ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND LAW Accounting and Financial Management Subject Group STUDENT MODULE HANDBOOK Independent Study Project (ISP) M30267 Level 6: 2021-22 20 Credits Module Coordinator: Ian Piper Email: ian.piper@port.ac.uk Teaching team: Ian Piper, Annette Gillies, Robel Bapari. 1 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW UNIT OVERVIEW Independent Study is your opportunity to develop your own project, on a topic of your choice, with the aid of a supervising Tutor. Through the process of a range of self-study activities and Tutor feedback, the ISP will enable you to develop an in-depth understanding of an area of interest directly relevant to your degree, building on concepts and ideas you have learned throughout your studies. You are expected to identify a suitable topic and analysis and evaluate issues relating to it, in a coherent and structured way, drawing conclusions and offering recommendations for future research. Your analysis will be based on material derived from a variety of secondary sources only and should include engagement with relevant conceptual and theoretical debates as well as an application of these to your chosen topic. The ISP is an academic essay and should be structured in this way. The ISP essay is not a Business Report. AIMS 1. To provide students with the opportunity to study an area of special interest in greater depth than the general curriculum. 2. To provide students with the opportunity to undertake independent investigation through desk-based research skills. 3. To encourage the development of critical and analytical skills. 4. To provide students with the opportunity to integrate theoretical and conceptual knowledge within a critical literature review. 5. To reflect on and develop the academic skills required to help students achieve their potential at Level 6 and to develop the employability skills needed in today's commercial environment. LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THE UNIT On completion of this module at threshold level students will have: 1. Demonstrated the ability to select a suitable topic for investigation and to appreciate its relationship with current developments in the respective subject area(s). 2. Demonstrated the ability to define clear research aims and to select and review secondary sources that are relevant to the research questions in a structured and organised manner. 3. Drawn meaningful conclusions and recommendations from the sources reviewed. 4. Developed employability skills needed in today's commercial environment and understand the graduate employment market. TEACHING TEAM AND CONTACT DETAILS. Ian Piper: ian.piper@port.ac.uk RB 5.01 Annette Gillies: annette.gillies@port.ac.uk RB 6.27 Robel Bapari: robel.bapari@port.ac.uk RB 6.29 Your ISP tutor will provide you with details of their office hours when they are available for student to make appointments. These will be virtual and face to face appointments available in TB1 and TB2. 2 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW GENERAL ASSESSMENT CRITERIA The university-wide assessment criteria for level 6 undergraduate work apply to this module and in addition, the following criteria are expected: • An exceptional piece of work will offer a synthesis of conceptual and theoretical debates surrounding the chosen topic and apply these ideas in a highly analytical manner, developing a line of argument throughout the text. • At the median level, work should offer some level of engagement with conceptual and theoretical debates but there may be limitations to the level of synthesis/ argumentation offered. • Unsuccessful work will fail to offer sufficient theoretical or conceptual discussion or will fail to draw on appropriate sources and will generally not achieve more than a mere description of the topic. MODULE DELIVERY: TEACHING AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES The module is delivered in three on line workshops and three face to face seminars in the first six teaching weeks of teaching block 1 and a weekly face to face seminar in the first 6 weeks of teaching block 2. Please refer to the workshop and seminar schedule on pages 6 and 7 for more information. Formal seminar group tuition takes place during the first and second teaching blocks, with additional support offered through the Moodle e-learning facility. In addition, students can request individual appointments with their ISP seminar tutor, which it is your responsibility to arrange and agree directly with your Tutor, at a mutually convenient time. Appointments will also be available to meet your supervisor during the consolidation week in each teaching block to discuss your research topic (TB1) and provide feedback on a draft submission (TB2). The teaching programme and presentations are designed to encourage you to break this work into manageable pieces to be completed at various stages. Your Tutor will guide you through the process of preparing to write your final ISP project, providing verbal formative feedback on your draft submission and written feedback on your presentation, so make use of these sessions! In between the timetabled sessions, you are expected and required to work independently on your project. For the remainder of the teaching period, there are no timetabled workshops, so you will be required to manage your own time and preparation of your final submission. You will be expected to continue to work on your ideas and the feedback on your presentation independently. You can benefit from additional help through a combination of contact with fellow students using the ‘discussions’ facility on the unit’s online Moodle page, informal email contact with your Tutor and One-to-One meetings. But remember, the onus is on you to draft your work and arrange One-to-One meetings with your Tutor. MOODLE SITE We have set up a Moodle site for this module. Important information