Social Policy Honours HandbookCONTENTS

1. ENTRY INTO HONOURS

2. SOCIAL POLICY STAFF

3. THE AIMS OF THE HONOURS PROGRAMME

4. THE HONOURS CURRICULUM

5. ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES

6. DISSERTATIONS

7. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCING FOR DISSERTATIONS AND ESSAYS

8. PLAGIARISM

9. CAREERS ADVICE

10. HONOURS DEGREES

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Comments or queries regarding this handbook should be addressed to the Social Policy Honours Convener, Neil Fraser, (tel 650 3916, email Neil.Fraser@ed.ac.)

1. ENTRY INTO HONOURS

Social Policy can be studied as a joint degree with Economics, Geography, Law, Modern European Languages, Politics, Social Anthropology, Social and Economic History and Sociology. It can also be studied as a “with” degree: with Social and Political Studies. To be admitted to honours in social policy, you must gain a mark of 50% or more in all of the following courses:

European Social Policy 2 [SP0002] Social and Political Enquiry 2 [SP0079] Social and Political Theory 2 [SP0080]

at first sitting and have passed all other elements of the 1st and 2nd year curriculum by the end of your second year. For more details see the School Handbook for first and second year students. Students registered for degrees based in the School have the right to progress to Honours if they meet these requirements; for other students, progression is at the discretion of the responsible Head(s) of Subject. If you do not meet the requirements but wish to study social policy at honours level, you should apply to Mr Richard Parry, Head of Social Policy.

If your request is turned down, you may appeal against the decision. In this case, you should write formally to the Director of Undergraduate Teaching in SSPS (Dr Jonathan Hearn) stating:

the grounds of your appeal – describe any medical or other circumstances which may have affected your performance

the marks received for all your first and second year courses the marks received for your essays in those courses in which you failed to meet

requirements the name of your Director of Studies

Written appeals should be submitted as soon as possible, by 14 th September 2008 at the latest. Appeals will not normally be considered after that date.

New Director of Studies/Student Support Officer roles

There have been some changes to the Director of Studies (DoS) role, beginning in 2007-2008, that you should know about. The DoS continues to provide directees with guidance on such fundamental academic and pastoral matters as course choices, degree combinations, approving study abroad plans, what to do when you have complex personal/health problems, and student appeals when there are special circumstances affecting your studies. But some of the more routine administrative duties they have performed in the past will now be carried out by the staff working in the Undergraduate Teaching Office (Room G04/5 CMB), in their new roles as Student Support Officers. For all undergraduates in SSPS, the staff in the Undergraduate Teaching Office will:

Deal with routine queries in the first instance, concerning, e.g., the structure of the curriculum, regulations and procedures, study abroad applications, etc.

Provide standard letters for students, e.g. references for banks or landlords Refer you to appropriate Student Support Services

If you have fairly routine queries or issues of a non-personal nature, please go to them in the first instance. If the matter is something they cannot deal with, they will refer you to your DoS.

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Another change is that the number of DoSs is being increased, so some students will find that their DoS has changed, as directees are redistributed among a larger number of DoSs. You should check on MyEd to make sure who your current DoS is.

Disabled studentsThe School welcomes students with disabilities (including those with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia) and is working to make all its courses accessible. If you have special needs which may require adjustments to be made to ensure access to such settings as lectures, tutorials or exams, you should discuss these with your Director of Studies who will advise on the appropriate procedures.

You can also contact the Disability Office, 6-8 South College Street, (telephone 650 6828) and an Advisor will be happy to meet with you. The Advisor can discuss possible adjustments and specific examination arrangements with you, assist you with an application for Disabled Students' Allowance, give you information about available technology and personal assistance such as note takers, proof readers or dyslexia tutors, and prepare a Learning Profile for your School which outlines recommended adjustments. You will be expected to provide the Disability Office with evidence of disability - either a letter from your GP or specialist, or evidence of specific learning difficulty. For dyslexia or dyspraxia this evidence must be a recent Chartered Educational Psychologist's assessment. If you do not have this, the Disability Office can put you in touch with an independent Educational Psychologist.

Organisation of your studies during the honours years

The main differences between the first and second years and the honours years are as follows:

You do not normally take any outside subjects in your honours years and so can have a more concentrated and integrated programme of study.

The style of teaching and learning is much more informal and participatory. Rather than lectures there are seminars, which you are expected to contribute to and sometimes to lead. You will have more chance to develop your skills at oral presentation, using the relaxed environment of the seminars to improve your effectiveness at explaining your arguments and to develop your transferable skills. Oral presentations are usually not assessed, but they should be well prepared, using handouts and visual aids as appropriate. Course teachers will advise you and provide feedback on them.

In your final year, you will undertake a project on a subject of your choice for in-depth work that is of particular interest to you. This offers considerable scope to follow your own interests and to work closely with a member of the teaching staff.

You will increasingly find yourself thinking about life after University, about whether

you wish to go into employment, undertake a postgraduate course or take some time out before pursuing these alternatives. The Careers Service is a very useful resource for this.

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2. SOCIAL POLICY STAFF

Mr Neil Fraser Honours and Undergraduate Convener in Social Policy − responsible for all aspects of honours programmeDirector of Studies 1st year

Room 3.22, CMBNeil.Fraser@ed.ac.uk

Mrs Louise Angus Honours Secretary Room 1.08, CMBL.Angus@ed.ac.uk

Mr Richard Parry Head of Social Policy − needs to approve exceptional admission to honours and some curricular choicesDirector of Studies 4th year

Room 2.06, CMB

Richard.Parry@ed.ac.uk

Dr Andy Aitchison Convener, MSc Public Policy Room3.24, CMBAndy.Aitchison@ed.ac.uk

Professor Jochen Clasen Director of Studies 2ndYear Room 2.04, CMBJochen.Clasen@ed.ac.uk

Mr Paul Crompton Paul.Crompton@ed.ac.uk

Dr Ingela Naumann Room 2.07, CMBIngela.Naumann@ed.ac.uk

Ms Elaine Samuel Room 3.21, CMBElaine.Samuel@ed.ac.uk

Professor Adrian Sinfield

Emeritus Professor of Social Policy

Room 2.6, 8 Buccleuch PlaceAdrian.Sinfield@ed.ac.uk

Dr Alison Smith Co-convener, MSc Social Research

Room 2.05, CMBAlison.J.Smith@ed.ac.uk

Dr Kay Tisdall Postgraduate ConvenerConvener, MSc in Childhood Studies

Room 3.27, CMBK.Tisdall@ed.ac.uk

Dr Daniel Clegg Director of Studies, 3rd year Room 3.23, CMBDaniel.Clegg@ed.ac.uk

Professor Fran Wasoff Co-Director of the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships

Room 3.26, CMBFran.Wasoff@ed.ac.uk

There is a list of times on the door of the offices occupied by members of staff indicating when their offices hours are. If you want to see them at other times, you can contact them by e-mail. Important information may be sent to your university e-mail address and you should consult this regularly. If you use another e-mail address, it is your responsibility to make sure that mail from your university e-mail address is forwarded to it. We will assume that if we send an email to your university e-mail address that you have received it.

The Social Policy web pages can be found at http://www.socialpolicy.ed.ac.uk/.

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3. THE AIMS OF THE HONOURS PROGRAMME

The Social Policy Subject Group seeks to promote these aims in the honours programme:

to present a broad perspective on social policy, an area of public policy that embraces the distribution of resources; social and economic changes and their implications for society; their impact on social divisions, social justice, social exclusion and social integration;

to promote an appreciation of multi-disciplinary approaches to the study of social policy, which draw on various disciplines, in particular, sociology, politics, law and economics;

to introduce students to a variety of theoretical perspectives, which foster an ability to appraise and understand different points of view;

to encourage students to think about social policy comparatively;

to integrate up-to-date research with teaching;

to encourage the acquisition of transferable skills, including active learning skills, computing skills, skills in time/project management, and skills to contribute to public debate about social issues;

to provide opportunities for students to acquire practical experience of social policy;

to provide learning opportunities for mature and non-graduating students;

to foster an informal, inclusive and tolerant learning environment.

All honours courses have their own, course-specific aims and objectives, which are set out in the individual course handouts that are prepared by the course teachers. These are compatible with subject area objectives and teaching aims and reflect the learning objectives that are inherent in the subject matter. Courses have general teaching aims which are incorporated in course evaluation forms: they include having clear specific aims, being informed by research studies, reflecting a variety of perspectives, drawing on a range of disciplines, being focused, comprehensive and well resourced, and stimulating interest in the subject. Course handouts should be informative, the course environment should be conducive to learning, and there should be sufficient variety in teaching methods. You can let us know through course feedback questionnaires and through the staff-student committee, which meets every term, how well we have met these aims.

