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Postgraduate Researcher Handbook - Kingston University

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KINGSTON UNIVERSITY

POSTGRADUATE RESEARCHER HANDBOOK

2013-14

MA/MSc by Research

MPhil

CONTENTS

1. WELCOME .......................................................................................................................................... 5

2. THE UNIVERSITY SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR POSTGRADUATE RESEARCHERS ........................................ 6

A. Your Supervisory Team .......................................................................................................................... 6

B. The Faculty ............................................................................................................................................. 6

C. Academic Decisions and Approvals ....................................................................................................... 6

D. Director of Graduate Research Programmes ........................................................................................ 6

E. The Graduate Research School .............................................................................................................. 7

F. Your Head of School .............................................................................................................................. 7

G. Pro Vice Chancellor (Research And Enterprise) ..................................................................................... 7

H. Quality Assurance and Opportunities for Feedback .............................................................................. 7

3. YOUR RESEARCH DEGREE: FROM ENROLMENT TO GRADUATION ......................................................... 8

A. ENROLMENT .......................................................................................................................................... 8

B. TUITION FEE PAYMENT .......................................................................................................................... 8

C. BEST PRACTICE IN RESEARCH: POLICIES AND GUIDELINES ................................................................... 8

Research Ethics ..................................................................................................................................... 8

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) For Postgraduates ........................................................................... 8

Kingston University Guide to Good Research Practice ......................................................................... 9

Academic Misconduct........................................................................................................................... 9

Referencing ........................................................................................................................................... 9

Plagiarism .............................................................................................................................................. 9

Health and Safety ................................................................................................................................. 9

D. RESEARCHER DEVELOPMENT .............................................................................................................. 10

Personal Development Planning (PDP) ............................................................................................... 10

Generic Skills Training ......................................................................................................................... 10

LRC Research Tutorials ....................................................................................................................... 11

Learning and Teaching ........................................................................................................................ 11

Employability Skills Training ............................................................................................................... 11

Training Held in Faculties and Schools ............................................................................................... 11

Personal Development Workshops .................................................................................................... 11

Other Forms of Training and Development ........................................................................................ 11

E. MONITORING YOUR PROGRESS .......................................................................................................... 12

F. CHANGING YOUR REGISTRATION ........................................................................................................ 12

Suspending Your Registration ............................................................................................................. 12

Extending Your Registration ............................................................................................................... 12

Transferring to a Different Degree Programme ................................................................................. 13

Changing Your Mode of Attendance .................................................................................................. 13

Withdrawing From Your Degree ......................................................................................................... 13

G. CHALLENGES DURING YOUR REGISTRATION ....................................................................................... 13

Informal Complaints ........................................................................................................................... 13

Mediation ........................................................................................................................................... 13

Formal Complaints: The Student Complaints Procedure ................................................................... 13

Supervisory Issues ............................................................................................................................... 14

Academic Appeals Procedure ............................................................................................................. 14

Policy on Harassment ......................................................................................................................... 14

H. WRITING UP MODE OF ATTENDANCE: PHD AND MPHIL .................................................................... 14

I. PREPARING FOR EXAMINATION .......................................................................................................... 15

Timescales........................................................................................................................................... 15

Appointing Your Examiners ................................................................................................................ 15

Preparing Your Manuscript for Assessment ....................................................................................... 16

Binding Your Manuscript for Assessment ........................................................................................... 17

Research Degrees Involving Creative Work and Non-Traditional Forms of Assessable Material ...... 17

Treatment of Scholarly Work ............................................................................................................. 18

J. SUBMISSION AND EXAMINATION ....................................................................................................... 18

Submitting Your Thesis/Dissertation .................................................................................................. 18

Preparing for Your Oral Examination .................................................................................................. 18

Practice Oral Examination .................................................................................................................. 19

Before Your Oral Examination ............................................................................................................ 19

The Oral Examination ......................................................................................................................... 19

Possible Outcomes of Your Oral Examination .................................................................................... 20

Amendments ...................................................................................................................................... 21

Reassessment ..................................................................................................................................... 21

Submitting Your Final Bound Thesis ................................................................................................... 22

Confidentiality/Embargo .................................................................................................................... 23

Conferment of Your Research Degree ................................................................................................ 23

4. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS: A GUIDE TO YOUR RESEARCH AWARD ......................... 24

MA/MSC BY RESEARCH ........................................................................................................................ 25

A. Standard of the Award ........................................................................................................................ 25

B. Period of Registration .......................................................................................................................... 25

C. Timeline ............................................................................................................................................... 25

D. Monitoring Requirement ..................................................................................................................... 25

E. Dissertation/Assessment Requirement ............................................................................................... 26

Length ................................................................................................................................................. 26

F. Award Descriptor ................................................................................................................................. 26

G. Assessment Criteria ............................................................................................................................. 27

H. Academic Regulations ......................................................................................................................... 29

I. Regulations for the Award of Masters by Research ............................................................................ 29

MPHIL .................................................................................................................................................. 34

A. Standard of the Award ........................................................................................................................ 34

B. Period of Registration .......................................................................................................................... 34

C. Timeline ............................................................................................................................................... 34

Length ................................................................................................................................................. 36

D. Award Descriptor ................................................................................................................................. 36

E. Assessment Criteria ............................................................................................................................. 37

F. Academic Regulations ......................................................................................................................... 39

G. Regulations for the Award of MPhil .................................................................................................... 39

PHD ..................................................................................................................................................... 46

A. Standard of the Award ........................................................................................................................ 46

B. Period of Registration .......................................................................................................................... 46

C. Timings ................................................................................................................................................. 46

D. Thesis/Assessment Requirement ........................................................................................................ 47

Length ................................................................................................................................................. 47

E. Monitoring Requirements and Transfer from MPhil To PhD .............................................................. 47

Transfer from MPhil to PhD ................................................................................................................ 47

Annual Monitoring Report .................................................................................................................. 48

F. Award Descriptor ................................................................................................................................. 49

G. Assessment Criteria ............................................................................................................................. 50

H. Academic Regulations ......................................................................................................................... 52

I. Regulations for the Award of PhD ....................................................................................................... 52

5. CODE OF PRACTICE: RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE UNIVERSITY, POSTGRADUATE RESEARCHERS AND

SUPERVISORS ....................................................................................................................................... 60

A. Your Responsibilities as a Postgraduate Researcher ........................................................................... 60

B. The Responsibilities of Your Director of Studies ................................................................................. 61

C. The Responsibilities of Your Additional or Second Supervisor ............................................................ 63

D. The University’s Responsibility to its Postgraduate Researchers ........................................................ 64

6. FACILITIES AND SERVICES FOR POSTGRADUATES ............................................................................... 65

A. The University ...................................................................................................................................... 65

B. Library Services .................................................................................................................................... 65

C. IT Services ............................................................................................................................................ 65

D. Email From Home ................................................................................................................................ 65

E. Students' Union ................................................................................................................................... 66

F. Healthcare, Wellbeing and Counselling ............................................................................................... 66

G. Sport and Fitness ................................................................................................................................. 66

H. Childcare .............................................................................................................................................. 66

I. Faith Groups ........................................................................................................................................ 66

J. Disability and Dyslexia Support ........................................................................................................... 66

K. Careers and Employability Service ...................................................................................................... 66

L. Accommodation .................................................................................................................................. 66

M. Replacement ID Cards, Letters For Banks, Council Tax Exemption, Confirmation of Enrolment etc .. 67

N. Tuition Fees and Funding .................................................................................................................... 67

O. International Students ......................................................................................................................... 67

P. Intersite Bus Service ............................................................................................................................ 67

1. WELCOME

Dear Postgraduate Researcher,

Welcome to Kingston University.

As a postgraduate researcher at Kingston University your involvement in university life will be

highly valued as both part of the University’s research community and as part of the student body.

You will be part of an established research culture that is growing in size and reputation with a

strong commitment from the University as part of the institutional Strategic Plan. A successful

outcome in the RAE (Research Assessment Exercise) 2008 resulted in significant investment in

research and we are now building on this success for the Research Excellence Framework

submission in November 2013.

This Handbook is intended to act as a reference throughout your research degree. It includes

details of the facilities and services available to postgraduate researchers, as well as important

information about the policies and regulations that apply to your research degree, the conduct of

your research, the support that you can expect during your time here, and the way in which your

progress will be monitored and assessed as you develop your project from commencement to

completion.

In addition to the information contained within this handbook, postgraduate researchers have

access to My Kingston, part of the University’s intranet. My Kingston is accessible on and off site

using your student ID and password and will be available to you as soon as you have enrolled. My

Kingston contains a dedicated area for postgraduate researchers (accessed through the My

Support drop down menu on the My Kingston homepage). In it you will find copies of the

documents and forms referred to in this handbook, a list of research contacts for each faculty and

the latest information on training and events for postgraduate researchers:

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/mysupport/research/Pages/default.aspx (Please note: If you

are accessing this handbook online before you have enrolled you will not be able to access My

Kingston. Please contact your Faculty Research Administrator if you have any queries).

Professor Penny Sparke

Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Enterprise)

This handbook is intended for postgraduate researchers who have applied and been accepted to

study for a research degree at Kingston University. If you are looking for information about how

to apply, or how to transfer to Kingston University from another institution, please contact

Applicant Services in the first instance: [email protected] and discuss your research ideas

with the relevant Faculty.

This handbook should be read in conjunction with the General Regulations. Copies are available

from the Student Life Centre and online at:

www.kingston.ac.uk/aboutkingstonuniversity/howtheuniversityworks/policiesandregulations/

2. THE UNIVERSITY SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR POSTGRADUATE RESEARCHERS

A. YOUR SUPERVISORY TEAM

Supporting your research programme will be a team of supervisors led by your Director of

Studies. Their responsibilities towards you are set out in the Code of Practice in Section 5.

Note that for the purposes of this handbook the term Director of Studies will be used, however,

in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences the lead supervisor is referred to as the Principal

Supervisor.

B. THE FACULTY

As a postgraduate researcher you will be enrolled within one of the University’s faculties. Your

key contacts at faculty level will be the Chair of the FRDC and the Faculty Research

Administrator.

Faculty Chair of FRDC Faculty Research Administrator

Art, Design and

Architecture

Arts and Social

Sciences

Prof Fran Lloyd

[email protected]

ext. 64021

Professor Simon Morgan Wortham

[email protected]

ext. 62916

Business and Law Prof George Saridakis, ext 65437

[email protected]

Health & Social Care Prof Andy Jewell

(Postgraduate Tutor)

[email protected]

020 8725 5140

Prof Vari Drennan (Chair of FRDC)

[email protected]

020 8725 2339

Science, Engineering

and Computing

Prof Andy Augousti

[email protected]

ext. 62421

Jane Nobbs

[email protected] ext. 64295

Emerald Day

[email protected] ext. 64016

Liz Goodacre [email protected]

ext. 62304

Blanca Sainz-Garcia, ext. 67022

[email protected]

Keily Geary

[email protected] ext. 65226

Catherine Berryman ext. 65345

[email protected]

Edward Cullen

[email protected]

Michelle Griffiths (School of Education)

[email protected]

Ext. 65073

Jackie Deacon

[email protected] ext. 62259

Rosalind Percival

[email protected] ext. 62044

C. ACADEMIC DECISIONS AND APPROVALS

There are two main committees responsible for your research degree. The Faculty Research

Degrees Committee (FRDC), which is responsible for considering the progress of your research

from registration to completion, and the University Research Degrees Committee (URDC),

which considers any exceptional circumstances relating to your registration and progress, as

well as the recommendations of examiners with regard to the conferment of your final award.

D. DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

Professor John Davis is the Director of Graduate Research Programmes. His role is to lead in all

matters relating to postgraduate researchers, including the researcher development

programme. Professor Davis also chairs the University Research Degrees Committee which acts

as the examination board for research degrees (see C. above).

E. THE GRADUATE RESEARCH SCHOOL

The Graduate Research School is part of the University’s Research Support Office. They

organise generic skills training sessions for all postgraduate researchers and provide advice and

guidance on academic regulations, procedures and policies. Working closely with the URDC

and the Director of Graduate Research Programmes, the Graduate Research School ensures

support for postgraduate researchers at Kingston University is improved by best practice and is

responsive to national developments in postgraduate research policies and practices. It is also

responsible for the final arrangements of conferring your award and responding to feedback.

Graduate Research School Administrator

Head of Graduate Research School

Sally Bevan ext 63135 Rachel Graham ext 63108

[email protected]

Director of Research Support Office

Betty Warnock ext 63046

[email protected]

F. YOUR HEAD OF SCHOOL

Your Head of School takes responsibility for ensuring that the appropriate facilities and

supervisory expertise are provided to you throughout your degree. He/she will also be part of

the process that authorises the appointment of your examination team.

G. PRO VICE CHANCELLOR (RESEARCH AND ENTERPRISE)

Professor Penny Sparke, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, has overall

responsibility for the University’s Research Strategy, including postgraduate researchers.

H. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEEDBACK

The Graduate Research School, along with the Academic Quality and Standards team in

Academic Registry and the URDC, are responsible for monitoring the quality of the University’s

research degrees. This is achieved through faculty based annual programme reports that are

considered by the URDC and followed up with a cyclical Internal Quality Assurance review that

reviews each faculty’s processes in depth.

The University is committed to providing opportunities for the student body to put forward

their views and contribute to the enhancement of their degrees. Each faculty will have at least

one postgraduate researcher representative who plays an active role in the FRDC and will be

happy to put forward any comments on your behalf. Their contact details are available from

your Faculty Research Administrator. There is also a postgraduate researcher representative on

the University Research Degrees Committee. The Graduate Research School will be pleased to

receive your comments or queries and conducts various surveys specifically for postgraduate

researchers to help ensure the university is responsive to your needs.

Your Transfer Report and Annual Monitoring Reports provide a formal opportunity for you to

give individual feedback each year.

Further details on feedback and surveys for postgraduate researchers are available on My

Kingston:

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/mysupport/research/Pages/researchfeedback.aspx

3. YOUR RESEARCH DEGREE: FROM ENROLMENT TO GRADUATION

A. ENROLMENT

For information on the admissions process and how to apply for a place at Kingston University,

please see Information for Applicants and Offer Holders, available on the research degrees page

of the Kingston University website:

www.kingston.ac.uk/research/research-degrees/

Once you have been offered a place as a postgraduate researcher and your registration has

been approved via the RD3b Registration Details form you will be invited to enrol as a student

of the University. At enrolment you will receive a student identity card giving you access to

library and computing facilities. Once enrolled you will be liable for tuition fees and will be

subject to the University’s General Regulations as well as the Academic Award Regulations

applying to your programme of research (see page 24). Your registration as a postgraduate

researcher will be re-confirmed annually provided you fulfil your obligations as a student and

the progress of your research is deemed acceptable by the University.

Postgraduate researchers embarking on a programme of study leading to the award of PhD will

be registered on the MPhil in the first instance. Subject to satisfactory completion of the

Transfer Process your registration will be upgraded to PhD (see Section 4. ACADEMIC

REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS: A GUIDE TO YOUR RESEARCH AWARD for a more detailed

explanation).

