Business Innovation Module Guide for Postgraduate

Students

This document provides guidance for students undertaking the Business Innovation (Dissertation) Module in partial fulfillment of their MSc programme in partnership with Robert Kennedy College.

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Last updated: 28/04/2015

1. Introduction to dissertation

This section aims to provide guidelines and advice to help you to successfully complete your dissertation. By following the information in this guide you will be able to successfully meet the learning outcomes of the dissertation which include:

1. Identify and critically discuss appropriate literature sources2. Identify and critically discuss the applicability of a range of research

methodologies and paradigms within a range of disciplines3. Critically evaluate and apply appropriate research tools and techniques4. Appraise the validity and reliability of research data.

2. What is a dissertation?

Your dissertation is a 60 credit module that is expected to be 3 months ( see table for indicative learning hours) in duration.

Indicative learning hours Lecture 30 Fieldwork Seminar 10 External visits

Tutorial 5 Work based learning

Project supervision 20 Guided independent study

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Demonstration Practical classes and workshops

Placement

Supervised time in studio/workshop

Year abroad

The dissertation involves the execution and communication of a piece of investigative academic research which demonstrates an understanding of a specific problem, together with evidence of critical and analytical evaluation.

There are three types of acceptable dissertations all of which require a literature review. The distinction between the three types comes in the application of material in the literature review.

Type 1 Primary data based dissertation

Primary data based dissertations involves students collecting primary data. Here the primary data must be based on the secondary data and should compare and contrast your findings with the data presented in the literature.

Type 2 Secondary data based dissertation

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Secondary data based dissertations requires students to find related data which can be further analysed using primarily statistical techniques. The University have data sources, companies and historical macroeconomic time-series data for many countries.

Type 3 Product/service/innovation based dissertation

Product/service/innovation based dissertation requires students to develop a new product or service or enhance an existing product or service based on their analysis of secondary data and stakeholder expectations. Such dissertations may be the result of a specific request from an industrial partner.

Most students find the dissertation both challenging and rewarding. There will inevitably be ups and downs but by keeping in regular contact with your supervisor you will find that most problems can be overcome before they become too big.

3. The topic

Topics can be generated from a variety of sources, for example they may be of interest to you or your supervisor, they may be generated from work experience, they may result from a seminar discussion, newspaper articles, journal article or from a piece of coursework. Your supervisor will provide you with guidance about what is an acceptable topic but in general you may find the following four steps useful:

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If NO

If YES

If NO

If YES

If NO

If YES

If NO

If YES

Step 1 Can you develop a 'YES' 'NO' question? This will allow you to identify a subject area where there are at least two separate viewpoints

If you cannot develop a Yes/No question you may find it diffi cult to develop your discussion past the descriptive stage. You should reconsider if this is a suitable topic.

Step 2 Is there suffi cient literature to support the yes and no question?

If you cannot collect data to support both the yes and no points of view you may have diffi culty in developing the analytical and evaluative aspects of your discussion. You should reconsider if this is a suitable topic

This may be a suitable topic

Step 3 Can you identify stakeholders or data sources? Can you get access to stakeholders or data sources? Will the stakeholders or data sources provide you with the data you require?

It is unlikely that you will get the quality of data for you to develop the application aspect of your dissertation. You should reconsider if this is a suitable topic.

Step 4 Can you complete the study in 3 months? You should consider redefining the topic or consider if this is a suitable topic.

The topic you choose should be of interest to you as otherwise there is a potential for boredom to set in as you progress with the research.

Your supervisor must approve your dissertation topic. It should not be purely descriptive, but should produce original conclusions and/or recommendations even though these may represent only a minor part of the work. The dissertation topic must have theoretical content which is outlined in the literature review and this MUST BE supported by references to academic literature. The literature review should provide the basis for the application stage of your dissertation.

You should submit provisional topic areas to your dissertation supervisor as soon as possible as this will allow them to offer advice on its suitability.

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It is difficult, and not advisable, to change dissertation topic once you have started and this may only take place after consultation with, and counselling by your supervisor.

4. Allocation of supervisors

All students will be allocated a supervisor and all staff are experienced in supervising dissertation at postgraduate level. Where students have a preference to be supervised by a specific member of staff every effort will be made to accommodate this request but due to other commitments by staff this may not always be possible. You will be allocated a supervisor by Robert Kennedy having completed a form indicating your proposed area of research (see paragraph 6.1)

5. Roles and Responsibilities5.1 The Student

The dissertation is your work and as such, you are ultimately responsible for the success of your dissertation. Your supervisor is there to offer guidance but you should assume ownership of the dissertation, managing your work load, meeting deadlines and understanding the requirements for the success of the dissertation. To that end you must:

- negotiate with your supervisor to determine a suitable dissertation topic; - arrange and attend meetings with your supervisor;

- provide the supervisor with current contact details;

- allocate a sufficient amount of your time to your dissertation to carry out the work;

- inform your supervisor promptly and honestly, of your progress on the tasks allocated to you and of any problems encountered;

- comply with ethical considerations and restrictions;

- take responsibility for liaising with any external clients;

- ensure the dissertation is of an acceptable standard;

- submit the dissertation by the deadline.

Remember to back up your work. You should be well aware of the need to maintain additional copies of your work (electronic and paper). We know that is easier said than done, but do not learn the hard way. Hard disk failure, theft, etc. are not valid excuses for you to gain extra time. We provide computing facilities (with backup) and we expect you to use these appropriately. Similarly, if you choose to use your own resources e.g. newer versions of word-processing software than is available at Salford, etc. you need to live with the consequences of failure of that resource.

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Collect references and write up as you go. The best time to record a reference is when you get it. It is far easier to write up your literature review at the time you are reading the books and papers you have found.

If you have particular difficulties with written reports (perhaps your grammar or spelling is poor, or English is not your first language), then you may need to seek additional help. Electronic spelling and grammar checkers can be useful, and a human proof-reader can be a valuable aid. This person is not your supervisor!

