Part 7: Master’s Dissertation Faculty Regulations
Article 1: INTRODUCTION & OBJECTIVE
A master’s dissertation proves that students are able to implement the knowledge and skills acquired during their studies. The master's dissertation is the capstone of the programme and therefore has to demonstrate a significant degree of independence and a certain degree of creativity. he supervisor guides the entire process.
§2 Given the importance of the Master's dissertation for the programme, a failing grade for the Master's dissertation can never be deliberated.
Article 2: FORMATS
§1 There are three formats: the academic dissertation, the policy report, and the journal article.
The academic dissertation cannot be chosen by students of Communication Sciences or Sociology.
ACADEMIC DISSERTATION
The academic dissertation is the final product of a research project developed by the student, in which the student conducts scientific research on a chosen topic within the relevant field. As part of the Master's dissertation course, the entire project is developed and written down in a concise scientific report.
Only for students in Political Sciences, EU Studies or Conflict & Development Studies.
POLICY REPORT
In a policy report, practice-oriented knowledge is built through a social-scientific analysis for a client or within a context in which the report is prepared. The problem statement and research questions may be formulated in consultation with the relevant actors (clients, stakeholders, etc.).
This format can be chosen by students from all master's programmes within the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
The Master's dissertation can also take the form of a journal article.
In this format, the dissertation has to be written in such a way that the “article” in its current form could be submitted directly to a scientific journal.
This format can be chosen by students from all master's programmes within the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences.
Regardless of the format, the criteria for scientifically sound research in communication sciences, political sciences, or sociology remain valid.
The choice of format is made in consultation with the supervisor.
Each programme has to clearly communicate the general expectations regarding formatting requirements, content, and structure for each format via UFORA at the beginning of the academic year.
Article 3: FORMAT REQUIREMENTS
More below, you can find the format requirements.
A. ACADEMIC DISSERTATION
§1 An academic dissertation consists of the following elements:
1. The abstract
The first page contains a centred title, followed by an "Abstract" (an English summary of the paper of at least 150 and maximum 250 words). The abstract outlines the examined problems, the methodology and the obtained results.
2. The Recommended corpus
The corpus comprises the entire dissertation including tables and figures inserted to clarify the presentation. Similar to a journal article, the structure of the corpus is emphasised by the choice of appropriate headings.
-In an empirical or a methodological study, the corpus may be divided into the following sections: "Introduction", "literature review (conceptual and theoretical framework)", "Research design (including methodology), "Results", and "Discussion and Conclusion".
The conclusion links the findings of the study to the findings from the literature and discussed theoretical framework. It also discusses the limitations of the study and offers suggestions for further research.
B. POLICY REPORT
§2 There are a number of (recommended) main sections for a policy report. The structure below may be deviated from in consultation with the supervisor (and any client). The corpus consists of:
1. An executive summary
2. Problem definition
3. Theoretical background
4. Methodology
5. Results
6. Conclusions
7. Recommendations (mandatory section)
C. journal article
§ 3 This format of a master’s dissertations adheres to the guidelines that authors follow when writing a journal article.
The first page contains a centred title, followed by an English "Abstract" of the article (a summary of the article of at least 150 and maximum 250 words). The abstract outlines the issues that were explored, the methodology and the obtained results.
D. GENERAL FORM REQUIREMENTS
Source reference
§ 4 Students use an APA system for references. In consultation with the supervisor, they can also use another reference system, provided that they can motivate their decision. In any case, students should consistently follow the same reference system when writing their dissertation. (See APA manual on Ufora). In the bibliography, for each source used, the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or another permanent link has to be added (where available) immediately after the reference (in APA format).
Layout
§ 5 A standard title page is used (indicating the chosen format). A template is made available on Ufora. The chosen format (academic dissertation, policy report or journal article) should also be indicated on the title page.
E. SCIENTIFIC TRANSPARENCY, LANGUAGE AND PLAGIARISM
§6 The student took an independent approach to the master's dissertation and the choices made fully reflect the student's vision.
Scientific transparency
§7 In academic work, all assertions always have to be well and clearly substantiated on the basis of academic literature and/or empirical data. The student has to enable the reader to follow the argumentation properly and to assess the academic value and scope of each assertion.
Whenever using the ideas or empirical findings of others, the student has to refer to the source(s) used in an appropriate manner. He/she must also make a clear distinction between his/her own summary/interpretation and the literal quotation of a source. In the interests of transparency, it always has to be clear to the reader which ideas or conclusions originate from the student and which originate from other authors.
Language
§8 The master’s dissertation is written in the language of the study programme. On request and agreed upon by the supervisor the master's dissertation of a Dutch study programme can also be written in English or French .In this case, a summary in Dutch is required (OER art 59). This Dutch summary may take the form of an abstract, unless other agreements have been made with the supervisor.
Plagiarism
§10 The Faculty has drawn up Faculty Plagiarism Regulations (see section 9 of the Faculty's education and examination code) with regard to master’s dissertation irregularities when writing a master’s dissertation or dealing with other forms of (written) reporting.
