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1 This version of the EdD Student Handbook pertains to the 2014/15 academic year and was correct at the time of going to press. It is revised annually; the most up-to-date version is available on the Doctoral School website. A large-print version of this document is available and alternative formats can be provided on request. Please contact the Disability & Wellbeing Service for assistance. Telephone [email protected] 1

2 Institute of Education, University of London Doctor in Education Programme Welcoming Letter Welcome to the Doctoral School at the Institute of Education and a new year of study. This handbook provides you with useful information on your doctoral programme to help you to make the most effective and constructive use of the resources here at the Institute of Education. Please do consult it. I hope that this year will be a rewarding one for you, whether you are just starting or further on in your doctoral journey. I look forward to meeting you at the various events during the year. Good luck with your doctoral studies for 2014/2015. Dr Denise Hawkes EdD Programme Leader September

3 Contents Welcoming Letter 2 Contents 3 Key Dates 7 Introduction 8 Teaching Dates for Core Courses EdD Programme: Submission Dates for Assignments for Taught Courses in Contacts and General Information Academic Administrative Team Programme Leaders Dean of the Doctoral School Departmental Postgraduate Research Tutors Doctor in Education Programme Team Course Leaders for Taught Core Courses The Research Community Your Contact Details Moodle Research Rooms Student ID cards Help and Support at the IOE Useful Telephone Numbers Registration Requirements Course of Study Minimum and Maximum Period of Registration Assessment Requirements Enrolment Formalities Verification of Qualifications Statements of Registration Absence Interruption in Course Refund of Tuition Fees and Fee Liability following Withdrawal Complaints Procedure Appeals Procedure and Reconsideration by Board of Examiners Supervision Allocation of Supervisor Taught Courses Institution-Focused Study Thesis Advisory Panel Change of Supervisor Monitoring of Progress Annual Progress Reviews and Confirmation of Satisfactory Progress 31 3

4 4.2 Special Progress Review Status Withdrawal for Academic or Personal Reasons Review prior to IFS Formal Progress Review prior to Thesis Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research The Master of Education (MEd) in Practitioner Research Doctor in Education Programme Summary The Taught Courses Core Courses Research Training Programme Selection Timing of Courses Attendance Requirements Course Readings, Library and Study Time Course and Workshop Evaluations Assignment Topics Relating to Taught Courses Assessment Criteria for Taught Course Assignments and IFS Report Initial and Final Submission of Assignments Referred Assignments Requests for Extension to Final Coursework or IFS Report Submission Dates and Deferral of Examination (Assessment) Requests for Extension for Submission of the Portfolio, IFS Proposal and Thesis Proposal Submission of Portfolio Portfolio Review Process Proceeding to the Institution-Focused Study and Submission of Proposal External Moderation Appeals Procedure and Reconsideration of Decisions by Board of Examiners for Taught Elements and Institution-Focused Study Report Students who have a Disability Guidelines on Written Work Structure Format Reading Literary Presentation Referencing Style and Acknowledgement of Sources Plagiarism Ethical Issues Intellectual Property Rights The Institution-Focused Study IFS Stage of the EdD What is the Institution-Focused Study? Support for the IFS Writing your IFS Proposal 66 4

5 7.5 Writing up the IFS Submission of Report Format and Binding of the Report Examination of the Report and Notification of Results Presenting and Publishing your IFS Research at Conferences/Seminars The Thesis Support at the Thesis Stage Criteria for EdD Thesis Support for the Thesis Thesis Proposal Writing up the Thesis The 2,000 Word Statement Presenting and Publishing your Research at Conferences/Seminars Requirements of the Thesis Requirements applicable to the EdD Availability of Thesis Examinations Criteria for the Thesis Title of Thesis Timetable for Submission How to Enter for the Examination Independent Reader for Draft Thesis Approval of Examiners Arranging the Oral Examination (Viva Voce) and Conduct of Examination Independent Chair Preparing for the Examination Notification of Result Degree Diploma Degree Award Ceremonies Appeals Procedure Conduct of Examination and Thesis Format Instructions Instructions and notes on submission, format and binding of theses submitted for the EdD Conduct of Examination for the Degree of EdD 93 Appendix Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research 101 Appendix Master of Education (MEd) in Practitioner Research 102 Appendix Turnitin Plagiarism Detection Service 103 Appendix Dual Award Programme 106 5

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7 Institute of Education, University of London Key Dates Dates of Term The dates of term for the session are: Autumn term - Monday 29 September to Friday 12 December 2014 Spring term - Monday 5 January to Friday 20 March 2015 Summer term - Monday 20 April to Friday 3 July 2015 Library Opening Hours The Institute library is normally open during term time from: 8.30 a.m. to p.m. on Monday to Friday 9.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday During vacations the normal hours are: 9.30 a.m. to 8.15 p.m. on Monday to Friday a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays The times given above indicate the library s study service opening hours. For full service and membership desk opening hours please consult the website: Dates of Closure The Institute will be closed on the following dates: Christmas and New Year Wednesday 24 December 2014 to Friday 2January 2015 Easter 2014 Friday 3 April 3014 to Monday 6 April 2015 inclusive Spring Bank Holidays Monday 4 May and Monday 25 May 2015 Summer Bank holidays Friday 28 August 2014 to Monday 31 August

8 EdD Student Handbook For Students and Their Supervisors Introduction All new students will be enrolled under the Institute s regulations for the degree of Doctor in Education (EdD). If a decision to merge is confirmed in December 2014 all students will be written to. The Research Degrees Examination Board, has strategic oversight and responsibility for all matters relating to research students, and has established procedures and guidelines to supplement the EdD regulations: these apply across the Institute. The EdD Programme Team is responsible to the Doctoral School Committee for all aspects of the programme. This handbook is a comprehensive guide for EdD students and their supervisors and contains advice about mandatory procedures and guidelines on good practice as well as information about support and facilities. It should be read in conjunction with the Code of Practice for Research Degrees which is available from the Doctoral School and also from the Doctoral School s website: If anything is unclear or if you need advice on any points regarding procedures or regulations for your degree course, please contact the Doctoral School, (room 519), where staff will be pleased to be of assistance. Please retain this handbook for reference during your course. You will find that you need to refer to it for guidance and explanations throughout the programme. 8

9 Teaching Dates for Core Courses EdD Programme: Students should select which dates you will follow at the start of each term; we will assume that you will continue on the same structure unless we are informed otherwise. Y1 Students Autumn Term - Monday 29th September to Friday 12th December 2014 Cohort Course Co-ordinator Mode of attendance Dates Y1 Students Induction Doctoral School 1 day 4th October 2014 Dr Bryan Cunningham 17/18 October x 07/08 November 2014 Friday/Saturday 05/06 December 2014 Y2 (Int'l) Students Foundations of Professionalism in Education Specialist Course in International Education including IFS Workshops Dr Norman Lucas Dr Tristan McCowan / Charlie Owen Y2 Students IFS Workshops Dr Sue Taylor Y3, Y4 and above Students Y3, Y4 and above Students IFS Workshops (students due to submit on ) Thesis Workshops 9 Week Week 2 x Friday Week 06/07 October /09 October /11 October /11 November /13 November /15 November October November /20* November 2014 *Graduate Seminar Dr Denise Hawkes 1 day 21st November 2014 Dr Bryan Cunningham 2 x Saturday Week 18 October November */21st November 2014 *Graduate Seminar

10 Spring Term - Monday 12th January to Friday 20th March 2015 Cohort Course Co-ordinator Y1 Students Methods of Enquiry 1 Dr Holly Smith Mode of attendance 3 x Friday/Saturday Week Dates 09/10 January /07 February /07 March /13 January /15 January /17 January 2015 Y2 Students IFS Workshops Dr Sue Taylor Y3, Y4 and above Students Thesis Workshops Dr Bryan Cunningham 2 x Friday Week 2 x Saturday Week 23 January March /05* March 2015 *Poster Conference 24 January March */06 March 2015 *Poster Conference 10

11 Summer Term - Monday 20th April to Friday 3rd July 2015 Cohort Course Co-ordinator Mode of attendance Dates Y1 Students Methods of Enquiry 2 Dr Maria Kambouri Y2 Students IFS Workshops Dr Sue Taylor 3 x Friday/Saturday Week block 3 x Friday Week Block 24/25 April /23 May /20 June 2015 [Workshops: 9 May/6 June] 27/28 April /30 April /02 May May June July /17/18*/19 June 2015 *Summer Conference Y3, Y4 and above Students Thesis Workshops Dr Bryan Cunningham 2 x Saturday Week Block 9 May June */19/20 June 2015 *Summer Conference 11

12 EdD Programme Submission Dates for Assignments for Taught Courses in Cohort Autumn Term Spring Term Summer Term To be submitted by 5 pm via Moodle To be submitted by 5 pm via Moodle To be submitted by 5 pm via Moodle Foundations of Professionalism in Education Methods of Enquiry 1 Methods of Enquiry 2 Year 1 Students Initial submission: 5 January 2015 Initial submission: 7 April 2015 Initial submission: 17 August 2015* Feedback: 26 January 2015 Feedback: 27 April 2015 Feedback: 7 September 2015 Final submission: 23 February 2015 Final submission: 26 May 2015 Final submission: 5 October 2015 Final result: 16 March 2015 Final result: 15 June 2015 Final result: 26 October 2015 Portfolio submission 5 December 2015 Portfolio feedback 21 December 2015 IFS Proposal 1 February 2016 Proposal feedback 23 February

13 Cohort Autumn Term Spring Term Summer Term To be submitted by 5 pm via Moodle To be submitted by 5 pm via Moodle To be submitted by 5 pm via Moodle Portfolio IFS Proposal IFS Report Year 2 Students Submission: 28 November 2014 Submission: 1 February 2015 Submission: 1 February 2016 Feedback : 19 December 2014 Feedback: 23 February 2015 Feedback: 23 February 2016 Thesis Proposal Year 3, 4 and above Submission: 30 September 2014 Feedback: 18 th November 2014 *Permission has been obtained for students to have more time to submit the MOE2 assignment as students are required to obtain ethical approval and collect data. 13

14 1. Contacts and General Information 1.1 Academic Administrative Team Academic Administration staff are there to offer you assistance on regulations, policies and procedures for the MPhil/PhD, online MPhil/PhD, EdD, DEdPsy, PGDip and MRes Programmes as well as other research degree programmes offered at the Institute. The Doctoral School is situated in room 519 on level 5 (A Core Wing). The office opening hours are: Monday and Tuesday Wednesday Thursday and Friday 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m a.m. to 5.00 p.m a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Staff with specific responsibility for EdD, DEdPsy and PGDip SSRM students Cathy McSweeney [email protected] Programme Services Co-ordinator Room 519 / ext Contact Cathy for all queries related to taught courses, student progress and supervisor support. Neal Carr [email protected] Programme Administrator Room 519 / ext Contact Neal for all queries related to the EdD Formal Review Prior to Thesis Pui Sin [email protected] Programme Administrator Room 519 / ext Contact Pui for all queries related to EdD viva voce examinations and programme administration matters related to the PGDipSSRM Lorraine Fernandes [email protected] Programme Administrator Room G6 / ext Woburn Square Contact Lorraine for all programme administration matters related to the DEdPsy Staff with specific responsibility for MPhil/PhD and MRes students (including online programmes) Catherine Haberfield [email protected] Programme Services Co-ordinator Room 519 / ext Contact Catherine for all queries related to student progress and supervisor support and administrative arrangements for the MPhil/PhD Research Training Programme Gary Ford [email protected] Programme Administrator Room 519 / ext Contact Gary for all programme administration matters related to the Online MPhil/PhD, MRes and Online MRes Hazel Croft [email protected] Programme Administrator Room 519 / ext Contact Hazel administrative arrangements relating to MPhil/PhD upgrades and viva voce examinations. 14

15 Please note: PGR applicant enquiries, admissions and enrolment are managed through the Recruitment and Admissions team in the Academic Registry Thesis examinations are managed by the Exams team in the Academic Registry although administrative support for viva arrangements is provided by the PGR team in Academic Administration. 1.2 Programme Leaders Each taught course has a Programme Leader who acts as the co-ordinator for the course. The Programme Leaders responsible for co-ordinating courses in are:- Programme Leader(s) for MPhil/PhD and MRes Claudia Lapping Jane Perryman Programme Leader for EdD Denise Hawkes Programme Leader for Online MPhil/PhD Richard Freeman Programme Leader for DEdPsy [email protected] Room 630b/ ext [email protected] Room 737 / ext [email protected] Gordon Square Room 415 / ext [email protected] Room 519a/ ext Vivian Hill [email protected] Room 105 / ext Woburn Square Programme Leader for Postgraduate Diploma Sue Taylor [email protected] Room 201 / ext Woburn Square 1.3 Dean of the Doctoral School Professor Andy Tolmie is the Dean of the Doctoral School with overall responsibility for all doctoral programmes and the students registered on those programmes. He can be contacted by at [email protected]. 1.4 Departmental Postgraduate Research Tutors Each supervisor is a member of an academic department. You are a member 15

16 of the same academic department as your main supervisor and each Department has an appointed Postgraduate Research Tutor, who chairs the Departmental Postgraduate Research Committee. The Postgraduate Research Tutor is responsible on a day to day basis for all matters concerning doctoral students within the Department. This includes student admissions to Departments; the appointment of supervisors; doctoral training; the provision of facilities for doctoral students within the department; the review of annual progress reports on all students and training plans for new students; formal review of progress; and, the nomination of examiners. The Postgraduate Research Tutor also has responsibility for the pastoral care of students within the Department: you may discuss in confidence any matters related to your progress with your research studies. PGR Tutors Department Psychology and Human Development Quantitative Social Science Humanities and Social Sciences London Centre for Leadership in Learning Lifelong and Comparative Education Early Years and Primary Education Culture, Communication and Media Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment Children, Families and Health PGR Tutor Maria Kambouri George Ploubidis Tom Woodin Rob Higham Christine Han Phil Jones John Potter Jane Perryman Sarah Crafter 1.5 Doctor in Education Programme Team The Programme Team comprises: Dean of the Doctoral School; EdD Programme Leader (Chair); Course Leaders responsible for compulsory core courses as well as the coordinators of the IFS and thesis workshops; Research Training Programme Leader Two student representatives one representing the taught phrase, one the research phrase; In attendance: a representative from the Library. The Programme Team is responsible for reviewing the quality of the course; monitoring the admission requirements and all related teaching, tutorial support and examination matters. Meetings of the Programme Team are usually held 16

17 once a term. 1.6 Course Leaders for Taught Core Courses Each taught course has a Course Leader who acts as the co-ordinator for the course. The Course Leaders responsible for co-ordinating courses in are listed in section The Research Community As a doctoral student at the Institute, you are also a member of the Doctoral School which brings together over 800 research students across the Institute. The Doctoral School provides conferences, seminars, social events and information which aim to foster links between students and staff and to enhance your studies at the Institute. Please check Moodle ( regularly for up-to-date information and news. You should also contact your Postgraduate Research Tutor, Supervisor or Programme Leader to find out about any research activities, seminars and events that will take place within your Department. Our events diary on the website also gives a good overview of seminars offered across the Institute - visit Your Contact Details It is important to keep your details up to date on our Student Information System so that any information sent to you goes to the correct place. If you have changed either your permanent address or your term time address or both, you can use this form to let Student Support know. For any other enquiries concerning this please contact the Student Support Centre Once you have enrolled on your programme you will be given an IOE address and this will be the primary means of communication through which the Institute and Programme Team will contact you. You must make sure you activate and regularly check your IOE account as vital information, lecture notes or other reading material may be sent. You can also access the Institute s network and check your remotely via the IOE portal available at Please refer to your information sheet Essential Information for using IOE Services for further information which was issued to you at registration. See also Getting Started with your Computing and Library Accounts on the website. 17

18 1.10 Moodle Students are entitled to a standard, consistent provision of course materials, information and services via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and the Doctoral School makes use of Moodle, a VLE both for e-learning and for communication about the programmes. Moodle is also the VLE used by the Bloomsbury Consortium, of which the Institute of Education is a member. Registered students will be included as users of Moodle. You can access Moodle ( with your IOE username and password issued to you at enrolment. Full details of how to do this can be found on the website at Each taught course has it s own Moodle site as do the IFS and Thesis Workshops. If you cannot see the appropriate Moodle sites for your stage of programme contact VLE Helpdesk. Copies of any programme forms mentioned in this handbook will be available on Moodle within the main programme area. Please also note that you will be required to submit your assignments online via Moodle to your Course Tutor Research Rooms The Institute has a number of research students rooms to which you have access offering a base for study whilst you are at the Institute, and are equipped with computers, printers and lockers or filing cabinets. PGR Administrators in the Doctoral School can advise you of the access codes for the research room doors Student ID cards The IOE has electronically produced photographic ID cards for all students. These cards will confirm you are a registered student of the IOE and provide you with access to the Library and IT Services and to other access-controlled areas of the Institute. You will be given your card once you have enrolled on your programme. The cards must be carried at all times whilst on IOE premises and shown to a member of staff upon request if you are asked to provide verification of your entitlement to be using Institute facilities. Any misuse of the card may lead to disciplinary action. Whilst initial cards will be issued free of charge, you will be charged 10 for a replacement card. If you lose your card, you should report this to the Student Support Centre on Level 4 of the main building. If your card is stolen, you will not be charged for a replacement if you bring an official crime number with you. 18

19 1.13 Help and Support at the IOE Supporting students with disabilities We offer a confidential advice and support service. You can discuss your support requirements with us if you have any condition which affects your ability to study, including specific learning difficulties, mental health issues or any medical conditions (including temporary injuries). If you have a disability or medical problem which may affect your ability to complete the assessment procedures under standard assessment conditions, you should discuss this with the Programme Director and the Disability Coordinator well in advance of the date of the assessment(s), in order that any necessary special arrangements can be made. (For contact details please see the website: If you develop or identify a disability during your course, the Disability Coordinator will be able to provide practical support; this includes information about examination and assessment arrangements and support that you might be entitled to. Please also see the Health Professions Guide A disabled person's guide to becoming a health professional available at: professional.pdf. For further appointments and advice please [email protected] or call You can also visit for more information. 19

20 General Advice Academic Advisory Service Advice for students undertaking a masters degree or postgraduate diploma on planning their studies and academic and professional career development options. Academic Writing Centre Support to help you understand and write your assignments, dissertations and thesis. IT Services Information and advice relating to use of IT services. Library Information and advice relating to use of the library. Nursery The IOE Nursery accommodates up to 15 children aged between two years and five years. Students Union Runs clubs and societies; sends representatives to IOE committees; represents individuals and groups of IOE students on issues concerning their academic life or general student experience. Derek May Tel: [email protected] Tel: [email protected] Web: Tel: [email protected] Web: Tel: [email protected] Website: Zehra Bukowski, Nursery Manager Tel: [email protected] Students Union Office Administrator Tel: Web: Financial Support We administer Student Finance England loans and grants, teacher training bursaries, IOE underrepresented groups scholarships as well as offering advice to students with financial concerns or difficulties. Registry and Student Support Centre Level 4 Wing Tel: [email protected] For fee payments: Tel: [email protected] Enquiries Service For frequent queries including course information, student funding, payment of fees, admissions, accommodation and specialist support advisors. Welfare Support The Welfare Officer provides help and support for students facing financial hardship. You cna get information about budgeting, benefit entitlements, tax credits, funding for courses and the Access to Learning fund. International Student Support If you are an international student, you can access specialist support and assistance including immigration and visa advice. Healthcare and Counselling For information about health services: For information about counselling: Tel: [email protected] Web: Tel: [email protected] Web: Tel: [email protected] Web: Web: Web: 20