You may find the links in appendix 10 useful if you are experiencing difficulties in writing up your dissertation.

Determine a structure and presentation style as soon as possible. You may wish to use outlining, styles and automatic tables of contents in MS Word. If so, the time to learn this skill is at the beginning of your dissertation.

Develop the skill of reading your dissertation as others may read it. It may help the readability and should trap glaring errors and inconsistencies.

5.2 The supervisor

Your supervisor will:

- offer advice on the suitability of the chosen topic, aim and objectives;- comment on your ideas;

- offer guidance on the dissertation process;

- inform the student of planned absences and procedures for maintaining contact;

- make the student aware of inadequate progress

You should not expect your academic supervisor to list all the reading that will be required nor to write any part of the dissertation. Supervisors will agree appropriate supervision methods and will read and give advice on chapters within your dissertation once you have written them.

You should agree a timetable with your supervisors indicating when various stages of the dissertation preparation - preliminary reading, overall design, document structure, write up of individual chapters, production of preliminary draft and final draft - will be completed. Your supervisor is not expected to intervene at each of these stages.

Your supervisor will guide you as much as possible, while at the same time ensuring that it is your work and your ideas that are finally assessed. It is for you to implement their suggestions (or argue your case for doing otherwise if you wish). Also, your supervisor will not tell you what mark you will achieve or what your dissertation is worth. It is your responsibility for ensuring that your work will achieve a pass mark.

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6. The dissertation process 6.1 Planning your dissertation

During your research methods module you will have already prepared a proposal for a dissertation. You may choose to further develop this proposal in terms of final dissertation or to start with a new topic area. You will find it useful to discuss your proposal with your supervisor before you start on your dissertation. In order to assist you in this discussion you may find the following structure useful:

- Proposed title- Rationale for the study

- Context of the study

- Aim

- Objectives

- Proposed methodology

- Limitations of the study

- Delimitations of the study

- Proposed structure of the study

- References

Be clear that this is an independent piece of work and the ultimate responsibility to produce your typed and bound dissertation rests with you.

Be careful about typing up. Most of you will word process your own work, but remember there will often be heavy demand on computers in the University at certain times of the year. There are many things that can go wrong so try to allow plenty of time. Penalties will be applied if your work is submitted late and generally computer and/or printer problems will not be accepted as mitigating circumstances.

Submission of draft chapters to your supervisor is by personal arrangement, but please be aware that supervisors often have several students and many other commitments, so please allow plenty of time for return of your work. Normally a maximum of two weeks is required for feedback. Supervisors are obliged to read and comment fully on one chapter but cannot read the full document prior to submission.

As a general rule, you should invest nearly as much time reading your work as writing it. Read your writing back to yourself, putting yourself in the mind of the reader. This will help you to produce coherent and precise writing. Leave sufficient time for reading and correction, re-reading and further correction.

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7. Format and presentation

Dissertations should be between 12,000 and 15,000 words and include a word count.

The following should not be included in the word count: abstracts; indented quotations (of more than 50 words); tables; figures; diagrams; footnotes/endnotes used for reference purposes and kept within reasonable limits; bibliography; and appendices.

The dissertation must be typed or word-processed and prepared in double spaced, Arial 12pt typescript on A4 paper, with margins of approximately 4cms left and 2.4cms on the right. The abstract and bibliography should be single spaced.

Illustrative items such as tables and diagrams etc. should be produced and reduced to A4 size unless this would seriously detract from their illustrative value. They should be inserted as near as possible to the main portion of the text referring to them and should be titled and numbered sequentially throughout the report for ease of reference.

Pay attention to tenses (past, present, future) and be careful not to mix them within chapters. Methodology and results, for example, include what has been done/found and so should be in the past tense.

Page numbering up to the abstract should be by small Roman numerals, (i, ii, iii, iv, etc) and the main body of the text plus appendices should be numbered consecutively throughout in Arabic numerals. The general style of layout should be similar to that in academic works and journals, except that in relevant cases, that part of any dissertation which also serves as a report to a host company may be prepared with numbered paragraphs and greater use of headings, sub-headings, and other appropriate devices for emphasis, etc. (underlining/italics, etc).

Each chapter should contain an introduction, the main body of arguments and a conclusion. You should attempt to anchor each chapter into the body of the text so that its relevance to the whole dissertation is clear to the reader.

The format of the dissertation should be as follows:

a. Title Page (see appendix 1 for example)

b. Declaration (see appendix 2 for example)

c. Abstract

The aim of this is to give the reader an overview of the work contained in the dissertation. It should be no longer than one page of A4, single spaced and should make reference to the aims and objectives, the methods of investigation, the main findings and the conclusions reached. It is NOT a description of you contents page.

d. Acknowledgements

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You should refer to those people who have assisted you in your research. For example, your supervisor, advisors, and those who completed questionnaires and interviews etc. Please ensure you spell names correctly and ensure that you conform with ethical issues (do not name any individuals or companies who have provided you with data or personal information)

e. Contents Page

Your contents page should list the sections and subsections of your dissertation followed by references and then appendices. You should provide the title of each appendix and it is common practice to number the pages in the appendix A1, A2, A3 etc. Pages in the contents table are normally numbered in small case Roman numerals.

f. List of Tables and Figures

List all, figures, tables and diagrams by number, title and page number

g. List of abbreviations

Abbreviations should be listed. In the text, the abbreviation should only be used after its first mention, which should be written in full.

h. Introduction (word length guide 1,500 words)

This should set the scene and give the reader a complete overview of what you intend to do. It should include a general introduction, a rationale for doing the research which is based on secondary data, an aim and three to four supporting objectives and/or hypotheses, the proposed methodology, limiting and delimiting factors and an outline of the organisation of the study.

i. Literature Review (word length guide 5,000 words)

A literature review is “an interpretation and synthesis of published work” Merriam, 1986, Case Study Research in Education) and it is not simply an extended essay. As such your literature review should involve the following processes:

Searching for sources

Searching for references is a standard part of your dissertation and should be done as early as possible. Search tools are available and include:

- internet search engines such as Business Source Premier (EBSCO), Emerald, Google other databases

- bibliographic databases such as the Web of Science and OCLC (check with ISD through the University web site and the information desk in Clifford Whitworth).

