MSc Dissertation (CSI-7-PRO) Dissertation Guide 2017/18 - Present

MSc Informatics Dissertation Guide

1.0 Introduction 2
1.1 Specific requirements from your MSc course
1.2 Research-
based dissertation

2.0 The dissertation supervisor 3

3.0 The dissertation proposal 3

4.0 Dissertation workbook 4

5.0 The dissertation 4-8

5.1 Format and structure of MSc dissertation
5.1.1 Cover
5.1.2 Typographical detail
5.1.3 Preliminaries
5.1.3.1 Title page
5.1.3.2 Abstract
5.1.3.3 Acknowledgements
5.1.3.4 Table of contents
5.1.3.5 List of tables, figures and etc.
5.1.4 Body of text
5.1.4.1 Introductory chapter
5.1.4.2 Literature survey
5.1.4.3 Suggested other chapters - Solution analysis
5.1.4.4 Suggested other chapters - Implementation
5.1.4.5 Suggested other chapters - Testing
5.1.4.6 Discussion: conclusions and further work
5.1.5 References
5.1.6 Bibliography
5.1.7 Appendices
5.2 Assessment of the dissertation

6.0 Academic misconduct & plagiarism 9

Appendices 10 - 18
Appendix 1: MSc dissertation ethics form
Appendix 2: Draft dissertation assessment form
Appendix 3: MSc dissertation marking scheme
Appendix 4: MSc remote supervision form

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MSc Dissertation (CSI-7-PRO) Dissertation Guide 2017/18 - Present

MSc Dissertation Guide

1.0 Introduction
This guide is for MSc students in the Division of Computer Science and Informatics in the School
of Engineering. It provides guidance on the requirements and submission of MSc dissertations.

As an MSc student y o u may undertake a substantial piece of practical work, ideally during a
period of industrial placement. This work will be supervised by a member of the academic staff
in conjunction with an industrial manager. The end product will be a dissertation that
documents the areas of investigation and critically evaluates them. Others will carry out their
dissertation under the supervision of a member of staff attached to one of the School research
centres or groups.
One aim of the MSc project is to enable you to apply the techniques and knowledge gained
during the taught part of the course. In addition, you will use the practical project as a vehicle for
conducting an in-depth investigation, analysis and critical review of relevant material.

Specifically, the dissertation should demonstrate that you have delivered:

• problem elucidation, a description of the research hypothesis, the objectives of the project
• an in-depth investigation of the context/literature, and where appropriate, other similar
products, identify/mitigate risks, explore relevant legal, social professional ethical issues
• where appropriate, a clear description of the stages of the life cycle undertaken
• where appropriate, a description of how verification/validation were applied at these stages
• where appropriate, a description of the use of tools to support the development process
• a critical appraisal of the project: the rationale for design and implementation decisions,
lessons learnt during the course of the project, evaluation (with hindsight) of the project
outcome and the production process (reviewing the project plan and any deviations from it)
• in the event that the individual work is part of a group enterprise, a clear indication of the
part played by the author in achieving the goals of the project and its effectiveness
• appropriate/relevant supporting references

1.1 Specific requirements from your MSc course

A requirement of the programme is that the dissertation must be in your MSc course specialist
area of study; e.g. so someone studying the MSc Data Science course must undertake a
dissertation with an applied/practical Data Science, Business Intelligence or Analytics related
theme in order to justify the final award. The dissertation must be written by you using your own
words.

1.2 Inquiry-based (applied-computing) dissertation

Dissertations can be produced for inquiry-based projects in the context of applied-computing, in
practical areas such as: Internet-Mobile Apps, Cloud Computing; Systems and Cyber-Security or
Data Science. Applied-computing projects typically implement a piece of software. The
dissertation is a record of your work over the course of the project. It should detail (at an
appropriate level) what was the purpose of the project, what was achieved, what software was
designed/developed, what hypothesis was being tested (if applicable), experiments performed,
data gathered, metrics used etc.

1.3 Research-based (theoretical) dissertation

Dissertations can be produced for projects involving academic research in theoretical areas:
Internet-Mobile Apps, Cloud Computing; Systems and Cyber-Security or Data Science, for the
development, exploration and evaluation of algorithms/models to support such technologies.
However the project must meet the requirement that in a research context applied
computing principles must be demonstrated, so the project must include: clear evidence of
practical modelling or simulation. Accordingly the project must employ suitable tools e.g.
MATLAB/Simulink, GNU-Octave, Scilab, FreeMat, etc… for the modelling or simulation work
undertaken. The project must also include evidence of gathering of empirical data,
development/testing of algorithms/models, critical evaluation of possible alternative
algorithms/models, evaluation of processes and outputs using clearly established metrics.
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MSc Dissertation (CSI-7-PRO) Dissertation Guide 2017/18 - Present

For a Masters level dissertation, you are expected to:

• Draw together the knowledge and skill gained from studying the taught modules.
• Develop your capacity to organise and carry out an extended, independent study at
postgraduate level.
• Pursue in depth issues of professional relevance to you and to your organisation or
company.
• Develop skills required producing a written report, in an appropriate style, of your work.
• Demonstrate an ordered, critical and reasoned exposition of knowledge gained.
• In addition, you should show competence in independent working and an understanding
of the appropriate techniques.
• You must demonstrate an understanding of the specialist knowledge in the area in which
the dissertation is based.

2.0 The Dissertation Supervisor

You will have a supervisor for advice and support on subject and academic matters. You should
regularly consult your supervisor about planning, progress, deadlines, report writing, research
methods and so on. Please note that it is your responsibility to make contact with your
supervisor on a regular basis.

