PO7010 DISSERTATION:

INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT,
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS,
HUMAN RIGHTS,
TERRORISM AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE

MODULE GUIDE 2016-17

PO7010: Dissertation for Politics, HR, IC, IR, TPV

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION______________________________________________3
2. MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES______________________4
3. TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGY__________________________5
4. ASSESSMENT STRATEGY_____________________________________6
5. BIBLIOGRAPHY______________________________________________8
APPENDIX 1: DISSERTATION SUPERVISION GUIDELINES___________10
APPENDIX 2: MASTERS SUPERVISION MEETING NOTE_____________14
APPENDIX 3: YOUR DISSERTATON - GUIDELINES SUMMARY_________15
APPENDIX 4: ACADEMIC SUPPORT______________________________19
APPENDIX 5: MARKING GUIDELINES_____________________________20

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PO7010: Dissertation for Politics, HR, IC, IR, TPV

1. INTRODUCTION

CREDITS: 60
CO-REQUISITES: Research Skills and Methods in Social Sciences (PO7011)
SUMMARY

The Masters programme culminates in the dissertation, an extended project that

allows the student to engage in independent research, applying and developing the
content of the taught modules to a topic of their choice.

The dissertation is prepared for in Teaching Block 2, and is then fully engaged in
during the summer months. The student’s dissertation research is supported by
supervision, with the primary emphasis on independent study. The dissertation is
completed as part of the requirements for the award of a postgraduate degree.

TEACHING TEAM

Named Supervisor with support from Course Co-ordinators

International Conflict: Dr Orna Almog email: o.almog@kingston.ac.uk

International Relations: Dr Ronald Ranta email: r.ranta@kingston.ac.uk
Human Rights: Hannah Miller email: h.miller@kingston.ac.uk
Terrorism and Political Violence: Paul Dixon: p.dixon@kingston.ac.uk

Coordinator Dr Ronald Ranta email: r.ranta@kingston.ac.uk

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PO7010: Dissertation for Politics, HR, IC, IR, TPV

2. MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

AIMS

 To enable students to specialise in a relevant and suitable topic of their choice

related to the course they are taking;

 To provide the opportunity for students to engage in supervised, but independently

undertaken research, study and learning;

 To allow students to demonstrate the advanced research skills and analytical

techniques that they have acquired during their studies and on the Skills and
Research Methods course;

 To enable students to apply their own learning, reflexively and self-critically in the
design and conduct of a major research project, demonstrating a sophisticated
knowledge and understanding of the key conceptual, theoretical, methodological
and ethical issues involved in the course they are taking.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

 Write on a topic that reflects the core aims and learning outcomes of their
programme, in a style that conforms to all required academic conventions;

 Conduct independent scholarly research to acquire knowledge of a topic area, by

demonstrating an advanced competence in information gathering, critical
engagement with sources and sensitivity to the ethical issues surrounding the
study of their subject;

 Exhibit independent critical thinking; demonstrate engagement with theoretical

and critical concepts and critically analyse theories in their field;

 Apply the material learned on the course to specific issues and in wider contexts,
and demonstrate originality in the application of knowledge to an extended piece
of analysis.

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PO7010: Dissertation for Politics, HR, IC, IR, TPV

3. TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGY

The strategy is to guide and support students’ independent study so that they complete
their dissertation within the time and word length constraints. The starting point is the
Dissertation Proposal. The dissertation is an independent research project, which
means that the work is student-led. The student’s independent research and writing is
supported by clearly structured, timely and supportive supervision.

Supervision: The Supervisor is only there to provide guidance on the research

process against agreed guidelines (see Appendix 1). There will ordinarily be five
supervision sessions. In order to make the most of these sessions, the student is
expected to:
 Send in advance of the session the next section of the research they are
working on/plan to work on – for example, literature review – and the issues
they wish to address with the Supervisor. This will include your Dissertation
Proposal Form for the first session;
 It is good practice to write notes of supervision discussions and action points
derived from each session. You may wish to do this formally (see an example
in Appendix 2) and forward them to the Supervisor who will acknowledge
receipt. Check with your Supervisor on an agreed working arrangement.