B. TUITION FEE PAYMENT

Information on tuition fees and how to pay is on the Kingston University website:

www.kingston.ac.uk/postgraduate/fees-and-funding/tuition-fees/

C. BEST PRACTICE IN RESEARCH: POLICIES AND GUIDELINES

As a postgraduate researcher you should be aware of and familiar with the University’s policies

and guidelines on best practice in research. All policies and guidelines referred to below can

be found on the Research Policies page of the Postgraduate Researcher section on My Kingston.

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/mysupport/research/research-essentials/Pages/Research-

Policies.aspx

RESEARCH ETHICS

If your research involves human participants, material, or data, consideration should be given

to the ethical implications of your research throughout your research programme and you

should follow the University’s guidelines: ‘Ethics: Guidance and Procedures for Undertaking

Research Involving Human Subjects’. Your Director of Studies will work with you to apply for

approval from Faculty Research Ethics Committee.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR) FOR POSTGRADUATES

The University considers that IP produced by postgraduate students, both taught and research,

is a collaborative activity between the University, supervisor and postgraduate student. All

postgraduate students are normally required to assign their rights to the University and will be

subject to the University’s revenue sharing agreement. Certain exceptions apply and you

should read the “Kingston University Student Intellectual Property Rights Policy” for detailed

information and talk to your Director of Studies if you have any concerns. The University’s

Student IPR Appeals Panel will consider any appeals against IPR decisions.

KINGSTON UNIVERSITY GUIDE TO GOOD RESEARCH PRACTICE

This Code is aimed at research staff within the University but the Principles of Good Research

Practice also provide useful guidance for postgraduate researchers.

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

The University expects all postgraduate researchers to maintain good scholarly standards. If

you are found guilty of misconduct it is likely that you will be required to withdraw from the

University.

REFERENCING

The referencing style you should use is determined by subject convention. You should consult

your Director of Studies to decide what the style is appropriate for you.

Useful information regarding different referencing styles is available on the Kingston University

Skills Space (KUSS) http://skills.kingston.ac.uk/ and from the Library

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/library/Pages/referencing.aspx

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is presenting the work of another as one's own without proper acknowledgement.

It is a serious academic offence.

This definition applies to written material, for example, encompassing direct quotations and

summaries/paraphrases, and other forms of original work, for example, music, art and design

works, images, drawings, diagrams, data, computer programmes, ideas and inventions. It

includes:

• published and unpublished sources, including the work of other students;

• the need to cite contributions of others to composite pieces of group work;

• reuse of one’s own work;

• unacknowledged use of a wide range of ideas and materials, not just the written word.

Guidance on plagiarism can be found on My Kingston:

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/myuni/academicregulations/Pages/plagiarism.aspx

More resources to help you understand the issue of plagiarism are available on the Kingston

University Skills Space (KUSS) http://skills.kingston.ac.uk/

You are advised that you may be asked to submit your dissertation or thesis electronically

and that it may then be screened using plagiarism detection software.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

The University has a Health and Safety policy, available on the My Kingston link below, that

you should familiarise yourself with. Your faculty will also have health and safety procedures

linked to your particular research area.

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/myuni/safety/Pages/default.aspx

D. RESEARCHER DEVELOPMENT

As a postgraduate researcher you are expected to develop both discipline specific research

skills and transferable skills during your studies. Vitae, the national organisation funded by

Research Councils UK to champion the personal, professional and career development of

doctoral researchers and research staff, have developed a framework to describe the skills and

experience a typical postgraduate researcher should aspire to. It can be accessed via the Vitae

website:

http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/428241/Researcher-Development-Framework.html

Kingston University offers a training and development programme for postgraduate

researchers that is designed not only to develop the skills you will need to complete your

degree programme but also to develop skills that will be valuable to you in your future career.

Feedback from previous participants has been very positive and we strongly encourage you to

make the most of these opportunities.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (PDP)

It is important to discuss your training needs with your Director of Studies. Some postgraduate

researchers find it useful to create a Personal Development Plan to help identify training

objectives and monitor progress. If you are interested in finding out more about this process,

a template is available on My Kingston:

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/mysupport/research/induction-development/Pages/default.aspx

GENERIC SKILLS TRAINING

A list of the generic skills training offered by the Graduate Research School is below, some

elements are compulsory and some optional. Further details will be emailed to you when dates

and times are confirmed. Alternatively, you can check the Induction and Training page of the

Postgraduate Researcher section on My Kingston:

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/mysupport/research/inductiondevelopment/Pages/researchdevprog.aspx

Postgraduate researchers based overseas are expected to attend all core sessions and the

appropriate optional sessions, as agreed with their Director of Studies.

Core training

Year 1 Full time/Years 1-2 Part time

Induction

An Introduction to Your Research Degree at Kingston University

Good Practice in Research (including research ethics)

Recommended for Year 2 Full time/Years 3-4 Part time

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

Writing your Thesis

Recommended for Year 3 Full time/Years 5-6 Part time

Preparing for your Viva

Optional Training: All Years

Information Search & Retrieval (see also LRC Research Tutorials below)

Professional Researcher Part 1

Professional Researcher Part 2

Presentation Skills

Facing the Media

Entrepreneurship Masterclass

Managing Your Literature Review

Getting Published

Critical Thinking

LRC RESEARCH TUTORIALS

The Learning Resource Centres run regular tutorials to help researchers get the most out of

the resources and services on offer. These include:

Advanced discovery skills for journals

Advanced discovery skills: visual resources

Citation counting

External sources available for your research

Open access publishing

Organising and Managing your information sources

RefWorks for existing RefWorks users

Research basics for researchers

Research Repository

More information is available on the Research Tutorial blog: http://blogs.kingston.ac.uk/libtut/

LEARNING AND TEACHING

If you are given the opportunity to become involved in teaching at the University you will be

required to attend a training session at the appropriate level. More information will be sent to

you at the time. Please note that opportunities for teaching are not guaranteed.

EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS TRAINING

KUTalent provide all students with careers and employability support and can help you

develop skills such as networking, using effective body language and preparing for interviews.

http://www.kingston.ac.uk/careers

TRAINING HELD IN FACULTIES AND SCHOOLS

Your faculty will hold training sessions throughout the year. These will take a variety of forms,

for example, research methods training, seminars, workshops or summer schools. If you would

be interested in attending training available in faculties other than your own, please contact

the relevant Faculty Research Administrator listed in Section 2 B.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS

The Student Wellbeing Group runs workshops covering, for example, time management, stress

management and anxiety. More information is available on My Kingston.

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/mysupport/mywellbeing/Pages/default.aspx

OTHER FORMS OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Training comes in many different forms and is not restricted to formal sessions delivered by

the University or your faculty. For example, your Director of Studies may provide you with

esearch methods training during your supervisory meetings; you may attend conferences and

workshops in your field; or you may need to undertake specialist technical training.

E. MONITORING YOUR PROGRESS

All postgraduate researchers have their progress monitored at pre-determined points in their

research. Monitoring is envisaged as a two-way process. As well as providing evidence of your

progress to the University, the monitoring process is intended to ensure that your personal

development programme is adequate to your needs, and that you are effectively supported in

your research.

The timing of your monitoring will depend on the award for which you are registered and time

of year at which you first enrolled. Details of the specific requirements for your award can be

found within the award-specific information in Section 4.

F. CHANGING YOUR REGISTRATION

SUSPENDING YOUR REGISTRATION

If you are unable to make adequate progress with your research project due to, for example,

significant medically certified periods of illness or severe personal problems, you can apply to

the Faculty Research Degrees Committee to suspend your registration for up to one year only.

Forms are available from your Faculty Research Administrator (form number RD9c). The form

must be countersigned by your Director of Studies and Head of School and returned to your

Faculty Research Administrator.

If you are unable to return to your studies after taking the maximum period of suspension,

your registration is likely to be terminated. You will have the right to make a new application

for admission as a postgraduate researcher (with advanced standing where appropriate),

subject to normal admission requirements. Re-admission is not guaranteed.

A period of suspended registration will be added to the final expiry date of your registration on

a month-by-month basis.

EXTENDING YOUR REGISTRATION

MPhil and PhD candidates are normally expected to complete and submit a dissertation/

thesis within the maximum period allowed for registration. In exceptional circumstances,

where the production of a dissertation or thesis has been delayed, it may be possible to apply

to the Faculty Research Degrees Committee to extend registration for up to one year on one

occasion only. Forms are available from your Faculty Research Administrator (form number

RD9b). The form must be countersigned by your Director of Studies and Head of School and

returned to your Faculty Research Administrator. The application for extension should give

details of any exceptional circumstances that have delayed the completion of the dissertation

or thesis, and should contain a detailed action plan showing how the additional time will be

used to complete and submit the thesis/dissertation.

Candidates for MA/MSc by Research may be granted an extension of a maximum period of

four months after one year of full-time or two years of part-time study.

TRANSFERRING TO A DIFFERENT DEGREE PROGRAMME

Transferring from, for example, MA or MSc by Research to PhD, or from PhD to MPhil can be

considered by your Faculty Research Degrees Committee based on your performance or

changes to your personal circumstances.

CHANGING YOUR MODE OF ATTENDANCE

If you wish to change your mode of attendance (e.g. from full to part-time study) you should

notify your Faculty Research Administrator as soon as possible in order for the change to be

effected and the new registration period to be calculated.

WITHDRAWING FROM YOUR DEGREE

If, having begun your research, you are considering withdrawing from your studies you should

first discuss your options with your Director of Studies. To withdraw from your degree please

contact your Faculty Research Administrator.

G. CHALLENGES DURING YOUR REGISTRATION

The University has procedures in place to ensure that all complaints and academic appeals are

dealt with in a fair and timely manner.

INFORMAL COMPLAINTS

Where possible, before making a formal complaint to the University you should first discuss

the problem with your Director of Studies or other member of your supervisory team. If s/he

cannot resolve the issue, or if you are unable to raise the issue with your Director of Studies or

other members of your supervisory team, you should contact the Chair of your Faculty

Research Degrees Committee (FRDC) for further advice in the first instance. If the matter still

cannot be resolved it will then be referred to the Dean of your faculty and then to the Chair of

the University Research Degrees Committee (URDC). Alternative contacts to those listed

above include your Faculty Research Administrator, your Head of School or the Graduate

Research School (see Section 2).

MEDIATION

Mediation is a voluntary informal process that complements and supports the University’s

procedures for dealing with workplace issues, including grievances and complaints,

relationship issues, and communication difficulties as well as harassment, discrimination,

victimisation and bullying. It offers early assistance before problems escalate into major issues

and helps individuals consider options to resolve the situation. If you think mediation may

help you resolve a situation please see the webpage below for further information or contact

the university’s Human Resources department or the Graduate Research School.

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/myuni/randr/Pages/mediation.aspx

FORMAL COMPLAINTS: THE STUDENT COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

This procedure should be used if the process outlined above has not resolved your complaint.

The procedure deals with most aspects of student experience at the university other than

appeals against assessment decisions. For further details please see the webpage Your Rights

on My Kingston:

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/myuni/randr/Pages/complaints.aspx

SUPERVISORY ISSUES

Should problems arise in your relationship with your Director of Studies or other members of

your supervisory team you should contact the Chair of your faculty’s FRDC for independent

advice in the first instance. If the matter cannot be resolved it will then be referred to the

Dean of your faculty and then to the Chair of the URDC.

ACADEMIC APPEALS PROCEDURE

If you wish to make a representation against a decision made by an examination board you

should refer to the document “Student Appeals Process – Research Degrees” which details the

appeals process including the circumstances in which you have a right of appeal and steps that

you need to take in order to make one. For further details please see the webpage for

Academic Appeals on My Kingston:

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/myuni/academicregulations/Pages/appeals.aspx

POLICY ON HARASSMENT

Kingston University is committed to creating an environment where everyone is treated with

dignity and respect. The University will not tolerate bullying or harassment and will take

action to protect the dignity of its staff and students. The Harassment Contact Scheme is

offered in recognition of the distress caused to a person who experiences inappropriate

behaviour, harassment and bullying. It is also there to support those who are accused of

harassment or bullying. It is a scheme that allows anyone experiencing inappropriate

behaviour from a member of staff or a student at Kingston University to seek help and

support. The scheme gives staff and students a way of informally resolving the issue they are

experiencing. Please note this is not part of Kingston University’s formal complaints procedure

and if you expect the University to take steps to curtail harassment, you must use the formal

Student Complaints Procedure.

For further details please see the webpage Harassment Contact Scheme on My Kingston:

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/mysupport/equality/Pages/Harassment-Contact-Scheme.aspx

H. WRITING UP MODE OF ATTENDANCE: PHD AND MPHIL

For PhD and MPhil candidates, once you have completed your research you may re-enrol at

the University for 12 months, at a reduced fee, to finish writing your thesis/dissertation. Only

one writing-up period is allowed and extensions are not normally permitted. For both part

time and full time researchers the maximum period allowed for writing up is 12 months. The

University expects all the research and the majority your writing up to have been completed by

the end of the normal registration period (3 years full time or 6 years part time).

To qualify for writing-up mode of attendance you must:

have completed three years full-time (six years part-time) towards a PhD or two years fulltime

(four years part-time) towards an MPhil

have the agreement of your Director of Studies that your research is at an appropriate

stage for writing-up

be prepared to submit your thesis for examination within 12 months of starting writing-up

To apply for writing-up mode of attendance you should complete form RD15, available from

your Faculty Research Administrator. This should be signed by your Director of Studies and

returned to your Faculty Research Administrator.

While writing up you will have access to learning and non-specialist ICT resources, although

you may not have access to specialist research resources, as your research should be

complete before you begin writing-up.

Writing up can start at any point in the year after the required registration period has been

completed. However, changes to your mode of attendance should be restricted to standard

enrolment points wherever possible.

You will be expected to complete an Annual Monitoring Report during writing-up at the

normal point in the academic year.

If your tuition fees are partly or wholly paid by an external funding body it is your responsibility

to inform your sponsor of any change of study status.

Note: The date of transfer to writing up cannot extend the maximum period of registration.

Your submission deadline will be the earlier date of either 12 months from the start of your

writing up period, or 4 years (full time) or 8 years (part time) from your initial registration date.

For example, if a full time postgraduate researcher transferred to writing up after 3.5 years of

registration, the submission deadline would remain 4 years from the start of their degree, not

one year from the start of their writing up period. For exceptional cases, where a formal

extension to the registration period has been agreed, the start and end date of writing up will

be amended accordingly.

I. PREPARING FOR EXAMINATION

TIMESCALES

Each of the steps outlined in this section and the next section has to be approved by a

committee and can therefore take some time. If you need to complete your degree by a

certain date, for example, due to visa restrictions, to take up an offer of employment, or to

attend a particular graduation ceremony, you must be sure to allow plenty of time. The

Graduate Research School or your Faculty Research Administrator can advise how long each

process will take.

APPOINTING YOUR EXAMINERS

Your Director of Studies and Head of School should, on your behalf, make arrangements for

the assessment of your dissertation or thesis, including the nomination of internal and external

examiners. This will probably happen during the final stages of your research, when you are

writing up the thesis/dissertation.

Each candidate must be examined by an assessment panel comprising at least one external

examiner and one internal examiner. Where the candidate is a member of Kingston University

staff two externals must be appointed in addition to an internal. The examining team, as a

whole, must have previous experience of examining research degrees at the appropriate level.

Candidates’ supervisors cannot be appointed as examiners.