relating to this module will be communicated via the Moodle site. This will include Moodle Books with core module information, copies of workshop and seminar materials, Zoom meeting links to Workshops and seminars, presentation dates and copies of previous good projects. Tutors will also post additional reading and other resources on this site, which you will be expected to read. 3 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW Access to the Moodle site is essential. Please contact the module co-ordinator as soon as possible if you are unable to access the site. TOPIC CHOICE You can choose any topic in the area of accountancy, accounting and financial management (or possibly another business discipline with the agreement of your tutor). You should look for a specific issue or problem to investigate, rather than a general topic. Current news stories, ideas from your classes or work experience are all good sources of ideas for projects. But remember that there must be enough academic literature in your topic area for you to read and critique. As a general rule, a good topic or research question is one to which you cannot find an easy answer! It is very important that the topic chosen is not one or is based upon an essay that you have already submitted for assessment via Turnitin in another module. If you submit work which you have already used in another University essay you will be investigated for plagiarism, as there will inevitably be a high Turnitin match. BAL Study Support See generic faculty wide information on the module Moodle page. USE OF TURNITIN, PLAGIARISM AND WORK THAT IS NOT YOUR OWN See generic faculty wide information on the module Moodle page. ASSESSMENT This module will be assessed in three ways: 1. Completion of a Student Portfolio - 10% of the final module mark 2. Presentation of a PowerPoint presentation -10% of the final module mark 3. Final 3,700-word Project submission - 80% of the final module mark 4 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW Presentation Student Portfolio Project 10% of final module mark 10% Of final module mark 80% of final module mark Presentations in Feb/March 2022 in class as in the schedule on Page 6 & 7. Three elements including on line quizzes, 300-word topic rationale and a literature analysis spreadsheet. Various dates see page 8. Submission by 23.55 UK time 19 April 2022 Presentation Please upload to Moodle drop box 24 hours before your presentation date. Complete all elements of the Student portfolio and submit via Moodle by the required dates. Maximum 3,700 words Online Submission only via Turnitin drop box on Moodle Page. All assessment tasks must be completed by students individually. Please be very clear that it is an assessment offence to work together with other students to produce a piece of assessed work that is submitted as your own. Module marking criteria for these assessment artefacts are contained in the Appendices and the University-wide criteria for Level 6 can be found in your student handbook & in Appendix 2. MARKS AND FEEDBACK Marks for presentations and final submissions will be available on the student portal 20 days after the final submission date. The planned mark release dates for work submitted on time are Student Portfolio 14 February 2022, Presentations 28 March 2022 and Final submission 18 May 2022. Written feedback will also be provided via Moodle to the same timescale. If there is any delay in the processing of marks, the module coordinator will communicate this to you. Individual feedback will be provided electronically with your submission on Turnitin/Moodle. This feedback will highlight the strengths of the work and identify development points to help you to work out where you went wrong and how you can improve your performance in the future. See also the generic faculty wide information on the module Moodle page. LATE SUBMISSION AND COURSEWORK See generic faculty wide information on the module Moodle page. EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES See generic faculty wide information on the module Moodle page. 5 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW REFERAL AND DEFERRAL ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS See Generic Module information on Moodle 2021-2022 ISP Programme Outline Week Week beginning 1 4 October 11 October 2 18 October 3 25 October Note Teaching Block 1 Induction week Virtual Workshop 1. A mix of live and recorded material. Seminar 1 Virtual Workshop 2. A mix of live and recorded material. 4 1 November Seminar 2. Class No timetabled activities Introduction to the Module; clarification of module requirements and development of topic choice. What makes a good project? What are the characteristics of a good ISP project? Focusing your topic choice and developing a strong rationale. On Line Quiz 1 to be complete by 29 October What makes a good research question? Finding, reviewing and using literature. The key to a good project – asking the right questions. We will define a good research question and practice identifying them. A good literature review makes a critical evaluation of the different findings and conclusions in the resource materials. We will explore what this means and how to find literature. Milestone 1: Finalise your topic and e-mail your supervisor. Email your supervisor with your proposed topic and arrange a virtual meeting for one-to-one advice on your proposed topic. By 25 October. Critical Reading and Thematic Analysis. Having found and critically read academic literature today we will consider how to go about organising and presenting the material into a coherent case and structuring your argument and essay. 6 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW 5 8 November 6 15 November On Line Quiz 2 to be completed by 12 November CONSOLIDATION No timetabled session. Use the WEEK time to search for and analyse relevant literature. Virtual Workshop 3. A mix of live and recorded material. 