You should first approach a member of staff for potential project supervision at early stages of
producing the project proposal and before the proposal submission deadlines. You are expected
to have found a supervisor before completing the Research Methods (CSI_7_RME) module. If
you cannot find your own supervisor, consult your RME tutor (who can advise) or contact the
dissertation coordinator who can assign a supervisor for you.

The supervisor's responsibilities are as follows:

• Supervise the dissertation by face-to-face meetings, email or other forms of
communication if you need to be away from the University to undertake any fieldwork.
• Act as personal tutor to the student during the dissertation period.
• Notify the project coordinator if there are any serious problems regarding the project or
placement.
• Act as first marker of the dissertation.

You are encouraged to consult with other academics if necessary or when you are advised by
your primary supervisor to do so.

It is your responsibility to schedule at least five academic contact sessions with the supervisor
(telephone and email contact are acceptable), and these should be recorded in the dissertation
workbook.

3.0 The dissertation proposal and registration

Your dissertation (project) proposal is a detailed project specification that you need to present
to your supervisor before the start of your dissertation.

You will probably find a dissertation topic by one of many possible routes e.g. the areas that have
interested you during your time at the university, or areas of interest in your placement, or areas
that acts as an interim step between employer requirements or doctoral research focused skills.
You will spend a lot of time on the dissertation, so look for something that interests you and an
area you would like to develop your career in.

You will have the opportunity to work on your proposal while studying the RME module which can
be adopted as your dissertation proposal. A typical proposal contains the following components
and should be submitted by the specified deadlines requested by your RME tutor(s):

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MSc Dissertation (CSI-7-PRO) Dissertation Guide 2017/18 - Present

• Title of the dissertation

• Company name/address/telephone/contact name of the industry supervisor (if
applicable)
• Project supervisor’s name at the University
• Aims and objectives
• Method of approach
• Project plan (work package scheduling and a GANTT chart with milestones)
• Risk assessment and mitigating strategies
• Resources required/or to be used
• Checklist for ethics review form completed and signed by your supervisor (Appendix 1).
• Key reference sources

Please note you must pass the RME module before progressing to the dissertation stage of
your course. Formal supervision will only be provided after the Award and Progression
Exam Board confirms that you have progressed to dissertation.

Once you have progressed to dissertation you are required to register the project and upload your
project proposal onto the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). If you intend to relocate in order to
conduct your project research, e.g. to gather empirical data outside London or abroad, and are
unable to attend regular face-to-face supervisory meetings, you must complete the Remote
Supervision Form (Appendix 4).

Your proposal should not be a chapter in the dissertation, you can include the proposal as an
appendix to the dissertation in support of any discussion of project management related issues.

4.0 Dissertation Workbook

You must have a dissertation workbook in order to keep notes on progress of the dissertation.
The workbook should contain ideas, references, pieces of code, diagrams and perhaps the
general outline of chapters and paragraphs for inclusion in the dissertation, as well as notes of
progress and problems encountered. It is a written journal that records the journey from the
proposal stage to the completion of the dissertation.

You are responsible for coordinating your dissertation. T his involves contacting your
supervisor and scheduling the supervisory meetings (dates/times). For each meeting you should
have an agenda, sent to your supervisor well in advance. Records of these meetings should be
kept in your workbook.

The workbook provides the evidence that a dissertation has been properly researched and
may be used at the final viva-voce assessment of the dissertation.

5.0 The Dissertation

The dissertation must be typed and typeset according to the instructions that follow in this
section. For final submission, you are required to submit an electronic copy to Turnitin (a re-
useable Turnitin submission box will be left open for the dissertation duration) on the VLE for
non-originality checking, as well as two hardcopies to the School Office by the specified
deadlines. Your supervisor keeps one hardcopy of the dissertation and the other will be
retained in the school for the record. Please submit your workbook to your supervisor only.

5.1 Format and structure of an MSc dissertation

The following conditions have been devised to provide some uniformity in the layout, form and
bibliographical presentation of the dissertation to be submitted. The approach may vary
depending on the type of project you have chosen. Contact your supervision if you have any
questions about the structure of the dissertation.

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MSc Dissertation (CSI-7-PRO) Dissertation Guide 2017/18 - Present

5.1.1 Cover
Note: as of September 2019 ALL dissertation submissions are digital format only (MS Word or
PDF ). Physical printing and binding is NOT required. ALL submissions will be made via the VLE
submission link which will be provided well in advance of the submission deadline.

The front cover should display the following information:

a) The title of the dissertation

b) The surname and initial of the candidate
c) The month and year of submission.
d) London South Bank University

5.1.2 Typographical detail

Your dissertation must be word-processed, on one side of the page only, using double spacing.

5.1.2.1 Layout
Margins of the binding edge should be not less than 1.5 in (40 mm) and other margins less than
0.75 in (20 mm). Double spacing shall be used except for indented quotations or footnotes where
single-spacing shall be used. Font size of 12 points, Font type “Times New Roman”

5.1.2.2 Length
The main body of a dissertation, excluding appendices, is typically between 12,000 and 15,000
words long. You should aim to make your dissertation as brief as possible, and yet still explain all
the essential parts of your dissertation. Avoid "padding", as this will detract from other parts of the
dissertation. If you find yourself going over 15,000 words consider carefully how you can use your
appendices to partition off information which does not contribute directly to the flow of your
dissertation.

5.1.2.3 Abbreviations
Use abbreviations only for a specific reason. For abbreviations not in common use, the term
should be given in full on the first occasion followed by the abbreviation in brackets.

5.1.2.4 Page Numbering

The pages should be numbered consecutively through the dissertation including appendices.
Page numbers should be located at the top right hand corner.

