Dissertation Handbook

MA in Environment, Society and Development

2012-2013

Section

Contents

Page

Introduction

Potential advisors

Key dates and student responsibilities

Thesis structure

Assessment

11

Academic honesty and plagiarism

13

Suggested reading

15

Geography reserves the right to change any information contained herein at any time.

1. Introduction

The dissertation (15,000-20,000 words) is the single most substantive element of the MA in
Environment, Society and Development, and the MA shall not be awarded to any candidate who
does not achieve a pass mark in the dissertation module. The purpose of the dissertation is to give
you the opportunity to produce an original piece of work that engages with key theoretical,
philosophical and ideological approaches and policy issues pertaining to contemporary
environment-society relations. The research topic should be guided by the work you have already
completed in the core areas of critical human geography covered on the MA, such as geopolitics,
development, governance and political ecology. It is our hope that the dissertation will provide you
with an opportunity to critically assess and master a specific issue in line with your interests.
As the capstone of the MA programme, the dissertation will enhance your prospects for
undertaking further research at PhD level by providing postgraduate experience of doing research.
It will also equip you with the necessary analytic and communication skills necessary for
workplaces such as government and non-governmental agencies, planning, policy construction,
project management or research institutes. Therefore, you should view the process of completing
the dissertation as an opportunity to develop a set of skills that will serve you well in a wide range
of careers.
Given the importance of the dissertation, you should give your research topic due consideration.
Very general topics should be avoided, as should studies requiring a lengthy period of data
collection, since you have very strict limits on the time available for dissertation completion. It is
important that the topic should emerge from previous research and that the findings should, in
turn, be related back to that body of literature. Members of staff are available (by appointment) to
discuss potential research topics with you. In addition, Dr Valerie Ledwith, as the co-ordinator of
the dissertation module, will be available to assist with the development of initial research
questions.

2. Potential advisors and research areas

Dr Mary Cawley (Room 117; Ext 2171; mary.cawley@nuigalway.ie): Geographies of rural social
and economic change; population and migration; settlement and planning; tourism.
Dr Patrick Collins (Room 101a; Ext 3326; p.collins@nuigalway.ie): Information age and regional
development; information society; Irish technology & creative industries.
Dr Frances Fahy (Room 104; Ext 2315; frances.fahy@nuigalway.ie): Environmental planning and
sustainability; social and cultural consequences of environmental change.
Dr Kieran Hickey (Room 125; Ext 2128; kieran.hickey@nuigalway.ie): Climate change; weather;
flooding; natural disasters.
Dr Valerie Ledwith (Room 110; Ext 2372; valerie.ledwith@nuigalway.ie): Social urban
geography; demographic change; immigration.
Dr Kevin Lynch (Room 125a; Ext 5779; kevin.lynch@nuigalway.ie): Spatial Analysis and GIS;
coastal management.
Dr John Morrissey (Room 111; Ext 2267; john.morrissey@nuigalway.ie): Critical geopolitics;
securitization discourse; interventionary practices; post-conflict development.
Dr Aaron Potito (Room 118; Ext 3936; aaron.potito@nuigalway.ie): Biogeography;
environmental geography; conservation; human impacts.
Dr Kathy Reilly (Room 102; Ext 4105; kathy.reilly@nuigalway.ie): Development geography;
childrens geographies; civil society and social inclusion.
Dr Anna Stanley (Room 105; Ext 3897; anna.stanley@nuigalway.ie): Environmental justice;
marginality; environmental politics (on sabbatical leave 2012/13).
Prof. Ulf Strohmayer (Room 112; Ext 2373: ulf.strohmayer@nuigalway.ie ): Historical and urban
geography; modernisation processes; history of geographic thought.
Dr Chaosheng Zhang (Room 108; Ext 2375; chaosheng.zhang@nuigalway.ie): Environmental
Sciences; Quantitative Methods; GIS (on sabbatical leave 2012/13).

