DISSERTATION GUIDE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................................................2

YOUR DISSERTATION THESIS GUIDELINES ........................................................................................3

IN BRIEF ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR DRAFTING YOUR DISSERTATION THESIS ................................................ 7

DETAILED GUIDELINES FOR DRAFTING YOUR DISSERTATION THESIS .............................................. 8

A. Beginning with your Dissertation ............................................................................................................................. 9

B. Dissertation Structure ................................................................................................................................................. 12

C. Other General Guidelines ........................................................................................................................................... 22

THE HARVARD REFERENCING SYSTEM ............................................................................................ 34

THE DISSERTATION TEMPLATE .......................................................................................................... 65

ACADEMIC ETHICS FORM ....................................................................................................................... 79

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YOUR DISSERTATION THESIS GUIDELINES
IN BRIEF

Your Dissertation needs to be officially submitted on Canvas the latest by the date which
has been indicated as a deadline to you. Apart from this official submission, an exact copy of your
Thesis has also to be submitted electronically only to your supervisor as well.

The length should not exceed the word limit which is 15000 words excluding cover pages,
abstracts, contents, bibliography pages and appendices.

You have to use the specific word template to write your Dissertation (see the sample in
this Guide), which will be send to you electronically in due time.

The technical specifications are:

Font type: Times New Roman
Font size: 12
Paragraph alignment: Justified
Line spacing: 1,5
Every Chapter starts at a new page
Your Table of Contents should also include page numbers
If you have Tables, Pictures etc you need to include a chart of these after the Table of
Contents
You also need to include a Table of Abbreviations if this is necessary
It is not obligatory to have an Appendix (Παράρτημα) in your Dissertation

You have to document all your sources in your Thesis and also sign, the "Academic Ethics
Form" (see the sample at the end of this Guide). You will receive the Form electronically.

If any of the above drafting and submission rules is not followed your Dissertation Thesis
will not be accepted.

The passing mark for the dissertation is 50.

The dissertation is worth 30 ECTS of your 90 credit program.

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GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR DRAFTING YOUR DISSERTATION THESIS

ANY DISSERTATION IS A RESEARCH THESIS. THE ADOPTED METHODOLOGY DETERMINES WHETHER

THE THESIS WILL BE BASED ON SECONDARY RESEARCH (REVIEW) OR PRIMARY RESEARCH
(QUESTIONNAIRES, INTERVIEWS, FOCUS GROUPS). IN ANY CASE THE SAME STRUCTURE HAS TO BE
FOLLOWED. (IF THE THESIS IS A REVIEW WE STILL NEED A METHODOLOGY CHAPTER AND WE STILL
HAVE FINDINGS, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION. IN THIS CASE WE CONTINUE WITH OUR OWN
CRITIQUE FROM WHERE THE LITERATURE REVIEW STOPS).

ABSTRACT
Has to be around 200 words, and in essence it is the summary of your Introduction and
Conclusion. As it is rational this is the last thing we write when the whole Dissertation is complete.

INTRODUCTION
2 pages minimum. It has to include, among other things, the following elements:
• Brief analysis of the research topic
• Trigger and Rationale (reason for research topic selection)
• Aims and Objectives
• Methodology (Primary or Secondary research?, methodological tools adopted and why,
limitations of research)
• Synopsis of the Chapters

CHAPTERS
Usually 4. Two for literature review, one for methodology and one for findings, analysis, and
discussion. Chapters should be numbered and have a Title as well. All Chapters should also have a
symmetry regarding size and start from a new page.

CONCLUSION
2 pages minimum. Here we summarize the results OF ALL our work of the Dissertation and not we
should not confuse the conclusion with the “discussion” part of questionnaire anaylsis (which is
different and should be included in a Chapter).

APPENDIX – APPENDICES
You can include more than one. They do not count towards the word limit (only the Introduction,
Chapters and the Conclusion count). Here you can include elements such as: questionnaires
template, legal documents, maps, statistical documents, photographs, charts etc. You can include
those elements that if you inserted them in the Chapters they will alter the structure and
character of the document. In other words, you can include graphs in the Chapters but not 30 of
them in a sequence. Similarly, you can include and comment parts of legislation in the Chapters
but not the actual law document.
(ONLY CHAPTERS ARE NUMBERED)

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DETAILED GUIDELINES FOR DRAFTING YOUR DISSERTATION THESIS

A. Beginning with your Dissertation

B. Dissertation Structure

C. Other General Guidelines

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A. Beginning with your Dissertation
A.1. A few words about this guide
A successful dissertation will present a thorough and critical review of relevant literature
and of current subject knowledge. It will demonstrate high levels of analytical and critical
awareness, the ability to synthesize theories, and the ability to relate theory to practice. The
theoretical base will be tested against practical illustration(s).
This document covers your dissertation process and specifies the appropriate goals, as well
as information relating to your responsibilities and appropriate format.

A.2. Why Do Research?

Here are some reasons for you to do research (Priya Narasimhan, 2006):
Thrill of finding out something that no-one else has done before you
o Being a pioneer
o Becoming a world-class expert in cutting-edge topics
Going to conferences
Matters both in industry and in academia

A.3. Learning Outcomes of the Dissertation

Doing your dissertation is a lengthy procedure and probably you will get a lot of surprises.
Here are some learning outcomes your dissertation should target to (Nigel Coates, 2010):
1. Select, critically discuss and apply an appropriate research methodology and method(s) to their
chosen research topic.
2. Demonstrate an awareness of the contexts that impact upon the research topics.
3. Demonstrate a rigorous understanding of the theory and literature relevant to the issues under
investigation and link this to the research method(s).
4. Conduct research and organize the findings into a comprehensive and explicit structure that is
critically assessed and is linked to the conclusions drawn.
5. Critically reflect on the processes involved in the research and the contribution of the research
to the topic area.
6. Illustrate and document progress within the dissertation process by providing an adequate set
of working papers and log book.

A.4. Where Should You Start?

At the beginning, it is essential that you take a little investigation at the bibliography about
the topic you are concerned about. This will help you get some new ideas and find out about the
literature “gaps” that might need further investigation. Here are some ideas where to look first
(Priya Narasimhan, 2006):
Papers appearing in the top conferences (not necessarily journals) in your field over the
past 2-3 years
Look at the best papers in those conferences
Look for taste in research, taste in presentation style, amount of work that it takes to have
a best-paper award
Your advisor’s thesis
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 o Helps you to understand how much “work” your advisor will expect
o Ask your advisor what he/she is proudest of and what he/she would do differently,
if given a chance to re-write the dissertation
The theses and recent papers of your committee members. This will help you to
understand their outlook on publication and writing

A.5. Writing your Dissertation Outline

You should use your Template (see the sample in this guide) from the beginning of the process in
order to save time and effort and also for organising your work better. Your Outline is practically
you “Table of Contents” so you can draft some provisional titles for your Chapters and
subchapters (you can of course change these later), in order to help yourself structure your
research. A brainstorming activity would also be helpful.

A.6. Organizing Your Dissertation

A.6.1. Some basic guidelines

The best time to think about how to organize your dissertation is during the pre-writing
stage, not the writing or revising stage. A well-thought-out plan can save you from having to do a
lot of reorganizing when the first draft is completed. Moreover, it allows you to pay more
attention to sentence-level issues when you sit down to write your dissertation.
Be aware that genres are not fixed. Different professors will define the features of a genre
differently. Read the assignment question carefully for guidance. Understanding genre can take
you only so far.
A.6.2. When should I begin putting together a plan?
The earlier you begin planning, the better. It is usually a mistake to do all of your research
and note-taking before beginning to draw up an outline (Plotnick Jerry, 2005). Of course, you will
have to do some reading and weighing of evidence before you start to plan. But as a potential
argument begins to take shape in your mind, you may start to formalize your thoughts in the form
of a tentative plan. You will be much more efficient in your reading and your research if you have
some idea of where your argument is headed. You can then search for evidence for the points in
your tentative plan while you are reading and researching. As you gather evidence, those points
that still lack evidence should guide you in your research. Remember, though, that your plan may
need to be modified as you critically evaluate your evidence.
A.6.3. How much of my time should I put into planning?
It is self-evident that a well-planned paper is going to be better organized than a paper that
was not planned out (Plotnick Jerry, 2005). Thinking carefully about how you are going to argue
your paper and preparing an outline can only add to the quality of your final product.
Nevertheless, some people find it more helpful than others to plan. Those who are good at coming
up with ideas but find writing difficult often benefit from planning. By contrast, those who have

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trouble generating ideas but find writing easy may benefit from starting to write early. Putting pen
to paper (or typing away at the keyboard) may be just what is needed to get the ideas to flow.
You have to find out for yourself what works best for you, though it is fair to say that at least some
planning is always a good idea. Think about whether your current practices are serving you well.
You know you're planning too little if the first draft of your essays is always a disorganized mess,
and you have to spend a disproportionate amount of time creating reverse outlines and cutting
and pasting material. You know you're planning too much if you always find yourself writing your
paper a day before it's due after spending weeks doing research and devising elaborate plans.
Planning provides the following advantages (Plotnick Jerry, 2005):
helps you to produce a logical and orderly argument that your readers can follow
helps you to produce an economical dissertation by allowing you to spot repetition
helps you to produce a thorough dissertation by making it easier for you to notice whether
you have left anything out
makes drafting the dissertation easier by allowing you to concentrate on writing issues
such as grammar, word choice, and clarity
Overplanning poses the following risks:
doesn't leave you enough time to write and revise
leads you to produce dissertations that try to cover too much ground at the expense of
analytic depth
can result in a writing style that lacks spontaneity and ease
does not provide enough opportunity to discover new ideas in the process of writing

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B. Dissertation Structure

In brief, your Dissertation should have the following structure:

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW I

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW II

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS, ANALYSIS, DISCUSSION

4.1 FINDINGS
4.2 ANALYSIS
4.3 DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDICES

WHAT YOU SHOULD INCLUDE IN YOUR INTRODUCTION (TWO PAGES) IS:

• A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC

• AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
• BRIEF METHODOLOGY DESCRIPTION
• YOUR RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• SYNOPSIS OF THE CHAPTERS

IN THE LITERATURE REVIEW CHAPTERS YOU SHOULD INCLUDE INFORMATION THAT YOU WILL
FIND IN THE EXISTING LITERATURE THAT IS RELEVANT TO YOUR DISSERTATION TOPIC (THIS IS
CALLED "SECONDARY RESEARCH")

IN THE METHODOLOGY CHAPTER WHICH IS THE SHORTEST CHAPTER OF YOUR DISSERTATION (IT
HAS TO BE AROUND 5 PAGES) YOU SHOULD ANALYSE YOUR METHODOLOGY STRATEGY FOR YOUR
RESEARCH

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THE FOURTH CHAPTER CONTAINS WHAT WE CALL “PRIMARY RESEARCH” AS IT IS RESEARCH THAT
IS CONDUCTED BY YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHEREAS THE “SECONDARY RESEARCH”, THE
EXISTING LITERATURE THAT YOU USED IN YOUR LITERATURE CHAPTERS, CONTAINS WHAT HAS
BEEN ALREADY WRITTEN BY OTHERS.
SO, IN THE FOURTH CHAPTER FINDINGS - ANALYSIS - DISCUSSION YOU WILL REFER TO ITS
SUBCHAPTERS AS FOLLOWS:

4.1 FINDINGS: YOU WILL PRESENT YOUR DATA, RESULTS AND FINDINGS. YOU CAN USE
STATISTICAL PIE CHARTS OR ANY OTHER GRAPHIC FORM TO PRESENT THEM OR LISTING THEM.
4.2 ANALYSIS : YOU WILL PROVIDE AN ANALYSIS OF THE ABOVE FINDINGS WITH YOUR OWN
WORDS (AT LEAST FOUR PAGES)
4.3 DISCUSSION: THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND PERSONAL PART OF THE DISSERTATION
WHERE YOU WILL PROVIDE YOUR OWN VIEWS FROM ALL THE RESEARCH YOU HAVE DONE. NOT
ONLY THE PRIMARY BUT ALSO THE SECONDARY. YOU DID ALL THESE RESEARCH IN ORDER TO BE
ABLE TO REACH THIS PART AND THIS IS WHERE ALL RESEARCH IS UNITED (AT LEAST FIVE PAGES).

