Vocational Degrees Dissertation Guidelines: 2011-2012 This document provides MCAST undergraduate students following a Vocational degree programme with some guidelines on their dissertation. 1. What is a dissertation? It is a solid piece of writing that undergraduate students are expected to complete as part of their degree studies. Good dissertations are the result of good research. This document goes on to list a number of points which shall help students to satisfy the dissertation criteria and assist them in identifying the Distinction, Merit and Pass grade descriptors. 2. Benefits When you write your dissertation, you should be able to benefit from these opportunities: a. You can pursue in greater depth a subject which interests you and may be significantly relevant to your future career; b. You learn how to formulate and share with others your ideas according to academic disciplines; c. If your dissertation takes the form of a report, it can inform studio practice. This is particularly relevant for those degree programmes necessitating a tangible outcome, e.g. a final product. d. You can prove that you are able to take responsibility for your own work, a quality which is also valued by employers. 3. General advice a. Seriously consider the advice of your tutor at all times; b. Attend all your tutorial sessions. They offer you the opportunity to prepare questions and other issues you would like to discuss with your local dissertation tutor. 1
c. Read regularly and take note of whatever you consider useful for your dissertation; this will save you much time and frustration if you have to look for it again; d. Work out a timetable of your dissertation activities with your tutor to ensure that you meet the final objective, that is, the completion of a good dissertation by the prescribed deadline. 4. Dissertation structure A dissertation is usually structured as follows: Front page (font size 14 throughout, 1.5 spacing) The first page should include: a. the dissertation title in bold, and underneath it b. your name in italics, followed by c. the month and year when you submit your dissertation (see example below) Why are male teachers reluctant to teach in primary schools? Joe Borg June 2012 2
Submitted to the (name of one s Institute) in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the (degree title) Second page: Authorship statement (font size 12, with 1.5 line spacing) You write the following statement (font size 12, 1.5 spacing): This dissertation is based on the results of research carried out by myself, is my own composition, and has not been previously presented for any other certified or uncertified qualification. The research was carried out under the supervision of (name of dissertation tutor Title, Name and surname) Signed Date Third page: Copyright statement (font size 12, with 1.5 line spacing) In submitting this dissertation to the MCAST Institute of... I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of MCAST and the College Library. Signed Date Contact address (Here you type your postal address in full, including post code). Fourth page: Acknowledgments (font size 12, with 1.5 line spacing) List the people you would like to thank on the completion of your dissertation. For example: Mr Name Surname, who supported me during my dissertation work as my tutor. Acknowledgements are generally kept to a maximum of five persons. Fifth page: Contents (font size 12, with 1.5 line spacing) 3
Here you list the main items of your dissertation and indicate the page from where each item starts: Dissertation title 1 Authorship title 2 Copyright statement 3 Acknowledgments 4 Contents 5 Abstract 7 Introduction 8 (The chapters, 1, 2, 3, etc., come next) State title of chapters, e.g., 1. Literature review 11 2. Experimental procedure etc. 3. Results, discussion 4. Conclusions Bibliography etc. Appendices etc. Next comes the Abstract, which is between 400 and 500 words (font size 12, with 1.5 line spacing). Clearly state what your study is about, summarising how it was carried out and what the results were. Do not include references in your abstract. It should present only the essentials of the work in general. It is normal for chapters to have sub-sections (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.) to display your writing in a more readable format. In the contents page, they are usually presented as in the following example: 4
2 Literature Review 2.1 Local literature on the development of Design Curriculum 2.2 Foreign literature on Design Curriculum 2.3 The relevance of this literature review to my research questions 1. Introduction State clearly the problem or question you have researched. Why have you chosen this topic? What motivated you to choose this topic? Why did you decide to investigate it the way you did? What problem did you wish to explore? What was the context for your research? (c. 500-1,000 words) 2. Literature Review A dissertation literature review makes about 20% of the whole dissertation. The main purpose of a literature review is to show the reader that a student studied and analyzed viewpoints of other researchers on the problem under consideration. A literature review is not just a summary of the books read but rather a thorough analysis of other viewpoints on the problem. 