Independent Study: This module is by design student led. Students are encouraged
to reflect on the feedback they receive on their Dissertation Proposal Form and in
Supervision, use their initiative in identifying appropriate sources, to plan their
efforts, work to produce drafts over a sustained period (see Appendix 3 for fuller
guidelines), and to fully use the available Academic Support (Appendix 4).

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours:

Definitive KIS Category Indicative Description Hours

Scheduled learning and teaching Supervision 5
Guided independent study Independent research 595
TOTAL
600
(number of credits x 10)

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PO7010: Dissertation for Politics, HR, IC, IR, TPV

4. ASSESSMENT STRATEGY
The assessment is designed to test the student’s ability to plan, carry out and write up
an advanced piece of research work on a suitable topic in their field of study.

The overall assessment is comprised of four dimensions matching the Learning

Outcomes (Appendix 5: Marking Guidelines), and feedback will be recorded on a
Dissertation Comments Form (see Appendix 6).

MAJOR CATEGORIES OF ASSESSMENT

The module will be assessed by means of a 12,000 -15,000 word dissertation (100%)

MAPPING OF LEARNING OUTCOMES TO ASSESSMENT STRATEGY

 On completion of the module,

students will be able to: Assessment Strategy

Write on a topic that reflects the core aims Topic selection assessed formatively by
and learning outcomes of their Supervisor review of dissertation proposal;
programme, in a style that conforms to all All assessed summatively by final
required academic conventions. dissertation.
Conduct independent scholarly research
to acquire knowledge of a topic area, by Assessed formatively by Supervisor review
demonstrating an advanced competence in of the research proposal, bibliography and
information gathering, critical literature review; formatively again by
engagement with sources and sensitivity Supervisor review of sample section and
to the ethical issues surrounding the study summatively by final dissertation.
of their subject.
Assessed formatively by Supervisor
Exhibit independent critical thinking: commentary on initial literature review,
demonstrate engagement with theoretical methodology, and research question(s)
and critical concepts and critically analyse and/or hypothesis(es); and further by
theories in their field. Supervisor review of sample section; and
summatively by final dissertation.
Assessed formatively by Supervisor
Apply the material learned on the course commentary on initial literature review,
to specific issues and in wider contexts, methodology, and research question(s)
and demonstrate originality in the and/or hypothesis(es); further formatively
application of knowledge to an extended by Supervisor review of draft introduction,
piece of analysis. sample chapter and conclusion; and
summatively by final dissertation.

ACHIEVING A PASS
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PO7010: Dissertation for Politics, HR, IC, IR, TPV

It is a requirement that the major assessment category must be passed in order to

achieve an overall pass for the module.

ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS
PRINTED SUBMISSION
Two printed copies of the dissertation plus an electronic copy are to be submitted by
11am 1st September 2017.

ONLINE SUBMISSION
You will be expected to submit an electronic version of your dissertation through the
PO7010 Module in Study Space.
Please note:
a) That an on-line submission will NOT under any circumstances be permitted to
replace a stamped hard copy of coursework;
b) That e-copies, like hard copies, should be submitted on or before stipulated
deadlines.

What is electronic submission for?

Electronic submission can help improve fairness in assessment by standardising the
way that staff check for plagiarism across the faculty. Assignments will automatically
be processed through an on-line plagiarism service. Another reason for on-line
submission is to enable the faculty to build up an archive of work for Quality
Assurance purposes.

PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is defined as follows:
Presenting the work of another as one's own without proper
acknowledgement.

Please check the student guide on plagiarism.