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Honours work leaves you much freer to plan your own work than you were able to do the first two years. There are, however, certain things you must do. These are listed below with reference to the appropriate parts of this Handbook. Some are linked with the accurate maintenance of a record of courses taken and work handed in, which is maintained by Louise Angus, the Honours Secretary.

1. Pre register for courses this year with Margaret Brown

2. You must attend and participate in classes regularly and let the course teachers know in advance if, because of illness or other personal circumstances, you are unable to attend. If you do not attend regularly, you may be deemed not to have taken the course.

3. You must hand in your essays and your dissertation by the dates specified.

4. THE HONOURS CURRICULUM

The Joint Honours curriculum comprises honours courses in Social Policy and another honours subject, together with a project leading to a dissertation. Some of the courses are compulsory and others are options. All the Social Policy courses last for one semester only and most of them are taught in alternate years.

Compulsory courses are normally taken in the third (junior honours) year. All honours students take the Welfare, Justice and the State course in semester 2, but the choice of methods courses varies according to the degree taken. Please note that the choice of methods course(s) may depend on whether you wish to undertake a dissertation in Social Policy or in your other honours subject. Most honours students take one Social Policy option in their third (junior honours) year, and a further Social Policy option in each semester of their fourth (senior honours) year. In addition, they undertake a dissertation. Details of the various joint honours curricula are set out in Section 10 below and students are encouraged to consult the curriculum for the degree they are registered for.

Honours degrees are based on 240 credits taken over the two years. The dissertation and, in some curricula, full-year courses are weighted at 40 credits, while one-semester courses are weighted at 20 credits. Assessment of the compulsory course in Welfare Justice and the State and of most Social Policy courses taught by members of the Social Policy Subject group is based on a mixture of a 3,000-word essay and a 2-hour unseen examination. In the case of Children’s Rights, for consistency of assessment with School of Education students taking the course, there will be a 4000 word final essay and no examinations.

Assessment in the two methods courses (Designing and Doing Social Research and Doing Survey Research) is by means of two coursework assignments and a take-home examination. Assessment in other courses conforms to the requirements of the relevant subject area and students should make sure that they are aware of what the assessment arrangements are.

The courses that are currently available are listed below. For a brief description of each of the courses that will be offered in 2008-2009, you should consult the document ‘Pre-Registration of Honours Courses for SSPS Students’ (also available at http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/honours/courses)

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You are asked to indicate in the summer which courses you wish to take in the following year so that administrative staff can pre-register your course choices on-line. This involves first checking the rules for your degree programme in Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study (DRPS): see section 10 of this Handbook and http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk. and then looking at the brief description of courses (see above). You can also consult your Director of Studies by e-mail or in person.

At the beginning of the year you will need to visit your Director of Studies who will confirm your presence and see that you are fully registered for your courses. If there are gaps in your registration you need to visit the Undergraduate Teaching Office. If you think you (or the office) have made a mistake with your course registration you should select another course, if possible by the end of the first week of the semester.

Honours Courses

Compulsory courses are taught every year. Most optional courses taught by staff in the Social Policy Subject Group are offered every second year (but there are exceptions) and meet for two hours per week (with a short break).

The following courses (with names of conveners) will be offered in 2008-2009 Children’s Rights (SP0088) Kay Tisdall Health Policy Analysis (P02288) and Globalisation and Public Health (P02289) Jeff

Collin Criminal Justice: Policy and Practice (SP0009) Andy Aitchison, Elaine Samuel Employment Policies (SP0018) Neil Fraser Designing and Doing Social Research (U03961) Angus Bancroft Doing Survey Research (U03962) Alison Smith Rethinking Families and Family Policies in Europe (U03469) Fran Wasoff The Social Division of Welfare (SP0013) Adrian Sinfield Social Inequality and the Lifecourse (U04174) Alison Smith Welfare, Justice and the State (U00192) Neil Fraser Youth and Modernity, c.1780-1880 (20 credits) (U03343) Louise Jackson

Semester 1 Semester 2Designing and Doing Social Research Welfare, Justice and the StateGlobalisation and Public Health and Health Policy Analysis

Doing Survey Research

Criminal Justice: Policy and Practice Children’s RightsEmployment Policies The Social Division of WelfareYouth and Modernity Social Inequality and the LifecourseRethinking Families and Family Policies in Europe

The following courses are expected to run in 2009-10. However there may be additions to and subtractions from this list.

Children’s Rights (SP0088) Health Policy Analysis (PO2288) and Globalisation and Public Health (PO2289) Designing and Doing Social Research (U03961) Doing Survey Research (U03962) Political Economy of the Welfare State (U03687) Politics of British Public Services (U03702) Social Security (SP0012)

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Welfare, Justice and the State (U00192) Youth and Modernity, c.1780-1880 (20 credits) (U03343) Youth and Modernity, c.1880-1970 (20 credits) (U03349)

The timetable for 2008-2009 is set out below. Note that some clashes between options in different honours subjects are inevitable in joint degrees.

SEMESTER 1MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

AM 09.00–10.50Rethinking Families and Family Policies in EuropeCMB s.r. 1

11.10-13.00Youth and Modernity

11.10-13.00Employment PoliciesCMB s.r. 4

10.00 – 10.50Health Policy Analysis and Globalisation and Public Health Seminar

12.10 – 13.00 Health (as above)Lecture

09.00-10.50Criminal Justice: Policy and PracticeCMB s.r.5

PM 14.00-14.50Designing and doing Social ResearchCMB s.r.3

14.00-15.50Designing and doing Social ResearchCMB s.r.3

15.00-16.30Social Policy SeminarWRB G2

SEMESTER 2MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

AM12.10-13.00Welfare, Justice and the State 1 George Sq. r.8

11.10-13.00Social Inequality and the Lifecourse CMB. s.r. 1

11.10-13.00Social Division of WelfareCMB, s.r.4 12.10-13.00

Welfare, Justice and the State 1 George Sq. r.8

PM 14.00-14.50Doing Survey ResearchCMB s.r.1

14.30-16.00Children’s RightsMoray House

14.00-14.50/15.00-15.50Doing Survey ResearchCMB s.r.1

15.00-16.30Social Policy SeminarWRB G2

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Social policy seminars

Social Policy seminars take place throughout the academic year at 15.00 on Friday afternoons. They are designed for honours students, postgraduate students and staff with an interest in social policy and provide an opportunity to hear about the latest research and thinking, which is being carried out by experts in the field. Most of the speakers are from outside the university but, from time to time, members of staff also present seminars based on their research. The format allows for discussion and enables students to meet the speaker and members of staff in an informal environment. These seminars are part of the normal timetable for honours students and you are strongly encouraged to attend on a regular basis.

Other honours courses

During your two honours years, one semester-length course may be selected from the courses offered by one of the other Subject Areas in the School of Social and Political Studies (Politics, Sociology and Social Anthropology). Further courses (or courses offered by other Schools) may be selected with the permission of the Heads of Subjects concerned.

Dissertations

Students taking Joint Honours degrees in Social Policy are required to undertake a project leading to a dissertation in their fourth (senior honours) year. Students are expected to work on their dissertation throughout the first and second semesters. The dissertation counts for 40 units, i.e. for the equivalent of two, semester-length honours courses and constitutes a very important component of the honours curriculum.

Although Joint Honours students usually do their dissertations in Social Policy, they are free to do a dissertation in their other subject, provided that they have taken the appropriate Research Methods courses in their junior honours year.

Assessment of the project is by means of a dissertation. The total length of dissertation is up to but not exceeding15,000 words. A fuller account of what the dissertation involves can be found in section 6 below.

Opportunities for study abroad

The University of Edinburgh has exchange programmes with a number of universities (including the University of Pennsylvania, the University of California, the University of Helsinki and the University of Hong Kong) and some students spend their third (junior honours) year studying abroad. Students who are accepted onto one of these exchange programmes are urged to discuss their choice of courses with the Honours Convener to ensure that the courses they take are broadly comparable with courses they would have taken in Edinburgh. An exchange is also available for Social Policy and Politics students to the City University of Hong Kong.

Representation

Each semester, there will be a meeting between the Honours convener and representatives from each of the honours courses taught in that semester. The meeting can be used to provide feedback on the courses, consult students over proposed changes in the curriculum or

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assessment arrangements, and to raise any issues that either students or staff considers to be important. Issues relating to particular courses can also be raised with the course teachers and more general issues should be brought to the attention of the honours convener.

Honours students are also represented on the School’s Board of Studies, on its Undergraduate Studies Committee and at the School Meetings.

Quality assessment

The University operates a system of quality assessment designed to take account of student reactions to courses. At the end of each course you will be asked to fill in anonymously a form giving your evaluation of the course and any suggestions for improvement, as part of the Subject Area's Academic Audit procedures. Please be sure to fill in one of these forms.

5. ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES

Coursework RequirementsCoursework Requirements

The following are things you need to know about the submission and assessment of coursework. It is important that you follow these rules carefully, and make sure to submit your coursework in the proper order and according to the relevant deadline.

Submission: Students must submit two paper copies of all coursework and essays into the Social Policy Honours drop box outside room 1.08, Chrystal Macmillan Building. Each copy should have a completed cover sheet with the student’s examination number (but not their name), the title of the course for which it is being submitted, and an exact count of the number of words in the essay. Cover sheets are available from Room 1.08 Chrystal Macmillan Building. In addition, you must also submit an electronic version for all coursework and essays via WebCT by the same deadlines. The School is now using the ‘Turnitin’ system to check that essays submitted for honours courses do not contain plagiarised material. Turnitin compares every essay against a constantly-updated database, which highlights all plagiarised work.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR COURSEWORK AND ESSAYS ELECTRONICALLY

Create an essay file.Save your essay with your exam number as the file name, e.g. 1234567.doc. Do not include your name anywhere on the project to ensure anonymity. Files must be in Word (.doc), rich text (.rtf), text (.txt) or PDF format. Microsoft Publisher, Open Office and Microsoft Works files will not be accepted. Failure to do this will cause delays in getting your project back to you.

Open WebCTSecond, access WebCT through your MyEd portal. Open the relevant course (under the ‘Courses’ tab).

Upload the essay file At the Course Home Page click on the Essay Submission icon on the Course Content page. This will take you straight into the submission page for your assignment. (You can

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also access this through the Assignments tab situated on the Course Tools bar at the left hand side of the page). Here you can upload your essay as an attachment. – Just click on ‘add attachment’ and select the file from your computer.

Click on Submit when you are ready.

On Deadlines:

The deadlines for essays and the dissertation are set out below:

Semester 1 Semester 23rd Year Social Policy Option Essay

15.00 on Monday 10th November 2008

Welfare Justice and the State Essay

15.00 on Monday 2nd March 2009

Social Policy Option Essay*

15.00 on Monday 2nd March 2009?

4th Year Social Policy Option Essay

15.00 on Monday 9th November 2098

Social Policy Option Essay*

15.00 on Monday 1st March 2010

Social Policy Dissertation

15.00 on Tuesday 20th April 2010

*Children’s Rights will have a different deadline (see course handbook)

There is no period of grace for coursework deadlines, i.e. for a 3:00 pm deadline a piece of work handed in at 3.05pm would be treated as late.

For work submitted after the deadline the subject secretary will note the submission date and time.

Word LengthOne of the disciplines of writing an essay is to keep to the specified maximum length. The maximum length of an Honours essay is 3000 words (except 4000 for Children’s Rights) and this means that the word count for your essay must be 3000 words or less. This limit excludes the bibliography, but includes any footnotes or endnotes, and including text references, which should use the Harvard form, e.g. (Smith, 2006, p. 2). The penalty for exceeding this limit is a deduction of 1% of the mark for every 20 words over the limit or part thereof, up to a maximum penalty of 10%. Thus an essay of 3035 words will lose 2%; an essay of 3200 words or more will attract the maximum penalty of 10 marks lost. There will be spot checks of word lengths of essays to audit their length.

Lateness penalties: The standard penalty for late submission of coursework is five marks per working day (i.e. excluding weekends and University holidays) for up to five days. Work handed in more than five days late will receive a mark of zero.

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Late Submission: Managing deadlines is a basic life skill and you are expected to be mastering that skill by the time you reach Honours. Timely submission of all assessed items (coursework, essays, dissertations, etc.) is a vitally important responsibility at Honours level. Unexcused lateness can put at risk your prospects of proceeding to Senior Honours, and can damage your final degree grade. Work submitted late is subject to a 'lateness penalty' of 5 marks deducted per working day after the deadline, and will receive a mark of ‘0’ (without being marked) if submitted after five working days.

If there are factors beyond your control which make it essential for you to submit work after the deadline you must fill in a ‘Lateness Penalty Waiver’ (LPW) form stating the reason for the request. Students will be able to pick up late forms from a separate envelope pinned to the Social Policy Honours notice board. You should submit requests as soon as possible, preferably before the deadline in question. But you should always submit an LPW form when work is late, even if you are unable to submit the form until after the missed deadline.

In cases where there is clear evidence and/or appropriate documentation, and the lateness is under 5 working days, the form can be submitted directly to Louise Angus, who will sign the form to acknowledge receipt and forward it to your DoS and the honours convener for consideration. Please DO NOT ask the honours secretary about whether your request is likely to be approved, and DO NOT apply for a penalty waiver on non-legitimate grounds such as having a heavy workload or computer problems. Your honours secretary may decide your request does not meet the criteria above, refuse to receive the form, and refer you to your DoS.

All other cases should be referred directly to your Director of Studies. Specifically, if there is any possibility that you may be more than five working days late in submitting, or if the reasons for your lateness are not clearly supported by documentation, you must discuss the problem and the timing of submission with your Director of Studies. You should bring a copy of the LPW form with you when you go to discuss the matter with your DoS. If your DoS supports your request, they will sign the form and forward it to the Honours convener for consideration.

Please Note: Signing the LPW form by either the honours secretary or your DoS only indicates acknowledgment of the request, not the waiving of lateness penalties. Final decisions on all marks rest with exam boards, as advised by Special Circumstances Committees. However, you can be reasonably confident that if your request provides good reasons, is well documented and/or supported by your DoS, and the degree of lateness is proportionate to the reasons for the delay, then lateness penalties will be lifted. Return: Coursework is normally marked and returned to students within three teaching weeks of the submission deadline.

Feedback on coursework is provided in written form. Your coursework will be marked either by your course organiser or a tutor. Marking by tutors is moderated by full-time academic staff. Coursework, like examination scripts, is graded according to a common marking scheme (see ‘marking descriptors’ below). A sample of essays is routinely second-marked during the year to ensure common standards of assessment. All marks are provisional until the final Examination Board and confirmation by the external examiner.

Junior honours students will be issued with a profile of marks for the courses they have taken in their third year. Senior honours students will have a class of degree awarded and will also receive a profile of marks for the courses they have taken in their two honours years.

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Replacement coursework: Students may not submit replacement coursework on the grounds that they are dissatisfied with their original mark. However, in certain exceptional cases conveners may request a replacement essay when there are fundamental problems with the essay originally submitted.

Examination RequirementsExamination Requirements

The following are things you need to know about how course examinations are run. If you have any questions about this process please consult the relevant member of staff. If you foresee any difficulties, you should discuss this with your Director of Studies as soon as possible.

Examination Periods: All courses in SSPS are assessed in the semester in which they are taught, exams for first-semester courses take place during the December examination period, exams for second semester courses take place during the May examination period.

Registration and notification: Registration for degree examinations is handled automatically by the University’s student record system. You are, however, responsible for checking that the details against your own name are correct. You should do this via the Edinburgh Student Portal around the third or fourth week of semester 1 or 2, as appropriate, and advise a Student Support Officer if there are any discrepancies. The dates, times and venues of examinations get posted on the University website. Notices are placed around SSPS premises advising students when this information becomes available.

Language dictionaries in exams: Students whose first language is not English are permitted to use a language dictionary during an examination. This must, however, be authorised in advance in writing by the course organiser and this authorisation taken into the examination room. The dictionary must, if necessary, be made available for inspection by the invigilators in the exam room. Electronic dictionaries may not be used.

Passing the course: There are no re-sit exams at honours level, so it is especially important that you communicate with your Director of Studies as soon as possible if you foresee a problem with an exam, or encountered difficulties during the exam. If there are legitimate mitigating circumstances these need to be brought to our attention as soon as possible so that they can be considered by Special Circumstances Committees in advance of the final Exam Board.

Marking DescriptorsMarking Descriptors

The following marking criteria for coursework, exams and dissertations, have been established as guides to both staff and students about what is normally expected of work receiving a particular grade.

Criteria for Grading Coursework

A1 (90-100%) An answer that fulfils all of the criteria for ‘A2’ (see below) and in addition shows an exceptional degree of insight and independent thought, together with flair in tackling issues, yielding a product that is deemed to be of potentially publishable quality, in terms of scholarship and originality.

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A2 (80-89%) An authoritative answer that provides a fully effective response to the question. It should show a command of the literature and an ability to integrate that literature and go beyond it. The analysis should achieve a high level of quality early on and sustain it through to the conclusion. Sources should be used accurately and concisely to inform the answer but not dominate it. There should be a sense of a critical and committed argument, mindful of other interpretations but not afraid to question them. Presentation and the use of English should be commensurate with the quality of the content.