Once the assessment arrangements have been approved by the Faculty Research Degrees

Committee and ratified by the University Research Degrees Committee (which will also

consider any exceptional circumstances) you will not be allowed to change the title of your

thesis/dissertation and should avoid contact with the appointed external examiner(s) prior to

your assessment.

PREPARING YOUR MANUSCRIPT FOR ASSESSMENT

The information below applies to manuscript submissions for all research degrees. Awardspecific

guidelines on the required length and content of your thesis/dissertation can be found

in Section 4 of this handbook in the award-specific information.

Your thesis or dissertation must:

a. be in A4 format (unless approved by the University Research Degrees Committee in

advance)

b. be in a permanent, legible typescript or print. The character size of the main text, including

displayed matter and notes, must not be less than 2.0 mm for capitals and 1.5 mm for x-

height (the height of lower case x)

c. be printed on one side of the page only. Paper should normally be white and within the

range 70 g/m 2 to 100 g/m 2

d. have a margin of at least 40mm at the left-hand binding edge of the page. All other

margins must be at least 15 mm

e. use double or one-and-a-half line spacing for the main text. For indented quotations and

footnotes you may use single spacing

f. have pages numbered consecutively throughout the main text, including any whole-page

diagrams or illustrations

g. include a title page specifying

the full title of the thesis or dissertation

the full name of the author. Please capitalise the surname/family name

a statement that the thesis/dissertation is being submitted in partial fulfilment of

the requirements of the University for the appropriate award

the name of any formally approved collaborating establishments

the month and year of submission (for resubmissions this should be the month and

year of resubmission)

h. incorporate: an abstract of around 300 words stating the nature and scope of the work

undertaken and contribution made to knowledge of the subject; a contents page; a

statement of objectives (this can be part of the introduction if you wish); a reference list or

bibliography

i. not contain any material that has been previously submitted for an award at an institute of

Higher Education either in the UK or overseas. The candidate must confirm this in a

Declaration form (see the regulations for your award for further information)

j. acknowledge if you have published material from your thesis/dissertation in advance of

examination. In such cases, copies of the published material should either be bound in

with the dissertation or thesis or may be placed in a pocket at the end of it.

It is customary to include acknowledgments to individuals and organisations that have assisted

you in your research, including your Director of Studies.

BINDING YOUR MANUSCRIPT FOR ASSESSMENT

Your thesis/dissertation must be submitted for examination in a secure temporary binding.

Spiral or perfect binding is recommended as it allows amendments to be incorporated before

the examined thesis/dissertation is permanently bound. The Learning Resource Centres have

machines for spiral binding. For larger theses, you may wish to split your work into two

volumes. The thesis/dissertation must not be presented in a ring or spring binder.

RESEARCH DEGREES INVOLVING CREATIVE WORK AND NON-TRADITIONAL FORMS OF

ASSESSABLE MATERIAL

A candidate may undertake a programme of research in which the candidate’s own creative

work or equivalent forms the most significant part of the intellectual enquiry. Such creative

work or equivalent may be in any field (for instance, fine art, design, engineering and

technology, architecture, creative writing, musical composition, film, dance, and performance),

but shall have been undertaken as part of the registered research programme.

For such a submission, the thesis should reflect a coherent research process, demonstrate a

critical appreciation of the context of the research, its relationship to existing

literature/practices and received opinion, and show that the research has produced an original

contribution to knowledge. The relationship of the reflective commentary to the other forms

of material submitted must be clearly articulated so that the work forms a single coherent

body, considered collectively as the thesis. Within the thesis, the balance between the

reflective commentary and the creative work or equivalent plus the relative weighting given to

each element, must meet subject specific requirements and be agreed by the candidate’s

Faculty Research Degrees Committee.

Submissions which include non-traditional forms of assessable material are subject to the

same assessment criteria as traditional submissions; and as such regard should be paid to the

award descriptor and assessment criteria detailed in Section 4: Academic Regulations and

Standards.

The proposed submission, including special arrangements for assessing non-traditional forms

of material e.g. by public exhibition, performance or other demonstration must be approved

by the Faculty Research Degrees Committee as part of the application for registration and

updated (for PhD only) at the point of transfer from MPhil to PhD. As with all research

degrees, assessment arrangements must be referred by the FRDC for approval by the

University Research Degrees Committee.

The final submission must include a permanent record of the creative work, or equivalent.

Where practicable, all elements of the submission should be bound together, for example,

photographic record, audio or visual recordings, musical score, or diagrammatic

representation can be attached to a hard bound written thesis or dissertation. Guidance on

the length of the critical element can be found in the individual degree regulations set out in

Section 4: Academic Regulations and Standards.

TREATMENT OF SCHOLARLY WORK

A candidate may undertake a programme of research in which the principal focus is the

preparation of a scholarly edition of a text or texts, musical or choreographic work, or other

original artefacts. The final submission shall include a copy of the edited text(s) or collection of

artefact(s), appropriate textual and explanatory annotations, and a substantial introduction

and critical commentary which set the text in the relevant historical, theoretical or critical

context. Additional guidance may be provided by your Faculty for your particular subject.

J. SUBMISSION AND EXAMINATION

SUBMITTING YOUR THESIS/DISSERTATION

Your thesis/dissertation must be submitted in the required format (as detailed in the previous

section) and before your period of registration has expired.

When your thesis/dissertation is ready for submission you must give your Faculty Research

Administrator one copy for each of your examiners. You should also provide one copy for your

Director of Studies and one for your own use in the oral examination. You may be required to

submit an electronic version that can be scanned by plagiarism detection software.

Your Director of Studies must complete a form stating whether s/he supports your submission.

You have the right to submit your thesis/dissertation against the advice of your Director of

Studies, in which case your Director of Studies will state on the form that you are submitting

for assessment against their advice.

Once submitted your dissertation or thesis will be checked to ensure that the format is

acceptable and you will be asked to sign a declaration relating to its contents.

All exceptional assessment arrangements must be referred by your Faculty Research Degrees

Committee for approval by the University Research Degrees Committee before submission.

Examples of such exceptional arrangements include:

the oral examination being held at a location outside the University

an assessment method other than an oral examination and thesis/dissertation

the submission of the thesis/dissertation in a language other than English

the examination of the thesis/dissertation in a language other than English

Once the Director of Studies’ statement has been received by your Faculty your

thesis/dissertation will usually be sent to examiners within two working days.

PREPARING FOR YOUR ORAL EXAMINATION

The Graduate Research School runs a training session, ‘Preparing for your Viva’. More

information will be emailed to you nearer the time and will be available on the Training and

Induction pages of the Postgraduate Researcher section on My Kingston:

A useful training film called ‘The Good Viva Video’ is also available on My Kingston:

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/mysupport/research/induction-development/Pages/goodvivavideo.aspx

PRACTICE ORAL EXAMINATION

As part of your personal training programme, you will be given an opportunity to take part in a

structured defence of your work with an assessor independent of your supervisory team. This

will normally be a practice oral examination, although other formats may be used as

appropriate (e.g. seminar presentation). This is intended to provide you with practice in

presenting and defending your research to the wider academic community before undertaking

formal assessment of your dissertation or thesis.

Guidance given at the practice is for feedback only and is not necessarily an indication of the

questions you will be asked at your examination. The outcome of the exercise will not

prejudice the actual assessment of your dissertation or thesis and will not form part of the final

assessment. The independent assessor used for the practice exercise should not subsequently

be appointed as an examiner.

Your Director of Studies will arrange the oral examination. It is not your responsibility to take

any part in arranging the examination. Most oral examinations take place within three months

of submission for PhD and MPhil and within two months for MA/MSc by Research. Note that if

you are based overseas you will still be required to travel to Kingston to attend the oral

examination.

BEFORE YOUR ORAL EXAMINATION

Examiners are asked to provide a preliminary independent assessment of your dissertation/

thesis and to return a form stating one of the following recommendations:

the content of the thesis/dissertation warrants consideration for the award and the

oral examination should be held

the content of thesis/dissertation is not of a satisfactory standard to be considered for

the degree. In this case the examiner will select one of the following two options:

− The candidate be allowed to resubmit the work for reassessment after corrections.

In this case the candidate and the Director of Studies will be informed and given

detailed advice about the requirements for resubmission

− The candidate has failed to reach the standard required for the award and should

not be allowed an opportunity for reassessment

An oral examination will normally be held even where the examiners have reservations

concerning the thesis/dissertation. Exceptionally, if all examiners independently recommend

that the thesis/dissertation does not warrant consideration for the award, the oral

examination may not proceed. In such cases, the examiners will produce a joint statement for

the candidate and supervisors.

THE ORAL EXAMINATION

The oral examination will normally be held at the University. Approval to hold the examination

elsewhere must be obtained from the University Research Degrees Committee at the time of

appointment of examiners.

You will be notified in writing of the time and location of your oral examination. If you are

unable to attend through illness or other circumstances beyond your control, it is your

responsibility to inform your Director of Studies and/or your Faculty Research Administrator at

the earliest opportunity. Normally, the examination will be postponed and new arrangements

made.

An Independent Chair will be appointed by your faculty to ensure that your examination is

conducted fairly and in accordance with Kingston University regulations and procedures.

Your examiners will determine the most appropriate format for your oral examination in

accordance with University regulations. The most common format for the oral examination is

as follows:

private meeting of the examiners to agree questions

candidate examined. The Director of Studies is normally present at this part of the

examination but this is entirely at your discretion and, if you would be more comfortable

if they did not attend, please inform your Faculty Research Administrator. The Director of

Studies should not normally participate unless invited to do so by the examiners

private meeting of the examiners to discuss final recommendations

informal feedback, including result, to candidate (and Director of Studies)

Exceptionally, the University Research Degrees Committee may approve a form of assessment

other than an oral examination.

All examiners must participate in the oral examination.

Afterwards they will be asked to provide a joint recommendation to the University Research

Degrees Committee

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF YOUR ORAL EXAMINATION

After your examination the examiners will normally reach agreement on a recommendation.

Where examiners cannot agree, they are permitted to make independent recommendations.

The following recommendations are available to examiners:

the candidate has reached the required standard and may be conferred with the award

the candidate has reached the required standard and should be conferred with the award

subject to amendments to the thesis/dissertation by a specified date

the candidate has failed to reach the required standard for the award, but should be

permitted one further assessment opportunity, which can be defined as:

− re-submission of the thesis/dissertation and its defence in a second oral examination

− re-submission of a revised thesis/dissertation without a further oral examination

− a second oral examination without significant change to the thesis/dissertation

the candidate has failed to reach the standard for the award but should be conferred with

a lower award

the candidate has failed to reach the standard for the award and should not be offered an

opportunity for reassessment.

The examiners’ recommendations, whether joint or independent, will be forwarded to the

Graduate Research School for formal ratification by the University Research Degrees

Committee (the body responsible for conferring the award).

If the examiners have not agreed a joint recommendation, the University Research Degrees

Committee may:

accept the recommendation of the majority of the examiners, provided that the majority

includes at least one external examiner

accept the recommendation of the external examiner

require the appointment of a new external examiner to conduct both stages of the

assessment process and to make an independent recommendation to the University

Research Degrees Committee

The outcome of your assessment is not confirmed until the University Research Degrees

Committee has approved it. In the meantime, you will be sent a letter detailing the

recommendations made by the examiners, including any amendments that they require you to

make to your thesis/dissertation.

AMENDMENTS

If you are required to make amendments to your thesis/dissertation as a condition of the

award you may be given a list at the time of your oral assessment, or your examiners may

append them to their recommendations. The Graduate Research School will send you details

of the amendments to be made and the date by which you must complete them.

Amendments for the MA/MSc by Research should normally be completed within one month of

the oral examination. For the PhD and MPhil, minor amendments should normally be

completed within three months of the oral examination and major amendments within 6

months.

When you have made your amendments you should submit the amended sections of the

thesis/dissertation in loose form to your Faculty Research Administrator, so that the

examiner/s can approve them before the work is permanently bound.

The examiner/s will review your amendments and will confirm in writing whether they have

been completed to their satisfaction.

REASSESSMENT

A candidate may be reassessed on one occasion only. The form of the re-assessment will be

stipulated by the University Research Degrees Committee in the light of the examiners’

recommendations.

Normally, where the examiners have recommended that a thesis assessed for MPhil or PhD

needs rewriting, you will be given twelve months to do this. For MA/MSc by Research, you will

normally be given a maximum of four months.

Reassessment is subject to the same administrative processes as the initial assessment, for

example you will need to submit your thesis through your Faculty Research Administrator.

After resubmission of the thesis and/or oral examination (whichever components are required)

the examiners will make either a joint recommendation or independent recommendations in

the same way as for initial assessment. The following recommendations are available to

examiners after reassessment:

that the candidate has reached the required standard and may be conferred with the

award

award subject to amendments to the thesis/dissertation by a specified date

for PhD candidates only: the candidate has failed to reach the standard for the award but

should be conferred with a lower award

that the candidate has failed to reach the standard for the degree and there will be no

further opportunity for reassessment

SUBMITTING YOUR FINAL BOUND THESIS

Once the examiners have approved your amendments you will be asked to submit final bound

copies of your thesis/dissertation.

Conferment of your award is dependent on the submission of two permanently bound copies

of your thesis/dissertation, incorporating any corrections required by the examiners, one for

your Director of Studies (which you may give to them directly) and the other for the University

Library (which must be submitted to the Graduate Research School).

These two bound copies must be identical in format to those submitted for examination,

except that:

the binding must be of a fixed, permanent type so that pages cannot be removed or

replaced.

the front and rear boards must be strong enough to support the weight of the work when

standing upright

the outside boards and spine should be blue or black

the outside front board must have the following information, in gold lettering, in at least 24

point type: the title of the thesis/dissertation; the name (surname and initials) of the

author; the award (MA, MSc, MPhil or PhD); the year of submission or resubmission

the spine of the work must show, reading downwards: the candidate’s name; the award

(MA, MSc, MPhil, PhD, DBA or EdD); the year of submission or resubmission

The title page, abstract and acknowledgements should be emailed as an electronic document

to [email protected] This is for the British Library Ethos scheme (EThOS: UK E-Theses

Online Service). For more information please see:

http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/theses/ethos/index.html

The University does not have a recommended binding service but details of three local

binderies and a website used by previous postgraduate researchers are given below:

Collis Bird & Withey

1 Drayton Park, London N5 1NU, Tel: 020 7607 1116, Email: [email protected]

http://www.collisbirdandwithey.co.uk

Youngs of Guildford Bookbinders

12 Holford Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 2QF, Tel/Fax: 01483 375170

www.youngsbookbinders-surrey.co.uk

Gray’s (Bookbinders) Ltd

Unit 5, 24 Willow Lane, Mitcham CR4 4NA Tel: 020 8640 1449

www.mythesis.co.uk (You will need to upload a PDF file for this service).

The Book Guide has a useful list of UK thesis binders, searchable by region:

www.inprint.co.uk/thebookguide/binders/general.php?findstring=Thesis%20Binding

In cases where the University Research Degrees Committee has approved submission in a

format other than thesis/dissertation, the Committee must also approve the arrangements for

final permanent submission.

CONFIDENTIALITY/EMBARGO

A thesis is normally made publicly available, but can be kept confidential for a limited period.

An application for a dissertation to remain confidential (normally for two years) must be made

to the Faculty Research Degrees Committee and ratified by the University Research Degrees

Committee in advance of, or at the time that, examination arrangements are submitted for

approval.