21 1.14 Useful Telephone Numbers The following is a list of general telephone numbers that you may find useful in your time at the Institute. (If you know an extension number all you need do is add to the front of it to reach a direct line.) Main switchboard Main fax Emergency Number Main reception Alumni Officer Bookshop Directorate Finance Office /6021/6180/6735 John Adams Hall Library and Media Services Doctoral School Office - Fax (general enquiries) Sick Room Central Institutions Health Service Gower Street Health Practice Specialist Institutions Careers Service (SICS) Accommodation and Housing Advice /

22 2. Registration Requirements This section provides a summary of the regulations and registration requirements of the Doctor in Education programme. 2.1 Course of Study The degree of Doctor in Education (EdD) is a doctorate designed for experienced practitioners of education who wish to extend their professional expertise and training. Its focus is on research in relation to professional practice. The demands of an EdD are comparable to those of a PhD; however, it is different in structure from a PhD because it comprises five elements namely: three taught courses which are assessed; development of a portfolio built on experience of the taught courses selection of at least 30 hours from the RTP during the 2 nd and 3 rd years on programme an institution-focused study (IFS); and a research-based thesis. You are assigned an appropriate supervisor at the start of your course who will help to ensure the co-ordination of your studies and the work undertaken in the core programme. Usually, you will meet with your supervisor once a term during the taught part of the programme. This supervisor will normally continue supervision of the IFS and thesis unless your area of interest changes substantially during the first year and a change of supervisor is agreed. Further details of each element of the course are given in sections 5.1 and Minimum and Maximum Period of Registration Our expectation is that the programme will take four to seven years of part-time study to complete and the minimum period of registration is four years. There is one entry date for the EdD programme in October and the taught courses are offered once each year. Students are expected to complete their degree within a maximum of seven years of part-time study. The Dean of the Doctoral School may grant permission for a longer period of study only in exceptional cases which have the unequivocal support of the supervisor, the PGR Tutor for the Department in which you are registered. 22

23 2.3 Assessment Requirements The current assessment requirements for each element are set out below. Candidates will be expected to satisfy the examiners in all three elements of the programme of study, and no compensation between elements of the degree will be permitted. A portfolio comprising three separate pieces of coursework of approximately 5,000 words each based upon one of the assessed courses which make up the taught element of the EdD, plus a statement of approximately 2,000 words reflecting on the student s learning experiences across the three courses and the relationship between the three pieces of coursework and the student s academic and professional development. The IFS forms the basis of a research report of 20,000 words which is expected to show that the programme has supported the student s professional development and extended his or her understanding of his or her professional role. The research-based thesis of no more than 45,000 words must form a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the field of study and afford evidence of originality and a capacity for autonomous research. The thesis must be accompanied by an abstract of not more than 300 words. There is also an oral examination (a viva voce), which tests both the thesis and the candidate s conceptual understanding of the integration of all the elements of his or her programme of study. Candidates will be expected to submit, together with their thesis, a statement of no more than 2,000 words summarising the areas that they have covered in their course as a whole, and highlighting the links between each element. This statement should be bound into the thesis and will be discussed with the examiners at the oral examination. All taught assessments will be moderated by examiners external to the Institute. 2.4 Enrolment Formalities As a doctoral student of the Institute, you must enrol at the beginning of your programme of study and, subject to making satisfactory progress as outlined in section 4.1, re-enrol at the beginning of the Autumn term of each subsequent academic year. The Institute will publish an annual schedule of fees for its courses on its website. The 2014/15 fee rates can be found at The Institute sends information about enrolment, including payment methods, to all new and continuing students in September each year. Where possible, you will be given the opportunity to enrol and pay your fees online. It is only by completing these enrolment formalities that you can take advantage of the support and resources which the Institute has to offer. Failure to complete the enrolment process, including payment of fees, at the 23

24 appropriate time each year may lead to the cancellation of your student enrolment record. See our Tuition Fee Policy on the website. If you are having problems paying your fees at enrolment time, please contact Recruitment and Admissions who will be willing to offer advice. Writing Up Fee From a writing up fee is available for research degree students in the final stages of their doctoral study, prior to the submission of thesis. Students who fulfil the following criteria are eligible for a reduced fee equivalent to half the fulltime fee, or half the part-time fee, depending on their mode of study: PhD: the student has upgraded to PhD (unless working towards MPhil) EdD: the student has completed their IFS Has entered for the thesis examination Is within 12 months (full-time PhD, or part-time EdD) or 18 months (part-time PhD) of completion of the degree The student s supervisor confirms that the student is in the final year of completion of the degree. The writing up fee is available for a maximum period of one year. If you do not complete within this period then you will be required to pay fees at the normal rate for any subsequent period of registration. 2.5 Verification of Qualifications In order to comply with the Institute s General Academic Regulations, you must produce original documentary evidence of the qualifications on the basis of which you have been accepted as a doctoral student at the Institute. You will also be asked to let the Recruitment and Admissions have sight of your passport or driving licence. If you fail to produce adequate documentation you may be required to withdraw from the course. Change of Name The form in which your name appears on the evidence which you provide for the verification of your previous qualifications is used for enrolment purposes and you should use the same form in all correspondence relating to your studies, including your examination application. Your name will appear in this form on your diploma. Any official change that you may wish to make to your name during the course of your studies should be notified to the Recruitment and Admissions ([email protected]). You will be asked to provide supporting documentation, for example, a marriage certificate, passport or deed poll before the change can be formally accepted. 2.6 Statements of Registration Should you require a statement to confirm your registration status at the Institute at any time, please complete a Statement Request form for current students which is available from the Doctoral School (and on the Doctoral 24

25 School website: Please note that seven working days notice should be allowed to ensure any such statements are ready by the date required. 2.7 Absence If you are absent from your studies for an extended period while you are enrolled, e.g. for health reasons, it is essential that you inform your supervisor, your Postgraduate Research Tutor and the Programme Administrator. 2.8 Interruption in Course Although the course of study for the EdD degree should normally be continuously pursued, you may occasionally find yourself in a position where you are unable to work on your EdD for a period of time and it may be advisable to seek an interruption in your registration. Examples of reasons for seeking an interruption in registration might include illness, unexpected pressure from work or financial difficulty. An interruption may be for just one or two terms or, in exceptional circumstances, for one or possibly two years. As it is normally necessary to take the taught core courses in order, the scheduling of courses may affect any advice given regarding the date of resumption on the programme. You may interrupt your studies subject to the approval of the EdD Programme Leader and with the agreement of your supervisor. If you wish to interrupt your registration, you should first discuss the situation with your supervisor to obtain his or her support. Formal written approval of your supervisor and the PGR Tutor for your Department must be obtained and the PGR Administrator must be informed in advance of the period of interruption so that the necessary administrative action can be taken, including any adjustment to tuition fee payments. Please note that retrospective requests for interruptions will not be approved. Requests for interruptions should be made using Form DS/1, which is available at You will need to indicate the reasons for your request and the length of the interruption. You are asked to bear in mind that an interruption to your registration should be considered exceptional and is not to be undertaken lightly. Supervisors are asked to monitor students overall progress on a regular basis and, in particular, to be aware of those who are interrupting in order to give them support and act as a contact to encourage their continuation on the programme. During a period of interruption you are not asked to pay tuition fees and you are not entitled to consult your supervisor, to take part in any Institute courses, or to use the Institute's library and computing resources. However, there would be no reason why you should not continue to work on your EdD independently if 25

26 personal circumstances allowed. If the interruption lasts for more than two terms, you will be required to submit a detailed written statement outlining the work you have completed towards your EdD and including a formal plan and timetable for when you resume. This will be considered by the EdD Programme Leader, your supervisor and your Departmental Postgraduate Research Tutor prior to re-registration. Please note that the Institute reserves the right to refuse to re-register a doctoral student, particularly if the interruption is over two years and there is insufficient evidence of the student s ability to complete the degree successfully or if their supervisor is no longer at the Institute. If you have not been registered with the Institute for three years or more your registration may be cancelled automatically unless the Institute has approved exceptional arrangements (see also the Code of Practice for Research Degrees). Any extension of the interruption must also be sought in advance. It is therefore imperative for any student who is unable to return after an approved period of interruption to seek an extension of the interruption, giving reasons and a revised completion date. You should apply in advance of the period by writing to the PGR Administrator in the Doctoral School who will consult the EdD Programme Leader, your Postgraduate Research Tutor and your supervisor for a decision in your case. 2.9 Refund of Tuition Fees and Fee Liability following Withdrawal If for any reason you decide to withdraw from your programme you should submit a formal withdrawal form (Form DS/3) to the Doctoral School, appropriately signed by the Postgraduate Research Tutor. Withdrawal forms are available from the Doctoral School but please note that notification to a supervisor is not sufficient. Tuition fees are not normally refundable and applications for refunds will be considered in exceptional circumstances. Such applications should be made in writing to the Academic Registrar. In all cases where refunds are sanctioned, the Institute will retain an administration fee of It will not be possible to consider refunds requested more than one year after payment has been made. If you are withdrawn from your course because of non-attendance you will be liable for the full tuition fee due. The Institute s Tuition Fee Policy is available on our website Complaints Procedure The Institute has a complaints procedure which should be followed if you wish to make a complaint about any aspect of your study at the Institute. Details regarding the complaints procedure are given in the Student Guide to Institute Policies and Procedures available on the website (see also the 26

27 Code of Practice for Research Degrees). The EdD Programme Leader and the PGR Tutor for your Department are also available to discuss in confidence any concerns which you may have about the progress of your research. Advice on how to proceed can always be obtained in confidence from the Head of Academic Administration Appeals Procedure and Reconsideration by Board of Examiners If you want to raise any matter in relation to your examination results for the taught courses or the IFS you should contact the Programme Services Coordinator, Cathy McSweeney in the first instance. Please refer to section 5.17 for details of the procedure. For the thesis appeals procedure see section

28 3. Supervision This section outlines the supervisory arrangements for students on the EdD programme. Please also refer to the Code of Practice for Research Degrees for more detailed guidance on your supervision arrangements. 3.1 Allocation of Supervisor On acceptance, you will be assigned to a supervisor who has expertise in your area of research and you will be registered in your supervisor s Department. During year 1, while you are following the taught courses, your supervisor is available to review your progress once a term and discuss likely areas of research. Please ensure that you make contact with your supervisor to arrange these meetings on a regular basis so that your supervisor can see how your work is progressing. This may be done in person, by telephone, or fax. You should keep a written record of any such discussion with your supervisor. 3.2 Taught Courses Tutorial support is provided by tutors on the three assessed courses and includes both formative and summative feedback on the assignment work. You should submit your assignments by the set submission dates as given on page 11. You will then receive feedback on the initial submission of the coursework and will have a further opportunity to carry out amendments prior to the submission of your final assignment on the due date. All work will be assessed by two Institute tutors and a sample of work will be sent to an external examiner for moderation. When your coursework submission is successful, you include it in your portfolio. Your supervisor will have an overview of your progress during the taught courses and will receive a copy of the feedback you receive on your assignments. It is useful to discuss the work you are preparing for your taught courses with your supervisor particularly in relation to how they act as a preparation for and inform your IFS and thesis. If your area of interest changes significantly you may be allocated a different supervisor for your IFS and/or your thesis. 3.3 Institution-Focused Study The normal expectation is that your supervisor, allocated at the start of your programme, will continue to supervise you for the IFS. As a part-time student we expect you will take approximately four terms to complete the study (the autumn/spring/summer of Year 2 and autumn term of Year 3). You should arrange regular supervision sessions during your course of study for the IFS; these should occur on average three times a term, though individuals will differ and the frequency will change at different stages of the study. It is important that you negotiate the relationship with your supervisor and make clear what each expects of the other. A written record of each face-to-face or telephone supervision session should be made as it is good practice and useful. If you 28

29 receive support by , both parties should retain copies of s, which provide evidence of the discussion. A record of these meetings is completed by you and your supervisor and kept in your student file. You will also be expected to participate in the IFS workshops which are provided to support IFS work (see section 7.3). Guidance on the supervision of the IFS is given in the Code of Practice for Research Degrees. 3.4 Thesis Your IFS supervisor is likely (though not always) to continue to supervise you for the thesis. You will therefore have worked out how to manage the supervisory relationship, and the best way of working together. However, it is worth spending time again to negotiate the pattern of supervision sessions, and the mode of working. You will discuss with your supervisor your proposed research topic and any additional research training needed. You will be asked to draw up a timetable for the completion of the research. You should aim to meet with your supervisor or arrange a supervision session by on average three times each term, although the frequency may depend upon the stage reached in the research. It is good practice to make sure that you arrange the date of the next meeting at the end of each session. If you receive support by , both parties should retain copies of s, which provide evidence of the discussion. A written record of these meetings should be kept so that you and your supervisor are clear about the outcome of the discussions. Guidelines on supervision are given in the Code of Practice for Research Degrees. You should also attend the thesis workshops (see section 8.3) as they provide a means of discussing your work with fellow participants as well as providing guidance on conducting and writing up your research. The book by Phillips and Pugh referenced in section 8.4 has a useful section on working with your supervisor. 3.5 Advisory Panel All doctoral students have an advisory panel. Advisory panels are small teams of supervisors (at least three and not more than five) with responsibility for monitoring the progress of students under their supervision. Your advisory panel is the panel to which your main supervisor belongs. The PGR Tutor for your Department will advise you of the names of the members of your advisory panel. Note that advisory panel members are not usually directly involved in the supervision of each other s students. 29

30 Advisory panels have the following responsibilities: to oversee the annual progress review and to ensure regular monitoring of progress; to oversee the independent reading of draft thesis and participate as required; to ensure continuity of supervision in the event of the supervisor leaving the Institute or being absent, e.g. on sick leave or study leave; to provide for one member of the advisory panel to carry out the ethical review of research prior to the commencement of data collection or fieldwork; to oversee the formal review of EdD thesis proposals prior to the thesis stage and participate as required; to be available to offer guidance to you at the request of your main supervisor. 3.6 Change of Supervisor There are a number of reasons why a temporary or permanent change of supervisor might be necessary. The PGR Tutor Supervision, in consultation with your advisory panel and the EdD Programme Leader, is responsible for ensuring that appropriate back-up supervisory arrangements are in place for you to cover contingencies such as study leave or illness which necessitate the temporary absence of your supervisor. For advice in such circumstances, please refer to the Code of Practice for Research Degrees. The PGR Tutor for your department should ensure that the Doctoral School is advised of a change of supervisor using Form DS/4 which is available on the website or from the Programme Administrator, Neal Carr ([email protected]) or Pui Sin ([email protected]). 30

31 4. Monitoring of Progress The Doctoral School at the Institute of Education aims to ensure that students accepted for doctoral studies successfully complete their degree programme and are examined within four to seven years of part-time study. In order to achieve this aim the Doctoral School has established procedures in each Department for reviewing the progress of students throughout their studies. These include an annual progress review, the review prior to the IFS and the formal progress review prior to the thesis as well as other systems adopted within Departments. It is important that all students are able to make satisfactory progress whilst registered and that, where a student is having problems, these can be discussed at an early stage in order to identify ways in which assistance or advice for the future can be given. 4.1 Annual Progress Reviews and Confirmation of Satisfactory Progress You and your supervisor are jointly responsible for providing a review of your progress each year. This review is usually carried out during the summer term. This process helps your advisory panel and your Departmental Postgraduate Research Tutor to monitor your work; to ensure that your training, supervision and support needs are being met; and to identify any difficulties which you or your supervisor might be experiencing. Evaluation and advice on the timetable for your research is undertaken on a regular basis by you and your supervisor. You are asked to give an estimated date of completion on the annual review form and you may also need to reassess your research in relation to ethical issues. Your Departmental Postgraduate Research Tutor reviews the annual reports of all students in the department on behalf of the Department s Postgraduate Research Committee. Any reports which give cause for concern are considered in detail by your Department Postgraduate Research Tutor and the EdD Programme Leader which may lead to the request of more frequent reports on the student in question. This annual review enables the Departmental Postgraduate Research Tutor to advise the Doctoral School by the end of July whether the student has made satisfactory progress and may therefore re-register the following year. 4.2 Special Progress Review Status Special progress review status is for those occasions when doctoral students have been unable to make the progress expected. Information on this status is given in the Code of Practice for Research Degrees. The EdD Programme Leader is also involved in discussions at each stage of the special progress review. 31

32 4.3 Withdrawal for Academic or Personal Reasons In some instances, it becomes clear that a doctoral student will not be able to complete his or her EdD studies, whether for academic or personal reasons. The Institute s annual monitoring procedures are designed to identify any difficulties so that action can be taken at an early stage. Please refer to the Code of Practice for Research Degrees for further details. In the case of students who are undertaking or have just completed the taught courses, they may be advised to apply for the Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research (see section 4.6). Students who leave the programme having successfully completed the taught courses and the IFS may be advised to apply for the Master of Education (MEd) in Practitioner Research (see section 4.7). 4.4 Review prior to IFS In addition to the annual review process, your continuation to the research study for the IFS is dependent upon your portfolio of satisfactory assignments and IFS proposal being approved by your supervisor and submitted to the EdD Programme Team. This normally takes place at the end of the autumn term in your second year (see sections ). 4.5 Formal Progress Review prior to Thesis On completion of the IFS and submission of the thesis proposal, there is a formal review of your progress prior to starting the thesis. Progression to the thesis depends upon a satisfactory outcome of this formal review. Once you have submitted your IFS for assessment it will be marked by Institute staff and the external examiner and then the result will be confirmed by the EdD Board of Examiners. Once you have submitted your IFS, you should not wait for the result before beginning work on your thesis proposal. Developing that proposal will take some time, and you can build on what you have learned from the IFS. However, you cannot submit your thesis proposal for formal review until the result of the IFS is known. It is expected that the thesis proposal will be submitted within 6 months of the IFS result being released, usually by the end of September when the IFS is submitted on time in February of the same year. The review process provides a valuable opportunity: for you to have two members of staff, in addition to your supervisor, read your proposal and receive constructive feedback on your work and usually to discuss the feedback and your work; for you to receive confirmation that the review panel is reasonably confident that you are working at doctoral level and showing clear signs of progress towards a doctoral thesis; where appropriate or necessary, for you to be advised not to continue working towards a doctorate, but to consider applying for the Master of Education (MEd) in Practitioner Research (see section 4.7). 32

