal articles and wherever possible should constitute
the bulk of the research sources you use. Once sufficient sources have been gathered there
are considerations to be made. The relevance of the source should be considered. If it is not
relevant, abandon it. If there are two sources, one of which is better, then use the better
source. Once you have gathered sufficient information for a well referenced, balanced
approach, you should conclude your argument. It is easy to become bogged down working
on the literature review so take a tactical approach and know when to say enough is enough.
A typical structure for this chapter would be as follows:

 Introduction – a brief introduction to state what is contained within the

chapter
 Topics – the number of titles of these will vary depending on your area of
study
 Summary – the chapter needs summarising to conclude where your
research fits within the existing literature
 Questions – what question(s) you aim to answer or explore in your
Dissertation

Guideline word count: 2,000 words

If the chapter is overly descriptive then you cannot expect to achieve more than a pass. A
widely referenced literature review that critically evaluates the literature will score better
marks. The literature review must be critical, identifying the relevant theoretical ideas,
concepts, debates and issues in the relevant field.

Methodology and Method

The methodology chapter serves two purposes and it is important to include both in order to
achieve a good mark. Methodology is the study of undertaking research to demonstrate your
understanding of research at a fundamental level. It will include a review of different
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approaches, such as qualitative and quantitative with justification for your choice of approach
in your own work. Once again, a balance between reviewing approaches and justifying those
used must be struck.

The second purpose is to demonstrate, critique and justify the actual methods used. In this
section, the research questions can be used to structure the critique of research methods.
The methods used to answer each question should be presented, critiqued, justified and the
approach to employing them, analysed. This activity is termed the operationalisation of
methodology, the aim being to show the reader how to replicate the study, the issues that
were encountered and why certain methods were used. A typical structure for this chapter
would be as follows:

 Introduction – a brief introduction to state what is contained within the

chapter
 The selected approach should be identified and justified.
 Research questions – each question should be used as a subheading. In
each case the methods selected should be critiqued and justified. The
information relevant to populations, sampling methods, deployment plans,
the design of instruments and limitations can be included on a question by
question basis.
 Validity and Reliability – this can be considered on a question by question
basis or in a section on its own. A consideration is made of how the method
addresses the needs of the question and how replicable they are.
 Data Selection and Collection – a detailed breakdown of how and why data
was collected and the associated practical challenges.
 Ethics and Bias – a consideration of the relevant ethical issues and any bias
that may be inherent within the study or the subsequent analysis with thought
given to validity, reliability and generalisability. Again, this can be considered
on a question by question basis or in a section on its own.
 Limitations – discuss any relevant limitations to the methods selected.

Guideline Word Count: 2,000 words

The chapter must be well referenced containing sources that go beyond the use of books.
Excellent analysis and justification of the actual approaches used is crucial in achieving good
marks.

Results and Discussion

This chapter is where the results of the primary or secondary investigation are presented,
analysed and discussed. The chapter must go beyond simply presenting the results. The
analysis of the data and research is essential. If a quantitative approach has been taken,
then variables can be tested against one another to show relationships within the data set.
Qualitative data can be coded and discussed by themes to characterise the trends which
underpin the observed data. Essentially, the gathered results need to be compared to the
findings of established literature to demonstrate either similarities or differences. Tight links
to the literature is important in discussing the meaning of the results.

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Presenting the findings needs to be a priority in this chapter. Selecting appropriate methods
needs to be considered carefully. Graphs should only be used where they add value to the
work and make a visual impact. Where graphs are included, different graph types must be
used correctly for the data being presented and the information presented must be clear. A
typical structure for this chapter would be as follows:

 Introduction – a brief introduction to state what is contained within the

chapter. Signposts to where the research questions are addressed by the
primary research should be included.
 Response rates (if relevant for your study) – overview the rate of response
from primary research methods. Demographic information can be included
here. Importantly, the results must be linked to information about the
population under study to show that the results are representative.
 Results – the findings are presented with suitable discussion and analysis
with links to established literature. Ensure you clarify why statistical
analysis is inferential or descriptive in this context characterising trends
which have arisen. When using qualitative data ensure that quotes are
presented with appropriate contextual analysis.
 Summary – summarise the chapter with key findings and link to the
research question.

Guideline Word Count: 2,500 words

A descriptive presentation of the results will not achieve any more than a pass. Where links
are made between your results and the literature, and/or variables are tested against one
another, higher marks will be achieved. Appropriate statistical testing, where valid, will also
improve the marks achieved. The highest marks will be attributed to Dissertations pushing
the boundaries of what is published in the literature.

