Faculty of Life Sciences & Education Police Sciences
RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK
A practical guide for students
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RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK - A practical guide for students
Index 1. Introduction 3 2.
The role of your supervisor
5
3.
Your role as a dissertation student
7
4.
Structure and Style of the Dissertation
8
5. Choosing a topic 10 6.
Aims and Objectives
12
7.
Introduction Chapter
8.
The Literature Review
9.
The Methodology Chapter
16
10.
Ethics
19
11.
Risk assessment
21
12.
Results and Discussion Chapter
23
13.
Conclusion and Recommendations Chapter
24
14.
Referencing
25
15.
Final Checklist
26
13 14
16. Viva voce 27 Appendix A (ethics form)
28
Appendix B (Assessment criteria)
30
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1. INTRODUCTION TO THIS DOCUMENT This document has been created to help you with the production of your final research project. The aim of this document is to assist you with the practicalities of working and producing a dissertation project. But before we start discussing these details, it is important that you DO NOT PANIC! I know it may seem a million miles away, but it is important to outline some key dates and processes. Firstly, you do not need any reminders from us that this project is vitally important to your degree classification, with it contributing to 40 credits in your 3rd year of study. Therefore, not only do we expect you to work hard on this project (no doubt that you will), but it is also important that you fully understand the processes involved. Therefore, please read this document in detail, as it outlines a number of key dates, processes, whilst also giving you some good hint and tips – as a well-known supermarket once said… “Every little helps”.
Hard Copy For dissertation projects, there is a requirement for students to print their projects and hand them to their supervisors. The Print and Design Shop offer a wide array of printing services, including binding. Further information can be found here
Electronic Copy Just like many of your other assessments, there is a requirement for you to submit an electronic copy of your project through turnitin. As you are aware, this is so that we can check the similarity of your work and ensure that your submission is original. The Turnitin submission link can be found within the “Assessment” folder on Blackboard. On this note, we would strongly advise you to take NO RISKS when submitting online, as the late submission policy applies to the mark given to your dissertation project – so a cap of 40% may have severe consequences for your degree classification. If you are having difficulty submitting your work via Turnitin, then it is imperative that you email your supervisor straight away informing them of this technical issue. It is vitally important that you attach your submission within the email. Once submitted, you should receive an electronic receipt within your university email inbox. This should arrive within a few minutes from submission - if you do not have the receipt, you cannot guarantee that your submission was successful. If you do not receive a receipt and are concerned then please contact your supervisor. Both forms of submission MUST be completed before the final submission date. This year, your final submission date is:
Tuesday 19th March 2019 @ 16:00
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RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK - A practical guide for students Once you have submitted your assignment, you can breathe a sigh of relief! The late nights, grey hairs, cans of energy drink, and tears are all over…well…Kind of! It is then the turn of your supervisor to assess your project. In Police Sciences, we have a very robust team, who are committed to providing students with fair and equal opportunities. Therefore, your projects will be assessed by your supervisors, by also blind second marked by another assessor. However, we do not stop there…we also give a sample of the dissertation projects to our external examiner- as a means of ensuring consistency between markers. Once this process has been completed, we then need to formally present your marks to the exam board. Therefore, due to this process, and in-line with the university regulations, you will not receive your dissertation mark until mid-June, the same time you receive your final degree classification. So, you are now probably thinking, “gosh...this seems a million miles away”… honestly, time flies in your 3rd year. Therefore, it is important that you start to think about this assignment. When you first start thinking about this assignment, many of you will think that you will never be able to produce a document this big- 10,200 words (+/-10%) – AHHHH! However, if you think of it as being something like 5 x 2000 word essays, then it doesn’t seem so much, aye? But don’t forget, we have helped to prepare you for this project within the 2nd year module Research in Police and Security. The content and learning materials for this module can be found within the dissertation module on Blackboard. Whilst we are on the discussion of Blackboard, I would like to bring to your attention the vast array of learning materials available to you. It is important that you use these documents/ resources as a means of support and guidance for your project. Whilst the resources / learning materials will provide you with a wealth of support and guidance; sometimes, there is nothing better than a good chinwag with your supervisor. Always remember that your dissertation supervisor will be there to support and guide you through this process. Supervisors are experienced and knowledgeable and have therefore successfully supervised copious amounts of students over the years – so if you are ever in doubt, or you need some guidance then please, please ask!
