1.

1 Appendix 7: Dissertation submission requirements

Word Length and Examination

Word Length: The dissertation will normally lie between 12,000 – 15,000 words in
length. The title page, acknowledgements, table of contents, abstract, charts and
tables, the personal reflection section, references and bibliography (and appendices)
are not included in the word count.

 Examination of the dissertation: Following first marking by the academic supervisor,

the dissertation will be marked by a second tutor. All dissertations will be made
available to the External Examiners for moderation.

 All students should be available for a viva: A sample of dissertations will be selected
for a viva.

 Turnitin Submission is compulsory.

Presentation

You do not need to print your dissertation, you are only required to submit an
electronic copy to Turnitin via Blackboard. The electronic copy must be presented in
the same way as if were printing it:

File type: preference is for an MS Word file

Paper size: set to A4 paper (210mm x 297mm). Margins shall be as follows: Left 40
mm; Other margins 20 mm. Font 11 pt Arial.

Title page: should include the following information in large type font:

 the full title of the dissertation

 the full name of the author
 the award for which the dissertation is submitted in partial completion of its
requirements (MSc…)
 that the degree is awarded by De Montfort University
 the month and year of submission

Line spacing: single or 1.5 line spacing can be used in typescript. Indented
quotations, tables and footnotes are conventionally single-line spaced.

Page numbering: pages should be numbered consecutively throughout the

submission, including appendices, photographs, diagrams, figures, etc. Page
numbers shall be located centrally at the bottom of the page and 20 mm above the
edge of the page.
Chapters and sequence

The following is a suggested standard approach for structuring a dissertation.

Title, Abstract, Acknowledgements, Contents, List of Tables, List of

Figures, List of Abbreviations/Acronyms

Chapter 1: Introduction – overview, rationale, context, scene setting, about

your research aims, objectives, summary of chapter contents

Chapter 2: Literature Review – policy, research, published & grey ‘literature’,

approach, definitions, gap in knowledge, themes, evaluative framework, justify
research

Chapter 3: Methodology – reflective, process, past tense, strategy/methods,

logistics, details, sampling, response rates, link to aims/question, ethics,
replicability, validity

Chapter 4: Findings – systematically reporting each method or emerging

themes, presenting data

Chapter 5: Analysis – review findings, link back to literature review and aims
(Findings and Analysis chapters could be combined

Chapter 6: Conclusion – include recommendations, auto critique, reflect if

met aims/objectives, next steps…? (no new information)

References - Harvard

Appendices: e.g. questions/questionnaires, forms

Abstract

The abstract should state the nature and scope of the work undertaken and the
findings or results of the investigation. Abstracts should:

(1) Be 200 - 300 words; be produced on one side of A4 paper in single

spaced type.

(2) show the author and title of the dissertation in the form of a heading.
1.2 Appendix 8: Title page template

TITLE PAGE

DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY

LEICESTER BUSINESS SCHOOL

[Full Title]

FULL NAME [and PNumber]

[in lower case letters]

A dissertation submitted in part requirement for the award of

MASTER IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND (specify pathway)

or
MASTERS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

DATE

[Month and year]

Helpful Guidance

Please find below guidance on the structure and chapters for a dissertation. Please
note some points related to elements that will be considered in the marking of the
dissertation are presented. Also note that the chapters Findings/Analysis and
Discussion can be combined into one Chapter. Do ensure you take a look at the
provided Dissertation examples available on the Blackboard shell
LBPG5017_2122_502 Dissertation

 An Abstract: The abstract summarises the whole dissertation (200-300 words,

one side of A4).

 Introduction: The introductory chapter explains the background to the topic

under investigation and the aims of the study. It should also set out the content of
the whole dissertation by giving a brief description of the content of each chapter.

 Is the research topic or problem clearly stated and shown to be worth investigating?
 Has appropriate background information been provided?
 Has student stated and defined any key terms and or concepts?
 Are the research objectives/aims clear, relevant, coherent and achievable?
 Have the following dissertation chapters been summarised?

 Literature Review: This chapter provides a critical review of relevant literature.

This should account for a substantial part of the overall word-count. The relevant
theory/frameworks/models related to the research topic and objectives should be
critically reviewed. May include empirical research already done in the
subject/topic area and take a critical perspective. Chapter likely to highlight the
research gap in the literature that is being addressed. Academic
referencing/Harvard expected. Academic related content expected and
acknowledged.

 Methodology: This chapter describes and explains your approach to your

research and the methods you have used to generate and analyse your data.
The chapter should demonstrate your awareness of different methodological
approaches and research methods and justify your particular choice. It should
also acknowledge any limitations or weaknesses of your research design and
methods.

 Is there a clear rationale for the research design and methodology? – Philosophy considered
 Are research methods fully described?
 Are relevant research instruments included?
 Are, if necessary, sampling methods described in detail and justified?
 Are data analysis methods discussed?
 Was the methodology applied appropriately?
 Has ethics been considered and is there evidence ethical approval was obtained?
 Have the limitations of the methodology discussed? – this may be outline in the
conclusion/recommendations.
 Has the methodology been critically evaluated?
 Key research methodology sources/references/authors cited?
 Case-study: In dissertations that are based on an organizational case study, a
chapter that provides relevant information about the organization and the
background to the situation or issue that is being explored.

 Findings/Analysis: One or more chapters that present your data analysis and
synthesize your research findings. Data analysis should be presented clearly and
effectively. The primary aim of this chapter is to give an effective synthesis of the
issues explored in the study. Note – if a student is presenting primary
data they have collected they must have had ethical approval. If
not their work must be seen by the APO officer.

 Discussion: This chapter reflects on the theoretical and conceptual implications

of the findings. It includes a discussion of the findings that makes appropriate
reference to theory and other aspects covered in the literature review. The
research questions must be addressed in this chapter. This chapter may be
combined with the Findings/Analysis chapter.

 Is all the data presented relevant to the aims and objectives?

 Is the analysis thorough and appropriate to the data collected?
 Are findings presented clearly?
 Have findings been discussed and evaluated?
 Have findings been compared and contrasted with theories, models and concepts derived
from the literature review?
 For good or above findings sections evidence (e.g. in text referencing) of appropriate literature to
support analysis must be evident.
 Evidence of use of theoretical frameworks/concepts/models. If quantitative have appropriate tools
been used.

 Conclusions: This chapter should summarise the key findings of your research
and assess their implications for practice and/or theory. Where appropriate, the
chapter may include recommendations for action or for further research that are
derived from the conclusions. This chapter should never introduce new
materials.

 Have the research objectives been reviewed and addressed?

 Does the conclusion follow on from the findings?
 Are the conclusions well grounded in the evidence and arguments presented?

 Reflection: A brief section in which you reflect on the process of researching

your project and writing your dissertation. In this chapter you should try to identify
how your experience of the dissertation process has contributed to your personal,
academic and professional development.

 Reference List: All the works that you have referred to in your dissertation listed
in alphabetical order. The list should be accurate, complete and in full detail. You
should use the Harvard style.
 Appendices. Appendices should include material not generated by you (eg
company organisation chart or material) that is important to the research but is
too detailed for inclusion in the main text (which would interfere with the narrative
flow of the text). Questionnaire and interview schedules and samples of raw data
should be included as appendices, as should a sample of the transcripts of
interviews. DO NOT use appendices simply as a way to add quantity to your
dissertation. Material in the appendices does not count towards the word length
required. Forms used during the development of the dissertation should not be
attached to the dissertation. Students should submit forms to the relevant Turnitin
link. Forms are not marked.