The London School of Economics and Political Science
Department of Geography and Environment
Advice and code of practice for essays, exams and the MSc Dissertation
This document aims to give advice and outline the Department code of
practice regarding key assessment components of the MSc programmes. It
focusses mainly on essays, exams and the Dissertation.
This document is divided into the following main components:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
Advice on Essay Writing
Exam Preparation
Dissertation advice and information
Plagiarism
Submission of essays/dissertations
Word Count
Deferrals
Extensions
Late Submissions
Annex 1: Marking Scheme Guidance
Annex 2: Further Reading
Please read this document carefully and contact your Programme director or
programme administrator, if you have any further questions.
1
I. ADVICE ON ESSAY WRITING .........................................................................................................................2
II. EXAM PREPARATION.....................................................................................................................................6
III. DISSERTATION ADVICE AND INFORMATION ..................................................................................... 10
1.
LENGTH .................................................................................................................................................. 11
2.
FORM ....................................................................................................................................................... 11
3.
SUBSTANCE ........................................................................................................................................... 12
4.
PLANNING AND GUIDANCE................................................................................................................ 14
5.
DISSERTATION SUPERVISION .......................................................................................................... 14
6.
EVALUATION CRITERIA ..................................................................................................................... 19
7.
DATE FOR SUBMISSION ...................................................................................................................... 19
8.
RELEVANCE ........................................................................................................................................... 20
9.
ONLINE BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASES ........................................................................................... 20
IV. PLAGIARISM ................................................................................................................................................ 21
V. SUBMISSION OF ESSAYS/ DISSERTATION ............................................................................................ 23
VI. WORD COUNT.............................................................................................................................................. 25
VII. DEFERRALS................................................................................................................................................. 26
VIII. EXTENSIONS.............................................................................................................................................. 26
IX. LATE SUBMISSIONS.................................................................................................................................... 27
2
I. ADVICE ON ESSAY WRITING
1. Plan your research and start your reading and writing weeks, not days,
before the essay is due.
2. Essay questions sometimes contain one or more of the following KEY
WORDS, which are your main guide as to what is required:
(a) Analyse:
Consider the various parts of the whole and describe the
inter-relationship between them.
(b) Compare:
Examine the objects in question with a view to
demonstrating their similarities and differences.
(c) Contrast:
Examine the objects in question for the purpose of
demonstrating differences.
(d) Define:
Give a definition or state terms of reference.
(e) Discuss:
Present the different aspects of a problem or question and
draw a reasoned conclusion.
(f) Evaluate:
Examine the various sides of a question and try to reach a
judgement.
(g) Summarise:
Outline the main points briefly.
3
3. Question the question itself. Consider its possibilities, scope and
limitations. If you are unclear about what is wanted, ask your lecturer or
academic advisor for clarification.
4. In the library there is a wide selection of support systems, catalogues,
online services and indexes designed to assist you in the task of locating
and using particular items. Always make a note of what you read author, title, date, publisher, pages. It is your responsibility to provide
complete and correct references. Note that postgraduate students
should draw on research papers as well as books - Online bibliographic
databases will be particularly useful in this respect.
5. Plan your initial research around questions relevant to the topic.
(a)
Use small cards on which to build up a file of material. Question
headings can go on these.
(b)
See that your reading is not too general and that you do not amass
material haphazardly and for no purpose. Prune steadily as you read
and actively assess the value of the material.
(c)
Continually check your reading against your questions - and the
question asked. Your subject may redefine itself as you become
more familiar with the material.
(d)
It is helpful to note ideas, facts, and quotes on separate cards. This
action makes later organisation of material much easier, especially if
you have to rewrite a draft.
4
6. Review all your materials and decide what your line of approach
(argument, plan) will be. Sort your ideas into a pattern that will best
support the development of your ideas. This is a very important part of
your work. It is rarely sufficient to summarise material. You will be
required to use techniques such as analysing (detecting unstated
assumptions, seeing interrelationships between ideas, distinguishing
facts from hypotheses), synthesising (arranging ideas or information in
such a way as to build a pattern or structure not clearly there before),
and evaluating (making judgements about the value of material and
methods for given purposes).
7. It is your responsibility, not that of your readers, to ensure that you
make sense of your material and that your argument is succinct. An
introduction outlining the question and the organisation of your answer
is necessary. In the same way, a conclusion that sums up and clinches
your argument is necessary. Remember that side and sub-headings may
be helpful in some subjects. This may be achieved by a carefully planned
outline.