7 22 November Seminar 3 Understanding the final submission structure and requirements. The key to making a strong final submission is to understand the requirements and how to link your literature analysis to the requirements. Planning, presentations and referencing. Guidance on how to plan the development and writing of your final submission; advice on preparing your TB2 presentation and guidance on referencing using APA 7th edition, a vital skill for the project. On line Quiz 3 to be completed by 3 December. Submit 300 word Rationale document via the Moodle page drop box by 6 December 2021. Submit literature analysis spreadsheet via the Moodle page drop box by 17 January 2022. 6 December Milestone 2 17 January Milestone 3 1 7 February Teaching Block 2 Seminar 2 14 February Seminar Individual Presentations. Use the marking schedule provided. 3 21 February Seminar Individual Presentations. Use the marking schedule provided. 4 28 February Seminar 5 7 March Seminar Individual Presentations. Use the marking schedule provided. Individual Presentations. Use the marking schedule provided. Introduction to the presentation requirements 7 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW 6 14 March Consolidation Week No timetabled session. Use the time to e mail your supervisor with a 500 word draft from your final submission. 7 21 March Seminar and Milestone 5 Seminar group question and answer session for students with supervisors. 19 April Milestone 6 E mail the first 500 words of your final submission to your seminar tutor for formative feedback. Submit your final submission to the Module drop box by 19 April 2022. Christmas break: Monday 13 December 2021 to Friday 31 December 2021 Assessment and marking period: Monday 24 January 2022 to Friday 4 February 2022 Easter break: Monday 4 April to Friday 15 April 2022 First Sitting Exam Period: Monday 16 May to Friday 10 June 2022 Refer/Defer Exam Period: Monday 04 July to Friday 22 July 2022 Refer/Defer Coursework Submission Date: Friday 22 July 2022 Module Assessment and Exam Boards Monday 27 June- Friday 1 July 2022 RECOMMENDED TEXTS Hart, C., (2012).Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination, London: Sage. Collis, J. and Hussey, R. (2009). Business research: a practical guide for undergraduate and postgraduate students. 3rd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2012). Research Methods for Business Students. 6th ed. Harlow: Pearson. OTHER USEFUL READING • Bell, J., (1997). Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-Time Researchers in Education and Social Science. Buckingham: OU Press. • Bryman, A., & Bell, E., (2003). Business Research Methods, Oxford: Oxford University Press • Clough, P., & Nutbrown, C., (2002). A Students Guide to Methodology Sage: London • Easterby-Smith, M., Lowe, R., & Thorpe, A., (2002) Management Research: An Introduction, London: Sage. • Gash, S., (2000). Effective Literature Searching for Research. 2nd edition. Hampshire: Gower. 8 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW • Gill, J., & Johnson, P., (2002). Research Methods for Managers, London: Sage. • Humphries, C. and Lee, B. (2004) The Real Life Guide to Accounting Research: a behind the scenes view of using qualitative research methods Oxford: Elsevier/CIMA • Luck, M., (1999). Your Student Research Project. Hampshire: Gower. • Punch, K., (1998). Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. London: Sage • Scapens, R.W., Ryan B.& Theobald M.(2002).Research Methods and Methodology in Accounting and Finance (2nd Edition), London: Thompson Learning • Smith, M. (2003). Research Methods in Accounting, London: Sage (Chapters 1-3) The Assessed Student Portfolio (10% of the final Module Mark) The Student Portfolio comprises of three elements, which are submitted at different times, and so each element has a different submission date. The aim of the student portfolio is to help students continuously engage with and develop their Independent Study project over two teaching blocks. The elements of the portfolio are: 1. Three on line quizzes, one to be completed after each of the seminars in TB1.15% of final portfolio artefact mark. 2. A 300-word Rationale document, which will clearly state why you have chosen your topic, focus and research questions, from both an academic and applied perspective. Submission date to Moodle drop box 6 December 2021. 40% of final Portfolio artefact grade. 3. A spreadsheet containing an analysis of 5 peer reviewed academic journal articles relating to your topic and research questions. Submission date to Moodle drop box 17 January 2022. 45% of final Portfolio artefact grade. Independent Study Project Literature analysis spreadsheet guidance Please find below some more guidance in relation to what is needed under each of headings of the Literature analysis spreadsheet. Title of article: What is the Title of the Journal Article you are analysing? Key words: these are usually found on the opening page of the article under the abstract. Focus/aims: what is the focus or what are the aims of the paper? These should be found in the abstract or introduction sections. Journal: what is the name of the academic journal the article is from. Publication year: which year was it published in? Variables: if data has been analysed statistically, what variables were included in the analysis. If the paper did not analyse data then leave column blank. Methodology: what methodology was used in the paper to collect data, was it interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, annual reports, Bloomberg, etc. Main Findings: list 2 of the main findings from the article. Policy contributions: how can the conclusions be used to change or adapt organisational or government policy. Future research: what does the article say about ideas for future research in the topic area. 9 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW The aim of