Revised MSc Dissertation Handbook 2019/2020 MSc Creative and Cultural Industries Management effective from 12th May 2020 Introduction Such has been the rapid pace and reach of coronavirus contagion that I find myself having to rewrite the handbook issued to you only two months ago. This handbook replaces the one in your possession, so please discard or ignore the previous ‘MSc Dissertation Project handbook’. The UK remains in voluntary lock-down and the University continues to follow guidance from the UK Government, Public Health England and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office: the latest advice is available at https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/coronavirus. I realise the anxiety that the disruption to teaching and learning processes and uncertainty over assessment will have caused you but the safety and wellbeing of students and colleagues is our prime consideration. You will be aware from emails sent by sumssupportstudents@sheffield.ac.uk team that the University has adopted a ‘no detriment’ principle to ease that anxiety and ensure that students are not disadvantaged in any way by the impact of Covid-19 on their learning. This has meant that the volume of assessments have been reduced and a ‘safety net’ introduced such that your overall grade for this year cannot be any lower than your weighted average grade as it was on 15 March 2020. The safety net will be applied to assessments from 16th March 2020. The dissertation module is included in the safety net calculation and your MSc classification will be calculated as outlined in your programme regulations. Your cumulative weighted average grade will not be below the “safety net grade” as calculated on assessments prior to the 15th March 2020. In keeping with the policy of reducing assessment, your dissertation word count will be between 6500-7500 and whilst the requirements of the dissertation brief will be reduced the expectations of quality are maintained: only the quantity of content is reduced. Given your progress in research methods study and assessment, it is most appropriate for your cohort to undertake a dissertation involving:A fully developed Critical Literature Review, containing a deep critique of the literature and exploration of an appropriate research methodology It has been decided that as there are still risks associated with the collection of primary data that this approach to data analysis is removed to ensure your safety. Should you wish to undertake a dissertation or company project involving primary data, then you do have another option: that is to take Leave of Absence and join the dissertation process in 2021. Details to apply for a leave of absence can be found here https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/leaveof-absence . Please ensure that you understand this policy when applying for a leave of absence and also any implications (e.g. visa) should you wish to pursue this. You should discuss this option with your Programme Director. Please read this revised handbook thoroughly. I have kept the content structure as in the original handbook so that you can perceive the changes made. Thank you for your tolerance and perseverance in these challenging times. Barry Pierce Dissertation Officer (b.pierce@sheffield.ac.uk) effective from 12th May 2020 April 2020 Contents Section 1) What you have to do Page No. 4 (i) Requirement (ii) What makes a good piece of work? (iii) Planning your time – key dates 2) Working with your supervisor 6 3) Structure and contents of the dissertation 8 4) Presentation and writing style in a dissertation 10 (iv) Font, margins, & indents (v) Initial sequence of ‘standard’ pages (vi) Expression in English (vii) Word count (viii) Page numbering 5) A bibliography on research methodology 12 6) Research ethics principles and practices 13 Personally-identifiable data & GDPR 7) Academic integrity 15 8) Submission 16 9) Extensions criteria 17 10) Assessment criteria 18 11) Examination and results 18 12) Re-examination in the event of failure 19 13) Frequently asked question re current circumstances 19 Appendices 20 effective from 12th May 2020 1) What you have to do (i) Requirement You may choose the research topic providing it lies within the discipline defined by your masters degree. For example, if you are registered for the MSc International Management, the topic can be within the diverse field of management but must have an international dimension. It would be logical to base your topic on the dissertation proposal that you have already submitted, but you could extend the proposal that you worked upon during your research methods module if that differed from the topic submitted to the dissertation proposal database. CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW This requires a deep literature review and the development and evaluation of an appropriate a research design. Since you will not be executing the actual data collection, you can develop a methodology based on any justified approach. This can involve any approach to data collection including primary data and case studies or applied company projects. You are required to : Define your research aim or problem, explaining the motivation for your choice of research topic and its relevance/importance to management theory and practice. Introduce the research setting: that is the context in which you envisage the research could take place.  Undertake a critical review of the literature related to your research topic. This should involve an extensive reading of the academic theory and empirical studies related to your research topic. The writing up of this review should demonstrate a critical examination of this literature and the conclusions that you draw from this critique for your research aim that lead to academically-valid research questions or hypotheses.  An explanation and justification of the research methodology and the approach you would have intended to adopt toward achieving your research aim: this should be considered from both philosophical and practical perspectives. Explain the data collection and sample constructs and the form of analysis you would have intended to undertake. Discuss ethical issues relating to the data, participants, personal safety and research execution and the measures you would have undertaken to address them. For qualitative methods: explain your choice of technique (e.g. survey) and include the research instrument (e.g. questionnaire) you would have intended to use. Link the investigative questions (to respondents) to the research questions derived from your literature review. Discuss the trustworthiness and bias in the data and how you would attempt to mitigate these issues. For quantitative methods: justify and explain your choice of technique, the derivation of the model, its variables and data sources. Discuss the statistical approach to analysis, validity, and significance that you would have intended to undertake. For mixed methods, company projects, and case studies: a relevant combination or extract of the above.  Provide a self-reflection of your experience of undertaking the above requirement including, if you so wish, the personal impact of change in lifestyle caused by Covid-19. 