M15 Dissertation Module

Handbook

Residential Students

2016–17

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Contents

1. Dissertation Timetable ...................................................................................................... 4

2. Dissertation Guidelines .................................................................................................... 5

2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 5

2.2 General Guidelines ...................................................................................................... 5

3. Dissertation Supervision .................................................................................................. 6

4. The Dissertation Module ................................................................................................... 7

4.1 The Research Classes ................................................................................................. 7

4.2 The Research Seminars ............................................................................................... 7

4.3 The Research Process ................................................................................................. 7

4.3.1 Poster ................................................................................................................... 7

4.3.2 Preliminary Proposal ............................................................................................. 8

4.3.3 Draft Proposal ....................................................................................................... 8

4.3.4 Proposal Presentation ........................................................................................... 8

4.3.5 Final Proposal ....................................................................................................... 8

5. Research Ethics .............................................................................................................. 10

5.1 Research Ethics Committee ....................................................................................... 10

5.2 Ethical Clearance Procedures .................................................................................... 10

5.3 Ethical Research Practice .......................................................................................... 10

5.4 Unethical Research Practice ...................................................................................... 10

5.5 Guidelines for Informed Consent ................................................................................ 11

5.6 Sources of Further Information ................................................................................... 11

6. Presentation and formatting ........................................................................................... 12

6.1 Margins ...................................................................................................................... 12

6.2 Text ............................................................................................................................ 12

6.3 Headings .................................................................................................................... 12

6.4 Formal Rules .............................................................................................................. 13

6.5 Footnotes ................................................................................................................... 13

6.6 Appendices ................................................................................................................ 13

6.7 Word Count ................................................................................................................ 13

6.8 Printing ....................................................................................................................... 14

6.9 Practicalities ............................................................................................................... 14

7. Dissertation layout .......................................................................................................... 15

8. Dissertation Submission ................................................................................................ 16

8.1 Submission in three different forms ............................................................................ 16

8.2 Binding Machine Instructions ...................................................................................... 17

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9. Guidelines Used by Tutors for Marking Proposals and Dissertations ........................ 18

9.1 General ...................................................................................................................... 18

9.2 Marking criteria for proposals ..................................................................................... 18

9.3 Characteristics of a good research topic ..................................................................... 18

9.4 Marking criteria for dissertation .................................................................................. 18

9.5 Characteristics of a good dissertation ......................................................................... 19

Appendix 1: Preliminary Proposal Form ................................................................................... 20

Appendix 2: Final Dissertation Proposal Form .......................................................................... 21

Appendix 3: Research Ethics Approval Form ........................................................................... 22

Appendix 4: Research Participant Information Sheet ................................................................ 24

Appendix 5: Research Informed Consent Form ........................................................................ 26

Appendix 6: Supervision Record Form ..................................................................................... 27

Appendix 7: Postgraduate Grading Criteria .............................................................................. 28

Appendix 8: Dissertation Proposal Feedback Form .................................................................. 29

Appendix 9: Dissertation Feedback Form ................................................................................. 31

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1. Dissertation Timetable Term 2

Initial classes on Poster Presentations, Literature Review and Proposals.

Weeks 1–3

Posters to be written & presented (students to be ready early in Term 2).

Weeks 2–4 Poster presentations due Mon Week 4; 30/1/17

Preliminary Proposal – Draft titles, initial bibliography and plan to Postgraduate Programme Leader and soft copy emailed to the MA Administrator.

Preliminary proposals due Mon Week 6; 13/2/17

Term 3

Draft proposal presented to MA Administrator

Draft proposals due Mon Week 1; 24/4/17

Discuss proposal with supervisor. During Term 3

Proposal presentation In class during Term 3

Full & formal proposal presented to supervisor for marking and soft copy emailed to the Programme Administrator.

Final proposal due Mon Week 5; 22/5/17

Formal marked proposals to Postgraduate Programme Leader.

Mon Week 8; 12/6/17

Marked proposal returned to students.

Fri Week 8; 16/6/17

Summer

Write dissertations.