this assignment is to help you analyse the literature you are reading in a systematic way, which will then help you write your final submission. The Presentation (10% of final module mark) You are expected to identify a relevant topic for your ISP, clearly state an appropriate research question (or questions) and offer a practical and academic rationale indicating why your topic and these questions are worth further study. You will also need to present a proposal on your research. Your Proposal is the plan for your final ISP research document. You are expected to identify a relevant topic, and clearly explore an appropriate research question (or questions). You must also discuss the significance of the main issues and theoretical debates around your research questions/ problems, by developing arguments based upon the secondary sources you have reviewed. Your presentation will take place in one of your timetabled ISP seminars in weeks 2-5 of TB2. You will be informed in December 2021 of the date and time of your 2022 presentation. You must upload a copy of your presentation to the ISP Moodle Presentation Drop Box at least 24 hours before your presentation. Template for ISP presentation explained • • • • • Title - suggesting focus/ aim of project clearly Rationale - why is this topic worth investigating? Should include academic as well as applied justification for your choice. Research questions- what is the issue or problem that you are investigating? Phrase 1 main research question and up to 3 sub-questions which you will attempt to answer through your literature review discussion. These may later be useful as sub-headings to divide your discussion into clear sections. Key literature sources –identify at least (minimum) 3 credible and academically rigorous sources upon which to base your arguments for the literature review. These should be formatted according to APA 7th edition referencing style. Indicate for each what it contributes to your case. The proposed structure of your research essay Highlighting key themes from your literature review. The presentation relates to learning outcomes 1 and 2. As outlined in the schedule, the presentation will take place in class from 14 February 2022 to 11 March 2022. You are expected to deliver a presentation with the length of 5 to 7 minutes. Please be aware that by the ending of the 7th minute of your presentation, you tutor would stop your presentation if you have not finished by then. At your presentation, you are required to use PowerPoint highlighting the key points appropriately on your presentation. A title page of the PowerPoint is necessary addressing the title of your research project, your student number and name. You are required to upload your presentation to the Moodle page Presentation drop box 24 hours before your presentation day. 10 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW The FINAL ISP document (80% of mark) Submission date: 19 April 2021 The main assessment for this module is the ISP project document with a word limit of 3,700 words (excluding bibliography and any appendices). Developing your literature review for the final ISP You should offer a critical analysis (which means discussing both sides of any arguments from a range of credible sources and using these as evidence to support your own conclusions). The majority of the literature you refer to and consult in the production of your project should be sourced at a high level of academic credibility, i.e. academic texts, journals articles and research reports. Secondary data may be incorporated and some secondary analysis of previously published research data may be undertaken (if appropriate). Additional material can be drawn from the Internet and from newspapers, but it is envisaged that this will be mainly for illustrative purposes and not be the core of the material sourced. Use of Appendices should be limited to content which is clearly relevant and specifically referred to in the main body of the document only. In your literature review, you will be expected to provide a critical discussion of the significance of the findings from your sources and indicate how this aids in answering your research questions. You must justify any claims you make about your topic, using the academic sources to support your arguments. This means providing references to existing research and reasons why you assert something is so. There should be a strong theoretical approach adopted throughout the discussion which may, for example, be achieved by using and applying theory/academic debates to undertake an analysis of practical problems and issues that (business) organisations are facing. Your project should then offer conclusions and a final evaluation of the chosen topic in which you make recommendations for future research or investigation. This discussion should again refer back to and address/ answer your research questions. It is important to note that your conclusions should be more than a summary of your discussion. Instead, you should discuss the implications of your findings, directly in relation to your research questions. Guidance will be given on this important part of the process in the lectures and Workshops. The final submission relates to learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3. Template for FINAL ISP document explained • Title - suggesting focus/ aim of project clearly • Rationale - why is this topic worth investigating? Should include academic as well as applied rationale. You should note how these questions relate to existing literature on the topic. • Research questions or problem(s) - key issues that your project addresses • Literature review / Context and critical discussion - provide an overview of your topic, identifying the main academic and applied issues. Areas discussed should clearly relate to your research questions but excellent projects will show how the chosen topic maps onto broader