33 Formal Review Application Procedure You should discuss with your supervisor what is required for the formal review prior to the thesis. As part of the review the following aspects will be considered: your result in the portfolio of the taught courses; your result and the feedback in the IFS report; your research proposal for the thesis (see section 8.4) You should agree the thesis proposal with your supervisor, before you submit it, together with a Formal Review Prior to Thesis Form available from the Programme Administrator, Neal Carr, [email protected] and in Moodle. An electronic copy of the thesis proposal should be deposited in the Moodle dropbox for circulation to the panel. Review Panel Your supervisor will normally undertake all arrangements for the formal progress review prior to the thesis. At least two members of academic staff (other than your supervisor or supervisors) will read the work you submit and attend the review meeting. At least one member of the panel will have experience of tutoring, supervising or examining EdD work. The two readers, one of whom may be a member of your advisory panel, will be asked to read your thesis proposal and to produce preliminary written reports. They will exchange their reports prior to the formal review interview and may, if they have concerns about the submission, consult with the Postgraduate Research Tutor for your Department. Interview with Review Panel You will be invited to attend an interview with the two members of staff who have read your thesis proposal. The date of the meeting will normally be within four weeks of you submitting your thesis proposal for consideration, though account needs to be taken of term and vacation dates. The purpose of the interview is to establish, in the considered judgement of the panel, whether your research has potential to make a distinct contribution to the knowledge in your field (a requirement of an EdD thesis), whether your work shows that you have the potential to complete a successful EdD thesis in the expected timescale, that the research is practicable, and that the arrangements for completion of the research and thesis are satisfactory. Although your supervisor is usually present at the interview it is not expected that he or she will take an active part in the discussion unless invited to do so by the review panel readers. Each member of the panel will bring their preliminary written report/feedback on the thesis proposal to the interview and will present a joint written report to you and your supervisor shortly afterwards. The interview provides an opportunity for you to receive feedback from, and to discuss your work with, two members of academic staff who have not been directly involved in the research. It is also an important form of early 33

34 preparation for the viva. The interview should be constructive and offer critical evaluation and feedback, and should permit you to demonstrate: a) that your work is of doctoral potential; and b) that you have the ability to complete the thesis and have a clear plan for its completion. In addition, your thesis proposal must show evidence that your English meets the standard considered appropriate for a doctoral thesis of the Institute of Education. Conduct for Review if you are Unable to Attend the Interview In cases where you are unable to attend an interview, (e.g. when in another country), you can, with the approval of your supervisor and review panel, conduct the meeting by phone or video conferencing. Exceptionally, the panel can agree that the formal progress review can take place without an interview, in which case you will receive the two feedback reports shortly after they are written and will be required to respond to them as appropriate in writing within an agreed period of time, normally within two weeks of receipt. Outcome of the Review The review panel will normally inform you of their recommendation at the end of the formal progress review interview. a) If the Review is Successful The responsibility for signing off the formal review form and thesis proposal rests with the review panel readers. Provided there is full agreement by the review panel that you should continue to the thesis stage, your supervisor will arrange for the form to be completed by the readers and passed to the Postgraduate Research Tutor together with the feedback reports. The Postgraduate Research Tutor, will arrange for the Programme Administrator, Neal Carr, to notify you in writing of the decision and for you to receive copies of the individual preliminary reports and the final joint report from the panel members. b) If the Review is Unsuccessful If your formal review is unsuccessful and has not been supported by the review panel, they will submit their recommendation to the Postgraduate Research Tutor who will arrange for the Programme Administrator, Neal Carr, to notify you in writing of the decision and for you to receive copies of the individual preliminary reports and the final joint report from the panel. If your first formal review is unsuccessful, you will have one further opportunity to resubmit your thesis proposal to the review panel. The re-application must be submitted within five months of the decision. You should take seriously the comments made by the panel and discuss them with your supervisor before deciding whether to make a second application or apply for the Master of Education (MEd) in Practitioner Research. 34

35 Normally a second formal review is assessed by the same review panel as the first. In exceptional circumstances, however, a change of one or both panel members may be necessary and the Postgraduate Research Tutor would need to be consulted. You have no more than two attempts. If you are unsuccessful in your second formal review, you will be given guidance on how to proceed with your research. This will include feedback from the review panel. Where it is recommended that your registration be cancelled, the Doctoral School will send a letter to you, based upon the information provided by the review panel. Disagreement Among Review Panel Members It may occasionally be the case that there is a disagreement among the members of the review panel regarding your work and the review panel is unable to approve your continuation to the thesis stage. In such a case, the panel members are asked to discuss their concerns with the Postgraduate Research Tutor prior to the formal review meeting. Should the disagreement between the members of the panel become clear following the formal review meeting, your supervisor, in consultation with your advisory panel, will nominate a third person to read and comment in writing on the merits of your work. The person appointed could be a person with appropriate expertise from the Institute or outside. On receipt of the third report, the Postgraduate Research Tutor in consultation with the EdD Programme Leader will make a final decision. If it is decided that your continuation to the thesis stage should be approved, the same procedure is followed as outlined above. Appeal If you have not been given permission to continue you may make a written request for a review of the case. Advice on the procedure should be sought from the Head of Academic Administration. Please note that there can be no appeal against an academic judgement. 4.6 Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research The Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research is available to students who register initially for the Doctor in Education degree, satisfactorily complete the taught courses, and do not wish or are unable to complete the remaining elements of the degree programme, namely the IFS report and the thesis. (See Appendix 1 for regulations and application procedure.) 4.7 The Master of Education (MEd) in Practitioner Research If having satisfactorily completed the course of study and formal assessments associated with the taught components of the degree programme and the IFS report, you are unable to complete the Doctor in Education degree, for whatever reason, you may be advised to apply for the award of the Master of Education (MEd) in Practitioner Research (see Appendix 2). 35

36 4.8 Doctor in Education Programme Summary The diagram on page 36 indicates how you will typically progress through the programme. 36

37 Progression through the EdD Programme Year1 Three taught courses and assignments completed satisfactorily Portfolio and IFS proposal review prior to IFS Year 2 Undertake work for IFS Complete IFS Years 3 & 4 Formal Progress Review prior to thesis including consideration of prepared thesis proposal Undertake work for thesis Complete thesis and 2,000 word statement Entry to examination for thesis the viva 37

38 5. The Taught Courses The taught element of the EdD programme consists of three core courses of study and a selection of at least 30 hours from the Research Training Programme (RTP). Three core courses each of which is assessed by coursework amounting to 5,000 words and RTP courses which are not formally assessed. A brief description of each taught course is provided in sections 5.1 and 5.2. Prior to the start of each course, the Course Leader responsible for coordinating the course will provide you with a detailed outline, together with the aims and expected outcomes for the course via the Doctoral School. 5.1 Core Courses The three core courses comprise: Foundations of Professionalism in Education Methods of Enquiry 1 Methods of Enquiry 2 Dr Bryan Cunningham/ Dr Norman Lucas Dr Holly Smith Dr Maria Kambouri Outline Descriptions This section gives a brief outline of each of the taught core courses. Foundations of Professionalism in Education Course Leaders: Dr Bryan Cunningham/Dr Norman Lucas Brief Outline The course provides a context in which to interrogate theoretical perspectives and relevant literature on the nature and meaning of professionalism in educational settings. Areas explored include: the meaning of professionalism and the concept of a profession, the social and political contexts in which professionals work; the nature of professional learning and some of the present and likely future challenges to professionalism in education. Throughout the course, and in the required assessed work, participants will be strongly encouraged to relate these issues to their own professional sphere and national contexts and to draw on our reader, Exploring Professionalism. Aims to examine the origins, nature and changing dynamics of professionalism in modern societies and in education in particular; 38

39 to explore various theoretical models of professionalism and their applicability to real professional settings; to encourage collective and creative thinking by group members about the meaning of professionalism and the character of professional life; to enable participants to reflect upon their conceptions of professionalism and upon ways of enhancing their own professional practice. Expected Outcomes At the end of the course, participants should be able to: subject the concept of professionalism in education to critical scrutiny; draw upon appropriate theoretical insights and epistemological positions to explore key aspects of professionalism; articulate the senses in which they are themselves professional ; incorporate advanced reflective qualities into their own professional work and academic writing. Methods of Enquiry 1 Theoretical and Conceptual Issues in Educational Research Course Leader: Dr Holly Smith Brief Outline There are many contrasting ways of conceptualising research. In Methods of Enquiry 1 we start to explore what educational research could or should look like. To do this we will explore different methodological paradigms associated with a range of research designs and practices. We acknowledge the messiness of the research process and the complexity of transforming your initial ideas into a coherent research proposal. Our aim is to enable you to make an informed choice about research methodology rather than suggest any one as superior to another. We will consider the complicated interrelationships between existing literatures, conceptual frameworks, data collection and analysis through practical examples. We will also consider the ethical issues of educational research, highlighting the importance of your awareness of your own institutional positioning and the ways in which this might frame or limit your research practice. Aims to consider philosophical and sociological conceptions of knowledge; to explore the politics and purposes of different types of research in relation to professional practice; to develop understanding of a range of methodological approaches to 39

40 producing research data; to understand how different research methods relate to philosophical and sociological conceptions of knowledge; and to reflect on ethical, professional and political issues related to the production and dissemination of insider research. Expected Outcomes At the end of the course, participants will be able to: evaluate educational research in terms of research methods and methodologies; make informed choices between methods and methodologies relevant to educational research; formulate researchable problems related to an aspect of professional practice; and develop and write a research proposal, providing justifications for methodological, political and ethical decisions within the research design. Key Research Skills The course will seek to develop participants abilities to: engage critically with a range of forms of research and academic and professional writing; develop clear and coherent arguments informed by the issues raised in the course; identify research of relevance to their interests; reflect analytically on their own professional experience in the light of relevant recent research; work effectively with others in the development of ideas and research strategies; identify relevant audiences for their work and present and disseminate research effectively; and attend to political, ethical and legal issues in the design, conduct and dissemination of research. 40

41 Methods of Enquiry 2 Research Processes and Skills Course Leader: Dr Maria Kambouri Brief Outline This course offers a variety of methods frequently used in educational and social research. It focuses on the processes of research and appropriate skills that are needed. Issues related to formulating research questions, research design and sampling as well as implementation and analysis are addressed. Information gathering techniques, for example, construction and use of questionnaires, interviewing and observation, are covered, as well as methods for analysing different kinds of data. A range of examples drawn from published work is critically discussed focusing on understanding the analysis and appreciating the choice of method being made. The course aims to reinforce participants ability to apply these research skills by asking them to undertake a small scale research study and produce a research report. Two workshops on computer-based analysis of quantitative and qualitative data are included in the course to introduce participants to more complex analysis of larger data sets using SPSS and NVivo. Aims to stimulate awareness of a broad range of research methods and how they are being used in response to educational issues; to enhance the ability to formulate researchable questions and select appropriate methods to use by carefully considering a range of alternatives; to encourage collective and creative thinking by group members about possible ways of answering research questions and thinking about issues of research management; to enable students (through workshops) to acquire and practise data collection and data analysis skills as well as project management skills; and to develop research report writing and presentation skills. Expected Outcomes At the end of the course, participants will be able to: extend their ability to apply research strategies appropriate to their level of understanding of research processes; develop their research skills through conducting a small scale study by: formulating researchable questions; selecting appropriate methods to collect research evidence; analysing and interpreting data; and by writing a research report of their chosen study. 41

42 These skills are intended to provide a basis for supporting research carried out during the participants institution-focused studies. 5.2 Research Training Programme Selection The aim of asking you to select at least 30 hours of courses from the RTP during your second and third year of the programme is to provide a sound knowledge of current research and methods in your area of interest which will form a good foundation for undertaking original research in the IFS and thesis. These courses are not formally assessed but provide you with the opportunity to select a programme of study, in consultation with your supervisor, which will best support your individual research project. Full details, including scheduling, of the RTP the Research Training Handbook available at Note that many of these courses have online versions. You must register to attend these courses. You can do this online using the online booking system LibCal (available a few weeks before each term begins). See link here: You will receive an immediate response which will confirm if you have a place OR if you are on a waiting list. You will receive an straight away. Please print this or save it for your own records and make a note of the courses you are registered to attend. If at a later point, you need to cancel your attendance (before the course begins), you must go into the course again, (from the link sent to you in your original confirmation ) and cancel the registration. This is important, because it means if anyone is on a waiting list for that course, the person at the top of the waiting list will be then offered a place on the course. Again, this is an automatic process which will mean a quicker response for everyone concerned. Please make sure you use the that you check most often. If you use your IOE please ensure you have activated this and make sure the computer helpdesk have confirmed the exact address, because if it is incorrect, you will not receive any confirmation . Once registered, students are expected to attend the entire course, and are not permitted to attend for individual sessions only. If you have any queries about attending Research Training Programme courses please contact the Senior Administrator (MPhil/PhD) by at [email protected]. 5.3 Timing of Courses The timetable for the core courses is given on pages The selection of RTP courses should be taken in year 2 and year 3 of study. The exact timing of these courses will depend on the selection made. Year 1 Autumn Foundations of Professionalism in Education Spring Methods of Enquiry 1 Summer Methods of Enquiry 2 42

43 Year 2 Autumn Spring Summer Years 3 and 4 IFS Workshops IFS Workshops IFS Workshops Thesis Workshops 5.4 Attendance Requirements You are required to attend all the sessions comprising each of the taught courses. You are also expected to attend the IFS workshops, in year 2, and the thesis workshops, in years 3 and 4 which are set up to support you while you research and write your IFS and thesis. If there are special reasons why you are unable to attend, such as illness or an unavoidable prior commitment, you should contact the Programme Administrator as soon as possible, giving your reasons and seek advice before the day(s) in question. If attendance in each taught course falls to less than 66%, you will not be permitted to submit the assignment for assessment and will be asked to repeat the course the following year. This may result in you being required to interrupt your studies until the course runs again. A tuition fee may be payable in such circumstances. 5.5 Course Readings, Library and Study Time The EdD programme is demanding and you should expect to undertake at least six hours of personal study per week in addition to both the teaching days and any tutorials with your supervisor. During the IFS and thesis it is likely that more time will be needed on your research. Prior to each teaching week or weekend for the taught courses, preparatory readings will be made available by Course Leaders on Moodle. You are expected to complete all preparatory readings prior to the teaching days. It is important that you plan additional reading in the area of your research, including journal material, in order to enhance the quality of your studies and your assignments. The Institute s Library and website are valuable resources and should be used. The Library s home page can be found at Please consult the Library s website for full up-to-date information regarding opening times (see page 19). 5.6 Course and Workshop Evaluations You will be asked to complete an online evaluation form in Moodle at the end of each taught course and at the last session of the IFS and Thesis workshops. This feedback from the courses is reported to the EdD Programme Team in the term after the course has taken place together with a response from the Course Leader concerned. Where necessary the Course Leader will propose changes as a result of the evaluations and the EdD Programme Team will consider any proposed action. 43

44 5.7 Assignment Topics Relating to Taught Courses The Course Leaders for the three taught courses are responsible for arranging for you to receive details of the assignment to be submitted either by giving a choice of specific topics, or by indicating areas which the assignment should cover. Course Leaders will provide you with any supplementary criteria for the assessment of their course assignment. The assessment criteria are set out below. 5.8 Assessment Criteria for Taught Course Assignments and IFS Report Courses examined will be graded using the following scheme: Grades A - C = satisfactory Grade D = referred The grade related criteria are given below: Grade A will: demonstrate a high level of clarity and coherence of argument and pursue an integrated, sophisticated and consistent line of argument or reasoning; be informed by an exceptional level of critical thinking and analysis; provide evidence of a highly critical and analytical interrogation of an appropriate literature; demonstrate sophisticated use of appropriate methods of empirical enquiry (where appropriate); contain some originality in relation to the development of theoretical insights, conceptual analysis, approach/methodology and understanding of the subject; contain evidence of high level reflection informed by research, literature and/or practice (where appropriate) and implications of the work for professional development; be very clearly written, very well-presented and systematically organised, with an excellent list of references drawing on a range of materials going well beyond the readings provided on the course reading list; be work of publishable standard. Grade B will: demonstrate evidence of clarity and coherence of argument and evidence of the ability to develop a consistent line of argument or reasoning; be informed by a good level of critical thinking and analysis; provide evidence of critical interrogation of an appropriate literature; 44

45 demonstrate competent use of appropriate methods of empirical enquiry (where appropriate); contain some originality in relation to the development of one of the following: theoretical insights, conceptual analysis, approach/methodology, understanding of the subject; contain evidence of a good level of reflection informed by research, literature or practice (where appropriate) and of the implications of the work for professional development; be clearly written, well-presented and organised, with a list of references drawing on a range of materials; have clear potential for dissemination to a wider audience or for being prepared for publication. Grade C will: demonstrate some clarity and coherence of argument; make some judgements based on evidence rather than assertion; indicate the capacity to engage in some degree of critical thinking and analysis, even if part of the assignment is descriptive; demonstrate use of appropriate methods of empirical enquiry (where appropriate); contain at least some original illustration of points (through anecdote or drawing on research evidence); contain evidence of some reflection on practice (where appropriate) and implications of the work for professional development; be free of major grammatical and typographical errors, with an accurate and complete set of references showing satisfactory evidence of reading; be capable of being prepared for dissemination to a wider audience. Grade D will display two or more of the following characteristics: failure to address the required task; a descriptive and derivative assignment with no indication of critical thinking and analysis; no original illustration of points made or other forms of originality; make judgements based on assertion; show no consistency in argument and reasoning; make excessive use of long quotes from other writers; rely heavily on an inappropriately small number of sources of reference; show major defects in writing and expression. 45

46 PLEASE NOTE: In circumstances where the content of an assignment/ifs is satisfactory but where the following minimum criteria are not met, the work will be referred with a requirement to revise and resubmit. Students submitting assignments are requested to check that their work conforms to the following minimum criteria: typed or word-processed, 1½ or double line-spaced on one side of A4 page only; has been proof-read for grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors; has an accurate list of references attached set out according to academic convention; has been completed within the specified word limits. PLEASE NOTE: The word count includes footnotes, but excludes the bibliography and appendices. If you submit work which has a total word count of 10% over or under the specified number of words, it will not be examined and you will be regarded as not up (absent) in the assignment/ifs report. You will have one further opportunity to submit your work. If the work is then referred you may be required to withdraw from the programme (see section 5.10). 5.9 Initial and Final Submission of Assignments You will be advised on the course Moodle sites of the tutorial support you will receive in the preparation of your assignments. All initial and final submissions will be made in the appropriate drop box in the submission zone on the EdD Programme site. You are required to submit an initial outline of your 5,000 word assignment to your Course Tutor for advice and approval during the taught course. After the end of the course you submit your initial assignment online to your Course Tutor via the Moodle drop box on the set submission date. 3 weeks later the Course Tutor returns detailed formative written comments via Moodle on the date by which feedback is due. The feedback will address the criteria specific to the assignment and you will be advised if you have not fulfilled any aspect of the criteria in the assignment. You then have a further opportunity to make any revisions needed before submitting your final assignment online to via Moodle on the due date. Your assignment will then be assessed by two internal examiners. 3 weeks later you will be advised whether the assignment should go forward for inclusion in the portfolio or whether it has been referred for further revision. Specific advice will be supplied if further revision is needed or brief summative comments if it is satisfactory. You will need to review your assignments and the feedback provided for 46