3. Data collection and Methodology This section should make about 20% of a dissertation. It presents the chosen research methods and explains why these methods are effective. 4. Findings This part makes 30% of the whole dissertation. Here, a student should describe the research procedure and discuss all findings resulting from the analysis of research data, including interviews, surveys, etc. 5. Discussion of findings /results In this section you present a critical discussion about your findings. Show how your findings support the original objectives laid out for your dissertation, which may be partially or fully achieved, or even exceeded. Here you may also include new areas of investigation prompted by developments in your research dissertation. Above all, present strong arguments which show how your findings may offer a valid contribution to the development of the subject of your research area or issues related to it. 5
6. Conclusions and Recommendations In this chapter, (a maximum of three pages) a student has to evaluate the significance of the work done and give recommendations for any further investigations. 7. Bibliography The bibliography is an important, compulsory part of the dissertation. This part demonstrates what sources were used to conduct research. All sources presented in a bibliography list should be alphabetized. 8. References Interview summaries, sample questionnaires, and references should be placed in this section. For easier referencing, figures, tables, graphs, photos, diagrams, etc., should be inserted within the main text, that is, within say, the literature review, the experimental process or procedure, the results and discussion chapters. You are requested to use this referencing style in your dissertation. > For books: Coleman, M (2002) Women as headteachers: striking the balance. Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books. i.e., author (surname first, followed by a comma and initial of his name in capital letter) date (in brackets) title of book (in italics) place of publication publishing company. > For a chapter in an edited book: Brenner, M. (1985) Survey Interviewing In M. Brenner, J. Brown and D. Canter. (eds) The Research Interview: Uses and Approaches, New York: Academic Press. i.e., author (surname first, followed by a comma and initial of his name in caps) date (in brackets title of chapter (in single quotation marks) name(s) of book editor/s followed by the abbreviation ed or eds (in 6
brackets) title of book (in italics) location of publication publishing company. > For journal articles: Becker, H. (1984) Fieldwork with Computers, Qualitative Sociology 7(12): 16-33 i.e. author (surname first, followed by a comma and initial of his name in caps) title of paper (in single quotes) title of journal (in italics) volume number issue number (in brackets) colon - page numbers. > Internet references: Include the date when the page was last accessed because of the comparatively dynamic nature of internet resources. For example: Dowling, P.E. (2000) A manifesto for design and the charismatic intellectual. [online]. Presented at Education and Social Democracies: Changing Forms and Sites. Institute of Education, University of London. 3-5 July 2000. Available at www.ioe.ac/uk/ccs/dowling/c2000. Last accessed 18 July 2000. > References in the text: When you make references in the text observe these guidelines: place direct quotations over three lines long, in a separate paragraph indented left and right. Spacing between lines should be single. The page number/s of the quotation should be given at the end of the quotation or after the date of the reference, for example, (Smith, 1976: 15) if it comes after a quotation, or Smith (1976: 15) if the reference just precedes the quotation. In the body of the text, references are noted with the author s surname, followed by the date of publication in brackets, for example, Smith (1976). The et al. can be used when the number of authors is greater than two, but list all the authors in references at the end. 7
You have to include your references at the end of your dissertation, under the heading Bibliography, just before Appendices. Only those references mentioned in the text, including secondary references, should be listed. > Appendices You may need to present a number of appendices (e.g., Appendix 1, 2, 3, etc.). These are usually used to present further details about your results. Appendices may be a compulsory part of a dissertation, but they are not treated as part of the dissertation for purposes of assessing your dissertation. So any material which is significant to judging the quality of the dissertation or of the project as a whole should be in the main body of the dissertation (main text), and not in appendices. > Plagiarism Plagiarism occurs when you use someone else s work as your own without acknowledging it. Cases of plagiarism are best exemplified when you quote word for word or paraphrase a written passage without acknowledging it. Avoid plagiarism in your dissertation. The tutors shall not compromise about this issue when correcting your dissertation work. Refer to MCAST regulations regarding plagiarism. > Specific guidance on