Submit dissertation. Dissertation due on the second Friday of September; (Friday 8 September 2017)

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2. Dissertation Guidelines 2.1 Introduction An important element of the MA/MTh programme is the writing of a dissertation of 15,000 words on a topic of the student’s choice. In order to prepare for this, students are required to attend the M15 module with its focus on research and study skills sessions before submitting their dissertation titles, and to participate in the continuing research methods seminars during which they will present their dissertation proposals. Students will also be appointed a supervisor who is able to supervise in their particular field of interest. The dissertation not only provides students with the opportunity for in-depth study of an area of personal interest, but it also enables them to gain skills in research that make an ideal foundation of a higher research degree. 2.2 General Guidelines The dissertation provides the MA/MTh candidate with the opportunity to develop and demonstrate the ability to accumulate and summarise data, to critically assess contrasting theories, to draw conclusions from evidence and to argue convincingly. Some candidates may be able to research and evaluate fresh data. However, while the dissertation should represent original and independent work, this is not primarily a research degree and the dissertation is not required to be an original contribution to its field. The subject of the dissertation must be relevant to the focus of the postgraduate programme in Contemporary Mission Studies. (If a candidate is seeking to gain one of the specific awards, the subject of the dissertation must be relevant to that specific area.) It may be related directly to one of the taught subject areas studied, though it must be distinct from or moving clearly beyond, any course paper that the candidate has prepared in the earlier part of the programme. Alternatively, it may be focused on any significant subject of interest to the candidate that is approved by the Postgraduate Committee. Candidates will be warned of the dangers and limitations of engaging in field research. It may be appropriate in some instances, but thorough guidance and practical orientation on methodology for such research needs to be given and great care taken in interpreting the results. The Postgraduate Committee must approve the title of the dissertation. The approval procedure will take into account the candidate’s competence or experience in the field of study selected, the availability of library or other appropriate data resources, and the capacity of the academic staff to provide adequate guidance and supervision. The Programme Leader, in conversation with the MA team, will appoint an appropriate supervisor for the candidate; this decision will be ratified by the Postgraduate Programme Committee. Marking and moderation processes will follow normal conventions for the MA programme. As part of the Dissertation Module (M15), the candidate will prepare a detailed dissertation proposal, which includes a critical literature review on the subject area of the dissertation. This will be done once the Postgraduate Committee has approved the title, and it will form part of the summative assessment of the module. A candidate must satisfactorily complete the elements of the M15 module before being able to submit the dissertation. Candidates must submit their dissertation by the September dissertation deadline of the same year (see the Dissertation Timetable in Section 1 of this document). Submission later than that date may only be granted by written approval of an extension from the Programme Leader. As

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with all assignments, such permission will only be granted in the case of extenuating circumstances. Full details can be found in the College’s Extenuating Circumstances Policy and Procedure document. All policies can be found in the College in the College ‘Policy and Procedures’ document, which is posted in the student section of the College VLE, on the Postgraduate Home Page of the e-Learning site and on the College website: www.allnations.ac.uk. Where coursework is submitted late and there are no accepted extenuating circumstances it will be penalised in line with the tariff shown in the section entitled ‘Late Submission Penalties’ in the Postgraduate Programme Handbook, which is available in the Student Area of the VLE, on the Postgraduate Home Page of the e-Learning site and on the College website: www.allnations.ac.uk. Failure to submit the dissertation by the deadline will normally mean that the student will not be considered for award of the degree at the Examination Board of that year and will be held over to the following year. The approval of the dissertation by the Examination Board is a pre-requisite for an award of the MA degree. The Examination Board may, where appropriate, require a candidate to submit to an oral examination on the subject of his or her dissertation. In the event of a candidate’s dissertation not being approved, he/she may be granted an extension, allowing them to resubmit a revised dissertation within a specified time. However, this provision is entirely at the discretion of the Examination Board if they consider there are good grounds for believing that the candidate is capable of revising the dissertation to an acceptable standard.

