DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

MSc Dissertation Guidelines

Dissertations should be submitted by 11
th
August 2006 for SRM, CCJ and SR students. The
optimal length for the dissertation is 12,000 words, and it should be within the range of 10-
15,000 words (see section IV below). Dissertations which exceed 15,000 words will not be
accepted.

I. Dissertation Research Proposal
Part time students in their second year are requested to submit a written research proposal,
of 2-3 pages, by week 9 of the Autumn Semester in Year 2 (4
th
November, 2005). Full
time students should submit their proposal in week 3 of the Spring Semester. Please hand
one copy to Sue Slade and one copy to your proposed supervisor.


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II. Supervisors

Initially students should discuss dissertation ideas with their personal tutor. If your tutor is not
happy to supervise your research, or if you would prefer a different supervisor, you should approach
another member of staff . In thinking about possible topics, it is worth starting by looking at staff
members web pages to get an idea of their research interests and relevant publications. (Full time
students will be assigned a dissertation supervisor early in the Spring semester. To facilitate a good
match between supervisor and student, a short topic statement should be submitted in Week 13 of
the Autumn semester). The department tries to balance the amount of supervision approximately
evenly between staff members. Therefore, if you wish to have a specific person as your supervisor,
it is worthwhile approaching that person early on with a specific proposal.

The Department can help with printing of questionnaires, loan of tape recorders, etc. You should
consult your supervisor or General Office (for loan of tape recorders).


The proposal should include
(a) Specification of the research problem, including theoretical and/or policy relevance (b) A
brief indication of relevant literature and research
(c) Proposed methodology, including consideration of ethical issues
(d) Proposed time scale
An early start is advisable for a number of reasons. An early choice of topic allows informal
discussion with your supervisor over a longer period of time. Many research projects require
negotiation of access and in some cases, for example in the health and social service areas, written
proposals may have to be presented to Ethical Committees, which can take many months. (See
Section VII below.)

III. Overview of the Dissertation

The dissertation should present a report of an empirically grounded enquiry. It may take any of a
number of forms. For example, it may report the results of a small scale pilot study; an analysis of
data collected by others (secondary analysis), or collection of data to examine theoretical issues
relating to a substantive topic. The subject matter and structure of the dissertation must be decided in
close consultation with your supervisor.

There is no set format for the structure of the dissertation. It is suggested that you refer to a number of past
dissertations in the Library to get an idea of the range of successful theses (a list of M.Sc. Dissertations
can be found in the Student Common Room and the Research Library). A possible format for your
Masters dissertation would be:

(a)

An introduction which specifies your reasons for choosing the particular research problem you
aim to address (e.g. its practical and/or theoretical significance) together with a brief overview
of the structure of the dissertation.

(b)

A critical account of previous work in the area. You cannot be expected to do a complete
search of the literature but you should try to place your work in relation to important previous
research and theoretical and methodological discussions of the area, showing how this
literature informs your research problem.

(c)

A description of the theoretical structure (concepts, frames of reference, problematic) in
which you are operating. A clear specification of the research problem you are addressing.

(d)

An account and theoretical justification of the methods you used in collecting and analysing
the data, and of any problems encountered. Please note that it is a requirement that you give
due consideration to ethical issues.

(e)

A presentation of your results and a discussion of them in the light of (i) the research problem
you set yourself at the outset and (ii) the theoretical structure. This might be structured in
terms of 2 or 3 interlinked conceptual themes. Key tables relevant to the text should be
included; additional tables may be placed in an Appendix.

(f)

A conclusion which assesses the significance of what you have found, and critically reflects
upon the work's strengths and limitations (empirical, methodological, and theoretical).
Implications for policy, where relevant, may be considered. You may also wish to suggest
directions for further research

IV.

Dissertation Length and Structure

Length
The preferred length of the dissertation is approximately 12,000 words. The minimum is 10,000, and
the absolute maximum limit for the dissertation is 15,000 words. Submissions exceeding this limit
will not be accepted.
The word count should be the electronic word count produced by the word processing package used,
and must be presented at the end of the contents page. Failure to do so will result in non-
acceptance of the submitted dissertation.

2
As well as the text of the dissertation, the following should be included in the word count:

footnotes and endnotes
data tables
data quotes or extracts

The following are excluded from the word count:

title page
contents page( s)
abstract
acknowledgements
reference list/Bibliography
appendices


There are no exceptions to this specification.

IV. Structure
The dissertation should have the following structure: title page, abstract, contents page,
acknowledgements, body of dissertation, bibliography, appendices (if required). The dissertation will
normally be divided into chapters.

(i)

The title page should indicate:

Title

Name @

M.Sc. in <Course Title>

University of Surrey

Month Year

(N.R The title page should indicate copyright beside your name using (c).

(ii)

A summary or abstract of the dissertation, not exceeding 300 words in length, must
immediately follow the title page.

( iii)

It is a courtesy to include acknowledgement of any special help you have been given,
including sponsoring and funding agencies and respondents.

(iv)

The thesis should be divided into chapters or sections. The contents page should be clearly
laid out including page numbers, and should also include the word count. Where relevant
students may provide a list of Tables or Figures following the Contents page.