dissertation presentation requirements. a. Dissertations which are not accompanied by a tangible outcome in the form of a model, prototype or an actual product, shall be between 9500 to 10,000 words in the main text, that is, excluding the abstract, the bibliography and the appendices. Students on programmes where a tangible outcome is expected as an integral part of the final major project, as in Art and Design, shall present a relevant 5,000 6,000 word dissertation. This number excludes the abstract, the bibliography and the appendices. The dissertation shall be of direct relevance to the product. This means that the designed product, model or prototype must be intelligently supported by a relevant argument. This writing will thus follow the same guidance offered above and must also include the Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review ad other main chapters, as well as the Bibliography and the Appendices. 8
a. Two copies of your dissertation must be submitted to your Institute, one of which will be retained by the Institute and one shall be made available in the Main Library on the main campus in Paola. b. Dissertations (from the Abstract till the end of the last chapter) must be typed using double spacing, the Times New Roman font size 12, on one side of the page. A wide margin (3.5 cm) should be allowed on the left side of each page and quotations of more than three lines should begin on a new line, indented 2.5 cm from the main text. c. The pages should be numbered and hardbound in a black cover, with all writing on the cover in gold lettering. On the front cover you must write the Title of your Dissertation and your name just below. On the spine the following data shall appear: your degree title, your full name (name and surname) in block letters at the centre of the spine, and the year in which you complete your dissertation at the bottom part of the spine. 9. Timeframes for dissertations (2011-2012) You are expected to follow these deadlines for the planning, writing and completion of your dissertation. Scheduled dissertation tutorial sessions are expected to start immediately after the beginning of the College academic year. These tutorial sessions are meant to facilitate the choice of your research topic and the drafting of your Statement of Intent. For vocational degree programmes delivered for the first time by Fraunhofer lecturers in 2011-2012 at the Institutes of Agribusiness, Art & Design, Building & Construction Engineering, Community Services, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical & Electronics Engineering, you are expected to adhere to the following dates: 09 November 2011 By 9.00 a.m., all TUD students are expected to forward to the Institute Course Leader by electronic mail their Dissertation Statement of Intent. The Deputy Principal, who is responsible for quality assurance, shall forward all Statements of Intent to Fraunhofer s Course Coordinators. 9
23 November 2011 Fraunhofer shall forward all degree students Statement of Intent to the MCAST Deputy Principal, who in turn shall forward all feedback to Institute s Degree Coordinators. These will then return the feedback to their Institute degree students. 11 June 2012 All TUD students have to submit to their Institute s Degree Coordinator their completed dissertation in pdf format on a CD for correction. Degree Coordinators will then forward all pdf files to the Deputy Principal by 12 June 2012. Level 6 vocational degree students whose programmes are delivered by MCAST Staff in 2011-2012 have to forward their Dissertation Statement of Intent by electronic mail to their Institute s Degree Coordinator on 9 November 2011, by 9.00 am. The Director will approve or otherwise the Dissertation Statement of Intent, and he/she shall provide feedback by 23 November 2011. In the case of degree programmes delivered by MCAST staff, TUD students have to submit their completed dissertation for correction by 18 June, 2012. All TUD students dissertations shall be corrected by two examiners. In case the two examiners award different grades, MCAST will then engage a third examiner to correct the dissertation. The third examiner s grade will be final. This will be followed by the publication of results. Conclusion During the duration of your degree programmes, you shall receive more information about activities which MCAST shall offer you in terms of additional support to enhance the successful outcome of your dissertation. In the following pages there is additional information about important terms related to your dissertation marking criteria. Definitions of some important terms used in the Thesis Marking Criteria 10
