University of Surrey
Department of Computing
School of Electronics and Physical Sciences
MSc Dissertation Handbook
MSc in Information Systems
MSc in Internet Computing
October 2003
CONTENTS
1. Introduction 3
2. Deadlines 3
3. Dissertation Deliverables 3
4. Industrial Dissertations 5
5. Project Assessment 6
6. Meetings and your Supervisors 6
7. Other Support Available During Your Dissertation 7
7.1 The Dissertation Coordinator 7
7.2 English Support provided by the Department 7
8. Project Failure or Non-Submission of Reports 7
8.1 Delayed Submission 7
8.2 Project Deferment 7
8.3 Re-submission of Report 7
8.4 Project Failure 8
9. Recommended Format For Dissertation 9
10. Example of Past MSc Dissertations 12
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1: Dissertation Supervision Form 16
APPENDIX 2: Plagiarism 17
APPENDIX 3: Plagiarism Agreement Form 19
APPENDIX 4: Dissertation Cover Template 20
1. Introduction
These guidelines contain requirements, suggestions and comments for your MSc Dissertation. All these are intended to provide a foundation on which your Dissertation will have the best chance of being successful. It is important to realise, however, that it is your Dissertation first and foremost. Please remember that while you will be supported by your supervisor and other members of the School, it is your responsibility to bring it to a successful conclusion - the award of the MSc.
The research related to your dissertation project is divided into two phases; the preparatory phase and the full-time phase. The preparatory phase begins with the assignment of the project titles and continues until the Diploma examinations. The full-time phase extends from the end of the examinations until the Dissertation submission date. During the preparatory phase you are expected to spend approximately 3-4 hours per week on your Dissertation. Throughout the full-time period, 40 hours per week is reasonable. It is in your own interest to participate fully in the preparatory phase. Please note that you will only be allowed to proceed to the full-time dissertation phase when you successfully complete the Diploma examinations.
The normal arrangement is that students carry out a dissertation project in the Department, however some dissertations are available in collaboration with industry.
University Dissertation Projects: These are usually carried out in association with one of the full-time academics who will be appointed as Academic Supervisor.
Industrial Dissertation Projects: It may be possible to undertake a project in industry or one which is carried out in collaboration with industry. Each year organisations are canvassed by the Department to provide dissertation project placements or suggestions. In such cases, an Industrial Supervisor would be necessary as well as an Academic Supervisor. If you are interested in an Industrial Dissertation, an up-to-date CV should be sent electronically to the Postgraduate Administrator via
2. Deadlines
The important deadlines for your Dissertation for which you should make a diary note are as follows:
· 3 November 2003 (5 pm) Dissertation Supervision Form
· 19 December 2003 (5 pm) Project Inception Report (5%)
· 15 March 2004 (5 pm) Preparatory Phase Report (10%)
· 22-26 March 2004 Preparatory Phase Presentations (5%)
· 9 August 2004 (5 pm) Final Dissertation Report (70%)
· 11-23 August 2004 Final Presentations - Vivas (10%)
Submission of Project Reports:
All written submissions should be handed in by 5 pm on the respective dates, via the School MSc Post Box in the Student Common Room, BB Building, or to Mrs Helen Tye directly. (Do not hand in reports via supervisors.)
3. Dissertation Deliverables
3.1 Dissertation Supervision Form: Monday, Week 9 of the Autumn Semester
It is your responsibility to complete the Dissertation Supervision Form with yours and your proposed supervisors signatures, to formally register for your Dissertation by the date given above. The Dissertation Supervision Form will be circulated electronically to you; a copy is also found in the Annex of this Handbook for your information. Once the dissertation project title has been agreed, students must discuss the project requirements with their supervisor.
3.2 Project Inception Report (5%): Friday, Week 15 of the Autumn Semester
This document should record the formal agreement between you and your supervisor(s) as to the overall objectives and outcome of your research proposal, together with the criteria by which your achievement is to be evaluated. It should also put forward a provisional workplan, which makes clear how you mean to go about meeting those objectives. All resources that may be required must be identified at this stage; it is your responsibility to ensure that these will indeed be available to you. This document must be countersigned by you and your supervisor.