3. Dissertation Supervision Following the confirmation of your dissertation title, students are entitled to meet with their supervisor between six and eight times (up to a maximum of 8 hours) before the dissertation deadline. Please note, tutors have been asked not to exceed 8 meetings and the 8 hours supervision by any significant amount. This is so that students receive comparable amounts of supervision. There is a supervision record form which the supervisor and student must sign off at the end of the process (see Appendices). N.B. Personal tutorials do not count in the ‘time allowance’. Students need to check with their supervisor when he/she will be unavailable after the end of the summer term (because of holidays, travelling, and so on) and agree times for meeting and submitting material. It is recommended that students arrange for the first couple of supervisions to take place in Term 3 so supervisors can be involved in the supervision process before the summer vacation.

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4. The Dissertation Module

4.1 The Research Classes The M15 classes are designed to give the postgraduate students an introduction to key themes in research as a preparation for writing their theses and as an introduction to the various stages of the research process (see below). They include, but are not limited to:

the proposal stages of the dissertation module;

the task of writing and writing a whole thesis;

approaches to research;

following through the research process from the beginning right to the end. The classes also allow different tutors to share on their own experience of doing research and research techniques. 4.2 The Research Seminars Each year, there are a number of Research Seminars, where Staff or Visiting Lecturers present on their own research in a way that would be relevant to MA students. Sometimes the presenters focus on a particular issue of research method or technique and sometimes they consider a particular theme from a variety of perspectives. These seminars encourage a degree of externality in the research training. (This latter dimension is supplemented by visits to outside lectures — often at the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide.)

4.3 The Research Process There are five stages to the research process, which can be thought of as five ‘hoops’ through which all students are encouraged to pass as part of a shared and coherent process (or journey).

4.3.1 Poster

The term poster comes from the idea of a physical ‘poster’ which is common at scientific and medical conferences. Researchers have a carefully defined physical space into which they must set out their ideas in a specific way. The posters are 4-6 pages of A4 which includes:

Title;

Brief Description/ Context;

Rationale; Research Questions;

Methodology/ Methods;

Resources.

The Poster is a chance to explore a topic, to think about the geographical context and to start to raise issues of methodology/ method and so on.

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4.3.2 Preliminary Proposal

The Preliminary Proposal follows on from the Poster. At this point, the research student is making an initial commitment to the project and formally signalling interest to All Nations as to the direction that they will take in their project. The Preliminary Proposal is formative in nature and does not receive a grade, but it is a required part of the process. It should be presented using the Preliminary Proposal Form (see appendices). Formal elements include a Draft Title, the likely Exit Award, and Bibliography (of an initial character). Students are assigned supervisors (recommended by the Programme Leader and confirmed by the consensus of the whole MA Team) following the receipt of the Preliminary Proposal. 4.3.3 Draft Proposal

This is an independent document that summarises in a formal manner, following a number of suggested headings, the status and direction of the research project. As for the Preliminary Proposal, the Draft Proposal is formative in nature and does not receive a grade, but it is a required part of the research process. It allows the postgraduate student and their supervisors to consider the pros and cons of the proposed research to date and to scrutinise in a more formal way the rationale, direction, viability, significance and so on of the project. 4.3.4 Proposal Presentation

The Proposal Presentation is a public presentation of the key elements of the written proposal where the research student summarises key parts of the work and others respond. The use of presentation software allows for an approach that stresses the personal connections to the project and facilitates the use of visual and other media to help get across the character of the proposed research project to other staff. The Proposal Presentation is formative in nature and does not receive a grade. 4.3.5 Final Proposal This is a reviewed and revised version of the Draft Proposal which is submitted for marking. Writing a research proposal is an important part of the student’s learning outcomes. This process will be explained in the M15 classes; the proposal is formally marked as part of the M15 dissertation module and is worth 10% of the final mark. The word limit for the dissertation proposal is 2,500 words. The proposal is marked according to the postgraduate grading criteria (see appendices). The marking criteria are discussed further in the section entitled ‘Guidelines used by tutors for marking proposals and dissertations’. The feedback sheet that will be used is included in the appendices. The proposal should be submitted using the Final Dissertation Proposal Form (see appendices).