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5. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Biggam, John (2011) Succeeding With Your Master's Dissertation: A Step-By-Step

Handbook. 2nd edition Maidenhead: Open University Press/ McGraw-Hill Education.
[available as an e –resource via Library Catalogue ]

Bloomberg, Linda Dale and Volpe, Marie (2008) Completing your qualitative
dissertation: a roadmap from beginning to end Los Angeles/ London: Sage

Bond, Alan (2008) Your master's thesis Taunton: Studymates

Cryer, Pat (2000) The research student's guide to success, 2nd edition Buckingham:
Open University Press

Greetham, Bryan (2009) How to Write Your Undergraduate Dissertation

Basingstoke/New York: Palgrave MacMillan

Hart, Chris (2005) Doing your masters dissertation London: Sage

Levin, Peter (2005) Excellent Dissertations! Maidenhead: Open University Press

[available as an e –resource via Library Catalogue ]

Lunenburg, Fred C. and Irby, Beverly J. (2008) Writing a successful thesis or

dissertation Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press

Machi, Lawrence and McEvoy, Brenda (2008) The literature review London: Sage

Mauthner, Melanie (2002) Ethics in qualitative research London: Sage

Murray, Neil and Hughe, Geraldine (2008) Writing up your university assignments
and research projects Maidenhead: Open University Press

Murray, Rowena (2006) How to write a thesis Maidenhead: Open University Press

Neville, Colin (2007) The complete guide to referencing and avoiding plagiarism
Maidenhead: Open University Press/McGraw-Hill Education. [available as an e –
resource via Library Catalogue ]

Oliver, Paul (2003) The student's guide to research ethics Maidenhead: Open
University Press

Oliver, Paul (2008) Writing your thesis London: Sage

Ridley, Diana (2008) The Literature Review London: Sage

Rudestam, Kjell Erik and Newton, Rae (2007) Surviving Your Dissertation. 3rd edition
London: Sage

Roberts, Carol (2004) The Dissertation Journey London: Sage

Silbergh, David (2001) Doing Dissertations in Politics: A Student Guide London/New

York: Routledge
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PO7010: Dissertation for Politics, HR, IC, IR, TPV

Single, Peg (2009) Demystifying dissertation writing: a streamlined process from

choice of topic to final text Sterling, Va.: Stylus

Whisker, Gina (2007) The postgraduate research handbook. 2nd edition New York:
Palgrave Macmillan

Case Study Methodology

Gerring, John (2007) Case study research: principles and practices Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press [available as an e –resource via Library Catalogue ]
Gillham, Bill (2000) Case study research methods London: Continuum
Gomm, Roger, Hammersley, Martyn and Peter Foster (eds) (2000) Case study
method: key issues, key texts London: Sage
Hancock, Dawson and Algozzine, Bob (2006) Doing case study research: a practical
guide for beginning researchers London: Teachers College
Simons, Helen (2008) Case study research in practice London: Sage
Stake, Robert (1995) The art of case study research London: Sage
Swanborn, Peter (2010) Case study research: what, why and how? London: Sage
Yin, Robert (2003) Applications of case study research. 2nd edition London: Sage
Yin, Robert (2004) The case study anthology London: Sage
Yin, Robert (2009) Case study research: design and methods. 4th edition London:
Sage

Web Sources
Birmingham University: Dissertation Writing. Available online at
http://www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/s1.html
Conceptual Framework model available online at
http://innovation.dcuoit.ca/cloe/lo/cf/CF_LO_content.html

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APPENDIX 1: DISSERTATION SUPERVISION GUIDELINES

Introduction
This guideline sets out the responsibilities for students and supervisory staff, and
details what is considered good practice in supporting students writing their
dissertations.

The document is no more than a guideline, it is offered as a working guide to

expectations and to indicate expected good practice, and is amendable in the light of
experience.

This guideline should be read in conjunction with PO7010 Module Guide.

Prior to the first supervision meeting students are expected to:

 have already been offered a general induction explaining the roles and
responsibilities expected of staff and students;

 prepare their confirmed dissertation proposal (see Masters Dissertation

Proposal Form, or equivalent).