5.1.3 Preliminaries
As a general guide to writing a dissertation, the following sections should be included, in the
following order.:
▪ Title page
▪ Abstract
▪ Acknowledgement
▪ Contents
▪ List of figures
▪ Chapters
▪ References
▪ Appendices

Each of these above parts and each chapter should begin on a new page.
Examples of how this preliminary support work fits within each type of dissertation content structure
follows; these examples are included as guidance and you may modify the structure to suit your
project/dissertation content

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 MSc Dissertation (CSI-7-PRO) Dissertation Guide 2017/18 - Present

Fig.1: Example dissertation content structures.

5.1.3.1 Title page

The following information should be displayed on the title page:
a) London South Bank University.
b) Division of Computer Science and Informatics, School of Engineering
c) The title of the dissertation. ( It should describe the content of the dissertation accurately
and concisely.)
d) The surname and initial of the candidate.
e) Student Number.
f) The qualification for which dissertation is submitted.
g) The month and year of submission.
h) Where appropriate, the client or organisation to whom the dissertation is addressed

5.1.3.2 Abstract
This must be included and should outline problems, objectives, principal methods used
and conclusion in no more than 250 words.

5.1.3.3 Acknowledgements
It is customary to acknowledge any person or institution for their help during the course of
the project.

5.1.3.4 Table of contents

This lists in sequence with page numbers all relevant sub-divisions of the dissertation
including chapters, sections, list of references, and any appendices.

5.1.3.5 List of tables, figures and etc.

This lists all tables, diagrams, photographs, acronyms, etc. in the order in which they occur in
the text with page references.

5.1.4 Body of text (main chapters)

Break chapters into sections and sub-sections. Try to avoid any smaller divisions if
possible. Unless your sub-sections are long, do not carry numbering to the lowest level.

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MSc Dissertation (CSI-7-PRO) Dissertation Guide 2017/18 - Present

5.1.4.1 Introductory chapter

It includes a brief outline of the problem domain, the objectives of the dissertation and
the structure of the dissertation. For example:

Chapter 1 Introduction to computers in bread making

1.1 Brief history of automation in bread making
1.1.1 Kneading & mixing machines
1.1.2 Introduction of computer control

1.2 Bread making processes amenable to automatic control

1.3 Problems and risks in the automation of sticky bun quality control
1.3.1 The sticky glaze problem
1.3.2 Sticky glaze application, a measured, risk adverse way forward?

1.4 Organisation of the dissertation

5.1.4.2 Literature survey

This chapter is an important aspect of Master’s dissertation as it demonstrates the level of
research into the subject area before engaging into the problem you are addressing. It should
reflect the history, philosophy and rationale behind the dissertation subject area. It should give an
overview of techniques that exist and are being researched. It should also build a rationale on
why your work is important, and how you intend to address the relevant Legal, Social, Ethical
and Professional issues associated with the project. You are expected to consult books,
journals, websites as well as other documentary evidence that backs your statements, figures
and debate with proper referencing and acknowledgment of the sources.

5.1.4.3 Suggested other chapters - solution analysis

In this chapter a solution for the specific problem area is proposed. The solution should be
independent of the actual means adopted to solve the problem. For example, for software
projects, structure charts and pseudo-code can be used for a language-independent description.
Previously conducted research, instrumental in the problem solution, should also be referenced in
this section.

5.1.4.4 Suggested other chapters - implementation

In this chapter the implementation of the solution presented previously is described. For example,
for a software-based project, a description of the translation from algorithm to implementation in a
particular language/application is essential. This description must also include details of why a
particular type of implementation has been adopted e.g. the use of a single integrated circuit
instead of discrete components, or the use of an array data structure instead of a record. It
is not advisable to include full program listings or circuit diagrams in this section, as they will only
interrupt the flow of reading. These should be confined to an appendix with only important
selected examples included within the text for the purpose of illustration.

5.1.4.5 Suggested other chapters - testing

Evidence must be produced that a project has performed in accordance with its specification, or if
not, why not. It is not sufficient just to demonstrate the operation of software or an item of
equipment to a supervisor and assume that this will be taken for granted in the final assessment.
A description of the test procedures must be included and the results logged in an appropriate
manner. Where possible appropriate metrics should be identified and used to assess quality of the
results obtained. Again, for reasons of context flow, large tables of results should appear in an
appendix, with only selected examples appearing in the text. Test procedures are taught
throughout the course, but as a guide those procedures taught in software engineering and
structured methodologies should be adopted.

5.1.4.6 Conclusions: Reflections and further work

The conclusion is both a critical evaluation and a reflective statement as to what extent
the original aims and objectives of the dissertation have been achieved; it is not a summary
of the various chapters of the report. Supporting evidence should be included as to the
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MSc Dissertation (CSI-7-PRO) Dissertation Guide 2017/18 - Present
success, or even failure, of a dissertation to achieve the original aims, usually in the form of
references to the implementation/testing results relative to the aims and objectives. If a
dissertation has failed to achieve the original aims and valid reasons explaining this are clearly
stated, then the dissertation could be considered successful. It is also a good idea to include
some original thoughts as to the direction the dissertation might have taken if more time had been
available.

5.1.5 References
Please follow the guidelines on Harvard referencing system
(https://my.lsbu.ac.uk/my/portal/Study-Support/Library/Referencing-Your-Work)

Guidelines and Advice on Report, Dissertation and Thesis Writing

• Levine, S. J. (2010) Writing and presenting your thesis or dissertation [Online]. Available
from: http://www.learnerassociates.net/dissthes/ [Accessed 9 April 2014].
• Kies, D. (2010) Writing an abstract [Online]. Available from:
http://papyr.com/hypertextbooks/engl_102/abstract.htm [Accessed 9 April 2014].
• Bassey, M. (1995) What goes in the ABSTRACT? Education-line Guidance on Abstracts
[Online]. Available from http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/abstract.htm [Accessed 9 April 2014].
• Hart, M. (2009) Final year project [Online]. Available from: http://final-year-
projects.com/index.htm [Accessed 0 April 2014].