CONFERMENT OF YOUR RESEARCH DEGREE

On receipt of your final bound thesis the University will arrange for formal conferment of your

degree. This involves a set of official conferment forms being signed by the Chair of the

University Research Degrees Committee, the Director of Research Support Office and the Dean

of your Faculty. The degree is then legally conferred, and you will be informed of this in

writing. The letter will include details of how to register for your graduation ceremony, should

you wish to attend. Normally degree certificates are given at the Graduation Ceremony. If you

wish to have your certificate before then, it may be collected or sent to you by arrangement

with the Student Affairs Office.

Note, if you need your degree to be conferred by a specific date you must allow sufficient time

for the conferment process to be completed. The Graduate Research School can advise

further.

4. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS: A GUIDE TO YOUR RESEARCH

AWARD

This section of the Postgraduate Researcher Handbook contains important information on the

regulations and standards that apply to particular research awards.

MA/MSc by Research (page 25)

MPhil (page 34)

PhD (page 46)

MA/MSc BY RESEARCH

A. STANDARD OF THE AWARD

The standard of the MA or MSc by Research is that expected of a good honours graduate who

has achieved a minimum of 180 credits at M level by:

critically investigating and evaluating an appropriate topic, and

presenting and defending a dissertation to the satisfaction of the examiners.

B. PERIOD OF REGISTRATION

The normal period of registration is:

Full time: 1 year from first enrolment date

Part time: 2 years from first enrolment date

Candidates registered for an MA/MSc by Research should normally have completed their

programme of study and presented their dissertation for examination within this timeframe.

The minimum period of registration for an MA/MSc by Research is the same as the normal

period of registration listed above.

C. TIMELINE

The table below shows the progression of a normal MA/MSc by Research registration from

beginning to end. Each stage, apart from the submission deadline, is conditional upon

satisfactory progress and the appropriate approval of your FRDC and the URDC. Any approved

suspensions will result in the timings being increased by the duration of the suspension.

Event Timing: Full time Timing: Part time

Enrol on MA/MSc by Research Start of registration period Start of registration period

Keep agreed records of meetings At least monthly Approx. every 6 weeks

Mid term monitoring 6 months 12 months

Submission deadline 12 months 24 months

D. MONITORING REQUIREMENT

You and your Director of Studies must agree as to the most appropriate means to ensure that

adequate feedback is given to you on your progress and that, where possible, potential issues

are identified and rectified in time to allow successful completion of the award.

A mid-term monitoring report (RD5c) should be completed 6 months (full-time) or 12 months

(part-time) into the programme of study.

E. DISSERTATION/ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT

The assessment of a candidate for an MA/MSc by Research has two elements:

• production of a dissertation

• defence of the dissertation in an oral examination

See also Section I of YOUR RESEARCH DEGREE: FROM ENROLMENT TO GRADUATION

LENGTH

Text should not normally exceed the following length, excluding ancillary data:

Art & Design, Arts, Social Sciences, Education: 20,000 words

Science, Engineering: 15,000 words

The word count does not include footnotes or bibliography. It is recognised that the length and

character of the text will vary by discipline and will be determined by the aims and objectives of

the submission. Exceptions may be agreed by the Director of Studies, but the final decision will

reside with the examination panel. Exceptions will be very rare. Your Director of Studies will

offer guidance on the subject specific requirements for your discipline if they differ from the

lengths listed above.

The text of an MA/MSc by research may be reduced in length if accompanied by other scholarly

materials, or if the submission involves creative output or preparation of a scholarly edition. In

such cases, the text of the dissertation should normally be in the range of 5,000 to 10,000

words.

F. AWARD DESCRIPTOR

This descriptor comes from The framework for higher education qualifications in England,

Wales and Northern Ireland published by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education,

second edition revised August 2008. It outlines the basic characteristics of study expected for

a Masters award.

Masters degrees are awarded to those who have demonstrated:

i. a systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems

and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of their

academic discipline, field of study, or area of professional practice;

ii.

iii.

iv.

a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research or

advanced scholarship;

originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of

how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret

knowledge in the discipline;

conceptual understanding that enables the candidate:

to evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline;

and

to evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate,

to propose new hypotheses.

Typically, holders of the qualification will be able to:

a. deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in

the absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist

and non-specialist audiences;

b. demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act

autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level;

c. continue to advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new skills to a

high level;

and will have

d. the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring:

the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility;

decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations; and

the independent learning ability required for continuing professional development.

G. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The scope of the dissertation should be what might reasonably be expected after 1 year fulltime

or 2 years part-time study. The dissertation should not normally exceed the above word

limits. In each of the following areas the candidate will be expected to:

Dissertation Contents

ensure that the contents of their dissertation result from their own independent work, and

demonstrate a critical awareness of current issues and or new knowledge at the forefront

of their field(s) of study and/or professional practice.

show originality in the application of existing knowledge.

use the dissertation to reflect a coherent research process from the acquisition of basic

data to its final conclusions and provide an underlying rationale for the research which is

clear and persuasive.

show a critical appreciation of the context of the research and its relationship to existing

literature and received opinion.

apply their knowledge, skills and understanding of advanced concepts to a complex field(s)

of study and/or professional practice.

make reasoned judgements, and understand the limitations of those made in the absence

of complete data and show an appreciation of the limitations of their research and an

awareness of areas worthy of further investigation.

Presentation

lay out the dissertation in a clear and readable manner with respect to both its language

and structure and according to the presentation format stated (see Section I of YOUR

RESEARCH DEGREE: FROM ENROLMENT TO GRADUATION).

make effective use of cross-references, so that the text is readily navigable in order that

the reader may extract the information sought.

use references, bibliography and any headers/footnotes, avoiding both structural and

stylistic inconsistencies.

Methodology

demonstrate that the methodologies that they have adopted and/or developed are

appropriate to the research undertaken and explicitly state and justify their underlying

rationale.

demonstrate, where relevant, that they understand and can clearly articulate any ethical

implications of their research study.

adopt and articulate clear and consistent criteria for the selection of data (or textual

extracts) and the results of analyses.

H. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS

The following university-wide regulations will apply to you throughout your period of

registration. You should familiarise yourself with their contents:

Kingston University – General Student Regulations

http://www.kingston.ac.uk/aboutkingstonuniversity/howtheuniversityworks/policiesandregulations/

I. REGULATIONS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTERS BY RESEARCH

These regulations should be read in conjunction with the University’s Academic Regulations and

General Regulations, all of which apply. You should familiarise yourself with their contents:

STANDARD OF THE AWARD

1 The standard of the MA or MSc by Research is that expected of a good honours graduate

who has achieved a minimum of 180 credits at M level by critically investigating and

evaluating an appropriate topic, and presenting and defending a dissertation to the

satisfaction of the examiners.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS

2 The normal minimum requirement for admission to the MA or MSc by Research is a first or

second class honours degree, or equivalent, in a subject appropriate to the proposed

programme of study.

3 Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of an

English language qualification (IELTS score of 7 or equivalent is recommended).

Non-standard entrants

4 Exceptionally, an applicant without these minimum qualifications may be considered for

entry. For example, the Head of School and potential Director of Studies may consider for

admission an applicant with relevant professional qualifications and experience, where

these provide sufficient evidence of potential to complete the degree programme

satisfactorily. In such cases, the application for registration must be made to the University

Research Degrees Committee.

PROGRAMME OF RESEARCH

5 A programme of research may be in any field of study, provided that the programme: is

capable of leading to scholarly research, which may include appropriate creative work, and

can be assessed by the presentation of a dissertation and an oral examination.

6 A programme of research must have an identified Director of Studies (who will act as the

primary supervisor) plus one other supervisor. Normally, the supervisors will work with the

applicant to prepare the initial outline of the proposed programme of research.

Externally funded research

7 Where the proposed programme is part of an externally funded project, there must be

appropriate safeguards to ensure that the terms of the contract will not prevent the

fulfilment of the objectives of the proposed research programme.

APPROVAL TO REGISTER

8 Students will be registered for the MA/MSc by Research when:

the proposed programme of research has been approved by the appropriate Faculty

any exceptional arrangements have been approved by the University Research Degrees

Committee

the student has completed the enrolment process

9 A student’s registration may be terminated under the University’s Procedures for Expulsion

on Academic Grounds or the Code of Student Discipline.

10 If students are prevented from continuing their study by illness or other mitigating

circumstances, a formal request for the registration to be suspended must be submitted for

approval by the Faculty Research Degrees Committee.

Period of registration

11 Students registered for an MA/MSc by Research should normally have completed their

programme of study and have presented their dissertation for examination within one year

if they are studying full-time or two years if they are studying part-time

12 In exceptional circumstances, a student’s period of registration may be extended once for a

maximum period of four months if the application for an extension is made to the Faculty

Research Degrees Committee before the registration period has expired.

RESEARCHER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING

13 The University expects all research students to undertake an agreed programme of

development and research training. The initial programme will be discussed by the Director

of Studies and the student and submitted to the FRDC for approval as part of the

application for registration.

ASSESSMENT PROCESS

14 The assessment of a candidate for an MA/MSc by Research has two elements: production

of a dissertation and the defence of the dissertation in an oral examination

15 The arrangements for the assessment of a candidate will be submitted to the Faculty

Research Degrees Committee for approval, including the title of the dissertation and the

names of the internal and external examiners

16 The Faculty Research Degrees Committee will submit the examination arrangements

including CVs of the proposed internal and external examiners to the University Research

Degrees Committee for ratification; this may be done by Chair’s action.

17 The oral examination will normally be held within two months of the submission of the

dissertation.

18 The dissertation and the oral examination will be in English unless otherwise approved by

the University Research Degrees Committee.

19 Once the examination arrangements have been approved, candidates must have no contact

with their external examiner.

Assessment panel

20 Each candidate must be examined by an assessment panel of two examiners, comprising

one external examiner and one internal examiner. Where the candidate is a member of

Kingston University staff two externals must be appointed in addition to an internal.

21 The Faculty Research Degrees Committee will submit details of the proposed internal and

external examiners to the University Research Degrees Committee for approval.

22 At least one of the examiners must have experience of examining research degree

candidates at a comparable level.

23 Candidates’ supervisors cannot be appointed as examiners.

24 The Faculty Research Degrees Committee will appoint an independent Chair.

Exceptional arrangements

25 All exceptional assessment arrangements must be approved by the University Research

Degrees Committee. Examples of such exceptional arrangements include the submission of

the dissertation in a language other than English; an assessment method other than an oral

examination and dissertation.

Submission of the dissertation

26 The dissertation must be submitted in the required format, including word limits and before

the period of registration has expired.

27 A copy of any dissertation submitted as part of a successful award of a research degree

must be lodged with the University Library. An application for a dissertation to remain

confidential (normally for two years) must be made to the Faculty Research Degrees

Committee and ratified by the University Research Degrees Committee at the time the

examination arrangements are submitted for approval.

28 Normally, a dissertation submitted for a research award should not contain any material

that has been previously submitted for an award at an institute of Higher Education either

in the UK or overseas. When submitting the dissertation, the candidate must confirm, by

completing a Declaration form, that no part of the dissertation has been submitted for a

comparable academic award except in cases detailed below.

29 In cases where a dissertation contains a proportion of material that has been submitted for

a previous award, the nature and proportion of work must be clearly stated in the

Declaration form and appropriate reference made in the dissertation. In these cases, the

University Research Degrees Committee shall have the authority to decide whether or not

to approve the submission of the dissertation for examination. The Committee must be

satisfied that there is sufficient new material in the dissertation to warrant consideration

for the award.

Assessment of the dissertation

30 Each examiner shall consider the dissertation independently and submit a brief report

indicating one of the following:

the content of the dissertation warrants consideration for the MA/MSc by Research

award and the oral examination should be held

the content of dissertation is not of a satisfactory standard to be considered for the

MA/MSc by Research award and the oral examination should not be held (see

paragraph 32)

31 If there is no initial agreement that the oral examination should proceed, the examiners will

be informed and asked to reach a consensus. If this cannot be achieved, the oral

examination will be held.

32 If the consensus view is that the dissertation is so unsatisfactory that the oral examination

should not proceed, the examiners will be asked to provide a report outlining the

deficiencies of the dissertation and recommending one of the following:

the candidate be allowed to resubmit the dissertation for reassessment after

corrections, in which case the candidate and the Director of Studies will be informed of

the failure and given detailed advice about the requirements for resubmission

the candidate should not be allowed an opportunity for reassessment

Oral examination

33 The oral examination will normally be held at the University. Approval to hold the

examination elsewhere must be obtained from the University Research Degrees

Committee.

34 All examiners must participate in the oral examination.

35 Following the oral examination, the examiners will be asked to provide a joint

recommendation to the URDC (in its capacity as Examination Board) indicating one of the

following:

the candidate has reached the required standard and should be awarded the MA/MSc

by Research

by Research, subject to amendments to the dissertation by a specified date (normally

within one month)

the candidate has failed to reach the required standard for the degree, but should be

permitted one further assessment opportunity. This can be defined as:

re-submission of the dissertation and its defence in a second oral examination

(normally within four months.)

re-submission of the dissertation only (normally within four months.)

undertaking a second oral examination with no significant change to the

dissertation

the candidate has failed to reach the standard for the degree and should not be

offered an opportunity for reassessment

Disagreement between examiners

36 If the examiners are unable to reach a consensus view, the University Research Degrees

accept the recommendation of the majority of the examiners, provided that the

majority includes at least one external examiner

accept the recommendation of the external examiner even if it is not the majority

view

FAILURE AND REASSESSMENT

37 A candidate may be reassessed on one occasion only. The form of the re-assessment will

be stipulated by the University Research Degrees Committee in the light of the examiners’

38 Following the completion of the reassessment, the examiners’ recommendations will be

one of the following:

degree of MA/MSc by Research

degree of MA/MSc by Research subject to amendments to the dissertation by a

specified date (normally within one month)

that the candidate has failed to reach the standard for the degree and can be

permitted no further opportunity for reassessment.

The standard of the MPhil is that expected of a good honours graduate who has achieved a

minimum of 360 credits at M level by:

satisfactorily completing an agreed programme of research training

critically investigating and evaluating an appropriate topic

presenting and defending a thesis to the satisfaction of the examiners

Full time: 2 years from first enrolment date (3 years maximum)

Part time: 4 years from first enrolment date (6 years maximum)

Candidates should normally have presented their dissertation for examination within:

Full time: 2 years from first enrolment date

Part time: 4 years from first enrolment date

The minimum period of registration for an MPhil is:

Normally, this would only apply to those who have been granted advanced standing.

The table below shows the progression of a normal MPhil registration from beginning to end.

Each stage, apart from the submission deadline, is conditional upon satisfactory progress and

the appropriate approval of your FRDC and the URDC. Any approved suspensions will result in

the timings being increased by the duration of the suspension.

Enrol on MPhil Start of registration period Start of registration period

Keep agreed records of At least monthly

Approx. every 6 weeks

meetings

Annual Monitoring End of Year 1 End of Year 1

Annual Monitoring End of each subsequent year End of each subsequent year

Transfer to writing up End of Year 2 End of Year 4

(optional)

Submission deadline End of Year 3 End of Year 6

MONITORING REQUIREMENT

An Annual Monitoring Report should be completed 1 year into the programme of study for

both full time and part time researchers.

