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Faculty of Business Management

 

1. INTRODUCTION
 

The purpose of the module is to give the student the opportunity to carry out an in-depth study normally of an applied nature, synthesizing learning from other modules, yet pursuing one area in depth. More than any other part of a student’s programme, Level 3 allows greater scope for the expression of skills, knowledge and abilities and offers the chance to explore in depth a topical issue in Accounting or Finance. Students are required to prepare a report of 5000 words on a topic selected by each student or from a list set by the academic staff.
 
In contrast to the other modules where you are guided fairly closely, the aim of the Project is to give you:
• the opportunity to provide evidence of your ability to carry out highly independent study and research;
• identify, define and analyze problems and issues and integrate knowledge in a business context;
 
The level 3 research project is a critical component of your academic programme, and accounts for 15 credits.
 
This project handbook has been compiled to clarify the framework of the project and suggest ways of ensuring that you succeed.
 
2. WHAT IS A PROJECT/DISSERTATION?
 
A research project or dissertation sets certain basic expectations
 
• The student determines the focus and direction of their work;
• It is an extended piece of work (5.000 words) containing a more detailed study of a topic and the resulting evidence than is the case for most essays.
 
• It involves becoming actively involved with research with more opportunity for originality and intellectual independence that a normal essay.
• The longer word count of the project requires the student to engage in sustained analysis, interpretation and comparison of a substantial body of data and information.
 
• The project report must be presented in a clearly written, academically cogently argued, logically structured and properly referenced form.
• Students are expected to follow a clear and detailed methodology in order to gather and evaluate their evidence.
 
• The emphasis should be on applied research and the investigation of a practical problem or issue related to organisations.
• The project is a test of your time and self management skills as well as your research and analytical skills. Leaving your project until the end of the first semester or the second semester normally ends in failure.
 
Project supervision and project workshops
 
In completing the project it is not only the outcome that is important but the process itself. You must therefore check the PROJECT notice board, attend the project workshops and maintain regular contact with your supervisor. This is vital to ensure that the quality and pace of your work is satisfactory.
 
A minimum of eight meetings over the span of the entire project is mandatory. You must provide the supervisor with drafts of your work at regular intervals on which you will receive feedback. You are expected to use the feedback constructively and act on it.
 
You will not be allowed to submit your Project without the approval of the Project Supervisor. The supervisor will refuse to approve the project if you have not been meeting him/her regularly with drafts of your work.
 
3. SUBMISSION DATES
 
 All Project students must register with the Project Coordinator through a specially designed Project Registration Form. The form is attached as an appendix (Appendix C) to this handbook.
 
 Students are expected to fill in the form and return it to the Project Coordinator by the end of Week One of the semester.
 
 Based on the forms, supervisors will be allocated to the students by the Project Coordinator in the Week Two of the semester.
 
 Students must hand in the Interim Report to the Faculty supervisor on the scheduled date.
 
 Students must hand in three bound copies and a soft-copy of the Final Project Report to the Faculty Administrator on the scheduled date.
 
3.1 TIME SCHEDULE FOR THE PROJECT
 

Interim Report
Week 5

Final Report Week 11-12
Viva-voce Week 14
 

4. EXTENSIONS
 
Extensions will not be granted to the submission dates stated above, except where there are exceptional mitigating circumstances.
 
To apply for an extension you must contact the Project Coordinator. Strict criteria will be applied, and extensions will be granted only in exceptional circumstances.

 

4.1 GUIDELINES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROJECT
 
Your project report should make clear what you have attempted and why you have attempted it; the methods that you have used to collect, collate and analyse the data obtained; and how you have evaluated it. Any recommendations made should be supported by the evidence presented and by logical argument using deductive and inductive reasoning. The content of a project should not be descriptive but must be analytical.
 
The assessment criteria for the Project is shown in the Project Grading Sheet attached as Appendix B to this Handbook. You should ensure through the entire period that you work on your project that it meets these requirements.
 
4.2 CHOOSING A TOPIC
 
Choosing your topic is probably the hardest thing you will do. Ideally you should have identified your topic of interest during the Research Methods module at Level 2.
 
