MSc Carbon Capture & Storage
Programme Handbook 2013-14
Welcome
2
1 Introduction ............................................................................... 4
1.1
1.2
1.3
Purpose of this Programme Handbook .......................................... 4
Key contacts .................................................................................. 4
Glossary 5
2 Overview of MSc Programme ................................................... 6
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
Aims and Objectives ..................................................................... 6
Programme Delivery ..................................................................... 6
Learning Outcomes ....................................................................... 6
Introductory Week ......................................................................... 7
The Structure of the Degree Programme ....................................... 7
Dissertation.................................................................................... 7
3 Introductory Week ..................................................................... 9
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
4.1
4.1.1
4.2
4.2.1
Choice of MSc Courses ................................................................. 9
Core Courses ................................................................................. 9
Optional Courses ........................................................................... 9
Additional Course Information.................................................... 10
Course Feedback ......................................................................... 10
Matriculation ............................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
First Semester .............................................................................. 11
Timetable........................................................................... 11
Second Semester.......................................................................... 11
Timetable........................................................................... 14
5. Assessment ............................................................................. 16
5.1
5.1.1
5.1.2
5.2
5.2.1
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
5.8
5.9
5.10
5.10
5.11
5.12
5.12
5.13
5.14
Coursework Assessment.............................................................. 16
Procedure for Handing-in Assignments ...................................... 16
Extensions to Deadlines in Special Circumstances ..................... 17
Course Examination .................................................................... 19
Examination Regulations .................................................. 19
Marking Guidance ....................................................................... 19
Release of Marks and Feedback to Students ............................... 20
Board of Examiners ..................................................................... 20
Role of External Examiner .......................................................... 21
Progression to MSc Dissertation ................................................. 21
The Diploma ................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
General Postgraduate Certificate ................................................. 21
Dissertation.................................................................................. 22
Degree with Distinction............................................................... 22
Meeting with External Examiners ............................................... 22
Plagiarism Policy ......................................................................... 22
Cheating 23
Appeals 24
Graduation ................................................................................... 24
6 Dissertation ............................................................................. 25
6.1
6.2
Dissertation Supervision.............................................................. 26
Dissertation Proposal ................................................................... 26
6.2.1
Fieldwork .......................................................................... 27
6.3.... General Guidelines for Presentation of MSc Dissertation........... 29
6.3.4
Insurance ........................................................................... 29
6.3.5
Health and Safety .............................................................. 29
6.3.6
Ethics ................................................................................. 29
6.3.7
Treatment of Unsatisfactory Dissertations ........................ 29
6.3.8
Publication......................................................................... 30
6.4
Layout and Presentation .............................................................. 30
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Programme Handbook 2013-14
Treatment of Unsatisfactory Dissertations ........................ 34
7 Academic Guidance and Pastoral Support ........................... 36
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
7.7
7.8
Absences Error! Bookmark not defined.
Illness or Incapacity..................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Advice and Counselling .............. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Disability Office .......................................................................... 39
Student/Staff Liaison ................................................................... 40
Student Feedback and Evaluation ............................................... 40
8 Computer Facilities and Support ........................................... 41
9 A to Z of Facilities and Services ............................................ 43
9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4
9.5
9.7
9.8
9.9
9.10
9.11
9.12
9.13
9.14
9.15
9.16
9.17
9.18
9.19
9.20
9.21
9.22
9.23
9.24
9.25
Accommodation .......................................................................... 43
Banking 43
Building Access ........................................................................... 44
Catering 44
Chaplaincy ................................................................................... 44
Fax
Error! Bookmark not defined.
Feedback 45
Health & Safety ........................................................................... 45
Health Service ............................................................................. 46
nternational Office ....................................................................... 46
Insurance 46
Libraries 46
Mail
Error! Bookmark not defined.
Photocopy Machines ................................................................... 47
Postal Services ............................................................................. 47
Printing Services.......................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Recycling47
Shopping 47
Smoking 47
Sport Facilities ............................................................................. 47
Students Union ............................................................................ 48
Telephone .................................................................................... 48
Travel and Transport ................................................................... 48
Visas for International Students .................................................. 48
Appendix 1:
Appendix 2:
Appendix 3:
Appendix 4:
Appendix 5:
Appendix 6:
Appendix 7:
University Marking SchemeError! Bookmark not defined.
Advice to Students on Examinations ...............................50
University of Edinburgh – Own Work Declaration ............51
Dissertation Checklist .....................................................52
Fieldwork Assessment Form FA1 ...................................54
Code of Practice for Fieldwork ........................................61
1 – 7 Day Extension Form...............................................68
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Programme Handbook 2013-14
Welcome
Dear Student
Welcome to the School of Geosciences. We hope that you enjoy your studies here and
that your career will be advanced and your horizons widened by the programme of
postgraduate study which you are about to follow.
We plan for you to receive the best possible opportunity to develop your talents and to
graduate, thus joining a growing group of alumni who enhance our reputation
worldwide.
It is essential that you read and understand this handbook which contains information for
every stage of your programme. This handbook should therefore be a constant reference
to you during your studies.
I look forward to working with you over the course of the coming year.
Dr Mark Wilkinson
Programme Director
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1
Programme Handbook 2013-14
Introduction
1.1
Purpose of this Programme Handbook
This handbook is a guide to what is expected of you on the MSc Carbon Capture & Storage
programme, and the academic and pastoral support available to you. Please read it carefully. It
will help you to make the most of your time on the programme. Some important general aspects
covered in this handbook are amplified in the University’s Code of Practice for Taught
Postgraduate Programmes (http://www.acaffairs.ed.ac.uk/Regulations/CoP/PGT/Index.htm)
which will be issued to you on arrival and which you are also expected to read. This handbook
does not supersede the University Regulations (http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/index.php)
Please note that every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this
handbook was correct at the time of going to press.
1.2
Key contacts
MSc Programme Director
Dr Mark Wilkinson, Room 308
Grant Institute
King’s Buildings
Tel: 0131 650 5943
Email: mark.wilkinson@ed.ac.uk
MSc Programme Secretary
Christine Wilson
Room 214, Crew Building
Email: christine.wilson@ed.ac.uk
Tel: 0131 650 4866
The Programme Director is responsible for directing students’
studies, and for the academic content and quality assurance of the
programme. S/he should be your first point of contact for
academic queries and pastoral support.
The Programme Secretary provides administrative support for
students and academic staff involved in the MSc Programme. She
can help you decide who to speak to about issues such as building
access, printing, council tax, visas, etc. If the programme director
is not available she can provide pastoral support to students.
Course Organisers
Course Organisers are responsible for the content and assessment
of individual courses. They should be the first point of contact for
any issues arising specifically related to their course. Further
information on staff can be found in your elective handbook.
Course Secretary
The Course Secretary will collect paper copies of assignments
and process marks for each course. This will usually be the
programme secretary; however, this is not always the case. Your
MSc programme secretary can point you in the right direction.
Dissertation supervisor
Your supervisor will provide academic guidance for your
dissertation. This is covered in more detail in Section 6.
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1.3
Programme Handbook 2013-14
Glossary
Usage varies in different institutions. Here is what various words mean in the University of
Edinburgh:
Programme: The MSc (or Diploma) is a “programme of study”, or simply a
“programme”.
Course: The taught element of the programme is modular, and the study modules are
referred to as “courses” (or sometimes as modules). For example, International
Development is a course.
Core: The courses that all students on a particular programme must take and pass (at
50% or above) are called core courses.
Compulsory: The courses that all students on a particular programme must take along
with core are called compulsory courses.
Options: Courses that are elective – i.e., you choose these to tailor the programme to
your interests (within the constraints of timetabling, etc).
Semester: There are two semesters. The semester before the Christmas/New Year
vacation is “semester 1”, and the one after is “semester 2”. Each is 11 weeks long plus
any weeks of associated examinations.
Block: A five-week period within a semester, either weeks 1 to 5 or 6 to 10 inclusive.
Week 11 of semester 1 is free of taught classes to allow students to revise before exams.
Blocks 1 and 2 are in semester 1; blocks 3 and 4 are in semester 2. Some courses last a
full semester, others last for one block.
Credits or Points: These measure the relative weight attached to various elements of the
overall programme. To complete the taught element of the programme you must
undertake and pass courses with associated credits totalling 120 credits. The courses you
are likely to take are all valued at 10 or 20 credits.
Marks: You will receive a mark for each course you take. These are given from 0–100
and the full marking scheme is included in Appendix 1. To pass at Master’s level you
should achieve 50 or above. To pass at Diploma level you should achieve 40 or above.
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2
Overview of MSc Programme
2.1
Aims and Objectives
The programme provides training for students in enhancing research skills and developing
subject specific skills in the field of Carbon Capture and Storage. It is designed to maximise
flexibility for students who already have CCS experience and wish to specialise in their area of
interest.
Programme Objectives:
•
Detailed examination of key CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) techniques and
technologies through the entire supply chain (combustion, transport, geoscience, legal).
•
Development of conceptual and analytical skills to enable critical evaluation of
projected CCS schemes.
•
Enable dialogue with specialists in the CCS supply chain, e.g.
engineers, regulators.
•
Understanding of background environmental issues surrounding CCS.
•
Appreciation of environmental issues for individual CCS sites.
•
Completion of a tailored research project of a standard suitable for publication in the
peer-reviewed literature, to provide graduates with high level experience in one aspect
of the design and assessment of a CCS scheme
geoscientists,
The programme consists of two main elements: the taught component and the dissertation.
2.2 Programme Delivery
The teaching delivery modes include lectures, seminars, workshops, practicals and one-on-one
supervision, requiring students to thoroughly engage in the subject matter and to develop and
practice a range of communication styles.
Students are required to articulate and cogently argue their research ideas in reports, essays,
presentations and the final thesis. Vocational awareness and research career opportunities are
developed through invited outside speakers from a range of private businesses and public
organisations and through the opportunity for industrial organisation collaboration during the
dissertation phase.
The Field Excursion course includes a week in Helmsdale in North East Scotland, where
students develop field-based skills and work in groups, developing their team working skills
through an intense project which requires cooperation and typically engenders personal
development.
2.3
Learning Outcomes
Following completion of the programme students will have the ability to:
Communicate across the disciplines involved in the CCS value chain.

Understand the process of assessment of an area for CCS storage potential.

Liaise with, understand and direct the work of, specialists who will beinvolved in CCS
projects, e.g. reservoir engineers, sedimentologists, geochemical modellers, regulators.
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MSc Carbon Capture & Storage

2.4
Programme Handbook 2013-14
Assess the relative merits of carbon capture and transport methods.
Introductory Week
This is the week before the start of first semester. A range of events and activities are organised
to introduce students to the University and the various facilities and services that are available to
support students’ studies, and to give students the chance to get to know each other and their
surroundings. It is also an opportunity for students to familiarise themselves with the MSc
programme, and select their choice of optional courses. The full programme of activities is
described in Section 3.
2.5
The Structure of the Degree Programme
Teaching is based around two semesters, each made up of two five-week blocks, preceded by an
induction week. Research work takes place from March – August.
The relevant dates are:
Semester 1 (Taught) : from 16th September 2013 until 29th November 2013
(Semester 1 ends 20th December 2013)
Semester 2: (Taught): from 13th January 2014 until 4th April 2014
(Semester 2 ends 23rd May 2014)
Examination period for the first semester will take place from 10th until 21st December, 2012.
There will be no examinations for semester two courses – these are assessed by coursework only.
No teaching will occur during the Christmas Vacation (23rd December 2013 until 13th January
2014) and the University will be closed from 23rd December 2013 until 6th January 2014
inclusive.
Timetables and outlines of course contents are included in Section 4 0. We reserve the right to
withdraw options if there is insufficient demand to make them viable and to restrict option
choice according to qualifications and experience. Because of timetabling constraints it is not
possible for us to offer unrestricted option choice. We feel, however, that this timetable allows
all the most logical course combinations to be taken.
The MSc Carbon Capture and Storage programme consists of the following main
components:
- four core courses (worth a total of 70 credit points)
- optional courses (worth a total of 50 credit points)
- a research dissertation (worth 60 credit points)
The standard University degree requirement for the award of an MSc is 180 credit
points. Credit points are awarded for the successful completion of taught courses and for
the dissertation.
2.6
Dissertation
Students who achieve at least a pass mark in the taught component are permitted to progress to
the dissertation stage of the programme. The dissertation is a report of an independent research
project, conducted by the student from April 2013, until the final submission date of Friday 15th
August, 2014. Each student is guided in their research by supervisors with good knowledge of
the field under study. The supervisors may be staff from the University of Edinburgh or the
Scottish Agricultural College, or professionals working in any appropriate external organisation,
both within or outside the UK.
The research topic is normally proposed by the student, in accordance with their own interests.
The Programme Director assists students in identifying suitable supervisors. Some students’
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Programme Handbook 2013-14
research topics are proposed by University staff or external organisations: the Programme
Director will ensure that students are informed of any such opportunities.
A successfully completed dissertation provides clear evidence of a student's ability to conduct
independent research in a particular field of study. As such, it is of great interest to potential
employers. Students are therefore recommended to select a topic that is related to their future
career plans, to maximise the benefits derived from the dissertation project.
All aspects of the dissertation stage of the programme are fully explained in Section 6.
2.7
Additional Programme Costs (APCs)
Additional Programme Costs are paid by each student upon matriculation and are specifically
used for the delivery of certain parts of the programme out with standard teaching delivery.
APCs are used to cover dissertation expenses, induction week events (e.g. fieldwork events),
provision and maintenance of computer labs, core programme text books, dissertation training
events, some Innovate Learning Week events, graduation events and other programme events
such as careers events and MSc Programme conferences.
2.8
Dissertation Expenses from APCs
All students have financial resources (from the Additional Programme Costs) which students can
use to fund expenses incurred during their research project. APCs vary from programme to
programme, and for this reason the set amount available to student to spend on their dissertation
is determined by the Programme Director. Students should submit their dissertation expenses
using an Internal Expense claim form available on Learn9 or from the Programme Secretary.
The form should be filled in, signed and submitted along with any receipts to the Programme
Secretary. More information on how to submit your Expense Claim form can be found on
Learn9. Funds unused by students will remain in the APC account.








