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CONTENTS

1. What is the Dissertation? 2. The Research Process 3. Selecting a Topic/Formulating a Working Title 4. The Role of the Supervisor 5. Working with your Supervisor 6. The Literature Search 7. Structuring your Dissertation 8. Referencing and Bibliography 9. Avoiding Plagiarism 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Completion and Presentation of Final Draft Interim Report Learning Outcomes Submission Deadlines Assessment Items and Marking Criteria

3 4 4 5 6 7 7 10 15 15 16 16 17 18

Appendices A B C D E F Dissertation Proposal Form Declaration of Authorship Interim Report Cover Sheet Dissertation Cover Sheet Assessment Criteria and Guidelines Guidelines for Joint Dissertation Students 21 22 23 24 25 27

1.

WHAT IS THE CRIMINOLOGY DISSERTATION?

The Criminology dissertation is your opportunity to engage in a piece of independent research on a topic of your own choice. It presents you with a real challenge: to demonstrate that you can choose a topic in Criminology that interests you, investigate a problem in detail, and present your findings in proper academic format. It will require sustained application, enthusiasm and initiative on your part, if you want to do well. (You will find the specification of learning outcomes in section 11 below). You will be supported throughout the research process by your Supervisor, but it is your research skills that are being tested. Your Supervisor will give advice and guidance, but this is the time in Higher Education when you take on the main responsibility for your own work. Your dissertation is a piece of independent research. Your dissertation should be 10-12,000 words in length. DO NOT EXCEED THE WORD LIMIT. You will be penalised if you do. There are two types of Criminology dissertation: (a) (b) based on library research incorporating original empirical material

Neither type is intrinsically superior, or easier to carry out successfully, than the other. Both require you to demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical debates and substantive studies relevant to your topic. However, you do need to think carefully about the implications of choosing a topic that involves you in carrying out empirical investigations of your own (see below section 3). Additionally, students should note that either type will probably draw on both primary and secondary data and thus it is important that you understand the differences between these from the start. 1) Primary data any unprocessed data; i.e., those which are presented without interpretation or analysis or from non-academic sources. This may entail: I) contemporary source material II) fieldwork undertaken for an empirical dissertation III) statistics from official documents, memoirs, newspapers, autobiographies or information from websites Clearly, some primary data are more trustworthy than others. For example, statistics from the European Union, articles from The Sun and information from websites are all primary data, yet clearly some data are more reliable than others. As such, treat such data cautiously. Always ask, who is writing this and why?

2) Secondary data written by academic authors. This has been subject to examination, comparison and analysis using academic research methodologies. Much more trustworthy! Even at this early stage, you will naturally be curious to know what the completed dissertation will look like. This depends partly on whether or not you want to do original empirical research, and partly on your own eventual decisions about how to organise the material to best advantage. There are no cast-iron rules about the ordering of the dissertation, but the general format does not vary very much. Skip ahead to Section 7 for more detail on this. 2. THE RESEARCH PROCESS

Research is more than just gathering information, and it is especially not about assembling facts. It means gathering facts and information (we will say data for short), which are then used within a theoretical framework to explain the social world. Research is about asking why questions as well as what questions. The key words in doing research are explain, analyse, evaluate, compare, contrast summarise. If you find yourself involved in page after page of description, statistical exposition, lengthy quotations, without showing their relevance to an argument ask yourself (and your Supervisor) why. The research process can be outlined schematically as follows: Phase 1: Selection of Topic

Conduct a literature search in consultation with your Supervisor Narrow your focus and formulate the problem to be studied in a working title Decide on an appropriate research methodology

Phase 2: Data Collection

Collect, record and sort data/information in a systematic way Organise your material into a coherent framework, using chapter headings In this phase you should be dividing your time roughly equally between reading and writing

Phase 3: Data Analysis 3. Write-up of final draft, relating data to the research question Set out conclusions, including an assessment of any limitations of your study Suggest directions of future research that could build on your contribution SELECTING YOUR TOPIC / FORMULATING A WORKING TITLE

Research starts when we get curious about something. The single most important decision you will make in the research process is what topic to choose. If your topic bores you, it will bore everyone else too. If you

need help in the process of selecting a topic, your Criminology tutors will gladly talk things over with you, but they will not do it for you: it is your responsibility, not theirs. There is more to research than enthusiasm. You also need to know how to ask the right sort of question to set yourself, something that is manageable and focused. A tutors advice can be invaluable at this point. S/he will be able to tell you if your proposed topic is too broad, or if it is too ambitious within the scope of an undergraduate dissertation. Important practical things to bear in mind when selecting your topic:

Time Time is always short, once you are back in the routines of student life in the Autumn Term. Phase 1 must therefore be completed before the end of the Summer Term and you should plan to do a lot of thinking and reading relating to your dissertation during the summer months before starting your final academic year. This is doubly important if you are proposing to do empirical research. Feasibility You must consider availability of information, both in terms of access to library resources and in terms of access to information from other sources. Many institutions, especially those concerned with criminal justice matters, are reluctant to allow research in/about them and you cannot assume they will cooperate. Also, do not get carried away by your initial excitement at the thought of doing original empirical research, which is time-consuming, can get quite expensive and is often very frustrating. Technical skills Do you have the technical expertise to do the particular project you have in mind? Do you know how to construct a questionnaire or conduct an interview? How are you going to analyse those 15 questionnaires each containing 10 questions? You need to consider carefully whether the topic you have chosen matches the skills you possess or will have the time to develop. If, on consulting your Supervisor, there is doubt in his/her/your mind on any of these points, you may need to reconsider your original proposal. An early change of tactic may well be advisable. 4. THE ROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR: GENERAL GUIDELINES Your dissertation is not like other pieces of coursework. You are being tested on your skills in independent research. Tutors will offer advice (once) on sections of your draft, indicating in general terms what improvements could be made. You cannot keep coming back in order to get the perfect result. Your Supervisor will not: give you a structure for your dissertation

interpret your data for you comment on your draft in such detail that you are effectively told what to write comment on more than one draft of any section of your dissertation It might sound all a bit negative but, in practice, it is not. If you show enthusiasm and commitment, your Supervisor will respond in kind. Much of the essential graft of dissertation work can be done in relatively short, informal meetings. Get used to the idea of discussion and exchange of ideas. Do not come with pen poised ready just to write down what your Supervisor says although it is essential to go away and make a note of the main points of your conversation, for future reference. There is no objection at all in principle to taking advice from other tutors who may be able to help with your dissertation. However, please remember that your Supervisor would expect, as a matter of courtesy, to be consulted before you talk to another tutor, if this means you are contemplating significant changes to what you have already agreed with him/her. This is a situation where too many cooks can very easily spoil the broth. If you find yourself at loggerheads with your Supervisor, ask the Module Leader for mediation and advice. Please note that, in the final year, the dissertation supervisor becomes the personal tutor for all majors. However, if students have non-dissertation issues they wish to discuss, they should see Suzanne McDonald-Walker. Please also note that should you want to change your topic, you should go to the Dissertations Tutor immediately. 5. WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR The dissertation component requires different skills from the taught aspects of your degree and so different expectations arise on the part of both student and tutor. It is important that you understand what is expected both from you and your Supervisor. A good way of establishing a good working relationship with your Supervisor is to observe the following common-sense conventions.

1. Arrange appointments, usually in office hours. Do not just drop in


and expect to be seen. An obvious point relating to the submission of any written material for comments is that your Supervisor should have had the opportunity of reading it before s/he meets with you.

2. Maintain regular contact with your Supervisor. Some students may


not feel the need for very frequent contact, but others will need quite intensive guidance, especially in the early stages. Beyond that, it is difficult to specify the optimum time span between contacts. The important thing is that you should not lose touch with your Supervisor. If a Supervisor is not kept abreast of your progress, you may be treated as a cause for concern and notified to the Module Leader in the normal manner.

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN REGULAR CONTACT.

3. Work out a mutually agreed timetable for monitoring progress. In


the early stages, when you have not reached the stage of writing a whole chapter, you might be asked to write an introduction or, at least, a plan of proposed chapter headings. Tutors tend to vary in the pressure they put on students to submit draft chapters. Please note, if you wish for your Supervisor to examine a copy of your dissertation prior to final submission, you must give it to your supervisor at least three working weeks before the submission date and only with their permission. Do not turn up and expect drafts to be read as staff are very busy. 6. THE LITERATURE SEARCH

No matter what kind of dissertation you choose, you will have to incorporate a survey of the relevant literature in the field. How this is done will depend on whether your dissertation is theoretically, historically or empirically based. You must attend a session in the Library, which will introduce to the techniques of data retrieval. An effective way of beginning a literature search is to use key words. Begin with an initial key word or subject. This will lead to the discovery of further key words derived from the particular index scanned. Literature searches involve the following skills, which you will learn through having a go:

generating a selection of subjects/key words deciding which subjects to pursue deciding which subjects to abandon (just as important!) deciding when to call a halt to the search, because you have enough information to begin the process of formulating a working title. STRUCTURING YOUR DISSERTATION