I guess that this is probably the most suitable time to discuss the role of your supervisor…
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2. THE ROLE OF YOUR SUPERVISOR Before you start producing the dissertation/project document you will be allocated a supervisor. We try to match you up with someone who has an interest in the area you want to research, although all of your supervisors are interested in most things to do with policing and you will be supported very well by whoever you are allocated to. The role of the supervisor is to: • Direct you to obtain relevant information for your topic • Oversee your work, so that drafts of chapters can be refined • Support you in the general production of this work • Be the first marker of the project document. The document will of course be marked by a second person.
Remember, you must keep contact with your supervisor. Whilst initially you may be allocated a time/day to see your supervisor, you can if you want to, keep in contact by other means, such as e-mail or telephone. Remember, if you are feeling “lost” or confused at any time with this work, please contact your supervisor. NB – It is not for the supervisor to chase after you for work. Your supervisor is there to encourage you, and at set points, to mark your work; these are two distinct functions and, just because a supervisor praises your effort or improvement, it is not a guarantee of an excellent mark.
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RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK - A practical guide for students
3. YOUR ROLE AS A DISSERTATION STUDENT Before discussing anything else, it is important that you fully understand your role as a dissertation student, and as a researcher. There is no doubt that the dissertation project is a major piece of work within your academic career. Consequently, the production of the project is a very demanding. There is no doubt that this will test a number of skills over the academic year, but mostly, it will test your determination and ability to manage time effectively. Whilst your research supervisor will be there to provide you with support, guidance and a shoulder to cry on, the responsibility of the project lies with you. Therefore, carefully planning, reading, researching and writing the project will require you to remain focused and committed, in order that you walk across the graduation stage looking like batman. In addition to the responsibilities outlined about (planning, research, writing, time management, submission, etc), there are many other responsibilities placed upon students throughout the dissertation process. Here are some example: • You MUST contact your supervisor within the first 2 weeks of term • It is up to you to make arrangements to meet your supervisor • It is your responsibility to submit work/ drafts within the deadlines provided. If you do not submit the work within the draft deadlines, then your supervisor will NOT provide you with feedback / comments. • It is your responsibility to read this handbook and any other regulatory documents. These can be found within Unilife. • You should familiarise yourself with the resources/ learning materials on Blackboard. • To keep up to date with Blackboard announcements • Ensure that your project complies with the Universities Ethics Guidelines and Policies – this must be completed with oversight from your supervisor. • Sign all appropriate documents
WITH NOTHING FURTHER TO DO, LET’S EXAMINE THE DISSERTATION PROCESS 6
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4) STRUCTURE AND STYLE OF THE DISSERTATION There is no doubt that the overall structure and style of your project contributes towards the quality and format of your project. Therefore, it is imperative that you understand the requirements placed upon you, as it may have an implication upon the marks awarded. All students need to ensure that their projects maintain focus and feasibility. One way in which this can be achieved, is by following the structure and word guide outlined within this document.
I. THE DISSERTATION CONSISTS OF A NUMBER OF KEY ELEMENTS: • • • • • • • • • •
Abstract Aims and Objectives Introduction Literature review Methodology chapter Results & Discussion Conclusion and Recommendations Reference list / Bibliography Appendices (If any) Viva Voce – Oral Presentation
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RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK - A practical guide for students ii. WORD COUNT OF THE DOCUMENT The following is just a rough guide to the amount of words you can write in each section of this document. Of course, your supervisor may decide to alter this to suit the requirements of your particular project but this does at least give you some framework to think about. 200 -300 Words
Abstract
N/A
Aims and Objectives
@ 500-1000 words
Introduction
Write this bit last and tie it to your question/ hypothesis - WRITE THIS LAST
@2600 words This is worth 20% of your assessment mark. It’s important that your discussion remain critical and not descriptive. (2000 – 2500 for Systematic review study)
Literature Review
Remember – look for themes linked to your subject area - do not write descriptively. About 25% of your total words should be here.
@ 2600 words This is worth 20%, of the assessment mark. Please take a careful look at the Assessment criteria, that can be found at Safe.southwales.ac.uk (2000 words for a systematic review study)
Methodology
Write here about your research methods. Why did you choose the methods you used? What problems did you encounter? What problems are there for example, if you used official statistics or you used a questionnaire? How did you overcome them?