Examples of items which can be reimbursed from this include:
Purchase of books, articles and journals
Inter-library loan charges
Purchase of laptop computer equipment, software or audio-visual equipment
Transport to and from a research site (this includes airfare, bus or train travel)
Proofreading and transcription
Attending a conference related to dissertation topic (registration fees)
Equipment or material the supervisor deems required to complete the project
Please note that these funds cannot be used to cover daily living costs (e.g. food and clothes).
The above list is by no means final; please check with the Programme Secretary if you are
unsure what you can use your resources for.
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3 Introductory Week
3.1
Choice of MSc Courses
Students should have a meeting with the Programme Director regarding course choices during
the Induction Week. Students will be expected to have made up their minds about their choice
of first semester elective choices in consultation with the Programme Director by the end of
Week 2.
Students are expected to make themselves familiar with the courses on offer and take the
opportunities provided to talk to the staff involved in the courses in which they are
interested. Students for whom a course is compulsory have absolute priority. Students
from other MSc courses may be accepted, but the Course Organiser, in consultation
with the Programme Director, has the right to decide which students are most suitable
for that particular course.
3.2
Core Courses
All students must take and pass at 50% the following core courses, further information on these
can be found in the Elective Handbook and online at the following site:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/geosciences/postgraduate/masters-programme/taughtmasters/carbon-capture-storage/degree-structure/courses




Carbon Capture and Transport (20 credits)
Carbon Storage and Monitoring (20 credits)
Carbon Economics (20 credits)
Reservoir Engineering (10 credits)
If you do not have a geoscience background, you will also be required to take the
following courses:

Geology for Earth Resources (10 credits)
3.3
Optional Courses
In addition to the core courses listed above you will also need to choose option courses worth a
total of 50 credit points (minus 10 credits if you take Geology for Earth Resources ). Note that
some of these courses require substantial, prior knowledge, and must be selected accordingly.
The recommended optional courses for students on this programme are:
Courses delivered by the School of GeoSciences:





Carbonate Sequence Stratigraphy (10 credits)
Hydrocarbon Reservoir Quality (20 credits)
Seismic Sequence Stratigraphy (10 credits)
Geological field excursion to Helmsdale, NE Scotland (10 credits)
Principles of Geographical Information Systems (10 Credits)
Courses delivered by the School of Business and Economics:

Economics for Postgraduates (15 credits)

Climate Change Science and Policy (10 credits)
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Programme Handbook 2013-14
Courses delivered by the School of Engineering:






Electrical Engineering Fundamentals of Renewable Energy (10 credits)
Mechanical Engineering Fundamentals of Renewable Energy (10 credits)
Power System Engineering (20 credits)
Separation Processes For Carbon Capture (10 credits)
Thermodynamics for power plant engineering with CO2 capture (10 credits)
Advanced Power Plant Engineering with CO2 capture (10 credits)
Courses delivered by the School of Social and Political Science:

Energy Policy and Politics (10 or 20 credits)
Full descriptions of these courses can be also found in the Elective Handbook.
3.4
Additional Course Information
1.
You may wish to take other courses from within the School, or courses which are
delivered by other Schools, providing they are relevant to your programme of study.
Information on all courses delivered in the university can be found at:
http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/13-14/ If you are unsure whether a course is appropriate,
please contact the Programme Director.
2.
In selecting your courses, please pay attention to the credit requirements of the taught
element of your programme. You must not select courses with a total number of credit
points exceeding the number for your programme. This enables you to limit the
overloading of courses and to maximise the time available to develop your dissertation.
3.
You will not be permitted to ‘sit-in’ on courses, except during the first week when you
have the opportunity to sample optional courses if you are unsure of what to take. If you
wish to change class, we only allow you to do so in the first week of that class. You
must have attended the first class of any course you are considering to take. Once you
have decided on the optional courses you wish to study, you will not be able to
substitute further courses for ones in which you feel you have not performed well.
4.
You should be aware that because different options are available in the
blocks/semesters, not all course combinations will be possible. This is particularly the
case with courses delivered outside the School of GeoSciences.
3.5
Course Feedback
Towards the end of the teaching blocks students are asked to complete a course feedback
questionnaire. This is a very important component of student feedback which allows staff to
monitor and improve the courses they offer and the MSc programme overall from year to year.
These questionnaires should be completed and returned as quickly as possible.
10
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4.
Programme Handbook 2013-14
Taught Courses
4.1
First Semester
4.1.1
Timetable
Block 1: 16th September 2013 until 18th October 2013
Block 2: 21st October 2013 until 29th November 2013
Key:
[20] = a 20-credit course; [10] = a 10-credit course
Courses that are associated with one programme may have restricted places as an
optional course for students from other programmes.
Monday
am
Tuesday
pm
Thermodyn
amics for
power plant
engineering
with CO2
capture
14.10 –
15.00
Hudson
Beare LT2
am
Wednesday
pm
Carbon Capture
& Transport (20)
14.00 – 18.00
Room 5 CBA
(OM)
am
Friday
Thursday
pm
Carbon
Economics (20)
11 - 13.00
Room LT2 BS
(SS)
am
pm
Thermodynamics
for power plant
engineering with
CO2 capture,
14.10 – 15.00
Hudson Beare
LT2
am
pm
Room LT4 BS
(SS)
Electrical Eng
FRE (Class)
09.00 – 10.50
sanderson LT1
Geology for
Earth
Resources
(10)
09:00–13:00
CBA 5 (MW)
WEEKS 6 - 10
ONLY
Mechanical
Eng FRE
14:10 –
16:00
LT1
Sanderson
Principles of GIS
14.10 – 16.00 George
Square Lecture
Theatre
Principles of GIS
16.10 – 18.00
Geography (Old
Infirmary) 2.02
11
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MSc Carbon Capture & Storage
Programme Handbook 2013-14
11.10 – 12:00
16:10 –
17:00
F
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F
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(
T
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(
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c
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11.10 – 12.00
Hudson Beare
12
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a
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MSc Carbon Capture & Storage
Programme Handbook 2013-14
Classroom 7 / 8
13
MSc Carbon Capture & Storage
4.2
Second Semester
4.2.1
Timetable
Programme Handbook 2013-14
Block 3: 13th January 2014 – 14th February 2014
Block 4: 24th February to 4th April 2014
Key:
Monday
[20] = a 20-credit course; [10] = a 10-credit course
Tuesday
Wednesday
am
Hydrocarbon Reservoir
Quality
(10)
10:00 16.00
C302
(SH) WEEKS 1 -4 ONLY
p
m
Energy Policy
& Politics
(10 or 20)
0900 -11:00
Joseph Black
Building
Theatre 250
Friday
Thursday
a
m
am p
m
Timelapse
MultiComponent &
Exploration
Geophysics (10)
09:00 - 13.00
CBA 5
Block 3 only
Carbonate
Sequence
Stratigraphy
(10 credits)
14:00-17.00
CBA5
Block 3 only
pm
a
m
Separation
Processes
for Carbon
Capture 10
14:10 –
16:00
Class 4
Hudson
Beare
Classroom
8
E
c
o
n
o
m
i
c
s
am
p
m
pm
Seismic
Sequence
Stratigraphy
(10) 14:00 –
17:00
CBA4
Block 3 only
f
o
r
P
o
s
t
g
r
a
d
u
a
t
e
s
11.10 – 13.00
7 George
Square, F.21
A
d
v
a
n
c
e
d
Carbon Storage
& Monitoring
Part 1 + GCS
(20) 14:00 18.00
Room 5 CBA
(MW)
Block 3 only
Carbon
Storage &
Monitoring
Part 2 (20)
09:00 -3.00
CBA Room 3
(MW)
Block 4 only
P
o
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i
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P
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Reservoir
Engineering
(10)14.00 –
18.00 Crew
302
5
,
(
2
0
)
9.00 – 10.50
MSc Carbon Capture & Storage
Programme Handbook 2013-14
C
O
2
Joseph Black
LT100
c
a
p
t
u
r
e
14.10 – 17.00
Hudson Beare
Classroom 8
P
o
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S
y
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s
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i
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5
,
(
2
0
)
11.10 – 13.00
Fleeming
Jenkin TLG
Courses that are associated with one programme may have restricted places as an optional
course for students from other programmes
Course outside standard semester times:
Field Excursion to Lake District:
7 – 13 April (10) (MW)
VENUES:
LT
SR
CBA
BS
DRB
AL
JBB
HBB
JCMB
SB
AB
GS
Lecture Theatre
Seminar Room
Crew Building Annex, Kings Buildings
Bristow Square, Central Area
Dan Rutherford Building, Kings Buildings
Ashworth Labs, Kings Buildings
Joseph Black Building, Kings Buildings
Hudson Beare Building, Kings Buildings
James Clark Maxwell Building, Kings Buildings
Sanderson Building, Kings Buildings
Alrick Buidling, Kings Buildings
George Square, Central Area
15
MSc Carbon Capture & Storage
5.
Programme Handbook 2013-14
Assessment
The University Taught Postgraduate Assessment Regulations should be read by all students:
they are available at: http://www.acaffairs.ed.ac.uk/Regulations/Assessment/Home.htm
5.1
Coursework Assessment
Student performance in many of the courses of formal teaching is evaluated partly or wholly by
coursework. The format of coursework assessment is the responsibility of the Course Organiser
and will usually be in the form of one or two written pieces of work. However, oral and other
presentations may be used if these are considered more appropriate by the Course Organiser.
Further training is offered by the Institute for Academic Development; see their website for
further details:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/postgraduate/taught
It is a University requirement to mark students’ work on an anonymous basis to ensure fairness
and therefore you are required to add only your matriculation number or exam number (not your
name) to the top right or left hand side of the first page of both electronic and hard copies of all
work submitted for assessment.
5.1.1 Procedure for Handing-in Assignments
This section describes the hand-in procedure within the School of GeoSciences only. For courses
organised by other Schools, different hand-in procedures may apply (details will be provided by
Course Organisers).
For courses organised by the School of GeoSciences students are normally only required to
submit one electronic copy (e-copy) of all work for assessment however occasionally it may be
required that a hard copy has to be handed in in which case it should be place in the hand-in box
outside of the Programme Secretary’s office in the Crew Building.
E-Copy Submission Procedure
The e-copy (which is required for scanning by plagiarism detection software and is kept as our
archive copy ) should be submitted via the relevant submission box within the Learn9 site for the
course or as instructed by the Course Organiser. Online submission boxes will be set up in
Learn and in order to view and upload to the submission box, you must read the Own Work
Declaration and select 'Mark Reviewed', indicating that you have complied with the Own Work
Declaration on this assignment. Only once you have selected 'Mark Reviewed' will you be able
to see the submission box for your group.
If, for any reason, you have difficulty in uploading the e-copy of your work via Learn9 please
email the relevant Course Secretary prior to the hand in deadline.
Cover sheets
You are required to sign the Own Work Declaration form (see Appendix 3) if you are handing in
a hard copy and it is important that you complete all sections of the form as instructed and sign
and date it. The Own Work Declaration will be removed prior to marking of the assignment by
administrative staff to ensure anonymous marking procedures are followed.
Hard-Copy Submission Procedure
The hard copy should be submitted to the designated box outside of the Course Secretary’s
Office. Please make sure that you submit your work into the correct box by the deadline
specified by the Course Organiser.
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Late Coursework
All students must notify their Course Organiser and their Programme Director if any assessment
submission is likely to be delayed. Extensions can be granted for good reason, but must be
arranged before the hand in deadline.
Most essay assignments will have word limits. For these assignments, it is essential that you
include the word count on the front of the document. You are strongly advised not to go over
word limits, as in some cases, staff will only mark work produced up to the word limit, or may
penalise work which has exceeded the word limit.
5.1.2 Extensions to Deadlines in Special Circumstances
It is essential for fairness that all students hand in their coursework by the published deadlines.
Extensions to deadlines for submission of work are not given lightly or liberally. A one-year
programme makes considerable demands on your time, so we recommend that students aim to
submit work on time and hence avoid asking for extensions. It is also important to have work
submitted and assessed in time for the progression-to-dissertation determination. We appreciate,
however, that in certain bona fide circumstances extensions are required and special
circumstances may apply.
Late Coursework
Coursework submitted after the deadline without an authorised extension will be recorded as late
and penalties will apply as set out below. Late coursework will only be accepted without penalty
if you have provided a good reason and have been granted an extension.
The penalty for late submission of work is severe and will be imposed as follows:
Delay / calendar days
1
2
3
4
5
>5
Subtract, %
5
10
15
20
25
100
Coursework that is submitted more than 5 calendar days late is awarded a zero mark. Work
which is not presented at this time will be deemed not to have been undertaken.
These penalties apply only to assignments and not to dissertations and do not apply to students
who have informed the Course Organiser and the Programme Director of difficulties and have
received permission to submit late. Extensions to the deadlines will only be allowed by the
Course Organiser if there are good reasons beyond the student’s control and the 1-7 Day
Extension Form (Appendix 7) has been completed.
Extensions
It is your responsibility to apply for an extension in advance of the published submission
deadline. Sympathetic consideration will be given to requests for extensions where there are
circumstances involving medical or personal problems. The following, however, will not be
accepted as good reasons for late coursework:

More than one piece of work due on the same deadline (deadlines are published well in
advance and you should plan your time to meet them).

Computer or printer problems and similar reasons (you should back up your work
regularly and not rely on only one saved copy).
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You may be asked to produce documents such as a medical certificate to support your extension
request.
To request an extension:
You should complete the 1 – 7 Day Extension Form (Appendix 7) in the first instance and pass
to the Course Secretary who will forward your request to your Course Organiser. You will be
informed by email whether your request has been granted and your new deadline will be
confirmed.
Please remember that you do not have an extension until authorisation has been confirmed.
If you are granted an extension and then submit coursework after an authorised extended
deadline, the normal penalties for late submission will apply. You may be asked to produce
documents such as a medical certificate to support your extension request.
Up to a maximum of 3 extensions will be allowed over the 2 semesters, but if you think you may
need a extension longer than seven days, or your reasons are particularly complicated, or of a
personal nature, you should discuss raising a Special Circumstances Form with your Programme
Director.
Any personal circumstances for which there is sufficient documentary evidence (e.g. medical
certificate), and where these circumstances may have adversely affected a student’s performance
in an assessment (regardless of the level of impact on the student’s marks), should be reported to
the Programme Director in order that they be considered, if necessary, by the Special
Circumstances Committee. Responsibility for producing the documentary evidence rests with
the student. Where such information has to be presented to the Special Circumstances
Committee (which normally meets immediately before Examination Board meetings), the
anonymity of the student is maintained wherever possible.
Sympathetic consideration will be given to requests for extensions where there are
circumstances involving medical or personal problems. There are a number of reasons, however,
which will not be accepted as good reasons for late coursework, and these are listed in Appendix
5.
Special circumstances
Any personal circumstances which are clearly beyond your control and for which there is
sufficient documentary evidence, and where these circumstances may have adversely affected
your performance in an assessment (regardless of the level of impact on your marks), should be
reported to the Programme Director in order that it be considered, if necessary, within the
context of the business of the Special Circumstances Committee.
Issues which the Special Circumstances Committee serves to deal with can range in severity,
duration and timing with respect to a deadline. They may be medical, due to bereavement, or
injury. Documentary evidence (e.g. medical letter) will be required and responsibility for
producing this rests with the student.
The Programme Director can pass evidence in confidence to the Convener of the Special
Circumstances Committee. Where such information has to be presented, the anonymity of the
student is maintained wherever possible. The Special Circumstances Committee will then make
recommendations to the Board of Examiners.
Early notification of Special Circumstances is important. Whilst Special Circumstances can be
submitted at any time, notification prior to the deadline affected is obviously preferred and
avoids any suspicion that they are being used as a safety net to a suspected piece of poor work.
Reasons such as 'lost data', 'printer not working', 'bus strike', 'left work on the train', 'lost keys'
etc. are not deemed to be Special Circumstances.
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See the Postgraduate (Taught) Assessment Regulations for further information:
http://www.acaffairs.ed.ac.uk/Regulations/Assessment/Home.htm
5.2
Course Examination
First semester courses are assessed by coursework and an examination, second semester courses
by coursework only. Each course is examined separately. Examinations are scheduled for the
period 9th – 20th December 2013. Details regarding the venue and timetable will be available
prior to the examination period.
Examination questions:
The exact format of the examinations is the responsibility of the Course Organiser and he or she
will discuss this with you. In most cases students will be required to sit a two-hour written
examination in which they are expected to answer TWO out of three or four essay-type
questions but these may differ from course to course. Read and make sure you understand any
instructions and the questions before starting to write.
Students whose first language is not English should consider bringing a dictionary into the
examination to ensure that they understand the questions. The University allows the use of
printed dictionaries and these may be subject to inspection. The use of electronic dictionaries
during examinations are not permitted.
Open Book examinations:
On some of the courses, at the discretion of the Course Organisers, students are permitted to
bring into the examination room any written material that belongs to them. No books from any
library are allowed in the examination room (this exclusion is to prevent individuals taking
out so many books on a subject that other candidates are disadvantaged). Students should also be
aware that the rules on plagiarism are applied to Open Book Examinations.
Past examination papers:
Past examination papers for MSc courses can be found online:
http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/lib/resources/collections/exams.shtml.
For 2004–5, 2005–6, 2006–7, 2007–2008 and 2008–2011 look under “Geosciences - School of
(Postgraduate Courses)”.
5.2.1
Examination Regulations
Full examination regulations can be found at the following web page and must be read prior to
sitting an exam. http://www.registry.ed.ac.uk/Examinations/examhall.htm
A few points to note:

be sure to be at the examination room 15 minutes before the exam is due to start.