4 (ii) What makes a good piece of work? The requirement specification above is in much greater detail than normally would be provided for a dissertation as an independent piece of work. This is to help you in the abnormal situation that faces us, so examine and re-examine it closely. You should also consider the balance of content on each of the requirements and what assessors refer to as the ‘vertical thread’ of logical argument throughout the work. Section 4 of this handbook will help you with balanced content as it indicates the chapter structure of a typical dissertation and suggests a split of the 6500-7500 words between various chapters. The vertical thread refers to the link between chapters and, more significantly, the content within each chapter. The following thread is relevant:    from research aim  that through consultation with the literature provides the theory to turn the aim into academically valid research questions  that, again through the literature, provide a justification for the methodology that turns the research question into hypotheses, if quantitative turns the research question into questionnaires or interview questions, if qualitative. You are also advised to review the assessment criteria in Section 12 and marking matrix in Appendix M of this handbook. (iv) Planning your time Planning has been and remains difficult because of the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 and the lockdown which remains in place here in the UK. You’ll be aware from ‘student updates’ that a whole series of decisions have been and continue to be made regarding teaching, learning, and assessment and it is only recently that the Management School has been able to make decisions regarding dissertations. The reduced amount of work to be assessed and the removal of the time required for ethics approval does mean that the commencement of supervision can be delayed from the beginning of May until after the ‘exam’ period to mid-June. At this point, knowing the requirement for your dissertation enables you to start planning the work you need to undertake. One tool that might help you plan your time and spot if you are starting to fall behind is your Dissertation Planner (See Appendix C). This is for your use. You do not need to bring it to the SEO or to hand it in with your dissertation although your supervisor might want to have a copy of it. Its purpose is to encourage you to plan your activities and interactions with your supervisor, taking into account your availability and your supervisor’s availability. If you do not work with your supervisor in planning this, you risk delays in waiting for feedback. This might impact on your overall schedule of research. 5 Make sure you are aware of key dates in the process and that you build these into your planning. Key Dates Early June 2020: notification of your supervisor 15 June 2020: Start of Supervision period 3 August 2020: Extension Request forms become available (See Section 11) You cannot apply for an extension before 3rd August. Make you sure you complete all the relevant forms or there may be a delay in getting your extension approved. 28 August 2020: Turnitin becomes available for early submission 8 September 2020: Deadline for submission via Turnitin (see Section 10) Late penalties will apply unless you have an extension 3) Working with your supervisor The supervisor’s role is not to provide you with expertise on your topic, but to guide you through the dissertation process and advise upon academic protocol and the rigour of your work. An educational rationale underpinning the programme is that students will progressively take charge of their own learning. However, it is also recognised that the dissertation is probably the most sustained piece of academic work that you have conducted, so you are advised to make good use of the opportunity to work with your assigned supervisor. All interactions with your supervisor will have to be by email, telephone, skype or some other remote arrangement. Typically, you should expect three interactions and a review of your draft dissertation. (i) First connection You should request a discussion with your supervisor as soon as is convenient to you both once the allocation has been notified to you. The purpose of this first connection is to present your topic and the work you have already conducted in relation to it and to mutually agree the form of contact, availability, and plan for the work. The initial objective will be to get feedback on your work to date. This may involve deepening the research setting, your exploration of theory, or the strength of your proposed methodology. You may therefore expect to have to read the literature more extensively, explore alternative methods, and to generally develop your critical thinking. Please Note: The UKVI (Visa & Immigration authority) requires the Management School to monitor and report upon individual student engagement during the dissertation process. An electronic record will be kept of each of these interactions, as evidence of continued engagement if required. 6 (ii) The supervisor’s role The supervisor’s role is to advise you, not to tell you what to do! Supervisors would usually expect to review a draft of the whole dissertation or drafts of individual chapters, but would not normally be expected to read your work more than once. Therefore, if your supervisor has already read a draft of a chapter, s/he would not read it again. You should not expect to submit a draft later than two weeks before the submission date. However, because of variations in the availability and commitments of each supervisor, s/he can agree a different date with you. You should record this date in your Dissertation Planner and you should anticipate making changes to your draft based upon the feedback given. (iii) Your responsibility Keep in contact with your supervisor and alert your supervisor if you are having any problems. Use your supervisor’s time effectively by planning what you want from each interaction and letting your supervisor know in advance. Allow your supervisor adequate time to read material; do not assume that everybody will be able to respond to emails immediately. Remember that supervisors are not allowed to indicate whether your work will pass and, indeed, they are not the first marker. Your supervisor will advise you where there are obvious weaknesses in your draft, and help you to identify how to overcome them but it is not the responsibility of your supervisor to indicate when a dissertation is of a suitable standard. Please note: Supervisors have other responsibilities (not least their own research projects) and are entitled to have a holiday. This means that there will commonly be periods of time when they will be away over the summer. Note these in your Dissertation Planner, and plan your needs for supervision – i.e. interactions & draft review - around these. 