FINALLY YOUR CONCLUSION (2 PAGES) SHOULD REFER TO THE WHOLE DISSERTATION.

More specifically:

Title page
Declaration
Abstract
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Introduction
Literature Review (2
Chapters)
Methodology (1 Chapter)
Findings, Analysis
Discussion (1 Chapter)
Concluding Remarks
Bibliography
Appendices

Title page
Begin with the title of your dissertation.

Declaration
You will find at the end of this guide the dissertation template with the exact type of the title page
you should use.

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 Abstract
A summary of the dissertation
Objectives
Methods
Findings
Conclusions

An abstract is a short introduction to the subject at hand. Whether it is for reading a paper, seeing
a poster, or attending a talk, a person wants to know if the subject is something of interest. That
abstract aims to give more information about the title of the dissertation and it is a bit of a
flirtation. The goal is to entice someone to want more. In this way, you do not want to give it all
away for free. Instead, a well-done abstract whets the reader’s appetite for more. So an abstract
should not be too long (two paragraphs is too much), nor too short (two sentences is usually too
little). (Robert W., 2000)
Some extra things to note for your abstract:
• References should not be given simply because you should not be going into such detail.
• It should be one paragraph summarizing the whole dissertation (not more than 200 words)
• It would be better to write the abstract the time your dissertation is completed.
• It should contain all the important points of the dissertation: (Daniel Kies, 1995)
o purpose
What is the reason for writing?
What is the main idea?
o scope
What is the focus in this piece?
Where do you concentrate your attention?
o method
What kinds of evidence do you provide?
How do you try to convince the reader of the validity of your main idea?
o results
What are the consequences of the problem or issue that you are discussing?
o recommendations
What solutions do you present to the reader to resolve the problem of issue
in the piece?
Do you recommend action or change in your piece?
o conclusions
Do you describe a 'cause and effect' relationship or explain the origins of
this issue or problem?
What conclusions do you draw from your study of the issue or problem?

Acknowledgements
Parents and friends
Contributors
Don’t forget the Supervisor!!!

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 Thanks to those who have assisted you. First of all, write the names of people who in any way
were concerned with your dissertation writing task. You may include the following people in your
list: Supervisor, professors, advisors, librarians, laboratory assistants, colleagues, parents and
friends.
Now you need to narrow down the list to those names that played a major role in your
assistance and finalize them to include in dissertation acknowledgement.
Try to limit dissertation acknowledgement within one page. Use the page at the dissertation
template.

Table of contents
Chapter names, numbers and
page numbers
Chapter sections
Tables and diagrams
Use word templates or devise
your own

It should include Chapters and/or sections & sub-sections with page numbers. Use the dissertation
template.

Introduction
Reasons for investigation-Research
Question
Aims and Objectives of Research
Intro to Methods
Background or explanation of
project choice
Outline of chapters and structure

Writing the introduction to your dissertation is as important as any of your chapters, as it sets out
for the reader what you intend to cover in your dissertation. It sets out for the reader what is you
intend to do, the questions you are answering, how you propose to do it as well as background
information on your topic that the reader might need. While the format will be different
depending on what type of dissertation you are writing you should still cover some basic
information, including (Jade Wildy, 2010) General description of your topic
Providing a general description of your topic first "sets the scene" for both your thesis and
your introduction. It is essentially an introduction to your introduction that explains the general
field your dissertation belongs to.
1. background
The background provides the reader with the history of the topic your thesis is on. It may
include the historical lead-up to your dissertation, the specific scientific information for your
dissertation, or what the main theories or writers in your topic were (this would be elaborated on
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in your Literature Review). It is also useful to include definitions, specific assumptions, equations
or other information that the reader will need to know in order to understand what you have
written. Essentially you are providing all the necessary tools for your dissertation to be understood
by the reader. You are also leading up to proving that there is a need for your research. Be careful
not to over simplify. Assume your reader is intelligent, somewhat knowledgeable in your field, but
does not know everything.
2. gap statement
Your "Gap Statement" is essentially the gap in the area in your field that your research is
intended to fill. It states clearly that there is a need for your research, as established in your
background and elaborated in your Literature Review. It states that there is a need for what you
are researching and sets out the problem, hypothesis or question that your research responds to.
Your "Gap" does not need to be Earth shattering, and can state that while your problem has been
discussed previously, no one has done it in this way or has used this technique. Your "Gap
Statement" may be comprised of several questions that your thesis will answer.
3. how you intend to fill it (aims and objectives)
This section sets out what you will cover in your dissertation and how you intend to do it. This
could include the methodology you use, framework, experiments. There is a key difference
between an aim and an objective. Aims are a broad intent like "investigating how the make-up
industry uses metals," where as an objective quantifies it, for example "investigating 20 samples of
products from company X, for metal traces."
4. structure of your dissertation (chapters)
It is useful to explain the structure you have used in your dissertation, and a general reference
to the content of your chapters, so the reader knows what to expect. This can be a chapter by
chapter statement or one that is more broad-based on the content of your thesis. Once you have
written your introduction, it is important to proofread it and check it against the actual content of
your chapters to avoid unnecessary mistakes which may have come about from the editing
process. This is especially important if you have written the introduction first, as you may have
changed the content of chapters, moved them about or changed direction. If you write your
introduction first, it can be useful to go back to your introduction to re-clarify in your own mind
what you set out to do, to measure if you are still on track.
5. an ending statement to lead the reader into your dissertation

Literature review
Demonstrates your knowledge of theory
Shows how you research relates to previous work
Explains main points of relevant theory
Critically examines / evaluates its usefulness and reliability
Discusses themes and contradictions
Identifies theory which will be analytical tools used in your project
Reasons for investigation-Research Question
Aims and Objectives of Research
Intro to Methods
Background or explanation of project choice
Outline of chapters and structure

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In writing the literature review for your dissertation, your purpose is to convey to your reader
what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and
weaknesses are. As a piece of writing, the literature review must be defined by a guiding concept
(e.g., your dissertation research objective, the problem or issue you are discussing or your
argumentative thesis). It is not just a descriptive list of the material available, or a set of
summaries (http://www.ukdissertations.com/dissertation-literature-reviews.php).
Besides enlarging your knowledge about the topic, writing a literature review lets you gain and
demonstrate skills in two areas:
1. information seeking: the ability to scan the literature efficiently, using manual or
computerized methods, to identify a set of useful articles and books
2. critical appraisal: the ability to apply principles of analysis to identify unbiased and valid
studies.
A literature review must do these things:
a. be organised around and related directly to the dissertation or research question you are
developing
b. synthesize results into a summary of what is and is not known
c. identify areas of controversy in the literature
d. formulate questions that need further research
A literature review is a piece of discursive prose, not a list describing or summarizing one piece of
literature after another. It's usually a bad sign to see every paragraph beginning with the name of
a researcher. Instead, organize the literature review into sections that present themes or identify
trends, including relevant theory. You are not trying to list all the material published, but to
synthesize and evaluate it according to the guiding concept of your dissertation or research
question.
Some questions to ask yourself before including material:
1. What is the specific thesis, problem, or research question that my literature review helps
to define?
2. What type of literature review am I conducting? Am I looking at issues of theory,
methodology or policy? Quantitative research (e.g. on the effectiveness of a new
procedure)? Qualitative research (e.g., studies)?
3. What is the scope of my literature review? What types of publications am I using (e.g.,
journals, books, government documents, popular media)? What discipline am I working in
(e.g., nursing psychology, sociology, medicine)?
4. How good was my information seeking? Has my search been wide enough to ensure I've
found all the relevant material? Has it been narrow enough to exclude irrelevant material?
Is the number of sources I've used appropriate for the length of my paper?
5. Have I critically analysed the literature I use? Do I follow through a set of concepts and
questions, comparing items to each other in the ways they deal with them? Instead of just
listing and summarizing items, do I assess them, discussing strengths and weaknesses?
6. Have I cited and discussed studies contrary to my perspective?
7. Will the reader find my literature review relevant, appropriate, and useful?

Literature review is an in depth analysis of the previous research accredited by scholars and
researchers which is usually the part of an introduction to an essay, report or thesis.
When conducting literature review, you are required to do a review on the work established by
the scholars while also highlighting its strength and weaknesses.

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(http://dissertationguru.blogspot.com/search/label/literature%20review%20help)
1. How To Do Literature Research
Conduct a brief research on what has been written on the subject. For this purpose, you can use as
many bibliographical sources as possible to find the pertinent titles, like, references and
bibliographies in relevant textbook and journal articles, if you are still confused ask your instructor
about it. Go for the abstracting journals, such as, library and information sciences abstracts. You
can also go through all the relevant electronic reference library, expanded academic etc.
2. Write Down The Bibliographical Details:
Noting all the important bibliographical details of articles and books as soon as you find the
references will save your time a lot. But note down the ones which you will be utilizing in your
literature review otherwise, it will be much difficult for you to find the bibliographies later on.
3. Going Through The Material:
Now, that you have all the pertinent material in your hands, you should read it thoroughly and
understand what it is saying in order to effectively utilize it in your review. You should read them
with a very keen eye to outline the positive and negative aspects of each and take the notes as
you move along the text.
4. Start Writing A Literature Review:
Just like the other types of academic writing, writing a literature review also has an introduction,
body and conclusion.
Your introduction should include:
The topic of your discussion that is your dissertation statement. The topic parameters, that is,
what should a reader expect in the coming body paragraphs.
Your Body paragraphs should include:
Historical background about the topic. Comparison between alternative viewpoints and the
current one. Different approaches to the subject, like, historical, empirical, philosophical etc.
Definitions. Research studies. Methodologies employed. General perception about the topic.
Discoveries about the topic.
You conclusion should include:
Short summary of all the arguments and counter arguments in the review. Short summary of the
general conclusion in the review.
And a short summary of your thesis statement and it’s stance in the review.