One basic framework for an outline is the following:
(a) Introduction
(i)
Comment on the subject of the essay. (What do you
understand by it? How is it important? etc.).
(ii)
Introduce the points you are going to discuss, first stating your
case in general terms: the opinion you are going to support in
the rest of the essay.
5
(iii)
Very briefly summarise the overall theme of your essay,
indicating the main points to be made and perhaps the order in
which they are to be presented. This gives the reader an idea
of what to expect and greatly increases his comprehension. Do
not waste your own and the reader’s time with padding.
(b) The Main Body
(i)
Develop your line of argument through several main ideas.
(ii)
Support each idea with examples and illustrations drawn from
the books, articles and any other sources you have used.
(c) Conclusion
(i)
Summarise the main ideas.
(ii)
Form a tentative answer by way of final comment to the
question. Be prepared to write more than one draft - in the
first you will concentrate on content rather than style.
(d) Reference List and Appendices
Note that it is often helpful to start writing in a different order - e.g. first draft
of the main body, then the conclusion, then finally the introduction. For a
detailed description of the marking scheme used for essays see the table in
Annex 1.
6
II. EXAM PREPARATION
This section aims at identifying some of the common problems in the past
which seem to arise with exam writing and preparation - by listing these it is
hoped that some of the more avoidable problems will be less likely to occur.
1. Revision: Look carefully at your lecture and revision notes and thoroughly
prepare yourself for the examinations. Good revision and good
supplementation of lecture notes will largely decide how well you fare. It is
crucial that you do not rely solely on lecture material and that you show that
you have read more widely by quoting particular authors and references in
the exam (although you don't need to list the references at the end of the
exam script).
2. "Practice makes perfect": It is strongly advisable that you practice some
essay type questions under exam conditions before the exams begin. Practice
on its own can be boring; try to build in clear objectives. Obtain copies of
past, or ‘mock’ examination papers and attempt to answer past questions
(check that the syllabus has not changed). Below are some tips to help
practice your exam technique:
a. Allow yourself some time at the beginning of the examination to carefully
read through all of the instructions and questions and make a clear decision
on which questions to answer, check again that you fully understand the
questions and that you can write a good essay (do not be caught out by
choosing a topic that you have revised, but a question that you cannot
answer well).
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b. Take into account the number of questions you need to answer in the
given time period.
c. For each question allow yourself some time to recall the information that
you require to write the essay, make notes, and - importantly – plan and
structure your answer. Most answers naturally fall into 4 or 5 parts including
the introduction and conclusion.
d. Write your answer leaving some time at the end to read through your
answer. The first part of the introduction should clarify your understanding of
the question and how it is to be interpreted in this essay (this is a useful
reminder to you: are you answering the question?). Examiners appreciate a
well-structured answer that demonstrates that you understand the topic. So,
in the second part of your introduction you could say that ‘...this essay has
(for example) 4 main arguments...’. The main text covering your main
arguments then follows. In the conclusion return to the question, show how
you have answered the question; depending upon the type of exam question
provide a reasoned argument for a particular viewpoint (as supported by the
evidence that you have presented)
e. Use the final minutes re-reading, unwinding and clearing your mind for
the next question.
Whilst it is very important to practice, undertaking a whole2 or 3 hour
standard format examination is very time consuming. As suggested above in
2cplanning is key. Take time to practice this element too. Take a question and
simulate the first few minutes of an exam answer setting out a plan for your
8
answer and writing the actual introduction and conclusion. This exercise
focuses attention on structure and outline rather than detail (usually the
concern of other revision processes). When you run out of past exam
questions make up your own.
3. Summary of common examination script problems:
(a)
Problem: Answers provided are off-track and do not focus
sufficiently on the question asked.
Advice: Read and consider the question carefully! Do not simply
start writing on the basis of identifying a key word.
(b)
Problem: Not all questions are answered, either because of
difficulties or because candidates ran out of time. Remember that
if you don’t attempt a question at all, this will severely impact the
marks you can achieve.
Advice: Make sure that you leave sufficient time to answer each
question. Divide your time equally for each question and try not to
overrun on questions you feel you are good at answering.
(c)
Problem: Poor communication skills or answers suffered from poor
organisation.
Advice: Take your time to plan your response to the question and
try to organise your ideas into coherent and related packages (i.e.
paragraphs). Make a clear systematic plan of how you intend to
answer the questions. Take some time to formulate a plan for each
question.