There is an agreed norm that each dissertation candidate has no more than five formal
supervision sessions. Supervision sessions should typically last 45 minutes, the first
one may need to be longer.

Student Responsibilities

Students are reminded that in writing their dissertation they can get academic skills
support from CASE and, for international students, specialist support through the
English Language Support workshops and drop-in tutorials.

Specifically with respect to dissertation supervision, the Student should:

 book each session with their Supervisor according to their declared availability
(see Supervisor Responsibilities);

 prepare for each session by providing by email written work for comment
which must be submitted two working days before the scheduled session (for
details see Recommended Programme below);

 write up the comments made during each session, noting actions and date of
the next session. A copy of the notes must be sent to the Supervisor (as per
Masters Supervision Meeting Note, or equivalent)

 NOT expect prolonged email supervision, except in the situation outlined

below.

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Supervisor Responsibilities

Supervisor should:

 provide students with dates and times to book sessions;

 be available at other times during working hours, but only by special

arrangement;

 respond to Student’s session booking email within two working days;

 inform students of periods on leave, distinguishing between:

 when the Supervisor will not be available to conduct supervision;

 when they are away, but able to conduct the equivalent of a supervision
session by email/or skype. (Email/skype supervisions should substitute no
more than two of the five sessions, i.e. at least three of the sessions should
be in person);

 advise students of the recommended cycle of sessions along the following

detailed guidelines.

Recommended Programme of Supervision Sessions

First session: mid-March

Student provides dissertation proposal at least two working days in advance, including
any proposed field work.

Supervisor should:

 explain what is required of student in note-taking and writing-up the

supervision meeting note promptly;

 reinforce that supervision sessions are like seminars - students will benefit
according to how much reading and preparation they do beforehand.

 Check if any proposed fieldwork may require Ethics committee clearance.

 offer advice on all aspects of writing the research proposal, with special
emphasis on:

 the manageability of the topic and whether the initial research questions
demonstrate a feasible scope;

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 how the skills and methods learnt in the Research Methods and other
modules might help with the dissertation;

 identifying and accessing more references and sources;

 the timescale with respect to agreeing a schedule for future supervision

meetings.

Second session: mid-May (once the dissertation proposal marks have been released)

Student provides confirmed dissertation proposal with accompanied comments at least

two working days in advance, including any proposed field work.

Student provides fuller literature review developing the scope, main references and
conceptual framework.

Supervisor should:

 advise on scope, main references and conceptual framework, giving literature

suggestions as appropriate;

 draw attention to all the dissertation learning outcomes criteria, i.e. coherence
of argument, critical analysis skills and expressive skills - as well as
knowledge;

 encourage students to consider options on how to organise the dissertation

structure, explaining that there may be no `best way’, but there is a choice to
be made according to questions and themes.

 Check if any proposed fieldwork may require Ethics committee clearance.

Third session: mid to late June

Student provides developed research question(s) / hypothesis (es) demonstrating

connections with literature review; a comprehensive bibliography, methodology, and a
structure of the dissertation with points outlining the argument and their sources.

Supervisor should:

 comment on the coherence of argument, identify any significant gaps and

suggest further sources relevant to the dissertation’s topic and theoretical
framework;.

 emphasise use of sources in academic work;

 review points in previous sessions, as this is likely to be the last supervision

prior to summer.

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It is strongly advised that this session takes place in person and before early July, the
summer leave period.

Fourth session: July

For international students this may be done by email and/or skype.

Student provides sample content chapter addressing research question(s) /

hypothesis(es).

Supervisor should:

 comment in detail on a sample (part chapter) section, in order to help with

stylistic and formatting issues, and make sure students are sign posting;

 check referencing and how sources are used to support points, drawing
attention to weaknesses or practices that may be considered plagiarism.

Fifth session: late Aug

For international students this may be done by email and/or skype.

Student provides draft of entire dissertation, with introduction, sample chapter(s) and
conclusion fully written. There may be some other chapter(s) in outline only.