47 the Portfolio. See section Students who do not submit an initial submission for advice and approval will not be permitted to enter the assignment for final assessment. The dates for the submission of the assignments are given on pages An initial cover sheet should be used to submit your initial assignment and a final cover sheet must accompany your final assignment. Cover sheets are available on Moodle in the submission zone along with the drop boxes for each course. Please also refer to section 6 for guidelines on written work Referred Assignments Where an assignment is not regarded as satisfactory by the internal examiners, it will be referred back for revision and graded D. You will be permitted to resubmit the assignment for assessment by the internal examiners on one further occasion prior to inclusion in the portfolio. The date for re-submission of the revised assignment will be the next submission date (see pages 11-12) on which assignments are due for assessment, but no later than the next date on which the particular course is due to be assessed. A re-submission fee is payable in this case. Students will be advised of the fee payable in Some further tutorial assistance is available for re-submissions, but it may be necessary to re-take part of the course the following year. Tuition fees would be payable in such circumstances. Please bear in mind that if you are not up (absent) in an assignment, this will also count as one of your two attempts. If you are referred or not up in more than one assignment, or are referred in one assignment for a second time, the EdD Programme Leader will be consulted about your progress and you may be required to withdraw from the programme unless there are extenuating circumstances which can be taken into account by the Institute Requests for Extension to Final Coursework or IFS Report Submission Dates and Deferral of Examination (Assessment) You are expected to submit your assignments and IFS report by the deadlines notified to you by your course/workshop leaders and as set out in the EdD Student Handbook 2014/2015 (see page 11-12). The IOE recognises however that individual circumstances can change and that your pattern of study may need to vary to reflect this. In exceptional circumstances it may be possible to grant additional time for you to complete your work. If you are experiencing problems during your programme of study, it is important that you seek advice from your Programme Leader as soon as possible. 47

48 If you are unable to attend a course or module and wish to defer until a later date, it is important that you inform the Programme Services Co-ordinator, Cathy McSweeney, of your decision not to start as early as possible. If you do start, however, it will be assumed that you will attend the course or module and will submit work for assessment by the deadline published in the EdD Student Handbook. How to request additional time Be prepared to submit whatever you have on the due date, in case your request is denied. Although it may not be what you want to submit any submission is better than being not up. Where possible, discuss your need for additional time with your Programme Leader/Supervisor before completing the request form; Complete the request form which is available in Moodle and at the following link: ocuments/deferral - Extension Request Form.doc Provide all the appropriate evidence for your application, e.g. a medical certificate if your reason for applying for additional time is because of ill health; Be realistic about the additional time you need to complete your assignment or IFS Report; Submit the completed form with the evidence as early as possible but no later than two weeks before the original submission deadline; Return the completed form and evidence to the Programme Services Co-ordinator, Cathy McSweeney, who will forward it to the EdD Programme Leader for initial consideration; Note that there is no guarantee that your request for additional time will be granted. Each application will be judged on its individual merits. If your request is not approved you will be expected to submit your coursework for assessment by the original deadline specified. Failure to do so will result in a fail in the assessment; Note that applications submitted less than two weeks before the submission deadline will only be considered in highly exceptional circumstances. The process for considering an application for additional time Requests for up to two weeks additional time can be authorised by the Programme Leader; Requests for two to four weeks additional time must be authorised by the Dean of the Doctoral School; Requests for more than four weeks additional time must be authorised by the Pro Director: Learning and International; Notification of whether or not your application for additional time has been approved will be conveyed to you in writing by the Programme Services Co-ordinator no later than one week before the original submission deadline. 48

49 Please note that you will be advised not to commence a new course or module if you are already having difficulty meeting assignment deadlines or have been granted additional time and appear unlikely to be able to meet new deadlines set. This is to ensure you complete your work and to avoid requests for additional time for more than one course or module. Evidence to be provided in support of requests for additional time In cases of ill health, medical certificates, letters from GPs and/or consultants; In work-related cases, letters/evidence from employers; In other situations, evidence may take the form of letters from legal advisers. sfordefofexamandext.pdf. Please Note: This policy does not cover special assessment arrangements for disabled students who have a Learning Support Agreement which sets out such arrangements. The Special Assessment Panel convenes as necessary to review and agree any additional support arrangements that are needed Requests for Extension for Submission of the Portfolio, IFS Proposal and Thesis Proposal Deadlines are set for the submission of the portfolio, IFS Proposal and Thesis Proposal in order to help you complete the programme in a manageable way. If you defer any of these this will delay your progress through the programme. If you are unable to meet the set deadline for the submission of the portfolio, IFS Proposal or Thesis Proposal you should make a written request (which may take the form of an ) to the EdD Programme Leader via the Programme Services Co-ordinator, Cathy McSweeney Submission of Portfolio The process of compiling the portfolio of assignments and the supporting statement will give you the opportunity for review and reflection as you move from the taught component to the research based component of the programme. In addition, the portfolio will give your supervisor, and the EdD Programme Leader, an overview of the work you have been doing across the taught element of the programme, and an insight into how your ideas are developing in relation to the research based component of the programme (i.e. the IFS and Thesis). It will also form the basis of the review of your progress at the beginning of your second year. The portfolio comprises of: the final assignments for each of the three taught courses which will have been assessed as satisfactory by the internal examiners (which are viewable by the programme team, supervisor and students through Moodle); the formative (initial) and summative (final) feedback from the internal markers for each of the assignments (again which are viewable by the 49

50 programme team, supervisor and students through Moodle); your reflective statement of approximately 2,000 words (which will need to be deposited in the Portfolio Moodle drop box together with your supervisor s comment on the portfolio as a whole and your progress in the first year). The purpose of the statement is to indicate how your ideas have developed across the three courses and how the assignments relate to each other and your professional practice. The statement should provide the following: a brief description of and reflection on the content of the assignments including any new insights and understandings you have gained from writing the assignments; your reflection on the relationship between the assignments and on progression across the taught courses and assignments; an indication of how your academic thinking has been influenced and developed as a result of the feedback you have received; consideration of the relationship between your work on the degree programme and your professional practice and development (for instance, in what ways have your practices changed as a result and what have you gained from engagement with different perspectives?); some evidence of the development of your ideas for the IFS and thesis and how the coursework you have done relates to these ideas. To assist you in drafting your statement you might also wish to take into consideration issues, where relevant, such as how you see yourself as a learner at this stage in the programme, whether your views of learning have changed, any professional or academic connections made and any other aspects of your experience and thinking that you feel help provide an analytic overview of what you have achieved in completing the three courses and which sets the stage for your subsequent research and practice. In discussion with your supervisor, you should produce your statement. You should be thinking about and drafting the reflective statement before you receive the final feedback for MOE2. You can then include your reflections in the reflective statement once you have received the final assessment for MOE2. Your reflective statement should be submitted electronically in Moodle in the submission zone. Your supervisor will have access to all your assignments and feedback through the Moodle site and will be asked to make brief comments in relation to the EdD criteria and to indicate if they have any particular concerns about the work submitted. If you have had a referred/deferred assignment and are unable to submit the portfolio on this date then you should submit the portfolio on the next appropriate date to fall after the formal assessment has been completed, i.e. 1 February or 1 June. 50

51 5.14 Portfolio Review Process The EdD programme leader will be responsible for considering the portfolio. She will assess your progress as reflected in the portfolio against the Level D criteria which state that students should demonstrate (i) an ability to contribute to the development of knowledge, including theory, methods of enquiry and practice; and (ii) a capacity for dealing with material not normally included in a Master's level course because of either the nature of the specialism or the degree of difficulty involved. A decision will be taken as to whether your results in the portfolio provide adequate evidence that you will be able to complete satisfactorily the independent research leading to the IFS report and the thesis. Notification of the programme leader s decision will be announced via Moodle. In those cases where a student has achieved Grade C in the majority of the assignments, the EdD Programme Leader will invite the student to attend a meeting with them to formally discuss and review his or her progress. Where a decision is taken that the student may not proceed to the IFS stage, the student may be invited to apply for the Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research details of which are given in Appendix Proceeding to the Institution-Focused Study and Submission of Proposal To proceed to the next stage of the programme, your portfolio of assignments must have been approved by the EdD Programme Leader. You should discuss your IFS proposal with your supervisor and respond to any comments your supervisor makes. Once approved by your supervisor you should submit it to the EdD Programme Leader for her comments by the date given on page 19. The IFS proposal in the drop box in the submission zone must include your supervisor s signed off statement. Detailed advice on the IFS proposal is given in section 7.4. The IFS workshops will address the IFS proposal and other issues relating to the IFS External Moderation The EdD Board of Examiners includes an external examiner whose duties include moderation of the taught elements of the programme and ensuring that the standard of the Doctor in Education programme offered at the Institute of Education is consistent with that of other comparable UK universities. A sample of scripts for each of the taught courses and IFS reports will therefore be sent for external moderation. The External Examiner s responsibilities will include moderation across all taught courses, the portfolio and the IFS report. As part of our quality assurance procedures, opportunities are also built into the programme to enable the external examiners to meet with the EdD Course Leaders and groups of EdD students, if the examiners so wish. 51

52 The external examiner for the EdD Programme in the academic year 2014/2015 is Dr Carlo Raffo from the University of Manchester Appeals Procedure and Reconsideration of Decisions by Board of Examiners for Taught Elements and Institution- Focused Study Report If you want to raise any matter in relation to your examination results you should contact the Doctoral School in the first instance. You can also refer to the Regulations Governing Representations Concerning Decisions of Boards of Examiners which are available on the website. Please bear in mind that appeals are not permitted against the academic judgement of the examiners Students who have a Disability If you have a disability, medical condition, specific learning difference (e.g. dyslexia) or mental health issue which will prevent you from completing the assessment procedures under standard examination conditions, you should discuss this with the Disability & Wellbeing Service well in advance of the date of the examination(s), in order that any necessary special arrangements can be made. If you develop or identify a disability during your course, the Disability & Wellbeing Service will be able to provide practical support; this includes information about examination and assessment arrangements to which you might be entitled. The Disability & Wellbeing Service can be contacted in the Student Support Centre (Level 4, Core A). Telephone , [email protected], website 52

53 6. Guidelines on Written Work This section provides guidance on the presentation and referencing of written work in the EdD programme. A number of students joining the EdD degree programme may have spent several years away from formal study and it may be some time since they were required to prepare academic assignments. The conventions and guidelines summarised below will provide a framework for assignment preparation. In addition, there will be sessions offered through the Academic Writing Centre. See the website: Structure Your written work should have a coherent structure with a clear introduction, development and conclusion. Aim to integrate and link material rather than present disconnected parts; be focused and do not engage in too many diverse issues. In formal writing of this kind, it is important that your point of view comes across, not as opinion, but as a justified judgement or reasoned argument, with evidence for your assertions where appropriate. The following components are recommended as a framework for assignments and will also be valuable when you come to writing your report and thesis: an introduction in which you identify the topic and present your point of view, the thesis or main idea of the paper; a short literature survey of points of view on your topic, as background to the topic, issue or problem in question; a clear structure to and development of your discussion. The use of frequent and brief subheadings are helpful, provided they do not restrict the flow of the discussion; evidence of sound reasoning to support your ideas or research; acknowledgement of opposing points of view and their differences from your view; a conclusion that summarises your main arguments, and restates your position or points to further work; finally, reference fully and accurately using the reference style recommended and read the assignment through to check for typographical and grammatical errors, syntax, flow etc. 6.2 Format The assignment should be word-processed or typed, 1½ or double spaced with a wide margin on the left hand side of the text. Font should be Arial 12. Pages should be numbered. Please state the length of your work (word count). The 53

54 word count includes footnotes, but excludes the bibliography and appendices. If you submit work that has a total word count plus or minus 10% from the specified word count, it will not be examined and you will be regarded as not up (absent) in the assignment/ifs report. Work may be penalised if its presentation is inadequate and/or has major typographical and grammatical errors. An electronic copy of your assignment should be uploaded to Moodle to your Course Tutor. 6.3 Reading You will be expected to read a considerable amount of literature for each taught course as well as for the IFS report and thesis. In addition to the readings provided by the Programme Leaders for taught courses, there will be follow-up literature surveys in the library. It is essential that your written work provides adequate evidence of a theoretical background and this means undertaking a substantial amount of independent reading in the subject area and locating your research within that literature context. 6.4 Literary Presentation If your first language is not English (or even if it is) there may be some difficulty in achieving an adequate standard of literary presentation. While your supervisor can advise on the organisation and style of the thesis, it is not reasonable to expect him or her to undertake the labour of correcting grammar, spelling and punctuation. It is a very good idea to submit some essays or advance drafts of chapters to your supervisor at an early stage in the research, so that difficulties can be detected and worked on. Additional support with writing is offered by the Institute and details about the kinds of support available are on the website for the Academic Writing Centre: Referencing Style and Acknowledgement of Sources If you refer to or draw upon another person s work or ideas or if you make a direct quote in your written work, it is essential that you reference the particular source properly. References are important to: acknowledge other people s ideas; enable readers and those assessing your work to trace (and check) the source material; demonstrate that you are not just providing your own opinions but also including those of others to illustrate a point or to offer support for an argument. It is essential that all quotes in the text are referenced properly, using an established style of referencing (e.g. Harvard (author-date) style, APA style 54

55 see below for a recommended style of referencing). All references cited in the text must be included, in full, in the list of references at the end of the assignment or thesis. This list is called References by some and a Bibliography by others, including the University of London in its regulations. Whatever name you use, the list must be comprehensive and include all references (including references relating to your secondary reading) used in the assignment or thesis; similarly all references in the list must appear in the assignment or thesis. Some scholars also include a separate list of texts which are not cited, but which may be relevant and may have informed the work. This list is optional and is not formally included. From the outset you should get into the habit of compiling full details of the material encountered in your reading, so that this may be retrieved in full for your assignment or thesis. Bibliographic databases (such as EndNote ) can help to organise notes and references. It is suggested that you use one of these and that you familiarise yourself with your chosen software right from the start of your studies. (NOTE: EndNote includes a customised style which reproduces the Doctoral School s preferred format.) Whether you use bibliographic software or not, it is important to devise a means of rapidly accessing notes at any time alphabetically by title, or by author, or by key topics that seem appropriate. Whatever system is adopted, you should feel comfortable with it, and feel that it is helpful rather than being a burden. If you use direct quotations you should indent them left and right, and use single spacing between lines. The page number(s) of the quotation should be given at the end of the quotation or after the date of the reference, e.g. (Smith, 1976, p.15) if it comes after a quotation, or Smith (1976, p.15) if the reference just precedes the quotation. Your own comments on the quotation should follow. In the body of the text references are noted by the author's surname, followed by the date of publication in brackets, e.g. Smith (1976). If you make reference to a work or piece of research without mentioning the author s surname in the text then both the author s surname and date of publication are placed at the relevant point in the sentence or at the end of the sentence in brackets, e.g. (Smith, 1976). The 'et al' convention can be used when the number of authors is greater than four; this is the Latin for and others. Other Latin words used here include ibid (the same) and op cit (quoted above), which save you continually repeating the name. The Institute of Education s usual format for referencing is as given below: Books: Lawton, D. (1992). Education and Politics for the 1990s: Conflict or Consensus? London: Falmer Press. Chapters in edited books: Lambert, D. (1992). Towards a geography of social concern. In M. Naish (Ed.), Geography and Education. London: Kogan Page. 55

56 Conference proceedings: Dowling, P. D. (2000a). A Manifesto for Design and the Charismatic Intellectual. Paper presented at the Education for Social Democracies: Changing Forms and Sites Conference. Institute of Education, University of London. 3rd - 5th July Edited books: Lambs, D. and Collins, T. (Eds) (1992). Social Concern. (Vol. 1). London: Kogan Page. Journal articles: Bernstein, B. (2001). Symbolic control: issues of empirical description of agencies and agents. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 4 (1), Reports: Department for Innovation Universities and Skills (2009). The government response to the National Student Forum's annual report 2008 (Government document). London: IOE. Theses or dissertations: Smith, R. A. L. (2003). Poetic narratives and poetic activism: implications for improving school effectiveness for peace in Northern Ireland. Unpublished EdD Thesis. Institute of Education, University of London. For internet based materials: Electronic journal articles: Whitty, G. (2008). 'Twenty Years of Progress?: English Education Policy 1988 to the Present'. [Online]. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 36 (2), Available at: [Last accessed 28th July 2011.] Electronic conference papers: Dowling, P. D. (2000b). A Manifesto for Design and the Charismatic Intellectual. Paper presented at the Education for Social Democracies: Changing Forms and Sites Conference. Institute of Education, University of London. 3rd - 5th July [Online]. Available at: [Last accessed 28th July 2011.] For advice on the use of APA style to cite internet sources see: 0.pdf. For advice on Harvard style and specific advice on internet resources, see: 56

57 For a useful summary of referencing of electronic sources, see: For any other media, it is important to provide information which will enable others to access the work cited. You may find the following examples useful: Audiovisual material: TASC. (1987). Object lessons: teaching science in schools [video recording]. London. Computer programmes: Snewin, D. (2009). EndNote. (Version X3) [Mac]. London: Adept Scientific. Magazine articles: McDonald, T., Sir. (2009b). 'Education Tomorrow'. Time, 5 (3), 27th June, pp Newspaper articles: McDonald, T., Sir. (Wed July 29th, 2009a). 'Education Today'. The Guardian, pp If secondary references are used, it should be clear to the reader that the secondary reference has not been read. In this case where the work of one author is cited in another author's work, it is necessary to refer to the secondary source and provide both authors' names. For example: Short (cited in Brown, 2000, p. 51) reported or (Short, cited in Brown, 2000, p. 51) In this example, only Brown is included in the references list. The bibliographic details for Short do not need to be included in the text or in the reference list. However, it is helpful to your readers to include such secondary references in full. From these examples, you can see that you always need to record the following details in your notes: surname of author(s) plus initials; date of publication (i.e. the last date the publication was up-dated); title of publication; title of book in which it appears (if it is a chapter in a book); title of journal (if a journal article); volume/issue number/full page nos. (if a journal article); publisher's location and publisher (if a book); The URL and date when you last accessed the site or document (for 57

58 internet based materials). Your supervisor will be able to offer advice if you have any queries on the appropriate referencing protocols. 6.6 Plagiarism You are reminded that all work undertaken as part of your studies at the Institute must be expressed in your own words and incorporate your own ideas and judgements. Please consult your supervisor or the EdD Programme Leader if you are in doubt about what is permissible. The Institute has drawn up a Code on Citing Sources and Avoidance of Plagiarism to help you to reference your sources properly and to understand and avoid plagiarism in your work at the Institute of Education. The Code is available on the Student Policies and Procedures page on the website: Please also note that the Institute subscribes to the Turnitin Plagiarism Detection Service and your assignments or other written work may be checked for adequate referencing through this service. See Appendix 3 for details of this service. The Institute s Regulations Governing Assessment Irregularities ( will apply in any cases of suspected plagiarism or collusion. 6.7 Ethical Issues All research undertaken by staff and students at the Institute of Education needs to have ethical approval before data collection commences. This includes research involving human participants as well as the use of data collected from human participants. Ethical review processes are specified in the Research Governance and Ethics Policy, available on the Research Ethics website ( Ethical review is one aspect of ensuring that research is conducted to the highest levels of integrity. This involves responsibilities to participants, institutions, and to the research community. Please ensure that you are aware of the ethical issues involved in research. Your course of study may include sessions specifically focusing on ethical issues within educational research or the social sciences. Ethical issues are especially relevant to the following areas: Determining research aims and who benefits from the research; Handling dual roles (e.g. being a researcher and a professional) and potentially conflicting values; Minimising potential risk or harm to all involved; Gaining access to participants; Ensuring voluntary informed consent; Safeguarding participants; Ensuring confidentiality and anonymity; 58