- The Salford library catalogue and those of other local universities (again see ISD pages on the University web site).

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Your most accessible sources are those in print form in the library and those electronic journals to which Salford subscribes. Electronic journals are an exciting innovation, and as the situation is very fluid, you need to keep up to date with exactly what is available. Clifford Whitworth information desk has up to date information on what is available and how to access it (e.g. you may need user ids and passwords).

Not all of the items you find in your search will be available to you directly, and hence the earlier the search is started the better. For those items not available at Salford or on the internet, you may wish to use the inter-library loan service. The time taken for the loans to arrive varies from forty-eight hours for loans from local libraries to up to three months for items requiring a search in the British library. The average time is probably about ten days, but you should enquire at the time you make the request. If the item is available at another local university it may be easier to reference it there (though you will not be able to borrow it directly).

Quality of information

Information overload has become a familiar term recently but it is a concept that is likely to be clear to you after your search. Your problem may not be finding the information, but selecting what you should use (particularly with Internet searches). Internet sources are of very variable quality, you need to be particularly critical in your use of these sources. It is often worth asking yourself: who supplied this information and why did they supply it? An evaluation of, say, Customer Relationship Management software from a peer-reviewed journal may carry more weight than one offered by the leading supplier of that type of software.

Use of information

At this level, it is essential that you observe scholarly conventions for the attribution of the work of others. Please read the notes on plagiarism in your student handbook. References are those sources (written and unwritten) which were consulted in the course of your research and which are actually referred to in your text. During the literature search of your dissertation topic, you will find published material (books, book chapters, scientific articles, magazine articles, press articles, commercial reports, etc.). It is essential to refer to your source when quoting actual text, when referring to numerical data, and when using a diagram or figure found in the literature. Figures (pictures, diagrams, models, maps, etc) and tables (numerical data usually) should be clearly labelled and of a sufficient size to be readable. The source of each map, picture, diagram or statistical table should be clearly acknowledged. Thus each figure or table should have:

* a number (so that you can refer to it as an explanation or illustration of your argument in the main text - reciprocally, all figures and tables should be referred to and used in the text);

* a title;

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* the source, if the figure or table has been found in a book, article or report (if it is a result of your own work, it does not need a source).

For details of citation conventions, please see the useful links included in appendix 10.

In the interest of accuracy and to avoid having to waste time checking sources at the last minute, it is very strongly recommended you take careful notes when material is being collected during your investigation, when using primary sources (people you interview for instance) or secondary sources (books you read, i.e. work done by someone else). Be careful to record accurately name of author, title of work, page numbers, date, publisher, etc. or name of the person interviewed, job title, date, company, location, etc. and indicate clearly in your notes from published work what is copied exactly and what is a précis (a summary in your own words).

Where original sources have been studied only in a reprint edition or published collection of readings, this secondary source should be documented as well as the original publication. Incidentally, direct and indirect quotations (both of which should be referenced to their original sources) should be used only sparingly - the object of the dissertation is to establish the student's own personal understanding and contribution in the area of study. Similarly, an outline style or the excessive use of short paragraphs should be avoided in the dissertation; in the dissertation each topic should be as rigorously and deeply discussed as practicable, which normally requires longer paragraphs. This should culminate in a chosen theory or theories with an outline expressing how these are to be tested – the design of this is reported in the next section.

Finally, do not cite your lecture notes, it is not appropriate.

j. Methodology (word length guide 2,000 words)

You must give reasoned arguments for your choice of research methodology, including any alternate methods that have been deemed less suitable. Selections of your sample should be discussed along with details of how you implemented your methodology (how? where? when? who? why?) information on pilot studies should be included, together with details of any changes made as a result. You must discuss and justify how the field work was undertaken, what happened, and the methods used to analyse data. Reliability and validity issues should be discussed including the steps you have taken to ensure your findings may be relied on by others as accurate and trustworthy. The main emphasis of this chapter is on justifying what you have done and the process you have applied in data collection and analysis.

k. Results and Discussion (word length guide 5,000 words)

The results should be presented in a logical manner using tables and figures as necessary. You should discuss the meaning of the results as you present them. Remember to relate your results back to your aim and objectives and literature

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review. This section should not be just a description of your results but should include a discussion and evaluation of the findings you have made.

l. Conclusions and Recommendations (word length guide 1,500 words)

Your conclusions are a summary of your overall findings and should relate to your original aim, objectives and hypotheses. The conclusions should be based on your results and discussions section but should NOT be a regurgitation of this section. The key parts of the literature must be revisited in this section and where appropriate your conclusions should assess implications of your work.

Your recommendations should be based on your conclusions chapter. Where appropriate, your recommendations should include aims, implementation strategies, resource costs and resource benefits.

m. Evaluation of Study and Scope for Further Research

This section gives you the opportunity to reflect on what you have done. There may be obvious opportunities for further research other than the same work carried out in a different geographical area or using a different sample.

In your evaluation don’t be afraid to state what went wrong preferably with ways that this could be avoided if the research were to be carried out again. Critically evaluate your methodology again with ways that this could be improved. Discuss the limitations of your work.

n. Reference List

Throughout your dissertation you will be referring to the work of others. You must provide a list of those sources which you use and refer to in the dissertation. All sources you use must be referenced and must be included in this list. Each source in the list must in a form that is traceable by the reader—thus you need to include the authors’ names, the year, the title of the source, etc. The School insists that you use the Harvard system. Failure to acknowledge and reference correctly may lead to accusations of plagiarism and if proved, you will be subjected to the disciplinary process of the university. These may be accessed at

www.academic.salford.ac.uk/student_administration/assessments/academic_good_conduct.php

You are reminded that if you are using sentences or phrases that are not your own you must enclose the relevant passages with inverted commas, for example: “To be or not to be, that is the question” (Shakespeare 1505 p.32) then give the reference at the end. It is NOT sufficient to just give the reference at the end.

o. Appendices

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Appendices are not marked and hence should not be included in the word count. They should include only relevant information to aid in the understanding of the text, e.g. questionnaires, interview questions, letters and responses to and from third parties, relevant raw data, etc. There is no need to present each complete questionnaire although it is extremely important that this is saved and as it may be required for inspection. This also applies to taped transcripts of any interviews.