Supervisor should:

 provide detailed comments on sample, as in fourth session, if not already

done;

 comment on overall thesis paying special attention to a) strength of flow of

argument (including introduction and conclusion) and b) whether the structure
works;

 advise on completion.

Supervisors are not expected to ‘pre-mark’ the dissertation as whole. The Supervisor
should not give detailed comments on more than 15-20% of the dissertation.

Supervision Meeting Notes

Supervision meeting notes are not a requirement for masters, but are standard practice
at doctoral level, and can be considered best practice that you may wish to adopt.

Students may wish to complete a note immediately after each session and email it to
the Supervisor. By agreement, the Supervisor can check and correct any significant
errors that indicate the student has misunderstood and is likely to mis-spend their time
before the next session. Detailed corrections can be made at start of next session.

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APPENDIX 2: MASTERS SUPERVISION MEETING NOTE

(OPTIONAL)

Student name:
Research topic:
Supervisor:
Current working title and abstract (this can be in bullet point form):

Date of meeting:
Material submitted ahead of the meeting including date, sub-heading and questions/
issues for discussion:

Discussion Notes from the meeting:

Action points from the meeting:

Updated work schedule:

APPENDIX 3: YOUR DISSERTATON - GUIDELINES SUMMARY

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This is a bullet-point summary of some the main points in the dissertation guidelines that have
been posted on StudySpace. The student is strongly advised to read the guidelines in full as
these provide a detailed explanation and examples.

Topic selection and questions of project feasibility

 Be careful of selecting too broad a topic; a dissertation is a limited academic exercise and
a campaign document or media strategy is a limited business exercise.
 Topics can be narrowed by geography, by time, by actors, by aspects of a policy or
phenomenon or campaign, by media format, etc.
When narrowing the topic, the student needs to check that:
 There is enough source material on the subject
 This is readily accessible and available in the project time frame
 They can secure permission to use this material if it is held by a private company, etc
 They have the necessary language proficiency to read the source material
When choosing the topic, the student needs to check their own research agenda/motivation
 The dissertation is meant to be a scholarly examination of an issue
 It should not be used to justify or promote a personal political agenda, but an academic
agenda
Changing the topic
 Once the student has chosen a broad subject/general area of interest and been allocated a
supervisor they should not change this
 Within a subject area, the precise topic may change but the advice of the supervisor
should be sought on this
 Within the topic, the particular focus or approach most likely will change frequently as
the student acquires more knowledge.

Planning, deadlines and word count

 Word count limits will be strictly applied and failure to meet these can lead to a fail grade.
The limit includes main text, foot/endnotes and citations/references but does not include
bibliography and appendices.
 The deadline will be strictly enforced and an extension will only be granted if a formal
application is made with written, independent evidence of your situation and accepted by
the Director of Study.
 The proposed work schedule drawn up at the beginning of the process needs to be
continuously updated on the rolling supervisory log.
 It should allocate three-four weeks immediately prior to submission deadline for proof-
reading, printing and binding.
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Originality
 While it is unlikely the entire dissertation will be original it should include some evidence
of original thought and an original approach [See the guidelines for a fuller explanation of
what may count as originality.]

Structure of the dissertation

 Most dissertations comprise a basic structure that can be further sub-divided in a number
of ways. For more detail on these variations look at the contents pages of other
dissertations, read the dissertation guidelines on StudySpace and discuss it with your
supervisor
 A commonly used structure is as follows:

Abstract: 150-250 words summarising research question(s) and/or hypotheses, main

argument and conclusion(s).

Contents: table of chapter titles and section headings with corresponding page numbers.

Introduction: (a) research topic and parameters (e.g. actors, time and geography); (b)
research aims and objectives: (i) what the research sets out to do (ii) what question it
proposes to address (iii) how it plans to do this conceptually (using what
hypothesis/proposition, which key concepts and how they are defined in this project) (iv)
methodologically (what methods, applied to which data and how) (c) Relevance and
significance of the research

Chapter 1: Review of relevant literature and theories/concepts used to analyze the

material.