@ 2600 words This is worth 20%, so need to stress quality and fullness of analysis and synthesis. (4000 words for a systematic review study)
Results and discussion
@ 800-1300 words
Conclusion and Recommendations
Not included in word count, but a substantial number of references should be included
References Bibliography list Appendices Etc.
20-minute oral assessment
VIVA VOCE
Here you discuss what your findings are. Link this to your literature review and compare it to what others have found.
Link this to your introduction. Have you discovered what you wanted to find out? What are you findings? Are you recommendation reasonable, meaningful and as a result of your research findings?
The Viva Voce an ‘oral examination’ of your completed dissertation. It is an opportunity for you to have discuss your work with a panel of staff.
Your total project wordage is limited to 10,200 words (+/- 10%) 8
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iii. ASSESSMENT GRADE WEIGHTING We recognise the importance of being transparent with our marking and assessment processes, here in Police Sciences. Therefore, amongst the second marking processes that we have in place, we have also created a clear assessment overview for your viewing. This assessment overview clearly outlines the assessment weighting for your whole dissertation project, including the Viva.
Assessment Criteria
%
Title, Aims, objectives, and Introduction
10
Review of Literature
20
Methodology and Data Collection
20
Analysis of data and discussion.
20
Conclusions and recommendations
10
Overall quality of the written work.
5
VIVA 15
Right, now let's get down to the details of the dissertation
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RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK - A practical guide for students
5. CHOOSING A TOPIC Trying to establish a focus for your dissertation topic should be completed within the year two Research in Policing and Security Module. However, we all acknowledge that some students change their minds over the summer period. As a reminder for you all, choosing a topic for your research is quite possibly one of the most important parts of a dissertation research project. Why, you may ask? Well, quite simply, you need to ensure that the topics/ area of research is something that you have an interest in, otherwise you may get bored or disinterested halfway through. This, for some, is quite easy. They may have been interested in something such as Body-Worn Cameras for a while and will want to carry on researching it. Others may not have thought about it too much and will need to look around for something that is topical, and of interest. Besides the above, you need to consider the following when choosing a topic to research for this project. These include: • Is there enough information available for me to use to research the topic? • Will I have access to that information or is it too sensitive a topic? • Is there too much information available that I will not be able to sort through in the time required? • Will I be able to generate sufficient information or data from the methods I want to use? Start to ask yourself these questions, and speak with your supervisor about any ideas that you have. They will be able to provide you with advice and guidance upon your proposed topic, and help to ‘steer’ your project in the right direction. Throughout this process, it is important that you gain a detailed understanding of your research topic. Therefore, you are required to read, in-depth, around the subject matter. The university have a number of useful resources to help you throughout this process. Visit the LRC and search for any Social Science Research book. There are many of them held in the LRC. These books will be in demand so a good tip is to get in early, makes notes from them and return them when finished. Also, do not forget, the Library services have a vast array of online resources available via findit, they are FREE to use.
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Speak to a librarian for further information about this, or watch the following video: Please also view the module’s ‘reading list’ where, lecturers have outlined some of the most helpful and appropriate books for dissertation students. Also visit the Study Skills section on Blackboard where you will find excellent advice and guidance on writing etc, the following may be of help.
The next stop, ABSTRACT ABSTRACT Writing an abstract is one way of demonstrating to the reader (and your supervisor) that you have the ability to write a concise summary of your dissertation project – thus is recognised as an academic skill. Abstracts provide the reader with a summary of your research, whilst also outlining key elements of your project, such as the problem, the methods used, and an overview of your results. This should be about 200 – 300 words in length. Click here to see an example of how to structure an abstract, which includes some clear points and hint on how to construct an abstract.