8. Submission

You will have three months to complete your dissertation. You will be allocated a supervisor after you have progressed to the dissertation. Staff at the University of Salford will advise you on your submission date.

9. Ownership of copyright

Any written material, computer programs, or other material produced as part of the dissertation, is produced for the purpose of assessment of the student by members of this and other universities (e.g. external examiners) and copyright is owned by the University of Salford. The supervisor, or other member of this university, is free to use the material as the basis of further dissertations or research and may publish, or otherwise disseminate, information about the dissertation if he or she so wishes. In any publication or presentation, the contribution of the student(s) would be properly identified and acknowledged. This could be by co-authorship, where your contribution is a major part of the published work, or by an acknowledgement, where the contribution is a minor part.

In the event of commercial exploitation of all or part of the dissertation work, the student(s) would be entitled to a fair share of the profits, but the supervisor and the University would also be entitled to shares. If the dissertation had been suggested, or contributed to, by a commercial company, they would also be entitled to a share of the profits. The allocation of shares of profits would be by negotiation, taking account the circumstances of each particular case. One consideration would be whether any further work had been done by the students, or by a company, to develop the dissertation work into a commercial product after completion of the dissertation.

10. Assessment

Your dissertation will be double marked (see appendix 03), firstly by your supervisor and secondly by one of the other supervisors. If there is a significant difference in the marks they will be moderated by a third marker. Many dissertations are sent out to external examiners and, thus, some may be marked up to four times. Due to the nature of the marking, no marks will be released until they are ratified at the Examination Board.

Dissertation detailed marking scheme is as follows:

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Criteria Key factors to be considered

Excellent (70-100%)Distinction

Good(60-69%)Merit

Competent(50-59)Pass

Weak(40-49%)Fail

Poor(Below 40%)Fail

Abstract,Introduction and literature review (40% marks available)

a) Statement of research purpose and objectives.b) Extent, depth, currency of literature reviewc) Referencing

a)Very clear aims and objectives together with a clear precision of thoughtb)Extensive in depth coherent, logical literature review, very critical in naturec)Complex issues handled with clear logical outcome

a)Clear statement of aims and objectives argued in a structured way and justifiedb)A broad and deep literature review with critical analysis and logical, justified outcome

a)Logical clear aims and objectivesb)Wide review, lacking depth but some evidence of critical evaluation, satisfactory knowledge and understanding of main issues. The outcome may lack clear justification

a)Attempt at aims and objectives but lacking a clear rationaleb)limited review, descriptive in nature and may show lack of knowledge and a clear outcome

a)Little or no evidence of aims and objectivesb)No or little evidence of reading outside of any course material

Methodology(20% marks available)

a)Research designb)Defence of chosen methodologyc)appropriate data collected

a)Well selected methodology which delivers objectives, incorporating outcomes of literature reviewb)Very clear defence of methodology chosenc)Appropriate data collected

a)Appropriate and well designed and justified methodologyb)Clear evidence of appropriate data collected

a)Competent designb)Some justification of chosen methodologyc)Evidence of adequate data collected

a)Weakness in design and methods choseb)possibly no defence of chosen methodc)minimal data collected

a)Difficult to link to objectivesb)no defence of chosen methodNo or inadequate data collected

Results, discussion, conclusion recommendations and presentation (40% marks available)

a)Meaningful data analysisb)Conclusions and link to aims objectives and literature reviewc)Clear recommend

a)Effective analysis utilising the correct tools and techniquesb)A critical evaluation against objectives and literature reviewc)Clear valid discussion

a)Good analysis going beyond pure description with sound evaluation against objectives and literature reviewb)logical linking findings with objectives and previous researchc)Theories and

a)A pure simple descriptive presentationb)Limited evaluation against objectives and literature reviewc)relevance to findings and objectives but may lack links to previous research

a)weakness in analysis and discussion of datab)little evaluation against objectives and literature review

a)Limited effortb)No evaluation of data to literature review or objectivesc)conclusions weak and limited to description

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ations for future d)Handling of concepts, models and theoriese)Presentation

linking findings, objectives and previous researchd) Considerable ability and maturity in handling concepts and theoriese)Very high standard of presentation, layout, grammar

concepts handles satisfactorilyd)Coherent , soundly structured and well written with good grammar

d)Adequate handling of theories and conceptse)Acceptable with sound structure and coherent

c)conclusions not necessarily relevant to objectives and previous research, i.e. imposedd)limited ability to handle concepts or theoriese)some attempt to structure but unclear in places and with format/grammar errors

of findingsd)little or no ability to handle concepts/theoriese)difficult to read, poor grammar and format

11. Extensions Students who registered before September 2014 are entitled to two extensions, the first extension is for three months, the second extension is for two months. There is a charge of £250 for the second extension.

Students who registered from September 2014 are covered by the following regulationsExtensions on Masters programmes is covered by regulation 6.4 (see Academic Regulations for Taught Programmes 2014/15)

6.4.1 A student undertaking the final 60 credit stage of a Masters programme (the project stage) may apply for one extension which shall, if approved, have the effect of deferring the student’s submission date for the remaining assessment component(s) of the stage.

6.4.2 A student’s request for an extension, together with the relevant fee, must be received by the University in advance of the assessment submission date(s) to be deferred.

6.4.3 The University shall verify and confirm a student’s eligibility to be granted an extension, which shall take into account, where applicable, the student’s legal right to remain in the UK for study purposes for the duration of the extension.

