Key dates
|
Activity
|
Date
|
|
Major Project Proposal Submission
|
18/05/13
|
|
Allocation of Supervisor
|
24/05/13
|
|
First Meeting with supervisor by
|
28/05/13
|
|
Submission of Two Draft Chapters
|
15/07/13
|
|
Submission of Final Project
|
25/10/13
|
Major
Project Proposal
The proposal should be submitted to
your module leader by the 08/10/11 and will serve as an initial basis for
discussion with your supervisor, although you should expect the ideas to be
considerably refined over the first few weeks of term. The supervisor will need
to be satisfied that the proposal constitutes a manageable project of
reasonable academic worth and which is deemed to be accomplishable in the time
available. The project proposed must normally have elements of literature
review and primary data collection and analysis. You must also choose a subject which is related to your tourism or
hospitality degree programme. Although we will interpret ‘related’ as broadly
as possible, we may reject a subject title if it does not relate to the aims
and learning outcomes of your programme. Your project supervisor and module
leader will be able to advise you on this but the project must be approved by them.
The learning outcomes of the module
are:
1.
Demonstrated the capacity for independent thought and analysis in the critical
application of appropriate theory to an empirical problem in organisational or
destination management in tourism.
2. Designed
and formulated a piece of independent empirical research.
3.
Critically reviewed and appraised the appropriate literature.
4.
Demonstrated a capacity to collect, analyse, interpret and present primary data
and other information.
5. Drawn
conclusions from the research project which follow logically from the
literature review, document search and data collection processes.
6.
Demonstrated a capacity to present research in written and visual forms in a
clear, relevant and accurate manner.
Are you looking for a writer who will provide you with A+ quality work? If yes, then click here to meet our highly talented and qualified writers
Supervisor allocation will take place on
the week starting 27th May 2013 and you must make an appointment
with your supervisor that week to discuss your initial proposal.
Supervision
Projects are supervised by a member of
the academic staff using an appointment system.
The usual pattern will be for supervisor and student to meet once a
fortnight, at a regular time, for a 30 minute period, giving a notional 6 hours
of individual contact up to the submission date. However, tutors and students may negotiate
alternative arrangements if appropriate, so long as there is regular contact
through the academic year equivalent to the notional 6 hours.
You need to email your supervisor
within one week of being allocated your supervisor to arrange your first
meeting.
IMPORTANT
NOTE:
It is important to note that your
Major Project is due for submission few weeks after the Easter vacation. Your
supervisor is entitled to be on holiday during this period, so it is important
that you make an appointment with your supervisor before the spring vacation.
Your supervisor is not obliged to meet
you in this period.
Supervision sessions give the student
and tutor regular opportunities to discuss progress with the individual
project. You are strongly recommended to make the best use of your supervision
sessions by attending regularly and preparing for each session – don’t just
drift in without having thought through your recent progress beforehand. There has been a strong correlation over the
years between positive use of supervision and the final project mark. Conversely, there is a strong correlation
between failure to attend regularly and subsequent failure, low marks or
non-submission.
During each meeting the supervisor
will complete supervision meeting record form at the back of the module guide. This form acts as a record of attendance and
as a guide to the student and to help maintain student momentum. It also acts as an informal ‘contract’
between student and supervisor through suggesting actions that might best be
taken by the student before the next supervision session. Through this, they also help to set the
agenda for the next supervision session.
Are you looking for a writer who will provide you with A+ quality work? If yes, then click here to meet our highly talented and qualified writers
Major
Project Classes and Support Sessions
A one hour class is available weekly during
semester one and subject to demand during semester two to address generic
issues associated with completing the major project and issues relating to
graduate employment. If students would
like sessions relating to specific aspects of the project process then these
can be arranged through consulting with the module leader. These sessions
operate in addition to the direct support that you receive from your individual
supervisor.
Semester
1
|
1
|
Introduction to Major Projects
Choosing a topic
|
|
2
|
Major Project Proposals
|
|
3
|
Supervision Allocation
The supervision process
|
|
4
|
Getting started
Literature reviews
|
|
5
|
Open surgery
|
|
6
|
Open surgery
|
|
7
|
Open surgery
|
|
8
|
Deciding on your methodology
|
|
9
|
Open surgery
|
|
10
|
Open surgery
|
|
11
|
Major project progress reflection
|
|
12
|
End of semester celebratory Dinner
|
Semester
2
|
Week
|
Date
|
Lecture
Topic
|
|
1
|
TBC
|
Finalizing your first two chapters
|
|
TBC
|
TBC
|
Writing an abstract
|
|
TBC
|
TBC
|
Major Project presentation
|
|
TBC
|
TBC
|
Planning the final stages of your Major project
|
Research
Methods Support Lectures
All students who are new to Level 3
have been instructed to attend TLH224, Research Methods (lectures) to support
the research stage of their projects. However, if you are not a new student and
feel that you would benefit from attending, or your supervisor feels that you
would benefit from attending any of the lectures in the table below then please
attend. These sessions operate in addition to the direct support you will get
from individual supervisors who will be able to guide you through the research
process with particular significance to your study.