A3 (70-79%) A sharply-focused answer of high intellectual quality, which adopts a comprehensive approach to the question and maintains a sophisticated level of analysis throughout. It should show a willingness to engage critically with the literature and move beyond it, using the sources creatively to arrive at its own independent conclusions.

B B- (60-63%) B (64-66%) B+ (67-69%)A very good answer that shows qualities beyond the merely routine or acceptable. The question and the sources should be addressed directly and fully. The work of other authors should be presented critically. Effective use should be made of the whole range of the literature. There should be no significant errors of fact or interpretation. The answer should proceed coherently to a convincing conclusion. The quality of the writing and presentation (especially referencing) should be without major blemish. Within this range a particularly strong answer will be graded B+; a more limited answer will be graded B-.

C C- (50-53%) C (54-56%) C+ (57-59%)A satisfactory answer with elements of the routine and predictable. It should be generally accurate and firmly based in the reading. It may draw upon a restricted range of sources but should not just re-state one particular source. Other authors should be presented accurately, if rather descriptively. The materials included should be relevant, and there should be evidence of basic understanding of the topic in question. Factual errors and misunderstandings of concepts and authors may occasionally be present but should not be a dominant impression. The quality of writing, referencing and presentation should be acceptable. Within this range a stronger answer will be graded C+; a weaker answer will be graded C-.

D D- (40-43%) D (44-46%) D+ (47-49%) A passable answer which understands the question, displays some academic learning and refers to relevant literature. The answer should be intelligible and in general factually accurate, but may well have deficiencies such as restricted use of sources or academic argument, over-reliance on lecture notes, poor expression, and irrelevancies to the question asked. The general impression may be of a rather poor effort, with weaknesses in conception or execution. It might also be the right mark for a short answer that at least referred to the main points of the issue. Within this range a stronger answer will be graded D+; a bare pass will be graded D-.

E (30-39%) An answer with evident weaknesses of understanding but conveying the sense that with a fuller argument or factual basis it might have achieved a pass. It might also be a short and fragmentary answer with merit in what is presented but containing serious gaps.

F (20-29%) An answer showing seriously inadequate knowledge of the subject, with little awareness of the relevant issues or literature, major omissions or inaccuracies, and pedestrian use of inadequate sources.

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G (10-19%) An answer that falls far short of a passable level by some combination of short length, irrelevance, lack of intelligibility, factual inaccuracy and lack of acquaintance with reading or academic concepts.

H (0-9%) An answer without any academic merit which usually conveys little sense that the course has been followed or of the basic skills of essay-writing.

Criteria for Grading Exam Answers

In assessing coursework there will be greater emphasis on the breadth of material, more engagement with the literature and a more refined presentation. Exams require more concise and focused answers, with less emphasis on the literature incorporated, or on sophisticated expression and presentation.

A1 (90-100%) An answer that fulfils all of the criteria for ‘A2’ (see below) and in addition shows originality and independent thought, together with flair and an ability to present and analyse things from different perspectives.

A2 (80-89%) A comprehensive answer that remains focused on the topic and provides an authoritative response to the question. It should be fully conversant with the main issues and literature and able to incorporate these into the analysis while showing awareness of their complexities and wider ramifications. It should display strong critical and analytical skills, mindful of other interpretations but not afraid to challenge them. A high level of quality should be sustained throughout.

A3 (70-79%) A sharply-focused answer of high intellectual quality, which adopts a comprehensive approach to the question and maintains a sophisticated level of analysis throughout. It should show a willingness to engage critically with the course material and move beyond it, using the sources creatively to arrive at its own independent conclusions.

B B- (60-63%) B (64-66%) B+ (67-69%)A very good answer, showing qualities beyond the merely routine or acceptable. The question should be addressed fully and directly within a coherent and well-structured discussion that demonstrates awareness of the main issues and reading. The answer should have a clear focus and engage with the topic in an analytical rather than descriptive way. There should be no significant errors of fact or interpretation of concepts or data. Within this range a particularly strong answer will be graded B+, a more limited one B-.

C C- (50-53%) C (54-56%) C+ (57-59%)A satisfactory answer with elements of the routine and predictable. It should be generally accurate and show awareness of the main issues and/or evidence of independent reading, which will be presented accurately, if rather descriptively. There may be some errors of fact or interpretation, but the materials included should be relevant, and there should be evidence of basic understanding of the topic in question. It should attempt to engage critically with the question, though with some possible unevenness. Within this range a stronger answer will be graded C+; a weaker answer will be graded C-.

D D- (40-43%) D (44-46%) D+ (47-49%)A passable but superficial answer which understands the question and displays some learning, though with omissions and inaccuracies and scant evidence of reading. There should be a discernible structure, although the answer may lack focus or coherence. There will be few signs of insight or critical awareness and the approach will be overwhelmingly

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descriptive rather than analytical. This could also be the mark for a short answer that at least referred to the main points of the topic. Within this range a stronger answer will be graded D+; a bare pass will be graded D-.

E (30-39%) An answer that attempts to address the question, but contains serious inaccuracies, omissions and/or misunderstandings. The structure will be weak, and the focus vague. There will be no or very little evidence of reading or critical awareness and a tendency to descriptive narrative, some of dubious relevance, rather than analysis. It might also be a short and fragmentary answer with merit in what is presented but containing serious gaps. Within this band, an answer conveying the sense that with fuller analysis it might have achieved a pass should be marked between 37% and 39%. More substantial fails should receive a mark of 30-36%.

F (20-29%) An answer showing no awareness of the relevant issues or reading and seriously inadequate knowledge of the subject. The structure will be incoherent and lacking in logical development, with no evidence of critical awareness or insight and major omissions and/or inaccuracies in the material presented.

G (10-19%) An answer that falls far short of a passable level by some combination of short length, irrelevance, lack of intelligibility, factual inaccuracy and lack of acquaintance with fundamental concepts or issues.

H (0-9%) An answer with no academic merit, conveying little sense that the course has been followed or of the ability to develop a coherent argument.

Criteria for Grading Dissertations

A1 (90-100%) A dissertation that fulfils all of the criteria for an ‘A2’ (see below) and in addition shows an exceptional degree of insight and independent thought, together with flair and originality in tackling both methodological and substantive issues. These should be seen as yielding a product that is of potentially publishable quality in terms of scholarship, originality and contribution to the field.

A2 (80-89%) An authoritative dissertation that displays a sophisticated grasp of issues raised in the literature and develops an appropriate design and methodology to address a clearly-articulated set of questions stemming from that literature. The analysis should achieve a high level of quality early on and sustain it through to its own independent conclusions. It should also show an ability to be reflexive, pointing to lessons learned from the research and making suggestions where appropriate as to how future studies in the area might benefit from experience gained in the course of the investigation. Referencing, presentation and use of English should be of commensurately high quality.

A3 (70-79%) A dissertation of high intellectual quality, which has clearly-stated aims, displays a good grasp of methodological issues and maintains a sophisticated level of analysis throughout. While presenting the data obtained from the research accurately, the discussion should move beyond a mainly descriptive account of the results, to develop its own comments, points and interpretations.

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B B- (60-63%) B (64-66%) B+ (67-69%)A very good dissertation that shows qualities beyond the merely routine or acceptable. The research question should be clearly stated and an appropriate methodology used to test or answer it, with effective use made of the literature. There should be no significant errors of either fact or interpretation. The presentation and use of the research data should be accurate and the discussion should show a willingness to speculate on their implications for theoretical, empirical or practical developments in the area. Referencing and the quality of the writing should be without major blemish. The answer should cover the question fully and present only relevant material. Within this range a particularly strong dissertation will be graded B+; a more limited one will be graded B-.

C C- (50-53%) C (54-56%) C+ (57-59%)A satisfactory dissertation, though showing elements of the routine and predictable. While generally accurate and firmly based in the reading, it will tend to draw on a more restricted set of sources. It will probably also be based on less clearly-stated aims and/or a less coherent methodology. Indeed, it is the grasp and handling of methodological issues that will most likely differentiate between the B and C grades. The data will be presented accurately, if rather descriptively, although there should be no serious weaknesses in their portrayal or interpretation. Factual errors and misunderstandings of concepts and authors may occasionally be present but should not be a dominant impression. The quality of writing, referencing and presentation should be acceptable. Within this range a stronger dissertation will be graded C+; a weaker one C-.

D D- (40-43%) D (44-46%) D+ (47-49%)A passable dissertation, which displays some familiarity with relevant literature and the issues under investigation. The aims may be poorly articulated and this incoherence will undermine the quality of the research. The work should be intelligible and factually accurate, but will contain deficiencies such as restricted use of sources, poor expression and failure to analyse or discuss the implications of the data in anything more than a thin and descriptive way. The general impression will probably be of a rather poor effort with weaknesses in conception or execution. It might also be the right mark for an obviously hastily-executed piece of research which attempted to address a relevant set of questions. Within this range a stronger piece of work will be graded D+; a bare pass will be graded D-.