59 Giving feedback, reporting results, and dissemination. You should discuss these and other issues with your supervisor and ensure that your research adheres to sound ethical principles. Professional codes of practice Many professional organisations have produced codes of ethical practice for their disciplines or areas of work. Please ensure that you are familiar with the code for your discipline or area. You will need to specify and follow one of these codes of ethical practice during your research. You do not have to be a member of a professional organisation to follow their code of ethical practice. Links to the common codes of ethical practice are provided on the Research Ethics website ( ). These include codes from: The British Educational Research Association ( The British Psychological Society ( The British Sociological Association ( The British Association for Applied Linguistics( Ethical review and approval procedures Ethical review and approval are necessary before data collection can commence. The procedures for student ethical review and approval are described on the Student Ethics section of the website ( ). Application forms and guidance notes are provided on the website. Please follow the guidance, which also explains who you need to submit your application materials to. If you intend to conduct research which may raise particular or difficult ethical issues (for instance, work involving vulnerable groups, deception or where consent will not be possible), you are advised to begin the ethics approval process well in advance of your planned data collection. Where your research involves particularly complicated or sensitive ethical issues it must be referred to the Research Ethics Committee. Guidance on when student applications should be referred to the REC is available on the Institute s website ( If you need to undertake research involving direct engagement with children or vulnerable adults, please remember that you will need to obtain clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS; formerly the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)). For more information, please contact your course administrator or the Registry. Please note that research involving any of the following would require external 59

60 ethical approval: Research requiring review by the NHS National Research Ethics Service (NRES). This includes projects involving NHS patients or premises. Research activities defined by NRES as not requiring ethics review within the NRES processes include audit and service evaluation; Social research funded by the Department of Health and therefore requiring review by the Social Care Research Ethics Committee (SCREC) Research involving participants aged 16 or over who lack the mental capacity to provide informed consent to take part in the research, or who later lose capacity during the research Research involving tissue that comes under the Human Tissue Act 2004; Research involving prisoners. Changes and amendments The ethical issues associated with your work should be regularly considered. Changes in research questions, methods, or other areas may have further ethical implications. This may require seeking ethical approval for a second time. Resources and further support The Research Ethics Guidebook ( is a very useful source of guidance and information for social science researchers including building ethics into your research design, applying for ethical approval, conducting your research and reporting and dissemination. A selection of links to further resources and guidance material is available on the website ( ). Further relevant books and materials are available through the IOE library. Some material includes: Wiles, R. (2012). What Are Qualitative Research Ethics. Bloomsbury Academic. ( A podcast discussing the book can be found on the National Centre for Research Methods website ( Alderson, P., & Morrow, V. (2004). Ethics, Social Research and Consulting with Children and Young People. Barkingside: Barnardo s. Barbour, R. (2008). Introducing qualitative research: A student guide to the craft of doing qualitative research. London: Sage. Bassey, M. (1999). Case Study Research in Educational Settings. Buckingham: Open University Press. 60

61 Bell, J. (2010). Doing your Research Project: A Guide for First- Time Researchers in Education, Health and Social Science (5th ed.). Maidenhead: Open University Press. Bennett, N., Glatter, R., & Levačić, R. (Eds.). (1994). Improving Educational Management through Research and Consultancy. London: Paul Chapman in association with the Open University. Burgess, R. (Ed.). (1989). The Ethics of Educational Research. Lewes: Falmer Press. Campbell, A., & Groundwater-Smith, S. (2007). An ethical approach to practitioner research: dealing with issues and dilemmas in action research. Abingdon: Routledge. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (Eds.). (2011). Research Methods In Education (7th ed.). London: Routledge. Farrell, A. (2005). Ethical research with children. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Greig, A., Taylor, J., & MacKay, T. (2007). Doing research with children (2nded.). London: Sage. Israel, M., & Hay, I. (2006). Research Ethics for Social Scientists. London:Sage Publications. Johnson, D. (1998). Research Methods in Educational Management. London:Financial Times/Prentice Hall. Mauthner, M., Birch, M., Jessop, J., & Miller, T. (Eds.). (2002). Ethics inqualitative research. London: Sage Publications Limited. McNamee, M., & Bridges, D. (Eds.). (2002). The Ethics of Educational Research. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. Middlewood, D., Coleman, M., & Lumby, J. (Eds.). (1999). PractitionerResearch in Education: Making a Difference. London: Sage/Paul Chapman. Oliver, P. (2010). The Student s Guide to Research Ethics. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Robson, C. (2011). Real World Research: A Resource for Users of Social research Methods in Applied Settings (3rd ed.). Chichester: John Wiley& Sons. Sargeant, J. (2012). Doing ethical research with children. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Te Riele, K., & Brooks, R. (2012). Negotiating Ethical Challenges in Youth 61

62 Research. London: Routledge. 6.8 Intellectual Property Rights The concept of intellectual property allows people to own their creativity and innovation in the same way that they can own physical property. The four main types of intellectual property are: copyright for material - literary and artistic material, music, films, sound recordings and broadcasts, including software and multimedia; patent: a monopoly right, acquired by registration, to prevent any dealing in an original and novel invention during a period of 20 years; trademarks for brand identity - of goods and services allowing distinctions to be made between different traders; designs for product appearance - of the whole or a part of a product resulting from the features of, in particular, the lines, contours, colours, shape, texture or materials of the product itself or its ornamentation. Copyright ownership may be most relevant to you as a doctoral student and advice on this matter will be given to you as part of your training on the EdD Programme. The Institute s policy on Intellectual Property Rights is also available on the Institute website in a pdf file: The Code on Citing Sources and Avoidance of Plagiarism also provides guidance on protecting intellectual property and the copyright of others. ( Citing_Sources_and_Avoidance_of_Plagiarism_ pdf) 62

63 7. The Institution-Focused Study 7.1 IFS Stage of the EdD Having completed the portfolio of assignments for the EdD programme, you will embark on the IFS which gives you the opportunity to carry out a professionally based research study and builds on your growing understanding of and skills in research methods. The purpose of the IFS is to enable you to carry out a small-scale research study normally based upon your own institution. This calls for particular skills in research and negotiation and raises some of the complex issues of 'insider research'. Before beginning the IFS you are required to develop a detailed research proposal with a clear statement of the focus of the questions, an account of the methods to be used, and a statement of the professional context in which the research will be undertaken. You should also show how the proposed study will contribute to your professional understanding and development and to the institution on which your research has focused. 7.2 What is the Institution-Focused Study? Research for the IFS The IFS study is written up as a report of 20,000 words. You will carry out the IFS after completion of the taught courses and prior to the thesis, usually during your second year. In this way it provides a link between the assignments and the thesis, and may form a pilot or preparatory work for the thesis. It provides the opportunity for you to study an institution/organisation concerned with educational provision, organisation and support with which you are professionally connected in some way. In this context, 'institution' may refer to: an educational establishment (a department, school, college or university); a professional organisation (professional body or trade union); a service (career service, learning support service, psychological service); a local or national government department or non-governmental organisation - NGO (e.g. examination board, QAA); a local authority; a museum involved in educational activities. There will be many other examples You will normally choose to base your study on your own employing institution, or one with which you have a close association although this is not a requirement. The study may be based on documentation from the institution or on interviews, observation or other research approaches. The study may also focus on more than one institution or organisation, for example, a consortium of schools. The IFS will vary with the nature of the specialism. For example: 63

64 as a school leader you might focus on your school, or a number of schools; as a service professional (e.g. an educational psychologist) you might focus on the service or on institutions served. An important point is that the focus should be on institutions relevant to you and that the study can be related to your own professional activities and proposed research. The IFS will build on concepts, understanding and skills that you have developed during the taught courses, and may build on work you have carried out for these courses. Although it is not necessarily tied tightly to the thesis, it may inform the thesis and permit the evolution of ideas and understanding for the thesis, or provide the foundation from which the thesis will develop. You will need to demonstrate the integration of all the elements of the course in the final examination (viva voce) and, in particular, in the 2,000 word statement of professional relevance and integration. The IFS will help in this. There are many possibilities here: reflecting on the taught elements of the course in relation to your own institution; identifying a problem for investigation and locating the research in its context; reviewing relevant literature and investigating how far it has informed an institution s policy documents; conducting a pilot investigation prior to the thesis; investigating a range of institutions similar to the one to be investigated in depth in the thesis; acquiring specific knowledge of the institutions required for the thesis; conducting an investigation complementary to that for the thesis. Researching an institution has particular challenges, especially if it is your own institution. IFS workshops are provided during the year in order to discuss such issues and to deal with the particular challenges of this kind of work. 7.3 Support for the IFS IFS Workshops IFS workshops are held on two days each term (three days in the Summer term) to supplement the supervision you receive from your supervisor. Each term you have a choice to attend either two Fridays spread across the term or two days in the mid-week running consecutively (three days in the Summer term). It will be assumed that you will attend the same delivery mode as the previous term unless we are informed otherwise. You are expected to attend the IFS workshops, which give you the opportunity to: develop your knowledge of specialist topics; 64

65 discuss your research with staff and colleagues; raise issues which are particularly interesting or challenging; check that your expectations match those of others; and to sort out any general queries. The workshops provide an excellent opportunity for you to meet your colleagues, to discuss your work, to meet with your supervisor(s) and to use the library, thereby maintaining the collegiality which is such a strong feature of the EdD. The IFS workshops will be co-ordinated by Dr Sue Taylor and will be held on the following days in : Autumn Term 17 October 2014 and 28 November 2014 OR 19 November 2014 and 20 November 2014 Spring Term 23 January 2015 and 13 March 2015 OR 04 March 2015 and 05 March 2015 Summer Term 08 May 2015, 12 June 2015 and 03 July 2015 OR 16, 17 and 19 June 2015 During these workshops we hope to cover the majority of the following topics: advice on preparing your portfolio, preparing your IFS proposal, writing your IFS and preparing your thesis proposal; sharing your experiences of ethical issues you have encountered in insider research; writing abstracts for journals and conferences and developing a publishing plan; and a project management ideas useful for managing the IFS and thesis projects. Each workshop will be held from a.m p.m. and will include the following schedule: a.m. Programmed Input p.m. Lunch break 1.30 p.m. Programmed Input continues including sharing opportunities 4.00 p.m. Close of session Tea and coffee will be served at 9.45 a.m. and usually during afternoon sessions at a convenient mid-point. Unfortunately refreshments are unable to 65

66 be provided for sessions in Computer Rooms where drinks are not permitted. (The timing of the lunch break is flexible and may change during some of the workshops.) The remaining time is free for appointments with supervisors and work in the library. 7.4 Writing your IFS Proposal You should first discuss and agree the proposal for the IFS with your supervisor before submitting the proposal in the IFS proposal drop box by the date given on pages You must have the proposal for the IFS approved by your supervisor and have submitted it to the EdD Programme Leader for her comments before starting your research. (Please refer to sections 5.15 and 5.16.) The IFS proposal submitted should be between 8 and 10 pages (about 2,000 words) and should include: i) a statement clearly identifying the focus of the research or problem, including the institution involved and your professional relationship to it; ii) a rationale for the research which makes reference to relevant professional and academic concerns and relevant literature and research; iii) a clear statement of the theoretical and methodological perspective being adopted including any ethical issues; iv) a description of the proposed design of the study including, where appropriate, discussion of methods of data collection and analysis; v) a statement of the value of the study and how it will make a contribution to professional knowledge, practice and development, and your plans for dissemination, or how your work will be used; vi) a provisional timetable for completion of the IFS with milestones identified; and vii) references and a bibliography giving an indication of relevant literature in the field. You may find it helpful to use sub-headings based on the above. An IFS Topic Approval Form to accompany the outline is available on Moodle Your supervisor is required to sign this form to confirm that he or she has seen and approved your IFS proposal. If your supervisor is unable to sign the form please attach an from your supervisor confirming that he or she has approved the IFS proposal. 7.5 Writing up the IFS There is no one format for writing up your IFS, and individual reports will vary considerably in their format. However, given that the report should be 20,000 words (exclusive of references and appendices) it is useful to consider the balance of the report and decide on an appropriate word count for each 66

67 section. The report should cover the following areas: an introduction and rationale for the study (including your professional context and why the study is important to this) and a review of any relevant literature; a clear statement of research question(s)/focus; methodology and methods including ethical considerations and a clear account of what was done; presentation and analysis of data; discussion of the data and their professional and other relevance, how they will be disseminated or communicated and to whom, and how they will be used; conclusions that may be drawn from your study and implications for any future research, development and professional considerations; references (a full list of all references cited in the text, using an approved referencing format, see section 6.5); appendices. Assessment Criteria (including grade related criteria) When writing up the IFS it is useful to bear in mind that the report will be evaluated by two internal examiners who will expect to find evidence of the following in each IFS report and will mark the report using the grading scheme set out in section 5.8: coherent rationale and justification for the study; critical review of relevant literature; clear statement of question/focus/problem; clear and detailed account of methodology and methods used; clear presentation of data, including use of appendices where appropriate; appropriate and clear analysis: it is not sufficient to present the raw data; discussion including professional relevance; overall coherence and argument; clarity and presentation, including complete and accurate referencing. NB: The examiners will also expect you to be able to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and understanding that you have gained through Methods of Enquiry 1 and 2. For advice on referencing style and acknowledgement of sources, plagiarism and intellectual property right please refer to section 6 Guidelines on Written Work. 67

68 If you would like to consult the list of completed IFS Reports please the Programme Administrator. For more information about ethical issues with particular reference to insider research see section Submission of Report You are normally expected to submit the report within four terms (the autumn/spring/summer of Year 2 and autumn term of Year 3). This means that the normal submission date for the report is 1 st February. However, if circumstances permit it is possible to submit earlier ie. 1 st October. You should submit to the Moodle drop box by the date specified with one hard copy of the report to be received by the Programme Administrator the same day, or in a parcel post marked date of posting the same day. Details of the format and binding of the report are given in section 7.7. You are expected to submit, with the electronic report in the drop box, a completed IFS examination entry form signed by your supervisor. This is available on Moodle in the submission zone on the EdD programme site. Copies of all reports will be held by the Doctoral School at least until your thesis has been examined for the Doctor in Education degree. Copies of successful reports are not placed in the Institute library, but are available for reference from the Doctoral School. If you do not wish your IFS report to be made available because the research is personally or politically sensitive please apply for a restriction on access on entry to the examination. It is anticipated that a restriction on access will be sought only if the report is of a highly sensitive nature. Deferment IFS Reports must be submitted by 1 st February. However, in exceptional circumstances it is possible to defer submission of the IFS report for up to one year. If you wish to defer you should discuss this with your supervisor and the EdD Programme Leader. Deferrals will normally only be approved for the following reasons: unforeseen exceptional circumstances (e.g. family bereavement, professional relocation); medical reasons that are supported by a medical certificate. If approval is given, the revised submission date for the IFS report will be confirmed and will usually be to the next submission date and at most to the 1 st February of the following year. 68

69 Extensions If you are unable to meet the set deadline for the submission of the IFS report, you may request an extension (see section 5.11 above). 7.7 Format and Binding of the Report The report should include, after the title page, an abstract of not more than 300 words and a table of contents giving chapter headings and page numbers. References should be included (see section 6.5 for guidance). The title page should show the title of Doctor in Education, the officially approved title of the report and the name of the candidate as registered with the Institute. The pages should be numbered in one continuous sequence, in the top right-hand corner, from the title page to the last page of type. The report should be typed on A4 size paper, in one and a half or double spacing; the margin at the binding edge should be not less than 40 mm (1.5 inches) and other margins not less than 20 mm (.75 inches). The hard copy of the report may be submitted initially in a spiral bound folder which secures the sheets of papers safely and is acceptable to the Institute. [For advice please check with the Doctoral School]. It should include on the front cover the degree (i.e. EdD), year, your name and initials. When the IFS has been examined, you will be expected to provide a formally bound copy for reference. This soft-back binding (in blue buckram) with gold or black lettering up the spine, with degree, year, and surname and initials in the same form as the Institute s records with letters 16 or 18 point (.25 inch), is available from the firms of bookbinders listed in section Enquiries about cost and time required for binding should be made directly to them. They are also prepared to make copies before binding. These firms will also be recommended for the binding of the thesis. 7.8 Examination of the Report and Notification of Results The report will be marked by two internal examiners and may be submitted to a member of the panel of external examiners for moderation. Students will be advised of their results by the Doctoral School within one month of submission and they will receive formal feedback from both examiners. All IFS results given are recommendations only until confirmed by the EdD Board of Examiners and students will receive formal notification of their grades after their meeting which is normally held in the Autumn term. Re-entry The regulations permit a candidate who does not successfully complete the report at the first entry to re-enter on one further occasion, normally the next appropriate submission date. The appropriate re-entry fee (currently 100) will be required when the re-entry form is completed. 69

70 7.9 Presenting and Publishing your IFS Research at Conferences/Seminars Doctoral School staff expect you to take the opportunity to present your IFS work at Doctoral School conferences (Poster Conference and Summer Conference) and at Faculty seminars. Such presentations give the opportunity for you to receive feedback and questions on your research, to clarify your ideas and to disseminate your findings. Further details on the dates of Doctoral School conferences and details about publishing your research can be found in section

71 8. The Thesis 8.1 Support at the Thesis Stage In the final stage of your EdD programme when you are undertaking the thesis, we provide the following support to help you to complete your degree successfully: regular supervision sessions with your supervisor; support from your advisory panel; two thesis workshops each term; participation at the Doctoral School conferences; support for publication; and support from library staff. We recommend that you work with your colleagues on the EdD to maximise collegiality and give each other support. You may wish to arrange informal meetings or make use of Moodle to discuss your work with fellow participants in addition to the regular thesis workshops provided by the Doctoral School. We are happy to arrange rooms for this kind of meeting. 8.2 Criteria for EdD Thesis The requirements for the award of the thesis are set out in detail in section 9 which also includes regulations approved by the Institute of Education for the conduct of the examination of the thesis and the criteria for the examination of the thesis. The thesis must consist of your own account of your investigations and must indicate in what respects they appear to advance the understanding of your subject, and how the research has contributed to your professional development and role. The requirements of the thesis are summarised below: It should be no more than 45,000 words (exclusive of appendices, the list of references and bibliographies but including footnotes, endnotes, glossary, maps, diagrams and tables); It will be judged by the same general criteria as the PhD thesis; - it must form a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the field of study and afford evidence of originality and a capacity for autonomous research ; - in addition it must demonstrate your understanding of professionalism and your own professional role and the contribution of the thesis to your own professional development. 71