Check thoroughly and double check the time and venue of your exam.

the University has a policy of anonymous marking and exam scripts are identified by
Enrolment Number or barcodes (which will be provided in the examination hall): please
bring your matriculation card with you to the examination to confirm your identity.
Notes on Advice to Students on Examinations can be found in Appendix 3.
5.3
Marking Guidance
All assessed work (coursework, examinations and dissertation) will be marked in accordance
with the University Common Marking Scheme set out in Appendix 1.
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5.4
Programme Handbook 2013-14
Release of Marks and Feedback to Students
Marks for coursework and examinations will be released to students online as soon as marking is
completed and checked.
The marking of assessed work may take up to 2-3 weeks depending on the size of the class and
other commitments of the academic staff responsible for marking. Provisional marks will
normally be posted on the course Learn9 site by the Programme Secretary. Students are asked to
note that these marks are provisional and have no status until they are finally approved by the
Board of Examiners, which has the power to moderate the provisional marks both upwards and
downwards, as it considers appropriate.
Hard Copy Feedback
When receiving marks for a piece of coursework that has been handed in students are provided
with their original coursework along with a Marking/Feedback sheet. This will contain general
feedback and the mark awarded for the piece of work. A sample of student work is provided for
the scrutiny of the external examiners and student whose work is chosen will receive
photocopies of their work and feedback. All assessed work may have to be made be available at
the request of the External Examiners and therefore student are asked to keep their copies in a
safe place until after the Progression Board of Examiners in May 2014
E-Copy Feedback
When receiving marks for a piece of coursework that has been marked online students are
provided with their original coursework with comments and with a Marking/Feedback rubric
sheet which will contain general feedback and the mark awarded for the piece of work.
When all results for the taught component of the programme are approved, students can view a
summary of their marks in all courses via the online student portal, MyEd. An interim academic
transcript can also be issued, if requested.
If you wish further information on the School Feedback policy please follow the link below:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/geosciences/teaching-organisation/pg-stud/feedbackmarking
5.5
Board of Examiners
There are two Boards in each MSc year:
(i)
The Progression Board: The Progression Board is made up of a Chairman, the
External Examiner(s), Programme Director(s) and Course Organisers. This meeting
normally takes place in May after the second semester and before the dissertation
period. The Board considers student performance during the taught component of the
programme, the dissertation proposal and any other relevant matters which have been
brought to its attention which may assist in coming to a proper decision. The
recommendations for progression to either MSc dissertation or Diploma, listed by
matriculation number, are posted on the MSc noticeboard in the Crew Building.
(ii)
The Awards Board: The Awards Board is made up of a Chairman, the External
Examiner(s) and Programme Director(s) only. This is held after the dissertations have
been examined and after having taken into account all available relevant information.
This meeting normally takes place in October and the final degree recommendations,
listed by matriculation number, are posted on the MSc notice board in the Crew
Building.
The conclusions of each of these Boards are fully minuted, the results sheets agreed and signed
by the Chairman of the Board and the External Examiner, and submitted to the College
Postgraduate Studies Committee.
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5.6
Programme Handbook 2013-14
Role of External Examiner
The External Examiner is appointed for a period of up to 4 years to ensure that the high
standards of the programme are maintained and that the examination procedures are carried out
properly and fairly. The External Examiner may recommend that amendments are made to
examination questions and to the provisional mark sheets based upon reading the exam scripts
and coursework assignments. The External Examiner is invited to comment on the standards
achieved by the students compared with other universities, and on the fairness and aptness of the
assessment procedures. After the conclusion of the assessment procedures, the External
Examiner reports on the programme in writing to the College Office.
The External Examiner may interview a number of students before the Board of Examiners
meeting in May and October. In May students are selected to represent the full range of
performance within the class so that the External Examiner is able to assess the performance of
the student body in general. In October, all students must be available for to meet with the
External Examiner if requested. Examiners may require to meet students whose dissertation
marks fall at 50% or below. Because of the very tight time schedule which operates throughout
the final examining procedure, we are unlikely to be able to tell individuals until very close to
the final Board of Examiners meeting whether they will actually be required for oral
examination and it is quite critical that if you intend to leave Edinburgh straight after
submission, you should leave a contact telephone number.
5.7
Progression to MSc Dissertation
Students must pass the assessment requirements of the taught stage before progression to the
dissertation. In order to progress to the Master’s dissertation, candidates must:
(i)
pass at least 80 (of 120) credits with a mark of at least 50% in each of the courses
which make up these credits
and
attain a mark of at least 50% for all the core courses
and
attain an average of at least 50% for the 120 credits of study examined at the point
of decision for progression.
(ii)
(iii)
5.8
General Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma
The General Postgraduate Certificate may be attained by students who do not fulfil the
requirements for the diploma/MSc.
In order to be awarded the General Postgraduate Certificate, students must:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
pass at least 40 credits with a mark of at least 40%
and
attain an average of at least 40% for the 60 credits of study examined for the
certificate;
and
be registered as full time or part time graduating students. Visiting students are not
eligible for this award.
Candidates entering for the MSc programme who fail to achieve final and/or core course marks
at the level required for progression to the MSc (50% or above, grade C) may be awarded the
Diploma, providing they meet the requirements set out in (i) above.
Students who achieve the required level for progression to the MSc (Pass) but who subsequently
submit a dissertation below the level required for an MSc (Pass) may be awarded the Diploma.
In order to be awarded the Diploma, students must:
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(i)
(ii)
(iii)
Programme Handbook 2013-14
pass at least 80 credits with a mark of at least 40%;
and
attain an average of at least 40% for the 120 credits of study examined for the
diploma;
and
pass the core courses.
In order to be awarded a masters degree, students must:
(i)
(ii)
5.9
have satisfied the requirements for progression to dissertation listed above
attained 60 credits, by achieving a mark of at least 50% for the dissertation.
Dissertation
(See also Section 6 Dissertation)
Students are expected to produce a 3 or 4-page dissertation proposal for submission by
Wednesday 16th April 2014.
Students who are allowed to progress to MSc dissertation will be required to devote the period
from April to August to undertake individual project work on an approved topic. Dissertations
can be presented in two formats (for details see Section 6). Deadline for submission of the
dissertation is 12 noon on Friday 15th August, 2014.
5.10
Degree with Distinction
In contrast to an undergraduate degree, there are no “classes” to the MSc degree. Individuals not
meeting the standard for award of the MSc may be awarded the Diploma, or may be failed. The
MSc can, however, be awarded with distinction where an excellent performance has been
achieved in both the taught and dissertation components of the course.
The award of MSc degree with Distinction marks exceptionally high achievement in the
dissertation, with excellent or near excellent supporting coursework. This will normally mean a
mark of Pass with Distinction (excellent) awarded for the dissertation by both markers, together
with an average overall mark of 70% or above for the coursework. The University Marking
Scheme and the Marking Guidance designed to ensure consistency in the level of marking are set
out in Appendix 1.
5.11
Meeting with External Examiners
External Examiners have the right to interview students in relation to their performance prior to
either of the Exam Board Meetings (May or October). In October, all students ideally should be
available in the event that they are invited to have an oral examination by the External
Examiners. Examiners may require to meet students whose dissertation marks fall below 50%.
Because of the very tight time schedule which operates throughout the final examining
procedure, we are unlikely to be able to tell individuals until very close to the Award Exam
Board Meeting whether they will actually be required to meet with the External Examiner. It is
very important that we have all your current and correct contact details at the time of the October
Award Board Meeting.
5.12
Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is the act of copying or including in one's own work, without adequate
acknowledgement, intentionally or unintentionally, the work of another, for one's own benefit.
Plagiarism is a form of cheating. Guidance on the University’s policy on plagiarism can be
found
at:
http://www.acaffairs.ed.ac.uk/Administration/GuidanceInformation/AcademicBestPractice/Plagi
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arism/Index.htm. This document includes information on group work, the plagiarism detection
software and disciplinary procedures.
The University’s degrees and other academic awards are given in recognition of the candidate’s
personal achievement. Plagiarism, that is to say, the action of including, without adequate
acknowledgement, the work of another in one’s own work as if it were one’s own, attacks the
fundamental principles of scholarship, and the foundations upon which the academic community
rests, in denying appropriate credit to the author of the work copied and seeking to secure it for
oneself.
Whilst it is perfectly normal in most academic disciplines to make use of another person’s ideas
and to take factual information from books and articles, the overall structure of the argument
being presented, the weighing of the significance of the different points being made, and the
final conclusion reached in response to the question posed are all expected to be the student’s
personal and original work.
Plagiarism could also involve the civil wrong of breach of copyright. Plagiarism could,
therefore, be considered fraudulent, and is an offence against University discipline. The
University may invoke the following sanctions in cases where a candidate uses the work of other
person(s) in this way:
1. the relevant Board of Examiners may, in assessing any piece of work that makes
inadequately acknowledged use of another person’s work, penalise that piece of work
accordingly;
2. action may be taken under the Code of Discipline, where there is prima facie evidence
of an intention to deceive, and where sanctions beyond those in (1) above might be
invoked.
Unattributed excerpts are treated as plagiarism and will normally lead to the essay or dissertation
being rejected. Never use material in your assignments or examination answers or dissertation
which has been copied directly from a book or article or electronically published material or
from a fellow student's work. Where there is suspicion of collusion between students, both
students involved may be penalised. The rule is that short attributed quotations are entirely
acceptable, but any work which is copied, or even a thinly disguised unattributed summary
without any real attempt to rework the material thoroughly, is totally unacceptable. There must
be a citation near to the place where the quoted material appears and a full reference put in the
bibliography. The innocent misuse or citation of material without proper acknowledgement can
constitute plagiarism even in the absence of a deliberate intent to cheat. If in doubt as to what is
allowed, please ask the appropriate Course Organiser or dissertation supervisor.
You will be asked by Programme Directors and Course Organisers to sign the University’s
‘Own Work Declaration’ form for any assessed work. Please see Appendix 5.
Normally assessed work will be submitted electronically and will be subject to automatic
checking for plagiarism. Note that computer software will be used to detect plagiarism, whether
by using something as simple as a search engine such as Google (it is as easy for a marker to
find online sources as it is for you) or something more complex for specialized comparisons of
work. Some courses will use the JISC plagiarism detection service.
5.12
Cheating
The University’s Assessment Regulations state that:

It is academically fraudulent and an offence against University discipline for a candidate
to invent or falsify data, evidence, references, experimental results or other material
contributing to any candidates’ assessed work or for a candidate knowingly to make use
of such material.