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The following outline shows the elements and order that you should follow in producing a final dissertation proposal: Cover sheet — name of college, title of dissertation, your name, and the name of your degree Introduction — explanation of issue/problem being investigated Indicate the topic and your personal interest in the subject. Working hypothesis Suggest what you are trying to show or prove in the thesis. Rationale — theory being used and rationale for using it Show why the topic is important, how it relates to the MA programme and why you would approach it in a particular way. Purpose — aims and objectives / what do you hope to achieve? Indicate what your thesis will accomplish; what it will add to the discipline; in what ways will it be significant. Methodological approach Methodology – look at how your research is framed in terms of aims and significance. Show what method(s) you will use to gather evidence: for example: library/documentary research; interviews; field observation and so on. Literature review and survey of sources A short but nuanced critical reflection indicating key existing published sources and other kinds of previous research that relate to your topic and the research/areas around it. Summary Elements

Chapter outline — a well ordered and presented table of contents with names of each chapter (together with sub-headings where appropriate). You should attempt to estimate how many words you will use for each chapter. (Include a brief description in one or two paragraphs about each chapter.) The word limit for the whole dissertation is 15,000 words. Preliminary Bibliography — List key sources that will show you have a working familiarity with existing literature and sources (show critical judgement in your choice of materials). This is different from the literature review, which will be more focused and interpretative. Appendices For example, research tools such as surveys, questionnaires. Timeframe Indicate the likely timeframe of your study

Conclusion — a brief summary of the main points that you want to stress about your thesis; why you think it is important and what you think it will add to knowledge in the field (the term ‘probable conclusions’ is open-ended and allows some reflection on where it may go without being too definitive).

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5. Research Ethics 5.1 Research Ethics Committee In order to protect both those conducting research and any participants from harm, procedures are in place to ensure that all research is ethical and carried out with integrity. The College’s Research Ethics Committee is responsible for ensuring that all researchers consider and manage ethical issues associated with their proposed studies and carry out the research with academic integrity. It is also responsible for investigating any suspected breaches of ethical research practice. 5.2 Ethical Clearance Procedures As part of the research process, students are required to complete a Research Ethics Questionnaire as part of the research proposal process that demonstrates that they have considered the ethical issues related to their chosen topic and how they will manage them. The questionnaire will be considered by the Research Ethics Committee in consultation with the relevant programme committees. Approval to proceed with the research will be given, or the student asked to revise their topic or proposed management plan. 5.3 Ethical Research Practice Researchers are responsible for ensuring the following:

Integrity: that the research has been carried out in a rigorous and professional manner;

Avoiding Plagiarism: that proper acknowledgement has been given regarding the origin of data and ideas;

Conflicts of Interest: that any financial or professional conflicts of interest have been properly declared;

Data Handling: that steps have been taken to safeguard anonymity of participants, confidentiality, security of personal data and to ensure that participant’s data is kept no longer than necessary;

Ethical Issues: that these have been given proper consideration, appropriate approval sought and an effective management plan put in place to address them.

5.4 Unethical Research Practice The following activities are considered unacceptable research practice (BERA).

Researchers must not bring research into disrepute by, for example:

Falsifying research evidence or findings;

Distorting findings by selectively publishing some aspects and not others;

Criticising other researchers in a defamatory or unprofessional manner;

Exploiting the conditions of work and roles of contact research staff;

Undertaking work for which they are perceived to have a conflict of interest or where self-interest or commercial gain might be perceived to compromise the objectivity of the research;

Undertaking work for which they are not competent;

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Using work carried out with co-researchers as the basis of individual outputs without the agreement of the co-researchers concerned;

Using research for fraudulent or illegal purposes.

5.5 Guidelines for Informed Consent All researchers conducting studies involving human participants are required to ensure that those participants are aware of the implications of participating in the project. Researchers are therefore responsible for providing to any participants:

Full information on the purpose of the research;

Clear information on the involvement of participants;

Opportunity for prospective participants to ask questions;

Clear information on how data will be stored and protected;

Clear information on how data will be used;

Clear information on confidentiality;

Clear information on how research outcomes will be disseminated;

Assurance on the right to withdraw at any time without giving reasons;

The name of an independent contact to whom participants can address queries or complaints. The independent contact would normally be the relevant Recruitment and Training Administrator or the Information and Learning Services Manager.