The choice of topic is up to you, with guidance from your supervisor, but, he/ she will not make the decision for you.
 
Inspiration can come from many places when looking for a research topic. If you are in employment you may be able to research into a real/practical situation. or if you are not employed, you may choose a more general Accounting/financial issue.
 
In order to select as suitable topic, you should
 
• Talk to a member of academic staff or supervisor if allocated at an early stage about your ideas.
• Think of the unresolved/interesting questions and issues you had from other modules that you have studied.
• Draw upon your own experience (as an employee, an analyst , a student, a consultant and so on).
• Scan the academic journals.
• Start writing a paragraph on what you want to do and why so as to give others a clear picture of the issues.
• Avoid too broad a topic or one that is overly ambitious.
Your initial ideas may be vague form and may lack a clear focus. These ideas must then be developed into something focused, manageable and practical through wider reading of the available research literature on the topic and discussions with your project supervisor.
 
You can read more about our case study assignment help services here.
 

 

Most Project ideas come from
 
• Personal experience of employment: this is an obvious starting point for the project because in every organisation there would be some issue that can be researched. An example could be the analysis of financial statements of your organisation through ratio, common size statement tools.
 
• Observation of events: Personal observation of events in the organisation/ environment can serve as a starting point for a project idea. An example of this could be management of debtors or cash in your organisation and you decide that this is an interesting topic that you research and analyse effectively.
 
• Issues of current interest: reviewing key issues of broader relevance may be another useful indicator for a project idea. The example could be on evaluating the effectiveness of Mutual Fund Industry etc. however, you need to take care when dealing with issues such as these. It may be necessary to confine yourself to an aspect of the issue or you could find yourself tackling something that is too big to handle effectively and gives you a very wide project area, which inevitably lacks depth of analysis.
 
Whatever the source of your project idea, in-depth understanding of the topic is imperative for the successful completion of the project. You must also be able to approach the research topic with adequate analytical discussions. Furthermore before you decide on a particular topic/organisation you should ensure that you will have access to the required information or data.
 

4.3 TIME MANAGEMENT AND WORK PLANNING
 
Be organised and systematic in your approach and the earlier you adopt this, the better.
You will need to allow time for the following
 

• Refining the research question/hypothesis;
• Designing the framework for the literature review;
• Undertaking the literature search and using the framework to develop the review;
• Developing the methodology for fieldwork and identifying appropriate methods;
• If required, gaining access and agreeing arrangements for data collection;
• Collecting the data;
• Transcribing data;
• Analysing data;
• Developing the discussion;
• Writing up the study and conclusions.
 
4.4 START WRITING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT
 
Students who fail the project usually start on the written work very late. You must always keep the project moving from the earliest stages.
You will be assessed not only on the intellectual content of your dissertation, but also on its presentation. This means that your written style is very important. To be successful the dissertation must adhere to those accepted rules of academic writing.
 
You must record
 
• Your initial ideas.
• Points from the literature or other sources that you are consulting: What is currently known, written about or researched in the area?
• New ideas as they develop.
• Problems that you come across.
• The bibliographical details of all the material that you read. This will save an enormous amount of time at the end of the project.
 
4.5 DO LOTS OF READING
 
A final year project must be located within the existing literature in that area. In order to do this you need to do lots of reading. You must read
 
• Classic studies in your chosen area.
• Recent studies published as books or journal articles.
• Research methods and methodology texts.
• Primary literature sources.
 
The typical length of a bibliography for a project would include anything between 25-50 references covering the following
 
• Theoretical/conceptual material.
• Methods/methodologies.
• Industry/practitioner literature.
The project is assessed in two parts –
• Project Report (85% Weighting)
• Viva Voce (15% Weighting).
 
5. ORGANISATION OF AAF PROJECT REPORT
 
This section presents some of the norms associated with a AAF project. It is strongly recommended that you follow these guidelines. The final report should be presented in the following sequence
 

 Title page
 Abstract
 Acknowledgements
 Table of Contents:
 List of Tables
 List of figures
 List of Appendices
 

Your documents should be appropriately numbered. It is usual for Page 1 to start with the Introduction. The sections prior to the Introduction are usually numbered with small Romans, i.e. i, ii, iii. It is easier if appendices are numbered in a separate sequence (suggest A, B, C) rather than as a continuation of the main report.
 