It is an offence for any candidate knowingly to make use of unfair means in any
University assessment, to assist a candidate to make use of such unfair means, to do
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anything prejudicial to the good conduct of the assessment, or to impersonate another
candidate or allow another candidate to impersonate him/her in an examination.
Cheating of any kind is an extremely serious offence against the University’s Code of
Discipline. Any candidate suspected of cheating who has been referred to the Discipline
Committee, and found by that Committee to have cheated or attempted to cheat in an
assessment, may be deemed to have failed that assessment or the entire diet of examinations, and
be subject to such penalty as the Discipline Committee considers appropriate.
Information on cheating can be found at:
http://www.acaffairs.ed.ac.uk/Administration/GuidanceInformation/AcademicBestPracti
ce/Plagiarism/Index.htm
5.13
Appeals
A student has the right to lodge an appeal against the results of an examination. The term
‘examination’ includes any written, practical or oral examination, continuously assessed
coursework or dissertation which counts towards the final assessment.
The regulations are set out in the Code of Practice for Taught Postgraduate Programmes:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/academic-services/students/postgraduatetaught/academic-appeals
5.14
Graduation
The Graduation Ceremony will take place in November/December 2014. Registry will publish
the date on their web page when available:
(http://www.registry.ed.ac.uk/graduations/default.htm).
Students may graduate either in person or in absentia. You will receive a graduation registration
form sometime in June and the completed form and graduation fee (currently £40) should be
returned to Registry, Old College.
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6
Programme Handbook 2013-14
Dissertation
The dissertation aims to report the results of a research exercise comprising independent work
undertaken between March and August.
Each student conducts an individual research project on a subject chosen in consultation with,
and supervised by the Programme Director and/or teaching staff.
Your task by the end of semester one is to begin to formulate an idea of your research interests
and to settle on a topic for your MSc dissertation. We provide a list of research projects that are
of particular interest to staff by late October, from which we strongly encourage you to select a
dissertation project, although we are happy to support your own interests and ideas.
Your dissertation may be in collaboration with a commercial stakeholder organisation partnering
the programme. These organisations span the range from engineering, power, hydrocarbon and
analysis companies.
There are two distinct styles in which MSc dissertations may be submitted:
1. Report Style
This is a conventional project report of no more than 20,000 words which investigates a
subject in considerable depth. It may take the form of a commissioned report for a client
such as a consultancy report, management plan or some other substantial piece of work. It
may also be a report on a substantial investigation into a topic of particular interest to the
student concerned. A detailed description of the layout and presentation will be found
below.
2. Research paper style
This style contains two potentially publishable papers written in the style of an identified
scientific or professional journal. The first part is a Review Paper which will essentially be a
literature review of the overall topic of the dissertation. The second part is an Experimental
Paper which will report on the methodology and results of the research into the overall topic.
There is a third part to this style which will be a general discussion of the results and a
critique of the methodology. The maximum length of this style will be 20,000 words.
What is expected by the examiners is a dissertation that:(a) is technically correct;
(b) demonstrates that the candidate has a good understanding of the work undertaken;
(c) is satisfactory in terms of its organisation and literary presentation;
(d) shows awareness of the literature in the chosen field.
The dissertation will be examined by two examiners familiar with the subject area (one of which
will be the student’s direct supervisor), and may also be examined by the External Examiner.
The Board of Examiners will then meet and make the recommendations for the degree awards.
The results will be notified formally by the College Office.
Dissertations may be given a ‘Pass with Distinction’ and this mark will be noted on the
Academic Transcript. Such a decision distinguishes a piece of work that is of outstanding quality
and would need to be strongly supported by the dissertation examiners.
If, in the opinion of the examiners, the dissertation is judged to be marginally unsatisfactory (i.e.
contains minor technical or presentational deficiencies), the Board of Examiners may
recommend that the degree is awarded provided that the candidate carries out revisions which
will be clearly stated. The candidate will then be given two weeks in which to make the
amendments and re-present the dissertation, which must then be certified by the internal
examiner. This may result in a candidate’s graduation being delayed.
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If the dissertation is judged by the examiners to be of less than satisfactory level and it cannot
easily be repaired (i.e. Fail), then the student will normally be awarded a Diploma rather than
MSc degree.
The Board of Examiners including the External Examiner is responsible for the final recommendation.
6.1
Dissertation Supervision
Your dissertation will be supervised by a member of academic staff. Your primary supervisor
will be a member of teaching staff within the School of GeoSciences. You can obtain further
support from an industrial partner or an academic in another school, but this must be developed
in conjunction with your primary supervisor. As a minimum, the supervision allocation is
required in order to provide you with guidance on the dissertation structure and requirements.
You should expect no more than 15 hours contact time with your primary supervisor
(approximately one hour per fortnight) during the dissertation period.
You are required to identify your supervisor based on a project of mutual interest. In nominating
your supervisor you must have discussed your project with him/her and have support from
him/her to undertake your project. However, we reserve the right to reallocate supervisors in
order to even up supervisory loads for staff. We encourage you to start talking to staff in the
School of Geosciences early on in developing a project idea with them.
In accordance with the view that the student is to have as much freedom as possible in the
conception and execution of the dissertation, the initiative for maintaining contact with the
supervisor lies with you, the student. This should not be interpreted as a lack of interest by your
supervisor; rather it is an important part of your training in research. You must develop your
own ideas and then discuss them, rather than being force-fed ideas by a supervisor. Further,
lively discussion regarding a developing area of research is likely to enforce a good impression
of the student's level of initiative with the supervisor.
During the design phase supervisors are willing to advise on the validity of your approach to the
problem. Contact at an early stage can short-cut long searches for relevant papers and help
prevent the exploration of blind-alleys. At a later stage invaluable advice on structuring and
writing the text is available. In general students do not communicate with their supervisors often
enough. It is therefore important that you meet with your supervisors regularly, and do not leave
Edinburgh unless undertaking an agreed programme of field work. Bear in mind too that one of
your supervisors will be an examiner of the dissertation!
6.2
Dissertation Proposal
Students wishing to proceed to full MSc status are required to submit a written proposal
outlining the work they would undertake to produce an MSc dissertation if allowed to do so. The
final date for submitting project proposals this session is Wednesday 18th April 2014. There is
merit in starting to think about potential projects well in advance and you are advised to do this
as soon as possible.
Once supervisors are selected a dissertation proposal addressing the following points should be
prepared:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Title
Short Description
School of GeoSciences Supervisor
External Contact, Name and Organisation (if applicable)
Data / Equipment / Software Requirements
Any Other Requirements
Methodology
Timetable for Project Phases (e.g. Gantt diagram)
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•
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Bibliography (Key References)
Importantly you must identify any financial costs associated with your dissertation (for example,
equipment, data, travel, etc.) and indicate how you expect these to be met. It is expected that
most projects will use resources, software and data already available within the School of
GeoSciences. However, there is a very small budget against which you can make bids for
exceptional items, within strict criteria and all other sources must have been explored. It is not
expected that this budget will be able to meet more than a very small number of bids in any one
year. Please ensure that each of these sections is clearly labelled in your submission. You should
add any additional information which you feel may be relevant (but do not exceed two sides).
Following submission, these project proposals will be reviewed and any major problems brought
quickly to your attention. While this proposal will not form part of your grade, it nevertheless is
an important research exercise.
Actions and Dates:
Length:
Maximum 2 sides of A4 paper
Due Date:
Proposal and discussion with potential supervisors
In addition you must also submit a completed and signed Dissertation Checklist (Appendix 4)
and Fieldwork Assessment Form (Appendix 5), and an Ethics assessment form.
It would be helpful if you could arrange for your initial discussion during the latter part of the
first semester or the start of the second semester. Advice and help from staff prior to the
submission of your written proposal will be limited to the minimum needed to help you select a
viable project. This advice will not extend to reading and criticising a draft of your proposal: this
must be entirely your own work.
The list of dissertation titles successfully undertaken by previous MSc students gives an
indication of the range of topics considered appropriate for the course.
There may also be opportunity to join members of staff on existing projects, or on project ideas
that staff are particularly willing to supervise. These project descriptions will be circulated
during semester one. We encourage students to consider these descriptions quite carefully, since
they also will serve as indications of staff interests and may therefore help students to identify an
appropriate supervisor for projects that they originate themselves
6.2.1
Fieldwork
It is permissible to include fieldwork in your project and this is usually undertaken for the
purposes of data collection. Planning is crucial when fieldwork is involved as it can take a
substantial amount of time to organise. Students contemplating fieldwork should discuss this
with their supervisor as early as possible and must follow School procedures in relation to
Health and Safety compliance https://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/internal/safety/). To assist you with
this you must complete a Fieldwork
Assessment form which can be found at:
http://www.safety.ed.ac.uk/safenet/risk_assess/FA1.shtm
When planning overseas fieldwork students must consider the following:
1. The students must be familiar with the place to which they wish to go and they must be
known to the people/organisation to whom they will be affiliated.
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2. They must nominate a local supervisor in the place where they are going to work and
have documentary evidence that this supervisor is willing to undertake the job.
3. They must have the permission of the College, their Programme Director, University
supervisor and their sponsors (if applicable).
4. All these conditions must be satisfied before leave of absence is approved.
Those students who have sponsorships must have in writing the permission of their sponsors.
Students must be aware that there can be NO financial assistance from the University for any
work overseas, but sponsors may be willing to help. The maximum period of absence overseas is
8 weeks.
Students with a University Accommodation contract should be aware that if they want to
terminate their contract in order to go overseas to do fieldwork, they MUST let the
Accommodation Services know well in advance. Being able to break the Accommodation
Contract is a concession and NOT a right!
We acknowledge that many of our students who choose to travel as part of their dissertation
study may take the opportunity to spend time undertaking additional travel or recreational
activities. However, experience has shown that accidents and difficulties usually occur during
these extra curricular activities. The University advises that students undertake any such
activities completely at their own risk.
For those intending to conduct fieldwork overseas: the reasons it is necessary to go overseas and
the FCO country rating. Note that those overseas destinations that are not recommended as safe
to travel to by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel website (http://www.fco.gov.uk)
will NOT be approved by the University! We do not consider that fieldwork for dissertations as
"essential travel".
6.2.2 Contacts with External Organisations
It is often appropriate to contact individuals in other University Schools or external agencies or
organisations with regard to various aspects of the planning and execution of your project. A
number of external organisations regularly contribute ideas to the list of research topics
available. Such contacts are encouraged because of the benefits which can be enjoyed.
It is important to discuss such issues with your supervisor before any contacts are made.
The staff maintain a large number of local, national and international contacts. Nothing gives a
poorer impression of communications within the University than a student arriving at a contact
within another organisation, potentially after a lot of time and effort, who is actually well known
to a member of our staff.
6.2.3 Use of School Equipment
If you wish to borrow equipment, such as recording equipment etc for your dissertation field
work, email equip@geo.ed.ac.uk. Please note that at certain times of the year (e.g. when
undergraduate students are on field work) there is a great demand for equipment, so book the
equipment you require in advance.
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6.3
Programme Handbook 2013-14
General Guidelines for Presentation of MSc Dissertation
The regulations specify that candidates for the MSc Carbon Capture & Storage must undertake
independent work between April and August and submit a dissertation reporting on this work to
the Programme Director by 12 noon on Friday 15th August, 2014.
The submission date is strictly adhered to by the College and if a dissertation is not submitted
on time, it will not be accepted. If you foresee any problems caused by circumstances outside
your control, you must see your Course Director with supporting evidence, if appropriate, as
soon as you can. Any extension will have to be negotiated with College by the Programme
Director.
6.3.4
Insurance
All students are very strongly advised to provide their own personal accident, liability and travel
insurance, which may be arranged through the University’s Insurance Section in the Finance
Office, 9–16 Chambers Street, EH1 1HT, Tel: 650 9154. This is particularly important for
students collecting data in the field for their dissertation, be it in the UK, Europe or the rest of
the world.
6.3.5
Health and Safety
Students should use the Dissertation Checklist as a basis for the Health and Safety aspects of
the dissertation (Appendix 4). The Code of Safety Practice will be circulated to all students at
the beginning of semester. You should also consult the School of GeoSciences website for the
latest Health and Safety information: http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/internal/safety
Field work and field visits involve some inherent risks and hazards. You will not be allowed to
undertake field work without submitting the Fieldwork Assessment form (FA1) (Appendix 5).
Please read the Code of Practice for Fieldwork (Appendix 6).
6.3.6
Ethics
The University of Edinburgh has a commitment to promote and facilitate the conduct of ethical
research. In line with this policy the School attaches great importance to addressing the ethical
implications of all research activities carried out by its members, be they undergraduates,
postgraduates or academic members of staff.
The purpose of the ethical standards is not to limit research activities, but to promote and
facilitate the conduct of ethical research. Attention to the ethical and legal implications of
research for researchers, research subjects, sponsors and collaborators is an intrinsic part of good
research practice.
The Ethics Assessment and Approval procedures apply to ALL research carried out in the
School (i.e. these procedures apply to all Master’s dissertation projects).
Details on the Ethics Assessment and Approval procedures and the associated forms will be
available online and you will receive information on these from your Programme Director. You
will be expected to complete and submit the relevant Ethics forms. For most programmes, this
is likely to coincide with the submission of your dissertation proposal.
6.3.7
Treatment of Unsatisfactory Dissertations
If a dissertation is judged to be marginally unsatisfactory, the Board of Examiners may, at its
discretion, recommend that the dissertation be categorised as ‘refer for minor amendments’. The
candidate will then be given two weeks in which to make the minor editorial corrections or
correct the minor deficiencies identified by the examiners. Any such corrections must satisfy the
examiners before the candidate is awarded a ‘pass’.
Students, who submit a dissertation below the level required for an MSc (Pass), may be awarded
the Diploma at the discretion of the Board of Examiners.
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6.3.8
Programme Handbook 2013-14
Publication
Postgraduate students are encouraged to publish the findings contained in their dissertations,
with the supervisor’s name included on the publication as a second author. Copies of
dissertations should not be released to outside bodies (e.g. Scottish Natural Heritage) until after
approval by the Board of Examiners. Publication bursaries of £600 per student are available to
allow dissertations of outstanding quality to be brought to publication standard.
6.4 Layout and Presentation
The title page layout will be available on Learn9 as well as circulated close to the dissertation
hand in date.
Your dissertation must contain the following sequence of contents:
1. Front cover (including University logo, name of degree programme, student name and
graduation year) (see Web CT for template)
2. Dissertation title
3. Statement of Originality and word count
4. Abstract
5. Acknowledgements
6. Table of Contents
7. List of Tables
8. List of Figures
9. The body of the dissertation in chapters. Chapters should be numbered using Arabic
numerals e.g. Chapter 1, Chapter 2 etc.
10. Appendices. Appendices should be numbered using Roman numerals in upper case e.g.
Appendix I, Appendix II etc.
11. List of references.
Report style:
The exact format of this style of dissertation depends very much on the nature and purpose of the
work and the requirements for which it is written. In every case, however, there should be an
Introduction which indicates clearly what the dissertation is about, and a Conclusion which
summarises the main findings. Whatever its format, the rest of the dissertation must report in
detail on the work done, so that it can be verified and, if necessary, could be repeated by others.
Research paper style:
Following the table of contents, this style of dissertation should contain:
1. A journal style page indicating in which journal style the review and the experimental
paper are written. The style used by a journal is normally found in the journal’s ‘Notes
to Contributors’.
2. A review paper (including reference list).
3. An experimental paper (including reference list).
4. General discussion of results and critique of methodology.
5. Appendices containing relevant data, pictures, diagrams, tables etc.
Format
Whichever style you choose the dissertation must be typewritten on standard A4 size paper and
TWO copies must be submitted, which includes one personal copy which will be returned to
you at a later date. The School of GeoSciences will arrange for the payment of binding of these
copies with printing services. After examination, a copy of the dissertation will be retained for
the School library. You will also be required to submit an electronic copy to Learn9.
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To facilitate binding of the dissertation, the layout of typing, maps, tables etc. should leave:

a 3 cm left inside margin;

a 2 cm head margin;

a 2.5 cm right outside margin;

a 4 cm bottom margin.
The line spacing used should be at least 1.5 for the main text, with single spacing for quotations.
Pages may be printed single or double sided. Character sizes should be at least 10 points, with
body text (text other than headings) not exceeding 12 points. Times New Roman or Palatino
should be used for the main text. Helvetica or Arial may be used for headings and labelling
diagrams.
Pagination should be continuous throughout; hand-written numbers are acceptable for this.
Headings of major Sections or Chapters (i.e. level one) of the dissertation should be set in bold
or larger-sized text and set in the middle of the page without punctuation. Each major Section or
Chapter should begin on a new page.
Statement of Originality
The dissertation gives you the opportunity to carry out original research. This does not mean
attempting to do something totally unrelated to extant work. Rather, it means evaluating and
building upon the work of others to make an additional contribution to knowledge. In so doing
you must acknowledge your sources using standard academic conventions (see section 6 on
referencing). To present other people's work as your own constitutes plagiarism and is a serious
breach of university regulations. You must include in the preliminary pages of the dissertation a
declaration of originality:
'I hereby declare that this dissertation has been composed by me and is based on my own work’.
Signed……………
The Abstract
The abstract is a short statement summarising the dissertation. It is intended to brief potential
readers about the work in its entirety. It is likely to be used by future students and by other
researchers. It should take the form of a short factual statement identifying the topic of your
study, the approach adopted and the findings.
References
Candidates should ensure that all the references used are (a) properly cited in the text and (b)
included in a list of references located after the Conclusions. It is recommended that citation of
each reference in the text be based on the use of names of authors and the year of publication:
e.g. “Brown (2000) and Green and Jones (2001) confirmed the results” ..... or: “The results were
confirmed by similar experiments (Brown, 2000; Green and Jones, 2001)”. Only authors’
surnames should be given; initials should not be included. If a cited reference has three or more
authors, for instance Smith, Taylor and Cooper, it should be cited as Smith et al. (2006). Where
more than one reference published by the same authors in the same year is cited, letters of the
alphabet should be appended to the publication year to distinguish between the references (in
both the in-text citations and the list of references), for example, Brown (2000a), Brown (2000b)
and Brown (2000c).
The list of references should include all cited work. References to articles and papers should
mention:
1. name or names of authors followed by initials;
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2. year of publication in parentheses;
3. title of paper;
4. full title of the journal;
5. volume in bold or underlined;
6. number of the first and last pages of the article – attention should be paid to uniformity
of punctuation.
The author is urged to check the bibliography thoroughly since nothing is more frustrating to the
user of a dissertation than to find that references cited in the text are not included in the
bibliography or that they are wrongly quoted.
References should be set out alphabetically using the Harvard system. Details of this method can
be found in “General notes on the preparation of scientific papers” by the Royal Society which
contains other useful information. Some sample references are given below.
Evans, J. (1982). Plantation Forestry in the Tropics. Oxford, Clarendon Press.
Hilton, G. (1987). Nutrient Cycling in the Tropical Rainforests: Implications for Management
and Sustained Yield. Forest Ecology and Management, 22: 297-300.
Michaelsen, T. (1991). Participatory approaches in watershed management planning. Unasylva,
42 (1): 3-7.
Wood, G.S. (1983). Developing Interpretation in Country Parks Using Vogrie Estate Country
Park as an Example. Unpublished M.Sc. thesis, University of Edinburgh.
Titles of journals should be given in full.
There is a great deal of very useful information on the web. However, when making use of
material from a website, you must remember that very little of it is peer-reviewed (refereed) and
so the fact that it is published on the web is no indication of its quality or accuracy.
When referencing material from a website, in text, these should appear in a similar fashion to
conventional articles, e.g. .... Nunan et al. (2000).... In the bibliography these should be
referenced so that the title of the piece from which the material is quoted is given. For example:
Nunan, F., Brid, K. and Bishop, J. (2000). Giving value to natural resources: a new framework
for managers. http://www.id21.org/static/2CFN1.htm (date accessed)
If the reference is from an organisation’s web page, it should then be written as, for example: ....
FAO (2000). In the bibliography it should appear as:
FAO (2000). Fighting water weeds in West Africa. http://www.fao.org/news/2000/000705-e.htm
(date accessed)
Underlining should not be used for subheadings. It is better to use bold or larger font sizes to
distinguish subheadings.
Italics should be used as follows:
a)
For foreign phrases e.g. ad libitum, per se.
b)
For zoological or Botanical names, e.g. Pinus sylvestris
Abbreviations and symbols. These should conform to British Standard BS 1991.
Some common points are set out below.
a) Unit abbreviations are the same in the singular and plural e.g. 1 kg and 4 kg.
b) The full stop is not generally used in abbreviations e.g. M not M.
c) The solidus (/) is usually used for derived units (it can also denote divided by)
e.g. rev/min – not rev. Per min or r.p.m.
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kg feed/kg liveweight gain not kg feed per kg. liveweight gain, not kg feed kg-1
liveweight gain.
d) Numbers should be in upright figures. Whole numbers should be grouped in threes with a
space (less than a full space) between groups. Quantities less than unity should have a cipher
before the decimal point (e.g. 0.261 not .261).
e) Some common abbreviations are:
metre
m
2
square metre
m
litre
l
millilitre
ml
second
s
minute
min
hour
h
gramme
g
kilogramme
kg
degree (temperature
value) degree Celcius °C e.g. 82.4 °C.
Tables. Tables should be numbered in one continuous sequence throughout the dissertation. The
inclusion of unnecessary tabular material makes the text difficult to read and should be avoided.
If it is necessary to include a large number of tables which are relevant, but not absolutely
necessary for the understanding of the text, they should be included as Appendices.
Each table should have a descriptive heading indicating its contents. It should be shown clearly
what units are used in the table. Single spaced typing should be used for tables.
Illustrations. Graphs, histograms, etc, if not produced using graphics software, should be drawn
in Indian ink on strong paper the same size as the typewritten sheets. The sheets should be
inserted in the appropriate place when the report is bound.
Photographs should be digitised and inserted into the word-processor file of the dissertation
electronically.
Graphs, photographs etc. should be referred to as Figures and numbered in a continuous
sequence from 1 onwards.
SI Units. SI units of the metric system must be used in all cases. For example, in nutritional
work the joule should replace the calorie (4.184 joules = 1 calorie).
Some Useful References
Allen, G. R. (1976). The Graduate Students Guide to Thesis and Dissertation – Practical
Manual.
Barrass, R. (1978). Scientists Must Write – A Guide to Better Writing. Chapman & Hall.
Berry, R. (1986). How to Write a Research Paper. 2nd Edition.
Day, A. (1996). How to get research published in journals. Gower.
Day, R. (1989). How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. 3rd Edition. Cambridge Univ.
Press.
Hall, G.M. (ed) (1994). How to write a paper. BMJ Publishing Group, London.
Roget, P.M. New Edition of Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases. Longman, London.
Russell, T.M. (1993). Essays, reports and dissertations: guidance notes on the preparation and
presentation of written work. Edinburgh University Library.
Length
The text length of the dissertation is 13,000 - 20,000 words with an optimal length of 15,000
words. Please include the word count.
Note that dissertations which exceed 20,000 words will be subject to penalties. Word count
includes main body of the dissertation, footnotes, tables, explanations for graphs. Not included
are abstracts, appendices and references.
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The penalty exacted for work above the word limit will be one grade mark deducted for every
1000 above the word limit. So, for example, if someone submits a dissertation that is over
20,000 words but less than 21,000 words, then 5 % will be deducted. If the submitted
dissertation is between 21,000 and 22,000 words in length, then 10 % will be deducted etc.
6.6
Examination of Dissertation
The dissertation will be examined by two examiners familiar with the subject area (one of which
will be the student’s direct supervisor), and may also be examined by the External Examiner.
The Board of Examiners will then meet and make the recommendations for the degree awards.
The Award letters will be issued by the Convenor of the Board of Examiners..
6.6.1 Dissertation marked ‘Pass with Distinction’
Dissertations may be given a ‘Pass with Distinction’ and this mark will be noted on the
Academic Transcript. Work deemed worthy of distinction is likely to have exceeded the basic
expectations outlined above, and would also demonstrate a notable contribution to a relevant
field. Such a decision distinguishes a piece of work that is of outstanding quality and would need
to be strongly supported by the dissertation examiners.
6.6.2
Treatment of Unsatisfactory Dissertations
If, in the opinion of the examiners, the dissertation is judged to be marginally unsatisfactory (i.e.
contains minor technical or presentational deficiencies), the Board of Examiners may
recommend that the degree is awarded provided that the candidate carries out revisions which
will be clearly stated. The candidate will then be given two weeks in which to make the
amendments and re-present the dissertation, which must then be certified by the internal
examiner. Any corrections must satisfy the examiners before the candidate is awarded a ‘pass’.
This may result in a candidate’s graduation being delayed.
If the dissertation is judged by the examiners to be of less than satisfactory level and it cannot
easily be repaired (i.e. Fail), then the student will normally be awarded a Diploma rather than
MSc degree.
The Board of Examiners including the External Examiner is responsible for the final recommendation.
6.6.3
Publication Prize
Students are encouraged to publish the findings contained in their dissertations. Students may
also wish to be considered for the School of GeoSciences Publication Prize. Interested students
must discuss this with their dissertation supervisor and complete the form found in Appendix 8
and submit this to the MSc Programme Secretary after submission of their dissertation.
The Board of Examiners will identify which applications are selected as eligible for a
Publication Prize.
There is no automatic mechanism by which eligibility is to be conferred. Instead, the panel will
consider:
•
•
•
•
Dissertation mark achieved (eligible applicants will normally have attained a distinction
mark in the taught component of the programme)
The statements in the application (a viable concept of the submission must be
demonstrated)
Likely research impact/profile of article if published (taking into account topicality of
subject matter and journal impact factor)
Feasibility of developing a manuscript suitable for submission in a reasonable time (the
norm would be less than 3 weeks’ work on the part of the applicant).
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The Prize will be paid to selected students after submission of a journal manuscript complying
with the following:
•
•
•
•
The article must be co-authored by student (first author) and supervisor (second author),
plus any other relevant co-authors
The journal must be well-reputed in its field of research (e.g., ISI listed)
The manuscript must adhere precisely to all requirements of the journal
The supervisor must be provided with an electronic copy of the manuscript and all
supporting data (e.g., for diagrams etc) to allow them to respond to any changes required
by referees.
The Prize is £600.
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7
Programme Handbook 2013-14
Academic Guidance and Pastoral Support
School MSC Personal Tutoring Statement - 2013/14 The Benefits of the Personal Tutor system
By working in partnership with your Personal Tutor you will:

Become a confident learner in your discipline and play an active part in your
academic community.

Reflect on your academic progress and your effective use of academic
feedback.

Develop the range of skills and attributes required for success at university and
beyond.
More extensive details on all aspects of the Personal Tutoring system, as well as other
sources of support at the University, can be found at the following link:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/staff-students/students/student-services/academic
Full details of the academic and pastoral support in School of GeoSciences can be
found at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/geosciences/teaching-organisation
How your School will deliver these Benefits – Postgraduate Taught Students
One-to-one Meetings:
As a postgraduate taught student you will have at least two individual meetings with
your Personal Tutor during the taught component of your degree programme and one
individual meeting during the dissertation phase.
Your first two individual meetings will take place at relevant points during the taught
portion of the programme, for example, after the first semester examination diet to
review progression or during the dissertation selection phase. Your individual meetings
will also focus on:







Academic progression review considering semester 1 examination and course
marks and feedback
Discussion of the students’ development of specific academic skills and goals
Where appropriate the Personal Tutor will refer the student to specialist and
skills workshops, for example the Institute of Academic Development, or
resources
Study skills and time management skills
Reflect on attainment of goals so far across all courses taken and any crosscutting issues
Discussion of the students’ selection and planning for your dissertation project
Provide discipline-specific guidance, for example, careers or PhD study
Your third individual meeting will take place from May to August in person or via Skype.
The meeting will focus on your dissertation, including reviewing progress or agreeing to
a study outside of Edinburgh plan. It is also an opportunity to discuss any issues related
to dissertation supervision. You will have regular contact with your dissertation
supervisor.
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You can request additional meetings if you feel this is necessary or you have a specific
academic issue during the programme they would like to discuss. If so, you can request
a meeting through your MyEd Personal Tutor channel or email your Personal Tutor
directly requesting a mutually convenient time. The Programme Secretary can also
assist you with organising a meeting.
If you are experiencing issues affecting your ability to study or attend lectures you
should contact your Programme Secretary or Personal Tutor/Programme Director as
soon as possible.
Email exchanges are not considered to be meetings unless they take place within a
pre-agreed timeframe to enable you to have a “conversation” (e.g. if you are overseas
and emailing within a 24-36 hour period to take account of time differences).
After each individual meeting you will be asked to provide a summary of notes and
actions on your student record. This note will be shared with your Personal Tutor
automatically.
Group Meetings:
You will also be involved in at least two group meetings (in the taught part of your
degree programme) and other activities designed to support your development as a
member of an academic community.
Your two group meetings will be focused at programme level on relevant topics and will
include all students on your degree programme. The group meetings will take place
during the taught element and be led by your Programme Director/Personal Tutor. The
group meetings can involve external speakers or careers focused sessions.
Attendance at group meetings will be recorded on your student record.
In addition to your group meetings, you will have the opportunity to take part in a
number of research skills group sessions including:





Examination and essay writing skills (September/October)
The Dissertation Mixer which is a great networking event with academic staff
and external organisations discussing potential dissertation topics and work
based projects (November)
Quantitative and Qualitative skills training (March/April)
Literature Review sessions (March/April)
Invites to the Global Environment and Society Academy seminars and training
sessions (September to June)
Student Support Organisational Structure – Who to Contact?
All taught students have a Personal Tutor, a Senior Tutor, and a Student Support Team
in the School. You can find out who your Personal Tutor is through MyEd and identify
your Student Support Team. The student support system in the School of GeoSciences
is managed through the Teaching Office with three Senior Personal Tutors.
Full details on the academic and pastoral care in the School of GeoSciences can be
found
at:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/geosciences/teachingorganisation/students
Postgraduate:
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Your Personal Tutor is your first point of contact for academic and pastoral support.
However, If you are experiencing issues that are impacting on your ability to attend
lectures or study you may also contact your Programme Secretary who is part of the
Teach Organisation team and can assist you with:

Information on procedures and requests for deferred submission of course work

Requests for special circumstances related to your course work or examination

Advice on support for personal, health and accommodation issues making
relevant referrals to University Support Services

Processing degree transfer and interruption of study requests

Advice on visa requirements and extensions

Providing letters to confirm student status and non-academic based reference
letters

Assisting Personal Tutors with organising individual and group meetings
Olivia Little (Olivia.Little@ed.ac.uk) (MSc in Carbon Management and MSc in
Ecosystem Services) Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation, High School Yards
Tele: TBC
Rachel Chisholm (Rachel.Chisholm@ed.ac.uk)
Programme Secretary (MSc in Environment and Development and MSc in
Environmental Sustainability)
Room 2.09 Geography Teaching Office, Drummond Street
0131 651 7274
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schoolsdepartments/geosciences/people?indv=3498&cw_xml=person.html
Lynne Gillivray
Programme Secretary (MSc in GIS, MSc in Environment, Culture and Society and MSc
in Human Geography)
Room 2.09 Geography Teaching Office, Drummond Street
0131 650 2543
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schoolsdepartments/geosciences/people?indv=3499&cw_xml=person.html
Christine Wilson (Christine.Wilson@ed.ac.uk)
Programme Secretary (MSc in Carbon Capture and Storage, MSc in Integrated
Resource Management and MSc in Petroleum Geoscience)
Room 214 Ecology Teaching Office, Crew Building
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schoolsdepartments/geosciences/people?indv=2129&cw_xml=person.html
Scottish Rural College University:
Elspeth Martin (Elspeth.Martin@sruc.ac.uk)
Programme Secretary (MSc in Ecological Economics, MSc in Environmental Protection
and Management, MSc in Soils and Sustainability and MSc in Food Security)
Room 249 Peter Wilson Building, King’s Building Campus
0131 535 4198
http://www.sruc.ac.uk/directory_record/10947/martin_elspeth
In vast majority of cases your Programme Director will act as your Personal Tutor but
for larger programmes a Deputy Programme Director will also act as a Personal Tutor.
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Your Personal Tutor is your first point of contact for issues regarding your academic
progress, including:

Guidance on degree regulations and requirements

Offering academic advice to student on course choices, study abroad or degree
programme transfer requests

Guiding students on study skills and any study difficulties they are
experiencing

Imparting guidance on exams and other assessment techniques including
advising on essay and field/laboratory report writing skills

Advising on feedback and academic progress

Giving guidance on careers related matters

Requests for academic references
The Senior Postgraduate Personal Tutor is responsible for:

Approving interruption of study requests

Overseeing the Personal Tutor system at postgraduate level and monitoring
individual and group meetings
The Postgraduate Senior Personal tutor is:
Dr Dave Reay (David.Reay@ed.ac.uk)
Senior Postgraduate Personal Tutor
The GeoScience Teaching Office manages academic and pastoral support. If at any
time you wish to raise issues with the academic or pastoral support provided on your
degree programme or to request to be allocated to another Personal Tutor, please
contact Sarah McAllister, Manager of the Teaching Organisation at
Sarah.McAllister@ed.ac.uk. We also welcome feedback from students directly or via
the Postgraduate Student Staff Liaison Committee.

7.3
).
Student Disability Service
Staff in the Disability Office are keen to make contact with students with disabilities as early as
possible. If you have a disability (including medical conditions and dyslexia), regardless of
whether you indicated this on your application form, we would encourage you to get in touch.
This is particularly important if you are likely to require any of the following:
 adaptations to teaching or residential accommodation
 access to specialist technology
 alternative ways of accessing teaching and information
 personal assistance
 special examination arrangements (if applicable), or
 assistance with claiming Disabled Students Allowance.
If you get in touch, we will be able to:
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


Programme Handbook 2013-14
ensure that you have a copy of the University’s Disability Statement and other relevant
information
discuss your requirements with you in person or by telephone or correspondence
discuss the possibility of alternative examination arrangements
offer advice about specialist assessment and access to funding and equipment.
If you are worried about discrimination or are unsure whether or not to disclose a disability to
your Department, we will be pleased to discuss your circumstances with you in strict confidence.
Additional Information for Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia)
The University employs a full-time Dyslexia Study Advisor who will be able to help you with
all aspects of your study including relevant technology and applying for special examination
arrangements.
What you should do:
 make early contact with the Dyslexia Study Advisor;
 bring with you an educational psychologist’s report, if you have one;
 be prepared to discuss your specific needs with University academic and support staff.
What we will do:
 arrange assessment of needs, if necessary;
 provide information on course design and content;
 offer study skills support;
 discuss the possibility of special examination arrangements;
 give information about available technology;
 assist with applications for Disabled Students’ Allowance.
Contact details
Disability Office, 3rd Floor, Main Library, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9AA
Email: Disability.Office@ed.ac.uk
Website: http://www.disability-office.ed.ac.uk/
Tel: 0131 650 6828 (Voice); 0131 650 9371 (Text)
7.4
Student/Staff Liaison
There is a Student/Staff Liaison Committee which is made up of elected student representatives
from each of the MSc Programmes as well as all Programme Directors. This Committee meets
as necessary, but at least once a semester, to discuss any concerns raised by the class. Students
are expected to discuss problems as they arise with their Programme Director in the first instance
and only those issues that are felt to be of general concern to the class as a whole should be
raised at the Student/Staff Liaison meeting.
7.5 Student Feedback and Evaluation
Student feedback and evaluation is a valued input to curriculum and programme review and
development at the University of Edinburgh. Students are asked to complete evaluation forms on
each course they take, on the dissertation preparation and supervision and on the degree
programme as a whole. Please complete these forms when they are distributed. Informal
feedback is welcome at any time. Feedback maybe requested through the virtual learning
environment, Learn9.
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Computer Facilities and Support
The University will provide you with a computer account which will enable you to have access
to an e-mail account, file space and printing resources. Computing facilities are divided into
those provided by the School and those provided by the University. See also section 9.19.
8.1
School Computing Facilities
Details of the location of University open-access labs at King’s Buildings can be found at:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services/services/computing/desktoppersonal/open-access/locations/kings-buildings/kb
You will also have direct access to the following labs which are exclusive to the School of
Geosciences MSc students::
-
MSc Teaching Lab Room 301 Crew Building
Quiet Study Lab/Rest Room Crew Annexe
If you need to spend time in the Geography building on Drummond Street where you will have
access to the following labs:
- MSc teaching lab – room 1.26 (when not used for teaching) (managed by School of
GeoSciences)
- Quiet study lab – room 1.23 (managed by School of GeoSciences)
- Open Access lab – room 2.02 (managed by Information Services)
8.2
School Computer Support
Assistance with IT issues are provided by the Geosciences IT Team which can be contacted by
email via ithelp@geos.ed.ac.uk Alerts about changes to the computing environment, security
announcements and other items of interest and support can be found on the school web site at:
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/it/.
8.4
E-Mail
When you join the University you will be given a University of Edinburgh (UoE) email account
and address which will be used for a variety of essential communications. You must access and
manage this account regularly as the University will send you vital information from time to
time, for example on exam arrangements or changed class times or locations, and will assume
that you have opened and acted on these communications.
Failure to do so will not be an acceptable excuse or ground for appeal. All internal
correspondence regarding your MSc course will be posted to your university email address.
If you already have a web-based e-mail account and think that you are unlikely to check your
UoE e-mail account, it is your responsibility to set up a forward on the UoE account to ensure
that all official University communications are received.
If one or more of your courses use Learn9 email, you will need to ensure that you either check
both the Learn9 email account and the UoE email account in order to be sure to receive urgent
and critical items of email, or alternatively you could set up forwards on the Learn9 accounts to
your UoE email account so that you have only one place to check for important email.
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If you do not want your e-mail address published in the central email directory (which is visible
and can be searched on the University website), you will have to inform the Edinburgh
University Computing Service (EUCS) of this.
8.5
Printing Copying and Scanning
School of GeoSciences facilities
All postgraduates can use the School of GeoSciences printing machines which are available on
Level 1 and 3 of the Crew Building free of charge as costs are automatically charged to APC
accounts.
To use the printers you need to add them to your profile. Details of how to do this are given on
the web page:
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/it/FAQ/printing/connecting.html
To access the printers you need to swipe your official student University Card which you should
carry with you at all times.
University facilities
All users of the open-access computers out with the School of Geosciences have a printing
account. You must have enough credit in your account before you can print.
A guide to photocopying facilities, including information on copyright, digitisation and
plagiarism can be found at:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services/services/library-museumgallery/using-library/photocopying
8.6
Using your own laptop
You are welcome to use your own laptop computer. Policy on IT support and software access for
students who bring their own laptops is available by contacting the IT team
(ithelp@geos.ed.ac.uk).
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9
A to Z of Facilities and Services
9.1
Accommodation
The University has a Student Accommodation Service. The office is located at:
Accommodation Services
Reception Centre
Pollock Halls
Holyrood Park Road
EH16 5AY
Tel: 0131 667 1971
http://www.accom.ed.ac.uk
If you wish to make use of this service, you will need your Letter of Acceptance or some other
proof of your identity. You may telephone the office from 0900-1630. The Reception Centre is
manned 24 hours a day, but an appointment system is in operation.
Students with a 12-month University Accommodation contract should be aware that if they want
to terminate their contract in order to go overseas to do fieldwork, they MUST let the
Accommodation Services know well in advance. Being allowed to break the Accommodation
Contract is a concession and not a right.
9.2
Banking
Due to the strict guidelines the Financial Services Authority places on banks with regard to
money laundering, banks must be able to verify the student’s address.
For UK students, the normal address verification procedures involve the production of one of the
following:





Current Council Tax Bill
Current Local Council Rent Card
Current Local Council Tenancy Agreement
Positive Voter’s Roll Check
Utility Bill or Mortgage Statement.
Please check exact details with your bank.
Overseas students should follow the advice given by the International Office follow link below
for further information:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/international-office
For Overseas students, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Halifax Bank of Scotland will accept the
following for address-verification procedures:

the University’s Letter of Offer (must be on headed paper). Both conditional and
unconditional offers are acceptable.