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RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK - A practical guide for students
6. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES It is fundamental that you create suitable aims and objectives for your research project. Why, you may ask? Well, the aims and objectives are a great way of illustrating to the reader the details of your project and what you are intending to research. Furthermore, they can help to provide you and your project with structure and guidance. There is plenty of information available on Blackboard regarding the formulation of research aims and objectives. Please watch this video:
In addition, click here to see some more information on designing research aims and objectives. The formulation of your aims and objective should be as a direct result of you project title. Here are some examples: Project Title: A Critical Evaluation of Police Policy Implementation in Policing Domestic Abuse in Wales Aim: To critically analyse the impact of localised police policy, with the view of understanding levels of victim satisfaction in Wales.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: • • • •
To critically evaluate local police policies and procedures with regards to domestic abuse. To investigate whether victims of domestic abuse believe from their own experiences that policing policies and intervention styles are effective in reducing and dealing with domestic abuse. To ascertain whether police officers believe that the policies and procedures used by their Police Force are successful in dealing with incidents of domestic abuse To establish research findings with the view of adding to scientific knowledge in order to influence policies and procedures
Once you have these set in stone, with the approval of your supervisor, then you are set to begin the dissertation journey.
Where do we go first? ...the introduction 12
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7. INTRODUCTION The introduction to your dissertation should explain to the reader what you are going to investigate. It should describe the dissertation’s topic, whilst outlining the scope and relevance of your research. It also needs to be a clear statement of the research question and the aims of the research. However, the introduction to your dissertation may actually be the last part that you should complete. Sounds weird, right... An introduction, to be completed at the end? Well, there is method to this madness! The best advice is that you scope out a preliminary introduction at the beginning of your studies, and then later on, once you have a better understanding of your research, you should then go back and amend the introduction, as a way of ensuring that it is an accurate description of your work. Here is an example of a good dissertation introduction…but remember… DO NOT COPY as it will amount to plagiarism:
“The question as to whether police officers possess certain personality dispositions, making them unique in comparison to the rest of society, has been the subject of an extensive line of research (Bushara, 2012). However, despite the volume of research conducted in this area, there is no definite answer to suggest a ‘police personality’ exists. The topic of police personality will be explored within the literature review in order to facilitate the reader with a broader understanding. The researcher will contribute to this line of research, by conducting a study on Police Science and Non-Police Science students at the University of South Wales to determine whether there is a distinctive personality type amongst those who aspire to join the police service. This research project will also focus on the changes in personality types of Police Science students as they progress through the course and the possible explanations for such changes. Furthermore, the research will identify the reasons why Police Science students aspire to join the police service and whether there is any relationship between their reasons and their personality type. The motivation behind conducting research in this area is due to the range of people on the Police Science course. The researcher had initially expected that many of the students would have similar views and interests, however, this does not appear to be the case.” (2016-17 Dissertation student).
Once you have completed the vast majority of your project, your supervisor will direct you to revisit the preliminary version of your introduction, with a view to making any appropriate alterations.
Now, the next stop …review of the Literature! www.southwales.ac.uk www.southwales.ac.uk
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RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK - A practical guide for students
8. LITERATURE REVIEW The literature review, is arguably the ‘heart and soul’ of the project. Whilst this may sound a little cheesy...if you think about it, this is the main driving force behind you carrying out your research. So therefore, it’s a chapter that you must get right! But firstly, what is a literature review? A literature review is a critical analysis of existing literature within your field of study. The purpose of this chapter, is for you to research, locate and critically analyse all relevant and significant literature that exists within your research topic, with a view to providing an insight and context to the field of study. So, the literature review means that you have to write about what is known about your chosen topic. This will involve you examining a wide range of documents, books, journals; websites etc, to provide as full a picture about the topic you are researching. However, you must ensure that you are using credible and reliable source for your work not “skills you need.com” or, other unreliable sources. The trick here is focus! Ask yourself the following questions. What is my topic? What are the themes that I need to discuss in my Literature Review? What are the key literature reads? What are the key literature discussions? Are the sources credible and reliable? The issue of themes is VERY important. For example if you are studying Police use of Body-Worn Cameras, depending upon the perspective of you study, you may want to look at technology in the police, technology acceptance, resistance to change culture, the uses of BWC’s, etc. Having made a list of these themes you should start to write what others have discussed. Many people make a mistake here and adopt a ‘shotgun’ approach to this task, producing an almost ‘all I know about’ type of document. If you produce this type of literature review, you may waste time talking about issues that you are not even looking at in your research project.