7 4) Structure and content of the dissertation You do not have to adopt the chapter structure and headings shown below in your work but it may be helpful if they are used to give a rough indication of the balance of content. With the policy of reducing the amount of assessment, 7,500 words is the maximum word count and the lower levels in the following tables indicate that 6,500 words could suffice. Chapter Introduction Words 1000 Critical Review of Literature 3000 to 3500 Research Methodology 2500 to 3000 Self-reflection Not included in word count Content (taken from the Requirements) Research topic and its relevance to management theory and practice. Motivation for your choice. Research setting/context. Research aim or problem. Various theories and empirical studies relevant to your research topic. Academic debate between contrasting theories and findings – critical analysis Conclusions drawn and how they inform your research questions and/or hypotheses. Research method: philosophical justification and practical considerations. Research technique/model and instrument. Variables/factors/investigative questions. Data sources and collection; sample construct. Form of analysis, validity and reliability. Ethical issues relating to the data, participants, personal safety and research execution and the measures you would have undertaken to address them. As an appendix (see page 10) Your self-reflection is an appendix and is excluded from the word count. There is no designated content but you are encouraged to comment upon the experience of undertaking the work involved in the context of the global and personal difficulties we face. Self-reflections are not expected to be objective rationalisations – you can express opinion and feelings. That is why there is no word limit. Additional notes on a critical literature review The purpose of a literature review is to provide you with two things: the theory you need to address your research aims in an academically valid and rigorous manner; and as a potential source to justify the research method you intend to apply to achieve your research aims. Theory will normally come from a variety of journal articles in your field of research, as most textbooks don’t have the focused depth necessary. Methodology will only come from empirical studies in your field of research, again contained in academic journals. See Appendix E on how to read journal articles quickly. 8 The review will need to critically evaluate what you have read, and therefore you should go beyond descriptions of general findings. There should be a clear attempt to relate this material to the research aims of your study, and therefore it might be structured to reflect your aims. It should not be structured by author or by source. ‘Grey’ literature – that is non-academic but authoritative sources, such as government, regulators, industry trade bodies, etc as well as academic literature, should be reviewed in this chapter. The literature review is fundamental to producing an integrated research design. Low marks are associated with reviews that are purely descriptive or disconnected. The literature review should convert your research aims in the introductory chapter into three or four research questions or specific and testable hypotheses (if you are using a quantitative methodology). Pose these questions/hypotheses either at the end of sub-sections in the literature review aims or draw your argument together into a conclusion and pose them there. You may also provide your conclusions on methodological practice from the literature as this logically leads on to the research methodology chapter and can help you to justify the methods and models you intend to use. You may also find the library’s ‘seven steps to producing a literature review’ helpful. See https://librarydevelopment.group.shef.ac.uk/shef-only/research/lit_review/intro.html References Your list of references should appear in an alphabetical list (by author name) at the end of the dissertation but before any appendices, using the Harvard Management School referencing standards. All sources that have been referred to in the text should be listed in the references - not just academic sources, but any source; not just theory or opinion, but ‘facts’ as well; not just text, but statistics, tables, graphs, and images. These should only be the actual sources that you have looked at or listened to. You should note that: Internet references should also cite the author/organisation, the website address and the date the website was accessed.  Fully reference any cut and pasted diagram or text, and put the latter in quotations marks or fully paraphrase it in your own words – don’t amend the occasional word  If you read a textbook or article that refers to a previous author you need to reference both sources. This is called secondary referencing. Make sure you are clear about how to do this.  Make sure that you self-reference any models, tables, pictures, etc that you have devised yourself and any previous work that you have done that you refer to in the text. You should adopt the conventions specified by the Management School using the Harvard System: https://librarydevelopment.group.shef.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.html 9 Appendices The purpose of appendices is to stop the text from appearing cluttered and broken up by supplementary or peripheral content. Appendices are presented immediately after the list of references and must be referred to in the text if you are to be given credit for them. If you have designed a questionnaire, you should include a copy in your appendices. Your self-reflection is an appendix and is excluded from the word count. There is no designated content but you are encouraged to comment upon the experience of undertaking the work involved in the context of the global difficulties we currently face. Self-reflections are not expected to be objective rationalisations – you can express opinion and feelings. That is why there is no word limit. Please note that although appendices are not included in the word count, large numbers of appendices will suggest that you are not able to focus your work. The use of appendices should be limited to information that is essential to supplement the text. Please note: Every year some students are investigated for academic integrity (section 9) – for example, if they do not reference their work properly. Common failings are:      not referencing non-academic sources not referencing diagrams, tables, or cut & pasted models not referencing yourself (i.e. source: Author) paraphrasing a source without reference quoting a source verbatim without quotation marks citing the original author when the source is secondary Even if this is not done deliberately you can still be penalised which is likely to mean you will fail. Please make sure that you are very clear on how to reference your work so this does not happen to you. Seek advice from your supervisor if you are not sure. 5) Presentation and writing style in a dissertation (i) Font, margins, & indents The dissertation should be word processed. Typing should be double spaced or 1.5 spaced in an A4 format, with margins of at least 25mms Use Times New Roman or another legible font, 12 point for the main body of the text. If longer than two lines of typescript, quotations should be indented, in 11 point font, single spaced, and should include quotation marks. Add the page number to the citation – e.g. (Smith, 1985, p22). 