72 In this context you should bear in mind that the EdD is a professional doctorate and the new facts are likely to be in the professional domain ( professional knowledge or insight ). 8.3 Support for the Thesis Thesis Workshops At the thesis stage on successful completion of your IFS Report and Formal Progress Review prior to Thesis (see section 4.5), you will be expected to attend the thesis workshops held twice each term. These workshops are intended to supplement the work that you do with your supervisor and to provide support for all stages of work on the thesis (from developing a proposal to preparing for the viva). Issues have been chosen that should provide sufficient scope to be relevant to everyone in the group and to act as a basis for the sharing of experience between people at different stages of their work. Working on a thesis can be a very isolating experience and thus one of the major objectives of the workshop programme is to bring people together to discuss their work. The programme is sufficiently flexible to allow it to be adapted to the interests of the group. The thesis workshop programme is co-ordinated by Dr Bryan Cunningham, who will lead some of the sessions and invite other tutors and researchers to contribute to the programme in particular areas of expertise. We also invite recent EdD graduates to lead one or two workshops in which they share their experiences of completing their theses and preparing for their vivas. When appropriate the group may split up to consider issues that are particularly relevant to people at a given stage in their research. The Thesis Workshops are held on two days each term. Each term you have a choice to attend either two Saturdays spread across the term or two days in the week running consecutively. It will be assumed that you will attend the same delivery mode as the previous term unless we are informed otherwise. The thesis workshops will begin at a.m p.m. in the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms. The dates are as follows: Autumn Term 18 October 2014 and 29 November 2014 OR 20 November 2014 and 21 November 2014 Spring Term 24 January 2015 and 14 March 2015 OR 05 March 2015 and 06 March 2015 Summer Term 09 May 2015 and 13 June 2015 OR 19 June 2015 and 20 June

73 8.4 Thesis Proposal Before you start the research for your thesis, it is necessary for your advisory panel in your Department and your supervisor to approve your proposed research topic and the title of your thesis; this takes place at the stage of your formal progress review (see section 4.5 for the procedure). A Formal Review Prior to Thesis Form should be completed and deposited together with the proposal in the Moodle Thesis Proposal Drop box (see Appendix 6). This form should only be submitted following successful completion of the IFS. The final IFS workshop will cover the development of the thesis proposal and the formal review process. It is normally expected that you present the thesis proposal by a dropbox on the Moodle site by the 1 st September after the IFS is approved in the February of the same year, that is within 6 months of the approval of the IFS. Feedback from the formal review will be made available through the Moodle site. The thesis proposal should be 8-10 pages in length and include: a clear statement of the research question or problem; a working title (this can always be changed but provides an important focus; a rationale for the research which makes reference to relevant professional and academic concerns and relevant literature and research; a clear statement of the theoretical and methodological perspective being adopted, including any ethical issues; a description of the design of the study including, where appropriate, discussion of proposed methods of data collection and analysis; a timetable with milestones identified; a statement of the value of the study and how it will make a contribution to professional and academic knowledge. You will need to be clear about the following before you start: What is your research question/focus/problem? Is the research manageable and practicable within the timescale of your EdD? What approach and methods are you planning to use? How will you analyse the data? What is your thesis or argument going to be? What is the likely contribution (to knowledge, theory, methodology, policy and practice)? What is your provisional (working) title? (This helps you to be clear and focused in your topic) 73

74 It is an inevitable part of the research process that ideas change and develop as you are introduced to a range of research techniques and through discussions with your supervisor, other researchers and fellow students. You will find that your proposal and timetable will need to be reviewed on a regular basis. There are a number of useful books which could help you to understand what is involved in a doctoral degree. Although most are written on the basis of work with PhD students, they are also relevant to EdD students, since most of the issues involved in writing a thesis are similar, and the main difference between PhD and EdD theses is the professional focus of the EdD, and the scope (and length) of the thesis. The following books may be useful as they will give you ideas about carrying out the research, managing your supervision, writing up the thesis and preparing for the examination: Cryer, P. (2006). The Research Student s Guide to Success. 3 rd edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Delamont, S., Atkinson, P. and Parry, O. (Eds) (2000). The Doctoral Experience: Success and Failure in Graduate School. London: Falmer Press. Dunleavy, P. (2003). Authoring a PhD: How to Plan, Draft, Write and Finish A Doctoral Thesis or Dissertation. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Hart, C. (1998). Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination. London: Sage. Leonard, D. (2001). A Woman s Guide to Doctoral Studies. Buckingham: Open University Press. Murray, R. (2011). How to Write a Thesis. 3 rd edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Murray, R. (2009). How to Survive your Viva: Defending a Thesis in an Oral Examination. 2 nd edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Petre, M. and Rugg, G. (Eds) (2010). The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research. 2 nd edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Phillips, E. M. and Pugh, D. S. (Eds) (2005). How to Get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and Their Supervisors. 4 th edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Tinkler, P. and Jackson, C. (Eds) (2004). The Doctoral Examination Process: A Handbook for Students, Examiners and Supervisors. Maidenhead: Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press. Wellington, J. J., Bathmaker, A-M., Hunt, C., McCulloch, G. and Sikes, P. (Eds) (2005). Succeeding with your Doctorate. London: Sage. For full details of the requirements and examination of the thesis please refer to sections 10 and 11. For more information about ethical issues with particular reference to insider research see section

75 8.5 Writing up the Thesis It is important that you structure the thesis in a way that presents your work to your readership (in the first instance, your supervisor and your examiners) in a clear and coherent way. Whilst there is no requirement to adopt a particular structure, your examiners will have expectations about the content of the thesis as a whole. The structure given below organises this content in a conventional manner. This does not work for everyone. Some people find, for instance, that a critical engagement with literature is appropriate in a number of places in the thesis and thus it does not make sense to have a formally identified literature review. It is, however, important that you demonstrate a good knowledge of relevant research and other literature in your field and that you have engaged analytically with this work. Similarly, the presentation of the analysis of data and the outcomes of the research might be organised around themes that range over a number of chapters. However, the contribution made by the research has to be clearly defined and coherently presented whatever the organisational structure of the thesis. It is essential that you discuss the manner in which you intend to structure your work with your supervisor. Here is one example of how you might choose to organise your thesis. Title This needs to be clear and informative, so that readers know from the title what the thesis is about. It is a good idea to formulate a working title at an early stage; this usually helps to focus your work. Abstract of 300 words. Chapter 1: This should provide a clear rationale for the study and the context of the work including your professional context, and will normally be a statement of the problem in practical and theoretical terms. Chapter 2: A concise and critical review of and engagement with relevant literature providing a synthesis of any work which has been done in the field, and drawing out conceptual and professional aspects; the literature reviewed will be considerably more circumscribed than that for a PhD, and it is likely to have a professional rather than an academic focus. Chapter 3: A chapter in which you discuss the methodology that you have chosen to use for the empirical or theoretical work. This chapter should include sections on ethical issues, methods of data collection and analysis, and mode of dissemination. Chapter 4: A chapter presenting and analysing the data. 75

76 Chapter 5: A discussion of your findings; here you might relate your findings to the initial theory or theories you have discussed and to the methodology used. Chapter 6: In the final chapter, you should summarise very briefly the contribution of your work, and draw your own conclusions; these may include implications for further study and improvements you would have made if you were to repeat the study; implications for your professional role and the wider professional context, and the dissemination of your findings (how, to whom and for what purpose); and any implications of publication or dissemination. References: These must be complete and accurate: please use a recognised referencing system (see section 6.5 above). Appendices Length: Finally, do not forget to ensure it is within the maximum word length as laid down by the Institute (see paragraph in section 9.1). If you submit a thesis which is over length the examiners may fail it. For advice on referencing style and acknowledgement of sources, plagiarism and intellectual property right please refer to section 6 Guidelines on Written Work. 8.6 The 2,000 Word Statement The oral examination for the EdD tests both the thesis and your conceptual understanding of the integration of all the elements of the programme of study. At the time of entry for examination of the EdD thesis you are required to submit, bound in with the thesis after the contents page, a statement of no more than 2,000 words which shows how the various elements of the programme have linked together and contributed to your professional understanding and knowledge. This statement will be discussed with the examiners at the oral examination. When drafting the 2,000 word statement for submission with the thesis, you are asked to bear in mind the following guidance. The EdD is a professional doctorate which provides a framework for experienced practitioners to examine and develop their practice through research and engagement with relevant theoretical perspectives and professional and academic literature. This culminates in the conduct of a piece of research which forms a distinct contribution to professional and/or academic knowledge and which will have clear implications for professional practice. The EdD programme involves a number of elements: the taught courses (Foundations of Professionalism in Education, Methods of Enquiry 1, Methods of Enquiry 2 and RTP), the IFS and thesis. 76

77 The 2,000 word statement should: a) provide a summary and synthesis of your learning experience over the programme as a whole, b) make links between the elements, and c) demonstrate how the programme has contributed to your professional development and knowledge. Where you have pursued one line of enquiry throughout the programme, the 2,000 word statement will serve to demonstrate the progressive development of your thinking, analysis, reflection and understanding in relation to that enquiry with the ultimate intention of enhancing professional practice. In other cases where you have not pursued one specific line of enquiry, you may show how the elements of the course have contributed to your development of competence and understanding of professional enquiry and reflection and how this has formed the basis for or informed your final thesis. You may wish to adopt a sequential approach by examining how professional and academic learning has been enhanced by your research activities within each element of the programme; alternatively you may wish to adopt a holistic approach. There is no prescribed format for the statement. However, you should clearly indicate how your professional development and learning has been enhanced by undertaking the programme. The 2,000 word statement is required for the final examination and is important in contextualising your work and setting the scene for the examiners. The statement provides a context for the evaluation of the thesis and for the examiners to understand how the elements of your EdD work relate to each other and how your work across the programme as a whole contributes to meeting the criteria for the EdD degree. 8.7 Presenting and Publishing your Research at Conferences/Seminars Doctoral School staff expect you to take the opportunity to present your research at Doctoral School conferences (Poster Conference and Summer Conference) and at Faculty seminars. Such presentations give the opportunity for you to receive feedback and questions on your research, to clarify your ideas and to disseminate your findings. In the coming academic year, the Doctoral School Poster Conference will be held on Thursday 5 March 2015 and the Doctoral School Summer Conference on Thursday 18 June We also encourage you to think about publishing your research. By now you will be familiar with many of the conventions of academic and professional publishing, which may be somewhat different from those of university programmes. It is probably useful to familiarise yourself with the different journals in your field (both professional and academic) and decide which one is 77

78 most appropriate and model your article on articles from that journal; most journals also have guidance for submissions on their inside cover. We welcome contributions from current students for the Institute s online, peer reviewed journal, Educate ~ The Journal of Doctoral Research in Education ( This journal is dedicated to publishing the work of doctoral students at the Institute. In addition, there is a wide range of journals where your work might be published. This includes the following: British Educational Research Journal British Journal of Social Work British Journal of Sociology of Education Comparative Education Education Administration Quarterly Education Management Administration and Leadership Education Policy Educational Psychology in Practice Educational Research Gender and Education Higher Education Review International Journal of Lifelong Education International Journal of Nursing Studies Journal of Access Policy and Practice Journal of Education Policy Journal of Further and Higher Education Medical Care Research and Review Professional Development in Education Research in Post-Compulsory Education School Leadership and Management School Leadership Today Social Work Education The Health Service Journal 78

79 9. Requirements of the Thesis The EdD degree is governed by the Institute of Education regulations. The final assessment for the EdD degree is by submission of a thesis supplemented by oral examination. 9.1 Requirements applicable to the EdD A full copy of the Institute of Education EdD regulations is available on the website and an extract (paragraph 9) is given in the shaded text below. The thesis for the EdD shall: consist of the candidate s own account of his/her investigations; form a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the field of study and afford evidence of originality and a capacity for autonomous research; demonstrate the candidate s capability to pursue original research in the field of study based on a good understanding of the research techniques and concepts appropriate to the discipline; demonstrate the candidate s understanding of professionalism and his/her own professional role and the contribution of the thesis to his/her professional development; give a critical assessment of the relevant literature, describe the method of research and its findings including a discussion on those findings, and indicate in what respects they appear to the candidate to advance the study of the subject; embody the results of a practice-based research programme which may reasonably be expected of a student, taking into account the required length of the thesis and minimum period of registration for the programme; be written in English and be satisfactory in its literary and/or technical presentation and structure with a full bibliography and references; make clear the sources from which information has been derived, the extent to which the work of others has been used, and the areas which are claimed as original; be no more than 45,000 words (exclusive of appendices, the list of references and bibliographies but including footnotes, endnotes, glossary, maps, diagrams and tables). Appendices should only include material which examiners are not required to read in order to examine the thesis, but to which they may refer if they wish (see also paragraph 9.2 below); be of a standard to merit publication in whole or in part or in a revised 79

80 form (for example, as a monograph or as a number of articles in learned journals). 9.2 A candidate will be expected to submit, bound in with the 45,000 word thesis, a statement of no more than 2,000 words summarising the areas which he/she has covered in the course as a whole, and highlighting the links between each element. 9.3 A candidate must include in each copy of his/her thesis a signed declaration that the work presented in the thesis is his/her own work. 9.4 A candidate is required to include a declaration of accurate word length in his/her thesis. 9.5 The greater proportion of the work submitted in a thesis must have been carried out after the registration of the student for the EdD degree at the Institute, except that in the case of a student accepted under regulation 6.1 of the Institute of Education s Regulations for the Degree of Doctor in Education there shall be allowance for the fact that the student commenced his/her registration at another institution. 9.6 A candidate will not be permitted to submit as his/her thesis one which has been submitted for a degree or comparable award of this or any other university or institution, but a candidate shall not be precluded from incorporating in a thesis covering a wider field of work which he/she has already submitted for a degree or comparable award of this or any other university or institution provided that he/she shall indicate on his/her entry form and also on his/her thesis any work which has been so incorporated. 9.7 A candidate may submit the results of work done in conjunction with his/her supervisor, and/or with fellow research workers provided that the candidate states clearly his/her own personal contributions to the investigation and that the statement is certified by the co-researchers. 9.8 Work already published including that published in joint names may be included only if it forms an integral part of the thesis and thereby makes a relevant contribution to the main theme of the thesis. A series of publications alone is not acceptable as a thesis. 9.9 Work undertaken during registration for the EdD degree as part of other elements of the degree may be included in the thesis provided the student indicates on the entry form and also on the thesis any work which has been so incorporated Publications in joint names must be certified in accordance with paragraph 9.7 above. 80

81 9.11 A thesis must be presented for examination in a final form in accordance with the instructions issued by the Academic Registrar of the Institute (see also regulation 10.7 of the Institute of Education s Regulations for the Degree of Doctor in Education) The title of the candidate s thesis must be approved by the candidate s supervisor After the examination has been completed and before the degree is awarded, successful candidates are required to submit to the Academic Registrar, for lodging in the Institute library, the required number of copies of the thesis in the format specified in the instructions issued by the Academic Registrar, if the copies of the theses submitted for examination did not conform with this specification (see also regulation 14.1 of the Institute of Education s Regulations for the Degree of Doctor in Education). 9.2 Availability of Thesis It is a requirement for the award of the EdD degree that your successful thesis is placed in the Institute of Education s Newsam library. At the time of entry to the examination you will be asked to sign a Reproduction of Thesis Form authorising that (i) the thesis be deposited in the library together with a copy for public reference, inter-library loan and copying, (ii) an abstract of the thesis be included in any published list or central file of theses offered for higher degrees in British universities, and (iii) a microfilm or digital copy of the thesis may be made for the purposes of electronic public access, inter-library loan and the supply of copies, and for permanent retention in the archive. Before the thesis is made available for public reference, inter-library loan and copying, the following statement is included at the beginning of the thesis: "The copyright of this thesis rests with the author and no quotation from it or information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author." You may apply for restriction of access, for a period not exceeding two years, to your thesis and/or abstract of the thesis on the grounds of commercial exploitation or patenting or in wholly exceptional circumstances. Such an application is considered by the Board of Examiners for Doctoral Awards. If you are considering making such an application, this should be done as early as possible. PLEASE NOTE: The Institute will normally only permit a restriction in cases where very exceptional circumstances prevail, for example, where the nature of the research is personally or politically sensitive or where the author is negotiating for commercial use of a process developed within the thesis. 81

82 10. Examinations This section outlines the examination procedures for the EdD. They should be read in conjunction with the documents attached to the EdD examination entry forms available from the Exams Section in Student Support 10.1 Criteria for the Thesis The requirements for the award of the EdD are set out in section 9 which also includes advice on the prescribed word length. Please read it through to remind yourself of the requirements Title of Thesis Your supervisor must approve the title of the thesis which will be notified to the Exams Team on the entry form for the examination Timetable for Submission You are permitted to submit your thesis for examination for EdD as long as you have completed at least four years of part-time registration. Clearly, however, you are much more likely to need three to four years to complete your research and write up the thesis, and we strongly advise you not to submit without your supervisor s agreement. At least 4-6 months before you intend to submit your EdD thesis, you will need to formally enter for the examination. The forms and guidance notes you will need are available from the Exams Team in Registry [email protected]. You should have a discussion with your supervisor about the date you hope to submit your thesis and an estimated date for your viva voce examination. This is also the time to discuss with your supervisor whether there are reasons for seeking an extension to the Institute of Education s word limit of 45,000 words for the EdD. If you have valid reasons for seeking an extension of your thesis beyond the Institute s limit, your supervisor should complete a request form giving reasons for the extension which should be sent to your Postgraduate Research Tutor for. Your supervisor should normally make the request at the same time as you submit your examination entry form. You must allow at least 4 months between submitting your examination entry forms to the Exams Team in Registry and submitting your thesis. This is because once you submit your entry form, the following happens: i. The Examinations Team in Registry sends your main supervisor (by ) the appointment of examiners form, which must be completed, countersigned and returned to the Exams Team in Registry. 82

83 ii. At this stage the Postgraduate Research Tutor is also asked to put forward the name of an independent chair who will attend the viva. The role of the chair is that of a neutral observer and to ensure that the examination is conducted in the appropriate manner. Independent chairs will apply to all students entered for examinations after 1st September iii. The Exams Team will arrange for the nominations to be considered by the Research Degrees Examinations Board. Once the examiners have been approved, you will receive written confirmation. iv. Your supervisor can then arrange the date of your viva, in consultation with you, the examiners and the Independent Chair. Once the date is agreed, the Programme Administrator will inform the Exams Team. v. When the examiners accept the appointment, they are sent the thesis if it has been submitted, or shortly after it is submitted to the Doctoral School. In busy periods it can take up to one or two weeks for theses to be posted by the Doctoral School. vi. The examiners normally need about 6 to 8 weeks to read the thesis and so the viva date should be set to allow plenty of time for them to do so. The examination date must only be arranged once the examiners have been formally approved. NOTE: If you do not submit your thesis on the date you had anticipated on your entry form, do not worry. You will have 18 months within which to submit the thesis. Provided the examiners have been appointed, your supervisor will wait until you know when you will submit the thesis before finalising the date of the viva with the examiners, the Independent Chair and with you How to Enter for the Examination In order to enter for the examination (at least 4 months before you plan to submit your thesis), you should submit the following to your PGR Administrator, Pui Sin: an examination entry form (signed by your supervisor(s)) a declaration of thesis form a description of thesis form (which will be used by the Institute when considering the appointment of examiners nominated by your supervisor. The description you attach to the form can be the same as your abstract.) The composite tuition, examination and registration fee covers your first submission. You need to check you have no outstanding debts to the Institute and that your registration is in order, otherwise until the debt is cleared processing of your examination entry will be delayed. 83