§11 It is not allowed to copy text parts in the Master's dissertation from papers made in the context of other course units. This applies both to the format 'academic dissertation', 'journal article' and 'policy report'. A student who opted for a CSL course or a 'challenges course' may therefore also not (re)use the research question and/or the results in his/her Master's dissertation either.
An exception is the research paper. After all, this may count as a preparation for the actual master's dissertation and a certain degree of similarity (e.g. in the discussion of the literature and the conceptual framework) will therefore not be considered auto-plagiarism.
Ethics Protocol/Data Management Plan (DMP)
§12 A master's dissertation has to include a properly completed data management plan and ethics form. The completed form is to be added to the master's dissertation as an attachment (together with the references and other attachments). If an informed consent form is required, it should also be included.
The DMP should be completed according to all relevant research dimensions (e.g. research design, data collection, analysis, etc.) that are explicitly discussed in the research paper, even if the research paper does not contain or discuss (self-collected) data. The form is to be completed in the same language in which the master's dissertation is written. In this form, the student also briefly indicates whether/how generative AI was used.
Data availability
§13 The supervisor of the master's dissertation has to be granted read access to all data generated or processed by the student in the context of his/her research at all times until the end of the academic year in which the master's dissertation is submitted. This applies to all stages of the entire process. Examples of such data are the following (non-exhaustive list):
-raw data such as interview recordings, survey data, field observation authenticity evidence
-(semi)processed data such as transcripts
-analyses (for example, output from coding software such as MaxQDA, SPSS, etc.)
Upon request of the supervisor, students have to the files available. Depending on the nature of the files, this can be done by email (as an attachment), via a link to secure files on a site (such as Sharepoint) or by providing read access to a certain application (for example, sharing a Qualtrics project).
When data is shared, the principals of confidentiality have to be adhered to (third parties do not have access). Granting this "read access" to the supervisor does not imply an automatic transfer of rights to this data.
Article 4: SIZE
The table below shows the minimum and maximum word count for the master's dissertation in function of the study programme and format. These numbers do not include abstract, tables, bibliography, footnotes and appendices (such as the DMP). The word count has be shown on the title page (this is checked by FSA on submission).
Attention: these minima and maxima may not be exceeded under any circumstances. If they are, the Master's dissertation will be declared inadmissible.
|
Communication Sciences |
Political Sciences, EU Studies and Conflict and Development Studies | Sociology | |
| ACADEMIC DISSERTATION | / | 12,000 to 17,000 words | / |
| POLICY REPORT | 10,000 to 12,000 words | 8,000 to 12,0000 words | 8,000 to 12,000 words |
| JOURNAL ARTICLE | 8,000 to 10,000 words | 8,000 to 10,000 words | 8,000 to 12,000 words |
Article 5: PROCEDURE & DEADLINES
A. The Supervision
§ 1 Each student is supervised by a member of the professorial staff or a post-doctoral researcher/ assistant.
§2 The supervisor has to belong to the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences and is to be affiliated with the department responsible for the student's programme. An exception to this rule may be made if both the chair of the program committee of the study programme to which the student belongs and the supervisor agrees.
| Master's student | Supervisor associated with department: |
| Political Sciences and EU studies | Political sciences |
| Conflict and Development Studies | Conflict & Development Studies |
| Sociology | Sociology |
| Communication Sciences | Communication sciences |
§3 Assistants, scientific collaborators or externals with the necessary experience and expertise may also be involved in supervision activities, under the overall responsibility of the supervisor.
B. Registration in Plato and Oasis
The registration deadlines are communicated via https://www.ugent.be/ps/en/education/administration/data.htm.
§ 4 If students fail to register in time in Plato and Oasis, they cannot hand in their master’s dissertation.
C. Submission of the master’s dissertation
§ 5 Students of all programmes have to submit the master's dissertation electronically on Plato (PDF format). The submission dates can be found on https://www.ugent.be/ps/en/education/administration/data.htm. It is possible to deviate from this, always in consultation with the supervisor. In this case, students have to mail the supervisor and commissioner (with the FSA in cc) to request a postponement.
§ 6 Digital attachments up to 1 GB have to be uploaded via Plato. Anything above 1 GB has to be supplied separately in consultation with the supervisor (via USB or CD-ROM or shared via OneDrive or wetransfer, ...). Interview transcripts should, therefore, not be added to the text of the master's dissertation itself, but can be forwarded as separate files, together with the audio files and consent forms, to the supervisor and the commissioner at the time of submission. Students should provide, as an appendix, all the material needed by the readers (supervisor and commissioner) so that their work and results can be correctly evaluated. Each supervisor can also ask for additional material (for example, code, SPSS output, specific consent forms, etc.) before or upon submission if he/she deems it necessary. For possible additional checks (e.g. conformity in terms of word count), students also have to keep a Word version of their master's dissertation available at all times.
Exception:
§ 7 The Examination Committee may also meet after the first part of the first exam period in a graduation year of a master's degree for students who only have to pass for their master’s dissertation and/or first semester subjects. In this case, students are allowed to submit the master’s dissertation in the first semester.