Methodology
The methodology chapter of a dissertation is an important component that essentially
maps out the methods that you will utilize when researching and writing this lengthy chapter.
Therefore, your methodology chapter must include a general definition or some type of overview
of the approach that you will use in conducting your research. You will also need to provide a
thorough description of how you will go about collecting the necessary data, as well as the
analytical procedure that you will use to draw conclusions based on this information.
(http://www.essaytown.com/writing/write-methodology-chapter-dissertation-thesis)
The methodology chapter of your dissertation is not necessarily meant to provide so much
detail that the reader can completely recreate the process that you used to conduct your research.
At the same time, it should be thorough enough that the reader can plainly see that you were
thorough in your methods and that the methodology you utilized was sound. In other words, it

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should demonstrate that you took various variables into account and that you can be reasonably
assured that the results are accurate.

Methodology…
Explains research methodology and justifies your choice and why
other methodologies were rejected.
Identifies and discusses the methods of data collection chosen and
explains why.
Identifies the prospective methods of data analysis:
o Quantitative – statistical
o Qualitative – categorisation, relationships
Explains practicalities of research
Identifies and discusses limitations of the methodology, methods
etc.

As with any type of writing, your methodology chapter should include an introductory
paragraph that describes the problem that you will be addressing through your methodology. The
subsequent paragraphs should not go on to further address the issue, however. Rather, the
paragraphs that follow should provide an explanation of the methods you will utilize to gather the
data necessary to address the problem. In addition to describing these methods, you might also
provide justification for selecting this method of data collection.
When providing justification for the method of research you are using, you might also
provide an explanation for deciding not to utilize certain commonly accepted research methods.
Or, you might provide an explanation for purposely including or excluding certain groups from
your research
When discussing the methods you will utilize to conduct your research, you should also
discuss certain variables that may have an impact on the outcome of your research. As such, you
should develop a dissertation methodology that will account for these variables in order to still
conduct useful research that will have a true impact upon the field.

Findings Analysis Discussion

Analysis…Discussion
Findings… Analysis of findings
Research Quantitative –
results statistical
Main Qualitative –
findings categorisation,
relationships
Use of existing theory
Development of new
theory

Concluding Remarks

Main conclusions that were drawn

from your research
Support
19 for existing literature
Contradictions to existing literature
Any Limitations / problems you faced
A dissertation conclusion is where you bring it all together, stating very clearly your answer to
your central question and if appropriate making recommendations, suggestions etc. A dissertation
recommendation should include what you think should be done after all your research regarding
your subject. It is very important to express your own opinion. In a dissertation conclusion you
should:
Be precise.
Sum up all your work in the dissertation conclusion.
Always mention your findings from the questionnaires and statistical tools if you have used
any in your dissertation conclusions.
Be creative. Prove new ideas.
Use graphs as a reference in your recommendation.

Bibliography
Harvard system
Do not mix
systems
Bibliography is a complete list of your sources, correctly formatted. You should use the Harvard
System that you will find in this guide.

Appendices
Any supporting muterial.

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 Do not omit any of these:

Title (and title page)…… conveys a message

Abstract…..for the librarian

Contents Listing…….shows the right things are there

Acknowledgements…….get your supervisor on your side!

Introduction……..says “I am going to look at the following things”.

Review of Previous Work………show you know the subject

Philosophy of Approach………show you can pick out important ideas

succinctly

Plan of Attack………..show you approached the problem in a systematic way

Description of the work………….details, so that others can follow what you did

Critical analysis of the results………..show you know its limitations

Future Work…………..show you know what’s missing

Conclusions……….repetition of the intro, but with reference to the detail.

References……….Cover the field; examiners will look for the key references

Appendices………..Nitty Gritty details that would clutter your eloquent description

From: How Theses Get Written: Some Cool Tips, Steve Easterbrook

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C. Other General Guidelines

C.1. Writing Style

The level of writing must be appropriate to the level of the Masters degree. Specifically,
acute attention should be paid to correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and
clarity of style. Also, it is the student’s responsibility to edit the text for typing errors, uncover all
spelling errors, including dissertations that have been typed by another party. Note that a spell-
check programme does not uncover all spelling errors e.g. principal and principle can be confused
(Nigel Coates, 2010).
Normally, there should be no first person references (I, we, us) in the dissertation. If self-
reference is required, reference may be made to “the author” or “this study”. The exception to
this is in the conclusion section, where personal comments may be appropriate.

Write impersonally / passive voice

‘The evidence suggests that……’
‘It can be argued that…..’
‘Interviews were conducted…’
etc.
Do not write
‘In my opinion….’
‘I think that…’
Past tense

Take a look at some basic advice about academic-essay writing (Anderson Silber, 1987)
A. Miscellaneous observations on a topic are not enough to make an accomplished academic
essay. An essay should have an argument. It should answer a question or a few related questions
(see 2 below). It should try to prove something—develop a single "thesis" or a short set of closely
related points—by reasoning and evidence, especially including apt examples and confirming
citations from any particular text or sources your argument involves. Gathering such evidence
normally entails some rereading of the text or sources with a question or provisional thesis in
mind.
B. When—as is usually the case—an assigned topic does not provide you with a thesis ready-
made, your first effort should be to formulate as exactly as possible the question(s) you will seek
to answer in your essay. Next, develop by thinking, reading, and jotting a provisional thesis or
hypothesis. Don't become prematurely committed to this first answer. Pursue it, but test it—even
to the point of consciously asking yourself what might be said against it—and be ready to revise or
qualify it as your work progresses. (Sometimes a suggestive possible title one discovers early can
serve in the same way.)
C. There are many ways in which any particular argument may be well presented, but an
essay's organization—how it begins, develops, and ends—should be designed to present your
argument clearly and persuasively. (The order in which you discovered the parts of your argument
is seldom an effective order for presenting it to a reader.)
D. Successful methods of composing an essay are various, but some practices of good writers
are almost invariable:

22
 They start writing early, even before they think they are "ready" to write, because they use
writing not simply to transcribe what they have already discovered but as a means of
exploration and discovery.
They don't try to write an essay from beginning to end, but rather write what seems
readiest to be written, even if they're not sure whether or how it will fit in.
Despite writing so freely, they keep the essay's overall purpose and organization in mind,
amending them as drafting proceeds. Something like an "outline" constantly and
consciously evolves, although it may never take any written form beyond scattered,
sketchy reminders to oneself.
They revise extensively. Rather than writing a single draft and then merely editing its
sentences one by one, they attend to the whole essay and draft and redraft—rearranging
the sequence of its larger parts, adding and deleting sections to take account of what they
discover in the course of composition. Such revision often involves putting the essay aside
for a few days, allowing the mind to work indirectly or subconsciously in the meantime and
making it possible to see the work-in-progress more objectively when they return to it.
Once they have a fairly complete and well-organized draft, they revise sentences, with
special attention to transitions—that is, checking to be sure that a reader will be able to
follow the sequences of ideas within sentences, from sentence to sentence, and from
paragraph to paragraph. Two other important considerations in revising sentences are
diction (exactness and aptness of words) and economy (the fewest words without loss of
clear expression and full thought). Lastly, they proofread the final copy.

C.2. Research

A degree of proficiency in the understanding, selection and execution of research

methodologies and methods must be evident. It is expected that these procedures will provide
(Nigel Coates, 2010):
i) a defensible verification of the ideas put forward in the dissertation, as well as
ii) development and exploration of the ideas in applied conditions. If an existing case is presented,
sufficient secondary research must be attempted to produce a coherent and informed critical
evaluation of that case.
It is also possible that the application of knowledge can be made under some other
circumstances not directly indicated here, so long as the use of the knowledge is appropriate and
illustrative.
The connection between the knowledge and the original case or primary data for the
dissertation must be explicitly articulated and the case or data be presented as a valid and reliable
means of verification of this knowledge. If the goal of the dissertation is not data based but
conceptual in nature, then the validity and verifiability of the concepts must be established.

C.2.1.Selecting and Researching Your Topic

When you have been used to having essay questions and assignment topics set for you, it
can be difficult to decide what to do when you have been given some freedom in this respect.
There is also a risk that the freedom might go to your head so that you take on more than you can
cope with in the time available. When deciding on a subject for your dissertation keep in mind the

23
research requirements, and be guided by the adage ‘the narrower and more specific the better’. If
you are unsure consult your supervisor (Developing on Academic Skills, 2003).
i. Choosing your topic: the hunt for an idea
So how do you choose a topic in the first place? You will probably already have inkling about
the kind of topic that appeals to you, and it’s likely that you will have been asked to engage in
background reading before the start of the term or semester in which you begin your dissertation
unit. This should narrow down the possibilities. Finding a topic of particular interest is a bit like a
treasure hunt – you pick up an interesting idea, perhaps from something you have read or
discussed in class, and follow it up through published texts such as books, journals, and websites
by following up references, until you fix on a particular aspect which you feel needs to be
addressed. Keep the following points in mind:
• Is the topic of academic significance, and not trivial?
• Is the topic really manageable in the time available? It is a common mistake to imagine
that you can cover far more than is actually feasible, so keep a suitably narrow focus. Do
not ask too big a question. Make sure that you take advice from your supervisor on this.
• Be aware of your own standpoint – your own take on the topic. How do your own
attitudes, values and beliefs affect your research? No one can be entirely objective – be
honest about your own interests and values.
• As early as possible, write down your thesis – the proposition that you are investigating.
Keep this to hand whenever you are analysing evidence or writing out your argument, so
that you do not fall into the trap of simply collecting facts rather than unfolding a clear
argument relating to a narrowly defined issue.
ii. Conducting a literature search or review
In order to write with confidence about your topic, you will need to read what members of
the academic community have already been said about it. Take advice from library staff on this to
ensure that you know how to access relevant material in a variety of formats. Always ask for
guidance from staff – do not avoid looking at a particular resource because you are not sure how
to access it. Library staff is there to help you do exactly this.
Remember to look for up-to-date references to the topic. There may well be classic texts,
particular relating to underpinning theories, but you should also see what has been said in recent
years. The availability of electronic journals will help greatly with this, as they are easily
searchable.
iii. Researching and exploring your topic: methods and methodologies
Research is a form of learning, or finding out. When you find out anything, you do it in a
particular way, or using a particular methodology, even if you are not aware of it. If you are a third
year student, and particularly if you are a Masters level student, you should be aware of the
methodology you are adopting in your search for evidence, and of where that methodology fits in
the spectrum of possible approaches. For example, it is common to read about quantitative
research and qualitative research:

Quantitative research Qualitative research

is based on scientific is often based on subjective data

method. It purports to items, which cannot be given a
be as objective as numeric value, for example the
possible, and is often attitudes and opinions of a range
based on statistics or of individuals on an issue.
other measurable, 24
Anthropological study, for
empirical data. example, may be based on small
Conclusions will be details of people’s experience,
drawn from the analysis collected through observation.
of things clearly These will be described in words
measured. rather than numbers, and
statistical generalisations cannot
 In practice, few dissertations involve only qualitative or only quantitative methods, but
there is often a major focus on one end of the spectrum or the other. Where will your focus lie?
The answer should depend upon the kind of enquiry you are engaged in: again, ask your
supervisors for advice about this.
iv. The importance of having a thesis and evaluating it critically
Remember that you are constructing an argument or defending a thesis, from the
beginning to the end of your assignment. Keep your thesis – the statement you are defending or
central argument you are asserting – in the forefront of your mind as you write. Think of this
central idea, and the logical development of your argument (train of thought) around this, as
being the central path of your dissertation, and make sure that you do not have sections or
paragraphs which are somewhere in the shrubbery out of sight of the main path. Every paragraph
should further the central argument, by providing another angle on it, additional evidence, and
evaluation of that evidence in relation to the central thesis.
v. Managing your notes
With a long assignment of this nature it is essential that you manage your notes well from
the start of your research to the editing of the final version of the dissertation. Organise them
using methods that suit your learning style, and make sure that you keep detailed notes of all of
the references you will want to use, including a detailed bibliography.