6.4.4 The length of the extension, for which a fee is payable, shall be one semester for students registered as full-time at the start of the project stage and two semesters for part-time students. One semester equates to 14 teaching/assessment weeks in accordance with the approved structure of the University’s academic year11

6.4.5 Where an extension is granted by the University it shall not entitle the student to the continuation of any tuition or supervisory arrangements beyond the normal scheduled length of the stage module(s).

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6.4.6 A student may be permitted an extension during reassessment provided that they have not previously been granted an extension.

6.4.7 A student may be permitted an interruption of study during an extension.

6.4.8 A student may submit their assessed work at any time during an approved extension but the work may not be marked nor any mark ratified until after the extension has expired. Where coursework is not submitted before the expiry of a permitted extension this shall be recorded as a non-submission (NS) (see Regulation 7.2.6).

6.4.9 A student may submit a case of personal mitigating circumstances for nonsubmission up to ten working days after the expiry of any approved extension.

Extensions require the support of your supervisor and should be submitted to the postgraduate office. If you receive an extension your supervisor will undertake ONLY two further meetings with you. The first will be to assess what work needs to be completed and help you develop an acceptable schedule. The second meeting will occur nearer the submission date to determine progress.

Requests for extensions must be submitted to j.curtis@salford.ac.uk two weeks before the submission date.

12. Module and Programme Examination Boards

Module results will be considered and ratified at to a Module Board prior to being considered at a Programme Board. The Programme Board is responsible for making the final degree award based on your achievement across all your modules. On ratification of these results students will be informed of the outcome. You must achieve a mark of 50% to pass the module. In order to achieve a merit profile on your MSc you must gain an average across the whole course of >60% and gain over 60% in the Business Innovation Project module. In order to gain a distinction profile you must gain an average across the whole course of >70% and gain over 70% in the Business Innovation Project module.

13 Ethical Approval

All students must follow the ethical approval process. Most applications for ethical approval will be able to be granted by the supervisor. The ethical approval forms should be completed and submitted to the academic supervisor appointed by the school (see appendix 4 and the Blackboard for more details and forms)

Appendix 1 Example of Title Page

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Salford Business School

An evaluation of the of stakeholder perceptions of the factors influencing customer satisfaction with online banking.

A.N. OtherStudent ID: @0012334

A dissertation is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of The University of Salford for the degree of MSc International Banking and Finance

September 2011

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Appendix 2 Declaration Salford Business SchoolDeclaration on Conduct of Assessed Work (Academic Good Conduct)Assessed work which does not have this form attached will be returned unmarked.Programme & Year

Module

Module Tutor

Tutorial Group

Assignment Title

Briefly, unfair means in assessed work is likely to fall into one or more of the following categories:

Plagiarism . Plagiarism involves taking the work of another person or source and using it as if it were one’s own. Work includes, but is not restricted to, written work, ideas, musical compositions, computer programs, laboratory or survey results, diagrams, graphs, drawings and designs.

Collusion . Collusion involves working with others on tasks that should be carried out on an individual basis. Collusion should not be confused with collaborative work which is sometimes used as a means of learning. It will be clearly stated when collaborative work is permitted in an assessment. Unless advised otherwise, any work which is submitted for assessment must be produced by individual students.

Falsifying experimental or other investigative results . This could involve a range of things that make it appear that information has been collected by scientific investigation, the compilation of questionnaire results, etc. whereas in reality it has been made up or altered to provide a more favourable result.

Contracting another to write a piece of assessed work . This involves any means whereby a person does work on behalf of another. It includes assessments done for someone else in full or in part by a fellow student, a friend or family member. It includes sitting an examination for someone else. It also covers obtaining material from Internet ‘cheat sites’ or other sources of work. Penalties for this type of unfair means are likely to apply both to a student who does work on behalf of another and one who has work done for him/her.

I declare that this work is my own if this is a group project, each student has contributed to the work in

accordance with the set criteria

the work of others used in its completion has been duly acknowledged experimental or other investigative results have not been falsified I have read and understood the University Policy on the Conduct of Assessed

Work (Academic Good Conduct)*

*http://www.academic.salford.ac.uk/aqa/sections/28_conduct_assessed_work.pdfIt is the student’s responsibility to be aware of this policy and procedure.Signature Name (print) ID Number Date

Appendix 3 BIM Marking Scheme

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Salford Business School – Dissertation Marking SchemeSTUDENT Roll Number

PROGRAMME

TITLE

1st MARKER

Signature

DISSERTATION MARK (%)

Date

2nd MARKER

Signature

DISSERTATION MARK (%)

Date

Sign (1st Marker)Sign(2nd Marker)

AGREED MARK (%)

External examiner comments

Sign(External examiner) Date

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Markers overall comments and rationale for mark

Abstract, Introduction and Literature Review

Methodology

Results, Discussion, Conclusion Recommendations and Presentation

Signature of examiner Date

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Appendix 4

University of Salford

1For Students registered on UG and PG Taught Programmes delivered by the University of Salford

in the College of Business and Lawand College of Arts and Social Sciences

Version 2.0

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ContentsProcess Overview...............................................................................................................24College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes (CEAPTP)...............................25

Appendix 1 – Example of Note to Students 26Appendix 2 – Guidance Notes for the Ethical Application Form 28Appendix 3 – Ethical Approval Application Form31Appendix 4 – Process diagram Error! Bookmark not defined.