business debates. You should critically discuss academic theories and concepts as well as existing research/secondary data in order to thoroughly evaluate the current situation regarding your topic. Clearly identify each section with sub-headings and ensure you have 11 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW addressed each of your research questions, analysing the significance of your findings and supporting your arguments with appropriate references. • Conclusions & recommendations for future research - drawing together the main points you have raised so far, you should state your answers to the research questions/ problems you set yourself at the beginning of the project. These conclusions should logically flow from earlier discussions and should include recommendations or ideas for future research into the topic. • References (&Bibliography) – a Reference list is a full, correctly compiled list of all sources specifically referred to in the ISP using APA 7th edition format. A Bibliography is a list of all other sources which you consulted in the production of your work, but did not cite (optional). Please consult the library’s excellent referencing help pages via the ‘useful links’ page on Victory or directly from: (http://www.referencing.port.ac.uk/) General SUBMISSION GUIDELINES (presentation and layout) Layout: Check you have covered each section of the marking criteria. Clearly indicate sections through use of appropriate subheadings, to structure your text to help the reader to follow your line of argument more clearly. Writing style: The final ISP project MUST be written in full-sentence essay structure, adding tables, model diagrams, bullet lists and appendices as appropriate. Presentation: Word-processed (not hand written), using black ‘standard’ 10-12pt font for your text (e.g. Arial or Times New Roman), with a minimum of 1.5 line spacing and the default margins setting for MS Word. Submission (Moodle Online Submission Only via Turnitin dropbox): • • • • Ensure your Student Number is on the front cover NOT YOUR NAME! Ensure that the file name of your submission is your student number. Submit your final research essay to Turnitin Submission Box on Moodle Site Submit your Level 6 Action Plan & Level 6 Action Review forms to Moodle Submission Box on Moodle Site For advice on how to write references using APA format Please use the referencing guidance provided by the Univerity Library which is signposted on the Module Moodle page. 12 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW APPENDIX 1 FINAL ISP DOCUMENT MARKING CRITERIA In addition to the University’s marking criteria for Level 6 work, the following template will be used to grade your project. Section Comments % Mark x weight Title Rationale • Clarity • Academic justification • Applied rationale x 0.2 = Research Questions • Linked to rationale • Appropriate focus • Breadth Literature review& critical discussion • Coverage • Structure and clarity • Critical analysis • Relevance • Quality of synthesis Conclusions & recommendations for future research • Flow from discussion • Related to questions • Logical/ reasonable Referencing (&Bibliography) x 0.5 = x 0.20 = x 0.10 = Marker’s comments: Total mark = 13 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW There are 4 weighted sections which contribute to an overall mark. Indicative feedback on each section and a general comment is given where appropriate. The ISP project will be weighted by 90% to create your overall final module mark. Full ISP Marking criteria explained: The final ISP project itself is marked out of 80% of your overall result on this unit, and it is divided into four weighted sections: 1. 2. 3. 4. Title, rationale &research questions: Literature review / Context & critical discussion: Conclusions & recommendations for future research: Referencing (& Bibliography) 20% 50% 20% 10% Rationale Clarity: You are expected to clearly state why you have chosen your topic. Academic: You must provide a fully referenced academic justification for the project (e.g. the issue is under-researched, requires updating, is a new use of theory, a contemporary issue etc.) Applied: The topic must be related to a definable business problem/ issue for which evidence should be provided (e.g.: newspaper report, previous research etc.) Research questions Linked to rationale: Your questions should directly address the issue/ problem you identified in your rationale. Appropriate focus: You should not adopt too broad or narrow a stance towards your topic. Breadth: You should not have too many (or too few) questions Literature review / critical discussion Coverage: You should incorporate a range of literature in this section, including both academic and applied material. This could include but is not limited to: academic journal articles; industry reports (e.g.: MINTEL), professional bodies (e.g.: CIPD, CBI), statistics (e.g.: Labor Force Survey), trade magazines (e.g.: Management Today), credible internet sources, broadsheet newspapers; textbooks and other academic books and so on. It is not necessarily the number of sources you cite, but the relevance, currency, quality and academic rigor of your sources which is important (i.e. focus on peerreviewed, scholarly journal articles as the predominant source type). Structure & clarity: You should write in a clear concise manner and structure your sections, so that it flows logically towards your conclusions. Critical analysis: Your discussion should be analytical and evaluative rather than simply describing the content of other sources. You should build an argument throughout your work and compare and contrast differing points of view. These arguments should be well evidenced and supported by credible sources. Relevance: You should show the relevance of the material you discuss throughout, evaluating the significance of your findings. Excellent work will locate the topic in a broader business & social context but the relevance of any ‘digressions’ must be clearly signaled to avoid losing marks. IF YOU DO NOT MENTION ANY SOURCES THEN ARGUABLY IT IS NOT A LITERATURE REVIEW AND WILL BE HEAVILY PENALISED. 