All potential participants should be provided with a Research Participants Information Sheet and be required to complete a Research Participants Informed Consent Form (see appendices). 5.6 Sources of Further Information British Sociological Association - Statement of Ethical Practice March 2002 (appendix updated May 2004) https://www.york.ac.uk/media/abouttheuniversity/governanceandmanagement/governance/ethicscommittee/hssec/documents/BSA%20statement%20of%20ethical%20practice.pdf

British Educational Research Association http://www.bera.ac.uk

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6. Presentation and formatting 6.1 Margins The minimum widths of margins must be as follows:

inside margin 40 mm;

top and outside margins 15 mm;

bottom margin 20 mm. 6.2 Text The following guidelines should be observed:

font size should be no less than 12 point – use Times New Roman a serif font;

text should be fully justified;

line spacing should be 1.5;

avoid having fewer than two lines at the end of a page;

a page should not end with a section or chapter heading (with the text on the next page);

quotations which are more than two lines in length should be single-spaced, indented (1cm each margin), without quotation marks;

page numbers should be included. 6.3 Headings

Chapter and section headings should be clear and consistent. The following is the College’s preferred style for the MA and should be adopted as far as possible.

CHAPTER HEADINGS IN CAPITALS, LARGER FONT, BOLD AND CENTRALISED

1 Main Section Headings in Bold, larger font, left alignment, underlined

1.1 Second level heading in bold, normal type, left alignment

1.1.1 Third level heading in italics, normal type, left alignment

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6.4 Formal Rules

Careful keeping of the conventional rules will avoid unnecessary work in editing:

use accepted English (UK) grammar and spelling;

be economical with words;

build paragraphs around topic sentences;

pay particular attention to the opening and closing paragraphs of each section and each chapter;

use a gender-neutral style;

in referring to persons, the first use of the name should employ the full name (i.e. first name and surname or equivalent in other cultures). In subsequent uses, the surname only should be employed;

the final copy should be error-free, with no noticeable corrections. 6.5 Footnotes

See All Nations Citation Booklet for guidance (this can be found on the Library Resources page of the VLE). Footnotes (along with Bibliographies) do not count towards the word limit. However, footnotes should mainly be used to cite references to works consulted. Discrete and sparing use of appropriate comments is possible – but any substantive comments and arguments should be put in the main text, not in the footnotes. 6.6 Appendices

Appendices are used for the following types of material:

explanations and elaborations that are important for reference but not essential parts of the argument/dissertation;

texts of documents, laws and other elements that illustrate the main text;

long lists of charts or tables. Although they are not included in the word count they should be a valuable part of the dissertation, not simply a catch-all for odds and ends of research, which do not seem to fit anywhere else. 6.7 Word Count

The word count must be recorded on the title page (but not on the cover sheet).

If you look at the dissertation layout section below, only the “text of dissertation” element is included in the word count (not the front matter or the end matter.

Footnotes are not included in the word count.

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6.8 Printing

White, A4 paper must be used; it must be good quality bond paper; the weight should be 75

gm or higher.

Print on one side of the page only.

Each character must be clear and distinct.

The text must be capable of high quality copy. 6.9 Practicalities

Do not use ring binders for material that will later be bound since the holes make binding

difficult or impossible.

Do not use staples, pins, paper clips or sticky tape in your dissertation.

Do not put the library copy into a plastic document wallet as this tends to curl the pages (a large envelope is better).

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7. Dissertation layout Please note the following elements:

plastic cover (will be issued by MA administrator); cover sheet printed on red card, which will be issued by the MA administrator (do not show

the word count or page number on the cover sheet; do use bold type as this will show up better on the red card);

blank page; title page (identical to cover sheet but showing word count); synopsis page; dedication and acknowledgements; contents page; list of Illustrations (charts, maps, diagrams, and so on); list of tables; text of dissertation; appendices; abbreviations; bibliography; blank page; blank red card cover sheet (will be issued by MA administrator); plastic cover (will be issued by MA administrator)

Cover Sheet for Dissertation

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8. Dissertation Submission 8.1 Submission in three different forms You need to submit your dissertation in three different forms. If you want to retain a copy for your own records, you will need to print off an additional copy (the marking copy will not be returned to you). (i) Hard copy for marking: You are responsible for printing and comb-binding the hard copy

of your dissertation that will be submitted for marking. This should be submitted to the MA Administrator by 5pm on the day of the deadline.