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Process OverviewThis document is intended as a guide for both students and their supervisors when undertaking projects or dissertations on taught programmes in the Colleges of Business and Law and Arts and Social Sciences which may have significant ethical issues and consequently need full ethical approval from the University of Salford.This procedure has been based on the Academic Scheme of Governance for the University. It will be superseded by any policy changes that take place as a result of the University-wide review of ethics currently taking place. First Stage Students engaging in any research activity should complete the College Ethical Approval of Taught Programmes Application Form (Appendix 3) using the Guidance Notes (Appendix 2) and submit this to their supervisor. The supervisor will then assess the application for any significant ethical issues. Examples of activities which are likely to have significant ethical issues are listed below. This list is not exhaustive and the supervisor should refer anything that they are unsure of to the College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes for discussion and approval.Activities which contain significant ethical issues (but are not limited to) include the following:

Research which includes particularly vulnerable participants; Research including infants or children under 18 years of age; Research involving people with physiological and/or psychological impairments and/or

learning difficulties; Research involving people dependent on the protection or under the control/influence

of others (e.g. pupils, people in care, young offenders, prisoners); Research about those receiving medical treatment or their relatives; Research involving pregnant women; Research involving people who may only have a basic or elementary knowledge of

English; Research involving potential risk of injury/conflict; Research involving disproportionate financial inducements (although expenses can be

covered); Research involving potential illegal activity; Any type of research where the supervisor is unsure as to whether the research

warrants referral to the College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes.Sensitive topics that should also be referred will include:

Race, ethnicity, political opinion, religious beliefs/other beliefs of a similar nature, physical or mental health or condition, sexual life;

Abuse (child, adult); nudity; obesity; People affected by conflict situations (e.g. ethnic, religious, tribal conflicts/wars); Covert observation; Any topic or issue which could cause physical or psychological harm to either the

researcher or participant.

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Please note – because these types of activity require approval from the College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes (CEAPTP) the process will, inevitably, be rigorous. Therefore students on taught programmes should generally be advised to avoid this type of project/dissertation. (See Appendix 1 Example of Note to Students).

If there are no significant ethical issues to be considered and/or any minor issues have been fully resolved, the supervisor will sign off the ethical approval form, which should then be included with the final dissertation. However, if the supervisor feels that the application falls outside the scope of supervisory approval i.e. the issues involved are considered to have a significant ethical dimension, then the application will be referred for review to the College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes (CEAPTP) (Second Stage). Applications should be sent to Sheila Cross, Secretary to the CEAPTP, via email to: CBL-tandlteam@salford.ac.ukSecond Stage (only applies to projects/dissertations with significant ethical issues)The application will be reviewed independently by two members of the College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes. One reviewer will be selected from the same subject area as the proposed dissertation and the other reviewer from outside this area. Following review, one of the following recommendations will be made: (a) Application is approved with no changes;(b) Application is approved subject to conditions which must be approved by supervisor.

Applicant make the appropriate changes to the application and resubmits to their supervisor for approval;

(c) Application is approved, subject to conditions, which must be approved by committee chair. The applicant makes the appropriate changes to the application and resubmits to the committee chair for approval;

(d) Application is rejected and applicant requested to resubmit to committee.

In cases where the reviewers offer different final recommendations the committee chair will act as the final arbiter in the decision process.The normal turnaround time for applications is approximately two weeks following submission. However, this can be longer, depending upon the complexity and the time of year the application has been submitted. If the application is not approved and changes need to be made the overall process will take longer.A flowchart showing the process in greater detail is included at the end of this document (see Appendix 5).College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes (CEAPTP)The College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes is governed by the College Ethical Approval Committee which oversees the ethical approval of the College’s research and innovation, academic engagement and learning and teaching activities on behalf of College Executive.Members of the Panel meet each semester for matters of general business, and more frequently if required by the volume of referred applications.The Panel should also consider any recommendations to be made to the College Ethical Approval Committee (CEAC) and all documentation and procedures at least twice per year to ensure the process is fit for purpose.

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Example of Note to Students Ethical Approval of Taught Projects and Dissertations

The University takes ethical issues, including ensuring informed consent and minimising the risk of harm, very seriously. If you are doing a project or dissertation you will be required to gain ethical approval first before starting your research.

The latest version of the ethical approval process, forms and guidance notes, can be downloaded from Blackboard module My Courses/Monitoring and Enhancement Documents/CASS-CBL Taught Ethics. See Link to Blackboard (best clicked with Blackboard already open). Be sure to click on CASS-CBL Taught Ethics folder at the left hand side.

Important note regarding your choice of project or dissertation

Students engaging in any research activity should be aware that certain topics may involve significant ethical issues. Applications containing such topics may be referred to the College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes for approval.

Activities which contain significant ethical issues (but are not limited to) include the following:

Research which includes particularly vulnerable participants; Research including infants or children under 18 years of age; Research involving people with physiological and/or psychological impairments and/or

learning difficulties; Research involving people dependent on the protection or under the control/influence

of others (e.g.pupils, people in care, young offenders, prisoners); Research involving those receiving medical treatment or their relatives; Research involving pregnant women; Research involving people who may only have a basic or elementary knowledge of

English; Research involving potential risk of injury/conflict; Research involving disproportionate financial inducements (although expenses can be

covered); Research involving potential illegal activity; Any type of research where the supervisor is unsure as to whether the research

warrants referral to the College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes.

Sensitive topics that should also be referred will include:

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Race, ethnicity, political opinion, religious beliefs/other beliefs of a similar nature, physical or mental health or condition, sexual life;

Abuse (child, adult); nudity; obesity; People affected by conflict situations (e.g. ethnic, religious, tribal conflicts/wars); Covert observation; Any topic or issue which could cause physical or psychological harm to either the

researcher or participant.

A key principle is that ethical issues relating to a project or dissertation will be determined by the nature of the project and not the level of study of the student undertaking it. Therefore if you are planning a project which contains significant ethical issues there is an expectation that you will need to provide a good deal of detailed information about your proposed project in the ethical approval application. Furthermore, because this type of project needs to be formally reviewed by two members of the College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes, the approval process takes longer than it does for projects which are less complicated in terms of ethics.

Taking into consideration the relatively short timescales for taught projects and dissertations it would be sensible for you to avoid developing proposals for projects or dissertations that could include potentially significant ethical issues. However, if you are in any doubt about whether your project is likely to fall into this category, please discuss this with your supervisor before submitting your proposal.

