rresearch project handbook 1 1

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RRESEARCH PROJECT HANDBOOK For

(MBA/ MS PROGRAM IN BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT)

INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

BAHAUDDIN ZAKARIYA UNIVERSITY MULTAN, PAKISTAN

COORDINATOR RESEARCH PROJECT:

Syed Khuram Shahzad

E-mail: [email protected]

Url: http://ims-bzu.edu.pk

mailto:[email protected]



http://ims-bzu.edu.pk/







1. INTRODUCTION

This Handbook sets out the procedures and Scheduled Timetable for the Research Project and for the

execution and submission of final Dissertations/Project. The time available for carrying out the research

and writing the project is limited. If a successful submission is to be made within the time available,

regular attendance at research course and Supervisory meetings and a strict adherence to a clearly

defined programme of work is essential. The procedures set out in this document are aimed at giving

students maximum support and ensuring the successful submission of a Dissertation/Project that meets

the institute’s requirements.

2. THE DISSERTATION COMPONENT

2.1 Research Methods Module

Preparation for the Dissertation begins in Summer Semester, where students are required to follow the

Advanced Research Methods course guidelines.

The Research Methods course focuses on three key issues:

The identification and formulation of a Research Question

The preparation of a Research Proposal that shows a sound knowledge and understanding of

the student’s chosen research area and sets out in some detail the plan for the Dissertation

To provide an understanding of the main areas of Research Methodology necessary for the

execution of a successful Research Project and Dissertation

This Advanced Research Methods course aims to ensure that students are ready to embark on their

Dissertation work without loss of time and to follow it through in accordance with their plan in theResearch Proposal.

2.2 The Dissertation

The length of the Dissertation/ project report is dependent on the requirements of the IMS-BZU from

which the degree will be awarded. Students and Supervisors should refer to the HEC and University

Guidelines provided in Seminar 1 (Expected in Summer Semester)

2.3 The Student Log Book / Reflective JournalStudents will be required to complete a Log Book / Reflective Journal that will contain their self

reflections on learning (Appendix H).

3. ACADEMIC REGULATIONSStudents are required to submit 2 typed and bound hard copies and one soft copy on CD. This should be

submitted to the Coordinator Research Project Office on the submission deadline (Appendix G).

All Dissertations/Project reports will include the Student Declaration Form verifying that the Dissertation

submitted is their original work.



3.1. Procedure for Non-Submission

A Dissertation that is not submitted by the deadline date and time will be considered a fail by non-

submission. The student will be given one more opportunity to submit their Dissertation (unless agreed

otherwise by the Assessment Board) and their grade will be capped at 40% regardless of the mark

achieved. Students who do not submit due to exceptional circumstances can put forward an appeal to

the Assessment Board to request a resubmission as a first attempt.

3.2. Extensions

A student may request an extension to the Dissertation submission deadline only if they have

exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances relate to illness or personal tragedy and all

applications for an extension must be requested prior to the submission deadline and be supported by

documentation.

Extensions will be granted for a maximum of 2 weeks after the submission deadline.

3.3 Suspected Unfair Practice Prior To Submission

If a Supervisor suspects that a student’s work has been plagiarized prior to formal submission they

should report this to the Research Project Co-coordinator or Department Chair immediately. A meeting

will then be arranged with the Supervisor and Student where they will be informed of these suspicions

and asked to justify their work. The procedures for suspected unfair practice after submission will be

explained to the student so that they are given the opportunity to revise their work or make a decision

about submission. The academic and cost implications for non-submission will also be explained so that

the student can make an informed decision about how they wish to proceed. In cases where the student

decides on non-submission, this decision must be taken by the student only.

3.4 Suspected Unfair Practice after Submission

The Dissertation is first marked by the Supervisor and second marked by another Supervisor within a

similar field. If either marker suspects unfair practice during the marking phase they should do the

following:

1. Mark the Dissertation work on its merit as a non-plagiarized piece of work

2. Note on the marking sheet that they have identified what they believe to be plagiarized work

3. Test for plagiarism using TURN-IT-IN Software on the CD copy submitted.

4. If evidence of unfair practice is found, this will be presented to the student and the student

asked to explain and justify their Dissertation in detail to the Supervisor and Research Project

Co-ordinator

5. A report will be drawn up of the student’s case and this will be presented to the Chair of the

Assessment Board with evidence of the alleged unfair practice and the Dissertation. If there is a

prima facie case identified, the Assessment Board will determine the outcome of the student’s



case. In severe cases the Assessment Board may decide to prevent the student from

resubmitting their Dissertation or achieving any other award from the University in the future.

4. STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAMME

The research and writing of the Dissertation is carried out in the after the completion of Advanced

research method course.

A Research Proposal is prepared by the student during the Research Methods course. This Proposal sets

out in detail the work that will be carried out for the Dissertation.