3. Key dates and student responsibilities

You should note that contact with your advisor will be limited to an agreed schedule of meetings
between May 1st and June 17th, with an additional meeting in early August to discuss your final
draft material. Substantive comment via email will also not be permitted from June 17th to July
26th. Keeping this in mind, you are encouraged to follow closely the general timetable set out
below to ensure the adequate development of your dissertation in the narrow timeframe available.
Table 1: Key Dates and Student Responsibilities
Dates *
Student Responsibility
th
April 18
Submission of 3-4 page outline to Dr Siubhan Comer (Room 107)
th
April 26
Confirm dissertation advisor with Dr Valerie Ledwith
May 1st
Set up initial meeting with advisor no later than this date
nd
May 2
Research workshop 1: Research Questions, Structure and Presentation
rd
May 3
Research workshop 2: Positionality and Theoretical Framework
May 8th
Research workshop 3: Methods 1: Interview Techniques
th
May 9
Research workshop 4: Methods 2: Discourse Analysis
th
May 27
Complete draft of literature review
May 31st
Meet with advisor to discuss literature review and theoretical framework
th
June 10
Complete draft of theoretical framework and methodology
th
June 17
Meet with advisor to discuss methodology and overall progress
th
July 26
Final date to submit draft material to advisor
August 20th Submit dissertation to Suzanne Gilsenan (Arts Millennium Room 337)
August 27th Poster presentation at MA Symposium
* Please note some of these dates may be subject to change.
The Research Proposal
The importance of the research proposal cannot be overstated as it will serve as the roadmap for your
dissertation. Thus, while the proposal you are asked to submit is short (3-4 pages); it is vital that
adequate effort go into its development to ensure that members of staff can assess its merit and
feasibility. Your proposal is due April 18th and it should include the following information:

a provisional title
the general area of investigation
the aims and objective of your study
a brief discussion of key literature pertaining to your proposed research
potential data sources and availability
methodology
the time-scale of the investigation
logistics (travel, subsistence, availability of contacts, etc.)

Dissertation Advisors
Your research proposals will be assessed to decide upon advisors for each research project. You
will be assigned a dissertation advisor and your advisor will be confirmed by Dr Valerie Ledwith
no later than April 26th.
Supervisor Meeting Schedule
Each student is responsible for setting up an initial meeting with their advisor by May 1st to obtain
feedback on the dissertation proposal and to determine a schedule of meetings for the remainder
of the summer.
Dissertation Research Support Workshops
The Dissertation Research Support Workshops will take place in early May and will help you
compile, reflect upon, and analyze some of the theoretical and methodological approaches that
you have encountered in your modules. Through both discussion and group exercises you will
focus on constructing a research design that coincides with your investigative interests for your
MA dissertation project.
Submission of Draft Material
Students are expected to complete a draft literature review no later than May 27th and a draft
theoretical framework and methodology no later than June 10th. Students are expected to schedule
a follow-up meeting with their supervisors to discuss these submissions. A draft of all dissertation
material should be submitted no later than July 26th to ensure adequate time for feedback and
revisions. All draft material should be handed directly to your dissertation supervisor.

Submission of Completed Dissertation

There are strict university guidelines associated with the submission of your dissertation. The
following points which are derived from the University Guidelines for Research Degree Programmes
should be noted.
1. A thesis must be submitted in the registered name, i.e. the name on the student's ID card,
which reflects the name on the student's birth certificate. The thesis will not be accepted
by the Examinations Office unless the name on the thesis is exactly as registered.
2. There must be a title page which will have the following information:
a. The full title of the thesis and the subtitle, if any.
b. The total number of volumes if more than one and the number of the particular
volume.
c. The full name of the author, followed, if desired, by any qualifications and
distinctions.
d. The qualification for which the thesis is submitted.
e. The name of the institution to which the thesis is submitted.
f. The College, school, discipline or organisation in which research was conducted.
g. The month of the year of Submission.
h. Name Head of the school/discipline.
i. Names of the Supervisor of the research.
3. The title should describe the content of the thesis accurately and concisely.
4. The table of contents shall immediately follow the title page.
5. The text must be printed on good quality size A4 paper, minimum 100 grams, text printed
on one side of the page only on cream or white paper with a left-hand margin of one-anda-half inches. Double or one-and-a half spacing is recommended. Copies must be bound
and numbered consecutively, page numbers to be located centrally at the bottom of the
page.
6. The front cover should contain the following information:
a. Title of Thesis
b. Name of Candidate
c. Programme Title (e.g. M.A., M.Sc.)
d. Year
7. The Spine of the Thesis should contain the following information:
a. Name
b. Year
c. Programme Title (e.g. M.A., M.Sc.)
8. The work shall be accompanied by a short summary or abstract of the contents not
exceeding 300 words and a bibliography of the works consulted in its composition.
9. Two copies of the dissertation should be submitted to Suzanne Gilsenan (Arts
Millennium Room 337) no later than August 20th. The two copies required include one
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gum bound copy and one hardbound copy which will be required for Library use (The
thesis is submitted to the Library after the graduation). The binding shall be of a fixed kind
in which leaves are permanently secured.
Please be aware that failure to submit on August 20th may result in additional write-up fees and/or
delayed graduation. Furthermore, the submission process must be strictly adhered to. The final
dissertation cannot be directly accepted by dissertation supervisors or any other members of the Geography faculty.
Poster Presentation
You are required to produce a conference style poster for presentation at the Environment,
Society and Development Symposium on August 27th. The symposium, which will be a small
academic meeting, will provide you with the opportunity to discuss your work with the broader
academic community in a relatively informal and supportive environment. In addition, you will
have the opportunity to attend a number of presentations by academics whose research focuses on
key research questions under the broad remit of environment-society relations.
While preparing your poster, you should keep in mind that it is a visual presentation. Your poster
should communicate clearly and succinctly the key material associated with your project, without
overwhelming the viewer. In general, a viewer should not have to spend more than 5 minutes
reading through your text and should be able to do so from a distance of at least 5 feet. Because of
the emphasis on visualisation, you should choose your tables, figures, maps and/or photographs
carefully.
Failure to present your poster in person on the day of the symposium will be understood as a
failure to submit and you will forfeit the 10% for assessment. Details regarding a specific time
and location for poster presentations will be provided by Dr Valerie Ledwith closer to the event.
Given the supportive environment of the symposium, it would also serve as an ideal place to gain
oral presentation experience. All MA students are encouraged to submit an abstract outlining your
research which will be considered for inclusion in the programme of presentations by the
symposium committee.