C.2.2 Research Using the Internet

More and more students are turning to the Internet when doing research for their
dissertation, and more and more supervisors are requiring such research when setting topics.
However, research on the Net is very different from traditional library research, and the
differences can cause problems. The Net is a tremendous resource, but it must be used carefully
and critically.
The printed resources you find in the Library have almost always been thoroughly
evaluated by experts before they are published. This process of "peer review" is the difference
between, for example, an article in Time magazine and one in a journal such as the University of
Toronto Quarterly. Furthermore, when books and other materials come into the University library
system, they are painstakingly and systematically catalogued and cross-referenced using
procedures followed by research libraries the world over. This process is the basis for the way
materials are organized in the Library, and it makes possible the various search functions of the
Web catalogue.
On the Internet, on the other hand, "anything goes." Anyone can put anything they want
on a Web site, there is no review or screening process, and there are no agreed-upon standard
25
ways of identifying subjects and creating cross-references. This is both the glory and the weakness
of the Net - it's either freedom or chaos, depending on your point of view, and it means that you
have to pay close attention when doing research on-line. There are a great many solid academic
resources available on the Net, including hundreds of on-line journals and sites set up by
universities and scholarly or scientific organizations. Using material from those sources is no
problem; it's just like going to the Library, only on-line. It's all the other stuff on the Net that you
have to be cautious about.
Here are a few basic guidelines to remember (MacDonald W. B. & J. Seel, 1998):
Don't rely exclusively on Net resources. Sometimes your dissertation will be to do research only on
the Net, but usually your supervisors will expect you to make use of both Internet and Library
resources. Cross-checking information from the Net against information from the Library is a good
way to make sure that the Net material is reliable and authoritative.
Narrow your research topic before logging on. The Internet allows access to so much information
that you can easily be overwhelmed. Before you start your search, think about what you're looking
for, and if possible formulate some very specific questions to direct and limit your search.
Know your subject directories and search engines. Google, alltheweb (or Fast), Alta Vista, Yahoo
and other search engines differ considerably in how they work, how much of the Net they search,
and the kind of results you can expect to get from them. Spending some time learning what each
search engine will do and how best to use it can help you avoid a lot of frustration and wasted
time later. Because each one will find different things for you, it's a good idea to always use more
than one search engine.
Keep a detailed record of sites you visit and the sites you use. Doing research on the Net inevitably
means visiting some sites that are useful and many that are not. Keeping track is necessary so that
you can revisit the useful ones later, and also put the required references in your paper. Don't just
rely on your browser's History function, because it retains the Web addresses or URLs of all the
sites you visit, good or bad, and if you're using a computer at the University the memory in the
History file will be erased at the end of your session. It's better to write down or bookmark the
sites you've found useful, so that you'll have a permanent record.
Double-check all URLs that you put in your paper. It's easy to make mistakes with complicated
Internet addresses, and typos will make your references useless. To be safe, type them into the
Location box of your browser and check that they take you to the correct site.

The following points are guidelines for evaluating specific resources you find on the Net
((MacDonald W. B. & J. Seel, 1998). If you ask these questions when looking at a Web site, you can
avoid many errors and problems.

1. Authority
Who is the author?
Is the author's name given?
Are her qualifications specified?
Is there a link to information about her and her position?
Is there a way to contact her (an address or a "Mailto" link)?
Have you heard of her elsewhere (in class, or cited in your course text or in Library
material)?
Has the author written elsewhere on this topic?
2. Affiliation

26
 Who is the sponsor of the Web site?
Is the author affiliated with a reputable institution or organization?
Does the information reflect the views of the organization, or only of the author? If the
sponsoring institution or organization is not clearly identified on the site, check the URL. It may
contain the name of a university or the extension .edu, which is used by many educational
institutions. Government sites are identified by the extension .gov. URLs containing .org are
trickier, and require research: these are sites sponsored by non-profit organizations, some of
which are reliable sources and some of which are very biased. Sites with the .com extension
should also be used with caution, because they have commercial or corporate sponsors who
probably want to sell you something. The extension ~NAME often means a personal Web page
with no institutional backing; use such sites only if you have checked on the author's credibility in
print sources.
3. Audience Level
What audience is the Web site designed for? You want information at the college or research
level. Don't use sites intended for elementary students or sites that are too technical for your
needs.
4. Currency
Is the Web site current?
Is the site dated?
Is the date of the most recent update given? Generally speaking, Internet resources should
be up-to-date; after all, getting the most current information is the main reason for using the Net
for research in the first place.
Are all the links up-to-date and working? Broken links may mean the site is out-of-date;
they're certainly a sign that it's not well-maintained.
5. Content Reliability/Accuracy
Is the material on the Web site reliable and accurate?
Is the information factual, not opinion?
Can you verify the information in print sources?
Is the source of the information clearly stated, whether original research material or
secondary material borrowed from elsewhere?
How valid is the research that is the source?
Does the material as presented have substance and depth?
Where arguments are given, are they based on strong evidence and good logic?
Is the author's point of view impartial and objective?
Is the author's language free of emotion and bias?
Is the site free of errors in spelling or grammar and other signs of carelessness in its
presentation of the material?
Are additional electronic and print sources provided to complement or support the
material on the Web site?

If you can answer all these questions positively when looking at a

particular site, then you can be pretty sure it's a good one; if it doesn't
measure up one way or another, it's probably a site to avoid. The key to
the whole process is to think critically about what you find on the Net;
if you want to use it, you are responsible for ensuring that it is reliable
and accurate. 27
C.3. The Literature Review

The literature review will include the following qualities (Nigel Coates, 2010):
The topic of the dissertation will derive from a systematic body of knowledge;
The review of this knowledge is made as current as possible;
The knowledge is organised into a comprehensible and explicit structure;
All major points are included and extraneous information omitted;
Critical theoretical analysis/evaluation informs choice of research approaches/methods;
A summary is produced outlining the current state of the knowledge.
It is further implied that the result of the literature review will be used either in 1) a
situation for which the student has collected primary data OR 2) to critically examine and assess
the operation of this knowledge in an existing case study OR 3) to re-evaluate existing published
data or knowledge to derive new knowledge or meaning. The main points of the body of
knowledge being synthesised are to be i) critically selected and analysed and ii) the strengths and
weaknesses of the synthesis itself are to be discussed and appropriate conclusions drawn.

How to Conduct a Literature Review

Take a look at the list below. Does it look familiar? It could be a step-by-step guide on how
to conduct primary research, but in fact it describes the stages of conducting a literature review
(Cooper, 1984):
1. Problem formulation
2. Data collection
3. Data evaluation
4. Analysis and interpretation
5. Public presentation
If one thing must be realized about conducting and reporting a literature review it is that
the stages for conducting and reporting a literature review parallel the process for conducting
primary research. With a few modifications, what one knows about conducting primary research
applies to conducting secondary research (i.e., a literature review). The key components are (a) a
rationale for conducting the review; (b) research questions or hypotheses that guide the research;
(c) an explicit plan for collecting data, including how units will be chosen; (d) an explicit plan for
analyzing data; and (e) a plan for presenting data. Instead of human participants, for example, the
units in a literature review are the articles that are reviewed. Validity and reliability, the same
issues that apply to primary research, also apply to secondary research. And, as in primary
research, the stages may be iterative and not necessarily completed in the order presented above.
The Table below, from Cooper (1984), is a framework to guide the completion of the four research
stages of a literature review. On the left, the table identifies the general characteristics of each
research stage: the research questions asked, the primary functions of each stage, the procedural
differences that may lead to differing conclusions, and the potential sources of invalidity at each
stage. For each of the characteristics, the remaining columns of the table pose key questions to
guide the review writer in: problem formation, data collection, data evaluation, analysis and
interpretation, and public presentation.

28
 Research stage
Stage Problem Data Data Analysis and Public presentation
Characteristics formation collection evaluation interpretation
Research What What What What What information
questions asked evidence procedures retrieved procedures should be included in
should be should be evidence should be used the review report?
included in used should be to
the to find included in make inferences
review? relevant the about the
evidence? review? literature as a
whole?

Primary function Constructin Determining Applying Synthesizing Applying editorial

in review g which sources criteria to valid criteria to separate
definitions of potentially separate retrieved important from
that relevant “valid” studies. unimportant
distinguish sources from information.
relevant to examine. “invalid”
from studies.
irrelevant
studies.

Procedural 1. Differences in 1. Differences Differences in Differences in

differences that Differences the research in quality the guidelines
create variation in contained in criteria. rules of for editorial judgment.
in included sources of 2. Differences inference.
review operational information. in the
conclusion definitions. influence
2. of non-quality
Differences criteria.
in
operational
detail.

Sources of 1. Narrow 1. Accessed 1. 1. Rules for 1. Omission of review

potential concepts studies might Nonequality distinguishing procedures might make
invalidity might be factors might patterns from conclusions
in review make qualitatively cause noise might be irreproducible.
conclusions review different from improper inappropriate. 2. Omission of review
conclusions the target weighting of 2. Review-based findings and study
less population of study evidence might procedures might make
definitive studies. formation. be conclusions obsolete.
and 2. People 2. Omissions used to infer
robust. sampled in in causality.
2. accessible study reports
Superficial studies might might make
operational be conclusions
detail might different from unreliable.
obscure target
interacting population of
variables. people.

29
From “Scientific Guidelines for Conducting Integrative Research Reviews,” Review of Education Research, 1984, 52, pg. 293.
Copyright 1984 by Sage Publications.

