Your Dissertation should be presented as follows, ALL dissertations should include the following (but they may include more): Plastic Front Cover White Card Cover Disclaimer Page Abstract Set out on a page of its own immediately after the title page. The abstract is likely to be the last section to be written. It is a short (300 words maximum.) summary of the project (not an introduction) and should indicate the nature and scope of the work, outlining the research problem, key issues, findings and your conclusion/recommendations. Table of Contents An outline of the whole project in list form, setting out the order of the sections, with page numbers. It is conventional to number the preliminary pages (abstract, table of contents) with lower case Roman numerals (i.e. (i), (ii), (iii) etc.) and the main text pages (starting with the first chapter) in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) as shown below. Contents Page List of Tables i List of Figures ii List of Abbreviations iii Acknowledgements iv Chapter 1 (Title) 1 1.1 (First Section heading) 1.2 (Second etc.) 1.3 (Third) List of tables and figures You can present a list at the beginning of your dissertation/ project of the tables and figures you have included. A table is a presentation of data in tabular form; a figure is a diagrammatic representation of data or other material. Tables and figures should be clearly and consistently numbered, either above or below the table or figure. Each table and figure should have a separate heading (caption). The reader should be able to understand what the table or figure is about from this heading / caption without referring to the text for explanations. The numbers of the tables and the figures you use in the text and in the lists at the beginning should correspond exactly. Main body of document, appropriately structured (this structure may vary depending on the nature of your dissertation.) Bibliography / References Appendices (these should only contain material which is genuinely supportive of the argument in the main body of the dissertation). Supervisor Contact Log (completed) (See Appendix 7) White Card Back (from Copy centre) Black Comb Binding (from Copy centre) Do remember that clear writing makes a good impression. If your grammar is poor, sentence construction clumsy, and spelling bad, then your communication with the reader will also be affected. You will not be penalised for poor English unless it is so bad that the meaning of what you have written cannot be understood. You are required to use the following format: • Use A4 size paper only. • Type 1.5 or doublespaced. (You may want to use single spacing for indented quotes, footnote materials and the bibliography). • Use one side of paper only. • Margins should be approximately: o 3 cms on left hand side of page to allow for binding. o At least 1 cm on the right hand side o 3 cms top and bottom. • Pages should be numbered in a single sequence from the contents page onwards. • Short quotations can run in the text within single quotation marks (double quotation marks reserved for quotations within quotations). Quotations longer than about 30 words should be set in from the side of the page (normally the indent should be more than the paragraph indent). • Always write in complete sentences. Do not resort to note form. • Do not use abbreviations in the text unless they are for the organisations documents etc which are commonly initialised or referred to by acronyms eg. BBC • All abbreviations must be explained when they first appear and included in the front of the document following the contents page and the list of tables and figures. Your documents must be bound using a plastic or metal comb binding. The cover should be plain except for the title and the author’s SID number. Reprographics will copy and bind your work. There is a charge for this service. Forms of Dissertation The final form your dissertation takes will depend on the topic and the approach you take for the presentation of the data. Two examples are: Example A Chapter 1 - Introduction An explanation as to what the Dissertation is all about and why it is important. The research questions or hypotheses. Chapter 2 - Literature Review A critical analysis of what other researchers have said and where your topic fits in. The theoretical framework. Chapter 3 - Methodology Why certain data was collected and how it was collected and analysed. Chapter 4 - Results A presentation of your research results. Chapter 5 - Analysis and Discussion Analysis of your results showing the contribution to knowledge you have made and acknowledgement of any weaknesses/limitations in your work. Chapter 6 - Conclusions/Recommendations A description of the main lessons to be learned from the study and what future research could be carried out. Chapter 7 - References and Bibliography References are a detailed list of sources from which information has been obtained and which has been cited in the text. The bibliography is a detailed list of other sources you have used but not cited. Appendices - Detailed data referred to but not shown elsewhere. Example B You may wish to elect to write a descriptive type of dissertation that looks for patterns, ideas and hypotheses. If you do the quality of the dissertation will depend on: • How thoroughly the issues are covered. • How closely the facts relate to the original research question. • Whether the data collected provides valuable and new information that is a contribution to knowledge. • Whether the research could be built upon by future writers. • The extent to which creativity has been used in building the narrative. NB - This approach is not an extended essay, but evidence of critical reflection and analysis. The two forms of dissertation outlined above are given as an indication of possible formats. It is possible that your dissertation may require a different approach or modification to the above possibilities in presentation and content. Both presentation and content should be discussed with your Dissertation Supervisor at an early stage. Remember, study at Master's level encourages innovative application of research principles to academic work.

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