84 You need to pay an entry fee for the submission of a revised thesis. Institute of Education staff whose tuition fees have been remitted will also be asked to pay a fee to the Institute at the time of their entry to the examination. The Exams Team in Registry can advise you about the current fees. If you have a medical problem, a disability of any kind which may mean special arrangements should be made for the examination, we urge you to you make contact with the Disability Co-ordinator by ([email protected]), when you submit the entry forms, if not earlier, to discuss your needs in confidence 10.5 Independent Reader for Draft Thesis Before you submit your thesis for binding, your supervisor will ask a colleague (usually a member of your advisory panel) to act as an independent reader and read the complete final draft of your thesis. This provides a valuable independent view of the thesis. The reader will be able to give brief comments on the coherence and overall integrity of the thesis and will try to check that the thesis is clearly structured and the research question/focus and conclusions are clearly presented; the reader may also check that you have stated clearly your claim for its contribution to knowledge. Any comments or advice from the reader will be given to you by your supervisor. Although the reader may comment on whether the referencing is accurate and the presentation is acceptable, the reader will not proof read the thesis. You must undertake this task and ensure that the list of references is complete and accurate. If English is not your first language you may wish to ask someone to proof read it for style and grammatical errors Approval of Examiners On receipt of your entry form and the appointment of examiners form, the Exams Team requests approval for the examiners. This is done by circulating the names of proposed examiners plus the title and description of your thesis to the Research Degrees Examinations Board for consideration. Decisions are made by although no timescale is recommended due to the availability of staff members. The Exams Team will keep you updated on the approvals process Arranging the Oral Examination (Viva Voce) and Conduct of Examination Your supervisor is responsible for the practical arrangements for your viva voce examination. Please bear in mind that the date for the examination cannot be arranged until the examiners have been approved by the Board of Examiners for Doctoral Awards. A copy of the procedure for the conduct of the examination is given in section You will be asked if you wish your supervisor(s) to attend the oral examination when you complete the examination entry forms. We recommend that your supervisor attends in order to listen to the comments made and to advise you after the oral examination, should this be necessary. 84

85 If you are co-supervised, both supervisors may be present at the examination if you are examined under Institute of Education regulations Independent Chair All doctoral students will have an independent chair for the viva voce. The role of the independent chair is to be present at the oral examination as a neutral observer and a guarantor of fair play, and to ensure that the examination is conducted appropriately. The chair plays no role in the academic content of the examination of the thesis or the candidate. When the examiners have indicated that they have finished questioning the candidate, and that they wish to discuss the outcome of the viva voce, the candidate and the supervisor (if present) will leave the room. The chair will remain while the examiners conduct their private discussion and when the examiners have reached a decision, the independent chair will invite the candidate and supervisor (if present) back to the room. The chair will be asked to write a brief, confidential report following the viva which should be submitted to the Exams Team in Registry. This report could include any issues which arose in the viva and which should be raised with the Board of Examiners for Doctoral Awards on behalf of the Institute. The chair should: contact the supervisor before the oral examination in order to ensure that appropriate practical arrangements have been made (e.g. provision of refreshments; any arrangements required for students with special needs); ensure the room is appropriately set up and that water, tea/coffee have been provided; introduce all those present at the oral examination; ensure that the candidate is asked if he or she wishes to make a presentation; observe the oral examination and be prepared to intervene (e.g. by calling a break) if the examination is prolonged, or if there are concerns about the manner in which the examiners are questioning the candidate or about the manner of the student s responses; ensure that the Regulations for the Degree of Doctor in Education (EdD), the Guidance on the Conduct of Oral Examinations and Related Matters and the Guidance Notes for Chairs for Oral Examinations are followed and to give advice as appropriate; ensure that the examiners decision, if given to the candidate on the day of the oral examination, is communicated clearly; in cases where the examiners decision on the result is not communicated on the day of the oral examination, the chair should ensure that it is made clear to the candidate how and when the result will be communicated to the candidate; 85

86 if the examiners do advise the candidate on the day of the oral examination that corrections or minor amendments to the thesis within the period specified in the regulations are required, ensure that the candidate is clearly informed of who will send him/her written details of the required amendments and to whom the amended thesis should be sent when they are complete; complete a checklist and short report on the examination to be returned to the Exams Team in Registry Preparing for the Examination Your thesis will be examined by two examiners with knowledge in your field of study. In most cases there shall be an internal examiner appointed from the Institute and an external examiner appointed from outside the Institute. In some cases it may be necessary to appoint two external examiners. Your supervisor will arrange the date and place for the oral examination and inform you of the details. The examination consists of two parts: the examiners will read your thesis and your 2,000 word statement and write a preliminary report on the thesis prior to the examination; you will have the opportunity to present and discuss your work with the examiners at an oral examination (a viva voce), normally held in London, where they will ask questions, enable you to present your work, your thesis (argument) and discuss the originality and contribution of your study; you will also be asked about the whole degree and how it has contributed to your professional understanding and development. You will need to prepare for the oral examination. There are many ways of doing this. The viva for the EdD differs from that for the PhD in one important way. At the start of the EdD viva, you will have the option of making a brief (10-15 minute) presentation, which introduces the examiners to your thesis, explains the aims, rationale, findings and professional contribution. This provides you with the opportunity to take an initial lead in presenting your thesis and fits with the model of professional learning espoused by the programme. The examiners should ascertain, at the start of the oral examination, whether you will give a presentation. This presentation may be supported by Overhead Transparencies (OHTs), PowerPoint and handouts. If you will wish to give a presentation, please advise your supervisor of your technical requirements in advance e.g. a computer and PowerPoint etc. Following the presentation, the examiners will take the opportunity to question you on your research and your thesis. The viva will normally last 1-2 hours, although no set time is prescribed. The Institute supplies guidance sheets entitled Practical Arrangements for the Examination and Preparing for the Oral Examination of your Thesis which you may find useful. These are available electronically from the Exams Team in Registry. It will also be helpful to re-read your thesis, perhaps discuss it with a 86

87 colleague (or your supervisor) and maybe also to have taken the opportunity to present your work at a conference or seminar and answer questions on it. At the viva examination there will be a copy of your assignments/portfolio and IFS, which have already been examined and passed. You may wish to refer to work which you have presented earlier to help your discussion; remember to reference it appropriately in your thesis. Details of the conduct of the examination are given in section Notification of Result Once the viva voce has taken place, the examiners prepare a joint final report for submission to the Institute. In order to prevent any delays your supervisor is asked to ensure that the examiners know where to send the completed joint final report and report form i.e. Exams Team in Registry. If you are asked to make corrections or minor amendments within a specified time, your supervisor should ensure that you receive clear written instructions from the examiners regarding the amendments to be made and the date for resubmitting the amended thesis. You should receive the instructions within two weeks of the viva. Your supervisor should ensure that you understand which examiner has agreed to review your amended work, or if the amended thesis should be seen by both examiners. All amendments should be submitted to the Exams Team in Registry in the first instance. The independent chair and your supervisor should ensure you know whether your revised thesis should be submitted, via the Exams Team in Registry, to one or both examiners by the required date. You will receive written notification of the result, together with a copy of the joint final report and copies of the preliminary reports, from the Exams Team in Registry. This may take a few weeks. Please bear in mind that the degree cannot be awarded until a copy of the successful thesis, in the appropriate format, has been lodged with the Exams Team in Registry. At this stage successful candidates will receive a letter of congratulations from the Director which includes information about the Director s Thesis Prize Degree Diploma The Institute of Education is responsible for issuing the degree results to all students who successfully complete the examination for the EdD degree. The diplomas are despatched as soon as possible after the date of publication of the pass lists although the numbers involved are such that the process may take up to three months. Please make sure you supply an address label (see Section 2) otherwise your diploma may not be sent to you. The diploma bears your full names in the form in which they appear in the Institute s records at the date of issue. 87

88 10.12 Degree Award Ceremonies The Institute of Education degree award ceremonies take place over three days each April. Details of the ceremony are sent to all successful candidates and can also be found on the website. Degree award ceremonies are organised by the Exams and Ceremonies Manager, based in the Institute s Registry. You will automatically be invited to the ceremony if your name appears on a pass list for the award of the EdD up to and including December Candidates on a pass list in January to March 2015 will be invited to the ceremony to be held in Appeals Procedure The Institute of Education has an approved procedure for consideration of appeals by candidates for doctoral degrees, which is available from the Academic Registrar of the Institute. An application under the procedure must be made within two months of written notification of the result of the examination to the candidate. The current edition is also given in the Code of Practice for Research Degrees and on the website. 88

89 11. Conduct of Examination and Thesis Format Instructions 11.1 Instructions and notes on submission, format and binding of theses submitted for the EdD Theses have to be robust enough to endure the examination process and also have to be easily identified while stored in Exams Section. Once the examination is successfully completed, copies of the thesis are deposited in the library so that the research undertaken can be publicly available: one hard- bound copy will be deposited in the Institute Library. One electronic (PDF) copy will be uploaded to the IOE EPrints repository. Examiners sometimes require candidates to make minor amendments to otherwise successful theses. They will either give you the theses back after the oral examination or ask the Exams Team to do so. If you are asked to make amendments, you should submit the amended thesis to the Exams Team in Registry. If at any stage you are uncertain what to do, please ask the Exams Team Every candidate submitting a thesis must do so in accordance with the following instructions: 1 Number of Hard Copies Two copies must be submitted to the Exams Team in Registry. However, a candidate may be required to provide a third copy of his/her thesis if a third examiner is appointed at any stage in the examination process. Each candidate is required to bring one additional copy to the oral examination paginated in the same way as the copies submitted to the Exams Team in Registry and adequately bound. 2 Presentation Theses must be presented in a permanent and legible form in typescript or print except that mathematical or similar formulae may be inserted neatly by hand. Photographic and other illustrations should be permanently mounted on A4 size paper and bound in with the thesis. In no circumstances should 'Sellotape' or similar materials be used for any purpose. You must make every effort to correct errors before submission. It is not the task of Examiners to act as editors and/or proof-readers of a thesis. 3 Paper A4 size paper (210 x 297 mm) should be used. Plain white paper must be used, of good quality and of sufficient opacity for normal reading. Only one side of the paper may be used. [See also Section 10 below] 89

90 4 Layout Margins at the binding edge must be not less than 40 mm (1.5 inches) and other margins not less than 20 mm (0.75 inches). Double or one-and-a-half spacing should be used in typescripts, except for indented quotations or footnotes where single spacing may be used. 5 Pagination All pages must be numbered in one continuous sequence, i.e. from the title page of the first volume to the last page of type, in Arabic numerals from 1 onwards. This sequence must include everything bound in the volume, including maps, diagrams, blank pages, etc. Any material which cannot be bound in with the text must be placed in a pocket inside or attached to the back cover or in a rigid container similar in format to the bound thesis (see Section 9). If it is separate from the bound volume it must be clearly labelled. 6 Title Page The title page must bear the officially-approved title of the thesis, the candidate's full name as registered, the name of the Institute at which the candidate was registered (except for External Students) and the degree for which it is submitted. 7 Abstract The title-page should be followed by an abstract consisting of no more than 300 words. An extra copy of the abstract typed on the special form provided with the entry form, is required for publication. You should submit this copy to the Exams Team at the same time as you submit your theses. 8 Declaration and Word Length You must include in each bound copy of your thesis a signed declaration that the work presented in the thesis is your own work and also give a total word count for the thesis. This page should be bound in with the thesis and should follow the abstract. One example: I hereby declare that, except where explicit attribution is made, the work presented in this thesis is entirely my own. Word count (exclusive of appendices, the list of references and bibliographies but including footnotes, endnotes, glossary, maps, diagrams and tables): xx,xxx words. Please note the requirement in the degree regulations state that a candidate may submit the results of work done in conjunction with his or her supervisor and/or with fellow research workers provided that the candidate states clearly 90

91 his or her own personal share in the investigation and that the statement 1 is certified by the supervisor or co-researcher(s). 9 Table of Contents In each copy of the thesis the abstract should be followed by a full table of contents (including any material not bound in) and a list of tables, photographs and any other materials. 10 The 2,000 Word Statement The 2,000 word statement should be bound in after the contents page. For more details please refer to section Illustrative material Illustrative material may be submitted in the following forms: (a) Audio recordings: Compact cassette tape C60 or C90. (b) Photographic slides: 35 mm in 2" x 2" frame (c) Illustrative material in other forms (including videotapes) may be submitted at the discretion of the Academic Registrar. Enquiries should be made well in advance of the submission of the thesis to the Exams Team. Each copy of the thesis submitted must be accompanied by a full set of this material. 12 Thesis Submission Once your examiners have been approved, the Exams Team will ask both internal and external examiner if they would prefer to read a hard copy or an electronic copy of your thesis before the oral examination. This decision will be communicated to you before you come to submit. If the examiners request hard copies, you can choose to submit your thesis for examination in one of two ways, either soft-bound in medium blue cloth or spiral bound with clear plastic covers. If your examiners request electronic copies of your thesis, these should be submitted as PDF documents to [email protected]. The Exams Team will then confirm receipt. Electronic copies of theses should only be submitted to this address. We will require an electronic copy of your thesis to be submitted at this stage, regardless of what the examiners decide. This will be kept for our records. Once your thesis has been formally passed by your examiners, you will be asked to submit two final copies to the Exams Team in Registry. The final submission should be one hard bound and one electronic copy in PDF format. 1 This statement should be submitted with your examination entry form. In this case you will also need to ensure the statement in the thesis reflects the situation. 91

92 The hard copy should be covered in medium blue cloth. It should be lettered in gold up the spine with Degree, Year, Surname and Initials in the same form as the Institute of Education s records with letters 16 or 18 point (.25 inch). Hardbound theses must have the pages sewn in (not punched). After the examination is complete you should make sure that the Exams Team in Registry has one hard-bound copy and one electronic copy of your thesis with any required corrections completed. The final electronic copy of your thesis must be submitted as a PDF document to [email protected] The Institute of Education will not issue the formal result of the examination to successful candidates until the examiners have confirmed that any amendments to the thesis required by them have been made and the Institute has received one final hard-bound copy and one further copy in the agreed format. Binders The Institute has a list of binders frequently used by our student. The addresses of five binders are given below: Barnard and Westwood Limited 23 Pakenham Street London. WC1X 0LB Tel: URL: [email protected] Collis Bird and Withey 1 Drayton Park London. N5 1NU Tel: URL: [email protected] London Student Print Centre University of London Union Malet Street London. WC1E 7HY URL: Tel: [email protected] Shepherds Falkiners (Part of Shepherds Bookbinders Limited) 76 Southampton Row Bloomsbury London. WC1B 4AR URL: Tel: URL: Mail order: [email protected] 92

93 The Document Centre (R G Scales) 92 Southwark Bridge Road Southwark London. SE1 0EX URL: Tel: [email protected] 11.2 Conduct of Examination for the Degree of EdD In accordance with the regulations for the degree of EdD the following requirements for the conduct of the examination have been laid down. They are provided here for your information. Eligibility to Examine 1. Examiners are asked to inform the Exams Team in Registry if they have had any connections with the candidate or his/her supervisor/adviser which they consider would make it desirable for their appointment as one of the examiners to be reconsidered. These connections could be either personal or professional. Of the latter it is considered, for example, that an examiner, whether internal or external, who has played a significant part in advising the candidate is inappropriate and particularly so where the collaboration has led to the publishing of papers by the candidate and the examiner jointly. It is stressed that it is accepted that examiners will usually be acquainted with the supervisor, and sometimes the candidate, and that this in itself is not a bar to acting as an examiner. Timetable for Examination 2. In the interests of the candidate it is expected that the examination will be completed and that the examiners will have submitted their final joint report and other relevant documents to the Institute within three months of the despatch of the thesis to the examiners. If there is difficulty in complying with this request, please inform the Exams Team in Registry. Preliminary Independent Reports 3. Each examiner is asked to write an independent preliminary report on the thesis. It is expected that this will be written by each examiner after reading the thesis but before conferring with the co-examiner about it. Typically the preliminary report identifies particular areas which the examiner believes should be explored with the candidate during the oral examination, and, if possible, a tentative recommendation, based on an assessment of the thesis, for the result of the examination. Tentative recommendations should not be indicated to the candidate in advance of the oral, which is an integral component of the examination. 4. The examiners should exchange their preliminary reports with each other before conducting the oral examination. This is done via the Exams Team in Registry to whom preliminary reports must be submitted five days prior to the oral examination. 5. If the examiners have any queries about the thesis which they wish to 93

94 raise with the supervisor in advance of the oral examination, they are at liberty to do so. If the examiners have any queries about the requirements for the award of the EdD and about the regulations they are asked to contact the Exams Team in Registry. They are reminded that all matters relating to the examination are confidential and examiners should not contact any third party, other than the supervisor or the independent chair as provided for in the regulations and this guidance. 6. The educational needs provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act require institutions to make reasonable adjustments for candidates with physical and special learning difficulties in their assessment. Examiners will be advised of any special arrangements for a candidate with their appointment letters. However, if examiners are informed directly by the supervisor or candidate of any disability, even in confidence, they should seek the advice of the Exams Team in Registry, in order that they might be properly briefed. Oral Examination 7. An oral examination must be held other than in those circumstances for which provision is made in the regulations (i.e. on resubmission of a thesis following referral). 8. When the thesis is despatched to the examiners the candidate's supervisor or the person designated by the supervisor/faculty to undertake this task is asked to contact the examiners, the independent chair and the candidate to arrange and confirm a mutually convenient time and place to hold the oral examination. 9. There are no special requirements about where the oral examination is held (other than a normal requirement that it be held in London). The oral is frequently held in the office of the supervisor or the internal examiner if that is convenient. The Exams Team in Registry should be contacted by the supervisor if it is proposed that the examination is to be held outside London or the Institute. The holding of an oral examination by telephone or by video- conferencing is not normally permitted, and any enquiries about this should be addressed in the first instance to the Exams Team in Registry. 10. The supervisor can attend the oral examination as an observer, provided that the candidate has not indicated that his/her supervisor should not be present. (The examiners will be informed if that is the case.) Individual supervisors follow different practices in regard to their attendance at oral examinations, some making it their practice routinely to attend, others not attending. 11. The examiners should indicate in the appropriate place on the Joint Report Form the date of the oral examination and whether or not the supervisor was present. 12. No persons other than the examiners, the student s supervisor(s) and 94