4. Length and content: A common query raised by students is how much is
9
enough in terms of exam length. Answers of one to one-and-a-half pages are
sometimes considered to be too brief and you may find recommendations
that students should aim for more substantial answers. Note however that
"padding" will not give you extra marks. It is the quality of the content which
matters, not length per-se. A brief, precise, accurate and original answer will
get good marks. It is particularly important to bear this in mind if you find
yourself short of time - an outline answer in note form is much better than
writing nothing at all.
6. Neatness: You should make every effort to ensure you write clearly so
that the markers can concentrate on your answers, rather than the quality of
your handwriting. This includes smudged writing or ink which is too similar in
colour to the answer booklet. You may lose marks if parts of your answer
book are indecipherable. If a marker deems your entire answer book to be
illegible, you will be asked to attend the Student Services Center in person in
order to transcribe your answer books. You will be responsible for bearing
any associated costs. Tippex or other correction fluids are not required,
neatly crossing out words, or sections you do not wish to be marked is
sufficient.
For a detailed description of the marking scheme used for exams see the
table in Annex 1.
10
III. DISSERTATION ADVICE AND INFORMATION
The Dissertation is an important part of the assessment requirement, so it is
essential that you take care to write a Dissertation of appropriate quality.
(Note however that you should not fall into the temptation of neglecting
exam revision.) Your dissertation should serve to demonstrate that you have
sufficiently mastered the subject of the degree to make a contribution which
merits attention by other scholars and practitioners in the field. The best
Dissertations can be - and have been - of a standard which leads to serious
consideration for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Even if the content
of your Dissertation does not match that criterion, the quality of
presentation, including references, must be of that standard.
The Dissertation is due in August (see ‘3. Date for Submission’ below). Each
student should propose a working title and fill out a Dissertation proposal
form for the Dissertation the deadline for which will vary depending on your
programme. The proposal should be submitted to Moodle as well as in
accordance with your programme specific guidelines which will be provided
nearer the date of submission. . The proposal may include a short summary
outlining the aims of the Dissertation, proposed study area and
methodologies, as well as an indicative list of Chapter headings. This
document is your Dissertation proposal. It is intended to form a broad
introduction to your study area rather than a definitive and final overview of
your Dissertation however it would be useful to treat this as a working
document as you progress through your dissertation research.
You are strongly encouraged to attend the Department of Methodology &
11
LSE study skills sessions on undertaking a Dissertation. In addition, these
notes are intended to guide you in your work on your Dissertation.
1. LENGTH
You should note the number of words in the dissertation on the cover
sheet (this requirement is not onerous, since most word processing
packages incorporate a word count facility). The maximum length
specified in the assessment regulations is 10,000 words inclusive of the
abstract, headings, statistical tables and illustrative material, the main
body of the text and footnotes. The title page, table of contents,
reference list and appendices are not included in this word limit.
Appendices may be used for additional optional information but the
dissertation should have its own logic and integrity and should not rely
on this information for its arguments. The 10,000 word limit is
approximately equivalent to 40 pages of A4 paper typed with double
spacing. The examiners will not mark anything at all that exceeds the
word limit, there is no margin allowed. This is necessary in order to
achieve equity. The word limit is intended to discourage candidates from
attempting over-ambitious topics or engaging in excessive "waffle".
(Remember that articles in major journals rarely exceed 8,000 words.)
2. FORM
There is no set format that your dissertation should follow, essentially it
is up to you how you choose to present your work; it should however be
printed on A4 paper. There is no need to double space lines but at least
1.5 spacing is advisable. Please be sure to use a clearly legible font (e.g.:
Times New Roman, 12pt) and that you use a coherent referencing system
12
such as the Departmental standard, Harvard style reference
system. Ensure you utilise page numbers (a table of contents is usually
expected with a document of this size). If you intend to have your
Dissertation bound, please make sure you leave sufficient margin space
for the binding on the left-hand side of the page. You may print either
single or double sided.
You should avoid losing marks needlessly through typographic,
spelling and other technical errors. You should always leave yourself
time to proof-read your final draft very closely. To perform this task
properly requires considerable time and concentration; proofreading quickly turns into a superficial skim-through unless it is done
in ‘quality time’ and with adequate breaks. At least two careful
readings will be needed to ensure that the material you submit is of
final draft quality. You should take particular care with any diagrams
and tables that you include, making sure that the headings and
captions are fully self-explanatory. Don’t forget to say where the
figures, statistics in your diagrams and tables have come from. These
sources should also be listed in your reference list.