4. Thesis structure
A successful dissertation should be an original and innovative piece of work that creatively blends
theory and practice into an engaging piece of research. However, while creativity and innovation
are encouraged, there are certain structural norms that must be adhered to in the completion of
your dissertation. As a rule, the following elements should be included.
Introduction
This should discuss the research question(s) that is (are) the basis of your dissertation. It should
outline pertinent background material and the key aims and objectives of the project. It should
also briefly sketch how the topic is situated in the literature and provide an overarching discussion
of the significance of the work. The introduction should also include a plan of development for
the rest of the dissertation.
Literature Review
The literature review is a critical evaluation of what has been published on your chosen research
topic. The purpose of the literature review is twofold; it should identify previous research that is
relevant to your work and it should provide a careful contextualisation of your research
question(s). In doing this, you should summarise, synthesise and analyse the body of literature that
you have identified as relevant to your research project. You should aim to weave together the
arguments of key authors to identify the major debates relating to your research area. It may also
be necessary to identify key gaps in the literature, both theoretically and empirically. You may
choose to explore the literature in a chronological or thematic fashion. Both are acceptable as long
as the emphasis is on critical engagement with the material rather than a descriptive account of
what key authors have said. Regardless of what organising structure you employ, the final literature
review should be a clear, focused, comparative and critical discussion of the material that you have
read.
Theoretical Framework and Methodology
Your methodology should provide a clear and unambiguous discussion of how you designed your
research methodology. You should clearly state the questions that you are addressing and provide
a thorough description of how you collected and analysed the necessary data for answering those
questions. Your methodology does not need to provide so much detail that the reader can redo

your research. However, you should provide enough information to ensure the reader that the
results and conclusions you reach are valid. It is also important that you discuss the
appropriateness of the match between your research question(s) and the methods you designate as
capable of producing answers.
You also need to include a discussion of the theoretical framework that underpins your research.
This will necessitate a careful explication of how specific theoretical perspectives informed the
development of your research questions and subsequent analysis. This is a vital component of your
dissertation as it identifies to the reader the factors and/or relationships that you have deemed
necessary to examine in order to answer your research question(s) and will help the reader in
determining whether they find your conclusions valid. Section 7 below provides some material that
will help with designing your research and developing your theoretical framework.
Results and Discussion
You should aim to develop three chapters presenting and interpreting the evidence associated with
your research question(s). Keep in mind that the purpose of your discussion is to explain the
meaning of your results to the reader. Aim for a discussion that is supported by your evidence to
avoid over-interpretation and tangential issues. You should clearly state your major findings and
why they are important. You should also contextualise your findings by carefully linking them to
your conceptual, theoretical and methodological framework.
Conclusion
Your conclusion chapter should be a broad discussion of your key theoretical and empirical
findings. You should restate your key aims and highlight the ways in which your findings support
or challenges those aims. You should also discuss how your findings are situated in the broad body
of literature upon which your work was based, again paying attention to whether it supports or
challenges that work. Your research may also have important implications for future research or
policy development and these issues should also be thoroughly discussed in the conclusion.