14 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW Conclusions & recommendations for future research Flow from discussion: Your conclusions should stem from your discussion. You would not usually incorporate entirely new material in this section, nor introduce fresh insights into your topic Related to questions: You should summarise the key points from the preceding section and analyse/evaluate them to answer/address the questions you identified at the beginning of the project. One way to do this is to arrange your conclusions section with each question as a heading. Logical/ reasonable: Your recommendations should be a constructive consideration of further research that might be carried out on your topic in the future. Strong projects will consider the limitations of non-empirical studies (e.g.: those based solely on secondary data or a review of published literature) and suggest ways these might be overcome. Referencing (& Bibliography) You must produce a complete list of works which you actually cited in the main body, under “References”, and any other works which you read but did not cite directly, under the heading of “Bibliography” (optional). The marker/s will check if you have correctly and consistently applied the APA format to your citations, references and bibliographic list of sources. If you are unsure, please use the referencing materials provided by the Library which are signposted on the Module Moodle page. 15 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW APPENDIX 2 UNIVERSITY-WIDE STANDARD MARKING CRITERIA FOR LEVEL 6 80+ As below plus: Outstanding work – contains accurate, relevant material, demonstrates understanding of complex subject matter & is able to view it in a wider context. Shows originality and confidence in analysing and criticising assumptions, is aware of the limits of knowledge. Likely to add new insights to the topic and approaches the quality of published material. Evidence of extensive research, uses and presents references effectively. Outstanding quality in terms of organisation, structure, use and flow of language, grammar, spelling, format, presentation, diagrams, tables etc. 70-79 As below plus: Outstanding work – contains accurate, relevant material, demonstrates understanding of complex subject matter & is able to view it in a wider context. Shows originality & confidence in analysing and criticising assumptions, is aware of the limits of knowledge. Evidence of extensive research, uses & presents references effectively. Excellent in terms of organisation, structure, use & flow of language, grammar, spelling, format, presentation, diagrams, tables etc. 60-69 As below plus: Very good work – contains most of the information required, is accurate & relevant & demonstrates understanding of the subject matter & attempts to view it in a wider context. Shows some originality of thought with good critique & analysis of assumptions, is aware of the limits of knowledge. Well researched, good use & presentation of references. Very good in terms of organisation, structure, use & flow of language, grammar, spelling, format, presentation, diagrams, tables etc. 50-59 As below plus: Work that attempts to address the topic with some understanding & analysis, key aspects of the subject matter covered. Research extends to primary sources. Appropriately cited and presented references. Satisfactory presentation with respect to presentation, organisation, language, grammar, spelling, format, presentation, diagrams, tables etc. The majority of students might normally be expected to fall within this range. 40-49 As below plus: Adequate work which attempts to address the topic with limited understanding and analysis. Some research using texts, Internet & key reference sources with reference citation and presentation according to convention. An attempt to follow directions regarding organisation, structure, use & flow of language, grammar, spelling, format, diagrams, tables etc. 30-39 FAIL Anything which is inadequate in most or all of the following: length, content, structure, analysis, expression, argument, relevance, research and presentation. Work in this range attempts to address the question/problem but is substantially incomplete and deficient. Serious problems with a number of aspects of language use are often found in work in this range. 0-29 FAIL No serious attempt to address the question or problem, and/or manifests a serious misunderstanding of the requirements of the assignment. Acutely deficient in all aspects. 16 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW APPENDIX 3 Frequently asked questions 1. Can I see/ e-mail my Seminar Tutor? Yes of course, this can be face to face or virtually. Please e mail your seminar tutor to arrange an appointment. 2. Will my Tutor read drafts of my work? Reading and commenting in detail on students work detracts from the ‘independent’ nature of the project, so essentially, no. However, Tutors will be able to ‘skim’ elements of your work in Workshops and in individual meetings. The best way to get feedback on your drafts is to e mail them to your Tutor and ask for advice on specific questions/ issues that you have about your own work. Last submission of drafts for feedback is 3 weeks before final submission date, but note that your tutor may have a lot of submissions, so you cannot rely on a swift response, so an earlier draft submission for feedbacks would be better. 