Chapter 2 (+ repeating chapters): Thematic chapter addressing a particular aspect of your

argument. May include any empirical data collected; with the findings and your analysis
of these findings. Note that if empirical research has been conducted, e.g. interviews,
more detail may be added as appendix. Case studies will normally have a number of
chapters of this type depending on the structure of the argument.

Conclusion: This: (a) summarizes arguments (b) show how findings address the research
question and proposition/hypothesis (c) attempts to reach conclusions about what the
findings say about existing theory and existing empirical studies (d) makes a statement
about the contribution of the research.

Bibliography: All references cited in the text, sorted by surname of principal author. In
some cases can be in sections according to type of source, check with supervisor.

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Sources and Materials

Unless the student has chosen to do an entirely theoretical dissertation, they will be expected
to use a mix of secondary and primary sources.
 Secondary sources are written by those not directly involved in events and were written at
a later stage or are commentaries by people who were not present. It also includes
academic journals and books.
 Primary sources are contemporaneous materials written by those directly involved in the
events/action or producing first-hand witness accounts. They include government policy
documents, newspaper articles, survey data, etc. For more detailed explanation see the
dissertation guidelines
 Sources need to be assessed for their credibility, authenticity and reliability. Particular
care should be taken to identify the author, their agenda in writing the account and their
political inclinations. This may be particularly difficult to do with web sources and – if in
doubt - the student is strongly advised to seek their supervisor’s advice on this.

Libraries, Collections and Archives

A more detailed list has been posted on StudySpace but before consulting any check what
access they allow, at what times and on what terms.
 The main libraries in London include: (a) British Library; (b) British Library of Political
and Economic Science (BLPES) at London School of Economics (LSE); (c) the School of
Oriental and African Studies; (d) School of Slavonic and East European Studies; (e)
National Archives. Students are advised to talk to Lyn Porteous in the Kingston library
about securing access
 Online sources of newspaper articles, websites, etc. may have a limited lifespan. Students
are strongly advised to save or copy of the relevant pages onto a USB. They should also
write the date it was available and accessed along with the complete url in their Reading
Log. If the page is subsequently taken down, it is possible to access the particular page
using the exact url on www.archive.com. This is particularly important when doing
research where governments rigorously suppress the media.
 Some libraries do not allow photocopies to made of certain items, restrict the number of
pages that can be copies or charge exorbitant rates.

Language, Grammar and Spelling

 The dissertation requires academic style and academic conventions must be observed.
 Grammatical errors and poor style hinder the ability of the reader to understand what you
are trying to argue. If English is not their native language, students are strongly advised to

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ask someone to proof-read their dissertation. They are also advised to seek the help of the
CASE.

Plagiarism, referencing and citation conventions

 The same rules on and penalties for plagiarism that apply to an essay also apply to a
dissertation. It is the student’s responsibility to check the guidelines on StudySpace and if
need be seek clarification from the supervisor or CASE as to what is plagiarism.
 Academic sources must be properly cited and referenced [see Handbook or Dissertation
Guidelines].

Formatting, printing and binding

For more detailed information on the formal requirements, see the Dissertation Guidelines.
 Formatting: (a) 12 point Times New Roman for main text and 10 point for footnotes. (b)
double-space the main text and single-space footnotes. (c) Justify the text
 Each chapter starts on a new page
 The final version must be printed on one side only and include large margins on the right
hand side
 The submitted version must be spiral bound with card covers
 Two copies must be submitted
 Details of the layout requirements are in the Guidelines.