The main purposes of the monitoring will be to ensure that:

the research is progressing at a satisfactory pace

the planned personal training programme is being, or has been, completed

any required changes to the supervisory arrangements, the student’s mode of attendance

or the nature of the proposed research programme, including the title, are identified and

submitted for approval

students are provided with formal feedback on their progress and given an opportunity to

highlight any difficulties experienced

The monitoring report comprises three elements. You should complete the first two parts of

the report in conjunction with your Director of Studies. Your Director of Studies will then

complete part 3, their own report on the progress of your research:

1. Commentary on the progress of your project over the past year

2. Action Plan for the next year

3. Director of Studies’ report

Your commentary must include details of any changes to your supervisory team or mode of

study, as well as alterations to your research that could have ethical implications, in which case

your new research plan will be subject to approval through the Faculty Research Ethics

The Faculty Research Degrees Committee will review your monitoring report and make a formal

assessment of your progress.

Once the Faculty Research Degrees Committee agrees that your progress is satisfactory, you

will be invited to re-enrol and continue with your research.

If your progress is not considered satisfactory, you will be informed of any conditions that you

will need to fulfil in order to continue or, if necessary, be informed that your registration is

being reviewed by the University (in which case you will be sent details of the review process).

Failure to demonstrate satisfactory progress could result in registration being termination

under Section C, paragraph 3 of the General Regulations.

THESIS/ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT

The assessment of a candidate for MPhil has two elements:

the thesis or its equivalent, including other approved examinable material

defence of the thesis in an oral examination

Art & Design, Arts, Social Sciences, Education: 40,000 words

Science, Engineering: 20,000 words

The text of a thesis for MPhil may be reduced in length if accompanied by other scholarly

such cases, the text of the thesis should normally be in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 words:

D. AWARD DESCRIPTOR

Masters degrees are awarded to candidates who have demonstrated:

e. a systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems

f. a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research or

g. originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of

h. conceptual understanding that enables the candidate:

a

deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the

absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and

non-specialist audiences;

b demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act

c

continue to advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new skills to a

d

the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring:

E. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The scope of the thesis should be what might reasonably be expected after 2-3 years full-time

or 4-6 years part-time. The thesis should not normally exceed the word limits outlined above.

In each of the following areas the candidate will be expected to:

Thesis Contents

ensure that the contents of their thesis result from their own independent work, and

use the thesis to reflect a coherent research process from the acquisition of basic data to

its final conclusions and provide an underlying rationale for the research which is clear and

persuasive.

lay out the thesis in a clear and readable manner with respect to both its language and

structure and according to the presentation format stated in Section J of YOUR RESEARCH

DEGREE: FROM ENROLMENT TO GRADUATION

F. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS

G. REGULATIONS FOR THE AWARD OF MPHIL

These regulations should be read in conjunction with the University’s Academic Regulations

and Procedures and the General Student Regulations, all of which apply. You should familiarise

yourself with their contents:

THE STANDARD OF THE AWARD

1 The standard of the MPhil is that expected of a good honours graduate who has achieved a

2 The normal minimum requirement for admission to the MPhil is a first or second class

honours degree or equivalent in a subject appropriate to the proposed programme of

study.

English Language qualification (IELTS score of 7 or equivalent is recommended).

entry. For example, the Head of School and Director of Studies may consider an applicant

with relevant professional qualifications and experience where these provide sufficient

evidence of potential to complete the degree programme satisfactorily. In such cases, the

application for registration must be approved by the Faculty Research Degrees Committee

and referred to the University Research Degrees Committee for ratification.

THE PROGRAMME OF RESEARCH

5 A programme of research may be in any field of study provided that the programme is

can be assessed by the presentation of a thesis and an oral examination.

6 A programme of research must have an identified Director of Studies who will act as the

primary supervisor. There must be at least one, and normally, not more than two

additional supervisors, who should be nominated as part of the application for provisional

registration. Normally, they will work with the applicant to prepare the initial outline of the

proposed programme of research.

Collaboration

7 The University encourages collaboration with outside institutions and organisations. Where

a research student is working in a collaborative arrangement, evidence must be appended

to the application for provisional registration giving details of the nature of the

arrangement. In cases where Kingston University requires additional physical or staffing

resources to support a programme of research, suitable collaborative arrangements may be

proposed, and will require the approval of the University Research Degrees Committee.

Note: Advice on formal collaborations is available from the Academic Registry.

8 Where the proposed programme is part of an externally funded project, there must be

Group projects

9 Where the proposed programme is part of a larger group project, there must be clear

evidence to show how the individual programme is distinct and separate in its aims and

objectives from both the overall project and any other research programmes in the same

field of study.

REGISTRATION

10 Students will be registered for the MPhil when:

the application to register, including an outline programme of research has been

approved by the appropriate Faculty Research Degrees Committee

the enrolment process has been completed

11 Registration is re-confirmed annually and is dependent on the student:

maintaining satisfactory progress on the programme of research

being in good financial standing with the University

12 Students’ registration may also be terminated under the University’s Procedures for

Expulsion on Academic Grounds or the Code of Student Discipline.

13 If students are prevented from continuing their study by illness or other mitigating

14 Students wishing to change their mode of study or supervisory arrangements must apply

either at the time of the annual monitoring process (see paragraphs 24 - 27) or by a

separate recommendation made to the Faculty Research Degrees Committee. The required

completion date will be amended pro rata.

15 In exceptional circumstances, a student’s period of registration may be extended once for a

maximum period of one year if the application for an extension is made to the Faculty

Research Degrees Committee before the maximum registration period has expired.

Normal period of registration

16 Students registered for a MPhil should normally have presented their thesis for examination

within two years from initial registration if they are studying full-time OR four years from

initial registration if they are studying part-time

Maximum period of registration

17 Students registered for a MPhil must have presented their thesis for examination within:

three years from initial registration if they are studying full-time

six years from initial registration if they are studying part-time

Minimum period of registration

18 The minimum period of registration is one year for full time students OR two years for part

time students

19 The University expects all research students to undertake an agreed programme of

20 The Director of Studies will review the development needs of each research student during

the annual monitoring process (see paragraphs 24 - 27).

21 Students are required by Faculties to compile a record of all research development and

training undertaken.

22 Failure to complete the agreed development and training programme will result in

registration being reviewed by the Faculty Research Degrees Committee. The review may

result in a recommendation to the University Research Degrees Committee for the

registration to be terminated.

23 As part of a student’s training, prior to the submission of the assessment arrangements for

approval, students must be given the opportunity to undergo a practice oral examination

with an independent assessor and provided with informal feedback on their performance.

MONITORING OF PROGRESS

Annual monitoring of progress

24 The student must be informed of the planned date and nature of the annual monitoring

process. It is a condition of continued registration that a satisfactory progress report is

received annually.

25 The main purposes of the monitoring will be to ensure that:

any required changes to the supervisory arrangements, the student’s mode of

attendance or the nature of the proposed research programme, including the title, are

identified and submitted for approval

to provide formal feedback to students on their progress and give them an opportunity

to highlight any difficulties experienced.

26 The Faculty Research Degrees Committee will consider the annual reports and provide a

summary progress report, including any areas of concern and its action plan to address

them, to the University Research Degrees Committee.

27 Exceptionally, a student who is registered for a MPhil, but has not been assessed for the

award, may apply for admission to a PhD. This application should normally be made before

half of the registration period for the MPhil has expired and should follow the same process

as required for the initial confirmation of registration of PhD students. The request would

require approval by the University Research Degrees Committee.

28 The assessment of a candidate for an MPhil has two elements

its defence in an oral examination.

29 The arrangements for the assessment of a candidate will be submitted to the Faculty

Research Degrees Committee for approval, including:

the final title of the thesis

the names of the internal and external examiners

the form of the submission

30 The Faculty Research Degrees Committee will submit the examination arrangements

including the cv’s of the proposed internal and external examiners to the University

Research Degrees Committee for ratification; exceptionally this may be done by Chair’s

action.

31 The oral examination will normally be held within three months of the submission of the

material to be assessed.

32 The thesis and the oral examination will be in English unless otherwise approved by the

33 Once the examination arrangements have been approved, candidates must have no contact

with any of their external examiners.

34 Each candidate must be examined by an assessment panel of at least two, and, normally,

not more than three examiners.

35 There must be at least one external examiner and one internal examiner. Where the

candidate is a member of Kingston University staff two externals must be appointed in

addition to an internal.

36 At least one of the examiners must have experience of examining research degree

37 Candidates’ supervisors cannot be appointed as examiners.

38 The Faculty Research Degrees Committee will appoint an Independent Chair.

39 All exceptional assessment arrangements must be approved by the University Research

Degrees Committee, for example, the submission of the thesis in a language other than

English OR an assessment method other than an oral examination

40 All changes to the approved assessment arrangement must be agreed by the Faculty

Research Degrees Committee and ratified by the University Research Degrees Committee.

Submission of the thesis

41 The thesis must be submitted in the required format, including word limits AND normally,

before the student’s period of registration has expired

42 Any thesis submitted as part of a successful award of a research degree will be lodged with

the University Library. An application for a thesis to remain confidential (normally for a

period of two years) must be made to the Faculty Research Degrees Committee and ratified

by the University Research Degrees Committee when the examination arrangements are

submitted.

Note: Certain types of submission, eg. of artefacts or creative work, may be retained by the

University in another environment, if appropriate.

43 Normally, a thesis submitted for a research award should not contain any material that has

been previously submitted for an award at an institute of Higher Education either in the UK

or overseas. When submitting the thesis, the candidate must confirm, by completing a

Declaration form, that no part of the thesis has been submitted for a comparable academic

award except in cases detailed below.

44 In cases where a thesis contains a proportion of material that has been submitted for a

previous award, the nature and proportion of work must be clearly stated in the

Declaration form and appropriate reference made in the thesis. In these cases, the

to approve the submission of the thesis for examination. The Committee must be satisfied

that there is sufficient new material in the thesis to warrant consideration for the award.

Assessment of the thesis

45 Each examiner shall consider the thesis independently and submit a brief report indicating

the content of the thesis warrants consideration for the MPhil award and the oral

examination should be held

the content of thesis is not of a satisfactory standard to be considered for the MPhil

award and the oral examination should not be held (see paragraph 47)

46 If there is no initial agreement that the oral examination should proceed, the examiners will

47 If the consensus view is that the thesis is so unsatisfactory that the oral examination should

not proceed, the examiners will be asked to provide a report outlining the deficiencies of

the thesis and recommending one of the following:

the candidate be allowed to resubmit, in which case the candidate and the Director of

Studies will be informed of the failure and given detailed advice about the

requirements for resubmission

48 The oral examination will normally be held at the University. Approval to hold the

49 All examiners must participate in the oral examination.

50 Following the oral examination, the examiners shall be asked to provide a joint

recommendation indicating one of the following:

the candidate has reached the required standard and should be awarded the MPhil

subject to:

o minor amendments to the thesis by a specified date (normally three months)

o major amendments to the thesis by a specified date (normally six months)

o re-submission of the thesis and its defence in a second oral examination (normally

within one year)

− re-submission of the thesis only (normally within one year)

− undertaking a second oral examination with no significant change to the thesis

the candidate has failed to reach the standard for the degree and should not be offered

an opportunity for reassessment.

51 If the examiners are unable to reach a consensus view, the University Research Degrees

accept the recommendation of the majority of the examiners provided it includes at

least one external examiner

accept the recommendation of the external examiner even if it is not the majority view

assessment process and make an independent recommendation to the University

52 A candidate may be reassessed on one occasion only. The form of the re-assessment shall

53 Following the completion of the reassessment, the examiners’ recommendations will be

that the candidate has reached the required standard and should be conferred with the

MPhil subject to amendments to the thesis by a specified date (normally three months)

that the candidate has failed to reach the standard for the degree and can be permitted

no further opportunity for reassessment.

PHD

The standard of the PhD is that expected of a good honours graduate who:

has satisfactorily completed an agreed programme of research training

has critically investigated and evaluated an approved topic, resulting in a substantial

independent and original contribution to knowledge, commensurate with the normal

period of registration

has presented and defended a thesis to the satisfaction of the examiners

The registration period includes time spent registered as MPhil before transferring to PhD.

Full time: 3 years from first enrolment date

Part time: 6 years from first enrolment date

The maximum period of registration and the deadline for candidates to have submitted their

thesis for examination is:

Full time: 4 years from first enrolment date

Part time: 8 years from first enrolment date

The minimum period of registration is:

Normally, the minimum registration period would only apply to those who have been granted

advanced standing.

C. TIMINGS

Enrol as MPhil Start of registration period Start of registration period

Annual Monitoring n/a End of Year 1

MPhil to PhD Transfer End of Year 1 End of Year 2

Transfer to writing up End of Year 3 End of Year 6

Submission deadline End of Year 4 End of Year 8

The table above shows the progression of a normal PhD registration from beginning to end.

D. THESIS/ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT

The assessment of candidates for a PhD has two elements:

its defence in an oral examination

Art & Design, Arts, Social Sciences, Education: 80,000 words

Science, Engineering: 40,000 words

The text may be reduced in length if accompanied by other scholarly materials, or if the

submission involves creative output or preparation of a scholarly edition. In such cases, the

critical element of the thesis should normally be in the range of 30,000 to 40,000 words, with a

minimum of 20,000 words. This includes PhDs in Creative Writing.

E. MONITORING REQUIREMENTS AND TRANSFER FROM MPHIL TO PHD

TRANSFER FROM MPHIL TO PHD

The University Research Degree Regulations require that all doctoral researchers are registered

in the first instance for an MPhil degree and transfer, if appropriate, to the PhD degree

following an independent review of their progress and approval from the Faculty Research

Degrees Committee.

Transfer for full-time students should normally be made within 9-12 months of enrolment and

for part-time students between 18-24 months from the date of enrolment. For those beginning

their degrees outside the standard enrolment points of March and October, timings may be

adjusted slightly to fit the review cycle. Once this review process is successfully completed your

registration will be transferred to the degree of PhD.

Note: for students undertaking the 1+3 PhD in the Business School, the MSc assessment will act

as the transfer assessment. Students should refer to the course handbook for further details.

The section below summarises the transfer process. It should be read in conjunction with the

full guidance, available on My Kingston in document RD6 MPhil to PhD Transfer:

Guidance Notes For Candidates And Staff.

Before completing your first year of research you will be required to complete a written report

and undertake a transfer presentation or viva.

The written report comprises the following elements:

Form RD5b. You must complete this to show the progress that you have made with your

research, the training that you have undertaken, and the research plan that you propose for the

following year.

Supporting Documentation. You must supply this to demonstrate how your future research

will meet the criteria for PhD and contribute to new knowledge. Supporting documentation will

vary according to the type of project being undertaken. It could, for example, comprise an

account of early experimental work, a detailed review of existing literature, a critical account of

existing models, or other work that your Director of Studies agrees relevant to the successful

development of your research project. As a rough guide, supporting documentation will

normally be between 3,000 & 6,000 words long and must include a timetable for the

completion of your project. Your report should indicate any changes to arrangements, such as

changes to your supervisory team or of mode of study and any changes to your research that

may have ethical implications. Your Director of Studies will append an additional short report

on your progress and Action Plan.