10 (ii) Initial sequence of ‘standard’ pages A template of the Title Page is provided as Appendix D. It should include: your name, your student registration number, your supervisor’s name, your dissertation title in full and the following statement: “Dissertation submitted in part requirement for the Degree of MBA / MSc [insert your programme name] of the University of Sheffield” This statement should be followed by the month and year of submission. You should also include a word count of your dissertation (excluding references and appendices). If you want to include acknowledgements, they should appear on a separate sheet following the abstract. They should be brief and should not identify persons or organisations otherwise kept anonymous in the body of the dissertation. Contents Page: list the title of chapters and sections, and include the page number on which each begin. The reference list follows the main body and thereafter the title of each appendix. A separate list should then follow of tables, figures, and diagrams If you use many acronyms, list them on a separate sheet. These should be written in full on first use e.g. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - and then adopted consistently thereafter. Then, the main body of the dissertation starts with the ‘Introduction’ (iii) Expression in English The dissertation as an academic piece of work requires the use of professionally-expressed English of reasonable standard. You will not be given credit for work where the meaning is not clear, and you should always use a spelling and grammar check. If you think that you need help to express yourself clearly in English, think about getting your work proof-read (this is not a supervisor’s task). The dissertation should always be referred to as a ‘dissertation’, not a ‘thesis’, ‘report’ or a ‘paper’. Write using the passive voice (the ‘third person’) and using the past tense. For example: “The research was carried out using the following methods”  “I am carrying out my research using the following methods”  Use headings and sub-headings to sign-post your arguments. Avoid paragraphs that are too lengthy or are too short. Get someone else to read through your work to help you ensure fluency and the consistent application of the above principles. (iv) Word count The word count should include everything except the list of references and appendices - that is the title page through to the contents page as well as the main body of text in the dissertation. Students of the MSc HRM pathways are required to include an Executive Summary and, again, this should be excluded from the word count. 11 Submitting work that is below 6,500 words would suggest that you have not fully made use of the opportunity to develop your work, whilst going beyond 7,000 words will incur a standard penalty, according to the following formula:[(actual word length – 7,500) / 7,500] x 100, rounded up to form the reduction in marks – e.g. a 9.5% excess will result in a 10 mark reduction Please note: Your word count must be declared on the title page. There is no discretion over the application of the penalty should your work exceed 7,500 words. (vi) Page numbering Number the main body of your dissertation at the bottom of the page. It is usual to use a different numbering system for the appendices – such as roman numerals. The title of each appendix should be listed on the contents page. Each appendix should begin on a separate page and designated A, B, C etc. in the order in which it is first mentioned in the text. Appendices are placed at the end of the dissertation after the reference list. 6) A bibliography for research methodology For more detailed guidance on these and other methods you should refer to your research methods lectures and the recommended research methods texts, as well as discussing your individual project with your supervisor. Useful research methods texts include the following.  E-downloads available from the library Bell, E. (2019) Business Research Methods (5th edition or earlier), Oxford: Oxford University Press. Dawson, Jeremy. (2017) Analysing quantitative survey data for business and management students. London: Sage Denscombe, M. (2014) The good research guide: for small-scale social research projects. (5th ed). Maidenhead: Open University Press  Easterby-Smith, M. (2008) Management Research: an Introduction, (3rd ed). London: Sage Eden, C & Huxham, C. (1996) Action Research for Management Research, British Journal of Management Vol 7/1,p p75-86  Gill, J. (2010) Research Methods for Managers (4th ed). London: Sage. Saunders, M. (2009) Research Methods for Business Students (5th ed). Harlow: Pearson Ltd.  Xian, Huiping & Meng-Lewis, Yue. (2018) Business Research Methods for Chinese Students: A Practical Guide to Your Research Project, London: Sage Yin, R. (2014) Case Study Research: Design and Methods (5th ed). London: Sage 12 7) Research Ethics This section is relevant to the research methodology requirement that includes:“Discuss ethical issues relating to the data, participants, personal safety and research execution and the measures you would have undertaken to address them.” Since you do not undertake any research, the research design can involve any form of data and its collection, including that which would normally require research ethics approval. Therefore, this section is retained because it covers the principles and provides practical guidance on common approaches. Ethics are about how we conduct ourselves in relation to society and the environment – with honesty, integrity, respect for others, and minimising the risk of harm. Research ethics observes these principles in relation to the design, conduct, and impact of research and so applies to dissertation projects. You must think carefully about how your topic, research method, and dissemination of findings could cause economic or psychological harm to organisations, participants, and, indeed, yourself. The topic itself could be problematic – for example, corruption, gambling, or illegal/immoral activities – or the participant group – the young (< 18 years), the elderly, or vulnerable adults - but the common issues management school students have to confront are confidentiality and anonymity surrounding the collection, storage, and public access to findings. This means that ethical issues will present themselves whenever data is being collected by the student – that is ‘primary data’. You should also note that secondary data may also capture personal data – for example publicly available social media where participants are identifiable (e.g. YouTube, WeChat). Whilst such data sources are often distinct, for case study research within organisations, multiple sources – including access to internal databases – commonly avail themselves. Guidance is provided here on common issues for research methods involving primary data. Confidentiality & Anonymity Most management school research involving primary data must ensure that commercially or personally sensitive information is not disclosed to a wider audience than the assessors of the dissertation project unless the organisation or person gives explicit permission to do so. This means that organisations and human participants (and possibly even the data itself) should be disguised – if the data can be aggregated this ‘anonymises’ the source but, more commonly it cannot be, and therefore a false/artificial name is used rather than the real name of the