Are you looking for a writer who will provide you with A+ quality work? If yes, then click here to meet our highly talented and qualified writers
Major Project
Structure
The
structure of the report should clearly distinguish between contextual material
(the literature), fieldwork, analysis & discussion, and conclusions.
The
project MUST contain the following – a title page, acknowledgements, an
abstract and a bibliography in addition to the text of the study itself. Most projects will probably have
appendices. None of these items count in
the word limit.
Thus
one might expect to find the following but
not necessarily in the order set out here nor under these precise headings.
Again, discussion and agreement with your supervisor is vital here.
Title Page
Acknowledgements
Abstract
Table of Contents
Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
Results
Analysis and Discussion
Conclusions
Bibliography
Appendices
General Presentation
& Word Length
The
final report should be 12,000 words long, +/- 10%.
The
report must be typed on A4 paper on one side only, with one and a half spacing
between lines. The left-hand margin
should be 1.5 inches and the right-hand margin about one inch. At least 1.5 inches should be left free of
text at the top and bottom of each page.
Pages
before the Table of Contents (Title Page, Acknowledgements, Abstract etc.)
should be numbered in roman numerals (i, ii, iii, …). Pages following the Table of Contents should
be numbered using arabic numerals (1, 2, 3…).
The
title page should comprise the title of your research, your name, your
programme, “The University of Sunderland,” and the year.
Acknowledgements
traditionally mention your supervisor and anyone else who assisted in the
research and preparation of the project.
A
brief abstract (synopsis of the project) of about 250 words should follow the
acknowledgements. The abstract should
briefly state the context of your project; what you tried to achieve and why; and
summarise the main findings and outline their significance.
All
headings in the Table of Contents should correspond exactly in wording,
arrangement, punctuation and capitalisation with headings as they appear in the
body of the text.
A
standard declaration should be included near the front of the project as
follows:
“No component of the work referred to
in this report has been submitted in support of any application for another
qualification, for this or any other University or institute of learning.”
Referencing
It
is vital that in writing your project you reference all material from all
sources, be it derived from written, electronic or verbal communication. You will find it helpful to keep a record of
all references, in full detail, as you go along. It is time-consuming to try to track back and
find references months after you’ve seen the original source.
The
Harvard System – should be used, where you refer to the author’s name and date
of publication in parenthesis within the text and then place them within
alphabetical order at the end of the project as a bibliography. This method has the advantage of being simple
and straightforward.
Supervision
of Dissertations and Projects: A Guide for Students
The
role of the supervisor is to guide and advise you in your project or
dissertation, but the research, work submitted, and subsequent mark achieved is
your responsibility.
What
should you expect from your supervisor?
- Regular supervision, with the pattern for contact between you and the supervisor clearly agreed from the outset. This will include information on how often you will have contact with your supervisor, how long those meetings will be for, whether the supervisor will read drafts of your work, and if so any deadlines associated with that process.
- Help in developing your proposal and agreeing a schedule of work
- Help in ensuring that you are moving the project in the right direction, including feedback to you, and actions where appropriate
- Guidance on, or direction to, relevant literature
- Advice on any difficulties that might arise
- General advice on managing the project
- Advice on how to best present your project or dissertation.
- That you will be informed about periods of absence or holiday within which supervision cannot take place
- Advance notice if your supervisor cannot attend any arranged session
What
should your supervisor expect from you?
- Attendance at all arranged supervision sessions
- Adequate preparation in advance of any supervision sessions
- Advance notice if you cannot attend any arranged session.
- To undertake work in accordance with any schedule agreed by your supervisor
- To take the initiative in raising any problems or difficulties promptly
- To provide your supervisor with a draft of the project or dissertation as agreed
- To submit your dissertation or project on time
- That the work submitted is all your own - if you require advice on referencing or the avoidance of plagiarism, then raise this with your supervisor.
What
should you not expect from your supervisor?
Comment
on what mark they think the finished dissertation or project might warrant.
The
supervisor's role is to guide you so you can produce your best effort, and not
to assist with continuous revision to reach any target mark. You should not ask
your supervisor to comment on what mark you might achieve. Your supervisor's
approval of your progress should not be taken as implying that any particular
grade or classification will be achieved.
What
should you do if you feel there is a problem with your supervision?
The
first thing to do is to review this guidance to ensure that you are clear on
what it is you should expect from supervision. If after this you still think
that there is an issue which needs to be addressed, you should talk to your
supervisor. Be clear what the issue is. If this does not resolve the situation,
you should speak to your module leader, or failing that, your programme leader.