C.4. Introductions and Conclusions

Introductions and conclusions play a special role in the dissertation, and they frequently
demand much of your attention as a writer. A good introduction should identify your topic,
provide essential context, and indicate your particular focus in the dissertation. It also needs to
engage your readers' interest. A strong conclusion will provide a sense of closure to the
dissertation while again placing your concepts in a somewhat wider context. It will also, in some
instances, add a stimulus to further thought. Since no two dissertations are the same, no single
formula will automatically generate an introduction and conclusion for you. But the following
guidelines will help you to construct a suitable beginning and end for your essay.
Some general advice about introductions (Freedman L., Plotnick J., 2008):
Some students cannot begin writing the body of the dissertation until they feel they have
the perfect introduction. Be aware of the dangers of sinking too much time into the introduction.
Some of that time can be more usefully channelled into planning and writing.
You may be the kind of writer who writes an introduction first in order to explore your own
thinking on the topic. If so, remember that you may at a later stage need to compress your
introduction.
It can be fine to leave the writing of the introduction for a later stage in the dissertation-
writing process. Some people write their introduction only after they have completed the rest of
the dissertation. Others write the introduction first but rewrite it significantly in light of what they
end up saying in the body of their dissertation.
The introductions for most dissertations can be effectively written in one paragraph
occupying half to three-quarters of the first page. Your introduction may be longer than that, and
it may take more than one paragraph, but be sure you know why. The size of your introduction
should bear some relationship to the length and complexity of your dissertation.
Get to the point as soon as possible. Generally, you want to raise your topic in your very
first sentences. A common error is to begin too broadly or too far off topic. Avoid sweeping
generalizations.
If your essay has a thesis, your thesis statement will typically appear at the end of your
introduction, even though that is not a hard-and-fast rule. You may, for example, follow your
thesis with a brief road map to your essay that sketches the basic structure of your argument. The
longer the paper, the more useful a road map becomes.
How do I write an interesting, effective introduction (Freedman L., Plotnick J., 2008)?
Consider these strategies for capturing your readers' attention and for fleshing out your
introduction:
Find a startling statistic that illustrates the seriousness of the problem you will address.
Quote an expert (but be sure to introduce him or her first).
Mention a common misperception that your dissertation will argue against.
Give some background information necessary for understanding the dissertation.
Use a brief narrative or anecdote that exemplifies your reason for choosing the topic. In an
assignment that encourages personal reflection, you may draw on your own experiences; in a
research dissertation, the narrative may illustrate a common real-world scenario.

30
 In a science dissertation, explain key scientific concepts and refer to relevant literature.
Lead up to your own contribution or intervention.
In a more technical dissertation, define a term that is possibly unfamiliar to your audience
but is central to understanding the essay.
In fleshing out your introduction, you will want to avoid some common pitfalls:
Don't provide dictionary definitions, especially of words your audience already knows.
Don't repeat the assignment specifications using the professor's wording.
Don't give details and in-depth explanations that really belong in your body paragraphs.
You can usually postpone background material to the body of the dissertation.
Some general advice about conclusions (Freedman L., Plotnick J., 2008):
A conclusion is not merely a summary of your points or a re-statement of your dissertation.
If you wish to summarize—and often you must—do so in fresh language. Remind the reader of
how the evidence you've presented has contributed to your dissertation.
The conclusion, like much of the rest of the dissertation, involves critical thinking. Reflect
upon the significance of what you've written. Try to convey some closing thoughts about the
larger implications of your argument.
Broaden your focus a bit at the end of the dissertation. A good last sentence leaves your
reader with something to think about, a concept in some way illuminated by what you've written
in the dissertation.
As with introductions, the length of the conclusion should reflect the length of the
dissertation.
How do I write an interesting, effective conclusion (Freedman L., Plotnick J., 2008)?
The following strategies may help you move beyond merely summarizing the key points of your
dissertation:
If your dissertation deals with a contemporary problem, warn readers of the possible
consequences of not attending to the problem.
Recommend a specific course of action.
Use an apt quotation or expert opinion to lend authority to the conclusion you have
reached.
Give a startling statistic, fact, or visual image to drive home the ultimate point of your
dissertation.
If your discipline encourages personal reflection, illustrate your concluding point with a
relevant narrative drawn from your own life experiences.
Return to an anecdote, example, or quotation that you introduced in your introduction,
but add further insight that derives from the body of your dissertation.
In a science or social science dissertation, mention worthwhile avenues for future research
on your topic.

C.5. Being your own Critic before Submitting your Work

There is much to be gained from critiquing your own work; by now you may have become used to
doing this before submitting your assignments. If not, it is particularly important to do so with
such a substantial piece of work as a dissertation.
Using a self-evaluation checklist (Developing on Academic Skills, 2003)
You may find the following grid useful in checking aspects of your work. Depending on your
subject discipline, you will probably find some terms and some categories more useful and

31
important than others, but this is a generic overview of the kinds of criteria markers use for
dissertations. Make sure that you also have in front of you a copy of the specific marking criteria
for your dissertation. Clearly, for this checklist to be of any real value, you need to be use it while
there is still time to address those questions where your answer is ‘no’, or seek further guidance
where your response is ‘not sure’.

Questions Yes/No/
Not sure
1 Dissertation topic
Is the topic clear and well defined? Does it involve a problem,
question, or hypothesis that sets the agenda and points precisely to
what needs to be explored or discovered?

Is the topic of genuine relevance or interest within your subject

discipline? Does it pick up on important or interesting themes or
subjects arising from your studies?

2 Literature review
Have you accessed the most recent literature of relevance to your
topic, as well as seminal sources from the past?

Do you refer to major books, articles, artefacts? Since quality is

more important than quantity – how well have you selected your
material?

Does the literature review hang together, to show how the ideas
and findings have developed, or is it merely a shopping list of books
and articles?

Is the review critical? Does it briefly evaluate, showing how your

dissertation fits into what is mistaken or lacking in other studies?
The literature review should provide a critically appraised context
for your studies.

3 Theoretical underpinnings
Does theory permeate the structure from beginning to end, from
statement of problem to conclusion? Are you asking yourself a key
question, presenting a thesis, or defending a statement? Be clear
about your approach.

Theory is the framework of your study – not a luxury. Your

dissertation will be judged, in part, by how well you express and
critically understand the theory you are using, and how clearly and
consistently it is connected with the focus and methodology of your
dissertation.

4 Methodology
Two chief criteria:

32
Is your choice of methods and research techniques well suited to
the kind of problem you are studying? Methods work if they
provide a persuasive response to your question, positive or
negative.

Is your description of the methods you have adopted clear enough

to take a blueprint and replicate?

5 Results
Are your findings faithful to what you actually found – do you claim
more than you should? Don’t ‘massage’ your evidence or findings…

Have you provided enough evidence to make a convincing case?

Have you presented everything directly relevant to the question in
such a way that the reader doesn’t have to flip back and forth to
make her or his own connections?

Are results or findings clearly and accurately written, easy to read,

grasp and understand?

6 Conclusions
Have you answered the question ‘So what?’. What should we do
with your findings and conclusions? What do they imply?

Findings don’t speak for themselves – they need to be analysed.

Have you explained what your findings mean and their importance,
in relation to theory and practice?

From: Developing on Academic Skills, 2003 the University of Southampton, available online at
http://www.studyskills.soton.ac.uk/develop.htm

33
THE HARVARD REFERENCING SYSTEM

34
 The Harvard Style:

A Guide to Referencing Sources

This part will help you to use the Harvard Style correctly

The golden rule when documenting

sources is to be transparent.

Ask yourself whether you could find

the passage / image / publication /
website address
with the information you have
provided

(taken from the Center for Academic Writing, Coventry University 2005)

35
 Contents

Introduction
Why reference? Dangers of not referencing well

Part I. In-text Citations

In-text-citations: example
More information about in-text citations
Citing Secondary Sources
Citing Statistics and other Data
Citing Spoken Sources
Personal interview, personal communication
Citing Visual Sources
Citing figures and tables
Citing Official Documentation
Government Bill, Parliamentary Debate

Part II. List of References

List of References
List of References: example
Examples of entries in the List of References
Book, article / chapter by a particular author in edited book, book with multiple authors
Secondary Sources in the List of References
Secondary reference in a book, secondary reference in a journal
Journals in the List of References
Journal article, article with multiple authors, anonymous article, newspaper article
Other Sources in the List of References
Book with editor, corporate author, translation, conference Paper
Conference proceedings, thesis or dissertation, Bible, encyclopaedia, dictionary
Technical Documents in the List of References
Patent, standard, technical paper, (company) report
Internet Sources and Other Media in the List of References
Website, article in an online journal
Electronic book, email, email list, CD ROM
Computer database
Official Documentation in the List of References
House of Commons / Lords Report, Gov. Bill, Statutory Instrument, Act of Parliament
Government Green / White Paper, Parliamentary Debate, Standing Committee
Spoken Sources in the List of References
Interview, video, sound recording, radio broadcast
Visual Sources in the List of References
Work of art, photograph, illustration, diagram
Exhibition catalogue, exhibition stand, item on exhibition stand
Music score, map, ordnance survey map

Glossary

Harvard Style Record Sheet

36
 Introduction

The Harvard Style is a simple system used internationally by

scholars and researchers. This style has two elements:

I. In-text citations
In the body of your paper, give the surname of the author and
the date of publication. Also give the page number if you
quote a passage directly or if you paraphrase (put the idea into
your own words).

II. List of References

At the end of your paper, give full publication or internet
information so that a reader can easily locate your sources.

Use the Harvard Style to document all the sources you cite when writing an academic paper,
assignment, report, dissertation, thesis, or other publication.

Some tutors and subject groups may require you to use an alternative referencing style. If
you are unsure, ask your module tutor.

It is your responsibility to find out whether your tutor requires you to use a different
referencing style.

37
Why reference?
Display intellectual honesty about the information you have borrowed

Distinguish between material from other sources and original ideas

Demonstrate your knowledge of a topic

Enable readers to locate the sources you have used

Meet academic standards

Dangers of not referencing well:

o You could give an impression of intellectual dishonesty if you do not acknowledge
material you have borrowed from another source

o You risk plagiarising, which means presenting someone else’s work as your own
The penalty for proven plagiarism is a mark of zero. The maximum penalty is exclusion from the Program.

o Your writing may not be authoritative

o Your arguments may lack clear evidence

o You risk not meeting academic standards

38
Part I. In-text Citations
You must cite every source you refer to in the main body of your writing. This is known as
giving in-text citations.

Your in-text citations must state the author or website producer and the date of publication,
plus the page number if you quote or paraphrase.

If you summarise what an author has argued in an entire book or article you do not need to
give the page numbers.

Figure 1 is an example of in-text citations in an assignment:

Figure 1. Every source to which you refer must be given an in-text citation.

39
More information about in-text citations

1. If you have mentioned the author’s name in your writing, give the date and page number
in brackets.
For example:
Shah maintains that in recent years Coventry has become Britain’s most important
industrial city (2005:66).

2. If a source has multiple authors, give all their names in the order stated in the source, up
to three authors. (No page number is given in this case because the argument is made
throughout the source).
For example:
Cox, Patel, and Pavliotis predict that Britain will adopt the euro in the future (2004).

3. If a source has more than three authors, give the first author and then write et al, which
means ‘and the others’.
For example:
Fletcher et al suggest that in this century, global climate change has caused billions of
pounds worth of damage (2005:88).

4. If you have not mentioned the author’s name in your writing, state the author, date, and
page number in brackets. If you give more than one in-text citation to support your
argument, separate the entries with a comma.
For example:
Health informatics will radically change the nature of the National Health Service by the
year 2010 (Cox 2002: 3, Padda 2005: 14).

5. If you cite an internet source, give the organisation which produced the site as the author
and give the date the site was created or last updated.
For example:
The Lanchester Library is a highly environmentally friendly building (Coventry University
2005).

For guidance on providing full publication information in the List of References, see the List of
References section in Part II of this booklet.

40
Citing Secondary Sources

If you cite from a book

or article which gives a
useful quotation from
another book or article,
TRY to find the original
book or article.

Check the List of References in the book you have read. This should provide full publication
information of any sources.

Warning!
The original source may have been misquoted or
misunderstood by the author you have read, so it is vital to
try to
find the original source.
Without the original you could be in danger of reproducing a
mistake.

The staff at the University Library will help you to find the
original source. Ask at the enquiry desk.