Conclusions

Like the introduction, this chapter is often overlooked and not given enough care. The
conclusion chapter is essential in tying together the threads that have been woven
throughout the work bridging the literature review with the results and discussions section. It
relates directly to the beginning of the Dissertation and shows what was found in the process
of addressing the objectives and answering the questions that were initially set. This chapter
also provides the opportunity to reflect on process as well as look forward to where the work
could be taken next, for example, to build on your study.

Crucially, the research questions that were set in the introduction and discussed again in the
methodology chapter must be addressed directly here to demonstrate how they were
answered and what was found. This chapter also allows the opportunity to evaluate where
the Dissertation fits within the literature. The conclusions chapter is not the opportunity to
introduce new things.

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A strong set of conclusions that contain all of the listed elements are needed in order to
achieve a good mark. Many, otherwise strong Dissertations, have fallen apart in this chapter,
leading to a lower mark.

A typical structure for this chapter would be as below.

 Introduction – a brief introduction to state what is contained within the

chapter
 General conclusions – overview the key findings and their implications
 Research question conclusions – taking each research question separately
clearly demonstrate what has been found in answering them. It is also
important to point out what was not found.
 Recommendations – based upon the findings, recommend courses of
action to provide direct benefit. If linked to a specific case study these could
be organisational recommendations. If considering a topic in a more
abstract way these could be generalised recommendations that have a
wider scope. Wider application beyond the confines of the original research
focus could also be made here.
 Errors and limitations – a final opportunity to recognise the things that may
have limited the work undertaken. These build upon those discussed in the
methodology as they may include practical limitations encountered along
the way or flaws in approaches that only became apparent later on.
 Recommendations for further study – themes may emerge from the study
that warrant further investigation. Outline what these are and how they may
be addressed in the future.

Expected Word Count: 2,000 words

References and Appendices

A good reference list is essential in achieving a good mark. The list should only contain
references that are directly cited within the text. As with all other assessments, a
bibliography is not required. Ensure your referencing conforms to Arden Harvard style of
referencing.

Appendices are opportunities to include supporting documentation such as a copy of a

survey or interview schedule that the reader can be directed to. If appendices are used, they
must be referred to in the main body of the work. Marks cannot be awarded for work
contained in appendices, but these can assist in the understanding for arguments and
discussions made within the Dissertation.

Presentation

There are marks available for presentation. When considering this the marker will look at the
use of language, the overall structure and coherence of the document and the referencing. A
consistent use of font size and spacing is essential.
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References must be used in Arden Harvard style and spelling and grammatical errors should
not be present in the final document. With some care these are easy marks to add to your
overall score.

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 DISSERTATION ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Presentation: structure, language, grammar, visuals, logic and coherence and appropriate
and systematic use of the appropriate referencing system will be form part of each sections
assessment.

Introduction

A clear statement of the purpose of the Dissertation: The objectives of the

research should be clearly stated and explained where appropriate. The 20%
rationale for the investigation is justified in terms of academic/ organisational
importance

Literature Review

Critical review of the literature: Provide an evaluation and interpretation of 20%

relevant earlier work and where appropriate develop a conceptual framework
that draws together the key literature(s) / ideas

Methodology and Method

State what methods were considered, what was selected and why. In doing so
you should:

 Justify the approach adopted including decisions surrounding the

collection of primary/secondary data (where appropriate) 20%
 Consider the appropriateness of the approach within constraints present
 Detail with justification the overall sampling strategy adopted
 Detail how the data was analysed
 Address issues of validity, reliability and generalisability

Results and Discussion

20%
Data presentation: Detailed and logical presentation and analysis of the data

Conclusion and recommendations

Analysis of findings with reference to purpose of study; issues from the literature
review.

Practical application (recommendations). Recommendations should include a 20%

detailed analysis of implementation issues and costings (financial and other
relevant costs), where relevant.

Detailed consideration of the limitations of the study and a future research agenda
including the application of alternative research designs.

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ARDEN UNIVERSITY GENERIC LEVEL 6 ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Level 6 study represents the student’s increasing autonomy and independence in relation to
their knowledge, understanding and skills. At Level 6, students are expected to demonstrate
problem solving skills in both practical and theoretical contexts. This should be supported by an
understanding of appropriate theory, creativity in expression and thought based on
independent but informed judgments. Students should demonstrate the ability to seek out,
invoke, analyse and evaluate competing theories and claims to knowledge and work in a
critically constructive manner. Work at this level is articulate, coherent and skilled.