3. SUBSTANCE
The Dissertation should contain original research or analysis, based
either on primary or secondary data. A Dissertation, just like a
course essay, needs to have a central integrating argument. The
argument should be logically developed, building up a case point by
point, and displaying a critical and analytical approach to the subject.
Descriptive material which does not contribute to such an argument
13
should normally be omitted.
It is not enough simply to write about the collection of books and
articles which you have read about the topic. A good Dissertation
needs to contain your assessment of existing knowledge about the
topic (plus any contributions which you yourself may have made to
that knowledge through original research from primary sources or
fieldwork) and will be an expression of your thoughts and
conclusions.
It follows that you are required to examine the evidence critically.
Do not commit the ipse dixit fallacy: the proposition that something
must be true simply because Professor X (or some other eminence)
said it or wrote it. Your task as the Dissertation author is to examine
the evidence, assess the argument or analysis, and then come to your
own conclusions.
Your argument must have depth and balance. Avoid making
superficial claims which will not stand up to scrutiny. Do not make
the mistake of regarding all possible counter-arguments as
‘irrelevant’. Important alternative views must be met. Refute them
if possible. If not, take them into consideration in your final
assessment and give any reasons for having doubts about their
validity. Similarly, do not ignore evidence that does not support your
case. Examine the evidence. If you can find no fault there, and if you
have no counter-evidence, then maybe something is wrong with your
case. Superficiality is a common defect identified by examiners. If
candidates adopt a single perspective, they must demonstrate a
14
critical awareness of its strengths and weaknesses. Your Dissertation
must have an analytical base. Always link your empirical and
descriptive material (fieldwork or material based on secondary
sources) to some conceptual or theoretical literature. A case study
for example would be acceptable only if it were used to contribute to
a theoretical debate, illustrating or refuting some hypothesis.
4. PLANNING AND GUIDANCE
You should start planning your Dissertation early. Obviously, you
should pick a topic that closely interests you, but make sure that it
fits with the course material. You should discuss in detail the general
scope and approach of your Dissertation as well as your proposed
source materials with your supervisor as early as you can and
certainly before the end of the Lent Term.
Once you have sketched and defined your topic, and completed
some initial reading, draw up a draft plan. In the first instance, the
plan is likely to be simply a list of questions to be asked; new aspects
will be added as you do more research. Often your Dissertation will
develop with a cyclical process: you begin with a rough idea of what
might be found or argued, you modify this idea as you get into the
topic, discard some ideas and concentrate on others, refine the
research question, and so on.
5. DISSERTATION SUPERVISION
The dissertation supervision allocation process will vary depending
15
on your programme. Your supervisor will be a suitable member of
staff from the Department of Geography and Environment or, in the
case of MSc Environment programmes possibly from the Grantham
Research Institute and in exceptional circumstances only (for E&D
students), from the Department of International Development.
Supervision will be based on three key meetings between student
and supervisor. Unless there is an emergency, students should rely
only on these three meetings and should therefore make the most of
them. These meetings will take place during the Lent and Summer
Terms and the students should initiate them.
Your supervisor will advise you on your approach, coverage,
questions to be asked, and the outline structure and research design
of the Dissertation. It is the student's responsibility to submit to the
supervisor, with reasonable notice, material that can form the basis
of discussion in the meetings with the supervisor during the Lent and
Summer Terms. In order to maximise the meetings' productivity it is
also advisable that you give to your supervisor a list of topics for
discussion (e.g. problems and questions that you have) one week
ahead of the meeting date. Remember that if you do not approach
your supervisor he/she will not necessarily chase you - the initiative
is on your side.
Beyond the end of the Summer Term you must not expect any further
supervision from your dissertation supervisor; academics are
expected to spend the summer vacation conducting their own
research, as well as attending meetings and conferences and taking
holidays, so do not rely on contact with your supervisor after that
16
date. It should be noted, however you should not expect your
supervisor to give meticulous detailed comments on drafts regardless
of where you are in the process or in the academic year: the purpose
of the Dissertation is to give you a chance to show your capacities to
contribute to academic discussion and debate and it should be your
own effort.