So keep focused on what your project is about, find the themes that you want 14 14
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Please watching the following video:
(Click here if the embedded video doesn’t work) Your literature review should be at least 2600 words long (+/-10%). Once you have decided on the themes that you are going to write about, decide roughly the amount of words you will write about each theme. By doing this you will remain focused on what you need to write about and just how much you need to write. You could almost apply the SMART pneumonic to your idea:
SMART SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, REALISTIC, AND TIME SCALED. A literature review is a description of the literature relevant to a particular field or topic. It gives an overview
What has been said
Key writers
prevailing theories and hypotheses
Questions being asked
Appropriate and useful methods and methodologies
ONCE YOU HAVE ACED THIS, THEN, YOU MOVE ONTO THE NEXT STEP…METHODOLOGY. www.southwales.ac.uk www.southwales.ac.uk
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RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK - A practical guide for students
9. Methodology Chapter The methodology chapter of the dissertation appears to be the section that some students struggle with the most. My advice is to not panic! Your supervisors will always will there to guide you with your dissertation, and they will be able to assist you!
Now, many students find methodology “BORING” or a “DRY SUBJECT”… well, parts of it can be…but you must stick with it! It is referred to as one of the most important parts of the research study, as the chapter is based upon how you intend to obtain your data, whilst discussing the methods that you are going to apply to get the information that you need for your study. In general terms, if you are undertaking primary research, your method of obtaining data/information will be either quantitative, qualitative or a mixture of both. Nevertheless, it is important that you examine some of the philosophical positions that may be underlying your research approach.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH This is not a single set of theoretical ideas and the methods used can include observations, discourse, views obtained from participants, and documentary analysis.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH In general, this approach means the collection of data in numerical form for analysis. Much information of this nature is gathered by using questionnaires. This data can be number of crimes, incidents, etc which will be compared to other information such as gender, age etc. Your Methods chapter, therefore, is about how you conduct the research for your dissertation/project. You should explain which method you have chosen and the reasons why you have done so. You should also include the advantages and disadvantages of the methods you have chosen, and you may want to include something about other methods, and why you did not chose them – but be mindful of the word count available. Do not forget that you MUST speak to your supervisor about the methods you want to use. Sometimes, the methods you want to employ are just not practical, or will not effectively produce the information you want to find out, or they may be unethical.
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Remember! MOST MARKS IN THIS SECTION ARE ABOUT JUSTIFYING THE DECISIONS YOU HAVE MADE. YOU MUST SUBMIT THE DETAILED QUESTIONS YOU WILL POSE OR OBSERVATIONS YOU WILL MAKE. YOU MUST SUBMIT AND HAVE APPROVED YOUR RISK ASSESSMENTS AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE COMMENCING ANY PRIMARY DATA GATHERING.
NB… IF YOU ARE UNDERTAKING A SECONDARY PIECE OF RESEARCH, YOUR METHODOLOGY WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM THAT IF YOU ARE COMPLETING PRIMARY RESEARCH. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW (UNDERTAKING SECONDARY RESEARCH ONLY) What is a systematic review? A systematic review answers a defined research question by collecting, critically analysing and summarising all empirical evidence that fits pre-specified eligibility criteria. In other words, it is a piece of research which uses secondary information/data only. It does not involve undertaking primary research. Why undertake a Systematic Review? You might wish to undertake a systematic review – collect secondary information only - if you are undertaking a study where: - primary research is not needed - it might be difficult to gain ethical approval to undertake primary research. For example, it is highly unlikely that you will have permission to interview vulnerable people. Examples of a Systematic Review might be: ‘A study of Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) to determine whether or not multi-agency work to safeguard children is effective.’ ‘An examination of literature and data to discover if the police are equipped to deal with people with mental health issues.’
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RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK - A practical guide for students WORD COUNT Typically, the word count for the various sections of a systematic review for an undergraduate dissertation in Police Sciences will be slightly different to that of a dissertation which includes both secondary and primary research. If you are undertaking a study using SCRs, for example, your dissertation might look like this: Literature Review – about 2000-2500 words - Definitions - How? When? (did the concept develop) - Bodies - Key Agencies - Laws – change? - End by saying that Policy and Procedures have changed in the light of SCRs – if they have. Methodology – about 2000 words - Explain why you are using this method as opposed to others. - Say why you will be using these SCRs. Analysis – about 4000-4500 words - Analyse the SCRs – similarities / differences - What was learned from them? The above is an example. You will need to discuss actual content and word count with your Dissertation Supervisor. Further information on undertaking a Systematic Review is also available in your lecture notes/slides from last year’s Research Methods module.