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5. Assessment
Assessment will reflect the marking criteria outlined in your MA handbook which will apply to the
dissertation (90%) and poster presentation (10%). These criteria emphasise the importance of
academic honesty and outline the serious penalties for poor academic practices resulting in
insufficient referencing and/or plagiarism (see also section 6 below). In addition, your dissertation
will be assessed on the level of engagement with key material in your literature review and the
extent to which you theorise your arguments in your methodology. The assessment of the poster
presentation will take place during your presentation at the Symposium and will reflect the extent
to which you successfully communicate your research goals, methods, findings and insights.
Failure to present your poster in person will result in the forfeiting of 10%.

To ensure conformity in the assessment of dissertations and posters, all advisors will use the
marking criteria outlined in Table 2 and Table 3 below:
Table 2: Marking criteria for MA dissertation

Preparation
Originality of research questions
Key objectives well formulated and clearly stated
Consultation with supervisor
Conscientiousness and diligence of effort
Theoretical Framework
Sound understanding of relevant concepts
Thesis reflects awareness of broader theoretical issues
Argument is fruitfully informed by theory
Methodological challenges are outlined
Evidence and Interpretation
Relevant evidence addresses key objectives
Imaginative use of primary/secondary sources
Quantity and quality of evidence used
Contextualisation of evidence
Analysis

11

Fail

Low

C D E
Medium

High

Low

BMedium

High

Low

B+
Medium

High

Analysis is logical and well-structured

Analysis presented in a critical manner
Sufficient level of analysis
Conclusions follow from argument and analysis
Communication Skills
Work presented in coherent and fluent style
Structure and presentation
Spelling / grammar / punctuation
Referencing
Further Comments

Content and Relevance

Sufficient material presented
Coherence of material
Adequate contextualisation
Clarity of results and conclusions
Presentation
Readability of content
Visual appeal
Spelling / Grammar / Punctuation
Question Handling
Demonstrated assertive knowledge of the material
Ability to interact responsively and intelligently
Further Comments

12

Fail

Low

C D E
Medium

High

Low

BMedium

High

Low

B+
Medium

High

Table 3: Marking criteria for MA poster presentation

A

6. Academic honesty and plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined by the Academic Council of the University as follows:
1. Plagiarism is the act of copying, including or directly quoting from, the work of
another without adequate acknowledgement. The submission of plagiarised
materials for assessment purposes is fraudulent and all suspected cases will be
investigated and dealt with appropriately by the University following the
procedures outlined in the University Code of Conduct.1
2. All work submitted by students for assessment purposes is accepted on the
understanding that it is their own work and written in their own words except
where explicitly referenced using the accepted norms and formats of the
appropriate academic discipline.
3. Whilst some cases of plagiarism can arise through poor academic practice with no
deliberate intent to cheat, this still constitutes a breach of acceptable practice and
requires that it be appropriately investigated and acted upon.
The general plagiarism guidelines outlined in the handbook for the MA in Environment, Society
and Development also apply to the dissertation. You should:

Read, understand and familiarise yourself thoroughly with the Universitys Code of Practice
for Dealing with Plagiarism (see MA handbook)

Ensure you have read, completed, signed, and submitted the MA in Env-Soc-Dev Student
Declaration on Plagiarism (enclosed herein)

Ensure that you explicitly and properly acknowledge all source materials in all your
dissertation

Consult:
- the NUI Galway James Hardiman Library website for standard referencing and citation
conventions
and
examples:
http://www.library.nuigalway.ie/librarians/nursing/Citing_References.html
- and the comprehensive referencing guide/manual, which is available on the MA 09-10
space on Blackboard

NUI Galway (2009) University Code of Conduct, http://www.nuigalway.ie/codeofconduct (accessed 16 June 2009). See also: NUI
Galway Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (2009) Academic Honesty @ NUI Galway,
http://www.nuigalway.ie/celt/teaching_and_learning/academic_honesty.html (accessed 16 June 2009).
1

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Discipline of Geography
MA in Environment, Society and Development
2012-2013
Student Declaration on Plagiarism for TI 707 Dissertation2
This form is to be completed and signed and returned to your research supervisor.
Name (please print):

____________________________

Student ID Number:

____________________________

I declare that:

I have read the MA guidelines on plagiarism.