3. Is the final ISP word limit flexible? The word limit is set at 3,700 words for a reason! Writing substantially more than this will attract a penalty. Writing substantially less than the limit will affect the quality of your work (since good critical discussion needs room for explanation) and this is likely to be reflected in your mark. There is no such thing as an official allowance of 10% extra word count, contrary to popular student belief. In conclusion, 3,700 words, that is the maximum you could write. We will not mark anything extra to the 3,700 words (excluding references and appendices) in texts. 4. How much should I write for each section of the ISP? As a ‘rule of thumb’ it is sensible to look at the marks allocated to each section and apportion your word limit accordingly (e.g.: if a section is worth 20% of the marks you should use 20% of your word limit on it). 5. What information can I use in my ISP? You must only use information that is freely available in the public domain. In other words, you cannot use anything that you have gained personally from a company (or elsewhere) that a fellow student could not also obtain. This includes information gathered from your placement year, or material supplied as a result of a personal e-mail to an organisation. Other than this, you are allowed to use anything you like – bearing in mind the requirement to draw on a range of academic and other sources. 6. How many references should I use? It is tempting to answer this with the comment “How long is a piece of string?” since each project/ topic will draw from different sources. What you will be assessed on is your use of sources – for example, have you merely restated what the original author said (description… capped at 50%) or used the information to evaluate your topic and/ or support your argument. Also, we will be looking to see whether you have read widely from different types of sources (e.g.: academic theory/ research findings vs. practitioner/ industry focused articles). No matter how narrow the topic you have chosen, it will always connect with a broader set of ideas/ theories. 17 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW We are also looking at your evaluative skills – how credible are the sources you have used in supporting your arguments? Using an article in The Sun to back up your point is not likely to be as persuasive as government statistics, for instance. So – if you merely list a whole load of references in a row, you wouldn’t necessarily get more marks than someone who has carefully selected the most significant references to cite. Hence, it is not necessarily the number of sources you cite, but the relevance, currency, quality and academic rigor of your sources which is important. 7. Can I use my own opinion in my work? Of course! Just so long as you properly justify your assertion by referencing credible sources that demonstrate your opinion is based on logical and/ or sound reasoning. You might find it easier to do this if you avoid phrases like “I think that…” and “In my opinion…” The first step in this process is to ask ‘How did I form this opinion?’ (You’ll be surprised how hard this is to do since most of what we ‘know’ is bias, stereotype, assumption, saw-it-on-TV type logic). The next step is to read around sympathetic and conflicting viewpoints: this is the essence of critical appraisal. Finally, avoid use of first person in any case (e.g. not I/me/my), instead, you are “the author…” except possibly in your rationale and at the end of your conclusions. 8. What can the ISP experience do for me? It falls under the banner of ‘Final Year Project’ that is an integral part of your degree as validated by the University of Portsmouth Academic Council. One reason for this is that employers like to see research and project management skills demonstrated by graduates. A good mark for your final year project tells an employer a lot about your ability to self-motivate, organise yourself and your workload, problem-solve, research a range of possible ‘solutions’ and communicate your findings succinctly in writing. If that doesn’t seem important enough, it’s also 20 credits towards your final classification. 18 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW APPENDIX 4: Marking Scheme of the Presentation (in total 10% of the overall mark) Marking Scheme of the Presentation Independent Study Module M30267 Student Number Date of Presentation Clarity of slides? Suitability of title? Rationale Well Justified? Research Questions Suitable? Key Literature Resources Provided? Structure and themes well Developed. No Yes 10 marks ☐ 5 marks ☐ 0 marks ☐ 5 marks ☐ 0 marks ☐ 20 marks ☐ 15 marks ☐ 10 marks ☐ 0 marks ☐ 30 marks ☐ 20 marks ☐ 10 marks ☐ 0 marks ☐ 25 marks ☐ 15 marks ☐ 10 marks ☐ 0 marks ☐ 10 marks ☐ Marginally Acceptable No 5 marks ☐ 0 marks ☐ Excellent Good Poor Yes No Yes Good but work needed Marginally Acceptable No Very good questions Good but work needed Marginally Acceptable No Yes Good but work needed Marginally acceptable Sum (Final Mark) Name of the First Marker Mark Ian Piper 2nd Marker Verified (please tick by the 2nd marker) Presentations should be 5-7 minutes long. ☐ Comments: 19 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW APPENDIX 5 Ethics Approval Due to the nature of this unit, with neither primary nor empirical research allowed, the completed ethics approval form required is shown on the next page. By submitting a copy of your final project, it automatically means that you have read the following pre-set ethics approval form and you confirm that the answers to the questions in the pre-set form fit to your research. Therefore, you do not need to print it out and attach it with your final project. Questionnaires, interviews or any research methodologies against the answers in the pre-set ethics approval form are not allowed. If you have questions on this, discuss the issue with your tutor. 20 ISAC handbook 2020-21 CLW Ethical opinion form for Faculty of Business and Law (BAL) taught undergraduate and postgraduate students (except MRes) 1. What are the objectives of the dissertation / research project? As indicated in the essay. 