E (30-39%) A dissertation showing clear lack of understanding of the nature of research, but conveying the sense that with clearer aims and better developed instruments it might have achieved a pass. It might also clearly have been written in a hurry, with some merit, but serious gaps, in what is presented.

F (20-29%) Work showing seriously inadequate knowledge of the subject, with little awareness of the relevant issues or literature, major omissions or inaccuracies, and limited use of inadequate sources. It could also be the mark for a very short answer with some relevant material.

G (10-19%) Work falling short of a passable level by some combination of poor methodology, unclear aims, incoherence, factual inaccuracy and lack of familiarity with basic concepts or literature.

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H (0-9%) A dissertation containing no academic merit or evidence that the author understands the nature of the research enterprise, or made a serious effort to address the topic.

Classifying degrees

The University system for determining degree classifications is based on a mean mark system derived from a weighted aggregate of marks for all Honours courses taken. Thus, for example, a mean mark of 56 will result in the award of a lower second class degree; a mean mark of 63 will result in an upper second class degree and a mean mark of 72 will result in a first class degree. Special College Guidelines apply for overall borderline marks that take account of profiles of performance, i.e. marks from two percentage points below the class or boundary grade up to the boundary itself, e.g. mean marks of 58-59.99, are considered borderline. In such borderline cases, if 50% or more of the marks are in the class above, the student’s degree will fall into that higher class.

The mean mark will be based on final overall grades – derived from all assessed work in each course – for all courses taken across your 3rd and 4th year. Students who spend their junior honours year abroad have their degree calculated solely on the basis of 4 th year marks. The mean takes account of different course weightings, so that 40 credit courses, such as the dissertation, are counted twice.

Attendance at classes

As a condition of taking an honours course, students are expected to attend classes regularly and to participate actively in the work of the class through discussions and presentations. A register of attendance may be kept. You are expected to present papers to the class where this is a part of the normal organisation of an option.

If you fail to give presentations as agreed without good reason, or attend less than 7 out of the 10 meetings of the class (unless your absences were for good reasons agreed by the course teacher) you may be deemed not to have taken the course. Since this could have serious repercussions, you are strongly advised to attend classes on a regular basis.

Special Circumstances

Special circumstances (SC) denotes a formal process whereby students request (via their DOS) exceptional concessions related to specific pieces of course assessment on the basis of a verifiable medical problem, bereavement, or accident (or equivalent; see indicative list below1). SC is an extremely ‘expensive’ and labour-intensive process. Considerable time and effort are involved in any SC submission: for the student, their DOS, administrative staff (who must log and process forms), and members of a Special Circumstances Committee that must consider requests for concessions prior to Examination Boards.

The decision to apply for Special Circumstances should not be taken lightly. If you apply, your case must be truly ‘special’ and exceptional. Concessions are usually granted only if there is clear evidence of underperformance on a specific piece of assessment.2 You must write up a statement of your own case for SC, and take responsibility for gathering

1 The list provided at the end of this guidance is purely indicative. University guidelines may be found at: http://www.aaps.ed.ac.uk/Committees/Senate/ugsc/RecentGuide/SpecialCircumstances.htm.

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unambiguous evidence to back it. All of this takes time and effort to compile. Your time, especially in the run-up to exams, is extremely precious. It is best invested – all else being equal – in revising.

It is rare for submitted SC evidence to lead to a change in a course mark. It is even rarer for SC to lead to a change in a degree class (typically, in recent years, it has occurred in only 1-2% of all SC cases).

We are committed to the principle of equity in the treatment of all of our students. We consider all SC submissions individually and with great care. The relevant question we consider is not ‘did this circumstance perhaps negatively affect performance?’ Rather, it is ‘would one expect this circumstance to directly negatively affect the performance of ANYONE who encountered it?’ We treat all SC that come without clear or sufficient evidence equally: as insufficient to grant concessions.

To be clear: we will do all we can to help students who are unfortunate and find themselves in legitimate difficulty. We will grant no concessions unless SC are adequately documented and truly SPECIAL.

Legitimate grounds for SC are: a serious illness or injury1 for which there is medical evidence; an accident for which there is evidence in the form of (eg) a police report; the death of a member of your immediate family; other unforeseen events occurring on or close to exam dates or coursework deadlines

that have a direct, negative effect on performance.

(Generally) inappropriate grounds for SC include: minor illness, such as a common cold or flu; occasional low mood; relationship difficulties; accommodation problems; financial difficulties;

Appeals against final degree results

A student may appeal against an examination result, but only on one of the following two grounds:a) substantial information directly relevant to the quality of performance in the examination which for good reason was not available to the examiners when their decision was taken. b) alleged irregular procedure or improper conduct of an examination.Details on the appeals procedure can be found athttp://www.acaffairs.ed.ac.uk/Regulations/academicappeals/index.htmAppeals must be lodged within 6 weeks of your results being issued. Students who are considering making such an appeal are advised to consult their Director of Studies or the Head of Subject and to get advice from the Advice Place.

2 As an illustrative example, a mark on an exam following an illness, accident or bereavement that is considerably lower than a (pre-SC) essay mark for the same course constitutes evidence of underperformance.1 Disabilities are dealt with via procedures that are distinct from SC. The University’s Disability Office can provide guidance (http://www.disability-office.ed.ac.uk/).

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6. DISSERTATIONS Students taking Joint Honours degrees in Social Policy are required to undertake a project leading to a supervised dissertation. Dissertations are carried out concurrently with coursework. They count for 40 units, i.e. for the equivalent of two, semester-length honours courses and constitute a very important component of the honours curriculum.

Although Joint Honours students usually do their dissertations in Social Policy, they are free to do a dissertation in the other subject, provided that they have taken the appropriate Research Methods courses in their junior honours year.

Choosing your topic

During the second semester, junior honours students will be asked to submit a draft proposal for their project. You need to consider your own interests but also what is feasible in the time available. You also need a topic which is more than an essay. This means that you must identify an issue, question or controversy with reference to the existing academic literature, and then attempt to illuminate or answer it by analysing some data. You can use either primary data i.e. data that you gather and analyse yourself, or secondary data i.e. data that has been gathered by someone else and that you will reanalyse. Examples of primary data would be interviews, questionnaires, small surveys that you design and administer, historical and policy documents, Parliamentary records, speeches and media reports. Examples of secondary data would be statistics compiled and published by governments, international organisations or other researchers. Published academic literature might even be a source of data, so long as this literature is different from the literature examined in the formulation the research question/topic. For example, your research question could be about the influence of American social policies on the development of social policy in the UK. The data you look at might include articles published by academics in British social policy journals, to investigate how often reference is made to American social policies. But the theoretical literature you would use to shape this study would be a different literature, focused on theories of policy transfer, policy learning, and so on.

You will be allocated a supervisor who will assist you in finalising your topic. This involves clarifying your research question and working out your method or methods for answering it. A group session will also be organised early in Senior Honours, where general issues relating to the design and execution of the dissertation project can be raised.

Draft timetable for the dissertation

You are expected to see your supervisor regularly in your Senior Honours year. It is your responsibility to arrange these meetings and to come with work done for each meeting (a good practise is to email a summary of what you have done or a chapter written in advance of the meeting). Although you will be taking courses at the same time, you are expected to keep working on your dissertation throughout the two semesters.

A draft timetable for students who undertake projects leading to dissertations is set out below. This is meant as a guide and in practice staging and supervision will depend on the subject of the dissertation.

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Stage Complete by Supervision sessions

Draft proposal submitted End Junior Honours 0

Initial planning End Junior Honours 1

Complete project design and plans for data collection

End of first 5 weeks Senior Honours

2

Complete data collection End of Semester 1 Senior Honours

2

Complete data analysis and first draft of dissertation

End of first 5 weeks Semester 2 Senior Honours

2

Revise dissertation in light of supervisor’s comments

End of teaching period Semester 2 Senior Honours

2

Submit final version of dissertation 20 April 2010

Students should aim to complete a first draft of their dissertation by the middle of the second semester in their Senior Honours year. Your supervisor will read and comment on a complete draft of the dissertation during the final 5 weeks of Semester 2. This will give you time to revise the draft and incorporate comments in the final version. Your supervisor will not be one of the markers of your dissertation and will not offer any suggestion as to a likely mark or grade. Dissertations will be double marked – and may be seen by the external examiner.

When completed, dissertations should be handed in according to the procedure outlined on page 9 of this Handbook. Similar to the rule on page 11 that applies to late submission of essays, if a submission deadline extension has not been requested and granted by the Honours Convener, dissertations handed in late will be subject to a penalty. The penalty will involve the loss of 5 marks per day up to a maximum of five working days beyond the deadline. Dissertations handed in after that will not be assessed.