The Research Proposal must not only set out the problem and the methodology to be adopted; it must

also be a feasible project to carry out in the time available. The Supervisor is the first marker of the

Proposal. The Supervisor will confirm acceptance of the Proposal as a feasible project that can be

supervised through to completion.

Where a student is following a specialized track, they must focus their Proposal and Dissertation on that

specialization that’s a student studying for an Business Management should choose a Business relatedTopic for their Research Proposal and develop this for their Dissertation.

5. THE ROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR

The Supervisor plays a key role in the research and Dissertation process. The student needs to have a

close and continuing relationship with the Supervisor and use the Supervisor as a source of advice and

support. The Student-Supervisor meetings scheduled in the summer Semester are aimed at supporting

the development of this crucial relationship.

Students will be assigned a Supervisor as soon as the Research Topic has been approved in the second

week of the summer Semester (If not already approved). They are assigned a Supervisor with expertisein the research area that they have chosen. Each Supervisor is given a group of less than or up to

maximum of 10 students with a common area of interest. This will constitute a viable group.

From this point onwards the Supervisor will be involved in giving advice on the development of the

Research Proposal and Dissertation. This will mainly be by means of scheduled face to face meetings and

email exchange. The involvement of the Supervisor at an early stage in the development of the Research

Proposal and Dissertation is of key importance as the Proposal lays the foundation for the subsequent

research and Dissertation.

Regular contact of up to 03 hours per week between the Student-Supervisor is a requirement of the

programme and a pre-requisite for submission of the Dissertation.

A record of this contact will be kept by the Supervisor using the Monitoring Form as shown in Appendix

C.

Students will be required sign a declaration that they understand their responsibility to maintain contact

with their Supervisor (Appendix B).

6. THE RESEARCH METHODS WORKSHOP



The Advanced Research Methods Course will be conducted over not less than 10 Weeks covering the

following Research Method (RM) Topics.

ARM TOPIC ONE: Introduction to the Research Project

ARM TOPIC TWO: Creating a Research Question ARM TOPIC THREE: Undertaking a Literature Review

ARM TOPIC FOUR: Introduction to Research Methods

ARM TOPIC FIVE: Quantitative Methods

ARM TOPIC SIX: Qualitative Methods

ARM TOPIC SEVEN: Case Study Method

ARM TOPIC EIGHT: Findings and Analysis

ARM TOPIC NINE: writing up and submission

ARM TOPIC TEN: Reflective Issues and Submission of the Research Topic

Note: Detail lecture plan with essential readings will be provided to the registered students one weekbefore the start of the course

7. PROGRESSING THE DISSERTATION PROPOSAL

The Dissertation Proposal is formulated during the Research Methods course

Students submit a short statement of the Research Topic on the pro forma provided

(Appendix A).

Students, who fail to submit a Research Topic, will not be allocated a Supervisor and will

therefore be unable to proceed to the preparation of a Research Proposal Additional assistance

will be provided to help with formulating a Research Topic

Supervisors are allocated on the basis of the Research Topic

Students are informed of their Supervisor and the Supervisor assists the student in developing

their Proposal

Students submit their completed Research Proposal using the P3 Research Proposal Form

(Appendix E) to their supervisors and CC to Research coordinator’s Office not later than the

Week 3 of from the starting date of ARM course

Students not submitting a Research Proposal by the scheduled date will be deemed to havefailed and are required to repeat the ARM course

Supervisors give feedback to students on their Research Proposal in Week 4. Students are

provided with feedback on whether to proceed or revise the Proposal

8. CHANGING TOPIC AT THE DISSERTATION PHASE



The student must carry out the project as specified in the Research Proposal submitted and approved by

the Supervisor except for minor modifications agreed with the Supervisor as the research develops. This

is because the Proposal is assessed as a viable Topic for a Dissertation. If a student wishes to change

their Topic they must write a new Research Proposal and this must be sent to the Dissertation Co-

coordinator, a notification will be issued for the change of topic duly signed by the supervisor and

research committee chair. They would be required to pay a ‘resit’ fee as it would be classed as a

resubmission, and must then start their Dissertation again in the following Semester with full

attendance at the Advanced Research Methods course



APPENDIX A

Institute of Management Sciences,Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan

Research Topic Submission Form

Student Name………………………………………………. Student Roll No……………………

Area of Proposed Research…………………………………………………………………………..

Introduction

The purpose of this form is to allow you to set down in a very brief way on one side of A4, your initial

ideas for the Topic of your Dissertation/Project. On the basis of this information you will be allocated a

Supervisor with expertise in your area of interest. The Supervisor will assist and guide you in developing

these initial ideas into a Research Proposal. The Research Proposal sets out in some detail the work thatyou intend to do for your Dissertation.

