Faculty of Languages and Cultures

The following tips offer you specific info on using sources, referencing and citation for MA dissertations within the Faculty of Languages and Cultures, which will probably include some language data and material.

You’re encouraged to utilize the support for essay and dissertation writing offered by the training and Teaching Unit (world wide web.soas.ac.united kingdom/ltu). The LTU offers on-line help, workshops and something-to-one tutorials that go over many facets of academic writing relevant for MA dissertations.

Please also observe that some departments or programmes convey more specific MA guidelines. In situation of doubt, always stick to the more specific guidelines.

The MA dissertation is all about showing how you can individually investigate on the particular subject, together with a theoretical background. Unlike a UG dissertation, an MA dissertation ought to be of publishable quality and for that reason fulfil the needs of the good bit of research. Therefore, you’ll have to isolate a practical subject for research as quickly as possible &#8211 as well as your capacity to critically analyse this subject is going to be assessed.

Select a suitable quantity of references for the dissertation, so the scientific studies are well founded, more is preferable to less. Although no obvious figures regarding the number of sources ought to be used could be given, it is essential that the paper isn’t based on a couple of works only. While in doubt, please speak to your supervisors together with your listing of references as soon as possible.

All works reported within the text should appear among the list of references.

Works that aren’t reported shouldn’t be indexed by the references. It is crucial that quotes within the text, and knowledge within the bibliography are formatted towards the appropriate academic standard. Please visit the referencing guidelines from the training and Teaching Unit.

The MA dissertation is less about showing how you can cope with language material, however, if you have the capacity of studying research within the language of the area, you’re strongly suggested to do this. No obvious quota could be given, however the materials from both languages ought to be referenced within the text and highly relevant to the argument. While in doubt, please speak to your supervisor.

Generally, printed sources for example books and academic content is the greater reliable resource and also to be preferred over internet sources.

Only Use reliable internet sources, for example governmental or institutional websites (e.g. the United nations, EU, Amnesty Worldwide, College websites, papers written and published by academics).

Wikipedia, other similar reference sites in addition to blogs or forums Aren’t to be utilized inside a dissertation. It is because Wikis and blogs are occasionally deliberately inaccurate. If you discover relevant info on an hard to rely on website, take a look information inside a reliable source, and employ this like a reference.

HOWEVER: It’s acceptable to utilize Wikipedia or any ‘popular site’ IF fundamental essentials OBJECT of research and never a resource (e.g.

a dissertation on using language with regards to emoticons in blogs or chat forum would naturally need to consult the webpages under consideration). Nonetheless, even this type of dissertation needs to utilize books to be able to introduce the subject and provide it a theoretical backing. It shouldn’t contain the research into the webpages only.

Should you choose have to quote from the web, make certain the day you last utilized that specific site seems within the listing of references, since the web is not really a reliable medium with regards to permanent use of information, even governments and NGOs update their homepages and delete documents.

It is best to print anything you might like to use immediately because it may be deleted while you progress together with your dissertation. Additionally, getting a printed does mean that you could show it for your supervisor upon request.

To prevent plagiarism issues, all indirect and direct quotes ought to be made obvious within the text, either by inserting the reference in brackets within the texts or perhaps in a footnote.

Please Be Aware: Even talking about somebody’s ideas, or information removed from a magazine must be correctly referenced. Dissertations will get a lesser mark when they’re poorly referenced whether or not the research was original.

Please avoid ‘ibid.’ whenever you make reference to a text you’ve quoted before. Although it’s still broadly utilized in academic texts, it’s very confusing for the audience. Rather, please repeat the specific author, the name and also the page number (e.g. Cruz 1999: 12). Please also make reference to the rules through the Learning and Teaching Unit.

Indirect references may be treatable like British sources. Direct quotes ought to be converted into British. If no official translation exists, your personal translations may be used, however, you should highlight them as a result by inserting ‘my translation’ or ‘translation through the author’ in brackets behind the quote (e.g. Yamada 2006: 12, my translation).

However, conventions can vary based on subject. Book together with your supervisors &#8211 and make certain you utilize one coherent system.

MA dissertations have to be double-spaced and there must be an ample margin on sides.

Please make certain that the pages are numbered.

The term count ought to be given around the title page.

Also, upon submitting your dissertation, please make certain you range from the signed plagiarism declaration form. This could be either signed, scanned and incorporated together with your online submission, however by submitting online you effectively accept the declaration because the statement is incorporated around the Moodle Turnitin link.

• The primary body of the dissertation (excluding footnotes and listing of references) ought to be double-spaced, using obvious fonts for example Calibri.
• You can utilize non-Roman script, however a transcription must also get. Any non-British word that isn’t self-explanatory or firmly found in the British language must be designed in italics and become glossed or described.
• ONE copy of the dissertation ought to be posted through the the appropriate Moodle Turnitin link by 11.59pm around the deadline. Please make sure that you have your submission receipt that is evidence that the online submission was effective. In the event you experience any intricacies with Turnitin, please email ONE copy of the dissertation to lcdissertations@soas.ac.united kingdom.

An MA dissertation must have:

1. A protective cover sheet that contains title from the dissertation, your company name, student ID, degree, the date of submission and also the number of words.
   • This cover sheet Should be adopted through the SIGNED promise of plagiarism (Section 4.4.ii within the Guidelines for that Preparation of Masters Dissertations):
   • Declaration by candidate
   • I’ve read and understood regulation 17.9 (Rules for college students of SOAS) concerning plagiarism. I undertake that material presented for examination is my very own work and is not written for me personally, entirely or perhaps in part, by body else(s). I additionally undertake that any quotation or paraphrase in the printed or unpublished work of some other person continues to be duly acknowledged within the work that we gift for examination.
     I give permission for any copy of my dissertation to become held in the School’s discretion, following final examination, to make readily available for reference.
   • Signed&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230 (student)
     Date&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230&#8230..
2. A table of contents (if relevant):
   Please attempt to structure your dissertation along numbered sections it can make it a great deal simpler that you should write, since it can help you structure your ideas &#8211 and in addition it causes it to be simpler for the examiners to see it and follow your train of thought. Please make certain that the dissertation has page figures. Your table of contents must have the page number for every section properly. The table of contents also needs to range from the bibliography and then any appendices of the dissertation.
3. An abstract which should give a brief statement (no more than 200 words) concerning the findings and primary styles.
4. Number of words: is understood to be the amount of words within the posted work including quotes, footnotes, titles, abstracts, summaries and tables of contents. Appendices and bibliographies aren’t incorporated within the number of words. Appendices won’t normally be marked plus they mustn’t include material necessary to the argument coded in the primary body from the work.
5. Bibliography: should contain all works reported inside your dissertation and none you have not used. It must be sorted alphabetically, online sources with no obvious author have to be listed individually. Please make certain that the reference and citation style is consistent, and follows an recognized style format (like the Harvard reference style). Mention of the works in non-Roman script will include Romanisation. Please be aware that poor referencing can lead to a discount from the mark, so please make certain you reference correctly.
6. Appendices: Something that is unavailable for your examiners, or texts that you want to analyse more profoundly, plot synopses of flicks, dramas, the entire body of your empirical findings (for example interview transcripts) &#8230 something that is essential towards the knowledge of your dissertation may be put within an appendix &#8211 If you’re talking about it inside your actual text.

If you’re unsure on how to reference, please make reference to the documents supplied by the training and Teaching Unit on their own self-studies website world wide web.soas.ac.united kingdom/ltu/studysupport/helpyourself/ .

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