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It is never too early to start thinking about how the completed dissertation is going to look. In a way, the entire research process is about this problem what to put in, what to leave out, what goes in which chapter and so on. The formats for library and empirical dissertations (see Section 1) tend to vary somewhat, but this is a matter to be discussed with your Supervisor. In any case, the *asterisked items below are required to be included, no matter what kind of Dissertation you are presenting. *TITLE (on cover) Include the title of your study, your name and student number, the date and your Supervisors name. A subtitle may be added if it clarifies the purpose of the study. *DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP (see Appendix B)

(You may include ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS after the title page if you wish to thank any persons who may have had some influence on the work). *ABSTRACT This should consist of a summary (in about 200 words) of the dissertation, what you set out to do and what conclusions you reached. It should be written when you have finished the dissertation and are clear as to its main argument and implications. *CONTENTS PAGE *INTRODUCTION This should be a brief explanation of the origins of the research topic. You need to provide enough information to ensure that the reader understands why you have done this particular project. You may decide to combine the Introduction with the LITERATURE REVIEW Theoretical dissertations will not have a separate literature review, although library-based and empirical dissertations will. The literature review consists of a survey/analysis of the materials you have read. Its purpose is to show that you have read widely about your chosen topic, acknowledges other scholarly work and informs and contextualises your own work. Bear in mind the need to evaluate and compare the sources to which you refer. A catalogue of references has far less value than a critical appraisal of different authors. *METHODOLOGY In your methodology, you must explain how the means you employed to investigate your problem relate to your theoretical question. This may require a separate chapter or may flow on from your introduction or literature review. Your methodology will be different depending on whether you are doing a library-based or empirical dissertation. Library-based dissertations: Your methodological section will probably be reasonably straightforward in the sense that it will entail a justification of why empirical research was either not necessary or not feasible. You will need to discuss the types of data used and their suitability to answering your question. Empirical dissertations: You will have to do some focused reading on methods of research if you opt for an empirical study and your Supervisor may well insist on the inclusion of a separate chapter on Methodology. You will need to provide a justification for why the methods employed were best suited to answering the theoretical question underlying your dissertation. *MAIN CHAPTERS SETTING OUT FINDINGS/ARGUMENTS The structuring process involved in determining how best to present your work requires a lot of planning. You need to decide the purpose of each section of your work, how important it is and how much space it warrants. You will also have to make important decisions about how to link chapters and how to title

them so as to give reader suitable signposts introducing the new themes and ideas. You really need decide on your main chapter sections before you start writing the text, but be prepared to modify them as the writing progresses.

Empirical dissertations: If doing an empirical dissertation, you will obviously have to devote a chapter to reporting your results. After restating the problem, you should assess how the results fit in with existing knowledge. If your project set out to test certain hypotheses, this section should demonstrate whether they were or were not supported by the evidence. Any deficiencies in the research design, or limitations of the study, should be clearly indicated at this point. *CONCLUSIONS This short but vital section completes the thread started with the Introduction. You may well end up writing the Introduction last in order to maintain consistency with your Conclusions! Before you write this section, read through the whole work and make a note of the key points. Do not introduce new data into the Conclusion. If it important enough to be included, it should already be elsewhere. Readers who want a quick idea of what your research is about will look at the Abstract, possibly the Introduction and certainly at the Conclusions. So keep all these sections short and informative. Be self-critical and do not claim more for your work than it justifies. APPENDICES (if required) Appendices (singular: Appendix) are where you put material which is only ancillary to the main text. They may appropriately be used for tables, reports or other information incidental to the main thesis. They may also be used as a repository for documents such as the forms used in a particular legal context. The material used in appendices should be clearly labelled and referenced. *BIBLIOGRAPHY This is a complete list of all the works you have referred to in the body of your text. It should be compiled in alphabetical order. (See below for more details). Please note: there should be no section headed References, because the references must appear in the text, using the Harvard system, with all works cited listed in the Bibliography. This is when you find out, for better or worse, how organised you have been in the previous six months. It could take days of fretful activity or it could be completed in an hour or two. You should make a habit of completing an ordered list of all the literature you have used, consulted or quoted from, as you go along. All materials cited in the text must be capable of identification by the reader.