Transfer Presentation. The format of the transfer presentation will depend on your faculty’s

procedures; more details will be given to you by your Faculty Research Administrator. Your

Director of Studies will advise you of what is expected of you and how to prepare.

An independent reviewer will assess your written report, supporting documentation and

presentation and will report on your progress to the Faculty Research Degrees Committee,

which will recommend one of the following to the URDC:

that registration should be upgraded to PhD

that registration may be upgraded subject to some modifications or additional work being

completed by a specified date

that there is insufficient evidence that the planned work will meet the standard for PhD

and the candidate should remain registered for the degree of MPhil

that progress is insufficient for the degree of MPhil and the registration should be

terminated

Paragraph 28 of the Academic Regulations for the Award of Doctor of Philosophy

It is a condition of your continued registration for both MPhil and PhD that you complete an

Annual Monitoring Report at the end of each subsequent year of your research (for both full

time and part time researchers).

ANNUAL MONITORING REPORT

The main purposes of subsequent reports will be to ensure that:

any required changes to the supervisory arrangements, to your mode of attendance or the

nature of the proposed research programme, including the title, are identified and

to provide formal feedback on your progress and give you an opportunity to highlight any

difficulties experienced

Paragraph 29 of the Academic Regulations for the award of Doctor of Philosophy

The Annual Monitoring Report comprises three elements. You should complete the first two

parts of the report in conjunction with your Director of Studies. Your Director of Studies will

then complete their own report on the progress of your research:

Commentary on the progress of your project over the past 12 months

Action Plan for the next 12 months

Director of Studies’ report

Failure to demonstrate satisfactory progress could result in registration being terminated under

Section C of the General Regulations.

a Doctorate.

Doctorates are awarded to candidates who have demonstrated:

i. the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, through original research or other

advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the

discipline, and merit publication;

ii. a systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at

the forefront of an academic discipline or area of professional practice;

iii. the general ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project for the generation of

new knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of the discipline, and to

adjust the project design in the light of unforeseen problems;

iv. a detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic

enquiry.

make informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields, often in the absence of

complete data, and be able to communicate their ideas and conclusions clearly and

effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences;

continue to undertake pure and/or applied research and development at an advanced

level, contributing substantially to the development of new techniques, ideas, or

approaches;

and will have:

the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of

personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in complex and unpredictable

situations, in professional or equivalent environments.

The scope of the thesis should be what might reasonably be expected after 3-4 years full-time

or 6-8 years part-time study. The thesis should not normally exceed the word limits outlined

above. With regard to the structure and nature of the thesis, in each of the following areas the

candidate will be expected to:

Thesis contents

ensure that the contents of their thesis result from their own independent work, represent

a new, substantial and original contribution to the field(s) of study and/or professional

practice as evidenced by the discovery of new facts or by the exercise of independent

critical analysis.

ensure the research is of a quality able to satisfy peer review and merit publication in

whole, in part or in a revised form.

show a critical appreciation of the context of the research, its relationship to existing

apply their knowledge, skills and understanding of key concepts to a complex field(s) of

study and/or professional practice.

make reasoned judgements, possibly in the absence of complete data and show an

appreciation of the limitations of their research and of areas worthy of further

investigation.

structure and according to the presentation format stated in section J of this handbook.

stylistic inconsistencies

The following university-wide regulations will apply to you throughout your period of registration.

You should familiarise yourself with their contents:

I. REGULATIONS FOR THE AWARD OF PHD

Procedures and the General Student Regulations, all of which apply. You should familiarise yourself

with their contents:

1 The standard of the PhD is that expected of a good honours graduate who has:

satisfactorily completed an agreed programme of research training

critically investigated and evaluated an approved topic, resulting in a substantial

independent and original contribution to knowledge, commensurate with the normal period

of registration

presented and defended a thesis to the satisfaction of the examiners

2 The normal minimum requirement for admission to the PhD is either a postgraduate Masters

degree in a discipline that is appropriate to the proposed research programme or a first or

upper second class honours degree or equivalent in a subject appropriate to the proposed

programme of study. Admission will initially be to the MPhil programme and may be upgraded

to PhD following successful assessment at the transfer stage.

3 Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of an English

Language qualification (IELTS score of 7 or equivalent is recommended).

4 Exceptionally, an applicant without these minimum qualifications may be considered for entry.

For example, the Head of School and Director of Studies may consider an applicant with relevant

professional qualifications and experience where these provide sufficient evidence of potential

to complete the degree programme satisfactorily. In such cases, the application for registration

must be approved by the Faculty Research Degrees Committee and referred to the University

Research Degrees Committee for ratification.

Direct entry to the PhD/Admission with advanced standing

5 Students who are registered for a PhD at another comparable institution may apply for

admission with advanced standing. Advanced standing may grant direct entry to the PhD

without initial registration on the MPhil programme. To be eligible for consideration by the

Faculty Research Degrees Committee, the applicant must be prepared to register at Kingston

University for at least one year (or two years, if part-time) prior to the date of the final

submission of the thesis. Admission may be subject to the completion of an agreed programme

of development and training.

6 A programme of research may be in any field of study provided that the programme is capable

of leading to scholarly research, which may include appropriate creative work and can be

assessed by the presentation of a thesis and an oral examination.

7 A programme of research must have an identified Director of Studies who will act as the primary

supervisor. There must be at least one, and normally not more than two additional supervisors,

who should be nominated as part of the application for provisional registration. Normally, the

Director of Studies will work with the applicant to prepare the initial outline of the proposed

programme of research.

8 The University encourages collaboration with outside institutions and organisations. Where a

research student is working in a collaborative arrangement, evidence must be appended to the

application for provisional registration giving details of the nature of the arrangement. In cases

where Kingston University requires additional physical or staffing resources to support a

programme of research, suitable collaborative arrangements may be proposed, and will require

the approval of the University Research Degrees Committee.

Note: Advice on collaborative arrangements is available from Academic Registry.

9 Where the proposed programme is part of an externally funded project, there must be

appropriate safeguards to ensure that the terms of the contract will not prevent the fulfilment

of the objectives of the proposed research programme.

10 Where the proposed programme is part of a larger group project, there must be clear evidence

to show how the individual programme is distinct and separate in its aims and objectives from

both the overall project and any other research programmes in the same field of study.

11 Students will be registered for the MPhil/PhD when:

the application for registration, including an outline programme of research, has been

12 Students’ will initially be registered for the MPhil and will be upgraded to PhD registration once

the transfer process has been successfully completed (see paragraphs 26 to 28). The period of

registration on the MPhil is included in the timescale for PhD registration.

13 Registration is reconfirmed annually and is dependent on the student:

14 Students’ registration may also be terminated under the University’s Procedures for Expulsion

15 If students are prevented from continuing their study by illness or other mitigating

16 Students wishing to change their mode of study or supervisory arrangements must apply either

at the time of the annual monitoring process or by a separate recommendation being made to

the Faculty Research Degrees Committee. Their required completion date will be amended pro

rata.

17 In exceptional circumstances, the students’ period of registration may be extended once, by up

to a maximum period of one year, if the application for an extension is made to the Faculty

18 Students registered for a PhD should normally have presented their thesis for examination

within three years from initial registration if they are studying full-time OR six years from initial

registration if they are studying part-time

19 Students registered for a PhD must have presented their thesis for examination within four

years from initial registration if they are studying full-time OR eight years from initial registration

if they are studying part-time

20 The minimum period of registration before presenting the thesis for examination is one year for

full time students OR two years for part time students

21 The University expects all research students to undertake an agreed programme of

development and research training. The initial programme will be discussed by the Director of

Studies and the student and submitted to the FRDC for approval as part of the application for

registration. Possible exemptions from particular training elements will also be agreed at this

time.

22 The Director of Studies will review the development needs of each research student during the

annual monitoring process

23 Students are required by Faculties to compile a record of all development and research training

undertaken.

24 Failure to complete the agreed development and training programme will result in registration

being reviewed by the Faculty Research Degrees Committee. The review may result in a

recommendation to the University Research Degrees Committee for the registration to be

terminated.

25 As part of a student’s training, prior to the submission of the assessment arrangements for

approval, students must be given the opportunity to undergo a practice oral examination with

an independent assessor and provided with informal feedback on their performance.

Transfer to PhD

26 As part of the registration process, students must be informed of the date they will be expected

to start the transfer from MPhil to PhD. Transfer for full-time students should normally be made

within 9-12 months of enrolment and for part-time students between 18-24 months from the

date of initial enrolment.

27 The main purposes of the transfer process is to ensure that: the personal programme of

development and training is adequate to students’ needs; the proposed research is at the

requisite level and is likely to lead to a significant contribution to knowledge

28 Students will be required to submit supporting documentation to the Faculty Research Degrees

Committee and undergo an oral examination or assessed presentation, the Faculty Research

Degrees Committee will consider the evidence and recommend one of the following to the

University Research Degrees Committee:

that the student’s registration should be transferred to PhD

that the student’s registration may be transferred to PhD subject to some modifications or

additional work being completed by an agreed date

that the supporting documentation does not provide evidence of planned research of the

required standard for a PhD. In this case, the student may remain registered for the degree

of MPhil.

that the student has not reached the standard required for MPhil and the enrolment should

be terminated

Subsequent annual monitoring

29 Once the transfer process has been completed satisfactorily, students must be informed of the

planned date and nature of the subsequent annual monitoring processes. It is a condition of

continued registration that a satisfactory progress report is received annually.

30 The main purposes of the monitoring will be to ensure that:

the planned personal development and training programme is being, or has been,

completed

to provide formal feedback to students on their progress and give them an opportunity to

31 The Faculty Research Degrees Committee will consider the annual reports and provide a

summary progress report on its students, including any areas of concern and its action plan to

address them, to the University Research Degrees Committee.

32 The assessment of candidates for a PhD has two elements: the thesis or its equivalent, including

other approved examinable material and its defence in an oral examination

33 The arrangements for the assessment of a candidate will be submitted to the Faculty Research

Degrees Committee for approval, including: the final title of the thesis; the names of the internal

and external examiners (the assessment panel); the form of the submission

34 The Faculty Research Degrees Committee will submit the examination arrangements including

CV’s of the proposed internal and external examiners to the University Research Degrees

Committee for ratification. Exceptionally this can be done by Chair’s action.

35 The oral examination will normally be held within three months of the submission of the

36 The thesis and the oral examination will be in English unless otherwise approved by the

37 Once the examination arrangements have been approved, candidates must have no contact

38 Each candidate must be examined by an assessment panel of at least two, and, normally not

more than three examiners.

39 There must be at least one external examiner and one internal examiner. Where the candidate

is a member of Kingston University staff two externals must be appointed in addition to an

internal.

40 At least one of the examiners must have experience of examining research degree candidates at

a comparable level.

41 Candidates’ supervisors cannot be appointed as examiners.

42 The Faculty Research Degrees Committee will appoint an Independent Chair.

43 All exceptional assessment arrangements must be approved by the University Research Degrees

Committee. For example: the submission of the thesis in a language other than English; an

assessment method other than an oral examination.

44 All changes to the approved assessment arrangement must be agreed by the Faculty Research

Degrees Committee and ratified by the University Research Degrees Committee.

45 The thesis must be submitted: in the required format, including word limits; normally, before

the candidate’s period of registration has expired

46 Any thesis submitted as part of a successful award of a research degree will normally be lodged

with the University Library. An application for a thesis to remain confidential must be made to

the Faculty Research Degrees Committee and University Research Degrees Committee when the

examination arrangements are submitted. The period a thesis may remain confidential is

normally two years.

University in another environment if appropriate.

47 Normally, a thesis submitted for a research award should not contain any material that has been

previously submitted for an award at an institute of Higher Education either in the UK or

overseas. When submitting the thesis, the candidate must confirm, by completing a Declaration

form, that no part of the thesis has been submitted for a comparable academic award except in

cases detailed below.

48 In cases where a thesis contains a proportion of material that has been submitted for a previous

award, the nature and proportion of work must be clearly stated in the Declaration form and

appropriate reference made in the thesis. In these cases, the University Research Degrees

Committee shall have the authority to decide whether or not to approve the submission of the

thesis for examination. The Committee must be satisfied that there is sufficient new material in

the thesis to warrant consideration for the award.

49 Each examiner shall consider the thesis independently and submit a brief report indicating one

of the following

the content of the thesis warrants consideration for the PhD award and the oral

the content of thesis is not of a satisfactory standard to be considered for the PhD award

(see paragraph 51)

50 If there is no initial agreement that the oral examination should proceed, the examiners will be

informed and asked to reach a consensus. If this cannot be achieved, the oral examination will

be held.

51 If the consensus view is that the thesis is so unsatisfactory that the oral examination should not

proceed, the examiners will be asked to provide a report outlining the deficiencies of the thesis

and recommending one of the following:

Studies will be informed of the failure and given detailed advice about the requirements for

resubmission

52 The oral examination will normally be held at the University. Approval to hold the examination

elsewhere must be obtained from the University Research Degrees Committee.

53 All examiners must participate in the oral examination.

54 Following the oral examination, the examiners will be asked to provide a joint recommendation

to the University Research Degrees Committee (in its capacity as Examination Board) indicating

Award of PhD

the candidate has reached the required standard and should be awarded the PhD

the candidate has reached the required standard and should be awarded the PhD subject

to:

− minor amendments to the thesis by a specified date (normally three months)

− major amendments to the thesis by a specified date (normally six months)

the candidate has failed to reach the required standard, but should be permitted one

further assessment opportunity. This can be defined as:

− resubmission of the revised thesis and its defence in a second oral examination (normally

− resubmission of the revised thesis without a further oral examination (normally within

one year)

− a second oral examination without significant change to the thesis

Award of a lower degree

the candidate has failed to reach the standard required for the PhD but has reached the

standard required for MPhil and should be awarded the degree of MPhil

the candidate has failed the reach the required standard for the PhD but has reached the

standard required for MPhil subject to:

Fail

the candidate has failed to reach the standard for PhD or MPhil and should not be offered

55 If the examiners are unable to reach a consensus view, the University Research Degrees

accept the recommendation of the majority of the examiners, provided it includes at least

one external examiner

assessment process and make an independent recommendation to the University Research

56 Candidates may be reassessed on one occasion only. The form of the re-assessment will be

stipulated by the University Research Degrees Committee, in its capacity as Examination Board,

in the light of the examiners’ recommendations.

57 Following the completion of the reassessment, the examiners’ recommendations must be one

of the following:

the candidate has reached the required standard and should be awarded the PhD subject to

minor amendments to the thesis by a specified date (normally three months)

standard required for MPhil and should be awarded the degree of MPhil subject to minor

amendments to the thesis by a specified date (normally three months)

the candidate has failed to reach the standard for the degree and there will be no

opportunity for further reassessment

5. CODE OF PRACTICE: RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE UNIVERSITY, POSTGRADUATE

RESEARCHERS AND SUPERVISORS

This section of the handbook outlines, as a code of practice, the responsibilities that the

University has to its postgraduate researchers and that postgraduate researchers and

supervisors have to each other. These guidelines are minimum expected standards and may be

supplemented by additional local agreements between postgraduate researchers and members

of their supervisory team.

A. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A POSTGRADUATE RESEARCHER

As a postgraduate researcher at Kingston University you are required to:

1. commit an appropriate amount of time to your research

2. undertake a programme of training for research and transferable skills to be agreed and

updated annually with your Director of Studies

3. maintain a personal training log that will be used to inform your Annual Monitoring Report

4. agree a schedule of meetings and other contact with your Director of Studies and

supervisor(s) during term-time and University vacations throughout your registration

5. prepare and keep a record of the meeting, agreed with your Director of Studies, after each

scheduled meeting

6. discuss with your Director of Studies and supervisor(s) the type of guidance and comment

that you find most helpful

7. seek advice from your Director of Studies and supervisor(s) in a proactive way, recognising

that you have a responsibility to raise appropriate topics including any difficulties or

problems

8. maintain the progress of your work in accordance with plans agreed with your Director of

Studies and supervisor(s) at your mid-term/initial/annual monitoring

9. provide appropriate written work for comment and discussion within timescales agreed

between you and your supervisory team

10. take note of guidance and feedback on your work provided by your supervisory team

11. inform your supervisory team of other individuals with whom your research is being

discussed so that this may be taken into account when nominating examiners

12. comply with the General Regulations of the University, the codes of conduct and best

practice that apply to research undertaken within it, and the specific academic regulations

that apply to your award

13. comply with the regulations relating to any studentship or other award that you may hold

14. respect the intellectual property rights of members of your supervisory team in external

output of any form (e.g. publications, patents etc.) arising from the research

15. conduct your work at all times in accordance with University and departmental safety

requirements

16. follow ethical guidance provided by the University through the Research Ethics Committee

and/or your supervisory team and refer to your Faculty Research Ethics Committee any

changes to your research that may have ethical implications

17. inform your Director of Studies, in good time, of occasions when you plan to be away from

the University for more than two weeks if full-time, or one month if part-time

18. complete an Annual Monitoring Report, including an Action Plan, in consultation with your

Director of Studies and submit it by the published deadline for consideration by the Faculty

19. commit to completing your research and submitting your thesis/dissertation within the

period defined by the University’s regulations for your award

20. provide your Director of Studies with a complete draft of your thesis/dissertation in good

time, to allow for comment and feedback and any corrections to be made before your

period of registration expires

21. decide when to submit your thesis/dissertation, having due regard for the fact that your

Director of Studies will be asked to state in writing whether or not they support the

submission of your thesis/dissertation for assessment.

22. contribute to the research environment of your School or Faculty by taking up

opportunities to present work at research seminars etc. and by engaging in discussion with

other researchers

B. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF YOUR DIRECTOR OF STUDIES

Your Director of Studies is your principal supervisor and is required to:

1. have the necessary knowledge and expertise to supervise your project in co-operation with

the other appointed supervisor(s)

2. will keep his/her skills and knowledge up to date through professional development

3. agree the respective roles of individual supervisors with you and your supervisory team

4. give clear guidance about the nature of research and the standard expected; guide you in

planning your research programme; provide information about literature and sources and

encourage you to keep abreast of all relevant developments within your academic

discipline

5. help you select a citation style appropriate to your discipline and project at an early stage

in your research

6. ensure that you are aware of and comply with all relevant regulations and monitoring

arrangements, as well as regulations attached to any scholarship or studentship that you

hold

7. contribute to the assessment of your development needs and help you to develop

transferable skills appropriate to your level of study. For example, by arranging for you to

discuss your work at research seminars, or helping you to prepare conference papers or

articles for publication

8. give detailed advice on the necessary completion dates of successive stages of your work,

agreeing objectives for each stage so that your thesis/dissertation can be submitted for

assessment within the specified time

9. maintain contact with you through regular supervisory meetings and other types of

structured communication, as appropriate. You and your Director of Studies must agree

the frequency and nature of such contact. Contact may vary according to the stage of your

project, your mode of study, and the academic discipline within which you work. One

scheduled contact a month, throughout the calendar year, is a suggested acceptable

minimum for a full-time postgraduate researcher. Contact with part-time postgraduate

researchers, whilst expected to be less frequent, should still take place regularly and to an

agreed schedule.

10. agree a record of the meeting, prepared by you, after each scheduled meeting

11. be accessible to you at other times by arrangement, where advice is required on academic

or personal concerns which may affect your studies

12. maintain effective communication with other members of your supervisory team

throughout your period of registration

13. inform you and other members of your supervisory team should they plan to be away from

the University for more than three weeks and make arrangements with other supervisors

to ensure that you receive appropriate support in their absence

14. provide advice on writing up your work throughout your project, requesting written work

as appropriate, and returning such work with constructive critical comments within a

reasonable time. As a guide, it is suggested that this should be within four weeks for fulltime

postgraduate researchers, or a longer time, acknowledged to you at the time of

submission, if the volume of work submitted is such that more than four weeks is required.

For part time postgraduate researchers the timescale may be longer but should not be

double.

15. advise you on matters of confidentiality or ethical considerations relating to your research

in terms of techniques, sources or results

16. ensure that you are aware of other sources of advice, support and guidance, both within

the institution and externally

17. inform you promptly if the progress or standard of your work is unsatisfactory and arrange

a plan of supportive action

18. work with you to complete your mid-term/transfer/annual monitoring report and forward

this for consideration by the Faculty Research Degrees Committee within agreed

timescales

19. respect your contribution and intellectual property rights in external output of any form

(e.g. publications, patents etc.) arising from the research

20. help you to interact with others working in your field of research

21. ensure that the correct safety procedures are followed when using equipment or

laboratory materials

22. assist your Head of School to select suitable examiners for your thesis/dissertation

23. ensure that the application for approval of examination arrangements is presented to the

Faculty Research Degrees Committee in good time and before your thesis/dissertation is

submitted for assessment

24. provide advice on writing up your thesis/dissertation

25. read a complete draft of your thesis/dissertation and provide detailed comments

26. sign a form at the point of submission of your thesis/dissertation, expressing their support

for it, and stating that it is ready for assessment in terms of content and presentation. If

they do not support your submission, they must make clear to you their reservations and

indicate on the form that you are submitting your thesis/dissertation against their advice

27. make the arrangements for your oral examination in liaison with the examiners

28. support you in making any amendments that the examiners require to your dissertation

/thesis

29. continue to supervise you if your thesis/dissertation is referred for resubmission and give

you appropriate support in revising your thesis/dissertation in light of the detailed

recommendations of the examiners.

C. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF YOUR ADDITIONAL OR SECOND SUPERVISOR

The University requires each postgraduate researcher to have at least one additional

supervisor. The role of this supervisor will vary. S/he may be appointed to provide general

expertise, for example, where a Director of Studies has not previously supervised a

postgraduate researcher to completion, or to provide particular academic and/or technical

expertise on an aspect of your research project. Your additional supervisor may be located at

another institution. If, for example, you are based primarily overseas s/he may provide local

supervision to supplement the work of a Director of Studies based at the University, or if your

esearch involves a collaborating institution s/he may work within that collaborating institution.

In general terms, additional supervisors are required to:

1. support the work of your Director of Studies and other members of your supervisory team,

providing relevant expertise

2. agree with you, your Director of Studies and any other supervisors on the nature and scope

of their contribution to the project, and provide the agreed level of support

3. maintain good communication with the other members of the supervisory team

concerning your progress

4. make arrangements with you and your Director of Studies to ensure that there is

appropriate supervisory support available to you on occasions when your Director of

Studies is absent from the University for more than three weeks

5. be accessible to you at arranged times, where advice is required on academic or personal

concerns which may affect your studies, usually when your Director of Studies is

unavailable

6. work with you to complete your mid-term/transfer/annual monitoring report and forward

this to the Faculty Research Degrees Committee within the agreed timescales on occasions

when your Director of Studies is unavailable during the monitoring process.

D. THE UNIVERSITY’S RESPONSIBILITY TO ITS POSTGRADUATE RESEARCHERS

Kingston University will:

1. provide access to an appropriate research environment, in the University or at an approved

external facility to support your research programme

2. appoint a supervisory team with appropriate expertise and experience

3. monitor the quality of experience of postgraduate researchers at the University and act

where possible to enhance this

4. provide opportunities for you to put forward your views to the University and respond to

these in a timely fashion

5. have a clear and transparent process for dealing with complaints

6. FACILITIES AND SERVICES FOR POSTGRADUATES

A. THE UNIVERSITY

The main switchboard number for Kingston University is 020 8417 9000 and from overseas

+44 20 8417 9000.

B. LIBRARY SERVICES

Postgraduate researchers have access to the University’s range of library and IT services. For

full details of these services please see:

www.kingston.ac.uk/postgraduate/study-resources/

Practical information is also available via the Library webpages on My Kingston:

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/library/Pages/default.aspx

Your subject advisor will be happy to help you and is available for 1-2-1 appointments.

If the KU library does not hold the particular books or journals you need, you can request them

from other libraries, including the British Library. You may also wish to register for a Reader

Pass to access the British Library reading room.

http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/inrrooms/stp/register/stpregister.html

All staff and students of Kingston University can join SCONUL Access. This is a scheme run by

The Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL) which allows university

library users to borrow or use books and journals at other libraries which belong to the scheme.

The scheme covers most of the university libraries in the UK and Ireland, including, for example,

the library at Tate, Imperial College library and the LSE library.

http://www.sconul.ac.uk/sconul-access

The library also runs regular tutorials to help researchers and postgraduate researchers get the

most out of the resources and services on offer. More information is on the blog:

http://blogs.kingston.ac.uk/libtut/

C. IT SERVICES

If you require IT support please call or email the Service Desk:

Tel: 020 8417 3355/Email: [email protected]

First line support in person is provided by LRC staff on each campus.

You can also log a call online without needing to be logged in by going to:

http://www.kingston.ac.uk/support/

D. EMAIL FROM HOME

All students have access to email via Outlook Web Access (with the exception of students in the

Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences who use a different email system). It is important

that you check your KU email regularly as staff may use this to contact you with essential

information. All Library communications will be sent to your KU email address. For full details

about how to access your KU email offsite, please see:

http://www.kingston.ac.uk/informationservices/email_from_home.html

E. STUDENTS' UNION

Kingston University Students' Union (KUSU) runs various student societies and, as a source of

independent advice and support, can help you if you face academic problems, such as

disciplinary action. For details see:

www.kingston.ac.uk/postgraduate/student-support/student-union

F. HEALTHCARE, WELLBEING AND COUNSELLING

The University’s Student Wellbeing Group offers a wide range of services to students, including:

drop-in advice sessions, sports injuries clinics, health advice and vaccinations, drug and alcohol

advice, sexual health clinics, complementary therapies, free counselling and stress

management workshops, life coaching, stopping smoking c, lunch time seminars, and self-help

tools. Full details can be found at:

G. SPORT AND FITNESS

Information about the University’s sporting clubs, facilities and Fitness Centre can be found at:

www.kingston.ac.uk/sport/

H. CHILDCARE

If you have children aged between two and five years the University Nursery offers excellent

care and education standards. Further information can be found at:

www.kingston.ac.uk/nursery/

I. FAITH GROUPS

Our students come from many different backgrounds and cultures. Faith-based student

societies include the Christian Union, the Hindu Society, the Muslim Society and the Sikh

Society. The Chaplaincy works in partnership with local faith communities to offer spiritual care

to all students and staff.

www.kingston.ac.uk/chaplaincy/

J. DISABILITY AND DYSLEXIA SUPPORT

The University provides extra support for dyslexic students and students with disabilities.

Further information can be found at: www.kingston.ac.uk/disability-and-dyslexia/

K. CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY SERVICE

The service offers help in furthering your career, as well as support if you're looking for

placement opportunities or part-time work while studying. The service runs events and training

sessions to help you develop skills such as networking, body language, interviews and writing

your CV. Further information can be found at:

http://www.kingston.ac.uk/careers/

L. ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation Services provide information on all matters relating to housing and

accommodation. International (non-EU) postgraduate students and some students with

disabilities can apply for a place in the University’s halls of residence. Information can be found

at: www.kingston.ac.uk/postgraduate/accommodation

M. REPLACEMENT ID CARDS, LETTERS FOR BANKS, COUNCIL TAX EXEMPTION,

CONFIRMATION OF ENROLMENT ETC.

In the LRCs, where you see the ‘i’ symbol, LRC staff will be able to assist you with a broad range

of non academic topics including replacement ID cards and council tax exemption certificates.

They can also refer you to specialist support departments who can provide advice on a wide

range of matters such as accommodation and finances. Replacement ID cards are available

from Penrhyn Road LRC and the Nightingale Centre at Kingston Hill.

N. TUITION FEES AND FUNDING

The Student Life Centre, based on the ground floor of the John Galsworthy Building at Penrhyn

Road, can help with enquiries about tuition fee payment, student loans and grants, managing

money and applications for extra financial help.

https://mykingston.kingston.ac.uk/mysupport/money/Pages/default.aspx

[email protected]

Phone: 020 8417 7312

O. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

The International Student Advisory Centre (ISAC) provides a comprehensive advice service for

international students, including changes to immigration status. Details can be found at:

www.kingston.ac.uk/international/contact-details/advisory-centre

P. INTERSITE BUS SERVICE

The intersite bus service runs between the Kingston University campuses and operates Monday

to Friday (except bank holidays) during term time. A timetable and map can be downloaded

from: http://www.kingston.ac.uk/aboutkingstonuniversity/location/intersitebusservice/

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Page 2 and 3: CONTENTS 1. WELCOME ...............
Page 4 and 5: B. Period of Registration .........
Page 6 and 7: 2. THE UNIVERSITY SUPPORT STRUCTURE
Page 8 and 9: 3. YOUR RESEARCH DEGREE: FROM ENROL
Page 10 and 11: D. RESEARCHER DEVELOPMENT As a post
Page 12 and 13: esearch methods training during you
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Page 16 and 17: Once the assessment arrangements ha
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Page 22 and 23: After resubmission of the thesis an
Page 24 and 25: 4. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS AND STANDAR
Page 26 and 27: E. DISSERTATION/ASSESSMENT REQUIREM
Page 28 and 29: make reasoned judgements, and under
Page 30 and 31: 6 A programme of research must have
Page 32 and 33: 27 A copy of any dissertation submi
Page 34 and 35: MPhil A. STANDARD OF THE AWARD The
Page 36 and 37: LENGTH Text should not normally exc
Page 38 and 39: Presentation lay out the thesis
Page 40 and 41: THE PROGRAMME OF RESEARCH 5 A progr
Page 42 and 43: 22 Failure to complete the agreed d
Page 44 and 45: 42 Any thesis submitted as part of
Page 46 and 47: PHD A. STANDARD OF THE AWARD The st
Page 48 and 49: Before completing your first year o
Page 50 and 51: iii. the general ability to concept

H. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS The followi

any exceptional arrangements have b

that the supporting documentation d

the thesis to warrant consideration

5. CODE OF PRACTICE: RESPONSIBILITI

5. help you select a citation style

esearch involves a collaborating in

E. STUDENTS' UNION Kingston Univers

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Below you’ll find a sample of business and management-related dissertations and theses covering a range of topics.

Title: Interaction Among Supply Chains: Consumers, Firms and Policymakers Author: Yuanchen Li Year: 2020

This PhD thesis examines the dynamics of supply chain relationships across three levels: the interactions between firms and consumers, suppliers and buyers, and firms and governments. The research aims to provide insights into the complexities of supply chain dynamics and their implications for various stakeholders.