While presentation follows this sequence, it may be actually written in a very different order. For example, the introduction is often the last major section to be completed.
 
5.1 Title Page (example)

Keep it very simple. Do not describe the contents. Have a working title and then decide a final title when you have finished the Project. This is the standard format of the Title Page that every student is expected to use.

 

5.2 Abstract
 
This is a summary of about 250 words (no more than one side of double-spaced A4) that describes the topic; explain the aims and methods of the study and it should give a brief resume of the main conclusions and recommendations.
 
5.3 Acknowledgements
 
Here you have the opportunity to thank the various people who have helped in the development of the project. It might include specific individuals who have given information, offered insight, or generally been especially supportive. Gratitude may be expressed to groups of people, like those who were studied, or fellow students. Try not to be too flippant or too “soppy”!
 

5.4 Table of Contents
 
The contents page gives the reader the first view of how the project is structured and how the author attempted to develop the topic. It lists sequentially the sections and major sub-divisions of the sections; each identified by a heading and located by a page number. The following box gives an example.
 

Your precise structure will have to be tailored to the needs of your own projects. If in doubt, discuss with your project supervisor at an early stage.

 
5.5 List of Tables and Figures
 
Throughout the project, it is likely that you will want to present material in tabulated or diagrammatic form. Some such presentations will bear only indirectly or partially on your arguments, and in such cases you will need to decide about their proper location. Additional or less relevant information may be better placed in an appendix.
 
Whether you decide to locate your tables/figures in the main body of the report or the appendices, it is conventional to provide special “contents pages” so that readers can easily find the information. Tables and figures should be listed on a separate page as shown below.

 
5.6 Introduction
 
The introduction is crucial, since it sets the tone and context for the rest of the project. In the introduction, it is important to outline the reasons behind the study – your motives or rationale for conducting the study. You must give a broad introduction to the topic under review and types of issues it raises.
 
Central to this part of the project is the setting of clear objectives, which you intend to achieve by the end of the study. Your statement of objectives should be concise and precise, and should be carefully considered in the light of your original aims and what you have been able to achieve in your study.
 
Finally, you should include a summary of the following chapters to show how the structure of the project allows you to explore the topic in your selected way.
 
5.7 Literature Review
 
The main thrust of the literature review chapter is a review of relevant work by other authors and the relationship between this and your own work. It is useful to start this chapter with an overview of its contents, giving the reasoning behind why you have structured it in a particular way.
 
A literature review should cover a range of relevant material to your project and must identify general trends and positions in your research area. The articles you cite should be compared and contrasted. A literature review is not simply an annotated list of references that you may have read.
 
Everything you use should be cited by reference to the bibliography at the end of your dissertation. Everything that you write must be your own words. You may also quote sentences from the work of others. These must be included in quotation marks and again the relevant work must be cited.
 

5.8 Research Methodology- Data Collection & Data Analysis
 
The main aim of this chapter is to detail the Research Methodology used for this research study. The methodology used both for data collection as well as data analysis should be clearly explained with a rationale for the same. Merits and demerits of the methodology used should also be highlighted. The sample size and the sampling methods have top explained in details. You could use either qualitative or quantitative methods or both for analysing the data collected. Appropriate justification for the chosen methods must be given. It would be useful to refer back to your literature review while justifying the methodology.
 
5.9 Analysis and Findings
 
The main results of your work should be presented, together with critical discussion. The chapter should:
• Present and analyze all the results generated during the project.
• Describe the extent to which the findings support the original objectives laid out for the project. The goals may be partially or fully achieved, or exceeded.
 
5.10 Conclusion
 
Your Conclusion should include a summary of your main arguments, drawing together the various themes and issues so that they can be brought to bear on the defined objectives of the study. As with all reports, there should be no new information introduced in this section.
 

5.11 Recommendations
 
Your Recommendations should be feasible, practical and must place your conclusions within a concrete and practical framework. You need to consider your recommendations in the context of their possible human, financial, political, managerial, etc, implications. Your recommendations should be justified.
 