8. REFERENCING AND BIBLIOGRAPHY A mark of a good dissertation is that it is properly referenced, with all other persons work acknowledged. Full and accurate referencing of all sources in the text is the only insurance against unconscious and unintended plagiarism. If you fail to reference large sections of the work, or if you provide incomplete or inaccurate references, questions will immediately be asked about the authenticity of the work. The Bibliography is the full list, presented in alphabetical order, of all the references mentioned in the text. You should not include in your Bibliography works which have made no contribution to the argument of your dissertation. If you pad out your Bibliography in this way, you may be penalised. For the Criminology dissertation you must use the Harvard system of referencing. You will be penalised if you do not. The Harvard system uses brackets in the text and is one of the easiest referencing systems to use. It is also widely employed in academic publications, both journals and books. REFERENCING References in the text of your assignment should always refer to the sources listed in your bibliography. The Harvard system is very easy to use. Below is a list of the different types of sources you may use and how to reference them. Secondary Sources Books, articles and chapters

This is done by placing the authors surname and date of publication in brackets at the relevant point in the text: Willetts (1982) examined promotional pressure groups. Or: In an examination of promotional pressure groups (Willetts 1982).... Two authors would appear in the text as: Mazey & Richardson (1993) Three or more authors would appear in the text as: Hall et al (1992) Where the same author has two publications in the same year, number them in the bibliography and cite as: Smith (1992a) Smith (1992b) for cited works

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Citing is when you quote from someone, but you have not seen the original and are taking it from someone else's work. You should try not to draw on work by an author whose work you have not actually read, however, if it is necessary, reference as follows: (Lemert, 1967, cited in Griffin, 1993). When quoting directly from a source you should also include the relevant page number(s) at the end of the quotation: for example, (Allen and Thomas, 2001: 272). Please note that quotations should only be indented, that is, separated out from the main text and with indented margins, if they are over 50 words in length. Primary Sources

Newspapers should be referenced by providing the title, date and page within the text: the new power accessory is a motorbike (The Times 20/10/93:17).

Internet sources the first thing to remember is not to put the whole address as this can make your page unsightly. Further, websites or organisations often do not have a date or page number. Thus, in you text, merely the author or organisation and a date if there is one. e.g., Friends of the Earth (2007). If there is not a date and you are using multiple references from a particular organisation, add the webpage or article title.

e.g., Friends of the Earth, (Costing the Economy). Please note: footnotes are not usually used in the Harvard system. However, if you have a piece of information to give but it is inconvenient to break up the text to give it, you may use footnotes. Students should decide whether to use them or not depending on the following evaluation; if the information is pertinent, should it not be placed within the text or if it is not really pertinent, may it be left out? Should you still decide to use them, traditionally footnotes appear at the bottom of the relevant page in a smaller font: most wordprocessing packages will create them for you. Alternatively, you may put all notes at the end and signal them in the text by a superscript or number in brackets.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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The bibliography at the end of the assignment should be arranged alphabetically with full bibliographic information. The alphabetical list should include all the sources which have been used for your assignment (books, articles, reports, government publications, theses, internet sources etc.). The rules for constructing your Bibliography are as follows: Secondary Sources Secondary sources should be grouped together in an alphabetical list. for books

Author/editor, initials. (Date of edition), Title, Place of publication: Publisher. e.g., Bauman, Z. (1992), Intimations of Postmodernity, London: Routledge. or Hall, S. and M. Jacques, (eds.), (1990), New Times: The Changing Face of Politics in the 1990s, London: Lawrence & Wishart. for chapters in edited volumes

If citing a chapter from a book, this would appear in your Bibliography as: Touraine, A. (1992), Beyond Social Movements? in Featherstone, M. (ed), Cultural Theory & Social Change, London: Sage, 125-146

Journals
Author surname, initials. (Date), Title of article, Journal name, Volume number, part number, first and last page. e.g., Webb, J. (1992), The Mismanagement of Innovation, Criminology, Vol.26, No.3, 471-493 for cited works

This is when you quote from someone, but you have not seen the original and are taking it from someone else's work. The format for the Bibliography is as follows: Author of original work's surname, initials. (Date of original publication), Title of original work, Place of publication: Publisher, cited in Author/editor surname, initials. (Date), Title, Place of publication: publisher. e.g., Lemert E. (1967), Human Deviance, Social Problems & Social Control, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, cited in Griffin, C. (1993), Representation of Youth: The Study of Youth & Adolescence in Britain and America, Cambridge: Polity

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Primary Sources
Primary sources should be listed separately and by type. Official publications

Often do not use an author - refer to the organisation or department instead. e.g., Department of Health, (1989), Caring for People, London: HMSO. Acts of Parliament

Great Britain Parliament, (Date), Title, Place of publication: Publisher. e.g., Great Britain Parliament, (1990), Children's Act 1989, London: Sweet and Maxwell. for government reports or other publications where there is no authors name

e.g., World Bank, (2001), World Development Report, New York: Oxford University Press.

