Study unit 8

STUDY UNIT 8
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Time allocation
You need 35 hours in order to complete this study unit.

Learning Outcomes
After completion of this study unit, you should be able to:
• To understand and effectively apply elements such as:
o relevance of the research study;
o ethical clearance for the research study;
o have a thorough understanding of the concept of plagiarism;
o be able to recognize and avoid plagiarism while doing research; and
o have a working knowledge of Turnitin, specifically with regard to the
operation, significance and application of Turnitin.

Study Material
You will need to work through the following study material to successfully
complete the study unit:
• You will also encounter links in the content of this study unit (at the applicable
sections) that you will need to access.
Study unit 8

8.1 Introductory statements

The finish line is in sight! Well done on getting to this point. We hope that you have
developed an appreciation for your capabilities as a budding researcher. In this unit, we
are going to focus on the last of the elements that you need in order to finalise your
portfolio and a complete draft of your proposal. In particular, we will deal with your title,
keywords, relevance for research unit, statement regarding ethics, and your reference
list. In relation to these elements, we will also revise editing and style requirements as
set out by the faculty (you should be familiar with these by now), and finally, issues of
plagiarism and a practical exploration of Turn-it-in reports. At the end of this unit, the
expectation is for you to have completed all tasks in your portfolio to submit for a formal
assessment mark.

8.1.1 Relevance for research unit

Under this heading you have to motivate (not just state) why your research project is
relevant for the Faculty’s Research Unit Law, Justice and Sustainability, showing that
your study fits into one of its five sub-projects, namely Environmental Change;
Vulnerable Societies; Finance, Trade and Innovation; Justice in Practice; and Cities, Law
& Environmental Sustainability. Descriptions of these sub-projects and the contact
details of their project leaders are available at1:
http://law.nwu.ac.za/law-justice-and-sustainability/Home1

Portfolio activity
Access the link provided above and make notes on the following:
• Note which sub-project your research falls under.
• Paraphrase the description of the research unit that you think is applicable.
• Write a short paragraph motivating how and why your research fits into the
sub-project that you have chosen.
• Write a sentence about the contribution your research will make to the sub-
project.
Combine all the above points in a single, well-structured paragraph and submit it via
“Assignments” for which you will get a mark (see the rubric in your portfolio).

1 Lubbe 2021 North-West University, Faculty of Law – Structure of Research Proposals

Study unit 8

8.2 Statement regarding ethics

The completed ethics checklist must be signed by the student and supervisor / promotor
and should be submitted along with the research proposal. The following sentence can
be included under this heading without further explanation, as the checklist itself will
clearly indicate whether or not ethics clearance is required: “Please find attached
herewith the completed ethics checklist”.2
Below is the ethics checklist that you will need to complete. We will discuss it briefly and
then you can complete your own checklist in your portfolio.

CHECKLIST TO GUIDE RESEARCHERS AND SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES ON

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FULL ETHICS REVIEW

Instructions for completion:

If you have any yes answers in the checklist, the study will require a full ethics
review. Should you have only no answers, it means the study do not require a full
ethics review. The scientific committee (SC) reviewing the proposal confirms the
researchers’ evaluation. Attach this completed and signed list with your application to
the scientific/proposal committee.

Checklist for full ethics review:

Items Yes No

Does the study involve human participants?

Does the study use existing data set or biological samples of human participants?
Does the study involve animals?
Does the study involve existing data set or biological samples of animals?
Does the study have a potential risk for a negative environmental impact?
Does the study pose a risk to the researcher?
Does the study pose a risk to the name of the NWU?

Note: If the answer is “Yes” to any of the above, ethics review is required.

2 Lubbe 2021 North-West University, Faculty of Law – Structure of Research Proposals

Study unit 8

Portfolio activity
Complete the ethics checklist that has been provided in your portfolio template. You
will receive a completion mark for this activity.