If it is not held by the University Library you may have to

order the source from another Library.

This takes time, so plan ahead.

41
Citing Secondary Sources

In-text citation option 1:

If you find the original source, read it and cite the material from the
original.

For example:
Concern about climate change is becoming a ‘force for good’ in international politics (Patel
2004: 88).

In-text citation option 2:

If you cannot find the original source, complete your in-text citation
of a quote in this way:

a. Give the surname of the author whose original work you have NOT read.
Then write ‘cited in’ and give the surname of the author whose work you HAVE read (in which
the reference to the first author appears). Then give the date and page number.
For example:
Concern about climate change is becoming a ‘force for good’ in international politics (Patel
cited in Brown 2005: 6).

b. If you do not quote directly, but instead you paraphrase (put the idea into your own words)
you are still required to give an in-text citation for both the original source and the source you
actually read.
For example:
There are positive effects of the growing concern about climate change regarding
international politics (Patel cited in Brown 2005: 6).

For guidance on giving secondary sources in your List of References, see the List of References
section in Part II of this booklet.

42
Citing Statistics and other Data

Every time you include a date, statistic or other number which is taken from a source in the
main body of your writing, you must give an in-text citation.
For example:
The number of heart attacks has risen dramatically in recent years; in fact, there has
been an increase of 10% since 1992 (Department of Health 2005: 65).

Remember to include the source in your List of References.

Citing Spoken Sources

1. A personal interview
a. When you reference a face-to-face interview you have conducted yourself, ensure that you
state the name of the person you have interviewed. Also, give the initials and surname of the
interviewer, a comma, then the date of the interview in brackets followed by a full stop.
For example:
In a personal interview Nitika Dhuria, Manager of Manor House, stated that she was
‘shocked and surprised by the committee’s decision’ (L. Pabla, 6.6.05).

b. Note that you must use quotation marks to indicate the exact words of the person you have
interviewed. If you put the interviewee’s comments into your own words you must also cite
the source.
For example:
In a personal interview Nitika Dhuria, Manager of Manor House, stated that she was not
pleased by the committee’s unexpected decision (L. Pabla, 6.6.05).

Include details of the interview in your List of References.

For guidance on giving spoken sources in your List of References, see the List of References
section in Part II of this booklet.

2. A personal communication
Use the same format to document a personal communication, such as a letter. Introduce your
source.
For example:
In a personal communication Androulla Athanasiou explained that she was ‘completely
against’ recent moves to erect a new football stadium in Coventry (K. Stevenson, 10.7.05).

Include details of the letter in your List of References.

43
Citing Visual Sources

Make sure you provide an in-text citation for every image you borrow from either printed or
internet sources.

Images are categorised as figures.

Charts are categorised as tables.

Label each image as a figure.

For example:
All students require good writing skills, as illustrated in Figure 1:

Why do I need writing

skills?
To Write using the
improve Clearly correct style and
my express register
grades ideas

Present Use correct

facts grammar &
clearly & punctuation
logically

To prepare
myself for To show
the world of understanding
work of the subject

Figure 1. Seven good reasons why students should think about their writing (Patel 2005:
55).

If you are writing a long document such as a dissertation, include a list of figures and / or
tables after the contents page.

1. Citing figures or tables from a printed source

Each in-text citation for a figure or table must also be included in the List of References at the
end of your assignment.

In the example above the image is borrowed from a book, so the page number is given in the
in-text citation.

If you borrow an image from a printed source, give the full publication information in the List
of References, as shown in the List of References section in Part II of this booklet.

44
2. Citing figures or tables from an internet source

If you borrow an image from a website you must also provide an in-text citation. Give the
organisation that produced the website as the author, and give the date that the site was
produced or last updated.
For example:
(Coventry University 2005)

For images borrowed from a website, make sure that the full internet details are included in
your List of References, as shown in the List of References section in Part II of this booklet.

Citing Official Documentation

1. Citing a Government Bill

In the main body of your writing you can abbreviate a Government Bill.
Write HC for House of Commons or HL for House of Lords. Then give the Parliamentary
session in brackets, and the Bill serial number. Note that every time a Bill passes through
Parliament it is re-numbered.
For example:
Housing tax is likely to be revised (HC Bill (2000-1) [30]).

Remember to record a Government Bill in your List of References, as shown in Part II of this
booklet.

2. Citing an official report of a Parliamentary debate: Hansard

In the main body of your writing you can abbreviate the details of a Parliamentary debate.
Write HC for House of Commons or HL for House of Lords. Then write ‘Deb’ for debate and
give the Parliamentary session in brackets. Give the volume number, a comma, then ‘col.’ for
the column number and then give the column number.
For example:
Pattern hounded the Prime Minister over international debt (HC Deb (2000-1) 203, col.
346).

Remember to record a Parliamentary debate in your List of References, as shown in Part II of

this booklet.

45
Part II. List of References

You must make a list containing all the citations in your writing, which is called the List of
References.

Give full publication or internet details of every source you have cited. This list goes on a
separate page at the end of your assignment.

The List of References is arranged alphabetically according to the author or organisation

that has produced a source.

There should be a line space between each entry, and you should indent every line after the
first line so that the author’s surname stands out. See the example of a List of References on
page 12.
Do not put a full stop at the end of each entry because you are making a list.

The List of References is different to a

bibliography.

A bibliography is a list of all the sources

you have read, whereas the List of
References includes all the sources you
have cited.

Bibliographies are not normally used in

the Harvard Style, but your module tutor
may ask you to include one.

46
Figure 2 is an example of the List of References:

Figure 2. Each type of source should be referenced in a special way.

See the examples of entries in the List of References below.

If you include more than one publication by the same author in your List of References write --
-. to show that this author’s name is repeated. List the publications in alphabetical order. If
there is more than one publication by an author in the same year, include a, b, c etc. after
each date in chronological order, starting with the earliest publication.
For example:

Patel, J. (2005) Education and Individuality. Manchester: Manchester University Press

---. (2002a) Signification and Psychology in Education. London: Routledge
---. (2002b) Learning Styles and Reflective Practice. Coventry: Coventry University Press

47
Examples of entries in the List of References

1. A book
Give the author’s surname and initials, then the year in brackets and the title in italics followed
by a full stop. Give the series or volume number if relevant. Give the edition if it is not the
first. Give the place of publication, a colon, and finally the publisher.
For example:

Biggs, G. (2000) Gender and Scientific Discovery. 2nd ed. London: Routledge

Collins, A. (1999) Particle Physics in the Past. Monograph Series 5. Manchester: Manchester
University Press

Ong, E. , Chan, W. , and Peters, J. (2004) White Noise In the Balance. 3rd ed. Coventry:
Coventry University Press

Pabla, A. (2005) Physics as the Force of the Future Science and Tomorrow Series, 3.
Coventry: Coventry University Press

2. An article, essay, or chapter written by a particular author in an

edited book
Sometimes you need to reference only one article from an edited collection.

Give the surname and initials of the author you want to reference, then the year the book was
published in brackets. Give the title of the author’s article, essay, or chapter in quotation
marks followed by a full stop. Write ‘In’ and give the title of the book in italics followed by a
full stop. Give the surname and initials of the editor, then write ‘ed’ in brackets. Give the
place of publication followed by a colon, then the publisher, and finally all the pages of the
article.
For example:
Aggarwal, B. (2005) ‘Has the British Bird Population Declined?’ In A Guide to Contemporary
Ornithology. A. Adams (ed.) Coventry: Coventry University Press: 66-99

3. A book with multiple authors

If your source lists more than one author, record them all in the order they are given. For
each author, put the surname first followed by the initials. Put a comma between each author.
For example:
Edwell, R. , Ambrose, A. , and Baker, C. (2002) European Politics Since 1997. Coventry:
Coventry University Press

48
Secondary Sources in the List of References

If you cite from a book

or article which gives a
useful quotation from
another book or article,
TRY to find the original
book or article.

Check the List of References in the book or article you have read. This should provide full
publication information of any sources.

List of References option 1:

If you find the original book or article, use this and reference it as
normal.

List of References option 2:

If you cannot find the original book or article, complete the List of
References entry in this way:

1. A secondary reference in a book

First give full publication details of the original source ending with a full stop. Then write ‘Cited
in’ and give full publication details of the source you actually read. Finally, put a colon, then
the page number of the source you actually read.
For example:
Patel, P (2004) Green Thinking and Political Culture. Coventry: Coventry University Press. Cited in
Brown, R. (2005) Enviro-politics in the New Millennium. London: Macmillan: 66

2. A secondary reference in a journal

First give full publication details of the original source ending with a full stop. Then write ‘Cited
in’ and give full publication details of the source you actually read. Finally, put a comma, then
the page number of the source you actually read.
For example:
Padda, J. (2000) ‘Gender and Creative Writing in Coventry.’ Journal of Writing Studies 3 2) 44-59.
Cited in Williams, R. , Cox, D. , and Chan, P. (2001) How Has Editing Changed? Academic
Writing Review 2 (1) 55-69: 60

49
Journals in the List of References

1. A journal article
Give the author’s surname and initials then the year in brackets and the title of the article in
quotation marks followed by a full stop. Give the title of the Journal in italics then the volume
and part number in brackets, then all the page numbers of the article.
For example:

Padda, J. (2003) ‘Creative Writing in Coventry.’ Journal of Writing Studies 3 (2) 44-59

2. A journal article with multiple authors

Record all the authors’ names in the order they are given. For each author put the surname
first, then the initials. Put a comma between each author. Then give the date in brackets, and
the title of the article in quotation marks followed by a full stop. Give the title of the journal in
italics followed by the volume and part number in brackets, then all the page numbers of the
article.
For example:
Potter, F. , Pavliotis, M. , Kiran, D. , and Ball, R. (2005) ‘White Noise and Particle Behaviour.’ Journal
of Mathmatics and Physics 2 (1) 67-81

3. An anonymous journal article

Give the title of the article in quotation marks followed by a full stop, then the date of
publication in brackets, followed by the title of the Journal in italics and then a full stop. Give
the number and date, or if applicable the volume number and the part number in brackets,
then give all the page numbers of the article.
For example:
‘Random Particle Movement Research.’ (2001) Studies in Astrophysics. No. 55876 14 May
33-45

4. A newspaper article
Give the author’s surname and initials then the date in brackets followed by the title of the
article in quotation marks followed by a full stop. Give the title of the Newspaper in italics,
then the date, a colon and finally the page numbers.
For example:
Anderson, E. (2002) ‘Biology is Britain’s Best Discipline.’ The Independent 20 July: 4-5

50
Other Sources in the List of References

1. A book with an editor

Sometimes you may wish to reference the editor of a particular book rather than the author.
This may be the case if you are quoting an editor’s introduction, or from a particular edition of
a Shakespeare play, for instance.