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Appendix 2 – Guidance Notes for the Ethical Application Form

This document is a guide for students to help encourage best ethical practice when conducting research. Guidance is provided in each of the different areas and all

bullet points should be considered when completing.

PART A - Application Form for Ethical Approval for Taught ProgrammesGUIDANCE

Student’s Full Name: University of Salford Student ID No:

@00_ _ _ _ _ _

Supervisor’s Name and Signature: Please ensure that the supervisor has signed this form. Signature can be in hard copy or scanned-in electronically.

Title of Research and Project Focus: Clear and concise title. Understandable to someone not familiar with your research. It should not make assumptions as to the direction of the research before any

research has been conducted. The overall area that the research fits into and the background should be

explored.Project Aims and Objectives:

The overall research aim(s) should be clear and concise, along with the subsequent objectives, which will help fulfil the aim.

Aims and objectives should be well-written, achievable and measureable, as well as easy to read.

This section can be taken from your introduction or help inform theIntroduction.

Research Methodology: This section should consider the actual data collection methods included in

the study. What are the practical issues in carrying out these research methods,

especially in regards to ethics. Why were other methods not considered?

Organisational Agreement (if applicable): Are you doing research in an organisation(s)? Are you approaching individuals who are part of an organisation or are you

contacting them because they work in a particular field or organisation? If yes to the above, please write and include a letter you will send to the

Ethical Approval Panel for Taught ProgrammesSheila Cross, Secretary to Panel Teaching & Learning Team | Room 121, Lady Hale BuildingEmail: CBL-tandlteam@salford.ac.uk | Tel: 0161 295 2099

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organisation to ask for approval to conduct research in their organisation. An information sheet explaining the study should also be attached which you

plan to send to the organisation. Evidence should be provided to prove that the organisation(s) is willing to

let you conduct the research. Individual consent forms should be created and sent to all participants of the

study (please include a template with this application). Who is your contact within the organisation? What is your relationship with the organisation(s)? How did you approach and contact this organisation(s)?

Approaching Individuals (if applicable): How will you approach individuals to participate in your research? How will you get their contact details? Please attach the information sheet and consent form template, which will be

sent out to the participants. Explain the ethical issues behind approaching individuals; How do you plan to

recruit these people? Any issues concerning anonymity and confidentiality should be explored.

How will you ensure ‘informed consent’ is gained from anyone involved in the research?What is ‘informed consent’?

1. The subject must know the purpose of the study, what it entails and whether there is any risk to them (including psychological distress).

2. The subject must have the right to withdraw their consent at any stage, without prejudice and, where appropriate, have their data omitted, unless collected anonymously.

3. The student must undertake to protect the confidentiality of the subject.4. In the event that the results are published, the student must protect the identity of

the subject, unless the subject consents to be named (i.e. waives anonymity). 5. Students should usually prepare a short information sheet for the subjects to read

containing points above (2-4).6. Accompanying the information sheet, there should usually be a consent form asking

for signed consent.

Supervisors must see the information sheet and consent form in advance of any data collection - these forms are submitted as part of the ethical approval process.All the above criteria must be included in your answer to this question and attachments should be included. How will you approach data protection issues during your research?

How will you store the data and use it? Will participants have access to the data or will the results be made available

to them? Who can participants contact if they want to ask further queries about the

research? How do participants withdraw if they wish to? Will you provide all participants with an overview of the research and

what their role is?

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Please consider the University data protection policyhttp://www.infogov.salford.ac.uk/dataprot/docs/dppolicyv1.0-0405.pdf

Does this project require that the researcher applies for a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check?By law, anyone who intends to work with or do research which brings them into unsupervised contact with children or vulnerable adults (such as adults with learning or other disabilities) must first be checked by the Disclosure Barring Service (DBS). This includes service users who are working as researchers, including those with disabilities. For more information please visit the following site: https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check/overviewWhat other ethical issues should you consider when conducting this research and how will potential ethical risk/harm be avoided?

Please note that this is the most important section for ethical approval. Students should consider all possible issues related to carrying out their

specific research in relation to best ethical practice. Topics for consideration should be issues related to the feelings of your

subjects, and the behaviour and conduct of the researcher. Any potential risks and harm should be explored in carrying out this research.

Students should provide evidence of consideration of these topics andthink through how the research will unfold. Expand on these issues as much as possible and present all of the ethical eventualities and issues.

Does your project require you to conform to any additional professional code of ethics (such as provided by the British Society of Criminology or British Psychology Society or Law Society or any other similar professional body)?If this is applicable please cite the code and either include it as an appendix to this application or provide details about where it can be consulted electronically.

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Ethical Approval Application Form

Application Form for Ethical Approval for Taught ProgrammesInstructions for use

Most applications for ethical approval will be able to be granted by the supervisor. Students should complete section A and forward to their supervisor, who will complete section B. In some cases, if the supervisor believes the proposal should be sent to the College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes (CEAPTP) for guidance and clearance, part C should be completed and sent to the email address provided above. Supervisors should send parts A, B and C to the panel in these cases.

PART A To be completed by the student and signed off by the supervisor to confirm that they have seen the proposal and are in agreement that it is sound but requires ethical approval. This form concentrates on the reason for the project and the methodology to be used, with particular emphasis on the ethical issues involved.

PART B To be completed by the supervisor by ticking the relevant box. If ethical approval is granted the supervisor should give this form to the student to include in their dissertation, along with Part A. Nothing further needs to be done with the application at this point. However, if ethical approval is rejected by the supervisor they should consult with the student as to the required changes and complete Part C.

PART C To be completed by the supervisor if ethical approval is required, with an indication of the key issues and areas for approval, and forwarded, together with Parts A and B, to the College Teaching and Learning Office above. The application will then go through the formal ethical approval process.

Ethical Approval Panel for Taught ProgrammesSheila Cross, Secretary to Panel Teaching & Learning Team | Room 121, Lady Hale BuildingEmail: CBL-tandlteam@salford.ac.uk | Tel: 0161 295 2099

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PART A - Application Form for Ethical Approval for Taught ProgrammesFor completion by Student

Please consult the guide provided and your supervisor when completing this formStudent’s Full Name: University of Salford Student ID No.