95 the independent chair, and the candidate may be present at an oral examination. 13. The purpose of the oral examination is to examine the candidate on the subject of the thesis and, if the examiners see fit, on subjects relevant thereto. The examiners should discuss, prior to meeting the candidate, the strategy they propose to adopt during the oral examination and, at its outset, outline this to the candidate. 14. During the oral the examiners should seek to establish whether all the requirements for a thesis submitted for the EdD have been met (these are set out in the Regulations for the EdD Degree), and that the thesis is genuinely the work of the candidate. 15. If the examiners have any doubts that the thesis is genuinely the work of the candidate they should contact the Exams Team in Registry (see paragraph 45). 16. There are no set requirements about the conduct of oral examinations, or about their duration, but they should be conducted in such a way that the candidate has adequate opportunity, encouragement and time to explain his/her research and to defend the thesis. It is recommended that, during a long oral examination, examiners should allow short break(s) at appropriate point(s). The independent chair is there to ensure that the oral examination conforms to these expectations. 17. The supervisor, if present, does not have the right to participate in the examination but may contribute if invited to do so by the examiners. 18. If the candidate becomes so unwell or distressed during the oral examination as to be unable to proceed, the examiners should, after such consultation with the candidate, the independent chair and supervisor as is possible at that time, decide whether or not to continue the oral examination. If they do continue it, they should note in their final report that the candidate was unwell. If they decide not to continue they should determine whether sufficient evidence has been provided to allow a decision to be taken or whether it will be necessary to hold the oral examination on another occasion. 19. If the candidate makes comments to the examiners, which put them under moral pressure (e.g. alluding to the consequences of failure for him/her), or offers any kind of incentive to the examiners to pass him/her, the examination should be terminated and a report made to the Academic Registrar via the Exams Team in Registry. The independent chair should, however, ensure that this does not become necessary. 20. At the conclusion of the oral examination the candidate and the supervisor (if present) should withdraw and the examiners should confer together on the result in private. The independent chair should remain in the examination room at this point. 95

96 21. The examiners have discretion to consult the independent chair, or the supervisor irrespective of whether the supervisor was present at the oral, particularly if they have doubts relating to the appropriate decision to be made. 22. It is recognised that the examiners may wish, particularly if their decision is that the candidate has passed, or will pass subject to making corrections/minor amendments to the thesis, to advise the candidate orally and informally of their decision at the conclusion of their deliberations following the oral. Examiners are advised to exercise particular care if they do this, and always to make clear to the candidate that the result is not formal and final until notified by letter from the Institute to the candidate after the examiners have submitted their written report and all other requirements have been satisfied. The Result of the Examination 23. The options open to the examiners in determining the result are set out in the relevant Regulations for the EdD degree. These, in summary, are: (a) (b) (c) Pass If the thesis fulfils the criteria set out in the EdD regulations and the candidate satisfies the examiners in the oral examination, the examiners shall report to the Board of Examiners for Doctoral Awards that the candidate has satisfied them in the examination for the EdD degree. Pass subject to corrections within one month If the thesis otherwise fulfils the criteria but it and/or the 2,000 word statement require(s) corrections (i.e. typographical errors, occasional stylistic or grammatical flaws, corrections to references/bibliography etc), and if the candidate satisfies the examiners in the oral examination, the examiners may require the candidate to make such corrections within one month of having been notified of the required corrections. The examiners shall be required to advise the student of the corrections in writing following the oral examination. The corrected thesis shall be submitted to one of the examiners nominated by them, or, if they so decide the supervisor, for confirmation that the corrections are satisfactory. Pass subject to minor amendments within six months If the thesis otherwise fulfils the criteria but it and/or the 2,000 word statement require(s) minor amendments (i.e. stated minor deficiencies, requiring some textual revision) and if the candidate satisfies the examiners in the oral examination, the examiners may require the candidate to make such amendments specified by them within six months of having received them. The examiners shall be required to advise the student of the minor amendments in writing following the oral examination. The amended thesis shall be submitted to the examiners or one of their number nominated by them for confirmation that the amendments are satisfactory. If the candidate fails to make the minor amendments in the specified time-frame or the examiner is unable to confirm that the amendments are satisfactory, the procedure outlined in 96

97 23 (d) below shall be followed. (d) (e) (f) Referral Re-present within twelve months If the thesis, though inadequate, shall seem of sufficient merit to justify such action, the examiners may determine that the candidate be permitted to re-present his/her thesis in a revised form within twelve months. Examiners shall not, however, make such a decision without submitting the candidate to an oral examination. Following the oral examination the examiners shall be required to advise the student in writing of the additional work required before the thesis is re-presented. The examiners may at their discretion exempt from a further oral examination, on re-presentation of his/her thesis a candidate who under this regulation has been permitted to re-present it in a revised form. If the thesis satisfies the criteria for the degree, but the candidate fails to satisfy the examiners at the oral examination, the examiners may determine that the candidate be permitted to re-present the same thesis, and submit to a further oral examination within a period specified by them and not exceeding twelve months. Fail May not Re-present The examiners may determine that the candidate has not satisfied them in the examination. The examiners shall not, however, save in very exceptional circumstances, make such a decision without submitting the candidate to an oral examination. 24. Examiners should not consider option (f) unless they have first considered and rejected as inapplicable all the preceding. Reporting on the Examination 25. The package of documents sent by the Exams Team in Registry with the thesis to one of the examiners (normally the internal examiner) will include the Joint Report Form. The examiners are required to complete and sign this sheet indicating, inter alia, which of the available decisions they have made; AND they are required to write a joint report giving the grounds on which their decision is based. The joint report should be on a separate sheet and should include the following at the beginning: (i) candidate s name and Institute of Education, University of London; and (ii) thesis title; and at the end: (iii) the signatures of each of the examiners; and (iv) date. 26. The report should have regard to the requirements of a thesis for the EdD (see the relevant Regulations for the EdD Degree). It should not cross-refer to the examiners preliminary reports in the case of those examined under the University of London regulations unless the examiners wish the candidate to be sent a copy of those preliminary 97

98 reports (see paragraph 35 below). 27. If the examiners decide to refer the candidate to revise and resubmit the thesis for the EdD in twelve months, they should indicate in what ways the current thesis fails to satisfy the requirements for the EdD degree, and should indicate clearly, although not necessarily in detail, the revisions which they consider should be made. 28. If examiners who are referring a candidate to revise and resubmit the thesis in twelve months have agreed that it will definitely not be necessary to conduct an oral on the revised thesis, they may so indicate in their joint report. If they will definitely require an oral on the resubmitted thesis they should so indicate; and if they wish to reserve their position until they have read the revised thesis they should state this. 29. If the examiners decision is to fail the candidate outright, they should indicate the basis for their decision to reject all the other options open to them. 30. The examiners are asked to agree between themselves at the end of the oral examination the arrangements for drafting and finalising their joint report and for sending it, their preliminary reports, and their copies of the thesis to the Institute s Exams Team in Registry. 31. It is important for the candidate that the examiners complete the Joint Report Form and send it, together with their preliminary reports and their joint report, to the Exams Team in Registry at the Institute as soon as possible after the completion of the oral examination. Reports must normally be submitted within two weeks of the oral examination. [If the examiners have indicated on the Joint Report Form that they require the candidate to make corrections/minor amendments, a further form will be sent by the Exams Team in Registry (to the examiner named on the Joint Report Form if only one, or the internal examiner if both examiners are to check the thesis) for certification that the criteria for the degree (listed in paragraph 2 of the Joint Report Form) and the corrections/minor amendments have been completed satisfactorily. If, for any reason, it is not possible for the reports to be returned within two weeks of the oral examination, one of the examiners should contact the Exams Team in Registry to discuss the problem. 32. EdD degrees are formally awarded on the last day of each month. In order for the degree to be awarded to the candidate in a particular month the examiners reports and a copy of the corrected thesis in the appropriate format must have been received by the Exams Team in Registry by the last day of the month in question. 33. Examiners have the right to make comments in confidence in a separate report to the Director of the Institute in the case of Institute of Education awards. 98

99 Notification to the Candidate 34. If the examiners reach a unanimous decision and there are no unresolved anomalies, that decision will normally be conveyed to the candidate without prior reference to the Board of Examiners for Doctoral Awards. No official notification of the result of the examination can be issued to the candidate or to any other authority until the reports have been received and processed and any anomalies resolved. 35. A copy of the Joint Report Form and the examiners joint report is routinely sent to the candidate when he/she is officially informed by letter from the Academic Registrar of his/her result. The candidate will be sent copies of the examiners preliminary reports in accordance with the relevant regulations. The examiners preliminary reports are available to students in the case of an appeal against the examiners decision. Examination of Re-entry Candidates 36. Unless it is impossible for them to do so, it is expected that the original examiners will examine the candidate on re-entry to the EdD. 37. In examining a re-entry candidate the examiners should have regard to the report they made on the first examination, copies of which can be made available to them. 38. Examiners have discretion on whether or not to hold an oral examination on a revised and resubmitted thesis, but will need to have regard to any statement they have made about this in their joint report on the original examination. 39. When the revised thesis is despatched to the examiners the supervisor is asked to contact the examiners to ask if an oral is required and, if so, to consult as necessary (see paragraphs 8 and 9 above). 40. Apart from the possibility of not holding an oral examination, the re-entry examination for the EdD is subject to exactly the same rules and procedures as the original examination and all the decisions set out in the Regulations for the EdD degree are open to the examiners. Although it is open to examiners to recommend a further referral to revise and resubmit the thesis, they are advised to be cautious about this and, in particular, to consider the currency of the research contained in the thesis if re-examined after a further twelve-month period. If the Examiners are not in Agreement or Require Further Assistance 41. The examiners may request the appointment of a third examiner at any time if they consider it desirable and should always do so before they report formally that they are unable to arrive at agreement. In these circumstances they should contact the Exams Team in Registry or the Dean of the Doctoral School for advice in the first instance. Examiners Fees and Expenses 42. A fee of 110 is paid to examiners of the EdD who are not members of 99

100 Institute staff following the initial examination and following any subsequent re-entry examination after a referral. Payment is authorised automatically on receipt of the examiners' joint report.43. External examiners may claim travel and other expenses in accordance with the relevant schedules. Claims should be submitted to the Exams Team in Registry at the Institute at the conclusion of the examination, but may be submitted earlier where advance payment for tickets has been necessary. Equal Opportunities 43. All examinations are subject to our Equal Opportunities Policy, a copy of which is available in the Student Guide to Institute Policies and Procedures on the IOE website. All candidates are subject to the same academic criteria and requirements. Appeals Procedure 44. The Institute of Education has an approved Procedure for Consideration of Representations by Research Degree Candidates Concerning the Result of the Examination of the Thesis which is available on request from the Exams Team in Registry. The current edition is also given in the Code of Practice for Research Degrees and on the website. Research Degree Examinations at the Institute of Education 45. The Institute of Education is responsible for the administration of research degree examinations for its own awards and for those students examined under the University of London regulations. The Exams Team in Registry may be contacted using the following details: Registry and Student Support Institute of Education, University of London 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL Tel: (Option 4) [email protected] 100

101 Appendix 1 Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research The Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research shall be awarded to students who register initially for the degree of EdD, satisfactorily complete the taught courses, and do not wish to complete the remaining elements of the degree programme, namely the IFS report and the thesis. Regulations for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research are as follows: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Students who successfully complete the taught element of the EdD degree by achieving a pass grade in each of the required courses through studies at the Institute are eligible to be considered for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research, provided they have not applied for any other award on the basis of results in the taught courses; Pass grades on the basis of which the Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research is awarded must have been achieved through assessments relating to the taught elements of the EdD degree programme only; The regulations and examination provisions which govern the EdD degree for which the student registers shall apply to those courses which count towards the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research; A student who opts for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research may not subsequently receive credit for the passes in courses which led to the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Practitioner Research towards the award of the EdD degree or any other award offered at the Institute of Education. 101

102 Appendix 2 Master of Education (MEd) in Practitioner Research The Master of Education (MEd) in Practitioner Research shall be awarded to students who register initially for the EdD degree, satisfactorily complete the taught components of the degree programme and the IFS report, and who are unable to complete the EdD degree, for whatever reason. Regulations for the award of the Master of Education (MEd) in Practitioner Research are as follows: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Students who have successfully completed the taught elements of the EdD degree by achieving a pass grade in each of the required courses and the report for the IFS are eligible to be considered for the award of the MEd in Practitioner Research provided they have been registered for not less than two calendar years of part-time study at the Institute; Students who achieve a pass grade in each of the required courses and the report for the IFS and who subsequently attempt but fail the EdD thesis, may be eligible for the award of the MEd in Practitioner Research provided they have not applied for any other award on the basis of their results in the taught elements and the IFS report; The Regulations and examination provisions which govern the EdD degree for which the student registers shall apply to those elements of the degree which count towards the award of the MEd; A student who opts for the award of the MEd may not subsequently receive credit for the passes in the assessed elements of the EdD programme which led to the award of the degree towards the award of the EdD degree or any other award offered at the Institute of Education. 102

103 Appendix 3 Turnitin Plagiarism Detection Service Information for Students The Turnitin Plagiarism Detection Service helps academic staff to address a number of common but difficult to identify issues related to citation and collaboration in coursework assessments. The service compares coursework submitted by students against a variety of sources for matching text phrases. It compares work from a database of several billion pages of reference material gathered from professional publications, student essay websites and other student works. It is used by academic staff as a tool to help them provide better information and feedback to their students about the work they have submitted. The service does not make decisions about whether work which has been submitted is correctly or incorrectly referenced or indeed plagiarised. It simply highlights sections of text that have been found in other sources to help academic staff members make these decisions. Where necessary, this will enable the member of academic staff to provide feedback to his or her students on how to improve their referencing in coursework. All decisions regarding the assessment of your work will continue to be made by your course tutor who will review the entire work. What is the benefit of using the service? As a user of this service, the Institute of Education wishes to encourage students to behave with honesty and integrity at all times. The correct citation or referencing of work and the authenticity of submitted work is a cornerstone, not just of our education system, but of the trust and value held in each of our education institutions by employers and the public at large. The use of this service along with other methods of maintaining the integrity of the academic process will help the Institute to maintain academic standards and assessment fairness. Advice about correct referencing procedures is given in your student handbook. How will the Institute use the service? In order to use the service, the personal details of staff running the modules/courses need to be submitted to the service. Similarly the personal details of students on courses/modules and their academic work need to be submitted. Personal details normally comprise the name of the student, address and course details. [You may also opt to enter your address and phone number but this is not compulsory.] You will be advised by your course tutor in advance if it is proposed to input your personal details and coursework for checking. Your tutors will also inform you: 103

104 whether they will register all students on their course or module on the Turnitin Plagiarism Detection Service in order to submit all students coursework for checking, or whether they will use the service in individual cases when they suspect plagiarism. How does the service work? Any personal details of students submitted and any coursework uploaded will be stored electronically in a database and compared against work submitted from the Institute of Education or from other UK institutions using the service. Your tutor will receive a colour-coded Originality Report from the service highlighting any instances of matching text. Where necessary, this feedback report will enable the tutor to instruct you about the process of citation and the importance of maintaining academic standards. In some cases, dependent on extent, level and context, the Institute may decide to undertake further investigation which could ultimately lead to disciplinary actions, should instances of plagiarism be detected. Such decisions are entirely at our discretion and in no way involve HEFCE (the Higher Education Funding Council for England) nor the service. In this circumstance it is possible that your personal data may need to be disclosed to academic staff within the other institution(s) from where matching content has been submitted. HEFCE has overall responsibility for the processing of personal data carried out by Turnitin UK. HEFCE and the Institute, as a member of the service, will together act as Joint Data Controllers for the personal data submitted with students work. In order for the Institute to make use of the service it will be necessary for personal data relating to you to be transferred to countries not governed by EU Data Protection legislation. However, it should be noted that iparadigms, the company processing your data are bound by terms of contract to at all times abide by the Data Protection Act How long will the service keep my work? The Turnitin Plagiarism Detection Service will seek to retain content submitted to it and associated personal data until the termination of this service or its successor, thus helping to accumulate as large a corpus of knowledge as possible against which to compare submitted content. Who owns the copyright to the work I have submitted? HEFCE has no interest in acquiring the intellectual property rights for the content submitted by you. The copyright for such content will continue to reside with the Institute (or, in the case of doctoral students theses, with the student). The service will help to protect your work from future plagiarism and thereby help maintain the integrity of any qualification you receive. What are my rights under the Data Protection Act? As the data subject you do have the right to see what personal information is held about you in relation to this or any other service that stores your personal information and have limited rights to object to your data being used. Please refer to the Plagiarism Advisory Service web site ( 104

105 for further information regarding these rights. Please note: Your tutor can submit your work to the service without the use of personal data should you decide to exercise this right. The right to objection relates to the storage of your personal data (your name, address, course details) and does not extend as a right to object to your tutor making use of technology aimed at improving academic standards when assessing your work. If you have any queries which cannot be answered by your tutor, please contact the Programme Administrator for further information and guidance. 105

106 Appendix 4 Dual Award Programme 1. Organisation for Delivery If you are enrolled on the Dual Award Programme with the IoE as the main institution you will be a student of the IOE and an associate of NIE. You will complete 3 taught courses and the Institution Focused Study report at the IOE and have a formal progress review. Further details can be found in Sections 5 and 7 of the EdD Handbook 2014/2015. On completion of the coursework you will submit a portfolio consisting of your course assignments, your continuation to the research study for the IFS is dependent upon your portfolio of satisfactory assignments. On completion of the IFS and submission of the thesis proposal, there is a formal review of your progress prior to starting the thesis. This will form the basis for consideration to continue with the thesis. You will then become a student of the dual institution and an Associate Student of the home institution. You will be assigned a supervisor from the dual institution and a co-supervisor from the home institution. The assessment of the thesis will be undertaken according to the regulations of the dual institution. Operationally you will only have to deal with one institution at one time. While you are taking the taught courses and Institution -Focused Study, you receive your main support from your home institution and during the thesis stage your main support will be through the dual institution. In the transition period you should contact the Programme Leader for further information ie. Jude Chua at NIE Singapore and Denise Hawkes at IOE, London. 2. Interruption in Programme / maximum period of registration Dual Award students should note that under NTU regulations, the time during an interruption is counted towards the maximum period of registration. For example, if you apply for one year s interruption in Year 3, after the period of interruption, your total number of years of registration would be 3+1=4. However, under IOE regulations the period of interruption does not count towards the maximum period of registration. Dual Award students should bear this in mind when applying for an interruption, as a Dual Award student you are at any one time a student or an associate student of NIE/NTU, and are therefore bound by this regulation regardless of whether the student is at the home or dual institution. 106

107 The maximum number of years of registration for the EdD Dual Award programme is 7 years. This means that the final thesis must be submitted for examination before the end of the 7 th year. This applies to interruptions approved at NIE or IOE. NB. The time during an interruption will count towards the maximum period of registration under NIE/NTU regulations although IOE regulations do not consider the time during an interruption as not contributing towards the maximum period of registration. In the case of a student who is completing the final thesis at IOE, it means that the thesis needs to have been written up and submitted to the examiners for viva at IOE before the end of the 7 years starting from the beginning of his/her doctoral studies.. Students at IOE typically apply for examination of the final thesis and will have a year to submit the thesis to the viva examiners. Under the current interpretation of the regulations for interruption, the student should not submit the thesis for viva any later than 7 years from the beginning of his or her candidature. It is good to bear this in mind and students can consider applying for the viva at least 1 year before the maximum candidature of 7 years, so that the thesis can be submitted within the 7 years. In the case of a student completing the final thesis at NIE/NTU, if the thesis is to be submitted later than 7 years from the beginning of the candidature, the student will need to apply for an extension of candidature at NIE/NTU. 107