(a) By all means use primary source material (from fieldwork, surveys
or analysis of original documents) if you wish and if it is available to
you. MSc candidates who have used primary material successfully in
the past have usually been given higher marks. But, given the short
time available to you for research, you should make sure that any
fieldwork or primary research that you do is strictly ‘containable’
within the time-frame for the Dissertation. The board of examiners
will not be sympathetic to pleas for extra time or excuses for
unfinished Dissertations on the grounds that fieldwork took longer to
complete than expected. Moreover, you should note that the use of
primary source material is not a requirement of a successful
Dissertation. A Dissertation which is closer in style and approach to
an extended tutorial essay rather than a mini-doctoral thesis is
perfectly acceptable, so long as it has a clear and convincing
argument, achieves adequate depth and contains original research or
analysis. Note that although this is possible to achieve without
primary data, it is usually more difficult to do with secondary data
only.
(b) Do make sure well in advance that the material you hope to use is
actually available. Some MSc candidates have been known to
17
postpone work on their Dissertations until after the examination
period, only to discover, at this stage, that their expected data
sources did not exist or were inaccessible.
(c) While it is obviously necessary to identify the major sources
relating to your topic, you do not need to engage in the sort of
exhaustive literature search which would be more appropriate for a
research degree.
(e) References are scholarly acknowledgements of work referred to
or quoted. It is important that you use a recognised citation system.
The ‘Harvard System' is used by most students and is the one
adopted by the Department of Geography (see the inside cover of
the journal Environment and Planning. A if you are unsure on how to
use the Harvard citation system). This citation system requires you
to put in the text of your work the surname of the author and the
date of publication all within brackets - e.g. (Johnson, 1991). In case
of a direct quote you also need to include the page number(s) - e.g.
(Johnson, 1991: 334) as well as quotation marks around the section
of text you are directly quoting. At the end of the Dissertation you
then give a single list of all the references you have used. This list of
references should be arranged alphabetically with full bibliographic
information. The alphabetical list should include all the references
which have been used (books, articles, reports, government
publications, theses, etc.). If you choose to adopt an alternative
convention from the Harvard System, make sure both that it is an
acceptable one and that you use it consistently. Students will be
18
penalised for poor, inconsistent or sloppy references and in some
cases could lead to a plagiarism investigation if work is not cited
correctly. For further guidance on referencing, consult the sources
listed at the end of this document or the Departmental Librarian
Assistant.
You must at all costs avoid plagiarism.
Please refer to section IV on plagiarism
(f) Footnotes are used to take care of the occasions when you have a
piece of information to report but it is inconvenient to break up the
text to include it at that point. Traditionally, footnotes appeared at
the bottom of the relevant page in a smaller font, and the advent of
more sophisticated word-processing packages has given this type of
footnote a new lease of life. Alternatively, put all ‘notes’ at the end
and signal them in the text by a number in brackets (), in a single
numerical sequence. Note however that you must limit your use of
footnotes.. They are disruptive to the reader and over-use of
footnotes is a symptom of a failure to work out a proper structure for
the argument.
(g) Early identification of a precise topic will help you enormously
with sources, since the process of ‘serendipity’ and chance sightings
of books and articles during the pursuit of your other studies (as long
as you make a note of them at the time) will save time later, while
reflection on your topic in advance of solid work on it may help you
to develop ideas which can elude you later in the process.
19
6. EVALUATION CRITERIA
Assessment of the Dissertation will include the following:
• critical appreciation of relevant literature, theoretical issues, public
policy implications and methodological issues
• strength of research aims and, where appropriate, hypotheses
• the nature of the topic and its relationship to relevant literature
• effective use of sources
• the coherence and structure of the argument presented
• insight and originality
• the appropriateness of the methods used and the adequacy of their
execution
• degree to which conclusions are justified by the data/information
used
• the clarity of expression, style and overall presentation
For a more detailed description of the marking scheme used for exams,
essays and the Dissertation see the table in Annex 1.
7. DATE FOR SUBMISSION
The exact date for submission of the dissertation can be found on the
GY499 Moodle Page as well as in the Departmental Essay Submission
Deadlines document on the Graduate Homepage.
For information on the submission of essays please refer to section V.
For information on extensions please refer to section VI.
For information on late penalties, please refer to section VII.
20
8. RELEVANCE
Remember that the Dissertation is submitted in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the degree. It should therefore relate to the syllabus
for one or more components of the course. That means that it should
clearly demonstrate the link between the topic or case(s) studied and a
recognised corpus of literature (in the same way that a journal article
has to do) and that this link should be made explicit.
9.