@00_ _ _ _ _ _

Supervisor’s Name and Signature:

Title of Research and Project Focus:

Project Aims and Objectives:

Research Methodology:

Organisational Agreement (if applicable):

Approaching Individuals (if applicable):

How will you ensure ‘informed consent’ is gained from anyone involved in the research?

How will you approach data protection issues during your research?

Does this project require that the researcher applies for a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check?

Ethical Approval Panel for Taught ProgrammesSheila Cross, Secretary to Panel Teaching & Learning Team | Room 121, Lady Hale BuildingEmail: CBL-tandlteam@salford.ac.uk | Tel: 0161 295 2099

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What other ethical issues should you consider when conducting this research and how will potential ethical risk/harm be avoided?

Does your project require you to conform to any additional professional code of ethics such as provided by the British Society of Criminology or British Psychology Society or Law Society or any other similar professional body?

If you have answered YES above please cite the code and either include it as an appendix to this application or provide details below about where it can be consulted electronically.

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PART B - Application Form for Ethical Approval for Taught ProgrammesTo be completed by Supervisor

Application Reference Number: (Office Use only)

Student’s Full Name:

Title of Research and Project Focus:

Supervisor’s Name and Signature:

Date application received by supervisor: ……………………………………Please tick appropriate box below by double-clicking on the box:☐ Ethical Approval Granted (Please send copy of form to student to include in their dissertation).☐ Ethical Approval Rejected (If rejected please consult with student as to the required changes).☐ Ethical Approval Referred

(If supervisor has queries or concerns in relation to this application please fill in Part C below and forward to the College Ethical Approval for Taught Programmes).

Ethical Approval Panel for Taught ProgrammesSheila Cross, Secretary to Panel Teaching & Learning Team | Room 121, Lady Hale BuildingEmail: CBL-tandlteam@salford.ac.uk | Tel: 0161 295 2099

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PART C – Application form for Ethical Approval for Taught ProgrammesTo be completed by Supervisor

Application Reference Number: (Office Use only)

Student’s Full Name:

Title of Research and Project Focus:

Supervisor’s Name and Signature:

Please provide a brief description of the key issues and areas within this application that you would like the College Ethical Approval for Taught Programmes to consider:

Ethical Approval Panel for Taught ProgrammesSheila Cross, Secretary to Panel Teaching & Learning Team | Room 121, Lady Hale BuildingEmail: CBL-tandlteam@salford.ac.uk | Tel: 0161 295 2099

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Committee COLLEGE ETHICAL APPROVAL COMMITTEE (CEAC)

Reports to COLLEGE EXECUTIVEUNIVERSITY ACADEMIC AUDIT AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE (AAGC)

Purpose College Ethical Approval Committee oversees the ethical approval of the College’s research and innovation, academic engagement and learning and teaching activities on behalf of College Executive.College Ethical Approval Committee receives reports from a College Research, Innovation and Academic Engagement Ethical Approval Panel and a College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes.

Terms of Reference i. To advise AAGC on the development of University policy and commended procedures on ethical approval.

ii. To develop procedures in accord with AAGC’s commended procedures for the operation of a College Research, Innovation and Academic Engagement Ethical Approval Panel and Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes.

iii. To advise College Executive and to provide it, where appropriate with management information on pertinent issues relating to the governance and management of ethical approval.

iv. To determine individual applications for ethical approval exceptionally referred by College Research, Innovation and Academic Engagement Ethical Approval Panel, by College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes or by another College Ethical Approval Committee.

v. To provide the exchange of good practice and information between the College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes and the College Research, Innovation and Academic Engagement Ethical Approval Panel.

vi. To ensure the provision of training for staff and students on Ethical Approval.

vii. To determine appropriate levels of performance in ethical approval, to monitor those levels and to measure outcomes against those levels.

Membership An Associate Dean (Chair)The Chairs of the two College Ethical Approval PanelsAn Independent Institutional Nominee from another CollegeNo less than five members of academic staff with at least one from each School as nominated by the College Dean but to include an Associate Head (Academic), (Research and Innovation) and (Engagement)A student nominee of the Students’ Union Trustee Board.Serviced by the College Registrar or the nominee of the College Registrar drawn from the Professional Services staff of the College or its Schools.

Frequency of Meetings

At least twice a year.

Panels College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes College Research, Innovation and Academic Engagement Ethical Approval Panel

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Further information

Panel COLLEGE ETHICAL APPROVAL PANEL FOR TAUGHT PROGRAMMES

Advises College Ethical Approval Committee

Purpose On behalf of College Ethical Approval Committee, College Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes facilitates the research of undergraduate and taught postgraduate students within the College whilst maintaining ethical standards of practice in research and protecting subjects of research from harm, preserving the subjects’ rights and providing reassurance to the public and outside bodies that harm is not being done. The Panel also advises upon ethical approval issues arising from module approval.

Terms of Reference i. to receive details of any research proposed to be carried out on human beings, human tissues, animals and animal tissues by registered undergraduate and taught postgraduate students.

ii. to approve the research as proposed OR to approve it under certain defined modifications OR to refer the research to College Ethical Approval Committee OR to refuse approval.

iii. to advise College Partnerships and Programme Approval and Review Committee on request in relation to ethical approval issues arising from module approval.

iv. to cross-refer matters, as appropriate, to the College Research, Innovation and Academic Engagement Ethical Approval Panel so as to share good practice and information.

v. to report to College Ethical Approval Committee, with relevant management information, on the level of ethical approval activity.

Membership Chair: To be appointed by the College Dean for a period of four years.

No less than five members of academic staff with at least one from each School in the College.

A nominee of the College Research, Innovation and Academic Engagement Ethical Approval Panel.

Serviced by the College Registrar or the nominee of the College Registrar drawn from the Professional Services staff of the College or its Schools.

Further information