Citation & Plagiarism References:

• Academic Misconduct [Online] Available from:

https://my.lsbu.ac.uk/assets/documents/academic/SCP4academicmisconduct%20%28june%
202013%29.pdf [Accessed 9 April 2014].
nd
• Neville, C. (2010) The complete guide to referencing and avoiding plagiarism. 2 edition.
Colin Neville, Maidenhead: Open University Press
• How to do Your Referencing Using the Harvard System [no date] [Online] Available from:
https://my.lsbu.ac.uk/assets/documents/library/h2g-library-30.pdf [Accessed 9 April 2014].
• Citation and Style Guides [no date] [Online] Available from:
http://library.concordia.ca/help/howto/citations.html [Accessed 9 April 2014].

Other useful references:

• Plain English Campaign [no date] [Online] Available from: http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/

[Accessed 9 April 2014].
• Online English Grammar Resources [no date] [Online] Available from:
http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/index.php [Accessed 9 April 2014].
• The Web of Online Dictionaries [no date] [Online] Available from:
http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/rbeard/diction.html [Accessed 9 April 2014].
• Merriam-Webster [no date] [Online] Available from: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/netdict.htm [Accessed 9 April 2014].
• Thesaurus.com [no date] [Online] Available from: http://thesaurus.com/ [Accessed 9 April
2014].

5.1.6 Bibliography
You should include a bibliography only if you feel that the reader should pursue books, papers
and articles that you have not referenced but which would add to the sum of the reader's
knowledge.

5.1.7 Appendices
Appendices should contain matter which is explanatory or supplementary to the dissertation but
which is not necessary to its completeness.

5.2 Assessment of the dissertation

Please see Appendix 3 for the marking scheme of the dissertation. You are advised to produce a
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MSc Dissertation (CSI-7-PRO) Dissertation Guide 2017/18 - Present
complete draft, at least one month prior to the deadline, and ask for your supervisor’s comments
using the draft assessment form (Appendix 2).

6.0 Academic misconduct & plagiarism

The dissertation that you produce is expected to be written using your own original words,
sentences, paragraphs and chapters. If you do use extracts from non-original sources you should
indicate exactly, by using quotation marks and indentation, which parts are non-original. The
exact source of the non-original material must be clearly given, using a standard reference
convention, every time it is cited.

The extracts from non-original material that you use should be relatively short and largely factual.
They should be used to support your arguments not to replace them. If you feel that you need to
include large extracts of non-original material; they should be included in an appendix (where
they will be given no academic credit.)

Paraphrasing is where a summary of the content of non-original material is presented as original

material. If this is a true summary, using your own words and phrases, this is probably
acceptable. If it is a near transcription, that is phrases from the non-original source are included
and/or the ideas from the non-original source are directly included and/or the citations or
examples from the non-original source are included; then this is probably unacceptable.

Any work, including the dissertation, may be subject to automated non-originality investigation. If
it is decided that there has been incorrect use of non-original material then the academic offence
of plagiarism will be deemed to have happened. At Master’s level it does not matter if the non-
original material is included through ignorance of how to cite and reference; or with an intention to
attempt to deceive the assessment process.

To assist you in managing the reduction of non-originality within the dissertation, where possible a
re-usable Turnitin submission box will be made available for the duration of the dissertation/project
period via the VLE. Any work you submit to this Turnitin box will generate non-originality reports
for you to review. Upon re-submission of your edited work any previous submission is overwritten
and a new non-originality report is produced. Before the final submission deadline it is your
responsibility to ensure that the final Turnitin submission you provide is your own original work.
Any deviation may lead to failure of the dissertation.

Please note that as the dissertations grow in size, the Turnitin server will take longer generate the
non-originality reports (delays of up to 24 hours are not uncommon). This is a direct result of the
load placed on the external Turnitin service and is not grounds for late submission or extension
requests. You are expected plan your project and use of the Turnitin facility accordingly such that
you avoid last minute submissions. Your project plan should allow you to submit all work well in
advance of the final deadline.

Plagiarism is regarded as a very serious academic offence and may result in the University
refusing to award you a degree. If you have any doubts about the use of non-original material
speak to your dissertation supervisor, the dissertation coordinator or any senior academic; such
as a reader or professor.

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Appendix 1: MSc Dissertation Ethics Form
Division of
Computer Science & Informatics
School of Engineering
CHECKLIST FOR ETHICS REVIEWS
Project Supervisor:

Project Title:

Student Name:

Student Number:

In the planning and design of your project ethical issues must always be considered. If your
project does not involve testing and/or evaluating software with end users, or any other contact
with people, then the general code of ethics for computing will apply.

If your project does involve contact with people then the issues outlined in this form and
expressed in detail in the ACM code of ethics must be considered.

For all projects you must complete this form, discuss it with your supervisor and have it signed
off. You may also be required to produce more details.

When the form is complete and signed off your supervisor will pass it onto the departmental
ethics committee. You do not have ethical approval to proceed until you have received a reply
from the committee via the supervisor.
If your project plan changes then ethical approval may need to be reviewed.

Tick this box to confirm that you have read the ACM Code
of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
https://ethics.acm.org/

Tick this box if your project does not involve any contact with people.
(If so DO NOT complete the rest of the form.Q1-Q14)

Student Name: Signature Date

Project Supervisor Name: Supervisor Signature Date

Ethics Approval: Edit below Supervisor Signature Date

( Yes / No )

10
 Yes No
1 Will the study cause psychological stress or anxiety, cause harm or have any other
negative consequences (beyond the risk encountered in their normal lifestyles)?