General Guidance for Dissertations

Diary

You are required to keep a diary of the progress of your dissertation work, and this must be submitted along with the dissertation. The diary is intended simply as a record of work and events − of reading done, contacts made, the development of instruments, interviews, or other forms of data collection, analysis, unforeseen difficulties, etc. − so that anyone reading the dissertation can have some knowledge of the context and development of your work. It should be submitted with the dissertation, either as an appendix or separately.

Length of the Dissertation

Dissertations should be between 10,000 and 15,000 words in length. Some dissertation topics require fuller treatment than others and you will not be penalised for being at the lower end of this range. If the length of the dissertation is above 15,000 words, the mark will be reduced by 5 per cent for every 1,000 words (or part thereof) in excess. This is because keeping to the word limit is part of the task of writing a dissertation. The word limit excludes

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the table of contents, acknowledgements, the bibliography, and appendices that reproduce copies of questionnaires, interview schedules or letters relating to access or to the recruitment of subjects. However, it includes all text, tables and footnotes within the body of the dissertation. You must attach a word count using your word processing package; there will be spot checks of word lengths of dissertations to audit their length.

Ethical issues

All research projects approved by Social Policy are reviewed with respect to their ethical propriety in accordance with University procedures. Students carrying out research will be required to obtain ethical clearance by submitting their proposals to the ethical clearance procedures newly set up by the School of Social and Political Studies. Details can be found at: http://www.hss.ed.ac.uk/Research/support/index.htm

How to approach the Dissertation

The main purpose of the dissertation, and the project on which it is based, is to provide you with the opportunity to apply what you have learned in the courses you have taken to a research project in which you have considerable freedom to develop your own ideas. It will enable you to develop your interest in a specific area and perhaps to find out at first hand more about a profession or an area of work which you may be considering for a career. Dissertations may, and often do, use a variety of research methods, e.g. documentary analysis, questionnaires, interviews, participant observation, etc., and your supervisor help to determine the direction of your work. These introductory notes are intended to provide you with some general guidance on what is required of the dissertation in terms of execution and presentation.

It is helpful to read past dissertations as examples. Ask your dissertation supervisor for recommendations. Past dissertations can be obtained from Louise Angus, the Honours Secretary. You will be asked to sign for them and to return them within a specified period.

Areas which you should pay particular attention to are listed below, followed in each case, by a few explanatory notes.

1. Research Aims and Design − you must be clear about the central question you are attempting to answer and set this out clearly in your research objectives. You should – and the reader will − assess the whole project by (i) how well you were able to focus on and pursue this central question and (ii) the appropriateness of the research design for the study of the problem under examination. If you are working with other agencies that have required you to work in particular ways, you should be careful to indicate clearly the extent to which you were constrained and the nature of your own contribution to the research design.

2. Ethical Issues – the procedure for ensuring your research is ethical and meets professional guidelines. In your dissertation, you should give a succinct but full description of the ethical considerations that applied to your research and how you sought to address them. This would typically consider issues of access and consent, confidentiality and anonymity of participants, any potential harm to participants, and feedback. You should also record how you conformed with the School’s ethical guidelines.

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3. Structure − the structure of dissertation should relate closely to the research design. Ideally you should make clear to the reader what evidence you employed, the nature of that evidence, how you gathered the evidence and how the general conclusions follow from the evidence.

4. Literature Review − the dissertation should include a review of the literature relevant to the field of inquiry and/or the particular problem under investigation. Review of material in web sites on the internet is likely to be part of this exercise.

5. Methods − the reasons for the choice of methods should be discussed fully. Of particular interest will be a discussion of why a particular research method was employed and how it was used. It may also be worthwhile discussing why other methods were not employed, e.g. why you administered a questionnaire in person rather than by post. In relation to how the particular methods were employed you should discuss how you tailored their use to the specific requirements of your own project. By the time you begin to design your research project you will already have taken a research methods course which should have provided you with a good basis on which to develop your own project.

6. Data Collection − the reader needs to know where your data came from and how reliable they are. You should therefore try to show as clearly as possible how you collected the data and what obstacles, both conceptual and practical, you had to overcome.

7. Data Analysis − again, you will have to let the reader know how valid the conclusions you have drawn from the data are. You should therefore discuss clearly how the data have been analysed. Similarly, the inferences you make on the basis of the data should be clearly discussed so that the reader can judge how well your general argument fits or follows from the empirical material or other evidence you have gathered. This relates, clearly, to the question of structure since the data on which your argument and conclusions are based are crucial in the whole process of marshalling evidence and drawing a valid argument from it.

8. Criticisms − once you have actually completed your research, you should spend some time in thinking about what, if you were to do the research again, you would do differently. This serves (at least) two functions (i) it lets you qualify the strength of the claims or arguments you make by reference to any doubts you may have about the way in which the research was conducted (e.g. perhaps you didn't include all the right questions in the interview; perhaps you only interviewed women etc.) and (ii) it also lets the reader know that you are aware of any shortcomings in your research. The dissertation is meant to be a training in research, not a perfect job, and awareness of its limitations is a strength, not a weakness.

9. Conclusion − this may be fairly short but it needs to be effective. It should summarise your main findings, and may include ‘criticisms’ (see above) and also policy recommendations. Since readers may turn to it first, it needs to be reasonably self-contained. It should address the main aims of your project and summarise the most significant or interesting things you were able to find out. A weak conclusion is often the result of working to a tight deadline and you should make sure that you have left yourself enough time to think about your conclusion in order to do justice to your project.

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10. Presentation − Your dissertation must be typewritten and we would encourage you to use word processing in the Micro Lab. or on terminals elsewhere in the University computer. Remember always to make back-up copies of all your files (failure to do so may result in serious losses of time and data). It is very important to present your dissertation well. Your supervisor can help you as you write it up but you should give careful thought to the overall plan of the dissertation, the space you are to devote to the identifiable sections in it and the relationship between the different sections or chapters. Within each chapter you should expect to have a number of sections which have clearly marked headings and subheadings in bold type. Considerations such as these are not merely cosmetic aids: they should reflect carefully worked out ideas, and careful staging of the project can help you in both constructing and writing up your dissertation. Correct grammar and spelling are also vital; make a habit of using ‘spellcheck’ on your computer and get a friend to read the text with an eye to presentation and grammar. We recommend you use one and a half spacing and leave good size margins on the page. There are no special requirements for binding.

Access to Dissertations

The School’s policy is to retain copies of dissertations and to make them available to anyone (including students) who wishes to consult them. The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 requires the University to make available to any enquirer information held by the University, unless one of the legislation’s narrowly defined exemptions applies. Exemptions include

Information provided in confidence, e.g. situations where individuals were interviewed in confidence and are quoted in the dissertation.

Substantial prejudice to commercial interests.

Research in progress; this is most likely to apply where dissertations include information about research findings that have not yet been published but where an intention exists to publish them.

Any student who believes that an exemption applies to their dissertation should discuss this with their supervisor and, where an exemption is sought, should submit a Public Availability of Dissertations form with the dissertation when it is submitted. In the event that anyone asks to see your dissertation, we will use this information to determine whether or not it qualifies for a freedom of information exemption and whether or not access should be withheld.

7. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCING FORDISSERTATIONS AND ESSAYS

Students should always include a bibliography at the end of an essay, dissertation. This is an important means of allowing the reader to appreciate the width of your literature search in the field of inquiry. The bibliography should only include material you have actually used (whether you have quoted directly from it or not). You should get into the habit of recording the full details when you read something for the first time; there are few things more frustrating than failing to write down a full reference at the time of first reading and having then to rush about libraries trying to complete it just before submitting your work.

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There are a number of styles of referencing and you need to adopt one and stick to it at all times. The method set out below, generally referred to as the Harvard style, is recommended as we consider that it saves time and energy with footnotes and their numbering and renumbering. It also cuts out such terms as op cit, ibid etc. and means that you have to cite the full reference once, in an alphabetical list at the end in this way. Some examples of the ways in which items should be recorded are set out below.

For single-authored books:Hill, M. (1996) Social Policy: a Comparative Analysis. London: Prentice Hall.

For joint-authored books:Joss, R. and Kogan, M. (1996) Advancing Quality: Total Quality Management in the National Health Service. Buckingham: Open University Press.

For edited books:Farnham, D. and Horton, S. (eds.) (1996) Managing the New Public Services. London: Macmillan, second edition.

For a chapter in an edited book:McVicar, M. (1996) 'Education' in Farnham, D. and Horton, S. (eds.) Managing the New Public Services . London: Macmillan, second edition.

For government publications:Department of Social Security (1999) Social Security Departmental Report. London: The Stationery Office, Cm 4213.