If you intend to work with any outside organisations or individuals, they should be identified here and the nature of their involvement made clear. It is strongly recommended that a written undertaking be obtained from any such organisation that they accept the Department’s 'Guidelines for Supervisors'.
3.3 Preparatory Phase Report (10%): Monday, Week 9 of the Spring Semester
This should constitute an outline draft of your research proposal, wherein certain parts may as yet be present only in skeleton form. It should therefore contain:
a) a ‘Table of Contents’, which shows your intended overall structure;
b) Introductory chapters;
c) chapters which describe the significant results or insights obtained during analysis, specification and design, a rationale for the decisions you have made, the methods used and so on (as appropriate to the specific objectives of your dissertation);
d) a statement as to how you mean to approach testing, user validation and acceptance (again, as specifically related to your dissertation).
By this stage you should make a clear distinction between the “academic report”, which is meant to be a well-structured commentary on your work, and the actual output from the dissertation – i.e. your product. For a software development dissertation the latter would normally include a user manual and supporting technical documentation; alternatively, it may take the form of a study and recommendations for delivery to a real customer. All such material should be set out as a self-standing “Annex” to your dissertation. Dissertation supervisors may approve whatever format is most suitable. This submission should be accompanied by a short summary of your workplan for the remaining period.
3.4 Preparatory Phase Presentations (5%): Monday-Friday, Week 10 of the Spring Semester
This short presentation will normally involve you giving a 15-20 minute talk about your research proposal, including what you have done and what you intend to do. This will be attended by your supervisor and an internal examiner. You and your supervisor(s) are responsible for arranging the date, time and venue of your examination. The aim of the presentation is to:
· ensure that you understand what is involved in your research proposal;
· ensure that you are making good progress and are managing your time effectively;
· give you timely feedback and advice on your dissertation and your presentation skills.
3.5 Final Dissertation Report (70%): Monday, Week 11 of the Summer Semester (3 soft bound copies required)
Your completed submission should be a professionally presented report covering the objectives, methods and achievements of the dissertation. It should conclude with a critical appraisal of your own work, and reflections on what you have learnt in the process. The Dissertation - excluding any annex containing the ‘product’ should normally be between 15,000 and 20,000 words. The University Library keeps copies of past MSc Dissertation Projects that can be used to judge the normal length and standard of reports.
Your Dissertation will be assessed on both presentation - that is, English structure, grammar, layout and so on - and on your achievements and argumentation shown in the report. Typically, these might be weighted 20:50. A couple of weeks after submitting your Dissertation, you will be required to give a presentation on it - see 3.6.
Your Final Dissertation should be submitted in a 'soft-bound' format - three copies are required though you should keep a fourth copy for yourself. Students with an industrial project should also arrange to give a copy to their industrial supervisor. If you use hot glue binding or channel binding at AVS, any corrections required can be incorporated into your Dissertation, without the need to reprint it.
3.6 Final Presentations: Vivas (10%): 11-23 August 2004
Your Final Presentations will take place during the period 11-23 August 2004, when you will be required to present your final dissertation to your supervisor(s) and an examiner. Your supervisor will provide advice about what is expected in this oral examination. You and your supervisor(s) are responsible for arranging the date, time and venue, which should typically be an hour's slot; including a 15-20 minute presentation by yourself, which is then followed up with questions from your supervisor and the internal examiner.
During your viva you will be instructed by your supervisor/examiner whether any further corrections will be required. If either 'minor' or 'specified' corrections are required, you will have 40 days to complete these and submit a revised copy of your Dissertation to your supervisor. Once the corrections are acceptable to the examiners, your supervisor must certify to the Postgraduate Administrator in writing that the corrections have been satisfactorily incorporated. After the Board of Examiners has met, you will be able to formally bind your Dissertation.