Follow the dissertation layout guide below, which shows the exact order in which the different elements should appear (including plastic and red card covers).

Binding facilities are available in the photocopy office (see the MA administrator, the Librarian or one of the BA administrators for a key). If you are uncertain how the machine works, please ask the MA administrator or librarian for a demonstration — it would probably be a good idea to ask if a group session can be organised rather than doing this individually. Make sure you leave plenty of time for binding; there is only one machine and if everyone rushes to use it in the last minutes before the deadline, it may result in late submission penalties.

(ii) Hard copy for library: You should submit an unbound hard copy of your dissertation for

the library (the library staff will arrange for this to be bound). This should be presented as for the marking copy with the red card at each end (but no plastic covers).

We will respect any issues of security that are noted to us when the dissertation is submitted. If you wish to anonymise the library copy, please discuss this with the MA administrator before submitting the work in the form you wish to be retained (the marking copy must be presented with your name shown).

(iii) Electronic copy for archiving and word-count check: Please email a pdf and a word-

processed version of your dissertation to the MA administrator by 5pm on the day of the dissertation deadline.

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8.2 Binding Machine Instructions You will need a comb of an appropriate size. These can be found in the left-hand

cupboard in the photocopy room on the bottom two shelves. There is a number printed inside each comb which shows the maximum number of sheets (e.g. 90, 120).

The binding machine is usually on the table area in front of the window in the photocopy

room. It has a row of long teeth to the rear, a handle to the right and a small table area to the front.

To make perforations in preparation for binding:

– Ensure that the handle to the right is in the vertical position.

– Feed the first plastic sheet into the machine (ensure the sheet is against the barrier to the left to keep it square; it will not go into the machine very far).

– Pull the handle down then return it to the vertical position.

– Remove the plastic sheet (or maybe practise with a sheet of scrap paper first).

– You should now see a neat row of perforations.

– Repeat this process for the red cover sheet so that the perforations are along the left border.

– Repeat the process for small batches of sheets of the dissertation, ensuring that the sheets are in a neat pile (about 10 sheets works OK); again, the perforations are to the left border.

When all the paper, card and plastic sheets have perforations and the handle is in the

vertical position, take the comb and place it (with the solid section to the back) over the teeth to the rear of the machine (there should be one tooth to each end of the comb). Make sure that the comb will open towards you.

Push the handle back. If the comb is positioned correctly, it should now be open. You can now start placing the sheets over the open ends of the comb. Begin with the back

plastic cover, then the back red cover, then work in small batches of the paper, ensuring that they are squared off before you try to add them to the comb. Finish with the front red cover and plastic sheet.

If it starts to become difficult to fit the sheets on to the comb, move the handle a little

towards you, which should close the comb slightly and give you more space. If you move it too far, just move the handle away from you again.

When all the sheets are correctly positioned on the comb, pull the handle fully towards

you then return it to the vertical position. The comb should now be closed and you can lift the dissertation off the machine.

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9. Guidelines Used by Tutors for Marking Proposals and Dissertations

9.1 General

The criteria used for marking proposals and dissertations are similar to those used for marking essays, but they do differ in some respects due to the nature of the pieces of work being considered. For this reason there are specific mark sheets for each of these assignments (see appendices). Markers will give comments on the text, which will be shown on the feedback sheet with numbered pointers to the relevant section in the dissertation. Tutors will be considering the dissertation as a piece of work that should be able to stand up in a secular academic setting. The pass mark for each element is 50%. The proposal is worth 10% of the final module mark and the dissertation is worth 90%. 9.2 Marking criteria for proposals