ONLINE BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASES
You should use online bibliographic databases for your research. These give
you easy and quick access to book chapters, journal articles, conference
papers, and other published materials. These databases allow you to glance
through article's abstracts and book summaries for each recorded item, so
you can save time physically searching for materials that may or may not be
relevant. The Library subject guide for Geography and Environment
(www.lse.ac.uk/library/subjectGuides/) has a section on locating journal
articles, including lists of the key resources for Geography, Development
Studies and Environmental Economics. The Library Search service enables
searching across several databases at once.
21
IV. PLAGIARISM
You must at all costs avoid plagiarism. Incorporating material from other
sources without proper referencing will jeopardise your entire degree not
just the marks on an individual essay.
All submitted work is checked via plagiarism text matching software, which
compares your work to that of any previous submission or publication. The
plagiarism software will detect any degree of similarity. Small degrees of
similarity that are correctly referenced will not be taken any further, but
anything other than this will lead to an investigation and potentially
consideration before an Assessment Misconduct Panel. Plagiarised work
could be awarded a ‘Zero’ or even lead to expulsion from the school.
What is plagiarism?
(i) All work for classes and seminars as well as scripts (which include, for
example, essays, dissertations and any other work, including
computer programs) must be your own work. Quotations must be
placed properly within quotation marks or indented and must be
cited fully. All paraphrased material must be acknowledged.
Infringing this requirement, whether deliberately or not, or passing
off the work of others as the work of the student, whether
deliberately or not, is plagiarism.
(ii) The definition of a student's own work includes work produced by
collaboration expressly allowed by the department or institute
concerned. If the student has not been given permission, such work
will be considered to be the product of unauthorised collusion and
22
will be considered as plagiarism under these regulations.
(iii) Students should also take care in the use of their own work. A piece
of work may only be submitted for assessment once. Submitting the
same piece (or section of the same piece) of work twice will be
regarded as an offence of 'self-plagiarism'. However, earlier essay
work may be used as an element of a dissertation, provided that the
amount of earlier work used is acceptable to the department and the
work is properly referenced.
LSE takes cases of plagiarism very seriously so before you do submit anything,
you should read through the below links:

Regulations on assessment offences: plagiarism

Library Guide to Citing & Referencing
If in doubt about referencing, consult your Programme Director, academic
advisor/tutor or the LSE Library.
By submitting your work you acknowledge that you agree with the
following statement:
I certify that I have read and understood the rules and regulations of LSE
regarding assessment procedures and offences. In addition I formally declare
that all work contained within this document is my own (apart from properly
referenced quotations/citations), and that all sources used are made explicit
in the text. I understand that plagiarism is the use or presentation of any work
by others, whether published or not, and can include the work of other
candidates and self-plagiarism.
23
V. SUBMISSION OF ESSAYS/ DISSERTATION
All students must submit:
a) 1 HARDCOPY
The hardcopy needs to be stapled/bound with the relevant cover
sheet attached. Cover Sheets can be found outside of STC.406 or on
the Current Students section of the departmental website.
Please note that there are different cover sheets for essays and
projects/dissertations.
The hardcopy must be submitted before the 4pm deadline into the
black Graduate Drop Box outside STC406
Postal Submission: If you are posting your dissertation, please allow
plenty of time for it to arrive, your submission will be marked as
complete only when your dissertation ARRIVES not when it is post
marked. The department will not be held responsible for any work
lost during transit and it is your responsibility to ensure that it arrives
on time. Use a recorded delivery service and get a receipt so you can
track your order. If you are unsure about the postal service from
where you are sending it, please send via a courier delivery service to
the following address:
F.A.O. (Insert name of relevant Graduate Administrator)
London School of Economics
STC.406 Department of Geography and Environment
Houghton Street
London, WC2A 2AE
24
b) 1 ELECTRONIC COPY SUBMITTED VIA MOODLE
You MUST name your electronic file correctly (Course_Candidate
number_Programme name initials e.g. GY499_ 12345_RUPS).
Please note that your CANDIDATE NUMBER can be found on your LSE
for YOU account, this is NOT the same as your student ID number
which is on your student card. Please ensure you use the right one.
The cover sheet MUST be on the hardcopy, however it is not
essential to have one on the electronic copy.
You can only submit one electronic file so please combine separate
files before you upload to Moodle. Moodle will take your latest
submission so if you realise you have uploaded the wrong file or you
want to make a change before the deadline you can do so simply by
re-uploading, it will automatically overwrite your previously
uploaded file.