8.3 Title and keywords

The title captures the main focus of your study. A good title contains the fewest possible
words needed to adequately describe the content and purpose of your research. These
words or phrases (keywords) describe what your research is about, and what other
researchers could use to find your research when they consult search engines.
The following guidelines will assist you in formulating your title:
a) Brief and concise. Construct a proper sentence with a word limit of 12 using your
keywords and avoid phrases like "with specific reference to”.
b) Informative. Your title must not only reveal the research theme and topic but should
also be consistent with the wording of your problem statement.
c) Honest and realistic. Your title must manage the expectations of the readers. Be
careful not to over- or under-extend the promise your title makes.
d) Eloquent and correct. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and formulation errors must
be avoided. A title has no full stop at the end (neither under this heading nor on your title
page)3.

Portfolio activity
In your portfolio, provide your title in the template. Then, submit to one of your peers
and have them review your title according to the four criteria as set out above. As the
peer-assessor, please do provide some feedback to your peer concerning their title.
You will then submit your title and the completed rubric via “Assignments” for which
you will receive a mark.

8.3.1 Keywords
The template guides you by stating that you should provide approximately five keywords.
Your keywords are very important as they highlight the main concepts that you address
in your study. Furthermore, your mini-dissertations could be of interest to other
researchers. When your mini-dissertation is uploaded onto the institutional repository, it
becomes searchable. You want your keywords to reflect what your study entails so that
other researchers can read it and perhaps even cite it!

3 Lubbe 2021 North-West University, Faculty of Law – Structure of Research Proposals

Study unit 8

8.4 Plagiarism and the reference list

As an academic, and as a scholar, you are expected to write a lot. You are expected to
submit various assignments, and in your final year, a mini-dissertation. This involves
academic writing. Academic writing is different from creative writing and carries with it,
certain conventions. It is important to have a clear understanding of the purpose and
nature of academic writing. In this unit, we will look at some of the conventions of
academic writing in order to give you a clearer picture of this specific discipline.
We will specifically deal with academic sources – the usage, citing and integration of
various academic sources. We will also consider the relevance, suitability and
applicability of various academic sources.

8.4.1 Plagiarism

In academic writing, a wide variety of sources are used. This is understandable and an
essential part of research. It is important to understand that the usage of these sources,
as well as the way in which you should go about dealing with these sources.
Plagiarism does occur in academic writing. It is a sensitive topic, but one that must be
addressed. Plagiarism revolves around the fact that authors should acknowledge the
work of others if they have used some of these authors’ materials or ideas. Failure to do
this could, and most probably, would amount to plagiarism.

The American website www.plagiarism.org4 offers wonderful insight into the whole issue
of plagiarism. The remainder of this unit, with the exception of the individual activities
and additional remarks, was sourced from their website.
They feel that this type of information should be disseminated as widely as possible. In
the light of this, they grant anyone the permission to reprint and use the information
contained on the website without the need to obtain further permission from them to do
so. The only provision is that the URL of the original article/information must be cited.
Although this is an American website, the information contained pertains to academics
worldwide, but do keep in mind that some references might be very localised. It is
important to look at the bigger picture and focus on the relevant and very appropriate
aspects of plagiarism that this website addresses.What is plagiarism?

Individual activity
Access the link below and complete the activity:
https://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-is-plagiarism5

a) Write down a definition for plagiarism.

b) Name at least five different examples of plagiarism that this article mentions.

4 Plagiarism.org 2017 www.plagiarism.org

5 Plagiarism. org 2017 https://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-is-plagiarism
Study unit 8

8.4.1.1 Preventing plagiarism

Individual activity
Access the link below and answer the questions that follow:
https://www.plagiarism.org/article/preventing-plagiarism-when-writing6

a) Why should you consult an instructor while you are planning and writing your
paper?
b) What is meant by: "if in doubt, cite” ?
c) Briefly explain what is meant by paraphrasing and why it is important.
d) Why should you evaluate your sources?
e) Indicate if the following sources are credible (or advisable sources) with regard
to academic legal writing:
o case law
o legislation
o Wikipedea
o any blog
o Huisgenoot
o Drum
o Men's Health
o International law

8.4.1.2 What is citation?

Individual activity
Access the link below and answer the questions that follow:
https://plagiarism.org/article/what-is-citation7

a) What is citation?
b) Why do you need to cite?
c) When do you need to cite?