Tenancy agreement or student accommodation contract. Tenancy agreements are
restricted to those with a local authority/council, housing association, or known and
reputable letting agency.
There are branches of the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Halifax Bank of Scotland in the
vicinity of King’s Buildings. The most accessible Royal Bank of Scotland is in 30 Nicolson
Street (Tel: 668 3351), and Halifax Bank of Scotland is in 55 Mayfield Road (Tel: 667 4336) or
in Cameron Toll Shopping Centre. There are also ATM facilities for obtaining cash at KB
Centre.
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Overseas students should remember to cancel their cash cards before they leave the UK.
9.3
Building Access
Your matriculation card must be activated so as to allow you entry to the Crew Building’s side
and back doors. This can be done through your Programme Secretary (Room 214, Crew
Building) upon presentation of your matriculation card.
The MSc teaching primarily takes place in the Crew Building and the Crew Building Annex. All
the rooms in the Annex may be used as study rooms when not in use for lectures or meetings but
must be booked through the Programme Secretary. The Annex front door will be locked outwith
the normal office hours of 0900–1700, but again you can still access the building outwith normal
hours by having your card activated. Please note if using the building outwith normal office
hours, students MUST remember to sign-in for health and safety reasons.
The Institute of Geography, based at Drummond Street, is open from 8.00am until 6.00pm
Monday to Friday. Out with these times students can access the building by using their
matriculation card as a swipe card and entering the PIN supplied with the card. If you are
working in the building out with opening hours you need to sign in the “out of hours” book
which is kept in the foyer. You can access the building via the main entrance on Drummond
Street or via the back entrance from Infirmary Street.
9.4
Catering
There is a Kitchen and Common Room/Study Area in the Crew Building Annexe for the
exclusive use of all MSc programmes. Tea and coffee are available there throughout the day at
a cost under a trust system. Mugs and cups are provided for student use but you are expected to
help keep the rooms neat and tidy and wash cups after use.
Accommodation Services run:


KB Café at the Noreen and Kenneth Murray Library
Upstairs Café in the Swann Building
Edinburgh University Students' Association runs:




9.5
Mayfield Bar (at KB House)
Blackford Lounge (at KB House)
Pi in the Sky cafeteria (at KB House)
The Magnet Café (in the James Clerk Maxwell Building)
Chaplaincy
The University Chaplaincy offers pastoral care for students regardless of religious affiliation. It
provides opportunities to worship, a focus for community and friendship, a chance to exchange
ideas, pursue concerns and to ask questions. It is located at 1 Bristo Square, part of the Student
Centre Complex in Bristo Square, (Tel: 650 2595/6; or see http://www.chaplaincy.ed.ac.uk/)
Honorary Chaplains and religious contacts in Edinburgh are detailed on the 'Faiths' Home Page:
http://www.chaplaincy.ed.ac.uk/faiths.html.
9.6
English Language
All non-native English-speaking students are required to sit an English test when they arrive at
the university (Test of English at Matriculation). The following website contains a list of test
times. There is no need to book in advance:
http://www.ials.ed.ac.uk
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Students will have the opportunity to attend English classes run during the year. Some students
will be recommended to sit these classes based on their Test of English at Matriculation result.
9.8
Feedback
The School welcomes student feedback because it provides an invaluable input to the review and
development of both curriculum and programme organisation. You will have the opportunity to
complete an evaluation form for each course you complete. You are also encouraged to forward
general comments regarding the programme to the Programme Director.
9.9
Health & Safety
The Guide to the Health & Safety Policy of the University can be found at:
http://www.safety.ed.ac.uk/policy. Please take the time to read especially Parts 2 and 8 (General
Precautions and Fieldwork & Outdoor Activities). Field work and field visits may involve some
inherent risks and hazards.
Please make sure that you also read the ‘Code of Practice for Field Studies’ at the back of this
handbook (Appendix 6).
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Programme Handbook 2013-14
Health Service
The services of the University Health Centre in Bristo Square are available to students. The
University Health Service is based at:
Richard Verney Health Centre
6 Bristo Square
Edinburgh
EH8 9AL
Tel: 0131 650 2777 (Office hours Mon–Fri)
Tel: 0131 668 4427 (Evenings & Weekends – urgent cases only)
Tel: 0131 650 8241 (For nurse appointments during consulting hours only)
E-mail: health.service@ed.ac.uk
Website: http://www.health-service.ed.ac.uk
Consulting hours are:

0900-1100 (Mon-Fri).