In
almost all cases, this should enable the issue to be resolved. If you have
exhausted this approach, and still feel that the issue has not been resolved,
you can make a formal complaint under the University's complaints procedure.
IMPORTANT
NOTE:
It
is very important that if you feel that your supervision does not meet the
guidelines in this document you must raise it at the time at which the
problem is occurring.
Raising
supervision issues after the work has been marked, without very good reason for
not having done so at the time, will not provide grounds for any
reconsideration of your mark.
Are you looking for a writer who will provide you with A+ quality work? If yes, then click here to meet our highly talented and qualified writers
Formative
Assessment - Draft Chapters
These should be submitted direct to
your supervisor link on Live Camus by the 16/07/13, who will return comments
direct to you within three weeks. Which
chapters you choose to draft first is for you to discuss and agree with your
supervisor.
An important requirement of this draft
work is that it should be submitted in the same style and format as the final
version. This will enable you to appreciate the extra time that is involved in
putting work into the professional format that is required.
Submission
Two bound copies of the project and a
CD must be submitted to the Student Service before 3pm on the 25thOctober
2013 .You must also submit an
electronic copy via Live Campus (Turnitin).
The coursework must be handed in by
the stated deadline. Any work that is handed in after the deadline with no
mitigation circumstances will, in accordance with university regulations, be
awarded zero. If for any reason you are unable to complete the coursework on
time please contact the module leader in advance. We shall treat genuine cases
sympathetically, however, it is important to obtain and submit written evidence
of any illness.
Assessment Procedures
Each
project will be marked independently by an examiner, who will be the first
marker, and a second marker. The two
markers will compare marks and one final mark will be agreed (not necessarily
an average of the two marks). Where
agreement proves difficult, the module leader will ask another member of the
teaching team to act as third marker.
Your
marks will be agreed by the 31st January 2013 but your results will
not be released until after the academic board has met (the week beginning 20th
January 2013).
External
examiners will see a selection of the projects in order to appraise overall
standards of work and marking. The role
of external examiners is not to remark projects.
Students will be marked under the
Generic Assessment Criteria used in all Undergraduate modules at the University
and feedback will be given using the form below.
BSc
MAJOR PROJECT ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE
Name of Candidate:
Title of Project:
Name of
Supervisor/Second Marker (delete as appropriate):
|
Factors to be
considered in assessing the projects
|
Comments
|
|
The statement of
what the research is about and its significance; clear and appropriate
research aims;
Learning Outcome 2
|
|
|
The Context –
Relationship of the project with previous research (and with current policy
and practice if appropriate); clear, balanced and focused context for the
collection of data and information.
Learning Outcome 3
|
.
|
|
Explanation and
justification for the broad approach to the research; description and
justification of the specific methods used.
Learning Outcome 2
|
|
|
Collection of
relevant and useful data; analysis and interpretation of the data;
discussion.
Learning Outcome 4
|
|
|
Conclusions –
Appropriate conclusions which follow logically from the preceding content of
the report.
Learning Outcome 5
|
|
|
Presentation – style and clarity of the
writing; clarity and relevance of illustrative material and its integration
with the written text; layout; proof reading including spelling and grammar;
bibliography and references including relevance, balance and accuracy; use and
presentation of appendices.
Learning Outcome 6
|
|
|
Overall comment
Learning Outcome 1
|
|
Reading
You
will find the following textbooks helpful:
Clark, M., Riley, M., Wood, R. and
Wilkie, E. 1997. Researching and writing
dissertations in hospitality and tourism. London: International Thomson
Business Press.
Glatthorn, A and Joyner, R. 2005. Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation: A Step-by-Step
Guide. London: Sage Publication Ltd.
Murray, R.and Brubaker D. 2007.Theses and Dissertations: A Guide to
Planning, Research, and Writing.
London:
Sage Publication Ltd.
You
will also need to consult books on research methods appropriate to your
methodological approach. The following textbooks provide a good overview:
Ateljevic, I., Pritchard, A., and
Morgan, N. 2007. The Critical Turn in Tourism Studies: Innovative Research
Methodologies (Advances in Tourism Research). Amsterdam:
Elsevier Publications.
Finn, M., Elliott-White, M., and
White, M. 2000. Tourism and leisure
research methods: Data collection, analysis and interpretation. Harlow:
Longman.
Ritchie, B., Burns,
P., and Palmer, C. 2005. Tourism Research Methods: Integrating Theory with Practice.
Wallingford: CABI.
You
will also need to consult relevant academic journals. The following journals
are recommended:
Annals
of Tourism Research
Tourism
Management
Tourism
Geographies
Journal
of Hospitality and Tourism Research
International
Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
Mobilities
International Journal of Hospitality Management
International Journal of Hospitality Management
Are you looking for a writer who will provide you with A+ quality work? If yes, then click here to meet our highly talented and qualified writers
No comments:
Post a Comment