Mark
Grade Generic Assessment Criteria
Bands

First 80%+ An exceptional knowledge base exploring and analysing the discipline, its
theory and any associated ethical considerations. The work demonstrates
(1) extraordinary independence of thought and originality. There is
exceptional management of learning resources and a high degree of
autonomy is demonstrated which goes above and beyond the brief. The
work demonstrates intellectual originality and creativity. Writing is
exceptionally well structured and accurately referenced throughout.
Where appropriate, outstanding professional skills are demonstrated.
The work is original and with some additional effort could be considered
for internal publication.

70-79% An excellent information base within which the discipline is explored and
analysed. There is considerable originality in the approach and the work
demonstrates confidence and autonomy and extends to consider ethical
issues. Learning resources have been managed with exceptional
confidence and the work exceeds the assessment brief. Writing is
exceptionally well structured and accurately referenced throughout.
Where appropriate, an excellent level of professional skills are
demonstrated and the work demonstrates a high level of intellectual and
academic skills.

Upper 60-69% A very good knowledge base which explores and analyses the discipline,
second its theory and any associated ethical issues. There is evidence of some
(2:1) originality and independence of thought. A very good range of learning
resources underpin the work and there is clear evidence of self-directed
research. The work demonstrates the ability to analyse the subject and
apply theory with good academic and intellectual skills. Academic writing
skills are good, expression is accurate overall and the work is consistently
referenced throughout.

Lower 50-59% A satisfactory understanding of the discipline which supports some

second analysis, evaluation and problem-solving within the discipline. There may
be reference to some of the ethical considerations. The work shows a

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 (2:2) sound level of competence in managing basic sources and materials.
Academic writing skills are good and accurate overall and the work is
planned and structured with some thought. Professional skills are
satisfactory (where appropriate). The work may lack originality but
academic and intellectual skills are moving into the critical domain. The
work is referenced throughout.

Third 40-49% Basic level of performance in which there are some omissions in the
understanding of the subject, its underpinning theory and ethical
(3) considerations. There is little evidence of independent thought and the
work shows a basic use of sources and materials. Academic and
intellectual skills are limited. The work may lack structure overall. There
are some difficulties in developing professional skills (where
appropriate). There is an attempt to reference the work.

Marginal 30-39% A limited piece of work in which there are clear gaps in understanding
Fail the subject, its underpinning theory and ethical considerations. The work
shows a limited use of sources and materials. Academic and intellectual
skills are weak and there are errors in expression and the work may lack
structure overall. There are difficulties in developing professional skills
(where appropriate). The work lacks original thought and is largely
imitative.

29% and A poor performance in which there are substantial gaps in knowledge
below and understanding, underpinning theory and ethical considerations. The
work shows little evidence in the use of appropriate sources and
materials. Academic writing skills are very weak and there are numerous
errors in expression. The work lacks structure overall. Professional skills
(where appropriate) are not developed. The work is imitative.

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Section D: Supervision

The Dissertation requires significant thought and preparation; it is both the most exciting and
most challenging part of your degree! You are the driver for the completion of this
dissertation. This means that you will initiate activity at each step of the process, for
example, reading and investigating your chosen area and using this to shape your research
design. Most of the time, you will be working independently. You are responsible for the
progression of your project and your supervisor is an important source of advice to call on
when you need it.

A supervisor will be assigned to you based on the proposed area of investigation, once you
have submitted the Working Title form. Your supervisor will then work with you towards
completion of the proposal stage, ethics form and then for the Dissertation. Your supervisor
will provide you with feedback as to the project’s viability and discuss with you any
amendments that need to be made before you can proceed. In order for this to happen you
should ensure that your supervisor has made contact with you within the FIRST week of
being appointed to a supervisor (your module leader will have emailed you both when you
were assigned to your supervisor).

Your supervisor will discuss specific details of how the ‘working relationship’ will be
implemented in practice. This is an ideal time to raise any concerns about the development
of the initial proposal and how the Dissertation process will work in practice. Further general
guidance on the supervision process is detailed below.

The emphasis of the supervision will be upon:

 Encouraging you to carry out a comprehensive review of relevant literature in support

of your research and to formulate a proposal and Dissertation based project
commensurate with study at level 6.

 Planning appropriate methodologies to underpin your research and to articulate your

rationale for the methodology used.

 Encouraging you to keep appropriate records of action/progress, such as reference

sources, interview and contact logs.