Definition of term Primary Source A primary source is the most direct place you can find the information you want to write about. For example, the National Statistics Office of the Government of Malta would be a primary source for figures relating to Transport Statistics, whereas a newspaper article detailing these numbers would not be considered primary. Other examples of primary sources are legal documents, original photographs, national archives, etc. For art and design students, primary sources include the natural world (plant forms and structures, insects, etc.), and the constructed world (built environments, machinery, products etc.), both of which offer a huge range of subjects worth exploring. e.g. Maths in Nature and Art, The Maltese Vernacular: values that we have not yet learned to appreciate, etc. Secondary Source In contrast, a secondary source of information is one that was created later by someone who did not experience first-hand or participate in the events or conditions you re researching. For secondary sources, often the best sources are those that have been published most recently. If you use a secondary source that was published decades ago, it is important to know what subsequent scholars have written on the topic and what criticism they have made about the earlier work or its approach to the topic. Concise (adjective) expressing or covering much in few words; brief in form but comprehensive in scope. Structure (noun) manner of building, constructing, or organizing systematically. Thus your dissertation should be composed of parts which are properly organised and interrelated, for example, abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, findings and discussions, conclusions and recommendations, bibliography, appendices. 11
Critical thinking Everyone thinks. It is our nature to do so. But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed, or downright prejudiced. Critical thinking is that mode of thinking about any subject, content,or problem in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Methodology A set or system of methods, principles, and rules for regulating a given discipline. In this case it refers to the writing of the thesis and the evidence necessary to show that the student is in control of this assignment. THESIS MARKING CRITERIA / GRADING DESCRIPTIONS These guidelines have been drawn up: A. to assist students to satisfy the dissertation requirements and understand the grade descriptors, and B. to assist examiners in determining the grade awarded. DISTINCTION Applicable to work which demonstrates full knowledge and understanding. It may contain only minor errors. It will show a clear grasp of the relevant principles and an ability to apply them. It will follow a clear structure and be well written. The distinction between a grade at this level and the Merit grade is largely one of clarity of thought and expression and detail. Distinction Grade Descriptors: 1. Substantial knowledge and critical understanding of the primary sources. 2. A thorough and critical understanding of the secondary sources. 3. The dissertation as a whole should be concise. 4. It should have a structure that facilitates a proper development of the argument. 12
5. There should be evidence of imagination, creativity, critical thinking and analytical rigour. 6. The methodology should be appropriate and properly defended (where relevant). 7. The dissertation should be written clearly, concisely and intelligently and be well referenced. MERIT Applicable to work which demonstrates reasonable knowledge of the material appropriate to the area and an understanding of the more relevant principles. It will not contain significant errors. Where appropriate, authority will be appropriately cited. The work will be reasonably clearly structured and conclusions largely supported by argument. There may be some deficiencies in expression. Merit Grade Descriptors: 1. Adequate knowledge and understanding of the primary sources. 2. An understanding of the secondary sources. 3. The dissertation as a whole should be reasonably concise. 4. It shall have a structure that is clear and coherent. 5. It should show critical insight into the topic and good analytical skills. 6. The methodology should be properly defended (where relevant). 7. The dissertation should be written in a way that is reasonably clear and concise and be referenced reasonably well. PASS A Pass mark will be awarded to candidates who have demonstrated sufficient understanding and knowledge to suggest minimal attainment of the disseration criteria but whose work is marred by some deficiencies or 13
inaccuracies. There will be some understanding of the relevant principles but this is likely to be incomplete. There may be some lack of organization and structure. Pass Grade Descriptors: 1. Some knowledge of primary sources with some supporting argument. 2. Some knowledge of secondary sources with some supporting engagement. 3. The dissertation is sufficiently structured but may be deficient in logical organisation. 4. Though lacking imagination, the work shows some understanding of the topic. 5. The methodology may be imperfect but sufficiently defended in parts. 6. The writing may be clumsy but the references sufficient. FAIL Answers at this level show very little knowledge of the relevant material and what is known may be seriously misunderstood or misapplied. The student may be unable to select or apply the relevant principles. There is likely to be a lack of citation of relevant authority. Fail Descriptors: 1. Fails will display inadequate knowledge of the sources. 2. The dissertation will be badly structured or unstructured and weakly argued. 3. The methodology will be unsound or there will be no clear methodology. 4. The writing and referencing will be poor. End of document 14