5.12 Appendices
 
You should locate in the appendices all that information which gives an additional, quasi-relevant support to the arguments you are constructing. It is important that you put all the information you require the reader to attend to, in the main body of the text. Appendices should be consistently signified by letter (APPENDIX A, APPENDIX B) or by number (Roman or Arabic) and given titles that indicate their contents. Do remember to source information in appendices appropriately.
 

5.13 Bibliography and Referencing
 
Referencing is necessary to avoid plagiarism, to verify quotations and to enable readers to follow-up and read more fully the cited author’s arguments. Reference is given within the text of the project as well as at the end of the project. The basic difference between citation and a reference list (bibliography) is that the latter contains full details of all the in-text citations.
 
• Citation provides brief details of the author and date of publication for referencing the work in the body of the text.
• Reference List is given at the end of the text and is a list of all references used with additional details provided to help identify each source.
 
References should be made to sources of material throughout the report. Various conventions are used for referencing but you must use Harvard Referencing, as shown in Appendix A, throughout your report.
 
Proper referencing is a crucial aspect of your project and, in some cases, it can make the difference between a pass and a fail. You are therefore strongly advised to talk to your supervisor about this, in order to make sure that your project report follows the appropriate referencing system.

 
6. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF THE PROJECT
 
 The project should be typed on A4 white paper, and be double-line spaced.

 The left margin should not be less than 40 mm and the right margin not less than 20 mm.

 All pages should be numbered, and numbers should be placed at the centre of the bottom of the page, not less than 10 mm above the edge.

 All tables, figures and appendices should be consecutively numbered or lettered, and suitably labelled.

 The soft-copy should be uploaded in the MOVE well within the time of submission.

 You are required to bring a Hard Copy of your project for the Viva on the scheduled date.
 

7. PROJECT ASSESSMENT

As mentioned earlier in this handbook, the project is assessed in two parts. The first part is the Project Report, which carries 85% weighting in the total marks. The second part is the Viva Voce (Oral Examination), which carries 15% weighting in the total marks. To remind you, this module carries 15 credits contributing towards your degree classification.
Your Project supervisor and an independent double marker would assess the project at the end of the second semester. The projects are also subject to review by the external examiner.
 
8. VIVA VOCE
 
The Viva Voce will be conducted by a panel of members of the faculty, which would include the I & II Markers of the Final Report. The Objective of the Viva Voce is to assess the student’s holistic understanding of his / her project report rather than looking for his / her understanding of the specific issues of the project. It is to assess the ability of the student to defend his / her research.
 
Viva Voce does not require any Presentation of the Project. You would be required to discuss / answer questions related to the different parts of your report viz. Aims & Objectives, Literature Review, Research Methodology, Findings, and Recommendations. The Viva Voce would require you to rationalise / justify your methods- solutions- conclusions, display conceptual understanding, present your responses logically and reflect critically on your Project work.

 
9. PLAGIARISM
 
Majan College (University College) rules about plagiarism apply to your project. Any attempt to copy from another (present or previous) student or to copy large chunks from academic or other sources without appropriately referencing those sources will trigger the full weight of College procedures. If there is any doubt concerning the authenticity of your work, the module team reserves the right to demand an individual presentation before a panel at which you will be required to reply to spontaneous questions.
 
All the material that relates to your project, including completed questionnaires or tapes from interviews, should be shown to your supervisor and be kept until the examination board has confirmed your results. Do not throw this material away once your project is submitted, as you might be asked to present it as part of the viva voce, before your project results are confirmed.
Note: To remind you all that your project work will be passed through software called turnitin which detects the degree of plagiarism along with the source. Accordingly you will be penalised in your grades.

 
10. YOU AND YOUR SUPERVISOR
 
The supervisor’s role is one of guidance – providing advice and pointing out possible problems that may arise. The supervisor’s role is to appraise your ideas and work, but not to tell you how or what to do.
 
You must take overall responsibility for both the content of your project and its management. This includes selection of an appropriate subject area (with advice from the supervisor, if required), setting up meetings with the supervisor, devising and keeping to a work schedule (to include contingency planning), and providing the supervisor with samples of your work.
 