For journal articles:Forder, J., Knapp, M. and Wistow, G. (1996) ‘Competition in the mixed economy of care’, Journal of Social Policy, 25:2, 201-221.

(that is volume: issue, page numbers; it is normal to use capital letters to start the main words of book, but not article nor chapter titles)For material on the internetScottish Executive Central Research Unit (2000), Women’s Issues in Local Partnership Working, www.scotland.gov.uk/cru/kd01/blue/local00.htm. Date of access: 2nd September 2003.

You need only cite the full reference once and then in the body of the text you add:

either a bracket containing the author's name, year of publication and - if you are actually quoting from it - the page reference; for example, 'The introduction of the notion of the social division of welfare (Titmuss 1958)...'

or a bracket after the author's name containing the year of publication and, if needed, the page reference: for example, 'Titmuss (1958) introduced the notion...'

If there are two or more references for the same author for the same year, use a, b etc after the date within the bracket.

There are numerous variations on this theme in terms of punctuation etc (see any journal) but you will not go far wrong if you imitate the one above. The important thing is to be consistent and complete. Doing it right every time will create a good impression on the examiners.

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Some authors (especially lawyers and philosophers) love long footnotes which add material, but in our experience if it is worth saying it should be in the body of the text. If you have to have notes, you will find it easier and more economical on paper to include them in one list at the end, not at the bottom of the page.

8. PLAGIARISM

It is very important that all students understand the University’s rules about plagiarism. Students sometimes break these rules unintentionally because they do not realise that some of the ways in which they have incorporated other people’s work into their own, before they came to this University, may be against the rules here.

Plagiarism is the act of copying or including in one's own work, without adequateacknowledgement, intentionally or unintentionally, the work of another, for one's own benefit. Plagiarism is a serious disciplinary offence and even unintentional plagiarism can be a disciplinary matter.

The guidance given below is intended to clear up any misunderstandings you may have about plagiarism in relation to Social Policy. The University’s general guidance for students about plagiarism can be found at http://www.acaffairs.ed.ac.uk/Administration/GuidanceInformation/AcademicBestPractice/Index.htmThis includes the University’s procedures for dealing with different kinds of plagiarism and advice about what to do if you are accused of plagiarism. If you are still unsure about how to avoid plagiarism, having read these guidance notes, then you should approach Neil Fraser for further advice.

The key to avoiding plagiarism is to make sure that you give correct references for anything that you have taken from other sources to include in your academic work. This might include, for example, any ideas, theories, findings, images, diagrams or direct quotations that you have used. In Social Policy we expect you to use the Harvard referencing system (see above). You should use this system to signal, within the text of your work, the origins of any material taken from another source, even if you have put it into your own words. If you take any material word for word from another source it is essential that you make it clear to your reader that this is what you have done.

If you take material from another source, change a few words and then include the reference you may still have committed a plagiarism offence because you have not made it clear to your reader that you have essentially reproduced part of the original source. You should either express the ideas fully in your own words and give the reference or else use clearly labelled direct quotes. Bear in mind that if you include too many direct quotes in your work this may reduce your grade, as the marker will find it difficult to see evidence of your own understanding of the topic. You must also include a references section at the end of your work that provides the full details of all of the sources cited within the text. You should be aware that, for work done in your other subject areas, you might be expected to use a different referencing system.

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9. CAREERS ADVICE

The Careers Service offers impartial information, guidance and support to students and graduates. We are based at 33 Buccleuch Place and open during semester at the following times:

Monday, Thursday, Friday: 9.30am - 4.45pmTuesday: 9.30am - 7.00pm Wednesday: 12 noon - 4.45pm

Full details of the services we provide, contact details and vacation opening hours can be found on www.careers.ed.ac.uk.

Making informed career decisions takes time and effort. There is a wide range of options open to you after you graduate - employment, further study, voluntary work, taking a gap year – and it is never too early to start thinking about your plans. Here is an idea of just a few of the things we can do to help you move on successfully from your degree course, whatever your direction.

InformationCheck out our website or call in to our information centre to find out more about:

1000+ occupations the destinations of previous social policy graduates further study options and how to fund them starting your own business finding part-time / vacation opportunities working abroad taking a gap year… and a lot more besides!

AdviceInformation staff and careers advisers are available daily on a drop-in basis for CV / Application form feedback, help with job-search strategies, finding information and any other queries you may have!

GuidanceWhether you have a firm idea of your plans after graduation or no ideas whatsoever, you may find it useful to have a longer interview with a Careers Adviser. These sessions are impartial, confidential and an opportunity for you to discuss whatever is on your mind. In Semester One particularly, demand for interviews can be high so book early if you can.

Further ServicesKeep an eye out for your copy of the “Careers Service Guide” which gives a comprehensive picture of the services available to you.

Good luck with your studies this year. I’m looking forward to seeing you in the Careers Service!

Elizabeth Mortimer

Careers Adviser, Social and Political Studiestel: 0131 650 4670 e-mail: careers@ed.ac.uk web: www.careers.ed.ac.uk

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References

Applications for jobs, training and postgraduate courses will require you to provide referees. Your Director of Studies would be your normal first point of contact, and perhaps your dissertation supervisor if a second academic referee is required. Remember that a referee will be greatly helped by some briefing from you about your interests and why you think your overall record (including activities outside your studies) will qualify you well for the particular post for which you are applying.

10. HONOURS DEGREES

Social Policy can be studied as a joint degree with Economics, Geography, Law, Modern European Languages, Politics, Social Anthropology, Social and Economic History and Sociology, or with Social and Political Studies. The requirements of each curriculum are set out below.

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Geography and Social Policy (MA)Combined Honours

Normal year taken

Course Schedules Level CreditTotal

1 Human Geography N 8 20Earth Surface Systems N 8 20Social Policy and Society 1 J 8 20Politics of the Welfare State 1 J 8 20Further courses A-Q 8 40

2 TWO OF: Environmental Sensitivity and Change N 8 20 Economic and Political Geography N 8 20 Geomorphology N 8 20 Social and Cultural Geography N 8 20

European Social Policy 2 J 8 20Social and Political Theory 2 J 8 20Social and Political Enquiry 2 J 8 20Further course A-Q 8 20

3 ONE OF:The Nature of Geography N 9 20Debates in Geography N 9 20

ONE OF:Designing and Doing Social Research J 10 20Doing Survey Research J 10 20

Welfare, Justice and the State J 10 20Further Course in Geography* N 10 20Further Courses in EITHER Geography OR Social Policy

N or J 10 40

4 EITHER Geography OR Social Policy Dissertation

N or J 10 40

Further courses in Geography N 10 40Further courses in Social Policy J 10 40

* Students wishing to take the Geography Dissertation must take Research Design in Geography (10 credits) and either Quantitative Methods in Geography or Qualitative Methods in Geography (10 credits each) in their 3rd year.

Students may substitute Health Policy Analysis and Globalisation and Public Health for one 20 credit Social Policy Honours course.

28

Law and Social Policy (LL.B)Combined Honours

Normal year taken

Course Schedules Level CreditTotal

1 Social Policy and Society 1 J 8 20Politics of the Welfare State 1 J 8 20Legal Reasoning and Legal System F 8 20Public Law of the UK and Scotland F 8 20Contract and Unjustified Enrichment F 8 20Family Law Ordinary F 8 10Delict Ordinary F 8 10

2 Public Law and Individual Rights F 8 10Jurisprudence F 8 10TWO OF

Property Law Ordinary 1 F 8 10European Community Law A F 8 10Criminal Law Ordinary F 8 10

European Social Policy 2 J 8 20Social and Political Enquiry2 J 8 20Social and Political Theory 2 J 8 20Further courses A-Q 8 20

3 Further courses in Law F 10 80Welfare Justice and the State J 10 20Further course in Social Policy J 10 20

4 Dissertation in Law F 10 40Further courses in Social Policy J 10 40Further courses in Social Policy or Social and Political Studies

J 10 40

Students should aim to achieve a balance between law and social policy courses. They are encouraged to select honours courses in law that will complement the social policy options they have selected.

Students may substitute Health Policy Analysis and Globalisation and Public Health for one 20 credit Social Policy Honours course.