Organisations
e.g., OECD, (1994), Employment Outlook, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development: Paris Internet Sources

Make use of the document's URL (Internet address). Author/editor, initials. (year edition), Title [online], Place of publication: Publisher (if ascertainable). Available from: URL (Access date). e.g., Holland, M. (1996), Harvard System [online], Poole: Bournemouth University. Available from: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/service-depts/lis/LIS-Pub/harvardsyst.html. (Accessed 15 Apr 2010). If no specific author is cited, ascribe authorship to the organisation. e.g., Friends of the Earth, (2007), Costing the Economy. Available from: http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/transport/news/tony_road_pricing.html. (Accessed 6 Mar 2010).

Some final tips to remember!


1. 2. 3. Above all, be consistent in your referencing. The main title of the document should be distinguishable in italics. The date is the year of publication not printing.

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4. 5.

For a book, the edition is only mentioned if other than the first. The place of publication is the town not the country.

You may find the following texts helpful for your dissertation work: Bell, J. (1999), Doing Your Research Project: a Guide for First-Time Researchers in Education and Social Science, Buckingham: Open University Press Blaxter, L. Hughes, C. & M. Tight (1996), How to Research, Buckingham: Open University Press Hakim, C. (1987), Research Design, London: Sage Lee, R. (2000), Unobtrusive Methods in Social Research, Buckingham: Open University Press Li, X. and Crane, N. B. (1993), Electronic Style: a Guide to Citing Electronic Information, London: Meckler Marsh, D. & G. Stoker (1995), Theory & Methods in Political Science, Basingstoke: Macmillan May, T. (1997), Social Research Methods, Buckingham: Open University Press McMillan, M & J Weyers, (2007), How to Write Dissertations and Project Reports, Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd Plus an electronic guide to referencing on the Internet at Bournemouth University: Holland, M. (1996), Harvard System, [online] Poole: Bournemouth University.

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9.

AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism means passing off the work of others as if it were your own. You must take extreme care to avoid plagiarism in the text of your work. This is of vital importance. If you are found to have plagiarised the work of others then there is every possibility that your dissertation will be failed and will have to be resubmitted. Plagiarism can be avoided by following these rules: If you use data from a source, you must reference it. How you do so depends on how the data are used: a) if you paraphrase an authors work (i.e., convey the gist of what they say but in your own words), you must acknowledge the source; i.e., provide the name of the author and date of publication in parentheses, with the full reference in the bibliography b) if you use the exact words copied from an author, the whole amount of the quoted text must be put in inverted commas and followed by the name of the author, date of publication and page number from which the quote is taken. The full reference must be in the bibliography It is not sufficient to use inverted commas without providing the reference. 10. COMPLETION AND PRESENTATION OF FINAL DRAFT

It is important that you allow sufficient time for the tasks of editing, proof reading and binding. Proof reading Make sure you proof-read your dissertation for spelling and grammatical mistakes. It is worth mentioning that you can be marked down on these things. If you cant face it, get someone else with a lot of patience to do it for you. The computer will conduct a spell check but, be warned, sometimes the spell check will miss errors. Typing Your dissertation should be typewritten, using either 1 or double-spacing, printed one side of the paper only, on A4 sized paper. The left-hand margin should be not less than one and a half inches wide and the right-hand margin not less than one inch wide. Students who have not word-processed their dissertation themselves should ensure that the person who types their finished work is competent and able to produce work of the required standard. The typescript should be checked carefully and corrected before submission. Pagination Each page of your work should be numbered, except the Title Page, the Abstract page and the Contents page, at the beginning. Page numbers should appear at bottom-centre.