Now the next stop is a crucial one, but has in the past been overlooked by some students
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10. Ethical Research Ethical research deals with the standards of behaviour required to conduct research. Whilst research is generally justified in terms of new or better knowledge, ethical problems arise in the tension between this search for knowledge and the rights of individuals taking part in the research. For example, you will have to understand that individuals have a right to privacy, and confidentiality when they supply you with information. You will need an informed consent document - which means that people are aware of the fact that they are taking part in the research with you and that they agree to do so. You will need to provide them with a document/ letter informing them of their right to withdraw from the research at any time.
Both of the above are IMPORTANT and you need to liaise closely with your supervisor regarding these matters Here is a link to the Social Research Association Ethical Guidelines document that emphasises the serious nature of ethics for researchers.
http://the-sra.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/ethics03.pdf There is also a number of ethical guidelines/ guidance documents from the University of South Wales. They outline some of the ethical requirements and processes that students must follow when they are conducting research. These can be viewed within the module ‘learning materials’ tab with the folder of “ethics”
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RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK - A practical guide for students ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS CHECKLIST Interviewing/observational work. If this work entails interviewing members of the public/police officers etc. has consideration been given to the following aspects:
1. Informed consent – do the participants being studied fully understand why they are being asked for information and have given their consent? This consent will then have to be recorded, and can be done so on a separate form.
2. Are respondents fully aware of why the research is taking place?
3. Anonymity- has the respondent been told that they will not be identified as part of this research?
4. Confidentiality- Are respondents being told that the information they are being asked for will be treated in confidence and kept under lock and key – incompliance with the DPA 1998.
5. You must provide contact details to all participants in case they have any questions at a later date. You should also provide your supervisors details. Do not use any personal contact details, only your university details.
NB. YOU MUST COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE ETHICS FORM AND HAVE IT APPROVED BEFORE YOU UNDERTAKE YOUR RESEARCH THE TEMPLATE CAN BE FOUND IN THE APPENDICIES OF THIS HANDBOOK 20
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11. Risk Assessments Before you start doing this project you will have completed a research proposal in year 2 which outlines what you want to achieve etc. You must also provide a Risk assessment of your research activity before you implement your chosen methodology; this document means that you have considered any risk in carrying out your research to yourself, others and, in particular, those people who perhaps you are going to speak to or who take part in this research. Below is an example of real life risk assessment used for carrying out research into situational crime prevention techniques in Barry, south Wales.
Risk Category
Control Measures
Abuse/physical assault
Barry police station notified regarding the research and the time and dates team will be in the specified area.
Information will be received from the partnership regarding any houses that they specifically request NOT be visited.
Team members will always work in pairs.
Team members will always carry a mobile phone which will be switched on.
Team members are not to visit houses late at night. Evening visits must be by appointment only and team members will ensure that others know of this arrangement.
Team members will be polite and carry identification, a letter from the University and their student identification card.
Team members will inform each other of their activities and the team leader every day. All research team members will be provided with a detailed map of the area and a list of emergency telephone numbers and numbers of each other’s mobile phones in order to ensure communication between them.
Weather hazards.
Suitable outer garments must be available to the researcher at all times. If inclement weather conditions arrive during the course of the research, researchers must not continue with their task.
Respondent Non Compliance
Should an individual decline to take part in the survey, the researcher will thank them for their time and walk away.
Research team members must not become involved in disputes regarding either the survey or the introduction of the crime prevention scheme with householders.
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RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK - A practical guide for students This example shows how you need to carefully think through the concept of health and safety when doing research. Once this has been completed, and viewed by your supervisor, you can then begin the research process. Best of luck with it.
Once you collated your data, you then need to begin to interoperate and analyse your findings/ data sets.
Therefore‌the next stop is results and discussion.