Title: Essays in Firm-Level Patenting Activities and Financial Outcomes Author: Michael J Woeppel Year: 2020

This doctoral dissertation explores financial dynamics in two key areas: investment valuation and the performance of small innovative firms. The first chapter introduces a new metric, PI q, which incorporates the replacement cost of patent capital into the traditional Tobin’s q calculation. The second chapter examines small innovative firms, finding that they achieve higher returns for up to five years compared to non-innovators.

Title: Analysis of Design Artifacts in Platform-Based Markets Author: Vandith Pamuru Subramanya Rama Year: 2020

This dissertation investigates design issues within digital platform-based markets through three essays. The first essay explores the economic impact of augmented-reality games like Pokémon Go on local businesses, specifically restaurants. The second essay delves into the sponsored search ad-market, examining the effects of market frictions on bidding behaviors in auctions. The third essay examines user-generated content platforms, focusing on how the loss of elite status affects user contributions.

Title: Gaming the IRS’s Third-Party Reporting System: Evidence From Pari-Mutuel Wagering Author: Victor Charles Ferguson Year: 2020

This dissertation investigates if taxpayers deliberately avoid IRS third-party reporting mechanisms, focusing on an IRS amendment in 2017 that changed how gambling winnings are reported. Specifically, it looks at the impact on thoroughbred racing wagers in the US, using Canadian tracks as a control.

Title: Essays on Product Innovation and Failures Author: Moonsik Shin Year: 2020

This dissertation delves into how strategic decisions made by firms can lead to innovation failures, a relatively underexplored area compared to studies on successful innovations. The research is structured into three essays. The first explores how inter-organisational relationships, specifically investments from venture capitalists, can influence innovation failures due to pressures such as time constraints imposed on portfolio companies. The second essay examines the role of acquisitions in innovation failures, suggesting that challenges like adverse selection and integration issues post-acquisition can significantly hinder a firm’s innovation outcomes. The third essay looks at how incremental product development can lead to failures if new products are too dependent on existing technologies, which may themselves be flawed.

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Examples: Psychology Dissertations

Title: Development and Validation of the Instrumental Support Inventory for Spouses Author: Ryan P. Egan Year: 2020

This research develops and validates the Instrumental Support Inventory for Spouses (ISI-s), a new tool to measure the practical support received from a romantic partner. The study involved two phases: initially, 372 married individuals helped refine the 39-item inventory across five categories through exploratory factor analysis, assessing reliability and validity. The second phase tested the inventory with 298 parents and their partners, using a longitudinal design, confirming its reliability and validity further.

Title: Dysfunctional Individuation, Spiritual Struggle and Identity in Emerging Adults: A Developmental Approach Author: Katheryn J. Klukow Kelley Year: 2020

This study investigates why emerging adults are participating less in organised religion, yet showing increased spirituality, attributing this shift to the process of religious identity development. The research involved a longitudinal survey of 788 students at a religious university, using structural equation models to analyse data collected at four points over an academic year.

Title: Depression Dynamics across a Decade: Density in Daily Depressive Affect and Yearly Depressive Symptoms Author: Raquael J. Joiner Year: 2020

This thesis investigates depression through a dynamic systems perspective, which views changes in depressive symptoms as part of an interconnected network of emotions and states, rather than isolated events. The research focuses on how the density of depressive affect—essentially the compactness and intensity of depressive symptoms—varies within individuals over a decade. By examining data at five different timepoints, the study aims to understand how these symptoms cluster daily and how this clustering influences transitions into or out of depressive states year by year.

Title: Maternal and Adolescent ADHD, Aggression, and Dysfunctional Discipline: Mediating Roles of Maternal Emotion Dysregulation and Stress Author: Natalie M. Ehret Year: 2020

This dissertation explores the challenges that parents face when both they and their children exhibit symptoms of ADHD, as well as oppositional defiant and aggressive behaviours. It investigates how these symptoms in mothers and adolescents may influence parenting discipline, focusing specifically on the roles of maternal emotion dysregulation and stress in shaping disciplinary practices. The study employs a process-oriented approach to better understand these complex dynamics.

Title: Linguistic Markers of Maternal Focus within Emotional Conversations: The Role of Depressive Symptoms and Maltreatment Author: Brigid Behrens Year: 2020

This study explores the relationship between maternal well-being and the language used during parent-child conversations about past emotional events. It specifically examines the use of first-person singular (“I”) and first-person plural (“we”) pronouns during a reminiscing task, to determine how maternal language might reflect cognitive biases. The research includes 229 mother-child dyads, both maltreating and non-maltreating, who are part of a larger clinical trial focused on Reminiscing and Emotion Training.

Examples of education-related dissertations and theses

Examples: Education Theses

Title: Functions and Purposes of Outdoor Education in Singaporean Education and Society: An Instrumental Case Study Author: Susanna Ho Year: 2011

This research aims to explore the roles outdoor education can play in Singapore, by conducting a case study of one school’s programme. Employing interviews, participant observations, and document analysis with tools like NVivo software, the study uses a grounded theory framework to interpret findings. It also incorporates Gert Biesta’s educational functions to assess outdoor education within Singapore’s specific context.

Title: The Impact of Internationalisation of Higher Education on Nursing Education in an Australian University: A Case Study Author: Elizabeth Alexandra Lavender Year: 2014

This study examines the impact of the rapid internationalisation of higher education on the School of Nursing and Midwifery at La Trobe University, Australia. It explores how global trends and policies, particularly the shift from ‘Aid to Trade’, have influenced educational practices within the school. The research uses a case study approach, incorporating document analysis and interviews with 15 university staff experienced in international education.

Title: Diabetes Education from the Podiatrist Perspective Author: Julia Yungken Year: 2020

This thesis investigates how diabetes education is delivered by podiatrists to patients, and the retention of this education over time. Through a series of four articles, the research first conducts a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine current educational practices. It then follows a study with three podiatrists and 24 patients over six months to observe educational retention. Additionally, a survey among Australian podiatrists assesses various educational methods and experiences. The study utilises diverse methodologies including observational studies, cognitive assessments, and surveys to understand and enhance the educational practices in diabetes care provided by podiatrists.

Title: Empowering Saudi Arabian Primary Teachers Through Participatory Action Research to Improve Their Professional Knowledge and Practices Regarding Gifted Learners Author: Faisal Yahya Alamiri Year: 2013

Title: Developing a National Assessment Model to Inform Educational Policy in Bhutan Author: Gembo Tshering Year: 2012

Examples of healthcare-related dissertations and theses

Examples: Healthcare-Related Dissertations

Title: Impact of the Increased Use of Telehealth on Health Care Management and Administration: The Case of New Care Management Practices Author: Immacula Pierre Year: 2024

This qualitative study explored the perceptions of healthcare managers on telehealth’s role and its influence on healthcare practices during the pandemic, focusing on aspects like provision and quality control. Through video-conferenced semi-structured interviews with 10 healthcare managers across various U.S. settings, the research aimed to understand the benefits, challenges, and the future role of telehealth.

Title: Healthcare Facilities Management Leadership Style Compared to Traditional Healthcare Business and Clinical Leaders Author: Joshua Ashlock Year: 2020

This dissertation explores leadership style differences between two groups within healthcare: traditional business and clinical leaders (represented by members of the American College of Healthcare Executives, ACHE) and healthcare facilities management leaders (represented by members of the American Society of Healthcare Engineers, ASHE). The research focuses on comparing transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant leadership traits between these groups.

Title: Leadership Support as an Influence on Frontline Healthcare Employee Retention in the Washington Metropolitan Area (DMV) Author: Tamika Fair Year: 2023

This qualitative case study addresses the significant issue of high turnover rates among frontline healthcare employees in the DMV area, examining how the lack of support from healthcare leadership contributes to this problem. Through semi-structured interviews with 11 primary healthcare administrators in the DMV region, the research investigates how leaders engage with frontline workers and assesses their preparedness to tackle high staff turnover.

Title: Electronic Patient Portals: Promotion of Access by Healthcare Workers Increases Patient Engagement Author: Dena Todd Year: 2022

This integrative literature review examines strategies for promoting electronic patient portal (EPP) access in healthcare settings, a requirement highlighted by the Health Information for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2010. The review underscores the importance of EPP systems in providing patients with access to their personal health information, including medications, lab results, diagnostics, and appointments. It discusses the potential risks for healthcare organisations that fail to offer such access, notably the loss of federal funding.

Title: Understanding Workplace Conditions Contributing to Physician Burnout Prevalence in Maryland State Author: Fatima Adefunke Queen Year: 2023

This dissertation utilises a qualitative multiple-case study to examine the workplace conditions that contribute to physician burnout in Maryland, particularly among primary care providers who show burnout rates of up to 50%. The study involved interviews with 21 physicians, including Medical Doctors (M.D.s), Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNPs), and Nurse Practitioners (NPs). Using Shanafelt’s well-being framework, the research aimed to understand the factors leading to burnout and its subsequent impact on physician attrition.

Examples of political science-related dissertations and theses

Examples: Political Science Theses

Title: The Influence of Peer Relationships on Political Socialisation Among College Students Author: Zachary Thomas Isaacs Year: 2021

This thesis investigates the role of peer relationships in the political socialisation of college students. This is an area not extensively covered by existing research, which primarily focuses on parental influence and often excludes the post-18 age group. A survey was conducted among college students aged 18 to 24, to explore how they communicate with their peers regarding politics and the effects of these interactions on their political socialisation.

Title: The Impact of Political Culture on Political Reactions: A Case Study of EU Sanctions on Russia Author: Kenzie Robin De Keyser Year: 2020

This dissertation examines the complex political impacts of European Union (EU) sanctions on Russia, taking into account the nuanced interplay between Russia’s political culture and the economic interdependencies between the EU and Russia. The research utilises the Cross-Cultural Competency (3Cs) Theorem to analyse key elements of Russian political culture—Russian Orthodox Christianity, geography, autocracy, and economic development— which are crucial in shaping the country’s political responses and governmental structure.

Title: Biased Representation: How Compulsory Voting and Campaign Finance Interact to Influence Government Responsiveness Author: Sarah Steinberg Year: 2016

This thesis investigates the interaction between compulsory voting and campaign finance, focusing on how they influence government responsiveness. It argues that the significant financial influence in political campaigns can lead to an elite bias, where government policies favour wealthier interests. The study uses statistical analysis and case studies from two countries to explore whether compulsory voting, which typically results in nearly universal voter turnout, can mitigate this bias.

Example: Dissertation Proposal

Example: literature review chapter, example: methodology chapter.

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Theses & dissertations.

A thesis or dissertation is the extended body of research produced by students for a higher degree such as a Masters, PhD, or an extended essay undertaken as part of an undergraduate program of study.

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Dissertation examples

Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written. Refer to your module guidelines to make sure that you address all of the current assessment criteria. Some of the examples below are only available to access on campus.

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Welcome to the Kingston University Research Repository
View items added to the repository in the past week. Browse Repository. Browse the items in the repository. About this Repository. More information about this site. Repository Policies. Policy for use of material in this repository. Kingston University Research Repository supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of https://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/cgi/oai2.
PDF Employee Engagement: A Literature Review
Foreword. This working paper reports the findings of a literature review dissertation undertaken by Sandeep Kular in 2007, which formed part of her MA Human Resource Management degree at Kingston University. The dissertation contributed towards the development of a conceptual framework for the establishment of the Kingston Business School ...
PDF Kingston University
KINGSTON UNIVERSITY Essays in Open Economy Macroeconomics Technological Gaps, Income Distribution and the Balance of Payments Constraint ... University. I certify that this dissertation is solely my own work. i. Acknowledgements First and foremost, I wish to thank my supervisors Engelbert Stockhammer, Homagni Choud- ... For example, besides ...
How to prepare a research proposal
Normally a proposal should be between 1,500 and 2,000 words and will include the following: A working title of the topic area: This should do more than convey the key words associated with the proposed research, it should describe the content and direction of your project. General overview of area: This should provide a brief overview of the ...
Theses and Dissertations
Dissertations are from approximately 1950 to the present. Provides open access scholarly publishing services and research tools. Publications include books, journals , working papers, postprints or previously published papers and articles and conferences. Search over 300,000 records of PhD and other doctoral theses.
PDF Kingston University London
This thesis entitled 'Investigating Azoreductases and NAD(P)H dependent Quinone Oxidoreductases in Pseudomonas aeruginosa' is based upon the work conducted in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing at Kingston University London and in collaboration with Dr. Gail Preston's group in the Plant Sciences Department at the
Kingston University Dissertation Examples
Kingston University Dissertation Examples - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site.
Practice-based PhD
Practice-based PhD. We welcome applications from practitioners wanting to do practice-based or practice-led research. The practice may be in any field, for instance, fine art, art history, curating, design, engineering and technology, architecture, creative writing, musical composition, film, dance, and performance.
Postgraduate Researcher Handbook
Postgraduate Researcher Handbook - Kingston University. EN. English Deutsch Français Español Português Italiano Român Nederlands Latina Dansk Svenska Norsk Magyar Bahasa Indonesia Türkçe Suomi Latvian Lithuanian česk ... Degrees Committee, for example, the submission of the thesis in a language other than
Research Frequently Asked Questions
There are three options:. Apply for advertised, funded projects which will already have a defined project proposal. Look at the research project ideas that have been suggested by academic staff for self-funded applicants - many of these will already have a defined project proposal. Find out information and contact details for the staff member.; Approach us with your own idea for a project - if ...
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The publication of Kingston University Research & Innovation Reports (KURIR) is currently underwritten by Kingston University - Faculty of Computing, Information Systems & Mathematics and Kingston University - Learning Resources Centre. Detailed instructions can be found here (PDF format) and must be adhered to.
PhD by prior publication/portfolio
Find out more about a PhD by prior publication/portfolio at Kingston University. A PhD by prior publication/portfolio award gives students who haven't followed the traditional academic route towards a PhD the chance to gain academic recognition for undertaking research and developing research skills and knowledge of their subject to a doctoral level.
Dissertation Examples Kingston University
Dissertation Examples Kingston University - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site.
Dissertation & Thesis Examples
Author: Julia Yungken. Year: 2020. This thesis investigates how diabetes education is delivered by podiatrists to patients, and the retention of this education over time. Through a series of four articles, the research first conducts a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine current educational practices.
Research policies and guides
Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers. Short Guide to Research at Kingston University (PDF) University Guide to Good Research Practice (PDF) Animal Research. University Procedures for Dealing with Allegations of Misconduct in Research (staff) - 2023/24 (PDF) Policies relating to research students - Academic Policies and ...
Theses & Dissertations
A thesis or dissertation is the extended body of research produced by students for a higher degree such as a Masters, PhD, or an extended essay undertaken as part of an undergraduate program of study. Key Information Deposit your Thesis to QSpace Guides Finding Theses and Dissertations Databases See All Related Databases ... Kingston, Ontario ...
Do Universities keep copies of your dissertation? Specifically Kingston
A. cheadle. Normally electronic copies of Dissertations would be deposited with the library - but you've tried that and got nowhere. Universities archive student assessments for a number of years in case of appeals etc. 3 years is typical in my understanding. So while the work may not be available on digital platforms, it may be in the system ...
Dissertation examples
Dissertation examples. Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written.
Kingston University Dissertation Examples
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