2. Does the research involve NHS patients, resources or staff? YES / NO (please delete as applicable). If YES, it is likely that full ethical review must be obtained from the NHS process before the research can start. Please discuss your proposal with your Supervisor and/or Course Leader and consult the Guidance Notes for this ethics form. 3. Does the research involve MoD staff? YES / NO (please delete as applicable). If YES, then ethical review may need to be undertaken by MoD REC. Please discuss your proposal with your Supervisor and/or Course Leader and consult the Guidance Notes for this ethics form. 4. Do you intend to collect primary data from human subjects or data that are identifiable with individuals? (This includes, for example, questionnaires and interviews.) YES / NO (please delete as applicable) If you do not intend to collect such primary data then please go to question 11. If you do intend to collect such primary data then please respond to ALL the questions from Q5 onwards. If you feel a question does not apply then please respond with ‘n/a’ (for ‘not applicable’). 5 How will the primary data contribute to the objectives of the dissertation / research project? 6. What is/are the survey population(s)? 7. a) How big is the sample for each of the survey populations, and b) how was this sample arrived at? (Please answer both parts of this question.) 8. How will respondents be a) recruited and b) selected? (Please answer both parts of this question.) 9. What steps are proposed to ensure that the requirements of informed consent will be met for those taking part in the research? If an Information Sheet for participants is to be used, please attach it to this form. If not, please explain how you will be able to demonstrate that informed consent has been gained from participants. 21 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW 10. How will data be collected from each of the sample groups? 11. a) How will data be stored and b) what will happen to the data at the end of the research? (Please answer both parts of this question.) The data will be stored privately and it would be kept safe 12. What measures will be taken to prevent unauthorised persons gaining access to the data, and especially to data that may be attributed to identifiable individuals? The research must not involve any identifiable individuals. 13. What steps are proposed to safeguard the anonymity of the respondents? The research must not involve any respondents. 14. Are there any risks (physical or other, including reputational) to respondents that may result from taking part in this research? YES / NO (please delete as applicable). If YES, please specify and state what measures are proposed to deal with these risks. 15. Are there any risks (physical or other, including reputational) to the researcher or to the University that may result from conducting this research? YES / NO (please delete as applicable). If YES, please specify and state what measures are proposed to manage these risks. 16. Will any data be obtained from a company or other organisation? YES / NO (please delete as applicable) For example, information provided by an employer or its employees. If NO, then please go to question 19. 17. What steps are proposed to ensure that the requirements of informed consent will be met for that organisation? How will confidentiality be assured for the organisation? 18. Does the organisation have its own ethics procedure relating to the research you intend to carry out? YES / NO (please delete as applicable). If YES, the University will require written evidence from the organisation that they have approved the research. 19. Will the proposed research involve any of the following (please put a √ next to ‘yes’ or ‘no’; consult your supervisor if you are unsure): 22 ISP handbook 2021-22 CLW • Vulnerable groups (e.g. children and adults unable to consent)? YES NO √ • Particularly sensitive topics? YES NO √ • Access to respondents via ‘gatekeepers’? YES NO √ • Use of deception? YES NO √ Access to confidential personal data (names, YES addresses, etc)? NO √ • • Psychological stress, anxiety, etc.? YES NO √ • Intrusive interventions? YES NO √ If answers to any of the above are “YES”, please explain below how you intend to minimise the associated risks. 20. Are there any other ethical issues that may arise from the proposed research? None 23 Suitability of title? Yes No Rationale Well Justified? Yese Good but work needed Marginally Acceptable Noe Very good questions Good but work needed Marginally Acceptable Noe Research Questions Suitable? 5 marks o O marks De 20 marks De 15 marks 10 marks De O marks De 30 marks 20 marks 10 marks O marks De 25 marks 15 marks 10 marks O marks De Key Literature Resources Provided? Yes Good but work needed Marginally acceptable No Yese 10 marks Structure and themes well Developed. Marginally Acceptable Noa 5 marks De O marks De The Presentation (10% of final module mark) You are expected to identify a relevant topic for your ISP, clearly state an appropriate research question (or questions) and offer a practical and academic rationale indicating why your topic and these questions are worth further study. You will also need to present a proposal on your research. Your Proposal is the plan for your final ISP research document. You are expected to identify a relevant topic, and clearly explore an appropriate research question (or questions). You must also discuss the significance of the main issues and theoretical debates around your research questions/ problems, by developing arguments based upon the secondary sources you have reviewed. Your presentation will take place in one of your timetabled ISP seminars in weeks 2-5 of TB2. You will be informed in December 2021 of the date and time of your 2022 presentation. You must upload a copy of your presentation to the ISP Moodle Presentation Drop Box at least 24 hours before your presentation.
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