(v)

A bibliography of all sources referred to in the text of the dissertation must be included,

1Appendices are not assessed as part of the final mark but are there as additional material. Students should not include vital material in
appendices, but only use themfor additional information - reference materials for example
which may be of interest.
2 For example, M.Sc. in Social Research, M.Sc. in Criminology and Criminal J ustice (etc)
Presented in alphabetical order. The following format is recommended:

SURNAME, Initials (year) Book Title, Place of Publication: Publisher

SURNAME, Initials (year) Article Title, Journal, Volv X., pp. Xx-xx

SURNAME, Initials(year) Chapter Title, Ch.X in SURNAME, Initials (eds), Book Title, Place
of Publication: Publisher

Where the same authors appear more than once, present the references in chronological sequence.
Using this format references in the text can be simplified to:

SURNAME (Year: page)

N.B. Direct quotations in the text should be indented and must include the page number of the original
source, i.e. (SURNAME, Year, Page x)

After the Bibliography a number of appendices may be appropriate. Typical examples would be:

APPENDIX I: Research Instruments(s) (e.g. Questionnaire)

APPENDIX II: Letters Written to Respondents or to obtain access

APPENDIX III; supplementary Tables, etc. (not included in text)

NB. All tables, figures and diagrams should have a title, and the dissertation must be page numbered
throughout.

V. Dissertation Presentation

Two copies of the dissertation must be submitted. Students may submit two unbound copies,
provideding these are held together securely, e.g. in a ring binder. Before students can be awarded
their M.Sc. they must submit two bound copies, (usually within a month after the Examiners Board),
both of which will be retained by the University. One copy of the dissertation of a successful
candidate will be retained in the University Library and one in the Department of Sociology.
Candidates are advised to retain a third copy of their own use. The Department photocopier can be
used for copying dissertations at cost (currently 3p per copy).

Dissertations should be typed on A4 size paper, and bound in blue cloth to the University specification.
A margin of one and a half inches should be left on the left-hand side of the page (examples of layout
are available in the University Library). The University no longer has regulations regarding line
spacing or typing on one side of the page, but remember your dissertation must be clear and readable
by the Examiners. NB. Do not use a too small font size, no less than 12 points.

The official University binders are:

Collis Bird & Withey, 1 Drayton Park, London N5 1NU (0171-607-1116)

Youngs of Guildfortd, 12 Holford Road, Guildford GU1 2QF (01483-534488)

NB (binding usually takes about 3 days).



VI. Submission Procedure and Award
Students submit two copies of the dissertation to the Sociology Department Office by 11
th
August,
2006. Dissertations are marked by two Internal Examiners (normally the supervisor and one other
member of the Department) and are moderated by an External Examiner appointed by the University.
The Examiners make their decision at an Examination Board held in September, or for dissertations
submitted later they normally make their decision within three months of the presentation of the
dissertation. In the latter case the Internal Examiner will informally tell the candidate of the
recommendation.

The formal process of confirmation involves recommendation to the Student Progress and Awards
Board (for taught courses) and Senate. After confirmation of a successful result the Registry
write to inform the candidate and enclose details of the next Degree Ceremony (usually held in early
April).

VII. Research Ethics
Students should comply with the following codes of ethical research practice:

British Sociological Association Statement of Ethical Practice
http://www.britsoc.org.uk/about/ethic.htm.

'Ethical Guidelines for Teaching and Research at the University of Surrey,
see University Ethics Committee Guidance on www.surrey.ac.uk/surrey/ace

The University of Surrey's 'Code on Good Research Practice'. This can be accessed at:
http://www.open.mis.surrey.ac.uk/admin/registry/qaeo/GRP.htm.

For those making use of the internet in their research, the following guidelines may be useful:

The Association of Internet Researchers 'Ethics Guidelines for Research in Cyberspace'
http:// aoir.org/ reports/ ethics. html

The School of Human Sciences Ethics committee provides guidance on seeking ethical approval, see
www.surrey.ac.uk/shs/ethics. In particular it will be necessary for students to get approval from the
School Ethics Committee for research 'which might be offensive, distressing or deeply personal for
the particular target group'. Work in certain domains, for example health, may need clearance from
external ethical committees. If research involves patients it will need COREC approval (which is a
lengthy and complex procedure). Students should seek guidance from their supervisors on the
possible need for committee approval.

Provided that students conduct their research in an ethically responsible manner, they will be
supported by the Department should there be any dispute with their employers, funding agencies,
research subjects or people in authority in the collectivity being studied.

You should not give assurances of confidentially without a clear understanding on both sides of what
it involves. You should use pseudonyms to preserve the confidentiality of respondents, and usually
also of research locations. It may be necessary to remove any other information required to preserve
anonymity. If you promise to show a draft of your dissertation, before submission (for example to a
research sponsor) you should make it quite clear what modifications you would be willing to make.

It is possible for a dissertation to be placed in the Library under "restricted access" but both the
Library and the Department are reluctant to do this and will grant permission only if it is absolutely
necessary to protect the confidentially of individuals. Collectivities, in the opinion of the Department,
do not possess the same rights to privacy of confidentiality as individuals but do have the right to
defend themselves against factual inaccuracy or to put forward alternative interpretations of agreed
facts.

VIII. Data Collection and Retention
Students must comply with the Data Protection Act, and with the University of Surrey's 'Code of
Practice in Relation to the Protection and Exploitation of Intellectual Property Rights'. Supervisors
will advise on what constitutes compliance in individual cases, but note that there is a formal
requirement that data be retained by researchers for five years. Further information can be found at:

http://www.open.mis.surrey.ac.uk/admin/registry/qaeo/qaeohome.htm
and
http://libweb.surrey.ac.uk/calendar/index.htm

IX. Student Safety
Research in the field can involve risk and personal safety considerations for the fieldworker. It is
therefore imperative that you discuss your proposed fieldwork and consider any associated potential
risks with your supervisor. This is to allow you and your supervisor to anticipate, avoid or deal with
any possible risks in the proposed research. She or he will keep a record of the discussion



Revised Nick Allum and Sara Arber
October 2005























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