2 Will the real reasons for the study be withheld from the participants at any time?

3 Will the study involve prolonged or repetitive testing?

4 Will the participants be offered money, or other incentives, to participate?

5 Will it be possible for participants to be identified and/or for data to be identified as

coming from a known person?

6 Will the study need to use children or other people with particular characteristics?

7 Does the study involve gathering personal data?

8 Does the study involve the NHS?

If you have answered YES to any of these questions you will need to provide further
details after consulting with your supervisor.

Yes No
9 Will the participants be able to withdraw from the study at any time and will they be
told this?

10 Will the participants be told the purpose of the research before they agree to take
part?

11 Will the participants be told that the data will be collected anonymously, stored
securely, not given to anyone else, and destroyed when no longer needed before they
agree to take part?

12 Will the participants be told that they will suffer no stress or harm before they agree to
take part?

13 Will the participants be told that they will be able to request a copy or a summary of
the results and analysis of the study, including contact details, before they agree to
take part?

If you have answered NO to any of these questions you will need to provide further
details after consulting with your supervisor.

Yes No
14 Do you intend to use a questionnaire?

If you have answered YES to this question you must have the questionnaire, and the
methods you will use to distribute it, signed off by your supervisor.

BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE IT TO

PARTICIPANTS!

A SCAN OF THE SIGNED OFF COPY OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE MUST BE INCLUDED

AS AN APPENDIX IN YOUR PROJECT REPORT

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Appendix 2: Draft Dissertation Assessment Form
First Name:
Family Name:
Course Title:
Student No:
Dissertation Title:

Check Item unacceptable Marginally Acceptable Excellent

acceptable
Final Objectives
Planning and Interim Objectives
Appreciation of possible difficulties and
strategies for solution
Literature Search:
Scope, effectiveness
Generation of ideas and originality
Execution and Implementation
Achievements and conclusions
Organisation and presentation
Clarity and Accuracy
Technical evaluation of the dissertation

Please give your comment and suggestions regarding the dissertation. Particular attention should be
given to details that guide possible revision

Supervisor: Signature: Date:

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 Appendix 3: MSc Dissertation Marking Criteria

MSc Dissertation (CSI-7-PRO)

Marking Criteria

The MSc Dissertation (project) can take one of two forms:

• Inquiry-based (applied-computing) dissertation, or

• Research-based (theoretical) dissertation

Inquiry-based (applied-computing) dissertation

Dissertations can be produced for inquiry-based projects in the context of applied-computing, in practical
areas such as: Internet-Mobile Apps, Cloud Computing; Systems and Cyber-Security or Data Science.
Applied computing projects typically implement a piece of software. The dissertation is a record of your
work over the course of the project. It should detail (at an appropriate level) what was the purpose of the
project, what was achieved, what software was designed/developed, what hypothesis was being tested (if
applicable), experiments performed, data gathered, metrics used etc.

Research-based (theoretical) dissertation

Dissertations can be produced for projects involving academic research in theoretical areas: Internet-
Mobile Apps, Cloud Computing; Systems and Cyber-Security or Data Science, for the development,
exploration and evaluation of algorithms to support such technologies. However the project must meet the
requirement that in a research context applied computing principles must be demonstrated, so the project
must include: clear evidence of practical modelling or simulation. Accordingly the project must employ
suitable tools e.g. MATLAB/Simulink, GNU-Octave, Scilab, FreeMat, etc… for the modelling or simulation
work undertaken. The project must also include evidence of gathering of empirical data,
development/testing of algorithms/models, critical evaluation of possible alternative algorithms/models,
evaluation of processes and outputs using clearly established metrics.

Regardless of the nature of the dissertation selected, the project is required to be practically and
theoretically robust also methodologically sound to meet the academic learning outcomes of this module.

Assessment & the viva

Equivalence in the assessment of each type of project is maintained.

The dissertation will be marked independently by the supervisor and a second marker according to set
criteria. The student will be invited to attend a combined presentation and viva, lasting about 20 minutes
where the first 10 minutes will entail a presentation of the work with the remaining time used for questions
from the panel. The panel will include the supervisor and second marker, usually with a third member
chairing the session.

Component Weighting Threshold Mark

Dissertation Report 80% 40
Viva 20% 40

To pass the dissertation module, the student needs to achieve a final (pass) mark of 50% or more.
The dissertation must be passed without compensation.

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 PROJECT ASSESSMENT FORM
MSc Dissertation (CSI_7_PRO) Marking Scheme
STUDENT ID

STUDENT NAME

DISSERTATION TITLE

SUPERVISOR

Item Comments Marks

PROJECT MANAGEMENT 1st supervisor only

Project objectives, /4

Gantt chart: Planning, interim

objectives and milestones /4

Risk assessment and mitigating

strategies /4

Resource requirements /4

Execution /4
DISSERTATION 1st & 2nd supervisor
Literature/Technical review
including: Legal, Social, Ethical and
Professional issues (LSEPI) /10
Solution analysis/design
OR
Alternative designs /Final algorithm /10

Implementation /10
Results, testing and evaluation
OR
Experimental and theoretical results /10

Future work /10

Conclusions/Reflection on Learning /10

Subtotal /80
VIVA-VOCE 1st & 2nd supervisor

Organisation and presentation clarity /5

Relevance and accuracy /5

Execution and timing /5

Responses and technical insight /5

Subtotal /20

TOTAL MARK /100

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 Project Marking Rubric Template

Listed below is the rubric marking sheet relating to the standard of the project. Please
rate the various criteria from 0 to 10 (details below), to build up a picture of the
strengths and weaknesses of the project. Based on the template, weighting and your
academic judgement, please decide on an overall mark for the project.