It is your responsibility to make contact with your supervisor and arrange meetings at appropriate times. You should use the time with the supervisors wisely. The students must meet their supervisors for a minimum of six times over the span of their project.
 
You should spread your workload over the entire time available for carrying out your project. Draw up a realistic work schedule with in-built slack to allow for problems.
 
Be sure you are aware of your specific hand-in dates. Extensions are only awarded in very exceptional circumstances indeed; time management, disk, printer, or binding problems will not merit an extension.
 

You must exchange contact details with your supervisor, and make sure that he or she has your relevant contact information. Your supervisor will keep a log of meetings with you. After each meeting with your supervisor, you will both sign a student contact and progression form. Note that if the records show that your contact with your supervisor is not satisfactory; your project may not be marked.

Be sure you are clear about the assessment criteria for the project. Note that a significant proportion of the grade is allocated to presentation and style. A high level of communication skills is expected. However, it is not within the role or the duties of your supervisor to correct your grammar and syntax.

Your supervisor will comment upon samples of your work but will not pre-mark the whole document, or substantial portions of it. If asked, you must present a sample of your written work prior to a meeting with your supervisor, at an agreed time.
 
Under no circumstances will your supervisor give you an indication of your expected final grade.
 
You must keep hard copies of each version of your work, and save copies of the current version on a main and a backup disk (preferably kept apart from each other). Disks should regularly be virus-checked. Also, make sure to keep printed copies of working documents, and the raw data from any questionnaires or other data collection.
 
11. A FEW TIPS….
 
Choose a topic, or an issue, in which you are interested.
 
Get organised … give yourself time to think about your project. Look at the information available – is there enough information available for you to be able to produce a good project?
 
Be wary if you are relying upon organisations to provide you with information. They will not give you confidential or sensitive information and you must not expect them to respond as promptly as you would like.
 
Visit the Library and spend some time looking at previous projects.
 
With the help of your project supervisor agree on the aims and objectives and the structure of the project as soon as possible.
 
It is worthwhile investing in some new floppy discs. Keep at least two copies (updated) and do not leave them in a case/bag in the car where they might be stolen. Remember to virus check your discs.
 
The final printing and binding of your project can be the most frustrating time. Allow five working days. Numbering pages, re-arranging pagination and putting together the Contents page takes a deal of time – do not underestimate this part of your task. By this time you will have been working on your project for some months – you will be bored with it; you just want to hand it in and move on to the next assignment. So, to save yourself time and frustration, allow yourself five working days for this part of the task.
 
Do not underestimate the enormity to the task ahead of you. The key points are to organise your time; make and maintain contact with your supervisor, decide upon your topic and when you have formulated your aims, objectives and structure – get on with it!
 
Finally, remember to print and keep a copy of the project report for your own use, as no copy of the report submitted will be returned to you.
 
12. Schedule of workshops
 
A series of workshops will be held during the semester to help students through the project. All students registered for the project are expected to attend these. The venue, time and the exact dates of these workshops will be communicated through the Project Notice Board.

SCHEDULE FOR AAF STUDENTS
 
Week DATE SUPPORT SESSIONS TIME FACULTY
1 February 16, 2015 Distribution/ Collection of Student Registration forms 4:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. Faisal Aziz
2 February 23, 2015 Induction 4:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. Faisal Aziz
3 March 2, 2015 Choosing the topic 4:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. Faisal Aziz
4 March 9, 2015 Using the digital library 4:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. Available on Move /
Discussion
5 March 16, 2015 Literature Review 4:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. Sharmila Chitnis
7 March 30, 2015 Data Collection Methods 4:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. Mohammad Subayyal
9 April 13, 2015 Data Analysis 4:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. Surya Narayanan
11
April 27, 2015 Writing the final report 4:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. Dr. Uma Selvi
14
May 19, 2015 SUBMISSION
 

 Attendance in Project Workshops is mandatory.
 
The Students must show progress in their project work as suggested in the Schedule. In case, the student lags behind the schedule, the student will be cautioned (through mail / e-mail).