The submission deadline is communicated via https://www.ugent.be/ps/en/education/administration/data.htm
D. Oral defense
§ 8 The master’s dissertation is a written report. Students, regardless of department or study programme, also have to orally defend their master’s dissertation.
In the oral defense, the student will be asked to further elucidate on his submitted work. The defense will also serve as an additional form of assessment. The place and time of the oral defense of the master’s dissertation are to be communicated electronically (Ufora or via mail) by the study programme.. A student cannot withdraw from the oral defense under any circumstances (otherwise, the student will have failed this course). In exceptional cases (internship, foreign study visits, etc.), the oral defense can be organised via Microsoft Teams or similar media tools.
F. The evaluation procedure
§ 9 Each master’s dissertation is evaluated by both the supervisor and one Commissioner on the basis of a report. The Programme Committees appoint the commissioners. The final score is determined on the basis of the assessment of the written version of the master's dissertation by the supervisor and commissioner and the assessment of the oral defense. If there is a large discrepancy of 4 or more points between the assessment of the supervisor and commissioner, a third assessor will be appointed.
If there is a discrepancy of 4 or more points between the assessment of the “product” (i.e. submitted text) by the supervisor and the examiner, a third assessor will be appointed.
This third reader will be involved before the oral defence
The final score consists of two parts:
-process evaluation (25% of the points): to be evaluated by the supervisor. The process supervision consists of regular consultations with the supervisor, including written preparation, or workshops with several students, which are linked to assignments.
There is no resit for the process element. The points from the progress reports and discussions or workshops with assignments throughout the year are carried over to the resit.
Product evaluation (75%): determined on the basis of the assessment of the written version of the Master's dissertation by the supervisor and examiner. The product evaluation also includes the oral defence.
If there is a discrepancy of 4 or more points between the assessments of the supervisor and the examiner, or if one assessor grades the Master's dissertation as unsatisfactory and the other does not, a third assessor may be appointed by the lecturer of the course.
Half of the points for the submitted product and the completed process are required to pass. If a student fails the written version but would still achieve a score of 10 or more thanks to the process evaluation (or vice versa), this score will automatically be reduced to 9.
Master's dissertation Conflict & Development Studies
The final grade consists of two parts:
-process evaluation (25% of points): to be evaluated by the supervisor (progress reports during the year). This consists of:
- Four progress reports (2 in SEM-I, 2 in SEM-II) followed by an interview:
- Assignment 1: study object and central research question (SEM-I)
- Assignment 2: conceptual and theoretical framework and literature review (SEM-I)
- Assignment 3: revised and developed research plan (SEM-II)
- Assignment 4: revised subchapter data analysis (SEM-II)
During the interviews, students are required to demonstrate independence, intellectual engagement and systematic progress in the thinking and writing process. The supervisor decides how dates will be determined (predetermined; by mutual agreement; student takes initiative). Discussions may be organised in small groups. The supervisor gives a score out of 5 for the student's performance during this supervision process.
No resit session is provided for the process element. Points from progress reports throughout the year are taken into account for the resit.
§ 10 The assessment and grade framework can be found in the “master’s dissertation assessment form” (see annex).
G. Feedback
§ 12 Every student has the right to feedback on his/her master’s dissertation. When the marks are released after the first (and/or second) examination period, the student will be able to download the evaluation forms via Plato.
H. Master’s dissertation agreement
§ 12 If a third party is involved in a master’s dissertation (e.g. a company, external organisation) it is desirable that all parties sign a master’s dissertation agreement. This agreement governs the liability (confidentiality and property rights). This master’s dissertation agreement is signed in three copies, first by the supervisor and afterwards by the student. Students then submit the master’s dissertation for signature to the external party. Lastly, the Faculty Director of Studies signs the document on behalf of UGent.
The Faculty Education Services (called the FSA at our faculty) scans the signed agreement and attaches it as document type in OASIS to the course 'master’s dissertation' of the student. The signed copy of the master’s dissertation agreement is kept at the Faculty Education services. The other two copies are for the student and the third party. The formats for the master’s dissertation Agreement can be found on the website of UGent TechTransfer:
https://www.ugent.be/ps/nl/voor-studenten/administratie/masterproef/overzicht.htm
I. Communication Via Ufora
§2 At the beginning of the academic year, the programmes communicate the necessary information in writing, via UFORA, about, among other things:
- Date of the first information session(s);
- Administrative procedure for choosing a supervisor/topic;
- All interim and final deadlines (including the conditions for deviating from them, e.g. because fieldwork, Erasmus or force majeure, etc.);
- Any assessment methods for the progress sessions (and alternative assessment in the event of illness or force majeure);
- Evaluation criteria for the various elements of the Master's dissertation course and their relative weighting;
- Procedures for the second examination period (e.g. regarding the transfer of partial marks to the second examination period)
- Procedures for individual supervision
- Procedures for feedback after the first and second examination periods
Article 6: ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS WHO DO NOT PASS THEIR MASTER’S DISSERTATION AND RESUBMIT IT AT A LATER DATE
Students who do not pass their master’s dissertation and resubmit it at a later date, have to add a separate document, in which they (a) give an overview of the changes made, and (b) indicate how they have responded to the reports and the comments on the earlier version.