organisation or person – this is called a ‘pseudonym’. Personally-identifiable data & GDPR The term ‘personal data’ has taken on a new meaning since the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force in May 2018, and includes anything by which an individual may be identified. It is for this reason that the phrase ‘personally-identifiable data’ to distinguish the common interpretation of the word ‘personal’ as characteristics related to human participants – gender, age, etc. For example, identifying the gender of a participant in research doesn’t 13 identify them if there are others of the same gender and the sample is sufficiently large. So, what is ‘personal data’ depends on your research context. GDPR’s purpose is not just to protect the privacy of EU citizens – it also covers personal data processed or held by any EU organisation anywhere in the world – and Sheffield University is such an organisation - and thus all dissertation students who collect data from human participants must adhere to GDPR. Personal data should only be collected where it is germane to the research aim - many students collect demographic data that has no relevance in the subsequent data analysis. Personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership; or data concerning health, sex life or sexual orientation, or criminal/illegal activities is subject to additional controls and is not encouraged. An information sheet relating to the research and containing content as specified by the University’s Research Ethics Committee should be provided to potential research participants. The real name of the participant should not be recorded if possible (as in an on-line survey) or should only appear on the consent form and thereafter only the pseudonym should be used in data analysis. Transcripts and data analysis files should be stored separately from the signed consent forms. Specific guidance:Individual or group interview: this is a common dissertation research method and requires an ethics application. The usual process of providing an information sheet in advance and gaining consent at the time of discussion applies. On-line survey or (previously) distributed questionnaire: both these methods offer scope for anonymisation of sources. An information sheet should be provided on the landing page (if on-line) or by e-mail (in advance) which the potential respondent can read in full and consent acquired by the respondent’s acknowledgement of the information sheet (i.e. a simple tick box on the survey). Personally-identifiable data (e.g. name, address) should be avoided – if it isn’t, full consent is needed. Impromptu survey: this is an in-person survey where potential respondents cannot be provided with an information sheet in advance. This method is quite common (i.e. occurs at an event or location). The need to read an information sheet, even if concise, is very likely to deplete response rates. No recording or collection of personally-identifiable data must be made. In these circumstances, an abbreviated combined information sheet & consent may be used. Hard copies of the full information sheet (in the native language) must be offered to the respondent. Case studies: this includes Company Projects arranged by the Employability Hub, some MBA and independently arranged MSc dissertation projects. The ethics application should identify all the potential sources of primary data (e.g. interview, observation, documentary, databases). A clear understanding, in writing, should be obtained by the tutee from the organisation of the research aim and data/personnel access. The use of pseudonyms and the principles of anonymity apply to the organisation as much as to human participants and the protocols above apply depending on data sources. Tutee access to internal databases containing personal data is prohibited, even if the case organisation permits. The tutee can agree a specification of the data sought and request an authorised employee to download the dataset and anonymise any personal data. 14 9) Academic integrity The material you submit for your dissertation must be your own original work. Where other materials are used, you must state the source(s) from which the information is derived and show the extent to which you have made use of the work of others. University regulations for the award of a higher degree state: a “candidate may not submit a dissertation, a substantial part of which consists of material which has been submitted for any other Degree or qualification”. Self-plagiarism In some cases, there will be an acceptable overlap between your dissertation and previous work you have undertaken. Examples of this include: • Literature review material, ethics forms, and proposed methods submitted for a Research Methods module on your programme. This is the situation for many of you. • A proposal of objectives, literature review and methods submitted as assessed work at Sheffield International College. • Literature review material developed from work in a taught module. All these must show development upon the previous work. Avoidance You must use appropriate and sufficient referencing to avoid unintentional plagiarism. Guidance on this is provided in Section 4 of this handbook but you may also recall the introductory dissertation workshop in February covered common failings in referencing and the avoidance of plagiarism. A recording of this workshop is available on the MGT Dissertation Blackboard site. Turnitin You must submit your dissertation to be electronically processed through Turnitin, the University’s plagiarism software, by the submission date at the very latest. The Management School will review all submissions for academic integrity. Should there be any suspicion of a breach of academic integrity or ethics then these will be referred to senior members of the Management School for investigation. You will be notified of this action and you will have the opportunity to discuss these in an investigative meeting. Failure to justify the dissertation content at this stage will lead to further and more severe action. The University takes a very serious view of academic integrity and the penalties can be severe. The work may be failed and in extreme cases students can be expelled from the University. 15 10) Submission The deadline for electronic submission is 8 September 2020 by 12.00h (midday) although you may submit your dissertation before this date. Note that you should allow sufficient time for the submission process to clear, particularly if you are uploading from outside the UK. Please do not leave submission until the last minute in case there are any problems. Turnitin submission will be available from 24th August 2020. If submission is delayed beyond the deadline, late penalties will be applied as for any module coursework – i.e. 5% for every working day, including part days. If your submission is over 5 working days late, the mark will be 0. If in any doubt, email mgt.dissertations@sheffield.ac.uk Please note: once the deadline has passed, your submission is final. You may upload updated versions of your dissertation to Turnitin as many times as you wish before the deadline, but when the deadline passes the last uploaded version of your work is final and cannot be changed for any reason. Please therefore make sure that you have uploaded the correct version of your work before the deadline passes. Submission format The SEO will email a link to the Access to Dissertation form (Appendix B). Please scan it for inclusion at the front of the Turnitin submission, followed by the title page, complete dissertation, references, and appendices. Please upload a .pdf version of your dissertation as the formatting of text, paragraphs, and diagrams in .docx files can be distorted when viewed in Turnitin. The upload file and the upload title must be your registration number then your programme’s dissertation module code e.g. 190123456_MGT689. A hard copy of the dissertation is not required. Please note: if you have changed the title of your dissertation since you completed the Research Proposal form you are advised to go back and amend your proposal form (shef.ac.uk/emits/dissertation). This will ensure that the correct title appears on your final transcript. 