The proposal will be graded as a percentage according to the following criteria:

Issue/ Problem/ Hypothesis to be investigated

Theory selected and rationale/

Literature Review

Structure/ Table of contents

Methodology/ Time Frame

Bibliography/ Resources/ Sources/ Previous Research 9.3 Characteristics of a good research topic

A good research topic should be:

clearly and precisely stated;

accessible to examination;

focused on central concepts;

appropriately delimited;

concerned with only one central problem;

manageable within the time constraints;

manageable in terms of available and accessible research resources;

able to make a positive contribution to research on the topic;

related to the student’s experience and existing knowledge. 9.4 Marking criteria for dissertation

The dissertation will be graded as a percentage according to the following criteria:

Structure: Research design and methodology/ coherence of argument

Knowledge of context, concepts and theory

Critical engagement: synthesis and analysis of data

Evidence of research/ bibliography/ use of sources

Presentation: technical aspects e.g. referencing, style, grammar and so on

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9.5 Characteristics of a good dissertation

A good dissertation should:

have a clearly stated aim which is pursued with clarity and rigour — the work must have a sense of purpose and direction;

be a project which has clearly defined scope and is not too generalised or ambitious; limitations of the study need to be recognised and clearly stated;

have an overall structure which is logical, which flows naturally from chapter to chapter, and which arrives at a conclusion which is climactic and satisfying;

have a style which is academically rigorous and avoids pious rhetoric, or ecclesiastical jargon;

have a critical distance which presents differing views fairly and which avoids unqualified dogmatic opinions;

display an openness to difficult issues which does not jump to conclusions and is honest enough to recognise genuine problems; this is especially relevant to the way scripture is used and interpreted;

state its assumptions and presuppositions clearly while avoiding opinions expressed uncritically which seem unaware of the questions which they raise;

present a critique which demonstrates good awareness of the theological and missiological issues involved;

include field research and quantitative research (where appropriate) which is realistic, presented clearly, and does not claim too much from its findings;

show good awareness of the missiological context of the issue studied, and appropriate application to mission today.

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Appendix 1: Preliminary Proposal Form

All Nations

MA/MTh Dissertation – Preliminary Proposal

Name and number Exit Award

Title

Initial Bibliography Plan [Topic and hypothesis [Rationale and purpose [Methodology [Preliminary reflections on existing literature and sources [Brief outline [Timeframe

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Appendix 2: Final Dissertation Proposal Form

All Nations

MA/MTh Dissertation Proposal Form 2500 word limit (not including bibliography and appendices)

Name and number Exit Award

Title

Cover sheet — name of college, title of dissertation, your name and the name of your degree Introduction — explanation of issue/problem being investigated Indicate the topic and your personal interest in the subject. Working hypothesis Suggest what you are trying to show or prove in the thesis. Rationale — theory being used and rationale for using it Importance of topic / relationship to MA programme / reason for approach. Purpose — aims and objectives / what do you hope to achieve? What thesis will accomplish; what it will add to the discipline; how it will be significant. Methodological approach Methodology – look at how your research is framed in terms of aims and significance. Show what method(s) you will use to gather evidence: for example: library/documentary research; interviews; field observation and so on. Literature review and survey of sources A short but nuanced critical reflection indicating key existing published sources and other kinds of previous research that relate to your topic and the research/areas around it. Summary Elements

Chapter outline (table of contents; estimate length of chapters; brief descriptions) Preliminary Bibliography (list key sources) Appendices (research tools such as surveys, questionnaires) Timeframe (likely timeframe of study)

Conclusion — a brief summary of the main points that you want to stress about your thesis; why you think it is important and what you think it will add to knowledge in the field (the term ‘probable conclusions’ is open-ended and allows some reflection on where it may go without being too definitive).