Give the editor’s surname and initials then write ‘ed.’ in brackets. Give the year in brackets,
then the title in italics followed by a full stop, then the place of publication, a colon, and the
publisher.
For example:
Chohan, C. (ed.) (1990) Derrida Exposed. Coventry: Coventry University Press

2. A book produced by an organisation (a corporate author)

Give the name of the organisation, then the year of publication in brackets, followed by the
title in italics and then a full stop. Give the place of publication, a colon, then the publisher,
and the document number if relevant.
For example:
British Medical Association, Board of Science and Education (1980) Alternative Medicine Reviewed.
London: Harwood Academic, 6

3. A translation
Give the author’s surname and initials then the year in brackets, followed by the title in italics
and a full stop. Write ‘Translated from the …[language of original] by’ then give the
translator’s initials then surname followed by a full stop. Give the place of publication, a colon,
then the publisher.
For example:
Grimalda. G. (2003) Black Women Writers. Translated from the Italian by B. Giordano. Rome:
Feltrinelli

4. A conference paper
Give the author’s surname and initials then the year in brackets and the title of the paper in
quotation marks followed by a full stop. Write ‘In:’ then the initials and surname of the editor
of the Conference Proceedings followed by ‘ed.’ in brackets. Give the title of the Conference
Proceedings in italics in quotation marks followed by a full stop. Give the date and place of the
Conference, then the place of publication, a colon, and finally all the page numbers of the
paper.
For example:
Shah, A (1990) ‘Neuro-rehabilitation Services in the Midlands.’ In: P. Wood (ed.) Proceedings of
the Coventry Conference on Local Psychology Provision, “Practical Psychology: How to
Improve.” Held March 7-9 1990 at Coventry University. Coventry: Coventry University
Press: 8-20

51
5. Conference proceedings
If the conference paper has been published in a collection, give the surname and initials of the
author then the date of the conference in brackets. Give the location of the conference and
the date of publication in brackets. Give the title of the conference paper in italics followed by
a full stop. Give the author or editor of the paper followed by a full stop. Give the place of
publication, a colon, then the publisher.
For example:
EWCA Conference on International Writing Centres (2004) Halkidiki (2005) Translation as a
Metaphor in Academic Writing. F. Dilek. Istanbul: MI University Press

6. A thesis or dissertation
Give the author’s surname and initials then the year in brackets. Give the title in italics
followed by a full stop. Write ‘Unpublished PhD thesis’ (or ‘Unpublished dissertation’) and give
the name of the University.
For example:
Jones, M. (2000) An Evaluation of Learning Through Writing. Unpublished Phd thesis, Coventry
University

7. The Bible
Give the name of the book of the Bible in its abbreviated form followed by the chapter, then a
colon and the verse/s. References to other sacred works are also referenced in this manner.
For example:
2 Kings 10:3

8. An encyclopaedia entry
Give the author’s surname and initials, then the year in brackets and the title in italics followed
by a full stop. Write ‘In’ and the title of the encyclopaedia in italics followed by a comma, the
volume number, and the edition. Give the place of publication, a colon, then the publisher.
For example:
Pavliotis, G. (2000) Dairy Farming. In The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol. 20, 3rd revised
ed. London: Woodfords

9. A dictionary
Give the title of the dictionary in italics then the year in brackets. Give the volume number if
appropriate, then the edition number. Give the place of publication, a colon, then the
publisher.
For example:
The Oxford English Dictionary (2001) vol. 3, 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon

52
Technical Documents in the List of References

1. A patent
Give the originator (company or designer) followed by a full stop. Give the year in brackets
then the title of publication in italics followed by a full stop. Give the series designation.
For example:
Walk-on Inc. (2000) Non-slip stiletto heel. BG 3356754

If the patent is not British, indicate this after the title as relevant by writing ‘European Patent’
or other origin.
For example:
Borg Warner Inc. (2005) Control Devices for Clutches and / or Gear Actuators of an Automated
Gearbox or an Automatic Transmission. European Patent EP 1519081 –2005-03-30

2. A standard
Write ‘British Standards Institution’ then the date in brackets. Give the title followed by a full
stop, then write ‘British Standard’ and the number followed by a full stop. Give the place of
publication, a comma, then the publisher.
For example:
British Standards Institution (2004) Quality Assurance: Frameworks for Success. British
Standard BS EN ISO 8005: 2004. London, British Standards Institution

3. A technical paper
Give the name of the author or organisation then the date in brackets, followed by the title of
the paper in quotation marks, then a full stop. Give the paper number and conference title,
then the date and location of the conference. Give the name of the conference organiser.
For example:
Society of Automotive Engineers (2004) ‘Airbag benefits, airbag costs.’ Paper no. 2004-01-0840.
SAE 2004 World Congress Exhibition, 3 August – 3 November 2004, Detroit, Mich.
Warrendale, Penn. Society of Automotive Engineers

4. A (company) report
Give the author’s surname and initials (or the name of the company or organisation) then the
year in brackets. Write the title in italics followed by a full stop. Give the place of publication,
a colon, then the publisher. Finally, give the report code and number if relevant.
For example:
West Midlands Health Authority (1984) A Report on the Inquiry into the treatment of Paul Isitt.
Coventry: Coventry Health Trust

53
Internet Sources and Other Media in the List of References

Authors and dates are often hard to identify in

websites. Give enough information for your reader to
locate the section of the website you used.

You may need to make up a short title if no title is

given. Check the website’s homepage.

Give the date the site was last updated. Use < and > to
indicate the start and end of a web address.

1. A website
State the author’s surname and initials or the name of the organisation that produced the
website then the year it was created or last updated in brackets. Give the title in italics, then
write ‘online’ in square brackets. Write ‘available from’ and give the full URL starting with <
and ending with > then write the date of access in square brackets.
For example:
Centre for Academic Writing (2005) The List of References Illustrated [online] available
from <Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.> [20 July 2005]

2. An article in an online journal

Give the author’s surname and initials then the year in brackets and the title of the article in
quotation marks followed by a full stop. Give the title of the journal in italics, then write
‘online’ in square brackets. Give the volume number then the part number in brackets, and all
the page numbers of the article followed by a full stop. Write ‘Available from’, and give the full
URL starting with < and ending with >. Finally, give the date of access in square brackets.
For example:
Dhillon, B. (2004) ‘Should Doctors Wear Ties?’ Medical Monthly [online] 3 (1) 55-88. Available
from <http://hospitals/indfections/latest-advice> [20 April 2005]

54
3. An electronic book
Give the surname and initials of the author then the year in brackets and the title in italics.
Write ‘online’ in square brackets, then give the edition, place of publication, a colon, then the
publisher followed by a full stop. Write ‘Available from’ and give the full URL starting with <
and ending with > followed by ‘accessed’ and the date of access in square brackets.
For example:
Potter, H. (2005) An Introduction to Human Anatomy [online] 4th ed. London: Adam Arnold.
Available from <http://anatomy/introduction/human/> [27 March 2005]

4. An email
Give the author’s surname and initials then her / his email address in brackets. Give the date
of the email in brackets, then the title or subject of the email in italics. Write ‘email to …’ in
square brackets, then give the address of the email recipient in brackets.
For example:
Brown, B. (B.Brown@coventry.ac.uk) (20 October 2005) How to Harvard [email to A.
Edwards] (A.Edwards@coventry.ac.uk)

5. An email list (JISCMAIL or Listserve)

Give the author’s surname and initials then the date of the email in brackets. Write the title or
subject of the email in italics followed by a full stop. Give the List name then write ‘online’ in
square brackets followed by a full stop. Write ‘Available from’ and give the List email address
starting with < and ending with > then give the date of access in square brackets.
For example:
Lango, J. (20 May 2004) Neuro-rehab in Warwickshire . Psychiatric-nursing [online]. Available
from: <http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/psychology/training/neur-rehabilitation/ Warwickshire> [30
May 2005]

6. A CD ROM
Give the name of the author / organisation then the year in brackets and the title in italics
followed by a full stop. Give the place of publication, a colon, then the publisher, and finally
write ‘CD-ROM’ in square brackets.
For example:
Forum for Universities in the West Midlands (2000) Teaching and Learning. Birmingham:
Higher Education Forums [CD-ROM]

55
7. A computer database

Beware when using electronic

databases. Give full details so that
a reader can locate exactly the
source you have used.

It is not sufficient to give vague

information about the database in
general.

Give the author’s surname and initials then the year in brackets and the title in italics. Write
‘computer file’ in square brackets then give the place of publication, then the distributor
followed by ‘distributor’ in square brackets if appropriate. Give the date accessed in square
brackets.
For example:
Edwards, P. (1999) Music for the Masses [computer file] Coventry: Coventry University Data
Archive [distributor] [25 July 2005]

56
Official Documentation in the List of References

1. A House of Commons / Lords Report

Write ‘Great Britain. Parliament. House of Lords /Commons’ then give the committee name if
appropriate. Give the year in brackets, then the title in italics followed by a full stop. Give the
place of publication, a colon, then the publisher, and then the paper number in brackets.
For example:
Great Britain. Parliament. House of Lords. Select Committee on Science and Technology.
(2005) Complementary and alternative medicine / 6th report [of the] Select Committee on
Science and Technology. London, Stationery Office. (HL paper; 123; Session 2003-4)

2. A Government Bill
Write ‘Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons / Lords’ then give the year in brackets
followed by the title in italics and then a full stop. Give the place of publication, a colon, then
the publisher followed by a full stop. Write ‘Bill: Great Britain. Parliament. House of
Commons’ and the Bill number in brackets.
For example:
Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons (2005) Children (leaving care): A bill to make
provision about children and young persons who are being, or have been looked after by a local
authority; to replace section 24 of the Children Act 1989; and for connected purposes.
London: Stationery Office (Bill: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons; 124)

3. A Statutory Instrument
Give the title in italics followed by a full stop. Give the year in brackets then write ‘SI’ and
give the statutory instrument number followed by a full stop. Give the place of publication, a
colon, then the publisher
For example:
National Emergency Regulations. (2002) SI 2002/4651. London HMSO

4. An Act of Parliament
Give the name of the Act and the Chapter Number in italics followed by a full stop. Give the
place of publication, the publisher, and the year of publication.
For example:
National Health Service and Community care Act 1990. Chapter 19. London: HMSO. 1990

57
5. A Government Green / White Paper
Write ‘Great Britain’ and then the name of the department / organisation then give the year in
brackets, followed by the title in italics then a full stop. Give the place of publication, a colon,
then the publisher, then the paper number in brackets.
For example:
Great Britain. Department of Health (1998) Our healthier nation: a contract for health. London:
Stationery Office (Cm 3854)

6. An official report of a Parliamentary debate: Hansard

Write ‘House of Commons / Lords’ then ‘Debate’ and give the Parliamentary session in
brackets. Give the volume number, a comma, then ‘col.’ For the column number and give the
column number.
For example:
House of Commons Debate (2000-1) 203, col. 346

7. An official report of a Parliamentary debate in a Standing

Committee
Write ‘Standing Committee Debate’ and then the Parliamentary session in brackets followed by
‘Co’ and the Standing Committee letter. Give the title of the legislation under discussion in
italics then a full stop. Write ‘col.’ Then give the column number.
For example:
Standing Committee Debate (2004-5) Co B Securities Bill. col. 71

58
Spoken Sources in the List of References

Remember that with

audio or visual sources
your reader may need to
know the format, so
indicate whether the
source is a VHS video,
35mm film, CD, DVD, or
audiocassette, etc.