After any corrections have been approved, binding should be arranged through the School Postgraduate Office before you leave the University. One hard bound copy and one soft bound copy of your Dissertation are required by the Department, one of which will be put in the University Library.
In order to graduate at the Higher Degree Ceremony to be held in April 2005, you will need to submit your bound copies of your Dissertation by the end of October.
4. Industrial Dissertations
If you wish to undertake an Industrial Dissertation; that is a dissertation project provided by an outside company, and jointly supervised by the company and an academic member of staff, please send an electronic copy of your CV to Mrs Helen Tye via
4.1 Supervisory Arrangements
Supervision is split between the Industrial supervisor and the University supervisor, but the necessary information relating to the project is supplied by the industrial contact. The Industrial supervisor is responsible to the student's University supervisor for guiding the student on his/her industrial project and planning the dissertation project realistically. The University supervisor will be responsible for the overall direction and development of the Dissertation project. A programme of regular meetings will need to be agreed to maintain effective oversight of the Dissertation project.
4.2 Assessment
The Dissertation will be examined jointly between the University and the Industrial supervisor. It is important, therefore, that you maintain contact with both the University supervisor at the start of the dissertation and at regular intervals during the course of your Dissertation.
4.3 Timescale
As with Academic Dissertations, students would be available from 20 January 2003 to work on their Dissertations on a part-time basis to meet the deliverables set, and from June onwards after the end of their examinations, move over to full-time study on the Dissertation.
4.4 Workplace Arrangements
The student may carry out his/her work relating to the Dissertation project at the University, or may be located at the Industrial company's premises if deemed necessary to carry out the project; or he/she may move between the two sites. In the latter case some student expenses may be required and these may be sorted out on an ad-hoc basis.
4.5 Intellectual Property Rights (IPR's)
IPR's are negotiable, and the University is happy to discuss the IPR arrangements.
4.6 Confidentiality Agreements
Such agreements between the university supervisor, internal examiner, student and company would be signed if deemed necessary. Furthermore, arrangements can be made under which the Dissertation project would not be placed in the University Library for up to five years after the project if so desired.
5. Project Assessment
Possible Factors Contributing to Overall Assessment:
Intellectual Content – difficulty of material, relation to taught material, analytical skills
Approach – method, originality, judgement
Preparation – thoroughness, selection of material, design
Implementation – quality of engineered product, accuracy
Testing – own aims (verification), customer requirements (validation)
Personal Qualities – productivity, motivation, supervision requirements
Documentation – adequacy, structure, clarity, style
Presentation – preparation, relation to report, suitability for audience
Assessment Guidelines
80-100% / Reserved for really outstanding work which makes significant contribution to the field. Likely to be worthy of publication.70% / Borderline for consideration of distinction. Needs to have demonstrated considerable command of the subject and made a good contribution to knowledge or real progress in carrying out the project.
50% / Borderline MSc standard. Should have understood project material, made a good review of previous work and a competent attempt at the required task.
40% / Borderline Diploma level. Shows some understanding and achievement, but not of MSc standard.
6. Meetings and your Supervisors
It is part of your professional training to become used to preparing carefully for meetings and discussions in advance, so please practise this in your dealings with your supervisor.
Ensure that you fully understand the obligations on both you and your supervisor by discussing the supervisory relationship with your supervisor at the earliest opportunity. If there are aspects which you do not fully understand, talk them through with your supervisor.
Once the dissertation project title has been agreed, students must discuss the project requirements with their supervisor.
Discuss with him/her the type of guidance and comment you would find most helpful and agree a programme of study and background reading which best suits your needs in the light of your proposed Dissertation project. Agree with a schedule of regular meetings, and /or tutorials.
Take the initiative in raising with your supervisor any problems or difficulties which you may encounter. Your supervisor's time is not limitless and there may be occasions when he or she may simply not be available. Within reason, however, every effort will be made to meet with you as and when necessary.