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The Finished Dissertation The dissertation document can be presented in one of two ways: a) spiral bound b) in hard black covers with gold lettering It is recommended that you use the University Print services for your binding although this is not mandatory. Whatever binding service you use, make sure that you know in advance how long it is going to take. Delays at this stage can lead to late submission with consequent penalties. The dissertation must have your full name, the full dissertation title, your supervisors name and the year clearly shown on the front cover. 11. INTERIM REPORT

The report is an opportunity for you to reflect on your progress and identify any problems you need to resolve before final submission. It should be between 1,000-1,500 words in length. Particular emphasis should be given to the particular methodology you have chosen and how this addresses your research question. Specific comments on research design, methodology used, sampling adequacy, data handling, etc., should provide evidence of critical reflection and review. Your supervisor will use your Interim Report to assess your progress and provide detailed guidance for the final draft. 12. LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to: a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) i) Demonstrate advanced in-depth knowledge of a negotiated topic. Make appropriate and critical use of concepts, theories and methodologies to investigate your chosen topic. Appreciate the need to ground research in a criminological framework Effectively apply a range of research skills to the study of your chosen topic. Interpret primary data and /or secondary sources in terms of their significance and underlying assumptions. Analyse a range of materials and synthesise them with your own research evidence. Demonstrate the ability to plan and organise research tasks. Demonstrate the ability to gather evidence and use it to construct an argument. Demonstrate the ability to structure the dissertation and write with clarity of expression.

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13.

SUBMISSION DEADLINES

The dissertation proposal form in by Friday 27 May 2011. This should be emailed or given to the Dissertation Tutor. Students should note that, as each Supervisor has a quota, students will be allocated to Supervisors on a first-come-first-serve basis. As such, to guarantee the Supervisor or topic of your choice, it is advisable to submit your proposal as early as possible. Should you be unable to be allocated to the Supervisor of your choice, then you may have to choose another topic, dependant upon which Supervisors still have spaces. Interim Report Friday 20 January 2012. (Not Joint Honours students). Submit 2 hard copies to the Assignment Handling Office and one electronic copy through Turnitin, which can be found in the Submissions section of the module on NILE. Please note that Joint Honours students submit on 25 April 2012. All procedures are the same Final submission Friday 30 March 2012. Students must submit 2 hard copies of the dissertation in its final form, together with the cover sheet (Appendix C), with the details duly completed, to the Student Assessment Office. Your dissertation may be handed in before the due date - but once it is handed in, it may not be retrieved. You must also submit one electronic copy through Turnitin, which can be found in the Submissions section of the module on NILE. Students must also submit a completed module feedback questionnaire at the same time that they submit their dissertation. This can be found on NILE in Module Documents. Referral and Deferral dates are as for other modules. Extensions can ONLY be given by the Module Leader on the recommendation of your Supervisor. In order to be granted an extension, students should submit substantial evidence at the time of plea to support the grounds for extension. Extensions requests should preferably be received in advance of the submission date, however, where that is not possible, they must be received no later than three days after the deadline in order to be considered. If permitted, the Module Leader will set a new date of up to, at most, two weeks later than the original deadline; thus giving a further period to complete the work. No further extension is permitted, but the one-week safety net (see below) applies to the new date.

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N.B., No extensions are granted for the August deadline. However, students may be better advised to defer if their difficulty needs a long extension. Late submission Assessments submitted after the deadline, where an extension has not been agreed, are subject to the following penalties: Submitted within one week of the deadline (the one-week safety net) maximum grade of D Submitted later than one week of the deadline referred (i.e., failed). N.B., The one-week safety net, within which a student may submit for a bare pass (D-), applies to the first deadline only, NOT to the referral/deferral deadline. Referral and Deferral Referred assessments are those where a student is permitted to retake assessment for the module as a second attempt following initial failure (F+ or below); whether because of a failure to submit or failure to achieve a pass on submitted work. In these circumstances, the maximum grade is D-. Deferred assessments are those where a student is permitted to take assessment for the module at a later opportunity, for example, as a result of a decision by the Mitigating Circumstances Panel. In these circumstances, there is no constraint on the grade. Please note that late submission without extensions on referred or deferred assessments will be graded G. 14. ASSESSMENT ITEMS AND MARKING CRITERIA.