MSc Dissertation (CSI_7_PRO) Marking Scheme

STUDENT ID

STUDENT NAME

DISSERTATION TITLE

SUPERVISOR
fail: irredeemable fail: marginal pass: good/merit pass: very good/distinction pass: excellent/distinction Supervisors
Mark out of 10 "0-2" "3-4" "5-6" "7-8" "9-10" Mark out of 10
DISSERTATION PROJECT
MANAGEMENT 20% 1st Supervisor only, (each section equally weighted: mark x 0.4)
Excellent in all respects.
Non submission or very w eak Basic aims/objectives clear and Aims/objectives clear & correct,
Some aims/objectives clarity Aims/Objectives outstanding.
Project aims, objectives & aims/objectives & significant correct, reasonable problem reasonable problem formulation
errors and/or poor problem Consideration of alternatives
problem formulation problem formulation issues and formulation; adequate evidence interpretation, good evidence of
formulation interpretation errors critically evaluative, accurate and
interpretation errors of alternative considerations alternative considerations
perceptive
Project plan is basic and Excellent in all respects.
Non submission or very w eak & Planning clear/correct,
acceptable; reasonable Planning/chart outstanding.
Gantt chart: Planning, interim significant Some clarity errors and/or poor reasonable planning/chart, good
planning/chart; adequate Consideration of alternatives
objectives and milestones planning & chart related issues planning/chart errors evidence of alternative
evidence of alternative critically evaluative, accurate and
and interpretation errors considerations
considerations perceptive
Risk assessment clear & Risk assessment clear/correct, Excellent in all respects. risk
Non submission or very w eak &
Some clarity errors and/or poor correct; reasonable risk reasonable risk assessment/mitigation outstanding.
Risk assessment and significant
risk identification/mitigation identification and mitigation; identification/mitigation, good Consideration of alternatives
mitigating strategies risk identification/mitigation
errors adequate evidence of evidence of alternative critically evaluative, accurate and
issues and interpretation errors
alternative considerations considerations perceptive
Resource requirements Resource requirements Excellent in all respects; resource
Non submission or very w eak &
Some clarity errors and/or poor basically correct; clear clear/correct; reasonable requirements outstanding.
significant resource
Resource requirements resource resource identification ; resource identification & Consideration of alternatives
identification/justification issues
identification/justification errors adequate evidence of justification, good evidence of critically evaluative, accurate and
and interpretation errors
alternative considerations alternative considerations perceptive
Non attempt or very w eak & Project execution & Excellent in all respects; Project
Some clarity or decision making Reasonably good project
significant project professionalism w as good; execution & professionalism
errors and/or some poor project execution & professionalism;
Execution execution/professionalism clear evidence of alternative outstanding; very innovative,
execution/professionalism adequate evidence of
issues and basic decision considerations & some critically evaluative, accurate and
errors alternative considerations
making errors innovation. perceptive

DISSERTATION REPORT 60%

1st & 2nd Supervisors, (each section equally weighted: mark x 1 )
Literature/Technical review Non attempt or very w eak Reasonably good linkage / Good Research content & Excellent in all respects; Research
Some linkage / research content
including : Legal, Social, linkage & significant research research content; sources are linkage; sources relevant; clear content & sources outstanding;
& relevance errors; very little
Ethical & Professional issues content or relevance issues; no clear & relevant; adequate narrative evidence of LSEPI LSEPI narrative critically evaluative
consideration of LSEPI
(LSEPI) consideration of LSEPI evidence of LSEPI consideration considerations and accurate