29

Modern European Languages and Social PolicyCombined Honours

Normal year taken

Course Schedules Level CreditTotal

1 MEL Language 1 G 8 40Social Policy and Society 1 and Politics of the Welfare State 1

J 8 40

Further Courses A-Q 7/8 40

2 MEL Language 2 G 8 40European Social Policy 2 J 8 20Social and Political Enquiry 2 and Social and Political Theory 2

J 8 40

ONE OFIntroduction to European Cinema G 8 20Literature and Culture in Medieval Europe G 8 20Portuguese Language for Beginners G 8 20Politics and Institutions of Contemporary France G 8 20Scandinavian Languages G 8 20Culture and Society in the Portuguese Speaking world

G 8 20

A second literature course in Italian and/or German

G 8 20

Linguistics 1a l 7 20Linguistics 2Lh: Structure and History of the Western European Languages

l 8 20

3 At least 30 weeks spent in the relevant country and prescribed work in Social Policy and the relevant language in an approved establishmentLanguage Acquisition through residence/study 10 60

MEL dissertation preparation 10 20Year abroad marks for Social Policy 10 40

4 MEL Language Paper 1 G 10 10MEL Language paper 2 G 10 10MEL Oral G 10MEL option G 10 20MEL dissertation completion G 10 20Welfare, Justice and the State J 10 20Social Policy Dissertation J 10 40

Students may substitute Health Policy Analysis and Globalisation and Public Health for one 20 credit Social Policy Honours course.

30

Social Policy and EconomicsCombined honours

Normal year taken

Course Schedules Level CreditTotal

1 Social Policy and Society 1 J 8 20Politics of the Welfare State 1 J 8 20Economics 1A H 8 40Further courses A-Q 7/8 40Computing in Management and Economics H 8 0

2 European Social Policy 2 J 8 20Social and Political Enquiry 2 J 8 20Social and Political Theory 2 J 8 20Economics 2 H 8 40Further course A-Q 7/8 20

3 Designing and Doing Social Research OR Doing Survey Research

J 10 20

Welfare Justice and the State J 10 20Essentials of Econometrics H 10 20Topics in Economic Analysis 1 H 10 20Applications of Economic Analysis H 10 20Further course in Social Policy J 10 20

4 Dissertation in Social Policy OR Economics J or H 10 40Courses in Social Policy J 10 40Courses in Economics H 10 40

Students may substitute Health Policy Analysis and Globalisation and Public Health for one 20 credit Social Policy Honours course.

31

Social Policy and LawCombined honours

Normal year taken

Course Schedules Level CreditTotal

1 Social Policy and Society 1 J 8 20Politics of the Welfare State 1 J 8 20Legal Reasoning and Legal System F 8 20Public Law of the UK and Scotland F 8 20Further courses A/Q 8 40

2 European Social Policy 2 J 8 20Social and Political Enquiry 2 J 8 20Social and Political Theory 2 J 8 20Public Law and Individual Rights F 8 10Contract and Unjustified Enrichment F 8 20Delict Ordinary F 8 10Further courses H 8 20

3 Welfare Justice and the State J 10 20Further courses in Law F 10 40Further courses in Law or Social Policy F/J 10 40

ONE OFDesigning and Doing Social Research J 10 20Doing Survey Research J 10 20

4 Social Policy Dissertation J 10 40Further courses in Law F 10 40Further courses in Law or Social Policy F/J 10 40

Students should aim to achieve a balance between law and social policy courses. They are encouraged to select honours courses in law that will complement the social policy options they have selected.

Students may substitute Health Policy Analysis and Globalisation and Public Health for one 20 credit Social Policy Honours course.

32

Social Policy and PoliticsCombined honours

Normal year taken

Course Schedules Level CreditTotal

1 Social Policy and Society 1 J 8 20Politics of the Welfare State 1 J 8 20Politics and International Relations J 8 20Democracy in Comparative Perspective J 8 20Further courses A-Q 7/8 40

2 European Social Policy 2 J 8 20International Cooperation in Europe and Beyond

J 8 20

Social and Political Enquiry 2 J 8 20Social and Political Theory 2 J 8 20Further courses A-Q 7/8 40

3 Welfare Justice and the State J 10 20ONE OF

Global Justice and Citizenship J 10 20Approaches to Politics and International Relations

J 10 20

ONE OFDesigning and Doing Social Research J 10 20Doing Survey Research J 10 20Comparative Politics J 10 20

Courses in Politics or Social Policy J 10 60

4 Dissertation in EITHER Social Policy OR Politics

J 10 40

Courses in Social Policy J 10 40Courses in Politics J 10 40

Students may substitute Health Policy Analysis and Globalisation and Public Health for one 20 credit Social Policy Honours course.

33

Social Policy and Social and Economic HistoryCombined honours

Normal year taken

Course Schedules Level CreditTotal

1 Social Policy and Society 1 J 8 20Politics of the Welfare State 1 J 8 20EITHER

British Society 1650-2000 E 8 40OR British Society, 1650-c. 1880 (Social History 1.1)

E 8 20

British Economic and Environmental History since 1900

E 8 20

Further courses A-Q 7/8 40

2 European Social Policy 2 J 8 20Social History 2 E 8 40Social and Political Enquiry 2 J 8 20Social and Political Theory 2 J 8 20Further courses A-Q 7/8 20

3* Welfare Justice and the State J 10 20ONE OF Designing and Doing Social Research J 10 20 Doing Social Research J 10 20

History in Practice E 10 20Courses in Economic and Social History E 10 40Courses in Economic and Social History OR Social Policy*

E or J 10 40

4 Dissertation in EITHER Social Policy OR Economic and Social History

E or J 10 40

Courses in Social Policy J 10 40Courses in Economics and Social History E 10 40

* In third year out of 120 credits at least 40 must be taken in Economic and Social History and at least 40 in Social Policy.

Students may substitute Health Policy Analysis and Globalisation and Public Health for one 20 credit Social Policy Honours course.

34

Social Policy and SociologyCombined honours

Normal year taken

Course Schedules Level CreditTotal

1 Social Policy and Society J 8 20Politics of the Welfare State J 8 20Sociology 1A: The Sociological Imagination: Individuals and Society

J 8 20

Sociology 1B: The Sociological Imagination: Private Troubles, Public Problems

J 8 20

Further courses A-Q 7/8 40

2 European Social Policy J 8 20Sociology 2: Transformations of Self and Society J 8 20Social and Political Enquiry J 8 20Social and Political Theory J 8 20Further courses A-Q 7/8 40

3 Welfare Justice and the State J 10 20Social Theory J 10 20Designing and Doing Social Research J 10 20Doing Survey Research J 10 20Courses in Social Policy OR Sociology J 10 40

4 Dissertation in Social Policy OR Project in Sociology*

J 10 40

Courses under Social Policy J 10 40Courses under Sociology J 10 40

* If taking the Sociology Project students are expected to use part of the summer vacation of their third year on research for it.

Students may substitute Health Policy Analysis and Globalisation and Public Health for one 20 credit Social Policy Honours course.

35

Social Policy and Social AnthropologyCombined honours

Normal year taken

Course Schedules Level CreditTotal

1 Social Policy and Society 1 J 8 20Politics of the Welfare State 1 J 8 20Social Anthropology 1A: An Introduction J 8 20Social Anthropology1B The Practice of Social Anthropology

J 8 20

Further courses A-Q 7/8 40

2 European Social Policy 2 J 8 20Social Anthropology 2: Into the Field J 8 20Social and Political Enquiry 2 J 8 20Social and Political Theory 2 J 8 20Further courses A-Q 7/8 40

3 Welfare Justice and the State J 10 20ONE OF

Kinship: Structure and Process J 10 20Ritual and Religion J 10 20Consumption, Exchange, Technology J 10 20Anthropological Theory J 10 20

ONE OFDesigning and Doing Social Research J 10 20Doing Survey Research J 10 20Imagining Anthropological Research J 10 20

Courses in Social Policy J 10 20Courses in Social Anthropology J 10 20Courses in Social Policy or Social Anthropology* J 10 20

4 Dissertation in Social Policy OR Social Anthropology **

J 10 40

Courses under Social Policy J 10 40Courses under Social Anthropology J 10 40

* In third year at least 40 credits must be taken in each subject** If taking the Social Anthropology project students are expected to use part of the summer vacation of their third year on research for it.

Students may substitute Health Policy Analysis and Globalisation and Public Health for one 20 credit Social Policy Honours course.

36

Social Policy with Social and Political Studies (MA)Combined honours

Normal year taken

Course Schedules Level CreditTotal

1 Social Policy and Society 1Politics of the Welfare State 1Courses in Social and Political StudiesFurther courses

JJJA-Q

8887/8

20204040

2 European Social Policy 2Social and Political Enquiry 2Social and Political Theory 2One course in Social and Political StudiesFurther courses

JJJJA-Q

88887/8

2020202040

3 Welfare, Justice and the StateDesigning and Doing Social ResearchDoing Survey ResearchCourse in Social PolicyFurther courses in Social and Political Studies

JJJJJ

1010101010

2020202040

4 Dissertation in Social Policy, combined with another area of Social and Political StudiesCourses in Social PolicyCourses in Social and Political Studies

J

JJ

10

1010

40

4040

Students may substitute Health Policy Analysis and Globalisation and Public Health for one 20 credit Social Policy Honours course.

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