The department cannot accept any responsibility for computer
problems or uploading problems, if you are having problems please
let your administrator know as soon as possible.
You can find the submission links on the relevant Moodle Page.
25
VI. WORD COUNT
Below are the rules and penalties relating to the word count (taken from your
programme handbook)
THE WORD COUNT INCLUDES:






all essay text, including quotes (indirect and direct), citations
and footnotes
headings and sub-headings
title of tables or figures
preface (dissertations)
abstract (dissertations)
words/numbers in tables and figures
THE WORD COUNT EXCLUDES:






Title / title page
Table of contents (dissertations)
Word count declaration
Acknowledgements
Bibliography/ Reference List
Appendices (Appendices may be used for additional optional
information but the dissertation should have its own logic
and integrity and should not rely on this information for
its arguments)
PENALTY FOR EXCEEDING THE WORD LIMIT:
Students must remain within the word limit of the coursework
assignment. The examiners will not mark anything at all that exceeds
the word limit, there is no margin allowed.
26
VII. DEFERRALS
If you wish to defer any component of assessment (including the
dissertation, you will need to seek permission from the school. In order
to gain such permission you will have to satisfy the appropriate
committee of the Graduate School and, ultimately, the Chair of the
Graduate School that you have good grounds for deferring. If you are
considering deferral it is advisable to contact your dissertation
supervisor, Programme Director or Graduate Administrator as soon as
possible to discuss the procedure. Students who are experiencing
difficulties are also encouraged to visit the Disability and Wellbeing
Service for support and guidance if required.
The deferrals page section of the LSE website provides instructions.
If you do not get this permission in advance and fail to complete your
assessment, you will be deemed to have failed to complete that
component of your degree.
VIII. EXTENSIONS
Extensions are only given in exceptional circumstances such as bereavement,
verifiable medical illness or emergency. In this case you must write a formal
note to your Course Manager or Programme Director, and obtain written
permission for an extension prior to the hand in deadline. Computer
problems/storage failures do not warrant reasons for extensions so please
keep regular back-ups of your work in a variety of storage locations. Failure
to meet any deadline without prior written permission from the relevant
27
Course Manager or Programme Director will result in a penalty for late
submission.
IX. LATE SUBMISSIONS
Deadlines must be met unless an extension has been previously granted by
the Course Manager or Programme Director. Late submission of assessed
coursework (including dissertations) is punished according to an LSE-wide
penalty scheme. 5 marks out of 100 will be taken off the assessed mark for
each working day or part of day (Monday – Friday) that the coursework is
submitted late. Exceptions are made only for those students who have been
granted an extension.
Both hard and electronic copies need to be received in the department by
the due date or your work will be considered late. It is best to contact the
department as soon as you can if you encounter any difficulties, that way we
can help resolve the situation as early as possible. Please note, problems
with PCs, printers or laptops, hold-ups at the copy shop, are not accepted as
reasons for late submission. If you are planning to bind your dissertation it is
advisable you leave plenty of time as demand for the service is high on
dissertation deadline day.
xxviii
Annex 1: Guide Marking Scheme
Department of Geography and Environment
Mark
Very Good to
Excellent
(Distinction)
Descriptive Equivalent for
Exams
Perceptive, focused use of a
good depth of material with a
critical edge. Original ideas or
structure of argument.
Descriptive Equivalent
for Essays
Breadth or intensity of
accessed data or
literature plus an original
or critical contribution or
finding.
Perceptive understanding of
the issues plus a coherent
well-read and stylish
treatment though lacking
originality
Thorough, clear
treatment shows
understanding of
arguments, contribution
and context. Efficient use
of data and literature.
(70-100)
Good
(Merit)
(60-69)
Descriptive Equivalent for
the Dissertation
A professional approach
revealing a degree of
maturity and fluency of
expression. Project
completed to high
standard or a good review
of the shortcomings.
Publishable in existing or
modified form.
Less original and
painstaking but sign of
setting a good effort in an
appropriate context. Wellpresented but
discrepancies not explored.
xxix
Satisfactory
(Pass)
(50-59)
Unsatisfactory
(Fail)
(40-49)
(39 and under - bad
fail)
A “correct” answer based
largely on lecture material.
Little detail or originality but
presented in adequate
framework. Small factual
errors allowed.
Pedestrian treatment of
wide literature or
database OR adequate
treatment of incomplete
data or literature
“without spark”.