6 Plagiarism. org 2017 https://www.plagiarism.org/article/preventing-plagiarism-when-writing

7 Plagiarism. org 2017 https://plagiarism.org/article/what-is-citation
Study unit 8

8.4.1.3 How do I cite sources?

Individual activity
Access the link below and answer the questions that follow:
https://plagiarism.org/article/how-do-i-cite-sources8

a) There are various different forms of citation, different methods which are used
by different scholars, such as: APA, Harvard, Blue Book etc. The Faculty of
Law of NWU has its own house style - you must use this style when engaging
in academic writing at this faculty. For example: do you know which font we
use in our academic writing in this faculty?
b) When will you use direct quotes?
c) What is an "embedded quote"?
d) Briefly explain how the Faculty House (NWU Law) style expects you to deal
with direct quotes.
e) What is a bibliography?
f) Briefly explain the house style's (NWU Faculty of Law) requirements with
regard to the following:

i. use of full stops in footnotes

ii. spacing of footnotes
iii. font of footnotes

8.4.2 The reference list

Revision
If you need guidance or a reminder of the referencing style and how to compile the
reference list for the Faculty of Law, make use of Refarella:
https://library.nwu.ac.za/referella9

8.5 Turn-it-in
The NWU CTL site is a great resource for exploring all you need in terms of your Turn-
it-in reports. You can access the site via the link below:
http://services.nwu.ac.za/centre-teaching-and-learning-ctl/turnitin10

8 Plagiarism. org 2017 https://plagiarism.org/article/how-do-i-cite-sources

9 NWU 2022 https://library.nwu.ac.za/referella
10 NWU http://services.nwu.ac.za/centre-teaching-and-learning-ctl/turnitin
Study unit 8

Class activity
You will be supplied with an example of a Turnitin report. Work through the document
and then do the following:
• Indicate the purpose of a Turnitin report.
• Write down the similarity percentage of the specific report.
• What is the purpose the of the different colours (green, yellow, and red) that
the report reflects?
• What is the significance of the list of references?
• Identify six different examples of possible plagiarism? At each example list
the specific issue e.g., no citation, incomplete citation, paraphrasing needed.

8.6 Putting it all together

We are nearly there! Your job now is to put all your portfolio tasks in the order that they
need to appear according to the template. Make use of the checklist below to make sure
that you have completed each step in compiling the final draft of your mini-dissertation
proposal. Attach your final proposal as Appendix D in your portfolio template.

Proposal section Inserted in the same order

Title  Yes
Keywords  Yes
Problem statement  Yes
 Yes
o Background
 Yes
o Motivation
 Yes
o Research question
Research aim and objectives  Yes
Premises, assumptions, and hypotheses  Yes
Research method(s)  Yes
Framework  Yes
Relevance for the Research Unit  Yes
Statement regarding ethics  Yes
Reference list  Yes
Style requirements and editing  Yes
Adhered to Faculty of Law style requirements  Yes
Footnotes complete  Yes
Reference list complete  Yes
Study unit 8

Portfolio completion activity

The very first page of your portfolio contains a list of all the activities that you
should have completed. Please go through this list and tick all the boxes of all
the tasks that you have completed. In the column next to it, please note down
the marks that you got for each activity.
Finally, complete the final reflection activity where you reflect on all that you
have done this semester. Tell us about what you have learned. Do you feel
more confident in your ability to write a proposal? Do you think your academic
writing skills have improved? What do you think of the reflection activities – do
you think they helped you think about your learning? Offer us any last comment
that you would like to bring our attention to.

Now that you have completed all that you needed to submit your complete
portfolio (converted to PDF) via “Assignments”.

8.7 Conclusion
In this study unit, we have worked through the last details needed for a complete
proposal. We also revisited aspects related to plagiarism, citation and Turn-it-in
reports. Finally, you compiled your entire proposal into a single document. You
then had the opportunity to reflect on the whole journey that you have endured
and we hope that you acknowledge that by continuing with this journey leads to
the creation of knowledge.

Before you celebrate:

Item Completed (tick if yes)
Portfolio activity for submission: relevance to research
unit (pg.15).
Portfolio activity for submission: ethics checklist
(pg.16).
Portfolio activity for submission: title (pg.16).
Check yourself: Appendix D (pg.17).
Portfolio completion (pg.17).