I have read the NUI, Galway Code of Practice for Dealing with Plagiarism.
I understand what plagiarism is.
I understand the procedures and the penalties for plagiarism at NUI Galway.
All work submitted by me for the purposes of assessment in the MA in Environment, Society
and Development 2012-2013 is my own work, except where I explicitly acknowledge
otherwise through proper referencing of source materials.

Signed:

____________________________

Date:

____________________________

Adapted from the NUI Galway School of Education (2008) Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Education Studies, 20082009. NUI Galway: School of Education, p. 25.
2

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7. Suggested Reading
Aitken, S. and Valentine, G. (eds) (2006) Approaches to Human Geography. London: Sage
Alvarado, M. (2000) Representation and Photography. Basingstoke: Palgrave Mcmillan
Atkinson, D. et al. (eds) (2005) Cultural Geography: A Critical Dictionary of Concepts. London: I.B. Tauris
Barnard, M. (2001) Approaches to Understanding Visual Culture. Basingstoke: Palgrave Mcmillan
Barnes, T. and Gregory, D. (eds) (1997) Reading Human Geography: The Poetics and Politics of Inquiry.
London: Arnold
Bauer, M.W. (2000) Qualitative Researching with Text, Image and Sound: A Practical Handbook. London: Sage
Berger, A.A. (2000) Media and Communication Research Methods. London: Sage
Blunt, A. et al. (eds) (2003) Cultural Geography in Practice. London: Arnold
Bryman, A. (2008) Social Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Clifford, N. and Valentine, G. (2003) Key Methods in Geography. London: Sage
Cloke, P. et al. (2004) Envisioning Human Geographies. London: Arnold
Cloke, P. et al. (2004) Practising Human Geography. London: Sage
Crampton, J. (2010) Mapping: A Critical Introduction to Cartography and GIS. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell
Cresswell, J. (2007) Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Cresswell, T. and Dixon, D. (eds) (2002) Engaging Film: Geographies of Mobility and Identity. Oxford:
Rowman and Littlefield
Del Casino V., Grimes, A., Hanna, S. and Jones, J.P. (2000) Methodological Frameworks for the
Geography of Organizations. Geoforum, 31: 523-538
Demeritt, D. (1994) Ecology, Objectivity and Critique in Writings on Nature and Human Societies.
Journal of Historical Geography, 20(1): 22-37
Denzin, N. (2003) Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Denzin, N. and Lincoln, Y. (eds) (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research (Second Edition). London: Sage
Duncan, J. and Ley, D. (eds) (1993) Place / Culture / Representation. London: Routledge
Flick, U. (2007) The Sage Qualitative Research Kit. London: Sage
Flick U. (2006) An Introduction to Qualitative Research. London: Sage
Flowerdew, R. and Martin, D. (2005) Methods in Human Geography (Second Edition). Harlow: Pearson

15

Hall, S. (ed.) (1997) Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: Sage
Hammersley, M. and Atkinson, P. (2007) Ethnography: Principles in Practice (Third Edition). London:
Routledge
Hubbard, P. et al. (2002) Thinking Geographically: Space, Theory and Contemporary Human Geography. London:
Continuum
Jones, S. (1999) Doing Internet Research: Critical Issues and Methods for Examining the Net. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage
Katz, C. (1996) Towards Minor Theory. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 14: 487-499
Kitchin. R. and Tate, N.J. (2000) Conducting Research into Human Geography: Theory, Methodology and
Practice. Harlow: Prentice Hall
Lacey, N. (1998) Image and Representation: Key Concepts in Media Studies. Basingstoke: Palgrave Mcmillan
McDowell, L. (1992) Doing Gender: Feminism, Feminists and Research Methods in Human
Geography. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, New Series, 17: 399-416
Parsons, T. and Knight, P.G. (1998) How to Do Your Dissertation in Geography and Related Disciplines.
London: Chapman and Hall
Philo, C. (2008) Theory and Methods: Critical Essays in Human Geography. Aldershot: Ashgate
Robinson, G.M. (1998) Methods and Techniques in Human Geography. Chichester: Wiley
Rose, G. (2007) Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to the Interpretation of Visual Materials (Second
Edition). London: Sage
Schwartz, J. and Ryan, J. (eds) (2002) Picturing Place: Photography and the Geographical Imagination. London:
I.B. Tauris
Silverman, D. (2005) Doing Qualitative Research: A Practical Handbook. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Shurmer-Smith, P. (ed.) (2002) Doing Cultural Geography. London: Sage
Wishart, D. (1997) The Selectivity of Historical Representation. Journal of Historical Geography, 23(2):
111-118

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