 Using the Arden Ethics system as a record of the meetings that have taken place
between you and your supervisor

 Providing general support, direction and guidance as required throughout the

research project process.

You will be required to conduct all stages of the project independently but with advice and
guidance given by your academic supervisor. Your supervisor is an invaluable resource to
you and every effort should be made to liaise with your supervisor throughout the entire
research process.

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Section E: Submission

The conditions of an Arden Business degree require that you complete a

substantial piece of independent research. Therefore, the responsibility for the
final submission of the proposal and thereafter, the Dissertation, is yours and
not your supervisor’s. Ultimately, you must be the judge of what the proposal
and the final Dissertation will contain. It is not the role of the supervisor to
provide detailed comments on drafts. While you can expect some feedback on
drafts this will be of a general nature and will not be a detailed analysis of your
submission. The supervisor will not comment on amendments made in the light
of this feedback.

The work is yours and not the Supervisors.

It is very important that your supervisor is allowed sufficient time for the reading of drafts.
You MUST NOT EXPECT your supervisor to read work instantly when a deadline is near.
Ideally, a full draft should be sent between two weeks and a month before the relevant
deadline to allow time for changes and amendments - subject of course, to the supervisor’s
schedule.

This will require you to develop good project planning and time management skills and it will
also require you to continually communicate with your supervisor.

Submission Arrangements:

The date for final submission of your Dissertation will depend on your mode of study.

For distance learning students, the submission date should be agreed with your supervisor.
There is the opportunity to submit every quarter from January. You will need to complete an
Intent to Submit form. Please keep in mind the final registration date for your studies.

For blended learning students the submission date for your work will be provided to you
when you gain access to the module at the start of your level 6 studies.

When you are ready to submit your Dissertation work for marking, you are required to upload
an electronic copy of your Dissertation to iLearn. There is no need to submit a hard copy to
Arden University.

Dissertation Submission Format

The Dissertation will be required to be presented in the following format following the
structure outlined in section C:

- Typed (word-processed) on 1 page of A4 using double spacing. The recommended

font is Arial, size 11 or 12 for the main content and appreciating font sizes for sub-
headers and headers etc.

- Any pages preceding those of the main text should be numbered at the centre of
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 the foot of each page.

- Make sure that your Dissertation reads well. Keep paragraphs short and use
appropriate headings. Pay particular attention to grammar and sentence
construction. Keep content clear, to the point and jargon free.

 Figures and Tables should be clearly labelled, referenced sequentially as they appear
in the text and produced via software packages. These should be ideally placed on a
separate page or within the text but as close to the text at which it is referred to. Where
appropriate, acknowledgement of the source should be presented on the page,
beneath the Figure/Table.

 Make sure that you include a Contents Page using appropriate and correct numbering.

Re-submissions

 The Dissertation may only be resubmitted once the grade has been confirmed by the
External Examiner.

 You are allowed one re-submission attempt for the Dissertation.

 For blended learning students, the date of the re-submission will be advised to you by
the support teams.

 For distance learning students the Dissertation resubmission must be received no

more than twelve months after the date of communication of the original result.

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Section F: Recommended Reading

There is a wide range of texts on Research Methods available on the online libraries.
Please take time to explore the online library resources. A selection follows:

Texts
Beech, J., (2015). Doing Your Business Research Project. London: SAGE.

Cassell, C., Cunliffe, A.L. and Grandy, G. (eds), (2018). The Sage Handbook of Qualitative
Business and Management Research Methods: Methods and Challenges. Los Angeles:
SAGE.

Greetham, B., (2014). How to Write Your Undergraduate Dissertation. Palgrave Study
Skills., Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Hair, J.F. Jr., (2020) Essentials of Business Research Methods. New York: Routledge.

Leedy, P., Ormrod, J., (2015). Practical research: planning and design. 11th edition. Harlow:
Pearson

Saunders, M. N. K., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., (2019). Research Methods for Business
Students. 8th edition, Harlow: Pearson.

Sekeran, U. and Bougie, R., (2016). Research Methods for Business: A Skill-Building
Approach. 7th edition. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Smith, M., (2015). Research Methods in Accounting. 3rd edition, London: SAGE Publications
Ltd.

Walliman, N., (2018) Research Methods: The Basics. 2nd edition. Abingdon, Oxon:
Routledge.

Wilson, J., (2014). Essentials of Business Research: A Guide to Doing Your Research
Project. 2nd edition, London: SAGE.

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