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APPENDIX 4: ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Centre for Academic Support and Employability (CASE)

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) runs a Centre for Academic Skills
and Employability (CASE) where students can get one-to-one help with assessments,
presentation, structure, referencing and grammar. No appointment is necessary, but at
busy times consultations may be limited to 10-15 minutes. General enquiries and
postgraduate appointment requests can be addressed to: CASE@kingston.ac.uk

Students are encouraged to make use of CASE to refine the quality of their
assessments. CASE is located in T703 on 7th Floor, Tower Block. FASS
postgraduate students preparing their dissertation may book a 30-minute advice
session on Fridays from July to mid-September (see Faculty website for
confirmation).

Additionally, students can also consult with staff in their Office Hours, when they are
available for academic advice and support.

ENGLISH LANGUATE SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

All international students can get help and advice on developing their academic
English language skills by joining the English Language Support Programme. We
run free classes in academic writing, seminar and communication skills and general
English and study skills and also offer ‘drop-in’ tutorials where you can get help and
advice on any aspect of academic English. Go to Student Space, select International
and click on English language support for more details or contact Kathryn
Richardson, email K.Richardson@kingston.ac.uk

THE LEARNING RESOURCE CENTRE (LRC)

Library services or LRCs are available on all four sites – Penrhyn Road, Knights Park,
Kingston Hill and Roehampton Vale. You are entitled to use any of these. The
facilities and resources are wide and varied. Full information can be found on the
Library Services Web Page: http://www.kingston.ac.uk/library

Penrhyn Road LRC is situated on the Ground Floor of the main building. Stock is
arranged by subject on 3 floors - 1st floor – Humanities, 2nd floor – Science &
Technology, 3rd floor – Social Sciences. The Library is open 7 days a week during
term time. Library staff are always ready to help with any enquiry and there are help
desks on all floors of the Library. For direct contact Tel: - 020 8547 7101. Renewals
hotline Tel: 020 8547 7733.

NB Masters students may make use of Inter-Library Loans (ILLs), and obtain access
to specialist libraries in the London area. Ask in the LRC for support.

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APPENDIX 5: MARKING GUIDELINES
Your dissertation will be marked according to the following guidelines:
Knowledge
80% + Displays a systematic and Original argument
sophisticated knowledge
and understanding of the
topic. Is extensively
researched and shows a
critical awareness of
current issues within the
field.
Displays a strong and
70% - intelligent knowledge and
79% understanding of the topic. reflecting synthetically
Extensively researched,
referenced in breadth and
depth.
60% - Displays a good
69% knowledge of the topic
and combines that with
evidence of intelligent
insight and appropriate
research.
Displays a knowledge of
50% - the topic with evidence of
59% some appropriate
research in terms of
primary and secondary
sources.
Fail Fails to display sufficient
49% - grasp breath or depth of
knowledge. Inadequate
research in terms of either
secondary or primary
material.
Argument Critical Skills Expressive Skills
Demonstrates a Excellently presented
reflecting synthetically sophisticated work that conforms to all
on the issues raised in understanding of required academic
the dissertation. theoretical and critical conventions. Written in a
Authoritative and concepts which style that is lucid and
reflective use of includes the ability to precise.
supporting material. reflect critically on one's
own practice.
Incisive and sharply Demonstrates a As above.
focused argument sophisticated
understanding and the
on the issues raised in ability to critique
the dissertation. theoretical and critical
Authoritative use of concepts.
supporting material.
An argument that Shows a familiarity with Generally work of this
combines evidence with theoretical terms and kind will be presented to
effective supporting applies them effectively a high standard with
material and in relation to relevant accurate referencing,
demonstrates an critical ideas. footnotes and
understanding of issues bibliography.
in terms of debates
rather than positions.
An evidence based Uses some theoretical Work that has some
argument with the use terms in appropriate errors in terms of
of supporting material. ways. Demonstrates expression and
Displays a tendency to some ability to apply presentation, but shows
understand topics as a critical ides. evidence of an attempt
matter of position rather to follow the
than debate. conventions.
Lacks a sufficiently clear Fails to display a Work that contains
and focused argument. conceptual or critical stylistic errors and is not
understanding of properly referenced
theory. according to accepted
academic conventions.
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