Solution analysis/design w as
Solution analysis/design Non attempt or very w eak & Reasonably good solution Excellent in all respects; solution
Some clarity or decision making very good; clear narrative
or significant solution analysis/design attempts; minor analysis/design outstanding; very
errors and/or some poor evidence of alternative
Alternative designs /Final analysis/design issues and evidence of alternative innovative, narrative critically
solution analysis/design errors considerations & some
algorithm basic decision making errors considerations evaluative, accurate and perceptive
innovation
Some minor solution Reasonably good solution Very good solution
Excellent in all respects; solution
Non attempt or major solution implementation & coding errors implementation & coding; implementation & coding or good
implementation outstanding; very
Implementation implementation & coding issues; and/or minor simulation/modelling simulation & modelling
innovative; narrative critically
basic decision making errors simulation/modelling configuration; some evidence of configuration; clear evidence of
evaluative, accurate and perceptive
configuration errors alternative considerations alternative considerations;
Non attempt or major testing & Some minor testing & evaluation Reasonably good testing & Very goodsome innovation
testing & evaluation
Results, testing and evaluation Excellent in all respects; results,
evaluation issues; no clear issues; problems w ith quality evaluation results; adequate results; clear & appropriate
or testing and evaluation outstanding;
quality metrics defined; no metrics used; minimal, poor & quality metrics used; some quality metrics; discussion of
Experimental and theoretical very innovative; narrative critically
results produced; basic innacurrate results; minor evidence of basic evaluation & evaluation & alternative
results evaluative, accurate and perceptive
decision making errors decision making errors summary interpretation considerations; some innovation
Very good future w ork
Reasonably good future w ork Excellent in all respects; future
Non attempt or major future Some minor future w ork discussion; clear & appropriate
discussion; some relevant w ork discussion outstanding; very
Future work w ork discussion issues; basic discussion issues; minor discussion of outcomes future
evaluation & summary innovative; narrative critically
decision making errors decision making errors alternative considerations;
interpretation evaluative, accurate and perceptive
some innovation
Some minor Reasonably good Very good conclusion/reflection Excellent in all respects;
Non attempt or major
conclusion/reflection discussion conclusion/reflection discussion; clear appropriate conclusion/reflection discussion
Conclusions/Reflection on conclusion/reflection issues;
issues; minor decision making discussion; relevant learning discussion of learning & outstanding; very innovative;
Learning basic decision making errors;
errors ; minimal learning evaluation & summary alternative considerations; narrative critically evaluative,
no learning identified.
identified interpretation some innovation/suggestions accurate and perceptive
DISSERTATION
SUB-TOTAL out of 80%
VIVA-VOCE 20% 1st & 2nd Supervisors (each section equally weighted: mark x 0.5)
Basic organisation & Organisation & presentation
Non attendance or very w eak & Some organisation & Excellent in all
presentation clear and correct; objectives clear/correct,
Organisation & presentation significant presentation clarity respects. Organisation &
reasonable interpretation minor reasonable interpretation, good
clarity clarity issues and presentation errors and/or poor interpretation presentation outstanding. Critically
evidence of alternative evidence of alternative
errors errors evaluative, accurate and perceptive
considerations considerations
Basic relevance and accuracy Relevance and accuracy very
Some relevance and accuracy Excellent in all
Non attendance or very w eak is good and correct; clear & correct; reasonable
consistency respects. Relevance and accuracy
Relevance and accuracy know ledge; relevance and reasonable know ledge interpretation of know ledge;
errors and/or poor know ledge outstanding. Critically evaluative,
accuracy errors interpretation; some evidence of good evidence of alternative
interpretation errors accurate and perceptive
alternative considerations considerations
Excellent in all
Basic execution and timing is Very good execution and timing
Non attendance or very poor Some minor execution and respects. Execution and timing
good ; Some good eye contact, ; Maintained good eye contact,
Execution and timing execution and timing issues; timing errors and/or poor outstanding. Excellent eye contact;
reasonably confident Very confident rehearsed
lack of preparation evident execution errors performance timely, accurate &
performance performance
responsive

Non attendance or very poor Basic responses and technical Very good responses and Excellent in all respects. Responses
Some minor response and
Question responses and responses and technical insight w as good; reasonable technical insight; clearly and technical insight outstanding.
technical insight errors and/or
technical insight insight; lack of preparation confidence and adequte confident, depth of know eldge Depth of know ledge: outstanding,
poor & hesitant responses
evident know ledge clearly evident focussed & accurate

VIVA-VOCE
SUB-TOTAL out of 20%
ADDITIONAL COMMENT: (Plese add justification comments here, if the total mark is a fail < 50 or a distinction >=70)
TOTAL MARK:
/100%

15
 Marking Guidelines for Criteria Interpretation

DISSERTATION Project 1st supervisor only

Management
The problem domain is clearly highlighted/contextualised and draws on detailed background
Project objectives, and problem research to develop a coherent case for the project. The aim and objectives of the project are
formulation clearly defined, justified and appropriate in scope and for the context profiled.

Methodology must be clearly identified. The project should be planned and managed via a
Gantt chart: Planning, interim well defined project plan , consisting of work packages, scheduling details and a GANTT
objectives and milestones chart with key milestones and deliverables identified.
To precisely identify and describe the real threats to project success. Apply a simple but
Risk assessment and mitigating effective classification scheme is to arrange risks according to the areas of impact. The risk
strategies management plan outlines the response/mitigation that will be taken for each risk—if it
materializes
if the project involves producing software/algorithms or there any other products the project
depends on using any specialist or uncommon hardware/software such as specialised
Resource requirements subroutine packages or a more obscure or specialised programming language, you should
describe them briefly and discuss whatever features are relevant to your project.
How well was the project executed, How well was the student organised. How
proactive/reactive was the student. How technically able/innovative/original was the student
Execution when faced with problem solving situations. What level/standards of professionalism / ethical
behaviour did the student demonstrate during the execution of the project
DISSERTATION report 1st & 2nd supervisor
Demonstrates the level of research into the subject area before engaging into the problem
Literature/Technical review domain. It should reflect the history, philosophy and rationale behind the dissertation subject
area. It should give an overview of techniques that exist and are being researched. With
including : Legal, Social, Ethical indicative key reference sources. It should also build a rationale on why the work is
and Professional issues important, and how to address the relevant Legal, Social, Ethical and Professional issues
associated with the project
Solution analysis/design A solution for the specific problem area must be proposed. The solution should be
independent of the actual means adopted to solve the problem. For example, for software
OR
projects, UML designs, structure charts and pseudo-code can be used for a language-
Alternative designs /Final independent description. Previously conducted research, instrumental in the problem solution,
algorithm should also be referenced in this section.
A clear description of the translation from algorithm to implementation in a particular
language/application is essential. This description must also include details of why a
Implementation particular type of implementation has been adopted. Small bespoke examples of actual
program code or lines of algorithm syntax/processes may be used to demonstrate key
functionality
Evidence of project-artefact performance in accordance with its specification, or if not, why
Results, testing and evaluation not. It is not sufficient just to demonstrate the operation of software or an item of equipment to
a supervisor and assume that this will be taken for granted in the final assessment. A
OR
description of the test procedures must be included and the results logged in an appropriate
Experimental and theoretical manner. Where possible appropriate metrics should be identified and used to assess quality
results of the results obtained. Large tables of results should appear in an appendix, with only
selected examples appearing in the text.
This section should include some original thoughts as to the direction the dissertation might
have taken if more time/resources had been available. If a dissertation has failed to achieve
Future work the original aims and valid reasons explaining this are clearly stated, then the dissertation
could be considered successful.
The conclusion is both a critical evaluation and a reflective statement as to what extent the
original aims and objectives of the dissertation have been achieved; it is not a summary of the
Conclusions/Reflection on
various chapters of the report. Supporting evidence should be included as to the success, or
Learning even failure, of a dissertation to achieve the original aims, usually in the form of references to
the implementation/testing results or project manage relative to the aims and objectives.
VIVA-VOCE 1st & 2nd supervisor
Organisation and presentation
Given the project focus, a professional presentation typified by a mature, succinct and formal
clarity
presenting style, and a clear, consistent and quality presentation are of particular importance
The presentation must demonstrate engagement with core concepts and critical exploration
Relevance and accuracy of advanced concepts, development technologies and contemporary debates. The focus
adopted and choices made are explained/ justified / appropriate for the problem investigated
In a combined presentation and viva, lasting about 20 minutes the first 10 minutes will entail a
presentation of the work with the remaining time used for questions from the panel.
Execution and timing Ideally the student will (in a timely manner) demonstrate In depth knowledge and a thorough
understanding of all aspects which allows questions to be answered accurately and fluently
and the discussion to be extended with confidence into difficult or unfamiliar areas.
Discussion on what the student learned from the conduct of the project such as the
theoretical / practical knowledge gained, mental acuteness, business acumen, latent skills
Responses and technical
brought to light, skills required, skills developed and how such learning and development
insight were achieved. The student may cite specific instances such as examples of innovations or
even mistakes made and the resultant learning and insights gained