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Appendix 3: Research Ethics Approval Form

Research: Ethics Approval Form

Please attach this form to the research proposal and submit them to the Programme Leader. Project title

Student name Supervisor Intended start date of data collection

1. Does this project need the approval of any other body (e.g. church, organisation, institution? If you have gained ethics approval elsewhere, please detail it here:

2. Research methods to be used (tick all that apply)

3. Research participants Does the research involve human participants?

Yes, as a primary source of data (e.g. through interviews) Yes, as a secondary source of data (e.g. using existing data sets) No Please explain________________________________________________

If the research involves human participants, who are they? (tick all that apply)

Early years/pre-school* Adults or Other please describe them below School-aged children* Young people aged 17-18* Persons incapable of making an informed

decision for themselves* *If yes, what special arrangements are you planning to make to protect them e.g. will you need obtain special permissions/have others present etc?

Interviews Literature review Focus groups Questionnaire Observation Other

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4. Are there any potential risks to the researchers in this study? If YES, please answer the following questions:

What are the potential risks?

What measurers have been put in place to address these risks?

5. Specific ethical issues (Outline the main ethical issues which may arise in the course of this research and how they will be addressed)

6. Storage and Security of Data Will the investigation include the use of any of the following:

Observation of Participants

Audio Recording

Video Recording

If Yes, please provide details of how the recording/transcripts will be stored, where specifically the recording will be stored, when the recordings will be destroyed and how confidentiality will be ensured? 7. Data Protection What steps will be taken to safeguard anonymity of participants/confidentiality and security of personal data and to ensure participant’s data is not kept any longer than necessary?

5. Declaration I confirm that to the best of my knowledge this is a full description of the ethics issues that may arise in the course of this research Signed

Date

Approved Referred back to applicant Signature of Approver: ……………………………………………….…

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Appendix 4: Research Participant Information Sheet

TITLE OF RESEARCH PROJECT

RESEARCH PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET Insert Name of Student Programme The purpose of the study is to The research is being carried out by [Name of Student] in order to provide information that will be of use to mission educators who wish to deliver mission training by e-learning. Once I take part, can I change my mind? Yes! After you have read this information and asked any questions you will be asked to complete an Informed Consent Form, however if at any time, before, during or after the sessions you wish to withdraw from the study please just contact the main investigator. You can withdraw at any time, for any reason and you will not be asked to explain your reasons for withdrawing. Will I be required to attend any sessions and where will these be? How long will it take? Is there anything I need to do before the sessions? Is there anything I need to bring with me? Who should I send questionnaires back to? Please return any questionnaires (if applicable) to What will I be asked to do?

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What personal information will be required from me? Are there any risks in participating? No risks in participating in this study have been identified by All Nations’ Ethics Committee Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential? Your identity will be kept confidential and your name will not be included in any documentation. The name of any institution or organisation that you represent will only be used with your permission. All information that you supply will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. Your experiences will only be referred to in the publication of the research with your consent. What will happen to the results of the study? Information supplied in the course of the session will be used by the researcher to The completed study will be submitted to All Nations as per the requirements of the [Name of Programme/Qualification] I have some more questions who should I contact? Name of student Address All Nations What if I am not happy with how the research was conducted? Please contact Information and Learning Services Manager All Nations Easneye WARE Herts SG12 8LX Tel +44 1920 443500

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Appendix 5: Research Informed Consent Form

TITLE OF RESEARCH PROJECT

RESEARCH INFORMED CONSENT FORM

(to be completed after Participant Information Sheet has been read)

The purpose and details of this study have been explained to me. I understand that this study is designed to further scientific knowledge and that all procedures have been approved by All Nations’ Ethics Committee. I have read and understood the information sheet and this consent form. I have had an opportunity to ask questions about my participation. I understand that I am under no obligation to take part in the study. I understand that I have the right to withdraw from this study at any stage for any reason, and that I will not be required to explain my reasons for withdrawing. I understand that all the information I provide will be treated in strict confidence and will be kept anonymous and confidential to the researchers unless (under the statutory obligations of the agencies which the researchers are working with), it is judged that confidentiality will have to be breached for the safety of the participant or others. I agree to participate in this study. Your name Your signature Signature of investigator

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Appendix 6: Supervision Record Form

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Appendix 7: Postgraduate Grading Criteria

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Appendix 8: Dissertation Proposal Feedback Form

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Appendix 9: Dissertation Feedback Form

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