Based entirely on lecture
material but unstructured and
with increasing error
component. Concepts are
disordered or flawed. Poor
presentation. Errors of
concept and scope or poor in
knowledge, structure and
expression.
Very basic approach to a
narrow or misguided
selection of material.
Lacking in background or
flawed in arguments.
Little effort. Shallow and
poorly presented.
Lacking in conclusions or
conclusions incorrect.
Good effort but poor
outcome: incomplete,
pedestrian or lacking in
imagination or criticism.
Generally a failure to
develop a coherent
argument or viewpoint.
Deficient in effort
therefore arguments and
discussion poorly
researched and conveyed.
Little sign of analytical
technique or depth, relying
heavily on secondary
sources. Evident omissions
and/or misunderstandings.
A poorly structured, weak
or partial piece of work.
The Taught masters award scheme and regulations can be found on the LSE website at
http://www.lse.ac.uk/resources/calendar/academicRegulations/TaughtMastersDegreesFourUnits.htm
xxx
Annex 2: Further Reading
You may find it helpful to consult style guides, such as:
Gowers, E. (1987). The complete plain words, 3rd ed. London: Penguin Books.
Hart’s guide for compositors and readers. Oxford: OUP, latest edition.
[Useful for technical points]
Strunk, W. and White, E. (2000). The elements of style, 4th ed. London: Allyn
and Bacon.
In addition, you will probably find it helpful to consult one of the ‘how to ...’
books available on the subject of writing essays, reports, dissertations, etc.,
such as:
Balian, E. (1994). The graduate research guidebook: A practical approach to
doctoral/masters research. Lanham, Md: University Press of America.
Bell, J. (1999). Doing your research project: A guide for first-time researchers
in education and social science. Buckingham: Open University Press.
[It is geared to students of education, but some parts are of wider
relevance]
Berry, R (1986). How to write a research paper, 2nd ed. Oxford: Pergamon.
Dunleavy, P. J. (1986). Studying for a degree in the humanities and social
sciences. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
[Especially chapter 5, ‘Writing Dissertations’, pp 110-36]
Greetham, B. (2001). How to write better essays. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Jay, A. (1993). Effective presentation. London: Pitman Publishing.
[Advice for your oral presentation]
Jay, R. (1994). How to write proposals and reports that get results. London:
xxxi
Pitman Publishing.
Parsons, T. and Knight, P. G. (2005). How to do your dissertation in geography
and related disciplines, 2nd ed. London: Routledge.
Redman, P. (2006). Good essay writing: A social sciences guide. London: Sage.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2007). Research methods for
business students, 4th ed. Essex: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
Sharp, J. A., Peters, J. and Howard, K. (2002). The management of a student
research project, 3rd ed. Aldershot: Gower.
Turabian, K. (1997). A manual for writers of term papers, theses and
dissertations, 6th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Other more specialised sources which you may find useful include:
Agresti, A. and Finlay, B. (1997). Statistical methods for the social sciences, 3rd
ed. London: Prentice Hall.
Bateman, I., Carson, R.T., Day, B., Hanemann, M., Hanley, N., Hett, T., JonesLee, M., Loomes, G., Mourato, S., Ozdemiroglu, E., Pearce, D.W., Sugden,
R., and Swanson, J. (2002). Economic valuation with stated preference
techniques: A manual. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Davies, M. B. (2007). Doing a successful research project: Using qualitative or
quantitative methods. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Dillman, D (2007). Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method, 2nd
ed., 2007 Update. New York: John Wiley.
Dougherty, C. (2007). Introduction to econometrics, 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Groves, R. M. (2004). Survey methodology. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
xxxii
Hoinville, G., Jowell, R., et al. (1978). Survey research practice. London:
Heinemann Educational.
McCrossan, L. (1991). A handbook for interviewers: A manual of social survey
practice and procedures on structured interviewing. London: HMSO.
[For interview techniques]
Oppenheim, A. (1992). Questionnaire design, interviewing and attitude
measurement. London: Pinter.
[Detailed discussion of various
techniques]
Robinson, G. M. (1998). Methods and techniques in human geography. New
York: Wiley.
Schuman, H. and Presser, S. (1996). Questions and answers in attitude
surveys: Experiments on question form, wording, and context. London:
Sage. [For questionnaire design]
Uwe, F. (2006). An introduction to qualitative research, 3rd ed. London: Sage.
de Vaus, D. (2001). Surveys in social research, 5th ed. London: Routledge.
[For survey organisation and analysis]