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 MARK ALLOCATION GUIDELINES
FOR THE OVERALL PROJECT:

0 – 29 Fail
Fails to achieve reflexive learning. The work is weak, superficial, and poorly conceptualised.
Fails to engage with the essence of the practical context (including problem highlighted) and
theoretical constructs, and reflects limited reading. The solution and recommendations
proposed are limited, inappropriate, and impracticable. The reflection elements are basic,
superficial and limited in scope. The work is poorly presented and lacks professionalism.

30 – 49 Marginal Fail
Shows limited evidence of reflexive learning. The work is basic, superficial in parts, and
inadequately conceptualised, designed, investigated and analysed. It reflects a poor grasp of,
or engagement with, the practical context and theoretical constructs, and demonstrates an
over-reliance on basic texts. The solution and recommendations proposed are limited, basic,
and impracticable in parts. The reflection elements are superficial and limited in scope. The
work is poorly presented and lacks professionalism.

50 – 59 Pass
Achieves adequate reflexive learning. The work provides evidence of satisfactory
understanding, conceptualisation, methodological design and investigation of the research
question. The content reflects a satisfactory understanding of the essence of the practical
context and problem area. The work is referenced to relevant material of acceptable quality
and shows adequate understanding of most salient issues, but is limited in terms of relevant
wider issues. The solution and recommendations proposed are valid, practicable, adequately
sophisticated and reflects some consideration of the wider implications. The reflection
elements are adequate in scope and depth, and the content is valid. The work is presented in a
professional manner.

60 – 69 Good (Merit)
Achieves a reasonably high level of reflexive learning. The work shows good understanding,
conceptualisation and investigation of the research question. This is reflected in the scope and
depth of the underpinning literature, selection of core theoretical concepts, design of the
methodological framework and the sophistication and practicability of the solution and
recommendations proposed. Clear linkage and connectivity between the salient elements of
the project report is evidenced. The reflection elements are well scoped, valid, mature,
insightful and detailed. The work is well presented reflecting care and attention to detail and
maturity of thought.

70 – 89 Very Good (Distinction)

Achieves a sophisticated level of reflexive learning. A sound understanding of the research
problem is evidenced in all aspects of the project report and in the connectivity and flow
between the various salient elements. The research problem is well conceptualised and
defended. The methodological framework is appropriate and well explained and justified. The
work provides evidence of extensive wider reading with a strong bias towards quality up-to-date
sources, and advanced theoretical /practical technologies, concepts and debates. The solution
and recommendations proposed are sophisticated, valid, appropriate, well scoped and reflect a
sound grasp of both the theory and the practical context of the case subject. The reflection
elements are well scoped, valid, mature, insightful, detailed and validated where relevant. The
work is well presented in a professional manner reflecting care and attention to detail and flow
and maturity of thought.

90 – 100 Excellent (Distinction)

Has achieved all of the requirements for a rating of ‘Very Good’ and is distinguished by an
excellence in all aspects of the problem investigated and creative and inspired solution(s) and
recommendations. A high level of professionalism is evidenced throughout. The work
demonstrates advanced learning and consultancy ability

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Appendix 4: MSc Dissertation Remote Supervision Form

Division of
Computer Science & Informatics

Remote supervision of dissertation: student approval form

This form should be completed by any student undertaking a course taught at the London
Campuses of London South Bank University, who wishes to relocate in order to complete the
dissertation stage of their course, and who would therefore be unable to attend regular face-to-
face supervisory meetings. It should be signed and submitted before you go away.

Please note: students are not automatically entitled to carry out the dissertation stage
of their course remotely. Please also be aware that if you are an international student with
an entry visa sponsored by London South Bank University, then a decision to return to your
country of domicile for this stage of your programme could have implications with regard to your
current visa and ability to re-enter the country. Please contact the International Office for more
information in this regard.

Student name Student number

Course name Course code

Signature Date submitted

Travel date International student Yes❑ No❑

Company
Name/Address

Contact Name

Contact email

Reason for request

(if not placement)

Staff authorisation (for internal use)

Name Signature Date

Project supervisor
Course director
Comments for
consideration
Permission granted Yes❑ No❑

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