0900-1000 (Saturday) – urgent cases only

Closed on public holidays.
Otherwise consultation by appointment only.
Appointments with a doctor are free-of-charge under the National Health Service (NHS), but
there is a charge per item of prescribed medicine. A charge is also made for dental and eye care.
Lothian Health Board is responsible for medical care out-of-hours (i.e. between 1800 and 0800
hours, at weekends, and on public holidays). To use this service, please phone NHS24
(www.nhs24.com) on 08454 24 24 24. NHS24 is available for advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week.
9.11
International Office
The International Office is glad to provide information to international students and their
families on various matters.
The office address is:
International Office
Tel: 0131 650 4296
57 George Square
E-mail:
nquiries.international@ed.ac.uk.
Edinburgh EH8 9JU
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schoolsdepartments/international-office
The International Students Centre (ISC) is part of the International Office and is an organisation
which tries to help international students to settle into their new environment:
http://www.international.ed.ac.uk/isc/
9.12
Insurance
All students are very strongly advised to provide their own personal accident, liability and travel
insurance, which may be arranged through the University’s Insurance Section in the Finance
Office, 9-16 Chambers Street, EH1 1HT (Tel: 0131 650 9154). This is particularly important for
students collecting data in the field for their dissertation in the UK, mainland Europe or
worldwide. For more information see: http://www.finance.ed.ac.uk/finweb/insurance/
9.13
Libraries
Full information about the University Library's services, e.g. joining the library, opening hours,
and material available is available at http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/. The library catalogue can be
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accessed at: http://catalogue.lib.ed.ac.uk/. The University Card (issued to every matriculated
student) can be used to borrow books from any of the University Library sites.
Students are expected to familiarise themselves with the library and to attend the tour, which will
take place during Introductory Week.
Libraries outside the University
The Edinburgh City Library and the National Library of Scotland are both located on George IV
Bridge.
9.14
Photocopy Machines
Black & white photocopy machines are located in the Darwin library. User cards can be
obtained at the Darwin library reception desk. Colour photocopying can be done at the KB
Copy Centre in Room 2300 of the JCMB building (Tel: 0131 650 5001).
There are also photocopying/printing machines on Level 1 (Room 103) and Level 3 (corridor)
of the Crew Building, They are available for students’ use with an individual Pin number (see
8.17).
9.15
Postal Services
Inland mail costs 60p for first class and 50p for second-class stamps for letters (240x165mm
5mm thick) up to 100 grams in weight. Rates for larger items or for overseas mailing are
available from post offices and online, please follow link below to find out further information:
http://www.royalmail.com/Prices2012#personal
The nearest post office from the Crew Building is in Blackford Avenue, about 15 minutes walk
away.
9.16
Recycling
A recycling scheme operates in the University. Full details of this policy can be found on the
Energy and Sustainability Office website: http://www.eso.ed.ac.uk/Waste/.
Collection bins for the recycling of newspapers, magazines, plastic bottles, cans, cardboard, and
glass are located between the Joseph Black Building and KB House. For details of all the
recycling facilities in the City of Edinburgh see the following web page:
http://www.changeworks.org.uk/
9.17
Shopping
The most convenient shopping area for the King's Buildings is the Cameron Toll Shopping
Centre, about 10 minutes walk away. There is a large supermarket, book shop, two banks, travel
agents, and a wide range of other shops including a pharmacy.
9.18
Smoking
In order to promote the health and safety of both students and staff, the University operates a
compulsory No Smoking Policy prohibiting smoking in its premises, with certain exceptions for
residential accommodation and licensed premises.
Since March 2006, smoking is banned in all public places in Scotland, see:
http://www.clearingtheairscotland.com/
9.19
Sport Facilities
In the KB House, a multi gym, squash courts and sports hall are available, but the main facilities
are at the Sports Centre at The Pleasance, the playing fields at Peffermill, and the field centre on
Loch Tay, Perthshire. Facilities at the Sports Centre include sports hall, squash courts, circuit
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and weight training rooms, archery and rifle ranges, boxing and table tennis. Open seven days a
week. For more information, see http://www.sport.ed.ac.uk/. Information on playing fields at
Peffermill and Firbush Point Field Centre on Loch Tay is available from the Physical Education
Department, 46 The Pleasance, Tel: 650 2585.
9.20
Students Union
Every student is automatically a member of the Edinburgh University Students’ Association
(although the Education Act 1994 gives students the right to opt out of this membership if they
wish). EUSA operates Student Union buildings around the University, providing restaurant and
bar facilities, entertainment and advice (particularly on student finances). EUSA represents
students' interests to the University on academic and matters of policy affecting students. It also
represents students’ views to outside bodies such as the City Council and the Scottish Parliament
For more information, see http://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/.
9.21
Telephone
The telephones in the Crew Building Annex are available to students for internal calls to staff of
the University or the Scottish Rural University College (SRUC) for purposes connected with
their studies. To dial University numbers, omit the initial 6 from the 7-digit 650 numbers and
dial the remaining 6 digits, e.g. to call external number 650 6708, dial internal number 50 6708.
To call numbers in SAC, replace 535 of external number with 77, e.g. for 535 1000, dial 77
1000. A pay telephone can also be found in the KB Centre and KB House.
9.22
Travel and Transport
The University promotes the use of sustainable modes of transport, e.g. cycling, walking and
public transport. Students who have their own vehicles and wish to use University car parks
should contact the parking office for an application form and details of car parking charges:
http://www.transport.ed.ac.uk/
Bus travel between campuses and within Edinburgh
The University shuttle bus runs during semester time between George Square (Crichton Street)
and King’s Building (in front of the Roger Land Building). The bus runs at twenty-minute
intervals for much of the day. For further bus information please follow link below:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/transport/travelling-here/kings-buildings/by-bus
If you use the bus regularly it may be cheaper to buy a bus pass from Lothian Buses, 27 Hanover
Street (Tel: 0131 554 4494; http://www.lothianbuses.co.uk/). The bus pass entitles you to
unlimited travel on any Lothian bus, but it does not cover night services.
Rail travel
There are discounts for students holding a Student Railcard. Applications for any concessions
must be officially stamped (Room 214, Crew Bldg). You will also require 2 passport photos.
When travelling from Edinburgh during the Christmas vacation (especially overseas) make
arrangements well in advance because services are heavily booked at this time of year.
9.23
Visa and General Enquires - International Students
International Students with any queries please follow the link below to contact the International
Office:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-academic-services/departments/internationaloffice
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Appendix 1: University Marking Scheme
UNIVERSITY MARKING SCHEME
MSc/DIPLOMA
Mark %
Grade
90-100
A1
80-89
A2
70-79
A3
60-69
B
Description
An excellent
performance,
satisfactory for
a Distinction.
GRADE-RELATED CRITERIA TO BE APPLIED WHEN MARKING
Mark
Awarded
Corresponding characteristics of coursework or dissertation †
95
Showing very significant originality in ideas/argument, factually faultless, focused, perceptive, critical, well-structured &
organised, comprehensive. Arguments supported by example or evidence. Extensive evidence of reading with many authors
cited by name. Very well written. Exceptional progress made.
Showing significant originality, factually almost faultless, focused, critical, well structured & organised, comprehensive. Extensive
evidence of reading. Well written. Exceptional progress made.
Showing originality, factually largely correct, critical, well structured and organised, comprehensive. Extensive evidence of
reading. Well written. Excellent progress made.
85
75
A very good
performance
68
65
62
50-59
C
A good
performance,
satisfactory for
a Master's
Degree
58
55
52
40-49*
D
A satisfactory
performance for
the Diploma but
inadequate for
a Master's
Degree
48
45
42
30-39**
E
20-29
F
Marginal Fail
Diploma
Clear Fail
10-19
0-9
G
H
Bad Fail
38
28
1-12
Sound and convincing with moderate evidence of flair/originality. Well structured & organised, fairly comprehensive, factually
largely correct with strong evidence of reading beyond basic references. Very good progress made.
Sound and methodical with evidence of some originality, well structured & organised, fairly comprehensive. Factually largely
correct, with evidence of reading beyond basic texts. Very good progress made.
Sound and methodical with minimal evidence of originality, fairly well structured and organised, fairly comprehensive. Factually
largely correct but with some obvious omissions or mistakes. Evidence of minimal reading beyond basic texts. Good progress
made
Competent, structured & organised but lacking in real depth, no real evidence of originality. Reasonably good factual
presentation & freedom from error but little more. Methodically covered but subtleties often missed. Evidence of minimal reading
beyond basic texts. Good progress made.
Competent, fair attempt at structure and organisation, reasonable factual presentation, but contains some minor errors or
missing facts, some conceptual confusion. Often rote-learnt with little added. Flat, with little beyond the obvious. Lacking
evidence of reading beyond basic texts. Satisfactory progress made.
Largely competent, but somewhat superficial. Fair attempt at structure and organisation, but with some sections not entirely
pertinent and text marred by structural problems or gaps in understanding. Many minor factual errors. No evidence of reading
beyond basic texts. Satisfactory progress made.
Sparse, incomplete or unfinished, poor organisation, many minor errors of fact or conception, shallow or naïve argument, little
evidence of reading and only basic level of understanding. Significant sections often irrelevant. Disappointing progress made.
[Refer for minor amendments if textual amendments can be done in 2 weeks and bring mark to 50%.]
Sparse, incomplete or unfinished, extremely poor organisation, numerous significant errors of fact or conception, very weak or
non-existent argument, very limited evidence of reading, an elementary level of understanding. Large sections often irrelevant.
Disappointing progress made.
Very sparse, incomplete or unfinished, factually incorrect or conceptually confused. No attempt at argument, no evidence of any
reading, even of basic texts. Only a very basic and limited understanding. Very disappointing progress made.
Extremely sparse, incomplete or overly brief, factually incorrect and conceptually highly confused. No attempt at argument. Very
basic misunderstanding or entire misconception. Hardly any progress made.
Unacceptably inadequate with no relevance to project objectives, illogical, lacking structure or focus, or showing not even a
minimum of understanding. Few basic facts correct, numerous omissions and errors, essentially no progress made.
Wholly unacceptable answer that may be flippant, minimally brief (one or two paragraphs), totally misconceived, unintelligible or
indecipherable. Often characterised by few minimal facts randomly, but often erroneously presented.
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Appendix 2: Advice to Students on Examinations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
(by Professor D.R. Newth)
The examiners want you to do well, and will try hard to see merit in your performance.
Your job is to help them.
Always read through all the questions of the relevant sections before starting to answer
any of them. Always attempt the number of questions required of you. The first few
marks on any question are the easiest to earn and you will get "grace" marks for a very
feeble or brief answer if it reveals that at least you know what the question is all about.
Read the question and answer it. You may feel that a different question would have been
more interesting, and you may be quite right, but how is the examiner to know that you
are not just ignorant and/or silly if you wilfully evade the plain meaning of the question
as set?
If asked to "Describe" or "Give an account of" a natural phenomenon it is entirely
proper that your answer should be mainly an orderly presentation of data ("facts"),
though you should always try to show, however briefly, that you understand the wider
significance of what you are describing and the problems it presents. If asked to
"Discuss" or "Write an essay on", you are being invited to express views, your own and
other people's, and to criticise them. A wholly "factual" answer is then inadequate even
if it reveals a remarkable knowledge of the relevant material. It cannot earn high marks.
The data you mention must be placed in the context of the arguments you are presenting.
Avoid writing essays on subjects unless you have something to say that is interesting, if
only to you. Too many candidates choose to write on questions of general importance
(the population explosion, pollution, etc.) in the mistaken view that worthy sentiments
are an adequate substitute for science.
Do not limit your answers to the content of particular lectures you have received. The
examiners want to know if your reading has been wide and deep, if you can relate
material from different parts of your course, if you can teach them something they didn't
know, or suggest a good problem that they have not thought of themselves.
Questions can always be well answered in much less time than is allotted to them. Spend
some time on thought in planning your answer. A brief but cogent answer wins every
time against a rambling recital, however long.
Examiners try not to be prejudiced against answers that are almost illegible, or are in
other ways hard to understand. But they are only human and it is kinder not to expose
their weaknesses.
It is wrong to suppose that examiners resent the expression of unorthodox views or,
what is not necessarily the same thing, views with which they disagree. Or, if they do
resent it, that it influences their assessment. But it is only common sense to realise that
the credit you may justly earn for independence of mind will be squandered if your
assertion that the earth is flat is not supported by telling arguments.
If you feel the need to deceive the examiners, or to pull the wool over their eyes, you are
probably not clever enough to succeed. A frankly inadequate answer deserves some
marks, but if padded out with wild guesses, irrelevant matter, or repetition, it loses all
claims to consideration.
Perhaps the single most foolish thing that candidates can do is to take drugs (whether
tranquillisers or stimulants) in the hope of improving their performance. Only take drugs
of any kind on medical advice. Advice given by friends who are nurses or medical
students is not medical advice.
If you are unwell at examination time, consult a doctor. If he or she thinks that your
performance will be affected by your condition, see that the examiners are told at once.
A medical certificate must be produced if, for reasons of health, a candidate is absent
from all or part of an examination.
50
Appendix 3: University of Edinburgh
Use of plagiarism detection software
Note that computers may be used to detect plagiarism, whether by using something as
simple as a search engine such as Google (it is as easy for a marker to find online sources
as it is for you) or something more complex for specialized comparisons of work. Some
courses will use the JISC plagiarism detection service.
The plagiarism detection service is an online service hosted at www.submit.ac.uk that
enables institutions and staff to carry out electronic comparison of students' work against
electronic sources including other students' work. The service is managed by The University
of Northumbria on behalf of the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) and is available
to all UK tertiary education institutions by subscription.
The plagiarism detection service works by executing searches of the world wide web and
extensive databases of reference material, as well as content previously submitted by other
users. Each new submission is compared with all the existing information. The software
makes no decisions as to whether a student has plagiarised, it simply highlights sections of
text that are duplicated in other sources. All work will continue to be reviewed by the course
tutor. As such, the software is simply used as a tool to highlight any instance where there is
a possible case of plagiarism. Passages copied directly or very closely from existing sources
will be identified by the software, and both the original and the potential copy will be
displayed for the tutor to view. Where any direct quotations are relevant and appropriately
referenced, the course tutor will be able to see this and will continue to consider the next
highlighted case.
Once work has been submitted to the system it becomes part of the ever growing database
of material against which subsequent submissions are checked. The copyright in each work
submitted remains with the original author, but a non-exclusive, non-transferable, licence is
granted to permit use of the material for plagiarism detection purposes.
There is an on-line demonstration of the system available at
http://www.submit.ac.uk/
51
Appendix 4: Dissertation Checklist
School of GeoSciences - MSc Dissertation checklist
Student’s name ………………………………………………………………
Matriculation number ………………………………………………………
Date for
completion
Date
Completed
First supervisor: contact details.
Second supervisor: contact details.
(Second supervisors are only compulsory if first supervisors are not
University staff)
Final dissertation – 3 copies required.
For completion for all projects involving any field work
Next of kin and contact details.
Health and Safety
ALL project proposals involving field work in the UK or overseas should
include the completion of a field work risk assessment (Form FA1).
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/safety/Linksforms.html
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/safety/policy/fieldwork/
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/safety/policy/riskassess.html
Your risk assessment should include an emergency response plan for
accidents, health problems, loss of documents and personal property.
Ethics
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/geography/Ethics/
ALL projects should begin with the completion of the Preliminary Ethics
Self-Assessment Form.
(http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/geography/Ethics/form1.html)
Medical and Health
Potential Hazards discussed with supervisor (the checklist over the
page gives the minimum issues which should be covered for overseas
projects).
Two weeks
before travel
Supervisor’s
signature
Full proposal
This MUST include details of your local contact for projects involving
fieldwork overseas.
For projects taking place outside the UK (or student’s home country) page two of
this form should also be completed.
52
Date for
completion
FCO Travel Advice.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel
As early as possible.
Recheck at
intervals.
Local advisor (include full details in proposal).
Valid Passport and Visa requirements for your intended destination.
As early as possible
Travel Insurance and Medical Insurance.
http://www.finance.ed.ac.uk/finweb/insurance/personalaccident.cfm
2 weeks before
travel
For projects in Europe obtain your European Health Insurance Card (EU
nationals only).
2 weeks before
travel
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAdviceForTravellers/fs/en
First Aid kit and personal medical supplies.
Field work first aid training may be advisable depending on where your
field work will be carried out. Consider taking a course at the outset of your
studies. http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/safety/policy/fieldwork/firstaid.html
2 weeks before
travel
Obtain a research permit if required by host country (you need to provide
evidence of the current requirements of the host country in your proposal).
Note this process may take several months. Failure to do this may
result in permanent expulsion from the country.
2 weeks before
travel
Attend travel health clinic for necessary vaccinations and medical supplies.
http://www.health-service.ed.ac.uk/
http://www.edinburghtravelhealthclinic.co.uk/
You should make your first appointment well in advance of travel as
the course of vaccinations may take up to six weeks to become
effective. Significant costs may be involved.
Further information is available at: http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/
2 weeks before
travel or earlier
where necessary
Malaria prevention (if required)
2 weeks before
travel
Appropriate prophylaxis.
Additional standby treatment may be required if working in remote areas.
Treated bed net is required for all field work in malarial areas.
Dengue Fever prevention (if required)
2 weeks before
travel
Local travel in host country. Check requirements for car hire, other forms
of transport, etc.
2 weeks before
travel
Register with UK embassy or High Commission Consulate Office (UK
students). Students of other nationalities should register with their own
embassy in the host country.
2 weeks before
travel
53
Date
Completed
Appendix 5: Fieldwork Assessment Form FA1
(Refer to Notes for Guidance before completing this form)
School Assessment No.
Title of Fieldwork Activity:
Location(s) of Work:
Duration (incl. dates From /
To) :
Brief Description of Fieldwork:
Hazard Identification: Identify all the hazards; evaluate the risks (low / medium / high) and
describe all necessary control measures.
Hazard (s)
Risk
Control Measures
L/M/
H
Risk
after
Control
L/M/H
Physical Hazards (e.g.
extreme weather
conditions, cliffs, caves,
mountains, marshes,
quicksand, fresh /
seawater, mines, quarries,
tides)
Biological Hazards (e.g.
poisonous plants,
venomous / aggressive
animals, soil or water micro
organisms, insects)
54
Chemical Hazards (e.g.
pesticides, dusts,
contaminated soils,
chemicals on site)
Man-made hazards (e.g.
machinery, electrical
equipment, vehicles,
insecure buildings, slurry
pits, power and pipelines)
Personal Safety (e.g. lone
working, attack on person
or property, first aid)
Environmental impact
(e.g. refuse, pollution,
disturbance of ecosystems)
Other hazards (e.g.
procedural, manual
handling) Please specify.
*Continue on separate sheet if necessary
Emergency Procedures: Specify arrangements for first aid, special emergency
procedures, survival aids, communication, etc.)
55
Additional Information: Identify any additional information relevant to the fieldwork activity,
including supervision, training requirements, information, specialist equipment or clothing,
inoculations, etc.
Contact Information: Include details of both the University designated contact and on-site
contact.
University
Name:
Tel. Contact:
On-site
Name:
Tel. Contact:
Address of residential base:
Has necessary training and information been
given?
Yes
No
N/A
Is there adequate provision for those with health
problems or disabilities?
Yes
No
N/A
Are there adequate First Aiders available?
Yes
No
N/A
Is there suitable supervision (i.e. Staff to Student
ratio)?
Yes
No
N/A
Is permission required to work on site?
Yes
No
N/A
56
Are there suitable travel arrangements and
licensed drivers?
Yes
No
N/A
Is adequate insurance cover in place?
Yes
No
N/A
Have all participants submitted next of kin
information to field trip organiser / School Office?
Yes
No
N/A
Have route notification schedules been provided to
Police or Coastguard?
Yes
No
N/A
(Contact Finance Office for advice, 50-9154)
3.6
Assessment carried out by:
Name:
Date:
Signature:
Review
Date:
Title (e.g. Group Leader, Lecturer, Research Student, etc):
3.7
Assessment Authorised by Head of School / Fieldwork Supervisor:
Name:
Date:
Signature:
57
Appendix 6: Guidance Notes to Fieldwork Assessment Form FA1:
These notes provide guidance for those completing fieldwork assessment form FA1 and should be
read in conjunction with Part Eight of the University Health and Safety Policy - Fieldwork and Outdoor
Activities, which can be found at http://www.docs.csg.ed.ac.uk/Safety/Policy/Part8.pdf. Other useful
publications are the CVCP ‘Code of Practice for Safety in Fieldwork’, the Institute of Biology ‘Safety in
Biological Fieldwork’ and the Natural Environment Research Council ‘Guidance Note Safety in
Fieldwork’, copies of which may be borrowed from the Health and Safety Department.
Those supervising fieldwork exercises should also refer to codes of practice or guidance material
produced by organisations relevant to the discipline in question.
Local visits of a routine nature that are well supervised may be assessed on a generic basis and
regularly reviewed. This may for example, include visits which are repeated each year as part of a
taught academic course.
Activity Details:
It is important to specify the location of the fieldwork exercise, the date and time of departure and the
expected time of return. In higher risk situations, additional details including map grid references may
be necessary.
Risk Assessment:
All fieldworkers, in prior consultation with their Group Leaders, must identify the likely health and
safety problems and assess the risks that may arise during the field exercise.
The essential steps to be taken in order to assess the risks are:
•
Identify the hazards to health or safety arising from the fieldwork activity or location.
•
Decide who might be harmed and how
•
Evaluate the risks and decide what control measures need to be put in place.
•
Record your findings
•
Review your assessment and revise it if necessary
Hazard and Risk:
Hazard: A hazard is something with the potential to do harm.
Risk: The risk is the likelihood that actual harm will occur.
58
Hazard Identification:
Identify all the hazards relevant to the fieldwork activity.
Some hazards to consider include:
•
Physical hazards - difficulties/ peculiarities with the location e.g., cliffs, caves, mines, forests,
roadside, extreme weather conditions, tides and currents,
•
Biological hazards – venomous, lively or aggressive animals, plants, pathogenic microorganisms,
•
Chemical hazards – pesticides, dusts, chemicals brought onto site i.e., sample reagents,
contaminated land,
•
Man made hazards – vehicles, electrical or mechanical equipment, diesel generators, power
lines and service pipelines, insecure buildings, slurry and silage pits, military activity, civil
disorder,
•
Hazards to environment – waste minimisation, disturbance of eco-systems, pollution,
•
Training – navigation e.g., map and compass work, survival/rescue, first aid, specialist training
if appropriate (conduct on boats, diving, tree climbing, vehicles),
•
Personal safety – lone-working, procedures for summoning assistance, etc., risk of attack,
routine communication, emergency communication.
Who May Be Affected:
Consider students, members of the public and those who may not be directly involved with the activity
but who may still be affected. Will the fieldwork activities impose on, or in any way adversely affect,
members of the local community? Also consider the effect on wildlife and vegetation in the area.
Risk Evaluation:
Evaluate the risks (low / medium / high) to which individuals may be exposed. This will be a subjective
evaluation but should be used to give an indication of the priority with which the risk needs to be
addressed. Where risks are already controlled, monitor the effectiveness of the control to decide
whether they are sufficient, especially considering the anticipated field conditions. Where the risk to
individuals is thought to be medium or high, additional control measures must be considered.
Risk Control:
Decide what controls are necessary to reduce the risk to individuals and to comply with any relevant
statutory requirements (compliance with statutory requirements is a minimum level of control). Also
consider any codes of practice or guidance issued by relevant organisations. The steps to controlling
the risks are as follows.
59
•
Avoid the hazard
•
Substitute or replace the hazard
•
Procedural controls
•
Engineering / mechanical controls
•
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
•
Establish emergency procedures
•
Health surveillance (where appropriate)
Monitor the controls you have instigated to ensure that they are effective and implemented correctly.
Additional Considerations:
Detail arrangements specific to the fieldwork in question that are not covered above. This may include
special training requirements, specialist equipment or clothing, or inoculations.
Organisation:
Include emergency contact details of both the on-site contacts and the University designated contact.
In the event of an incident or accident, the University designated contact will require next of kin details
of all those taking part in the fieldwork activity.
Record Your Findings:
Record the significant hazards and conclusions.
Authorisation:
All fieldwork activities must be authorised by the Head of school or other relevant senior school
employee, e.g., Fieldwork Supervisor.
Assessment Review:
The assessment must be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains relevant and effective.
60
Appendix 7: Code of Practice for Fieldwork
For staff, researchers and postgraduate students of The School of GeoSciences, University of
Edinburgh
SECTION
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
General behaviour
Your responsibilities for safety
Safety precautions applying to all field work
Clothing, footwear and safety gear
Medical problems in the field
Emergency procedures
Going into the field alone
Aquatic environments
Prohibited activities
Working overseas
Useful telephone numbers
This Code of Practice should be read in conjunction with the University’s Health and Safety Policy on
Fieldwork and Outdoor Activities (http://www.safety.ed.ac.uk/policy/part8/part8.shtm)
1.
GENERAL BEHAVIOUR
Obtain permission from the landowner before visiting the site, installing equipment or collecting
samples.
Show consideration for the property of others:
 Do not damage property
 Do not leave gates open
 Do not trample crops
 Do not disturb animals.
Show consideration for our natural environment