1. An interview in the public domain

If the interview has often been cited in another source, you should record it in a formal way.
Give the name of the interviewee then the date of the interview in brackets. Give the title of
the interview in italics, then write ‘interview by’ and the name of the interviewer in square
brackets. Give the place and date of the interview.
For example:
Dhuria, N. (2005) Manager of Manor House [interview by D. Carr] Coventry, 6 June 2005

2. A video
Give the title in italics then the year in brackets and write the type in square brackets (e.g.
‘VHS video’). Give the organisation which produced the video, a comma, then the channel and
date if appropriate.
For example:
Pedigree Cattle (2005) [VHS video] Tomorrow’s World, BBC1, 27 March 2005

3. A sound recording
Give the name and initials then the year in brackets followed by the title in italics, then a full
stop. Write the type in square brackets (e.g. ‘CD’) then the place of publication, a colon, and
the publisher.
For example:
Strange, L. (2005) Understanding Fresian Cows. [CD] London: Jones

4. A radio broadcast
Give the title of broadcast in italics then the year in brackets. Give the station followed by a
full stop. Give the date, month, year, a colon, then the time.
For example:
The Big Debate (2005) Radio 4. 3 April 2005, 20:00

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Visual Sources in the List of References

1. A work of art, photograph, illustration or diagram

If you have cited a particular image or work of art in your assignment, document this as an
individual item in your List of References.

a. Give the artist’s surname and initials then the year in brackets followed by the title in
italics. Give the material type in square brackets, then write ‘held at’ and give the location of
the gallery or exhibition.
For example:
Stange, P. (2000) Victoriana [ceramic] held at Oxford MOMA

[Examples of material types include: paintings, photographs, sculptures, drawings, etchings,

lithographs, linocuts, ceramics, woodcuts, glass].

b. If the work of art or image is reproduced from a book, give the reference for a book as
usual, but use a colon then include the page number so that your reader can easily locate this
source, a comma, then write ‘illus.’ To indicate the location of the illustration in this source.
For example:
Sanders, D. (1990) Pop Art and Society’s Discontents. London: Macmillan: 55, illus.

Beware! Usually there is a copyright issue when you

wish to reproduce a work of art from either a printed or
an internet source. This will be stated on the image
itself or in the introductory material.

Follow the guidelines given in your source. Often

reproduction for use in academic assignments which
are not formally published is acceptable.

If in doubt, ask your module tutor.

60
2. An exhibition catalogue
Give the name of the artist or the gallery, then the date in brackets followed by the title of the
work in italics and a full stop. Give the place, a colon, then the gallery.
For example:
Museum of Modern Art (2005) The Udder. Oxford: MOMA

3. An exhibition stand
Give the name of the author or organisation which produced the stand, then the year of the
exhibition in brackets. Give the title of the stand in italics followed by a full stop. State the
material type/s in square brackets, followed by a full stop. Write ‘exhibited at’ then give the
name of the exhibition in quotation marks followed by a full stop. Give the location of the
exhibition followed by a comma, and finally the date of the exhibition.
For example:
Centre for Academic Writing (2005) The Harvard Style. [Poster display and projected website].
Exhibited at the ‘Enhancing Learning and Teaching Environments’ Conference. Coventry
University, 14 June 2005

4. An individual item or an exhibition stand

Give the surname and initials of the author or organisation which produced the item, then the
year this item was produced in brackets. Give the title of the item in italics followed by a full
stop. State the material type in square brackets. Write ‘displayed as part of an exhibit by’
then give the author or name of the organisation which produced the entire exhibition stand,
followed by a full stop. Write ‘exhibited at’ then give the name of the exhibition in quotation
marks followed by a full stop. State the location of the exhibition followed by a comma, and
finally the date of the exhibition.
For example:
Allen, A. (2005) Harvard Style Guide. [Booklet] displayed as part of an exhibit by the Centre for
Academic Writing. Exhibited at the ‘Enhancing Learning and Teaching Environments’
Conference. Coventry University, 14 June 2005

61
5. A music score
Give the surname and initials of the composer then the year in brackets followed by the title in
italics then a full stop. Give the initials and surname of the editor or arranger and write ‘ed.’
or ‘arranger’ in brackets. Give the place of publication, a colon, then the publisher.
For example:
Grimalda, G. (2005) Symphony no. 2, A minor, op. 43. M. Poyner (ed.) Coventry: Coventry
University Press

6. A map
Give the name of the cartographer / compiler / editor / copier / maker / engraver then the
year in brackets followed by the title in italics and a full stop. Give the scale of the map then a
full stop. Give the place of publication, a colon, then the publisher.
For example:
Elms, J. (2005) Coventry Cycle Paths. 1:40000. Coventry: Warwickshire Guides

7. An Ordnance Survey map

Write ‘Ordnance Survey’ then the year in brackets, followed by the title in italics and a full
stop. Give the sheet number then a full stop. Give the scale of the map then a comma, then
the series.
For example:
Ordnance Survey (1990) Coventry City Centre. Sheet 55. 1:500000, Warwickshire Series

62
 Glossary

et al
This is an abbreviation of the Latin et alii, which means ‘and the others’.
This is used in the Harvard referencing Style when there are more than three authors. You
should give the surname and initials for the first three authors.
If you are using et al because there are more than three authors, just give the first surname
followed by ‘et al’.
For example:
Disaster Management is the ‘discipline of the future’ (Patel et al 2005: 9).

ibid.
This is an abbreviation of the Latin tem ibidem, which means ‘in the same place’.
This is sometimes used to indicate that information is repeated in a reference. However, this
is not recommended in the Harvard Style.
For example:
British politics will ‘never be the same again’ (Grimalda 2005: 3). The right wing has
completely transformed since the end of the Twentieth Century (ibid.).

op. cit.
This is an abbreviation of the Latin term opere citato, which means ‘in the work cited’. This is
sometimes used after the author’s name to refer again to the work previously cited.
However, this is not recommended in the Harvard Style.
For example:
Research is becoming increasingly multi-disciplinary (Padda 2005: 51). This is ‘putting
great pressure on individual departments’ (op cit.: 63).

Remember !
Give an in-text-citation every time you
refer to a source in your writing.

Include every source you have cited in the

List of References.

On the following page you will find a references record sheet to help you record the
information you need for your in-text citations and List of References. Print a copy and use it
to gather full information as you take notes.

63
 Harvard Style Record Sheet
I. In-text Citations:
i. Published Source
Surname and initials of author/s……………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Date of publication………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Page/s………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
ii. Internet Source
Organisation / author of site………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Date of site / updated…………………………………………………………………………………………………

II. List of References:

i. Published Source
Surname and initials of author/s……………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Editor/s………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Date of publication………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Edition (if not first)……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Title of publication………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Title of article………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Journal volume and part number………………………………………………………………………………
Page numbers (of article)……………………………………………………………………………………………
Place of publication…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Publisher………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
ii. Internet Source
Website address………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Date of access…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
(not all categories may apply. Use reverse for notes)

64
THE DISSERTATION TEMPLATE

Dissertation Title:

Master Title:

Name:

Year:

65
ABSTRACT

66
CONTENTS

67
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

68
 Statement of compliance with academic ethics and the avoidance of
plagiarism

I honestly declare that this dissertation is entirely my own work and none of its part has been
copied from printed or electronic sources, translated from foreign sources and reproduced
from essays of other researchers or students. Wherever I have been based on ideas or other
people texts I clearly declare it through the good use of references following academic ethics.
(In the case that is proved that part of the essay does not constitute an original work, but a
copy of an already published essay or from another source, the student will be expelled
permanently from the postgraduate program).

Name and Surname (Capital letters):

................................................................................................................................... ....

Date: ........................./........../.........

69
DISSERTATION THESIS

(leave this page empty)

70
INTRODUCTION

71
CHAPTER ONE – LITERATURE REVIEW I

72
CHAPTER TWO – LITERATURE REVIEW II

73
CHAPTER THREE – METHODOLOGY

74
CHAPTER FOUR – FINDINGS / ANALYSIS / DISCUSSION

75
CONCLUDING REMARKS

76
BIBLIOGRAPHY

77
APPENDIX

78
ACADEMIC ETHICS FORM

Statement of compliance with academic ethics and the avoidance of

plagiarism

I honestly declare that this dissertation is entirely my own work and none of its part has been
copied from printed or electronic sources, translated from foreign sources and reproduced
from essays of other researchers or students. Wherever I have been based on ideas or other
people texts I clearly declare it through the good use of references following academic ethics.
(In the case that is proved that part of the essay does not constitute an original work, but a
copy of an already published essay or from another source, the student will be expelled
permanently from the postgraduate program).

Name and Surname (Capital letters):

.......................................................................................................................................

Date: ........................./........../.........

79
 References
Anderson Silber, (1987). Some General Advise on Academic Essay Writing,
De2005partment of English, University of Toronto., revised 1995, available online
at http://www.utoronto.ca/ucwriting/handouts.html
Cooper, H. M., (1984). The integrative research review: A systematic approach. Applied
social research methods series (Vol. 2). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Center for Academic Writing, Coventry University 2005.
Daniel Kies,(1995). Writing an Abstract, Department of English College of DuPage,
available in http://papyr.com/hypertextbooks/comp2/abstract.htm)
Developing on Academic Skills, 2003 the University of Southampton, available online at
http://www.studyskills.soton.ac.uk/develop.htm
Freedman Leora and Jerry Plotnick,(2008). Introductions and Conclusions, University
College Writing Workshop, available online at
http://www.utoronto.ca/ucwriting/handouts.html
Jade Wildy, (2010). The Thesis Introduction: A Guide to Content, Sep 29, 2010,
available in http://www.suite101.com/content/the-thesis-introduction-a-guide-
to-content-a279117)
MacDonald W. B. & J. Seel, (1998). Research using the internet, Academic Skills Centre
& UTM Library, University of Toronto Mississagua
Nigel Coates, (2010). School Masters Dissertation Guidelines and Supervision Logbook
for 2010–2011, the Newcastle Business
Plotnick Jerry, (2005). Organizing an Essay, University College Writing Workshop,
University of Toronto, available online at
http://www.utoronto.ca/ucwriting/handouts.html
Priya Narasimhan, (2006). Good (no, Great) PhD Dissertation, Carnegie Mellon
University, Pittsburgh, PA, available online at www.cs.cmu.edu/~priya/ICSOC-
PhDSymp-2006-dist.pdf
Quality College Research Help, How to Write the Methodology Chapter of a Dissertation
or Thesis, available in http://www.essaytown.com/writing/write-methodology-
chapter-dissertation-thesis
Review of Education Research, (1984). Scientific Guidelines for Conducting Integrative
Research Reviews, 52, pg. 293. Copyright 1984 by Sage Publications.
Robert W., (2000). A Guide to Writing an Abstract, The Mathematical Association of
America, available in http://www.maa.org/students/writing%20abstracts.pdf)
Steve Easterbrook, How Theses Get Written: Some Cool Tips, Dept of Computer Science,
University of Toronto, available online at
http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~sme/presentations/thesiswriting.pdf

www.phdcomics.com
http://www.ukdissertations.com/dissertation-literature-reviews.php
http://www.erm.ecs.soton.ac.uk/theme7/qualitative_vs_quantitative.html
http://dissertationguru.blogspot.com/search/label/literature%20review%20help

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