Assessment Items Your final grade for the Dissertation will be made-up of grades for the following two items: a) Interim Report b) Dissertation document (10%) (90%)

N.B., Joint dissertation students do not do an interim report. Please see Appendix E for relevant information. Marking Criteria The Interim Report Your interim report will be marked by two tutors. Your Supervisor acts as first marker. The work is second-marked by another member of staff who has

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expertise in the topic area. The report will be marked on structure, use of theory, use of empirical evidence and methodology. Particular attention will be given to your ability to reflect critically on your chosen approach. The Dissertation Document Your dissertation will be marked by two tutors. Your Supervisor acts as first marker. The work is second-marked by another member of staff who has expertise in the topic area. If there is a major difference of opinion which cannot be resolved between the two markers, a third University marker may be called upon. If markers are still in dispute, the External Examiner is asked to make a final decision. The dissertation will be assessed in relation to 4 categories. These are: A The Research Problem/ Methodology. There are two aspects to this element of assessment. First, is the overall sense of purpose, clarity and prospective criminological content in the formulation of the topic; with credit going to originality in designing the research. This is then assessed in relation to how the research is operationalised in the choice of methodology; broadly including everything from primary data collection to the analysis of secondary sources. This aspect is concerned with the justification of the research procedures and an appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of the project. B Structure of Argument. The assessment of the adequacy of the overall format, its coherence, integration and use of data, the logical progression in the arguments and critical awareness. C Use of Theoretical/Empirical Data. The assessment of the projects awareness of and grounding in criminological theory (broadly defined) and/or empirical data as appropriate. D Presentation and Expression. The assessment of how well the dissertation is written and its conformity to academic conventions (referencing, treatment of tables, figures etc).

Each of these categories is marked in relation to the grade bands set out in Appendix D. Consult them throughout your dissertation work. They provide a useful checklist for monitoring your own progress.

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APPENDICES

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CRIMINOLOGY DISSERTATION PROPOSAL FORM Name Minor Subject e-mail address Proposed topic of dissertation:

What specific criminological problem or hypothesis do you want to address?

What research or literature are you familiar with which relates to this area?

What is your proposed method of inquiry? Why do you feel the method is appropriate?

Have you already obtained consent for supervision? If so, with whom?

Signed

Date

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Declaration of Authorship

This assessment is my own work. It contains no unreferenced verbatim extracts from the works of others and it has not, (either in whole or in part), been submitted towards the award of any other qualification either at University of Northampton or elsewhere.

Name: Date:

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School of Social Sciences CRIMINOLOGY INTERIM REPORT COVER SHEET


Please Print Clearly Complete all sections

Surname Student number Date of submission Module Code Title SOC 4019 / /

Initials

Module Leader: Dr Suzanne McDonald-Walker

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School of Social Sciences CRIMINOLOGY DISSERTATION COVER SHEET


Please Print Clearly Complete all sections

Surname Student number Date of submission Module Code Title / /

Initials

Module Leader: Dr Suzanne McDonald-Walker

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Appendix E Dissertation Assessment Criteria and Guidelines All assessed work for all modules will be given a grade. These grades are awarded according to the following general criteria. Your course and module guides will contain more specific information on how these criteria are applied in particular pieces of work in particular subject areas. A + A An exceptional first A good first Work which fulfils all the criteria of the A grade, but at an exceptional standard for the level concerned. Work of distinguished quality which is based on extensive research and/or strong technical and creative competence. An authoritative grasp of concepts, methodology and content appropriate to the subject/discipline and to the assessment task will be demonstrated. There is clear evidence of originality and insight and an ability to sustain an argument and/or solve discipline-related problems, based on critical analysis and/or evaluation. The ability to synthesise material effectively and the potential for skilled innovation in thinking and practice will be evident. Capability in relation to relevant key skills for the assessment task will also be strongly evidenced. Work of very good quality which displays most, but not all of the A grade characteristics for the level concerned. Work which clearly fulfils all the criteria of the B grade for the level concerned, but shows greater insight and/or originality. Work of good quality which is based on a wide range of properly referenced sources and/or creative input, demonstrating a sound and above average level of understanding of concepts, methodology and content appropriate to the subject/discipline and to the assessment task. There is clear evidence of critical judgement in selecting, ordering and analysing content to construct a sound argument based on responses which reveal occasional insight and/or originality. Ability to solve discipline-related problems will be effectively and consistently demonstrated, with relevant key skills capability well developed and evidenced. Work of good quality which contains most, but not all of the B grade characteristics for the level concerned. Work which clearly fulfils all the criteria of the C grade for the level concerned, but shows a greater degree of critical analysis and/or insight. Work of sound quality which is based on satisfactorily referenced sources and/or creative input and which demonstrates a grasp of relevant material and key concepts, together with ability to structure and organise arguments or materials effectively. The work may be rather standard, but will be mostly accurate, clearly communicated and provide some evidence of ability to engage in critical analysis and/or evaluation. There will be no serious omissions or irrelevancies and there will be evidence of generally sound capability in key skills relevant to the task. In dealing with solutions to technical problems,