 
APPENDIX A: Harvard Style Referencing
 
Referencing is a standardised method of acknowledging sources of information and ideas that you have used in your report in a way that uniquely identifies their source. Direct quotations and figures, as well as ideas and theories, both from published and unpublished works must be referenced.

This appendix provides a brief guide to the Harvard Referencing style.
 
For Textbooks
 
• In the references and bibliography sections of the Project report, the referencing to material used from text should appear as follows
 
The author, year of publication followed by the title of the textbook (in italics), publisher, location of the publisher.
e.g.
 
Saunders, M. et al (2003), Research Methods for Business Students (3rd edition), Pearson Education, Harlow.

• In the text of the Project report the reference would appear as follows:
 
………………being identified by Saunders (2003) ……………………

• If a direct quote is included in the text the page number where it can be found should also be included while referencing.
e.g.
 
“When drafting your literature review you therefore need to focus on your research question(s) and objectives.” (Saunders 2003, p47)
 

For journal articles
 
• In the references and bibliography sections of the Project report, the referencing to material used from journals should appear as follows:
The author’s name, followed by the title article, journal name in italics, volume number.
e.g.
 
Storey, J, Cressy, P, Morris, T and Wilkinson, A (1997) ‘Changing employment practices in UK banking; case studies’, Personnel Review, 26:1, pp24-42.
 
• In the text of the project report the same reference would appear as follows:

 
………………being identified by Storey et al (1997) and ………….

For websites
 

• In the references and bibliography sections of the Project report, the referencing to material used from websites should appear as follows:

If you are referring to a specific article, it should be detailed as for journal articles as mentioned above, but with the additional information as to where it is available on the Internet.
e.g.
 
Jones A and Smith A (eds) 2001 ‘What exactly is the Labour Force Survey?’ (Online) (cited 20 December 2001). Available from

Supervisor / 2nd Marker / 3rd Marker / External Examiner (Circle appropriate)

Comment Marks

10%
 
ABSTRACT & INTRODUCTION
 
• Focus & content clear
• Abstract: Effective overview of complete dissertation
• Outline of purpose & hypothesis or research question
• Rationale, aim & objectives
20%
 
LITERATURE REVIEW
 
• Identification and interpretation of current and relevant research
• Demonstration of understanding of this research
• Consistent & accurate use of salient references
15%
 
METHODOLOGY
 
• Critical review of approaches used including an overview of alternative methods available
• Sampling/sample
• Reliability & validity
• Design of research instrument
• Pilot studies (where applicable)
• Identification of Data Analysis techniques adopted (where applicable)
 
30%
RESULTS & DISCUSSION
 
• Presentation & explanation of findings in a logical manner
• Relevance of tables, figures & graphs
• Use of appropriate analysis techniques (if applicable)
• Synthesis of qualitative data (if applicable)
• Relation to research problem & literature review

15%
 
CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
 
• Conclusions follow logically from data presented
• Clear links with Aim & Objectives
• Recommendations convincing & practical
• Critical review of completed work
5%
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 
• School format adhered to
• Completeness
5%
&nbs p;
PRESENTATION/READABILITY
 
• Sections & Chapters well balanced
• Grammatical & Spelling accuracy
• Coherence of finished product
Total
 
OVERALL EVALUATION

 

1st Marker______________ Mark/ Grade Awarded __________ Date _________
2nd Marker______________ Mark/ Grade Awarded __________ Date _________
3rd Marker (if required) ____ Mark/ Grade Awarded _________ Date _________
 

AGREED GRADE: _____________________________

 

APPENDIX D Level 3 Project Students undertaking

 
I, the undersigned, agree on and will abide by the following in respect of my Level 3 Project module:

1. I understand that minimum four meetings per semester with my Supervisor are mandatory failing which my Supervisor has a right to withdraw the Supervision at any stage. Further these meetings should be fairly spread out to enable effective progress of work.
 
2. I understand that I cannot submit my Project without the prior approval of my Supervisor.
 
3. I also understand that the Viva-Voce for the Project module carries 15 % weighting and is compulsory to attend. If I fail to attend the Viva-Voce, the college will withhold my results until such time that I attend the Viva.
 

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