TitleResearch ObjectivesResearch QuestionsMethodology



APPENDIX B

DISSERTATION/ RESEARCH PROEJCTSTUDENT-SUPERVISOR CONTACT AGREEMENT

The following Agreement will be signed by Students at the Commencement of the Dissertation/

Research project. The purpose of the Dissertation Student-Supervisor Contact is to give students the

support they need to enable them to complete an acceptable Dissertation/ Project within the timescale

allowed.

It is the responsibility of the student to contact their Supervisor in accordance with the

Scheduled Timetable (Appendix D) to discuss their research and ensure that their work

progresses according to the plan that they had prepared in their Research Proposal

Regular contact of up to 03 hours per week between the Student-Supervisor is a requirement of

the programme and a pre-requisite for submission of the Dissertation.

A record of this contact will be kept and may be referred to at the Assessment Board if a

student’s Dissertation is discussed.

Students will be required to submit written drafts of parts of their Dissertation at times agreed

with their Supervisor.

I HAVE READ AND AGREE TO THESE CONDITIONS

STUDENT NAME ………………………………………………………………………

STUDENT Roll No. ……………………………………………………………………….

SIGNATURE ………………………………………………… DATE ………………...



APPENDIX CInstitute of Management Sciences,

Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan

SUPERVISOR MONITORING FORM

Student Name

Student ID

Title of Dissertation

Dissertation Supervisor

Submission Date

Date and Duration of Contact Brief Description of Contact Signature of

Supervisor



APPENDIX EInstitute of Management Sciences,

Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL FORM P3

1. Student ID: _________________________________

2. Student name: ______________________________

3. Contact address and phone number for period of study: a ____________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ Ph. No. ___________________________________ E-mail________________________________________________

You must sign and date this

Signature:_________________ Date: ___________________

Now submit the form to the research project coordinator’s office.

DISSERTATION APPROVAL PANEL DECISION: To be completed by Chair of the research committee.

Unconditional Acceptance

Conditional Acceptance (attach details)

Referral (attach details)

Dissertation Supervisor assigned: _____________________________________________

Date: ________________________

Final Dissertation submission date: ________________________________ (Specify the Dissertation submission deadline)

Signature of Dissertation Supervisor to confirm awareness:

Name of Supervisor__________________________

Signature__________________________________

Copies to : i. Student

ii. Research Project Coordinator

iii. Dissertation Supervisor,

iv. Student Records



3. Research design (including methods) or critical approach: e



4. References h

NOTES

a. Student Records will be updated with this information. Note that we will continue to use your University email address and youshould check your account regularly.

1. Summary of proposed study should indicate the Topic to be covered and the study objectives or intended outcomes. Indicate here if your Dissertation is likely to include confidential material (eg commercially-sensitive information), so that a procedure for dealing

with it can be agreed.

2. This section should summaries the context(s) to your study. You should clarify the academic context by indicating some of the

principal themes, issues or problems identified by current or previous scholarship/research/practice. Include a short bibliography. You

may also indicate any relevant social, professional and institutional/organizational contexts relating to the study. Your analysis of thiscontext should make it clear why you consider the study to be worthwhile.

3 This section should describe how you plan to approach your Topic and indicate briefly why you think this approach is appropriate.

Research questions or hypothesis

Main research method (Case study/survey/case study and survey both)

Instrument for Data Collection: Field survey/ Interview/ Observation or another)

Unit of Analysis:

Sample: (frame and technique)

Brief description of analysis techniques



APPENDIX H THE LOG BOOK / REFLECTIVE JOURNAL

What are the Log Book / Reflective Journal?

This is a document that the student uses to record the progress of their learning.

What to write in a Log Book / Reflective Journal?

The student will complete the Log Book for each interaction experienced at the Dissertation / MastersStage. This includes the Advanced Research Methods lectures, contact with the Supervisor, the relatedreading, any other preparation, and any discussions with fellow students.

Date Activity ContactProblems encounteredor significant issuesarising

Resolution of problems or issuesand what did you learn from this

Oct12

Met withcoordinatorduring lecture todiscuss outlinedissertationproposal

Mr./Mis----------------

Objectives requireclarification

Objectives rewritten andagreed with coordinator.Clearer understanding of importance of objectives

Typical questions that apply – but think carefully about whether each question applies or not to the

experience of your interaction – could include the following.

i. What was the most interesting thing I read for this experience - why was that?ii. What were three main things I learned from this experience?iii. What did I previously think was true, but now know to be wrong?iv. What have I changed my mind about, as a result of this experience?v. One thing I learned in this experience that I may be able to use in future is...vi. Issues that interested me a lot, and that I would like to study in more detail

vii. Ideas for action, based on this experience...viii. Interesting facts I learned in this experience...ix. What does the experience suggest to you about your strengths?x. What does the experience suggest to you about your weaknesses and opportunities for

development?xi. How else could you view that experience?xii. What did you learn from that experience about how you react?xiii. What might you do differently as a result of that experience and your reflections on it? What

actions do your reflections lead you to?

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