AB + B

A first A high upper second A good upper second

BC + C

An upper second A high lower second A good lower second

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CD + D

A lower second A high third

appropriate methods will be chosen. Work of sound quality which contains most, but not all of the C grade characteristics for the level concerned. Work of a satisfactory standard demonstrating a reasonable level of understanding, but lacking sufficient analysis and independence to warrant a C grade at the level concerned. Work of satisfactory quality which covers the basic subject matter adequately and is appropriately organised and presented, but which is primarily descriptive or derivative rather than analytical or creative. There may be some misunderstanding of key concepts and limitations in the ability to select relevant material or techniques, and/or in communication or other relevant key skills, so that the work may be flawed by some errors, omissions or irrelevancies. There will be some evidence of appropriate research and ability to construct an argument, but it may be narrowly focused. In dealing with solutions to technical problems, established and appropriate methods will generally be chosen, but these may be applied uncritically. Work of bare pass standard demonstrating some familiarity with relevant subject matter and application of relevant academic capabilities, but only just meeting threshold standards in, e.g., research, analysis, organisation, focus or other key general or subject specific skills essential to the assessment task, and/or with significant errors or omissions. Work which indicates some evidence of engagement with the subject material and learning process, but which is, e.g., essentially misinterpreted, misdirected, misunderstood or poorly organised and sketchy or otherwise just failing to meet threshold standards at the level concerned. Work of poor quality which is based on only minimal effort, understanding or application. It will offer only very limited evidence of familiarity with subject material or skills appropriate to the discipline or task and/or demonstrate inadequate capability in key general skills essential to the assessment task at the level concerned. Nothing presented, or work containing nothing of merit.

A good third

D-

A third

F +

A marginal Fail

A clear Fail

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Appendix F Joint Dissertations It is possible for students to undertake a joint dissertation which draws upon the academic focus of both of their subjects. The joint dissertation is slightly different from the major dissertation in two ways: 1) how you register on the module 2) the types of study undertaken Registering for a Joint Dissertation a) Students intending to register for a joint dissertation are asked to obtain the consent of both subject areas. They must signal their initial intention to complete a joint dissertation, at the point where they register their final year programme of studies. b) In addition to the normal module choice form, they are required to complete a second form signed by both subjects, giving an indication of the general focus of their dissertation. Students are required to submit this second form by the end of the summer term, having consulted tutors in both subject areas as to the viability and appropriateness of their proposal. This form should be submitted to the Office of Taught Programmes. In exceptional circumstances changes may be made later, but only with the express permission of the Office of Taught Programmes. Types of Study There are two different ways in which you can undertake a joint dissertation and which you choose will determine the module code you wish to register, so please take note of the following carefully: 1) SOC4009 Criminology Dissertation Credit Value: 20 Pre-requisites: SOC2029 or Level 2 Research Methods Module in a cognate subject Co-requisites: None Assessment: Coursework: 100% Joint and Combined Honours Designated for: Criminology jt Restrictions: Joint students only Description: In the 20-credit dissertation, students undertake a 5,000 word dissertation/project module from either one of their two subjects as a 20 credit dissertation/project and make up the remaining credits by undertaking an additional module from their other subject. 2) SOC 4010 Criminology Joint Dissertation Credit Value: 20 Pre-requisites: Level 2 Research Methods module (SOC2029) in Sociology and Politics Field, OR Level 2 Methods Module from other subject. Co-requisites: The Joint dissertation / project module in a second subject must be taken with this module.

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Assessment: Coursework: 100% Joint and Combined Honours Designated for: Criminology jt Restrictions: Joint students only. Description: In the 40-credit joint dissertation, students combine the interdisciplinary 20-credit dissertation modules from both of their subjects in order to undertake a 10,000-word dissertation; i.e., the two 20 credits from each subject combine to make a 40-credit dissertation As this type of dissertation involves study in two different subject areas, 40credit joint dissertation students are given two supervisors; one from each of their subjects. Whilst students may see each supervisor separately, they must conduct at least one supervisory meeting with both supervisors present. This is to ensure that the project is feasible and that both subject tutors are happy with the work being conducted. Please note, Joint Dissertations have their own submission deadline which is different from that of other students.

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