2.
Do not collect specimens unless specifically required for the purpose of the field course.
Remember, it is an offence to uproot wild plants.
Do not disturb natural communities.
Do not casually overturn rocks or logs.
Do not leave litter.
Observe conservation regulations.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SAFETY
Ecological field work involves some inherent risks and hazards because of the places we go to and
the activities we undertake. Severe weather may increase the dangers.
The potential dangers make it imperative that each individual takes safety seriously in order to
reduce the risks of accidents.
It is your responsibility to follow, in so far as is reasonable, our framework for safety on the field
work. You should:
(1) complete a field safety assessment form and have it checked by a colleague or
supervisor and lodge it with your supervisor/programme director. The forms can be
61
found at: http://www.safety.ed.ac.uk/safenet/risk_assess/FA1.shtm.
available from the School secretaries of your programme.
They are also
(2) Ensure that you are suitably clothed and equipped for the conditions likely to be
prevailing and for the activities to be carried out.
(3) If at all possible, avoid going into the field alone, and
(4) Notify a designated colleague about your trip.
Acquire the essential field skills:
-
Map reading
Compass reading
Carrying/transporting equipment
Weather awareness
Preparedness
o Packing list, labels etc
o Plastic (not cardboard) boxes; plastic (not glass) bottles
Essential equipment (including waterproof notebooks, plastic boxes etc)
Equipment familiarity. It is important to know the procedures before going into the field.
You must notify your colleagues of your trip, including your expected return time.
3.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS APPLYING TO ALL FIELD WORK
Wear clothing and footwear suitable for the weather, the activity and terrain. You will not be
allowed to participate in a field course if you are ill-equipped for the conditions. Section 4 gives
general guidelines, and specific activities may require additional items.
Never smoke or light fires in forests or on moorland. Conditions for the spread of undergrowth
fires may be present in any season.
Show extra care on cliffs and steep slopes. Gusty winds can blow you over. Cliff edges may be
crumbling. Do not dislodge loose rocks. Grass verges may be very slippery.
Do not incur additional risks by e.g. climbing cliffs, walking on slippery rocks, or wading along
rivers, unless these activities have been approved as an essential part of the course.
Use potentially dangerous apparatus with care (e.g. chain saws, electric drills) and with due
regard to the operating instructions. You will never be allowed to use a chain saw without thorough
training and specific permission. Do not touch machinery in forests, farms, factories, etc unless it is a
specific requirement of the course.
Take care along roads, when you need to work beside the road (e.g. for surveying, sampling
vegetation). Walk on the right hand side (i.e. facing oncoming traffic). You are not allowed along
motorways or railways.
Be careful when driving. Many road accidents occur when people are returning from field work in a
tired state.
Take care when leaving buses. Remember that this is dangerous when the bus stops at the roadside.
Stay with your group, except by clear arrangement with the course leader.
Meet as arranged at the completion of work. In particular, do not make your own way back home
(or to lodgings, etc) without express permission of the course leader.
62
Report illness, accident, incident affecting safety, or misbehaviour to the course leader.
Do not endanger yourself or others by fooling around, for example, by running down steep slopes,
rolling stones down slopes, throwing objects around, flicking tree branches.
Make sure you carry the Personal First Aid and Emergency Kit described in Section 4.
Keep an eye on the weather conditions and daylight. If in doubt, go back and return on another
day. Be prepared to adapt your fieldwork plans according the weather conditions.
4.
CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR & SAFETY GEAR
Minimum clothing: loose-fitting trousers, shirt, warm sweater, waterproof jacket, warm socks.
Desirable additional clothing: Warm head gear (in addition to the hood of a jacket), waterproof
overtrousers, extra sweater. (Remember that several thin layers are better than one heavy layer of
clothing.) Your jacket should be brightly coloured.
Footwear: Strong boots with Vibran mountaineering soles, wear wellingtons only when shallow
wading is anticipated.
Do not wear: shoes or trainers (as opposed to boots);; a dress; jeans (highly undesirable as they
absorb moisture and can cause exposure when wet and subjected to a cold wind).
Wear a safety helmet when there is a danger from falling rocks or trees, working underneath
instrumentation towers, or a dange of falling from a height, or at many construction and industrial
sites.
Personal First Aid and Emergency Kit. You are advised to carry with you, as a matter of course on
all field work, the following items in a plastic bag:
Map of site;
a loud whistle;
1 adhesive dressing;
1 plain lint wound dressing;
2 antiseptic wipes;
Safety matches;
Compass;
Latex gloves;
Emergency rations (e.g. chocolate, water); and
A survival bag if undertaking upland work.
The best policy is to keep this kit in a jacket or rucksack that you routinely take with you on field
trips.
Safety gear:
-
Take a mobile phone if you have one – School mobile phones may be borrowed from
Alan Pike (Alan.Pike@ed.ac.uk) or Jim Smith (Jim.Smith@glg.ed.ac.uk), both in Room
237 Grant Institute, Telephone: (6) 504919.
-
Take a map, compass, torch and survival bag for work in remote and/or mountainous
areas.
63
-
Wear a reflective jacket when working by roads or in construction/industrial sites
(available from Stores).
-
Wear a lifejacket when working from a boat (available from Stores).
-
Wear disposable gloves when sampling potentially contaminated waters and soils.
Some of this equipment is available from Stores, but you should provide your own basic equipment
(the cost of which is tax-deductible). Any specialist safety equipment required for the project should
be purchased from the grant.
5.
MEDICAL PROBLEMS IN THE FIELD
Although the likelihood of contracting serious diseases through fieldwork is very small in Britain, it is
wise to be aware of three diseases which may present potential hazards, and the steps which can be
taken to avoid problems.
Tetanus
There is a risk of tetanus from anything puncturing the skin in the field, for
example from an animal bite, a scalpel cut, or a scratch from a rusty nail. If you
are not currently protected against tetanus a course of immunisation can be
arranged with the Health Service. If you do receive a cut or a bite in the field and
are not covered for tetanus, you must see a doctor within 24 hours and obtain
emergency protection through passive immunisation.
Weil's Disease
Weil's disease is spread by rats and can be contracted from water contaminated
with the causative agent, spirochaete. The organism can enter through cuts or
abrasions in the skin, through skin which has been immersed for long periods in
water, or through mucus membrane surfaces such as the lining of the eyes.
Infection may result in a range of conditions varying from flu like symptoms
through to meningitis and liver and kidney damage. Protection is best provided by
wearing the appropriate clothing to cover vulnerable areas.
Potentially
contaminated skin and cuts should be thoroughly washed with soap and water at
the earliest opportunity.
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is contracted through tick bites. The risk of infection is high in areas
with high populations of deer. Immediate symptoms include a rash around the bite
and a brief flu like illness. More serious conditions such as meningitis, heart
disease and arthritis may develop if the disease goes untreated. The best
preventative measure is to protect the skin from tick bites by wearing long sleeved
shirts and trousers in areas where ticks are known to be common. If ticks are
discovered on the skin their head and mouthparts should be removed using fine
forceps, and the affected area disinfected. Contact your doctor immediately if an
illness resembling Lyme disease develops after you have been working in an area
with high tick densities.
In addition, in hot climates you may be at risk from heat exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke.
Dehydration
Heat exhaustion
Diarrhoea, dysentery and insufficient fluid intake can cause dehydration. In
the event of dehydration, sip some liquid in which you have mixed salt and
sugar (approximately one level teaspoon of salt with 8 level teaspoons of
sugar in one litre of liquid). In the event of severe dehydration, you should
sip this fluid every 5 minutes (day and night) until you begin to urinate
normally. If dehydration gets worse, or if you do not urinate within 6 hours,
contact a doctor.
Dehydration and salt deficiency can cause heat exhaustion. Take time to
acclimatise to high temperatures and make sure you get sufficient liquids.
Wear loose clothing and a broad-brimmed hat. Do not do anything too
physically demanding.
64
Salt deficiency is characterised by fatigue, lethargy, headaches, giddiness
and muscle cramps; salt tablets may help, but adding extra salt to your food
is better.
Heat Stroke
6.
Long, continuous periods of exposure to high temperatures can leave you
vulnerable to heat stroke. The symptoms are feeling unwell, not sweating
very much or at all and high body temperature. Where sweating has ceased
the skin becomes flushed and red. Severe, throbbing headaches and lack of
co-ordination will also occur, and the sufferer may be confused or
aggressive. Eventually the victim will become delirious or convulse.
Hospitalisation is essential, but meanwhile get victims out of the sun,
remove their clothing, cover them with a wet sheet or towel and then fan
continually. Give fluids if they are conscious.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
FIRST AID
Do not carry out any first aid treatment unless you are suitably trained. Summon help
immediately. Get medical help (dial 999) without delay if there is any uncertainty about the
seriousness of the accident. Make sure that you know the location of the injured person(s) when
seeking medical help. Be able to provide the emergency services with the grid reference and the
access points from the main road to your location in the forest or woodland. In urban situations street
names will be required.
GETTING LOST
Much depends on individual circumstances, so the following are general guidelines: use your own
common sense and initiative in particular circumstances.
Make yourself obvious
(1) Expose brightly coloured clothing.
(2) Give the international distress signal periodically (six blows on a whistle, shouts, etc.
repeated at one minute intervals).
Calmly assess your position
(1) Are you close to civilisation?
(2) Is it difficult for people to spot you?
(3) Are the climatic conditions harsh?
(4) Is the terrain reasonably safe?
(5) Are your food supplies low?
(6) Is your clothing inadequate for a prolonged stay outdoor?
If you tend to answer "yes" to most of the above questions, then you should probably try to walk out
of trouble.
(1) Walk downhill but:
do not follow streams;
do not go down steep slopes;
do not go fast downhill;
watch out for cliffs, etc.
(2) Do not walk in circles - use the sun, moon or land marks for direction.
(3) Rest at intervals.
(4) When you get to a telephone, dial 999, ask for Police and explain the position: the Police
should already have been contacted by the course leader.
If you tend to answer "no" to most of the above questions, then you should probably try to sit it out
and wait for help to arrive.
(1) Make large visible signs on the ground.
65
(2)
(3)
(4)
Light a fire if possible.
Seek shelter.
Re-assess your position at intervals.
EXPOSURE (HYPOTHERMIA)
Causes
(1) Accidental hypothermia: sitting still in the cold too long (e.g. in a boat, watching birds,
awaiting medical help when injured).
(2) Immersion hypothermia: falling into water.
(3) Exhaustion-exposure: while hill walking, due to the high heat loss from cold, damp,
wind and/or low heat production resulting from exhaustion, hunger.
Symptoms
Any two of the following symptoms suggest hypothermia:
(1) Complaints of feeling cold, tired or listless.
(2) Unreasonable behaviour or irritability.
(3) Sudden uncontrollable shivering.
(4) Increased slowness of physical or mental response.
(5) Stumbling or falling.
(6) Slurring of speech.
(7) Difficulty of vision.
(8) Physical resistance to help.
(9) Collapse, stupor or unconsciousness.
Treatment
(1) Remove the patient from exposed environment.
(2) Provide shelter and rest.
(3) Insulate against further heat loss by use of blankets or layers of warm clothing, huddling
together in a sleeping bag, etc.
(4) Get medical help.
(5) Provide glucose (instant energy) if available and water, preferably warm (to combat
dehydration).
(6) Handle the casualty with minimum of rough movement.
7.
GOING INTO THE FIELD ALONE
You must have your supervisor's permission for any trip to the field. Avoid going alone to the
field.
Ensure that your supervisor knows precisely where you are going, what you are intending to do,
how long you will be in the field and how you are travelling. Discuss the safety aspects of your
work with your supervisor, specifically with regard to clothing, safety gear, hazards and precautions.
Leave a note of your schedule, route and destination with the Institute secretary or your supervisor.
Wherever possible a detailed map of your fieldwork site should be provided so that you can be located
rapidly in event of an emergency. If you are away for more than one day leave these details with the
hotel manager or warden, etc as appropriate.
Complete the field work log book in Room 207 of the Darwin Building.
Take your Personal First Aid and Emergency Kit and rations (e.g. chocolate, water) and extra dry
clothing.
Take a map, compass, torch and survival bag for work in remote areas.
A8
AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS
66
There are special dangers when you work in aquatic environments (including bogs and marshes).
Wellies and waders are available from Stores, but take care that waders do not fill up with water.
Before entering rivers, assess the risks (e.g. do you have to go in? how deep is the water? how strong
is the current? How stable is the substrate? Are there suitable anchors for a safety rope?)
Do not work on your own in deep water, fast-flowing rivers or waterbodies with soft sediments. In
these situations you should work secured by a rope to a safe location (e.g. tree on a riverbank). Ropes
are available from Stores and you should ensure that you are familiar with basic rope techniques.
When working from a boat, wear a life jacket (available from Stores) and wear shoes, NOT wellies or
waders.
9.
PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES
You must not carry out these activities without special permission from the Head of Institute.
Tree Climbing
Diving
Rock Climbing
10.
WORKING OVERSEAS
There are special dangers associated with field work overseas, outside the scope of this booklet.
Consult: Bugs, Bites and Bowels: Travel Health (Cadogan Guides) by Jane Wilson-Howarth.
For up-to-date travel advice on your destination, check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s website: http://www.fco.gov.uk/
The London School of Tropical Medicine has a useful web-site on travel health:
http://www.masta.org
11.
USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Weather call by phone: Area numbers are given on the following website: http://www.meto.gov.uk/
Note: at the moment calls to these numbers cost a minimum of 60p per minute on BT landline.
To contact in the event of an emergency only:
Programme Director: Dr Mark Wilkinson
Programme Secretary: Mrs Christine Wilson
0131 650 5943 (University)
0131 650 4866 (University)
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Appendix 8: 1 – 7 Day Extension Form
SCHOOL OF GEOSCIENCES
1 – 7 DAY EXTENSION FORM
For extensions longer than 7 days the full Special Circumstances form must be completed.
Matriculation No.
Programme
MSc
Course Organiser
Course Name:
Original submission date:
New Submission date
required:
Brief reason for extension: Supporting paperwork/evidence where available should be attached to this
paperwork.
Student Consent: I give my consent that the following information can be presented to the relevant Boards of
Examiners if and when required and that the information contained in this paperwork can be discussed with other
members of staff.
STUDENT SIGNATURE:
………………………………………
Date:
………………………
This form should be handed into the Programme Secretary to be authorised by the relevant Course
Organiser. If the extension is authorised you will be asked to collect a copy of the extension form
from the Programme Secretary to attach to your assignment before submission.
Course Organiser Signature:……………………………………..
Agreed
Not agreed
NOTES:
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Date: ……………………………
WHAT WOULD BE ACCEPTED AS ‘EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES’?
Extenuating circumstances are defined as:
“circumstances beyond the student’s control which either prevent the student from submitting a
piece of course work or sitting an examination, or cause the student to perform less well in his or her
course work or examinations than he or she might otherwise have been expected to do”.’
The term is used to describe circumstances that cause interference with academic performance, and
which are over and above the normal difficulties experienced in life.
In general, though not exclusively, extenuating circumstances will be of a medical or personal nature
affecting the student for a short period of time and/or during the assessment period. These are
normally circumstances that have prevented the student from demonstrating, or acquiring, the skills,
knowledge or competencies associated with a particular module(s). This would include
circumstances preventing attendance at an examination, or adversely affecting performance at an
examination, or preventing work from being submitted by the deadline set. Examples would include,
but would not be limited to, illness, accident, or bereavement.
The University normally disregards circumstances which students are expected to cope with as part
of a properly managed workload, or as part of the normal issues and difficulties that arise as part of
life. Circumstances which would not be acceptable are those where a student could reasonably
have avoided the situation, or acted to limit the impact of the circumstances.
The following are examples of circumstances which would NOT fall within the University’s definition
of "extenuating circumstances":
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
completing coursework too late and missing deadlines because of computer; difficulties, or
transport difficulties;
general pressure of work;
normal work commitments on behalf of an employer;
having more than one examination on the same day or on consecutive days (unless the
student was already suffering from illness or injury)
missing an examination due to misreading the timetable or oversleeping;
losing work not backed up on computer disk, or failure of a floppy disk/CD Rom;
theft of home computer – students are expected to make a back up copy of all work on, which
should be stored separately from the computer.
failure to make alternative travel plans when disruptions were advised in advance;
a short-term problem or illness which has occurred during the year and which is deemed not
to have had an overall effect on the student’s performance;
Insufficient computers/printers to do the work [a claim submitted upon this basis would not be
supported on the grounds that it indicated lack of advance planning];
Failure of IT would be accepted only in limited circumstances. There may be occasions when, due
to unforeseen circumstances, the University’s own computer/IT equipment is unavailable for use. If
this happens students may request confirmation from Information Services of this, including the time
period and the date(s) of its unavailability. However, it would be reasonable to expect a student to
submit the latest draft of their work from a few days prior to the deadline to support their claim.
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