16 11) Extensions criteria You are expected to have the self-discipline and motivation to complete your dissertation on time. However, we do recognise that there will be exceptional circumstances, especially relating to the pandemic, when an extension to the deadline is justified. These circumstances include chronic or serious illness or a recent family bereavement for which medical evidence is normally required. However, where the circumstance results from Covid-19 or government-approved precautions in relation to it, a relaxation has occurred as the following statement indicates:If you have to self-isolate or your circumstances affect your ability to complete assessments, you should contact your academic department in the first instance – they will be sympathetic to your situation and support you in using the extenuating circumstances process if required. You do not need to get supporting medical documentation and you do not need a medical professional to authorise the form. Criteria not normally considered to be valid reason for applying for extension include: Financial problems  Loss of preparation material, computing or transmission problems or delays  Resit examinations It must be emphasised that the programme finishes only when the dissertation is successfully completed and you should plan an appropriate commitment to the programme up to this point. Obviously, there may be unforeseen circumstances which cause you delays. These delays do not always guarantee any extension. If you request an extension, this should be on the appropriate forms, available from 3rd August on the dissertation Blackboard site. In your application you will need to say why your work has been delayed and give a timetable for work leading to a new submission date. Your supervisor will usually need to support your application so you should discuss this with your supervisor first. Evidence must be provided for all submitted requests. Your request for an extension should be submitted as soon as possible and not later than the dissertation submission date. The maximum extension possible is 3 weeks. Extensions of more than 3 weeks may mean that it is not possible for the dissertation to be marked and second marked in time for you to graduate in the same academic year. If you want a longer extension you are advised to discuss the implications of this with the dissertation team. 17 12) Assessment criteria The assessment criteria follow logically from the requirements set out in Section 1 of the handbook. The assessment criteria used by the markers is shown in Appendix M. Effectively structured extended research proposal The vertical thread from the research problem/aim(s), to research questions /hypotheses as informed by theory, to the justification of the proposed research design. Logical arrangement of information and argument. Ability to draw upon relevant academic literature to inform the research Identification and critical evaluation of relevant academic and industrial literature; theoretical derivation of hypotheses or research questions; quality of the bibliography. Quality of the methodology Justification of method; data collection and sample construct; form of analysis; ethical issues relating to the data, participants, personal safety & research execution. For quantitative methods: the choice of technique, derivation of the model, variables, data sources, and statistical approach to analysis, validity, and significance are to be presented. For qualitative methods: the choice of technique, derivation of investigative questions, research instruments, trustworthiness, and bias are to be presented. For mixed methods, company projects, and case studies: a relevant combination or extract of the above. Presentation and Style Clarity of writing; use of tables, figures, & appendices; citation of references; adherence to formatting protocols in the dissertation handbook. Self-reflection. 13) Examination and Results Your dissertation will be marked by both your supervisor and another marker. The two markers will arrive at independent judgements and then discuss the dissertation and give an agreed mark. If your dissertation passes but the mark is below your weighted average grade as at 15 March 2020, the mark given will be adjusted upward by the Exam Board. You will be notified after the Exam Board in early November that your result is ready by the SEO. The email will contain a hyperlink that will enable you to review the feedback from both markers and the mark awarded. If you have returned home and experience difficulty accessing your Sheffield.ac.uk account, notify mgt.dissertations@sheffield.ac.uk with your personal email address. If you had a long extension or if your dissertation is being investigated for unfair means, then there will be a delay in getting your mark. 18 Please note: You must retain all of the material used in producing your dissertation until this time to ensure that you can use it if you are required to resubmit or to attend an interview. An interview may be conducted to confirm details of the research – not to alter the mark. 14) Re-examination in the event of failure Having a resubmission opportunity is subject to you meeting the requirements of the taught modules. If your final grade is a Diploma or Certificate, you will not be allowed a resit opportunity. If failure is solely the consequence of the application of penalties for late submission (i.e. the academic quality of the dissertation was awarded a grade of 50 or above), then the original dissertation will be automatically resubmitted on your behalf by the Dissertation Team. It will be awarded a grade of 50 at the next exam board and you can expect to receive a formal certificate from the University in April 2021. If you do not pass your dissertation because of insufficiency in its academic quality, you have one opportunity to resubmit your dissertation to try and bring it up to a pass mark. You will be provided with feedback about why you have not reached the appropriate standard with comments of the two markers and possibly by additional comments from the external examiner. In addition you may have one discussion with a supervisor to get some guidance as to the amendments that you will need to make and to help you interpret the feedback. Students may make