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12. Results and Discussion Chapter This chapter is where you discuss the results of your research. It is sometimes called the FINDINGS section. Here you will present what you have found out. Ensure that you are consistent when presenting charts or graphs or tables. Decide on the style you want and keep to it throughout the document. Remember that simplicity is the best way when presenting data in this work. Do not try to overcomplicate charts with multi layered colours or try to present tables that are complex. For example, a table may look like this one: Perceptions regarding the Before installation use of alley-gates
Six months after installation
Two years after installation
A ‘good thing’
82% 76% 77%
A ‘bad thing’
4% 6% 11%
Uncertain
14% 18% 12%
Based on a sample size of 100 residents
Alternately, you can present your findings within a graph format. The Simplest way to do this, is through Microsoft excel. However, there are a number of other programmes that you can use, such as, SPSS & NVIVO.
It is better not to try overcomplicating data as it may hinder the presentation of key facts. It is important that you link this chapter to key discussions/ points outlined within your literature review and methods chapter. For example, you may want to discuss your results or findings concerning a question you have asked about fear of crime. You will explain to your reader what you have found out, but you should also compare what you have found out with previous work asking the same or similar question. Linking your findings with previously published work is an important part of the whole dissertation/project as it will ensure high marks.
Next stop…and finally…the conclusions and recommendations. www.southwales.ac.uk
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RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK - A practical guide for students
13. Conclusions & Recommendations Chapter This section of your work brings it all together. Here you can tell the reader briefly about what you have found out about your topic. You will include the following: • What you were trying to find out or establish (your hypothesis or research question) • What you actually found out or learned. You should not include something unless it: • Follows from your results or findings • Discussed in the findings section. The conclusion section should follow on as a sort of summary section to your discussions in your findings or results chapter.
Remember! RECOMMENDATIONS ARE JUST THAT, IF YOU WERE CARRYING OUT THIS WORK FOR A PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATION E.G. A POLICE SERVICE, WHAT SHOULD IT DO AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS STUDY? SHOULD THEY CHANGE THEIR POLICIES OR THEIR PRACTICES OR THEIR ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE ETC?
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14. Referencing Referencing is a very important aspect of writing that students seem to have difficulty with. You MUST be sure to reference carefully throughout your dissertation/project. DO NOT cite any material without stating clearly the source of this information. Referencing correctly will prevent any allegations of Plagiarism, a serious academic offence. You must ensure that all sources utilised in the essay are contained in the bibliography at the end of the essay. You must adopt the Harvard Referencing System. Remember, reference change depending upon the source used. Please see some examples of references below: reference list.
BOOKS Gravelle, J and Rogers, C (2014). Researching the Police in the 21st Century. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmilian.
CHAPTERS IN MULTI-AUTHOR BOOKS Thomas, G. (2014), ‘Research Methodology. In Gravelle, J and Rogers, C. Researching the Police in the 21st Century. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmilian.
JOURNAL ARTICLES Myhill, A. Johnson, K. (2016). Police use of discretion. Criminology & Criminal Justice: an international Journal. 16 (1) P.1-14.
WEBSITE Office for National Statistics. (2014). Public Perceptions of the Police, and Police Visibility, 2012/13. Available: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov. uk/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/ focus-on-victimisation-and-public-perceptions--2012-13/rpt---chapter-1.html. Last accessed 1st June 2016. The University of South Wales guide to Harvard system of referencing is available here
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15. Final Checklist!!! Before submitting your dissertation, you must ensure that you have fulfilled each requirement that has been listed below. Tick off the boxes once you have completed them – this will help you stay on track. • Your dissertation is within the word limit – 10200 +/- 10%.
• You have referenced/ cited correctly. Please click here to view the Universities Harvard Referencing guide.
• You have proofread your work for spelling, grammar and sentence structure. Top tip – get a friend or family member to also proofread your work, as you might have missed some errors.
• Have included a declaration form at the beginning of your project; declaring that this work is yours – this is available within the Learning Materials folder. This must be signed within your hardcopy submission.
• Your dissertation has a contents page at the beginning of the project
• You have included the appropriate chapters / sections outlined at the beginning of this document.