additional enquiries on particular questions concerning their resubmission work. Supervisors will also read and comment on a draft though this is likely to be only what you have amended. Supervisors will not review more than one draft of any resubmission material. You should re-submit the dissertation to a Google drive using a link and following the instructions from mgt.dissertations@sheffield.ac.uk. The resubmitted dissertation will be marked and where the grade is 50 or more the grade will be recorded as a 50 in line with Management School guidelines. A resubmission of a dissertation is required by 7 September 2021 but you can submit before then if it is ready (i.e. following review of the draft by your supervisor). The earlier resubmission deadlines are 28 January 2021 and 4 May 2021. Graduation ceremonies only occur in January but a formal certificate will be issued by the University in your absence. If you are late submitting against your intended deadline, the submission will not be considered until the next deadline indicated above. If you have any queries about the dissertation process, please email mgt.dissertations@sheffield.ac.uk 19 15) Frequently Asked Questions Please review the FAQs at https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/coronavirus/faqs/students . These provide the University’s advice concerning a wide range of aspects that have been affected by the pandemic. 20 APPENDICES A: Access to dissertation form B: Dissertation project planner C: Sample title page CC: LSP declaration sample title page D: Speed reading journal articles E: Critical Literature Review marking matrix 21 Access to Dissertation form: Appendix A Student registration number Student name Programme Supervisor Dissertation Option #1: CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW A fully developed Critical Literature Review, containing a deep critique of the literature and exploration of an appropriate research methodology Please indicate whether you are willing for your dissertation to be accessible to staff and students. I agree that my dissertation can be made openly available within the Management School. Yes No Signed _____________________________________________________ Date _____________________________________________________ 22 Dissertation Project Planner: Appendix B Dissertation Planner Student Details Forename Surname Student Registration Number Programme of Study Draft Title of Dissertation Student Contact Details Email address: Telephone number: Where will you be doing your research? Students writing up outside the UK should inform their supervisor Sheffield area Elsewhere in UK Abroad Dates Or Periods When Supervisor Is Unavailable Dates Or Periods When Student Is Unavailable You should plan a timetable for your dissertation which takes into account the availability of yourself and your supervisor. Tick the interactions required by UK Visa & Immigration Planned schedule Timeframe UKVI Introduction Literature review Methodology Data analysis (option #2) Conclusion & self-reflection Submission of provisional draft and feedback Submission of dissertation 23 Sample Title Page: Appendix C SRN: Your student registration number Name: Your name Supervisor: Your supervisor Title: The title of your dissertation Dissertation submitted in part requirement for the Degree of MSc [insert your programme name] of the University of Sheffield September 2020 Word count: Your word count 24 LSP Declaration Sample Title Page: Appendix CC Students with a Learning Support Plan You may choose to use this title page if you have a disability, which can affect aspects of your written communication (for example students with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, autism spectrum conditions) and which is verified by a Learning Support Plan SRN: Your student registration number Name: Your name Supervisor: Your supervisor Title: The title of your dissertation Dissertation submitted in part requirement for the Degree of MSc [insert your programme name] of the University of Sheffield September 2020 Word count: Your word count 25 Speed-reading journal articles: Appendix D Articles in academic journals are the most important source of literature for dissertations but the length and use of sophisticated expression can discourage students. You need articles for four purposes: theory; method; findings and focusing your research ideas. Key tips for effective searching selection and reading of journals are given below. If your supervisor advises you that your research aims are too broad, then a good way to gain greater focus is to review the conclusions of articles in your general field of interest as most contain recommendations for further research. If you can’t find articles relating to your specific field of research, then you are probably searching using the wrong phrase or keyword. Play around with the phrase until you find an abstract that is in your chosen area, and then check the ‘key words’ it cites and modify yours. For example, you could be searching for ‘feedback on performance’ and find the literature uses ‘performance monitoring’. You need theory on your chosen field. In a conventionally structured article, you will find this in the second section of the article – make a note of the author, year. Then repeat the process on other articles in your field – are some of the names the same? These will indicate seminal articles upon which you can concentrate. You have the theory, but you need a methodology or, at least, justification for the methodology you intend to adopt. Select articles that have undertaken the sort of research (e.g. quantitative; case study; interview) that you intend – you can usually tell this from the abstract. Every author has to explain the methodology they have adopted and this will be contained in a separate third or fourth section. Here you will be able to note the model used; data sources; sample construction, etc. In your literature review, you will also need the findings from published studies with which you can compare your own findings in the chapter on interpretation. Go back to your portfolio of articles and in the conclusion section, you will find their key findings – if any are particularly important to your research, track back through the article until you reach the sub-section which explains it in detail. Obviously, you can combine many of these activities into a single review of the article. Finally, build up your list of references as you undertake your research. You can order, refine, and transfer this list into the dissertation itself – there’s nothing more frustrating than reading something and, discarding it, only to find later that it is highly relevant to an unexpected direction in your research. Using a specific software app like ‘Endnote’ makes this process really easy. 26 Dissertation Option #1 Critical Literature Review marking matrix: Appendix E Hard Fail (0-39) Incoherent arrangement of content. Unclear research aims. No research context. Soft Fail (40-49) Incoherent arrangement of content or unclear research aims or absence of research context. Pass (50-59) Adequately logical arrangement of content and research aims. Descriptive research context. Merit (60-69) Clear structure and research aims. Good contextualisation. Distinction (70+) Plus good argument justifying the research aims (due to context, knowledge gap, or personal motivation). Distinction (80+) Innovative or challenging research design with a strong vertical thread. Ability to draw upon relevant academic literature to inform the research Sparse bibliography. Theory not relevant to research context. Knowledge not demonstrated. Weak engagement with literature. Descriptive. Disjuncture from the research aim and questions. Relevant academic literature but largely descriptive. Reasonable comprehension but theory insufficiently links research aim with investigative questions or hypotheses. Reasonable analysis of relevant literature to provide theory leading to academically-valid investigative questions or hypotheses. Good critique of relevant literature that has led the student to adopt a logically argued position to investigative questions or hypotheses. Plus critique of empirical studies in the literature to inform the research method adopted. Research methods Methods are unclear or irrelevant to the research context. Philosophical & functional justification is absent. Inadequate specification of relevant data, collection, and mode of analysis. No ethical consideration. Lack of clarity/relevance or justification or specification or ethics. Adequate explanation of methodological elements but disjointed, asserted, or unconvincing. Tends to be descriptive. Lapses in content coverage and inadequate use of methodological literature. Adequate consideration of ethical issues. Reasonable discussion of methodological elements with good use of methodological literature. Lapses in content coverage may be present but ethical considerations must be present. Comprehensive coverage of methodological elements and clear rationale for selection drawing upon literature specific to the research context. Relevant ethical issues are fully explored. Plus critical consideration of alternatives and cogent argument for choice. Presentation and Style Poor presentation. Weak syntax and spelling. Significant lapses in referencing or noncompliance with Harvard protocol. No self-reflection. Poor presentation or expression or referencing. Weak presentation or expression. Satisfactory standard of referencing. Reasonable presentation and expression. Meaning is conveyed. Good standard of referencing. Good presentation and expression. Comprehensive referencing and adherence to protocol. Superb and comprehensive. Effective structure No self-reflection. Self-reflection must be present. Self-reflection is functional and affective. Insightful self-reflection. Self-reflection demonstrates strong experiential learning. The descriptors are guidelines and should not be taken as relating to precise percentages. They are indicative of a level of performance across the key criteria upon which the dissertation is assessed - students are also not penalised twice for, say, a weakness of capability and the expression in English of that capability that is recognised in ‘presentation and style’, providing the meaning is clear. Each criterion covers multiple aspects whose individual quality might indicate different grade classifications – the marker will adopt a view that spans these grades to form an overall view on the classification. There is no specific weighting on the criteria – in the case of Option #1 greater emphasis in the overall mark will be given to the review of literature and the methodology whereas, in Option #2, the greatest emphasis will be placed on the secondary data analysis 27 How Chinese cultural and creative products lead the trend and promote cultural development Culture is an important part of CCI field and a module closely related to my major. Culture is very important for every country, and it is a unique historical symbol of a country. Because it not only has high economic value, but also strengthens our sense of belonging to our motherland (culture, 2013). At present, the development of China's cultural industry is relatively weak. The inheritance of traditional culture has not been able to meet the development of today's era. The concept of traditional culture is becoming increasingly weak in the eyes of Chinese young people. They think these cultures are ancient and uninteresting, so cultural innovation is not always necessary. In recent years, China has paid more attention to the development of culture and the progress of traditional culture. A series of cultural and creative products have become popular in China. Taking the Forbidden City Museum of China as an example, lipstick with Chinese traditional architecture and carving features is very popular among young people. Through the pursuit of such cultural and creative products with traditional cultural elements, many young people have a better understanding of their own culture (Roberts, James Paul， 2010） 。 Therefore, it is very important to explore the impact of the emergence of cultural and creative products on the cultural field and how to imperceptibly promote traditional culture in a more acceptable way for young people. The purpose of the study is to explore how to bring the second trend of traditional culture through the innovation of cultural and creative products, taking the cultural products derived from the Forbidden City Museum as an example 1. The current situation of China's cultural industry and the influence of cultural innovation derivatives on traditional culture 2. How to promote cultural and creative products Mixed By interviewing the staff of the Palace Museum and the staff of the column "Shangxin, the Palace Museum", we can get first-hand information about the cultural and creative products None Wangsheng Zeng (2018) pointed out that with the continuous improvement of living standards, people's need for a better life is becoming more and more urgent, and their spending on spiritual consumption and cultural consumption is also increasing, and more and more cultural and creative products are appearing in the market. Cultural and creative products can not only increase consumers' sense of experience, At the same time, it also plays an important role in promoting the soft power of real business Yayun Sun and Fan Wang （2018） believed that cultural and creative industries are the driving force for the sustainable development of national economy and the establishment of cultural self-confidence. Many domestic policies encourage museums to actively develop cultural and creative industries, improve the level of design and marketing, while domestic small and medium-sized museums generally lack the effective use of cultural resources, There are some problems such as plagiarism of product design, lack of creativity and insufficient promotion. Therefore, it is necessary to effectively integrate traditional culture with contemporary life style and values, so as to promote the cultural creative department to effectively use and spread its own cultural resources Through the research of Wang Menglei (2018), it is found that the cultural and creative products of the Palace Museum are on the Internet+Under the environment of the museum, we should carry out the communication strategy of Museum Cultural Creation with traditional culture as the core. 
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