• You have an appendices section that is clearly listed (if appropriate )
• You have included a copy of your ethics form within your appendices
• You have a copy of your risk assessment within your appendices
• Tick if you are ready for the last stage…the Viva Voce
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16. Viva Voce Finally…we are at the end of the dissertation process (I hear you shouting YES, Finally)! The Viva Voce is the final stage for you throughout this dissertation journey – and I am sure you’ll agree with me – it has been a journey! The Viva Voce an ‘oral examination’ of your completed dissertation. It is an opportunity for you to have discuss your work with a panel of staff. The Panel will normally consist of your supervisor and your second marker – however, there are occasions whereby other academic staff are invited to join the panel. The objective of the Viva is: a) To ensure that the work you are submitting is your own and that any research forming part of your dissertation has been conducted by you. b) To test your ability to explain what you have learned or found out; both about the topic itself and the process of evaluating the worth of a policing related activity. c) Provide students with an opportunity to evaluate their research design and its execution. This is an excellent opportunity for you to explain and justify your research project, whilst also developing a number of skills, such as; communication, confidence, criticality, reflection, amongst others. This process will last 20 minutes. And you will be given a time, date and location by your research supervisor. This assessment normally takes place around April, once you have submitted your dissertation thesis. The marking criteria for this assessment is available on S.A.F.E., so please familiarise yourself with it, as it contributes to 15% of the whole dissertation mark – the other 85% coming from your dissertation project. For further information on the viva process, and some hints and tips
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RESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK - A practical guide for students
APPENDIX A
FACULTY OF HEALTH, SPORT AND SCIENCE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ETHICS APPLICATION FORM Student name Title of project Division Supervisor Divisional consideration given by Date of submission Please complete the questions below by circling the appropriate response.
1. Does the work involve human participants or data from human participants? If yes please continue to next question. If no you may submit this form without answering further questions.
2. Does the work involve vulnerable participants such as below? • Infants and children under the age of eighteen; • People with learning or communication difficulties; • People with a diagnosed mental illness; • People in residential or nursing home care; • People under the care of social services; • People in custody; • People on probation or parole; • People engaged in illegal activities such as theft, drug abuse or sex working.
3. Does it involve sensitive topics or invasive procedures? e.g. • Disclosure of details relating to pregnancy, illness or disability; • Disclosure of details relating to care/treatment received; • Topics related to illegality; • Topics related to imprisonment and/or custody; • Any invasive procedure with subjects. (These are examples and should not be taken as an exhaustive list).
4. Does it involve collection of data that are not anonymous?
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
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NB: Any NHS involvement requires ethical approval from NHS Research Ethics Committee and must be addressed through the NHS ethics policy. Guidance Notes: If the answer to question 2 or question 3 is yes the advice of the Ethics Champion is to be sought. If the answers to question 2 and question 3 are yes then projects should normally be required to submit a full proforma for Faculty Ethics Approval. If you have any queries please speak to the Faculty Ethics Chair/Ethics Champion – Prof Peter McCarthey (peter.mcCarthey@southwales.ac.uk), or the committee secretary Jon Sinfield (jonathan.sinfield@southwales.ac.uk)
Student signature Date Approval at Divisional level: Divisional consideration given by
Date considered by Division Ethical Opinion:
Approved Approved with proviso Refer to Faculty Ethics Committee
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APPENDIX B
Assessment Criteria
%
Comments
Abstract, Introduction, Aims and Objectives
10
Marks are awarded for a clear and concise Abstract and introduction to the dissertation, whilst ensuring that the aims and objectives are appropriate, specific, and reflective of the project, whilst also being achievable.
Review of Literature
20
Marks are awarded for a comprehensive, well summarized, accurate and critically evaluated review of the literature in its wider context . It would normally be expected that the review would be wider than the project itself. For example, it might involve examining previous attempts to control drug supply as well as projects related to that of the project itself.
Methodology and Data Collection
20
If data acquisition is limited or inapplicable, these marks will be awarded for the quality and relevance of information specific to the project: Relevance of acquired data or information to the success of the project or Research methodology and risk assessments relating to data acquisition An example would be an effective questionnaire.
Analysis of data or information
20
Analysis should be accurate, objective and balanced, relevant, based on sound principles and linked with previous work. For example, if the project involves an evaluation of the success of a police operation, the student should explain the criteria for deciding whether or not an operation is a success and such criteria must be realistic, achievable and unambiguous.
Conclusions and recommendations
10
Conclusions must be valid and based upon fact. Opinions must be qualified. Recommendations should be fully explained, they are your views as to what should be done as a consequence of your research.
Quality of the written report
5
Qualities that are assessed include spelling, punctuation, grammar, sentence structure and clarity.
VIVA
15
Articulate and well-delivered presentation followed by oral support and justification of your work.
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