Students are required to comply with the following MA regulations in completing the MA dissertation. Failure to observe these regulations may constitute grounds for rejection of the MA dissertation and a delay in graduation.
The maximum length for the dissertation is 15,000 words excluding footnotes, appendices, and bibliography. This maximum may be exceeded only in special circumstances and with the prior agreement of the supervisor.
A word count should be included at the end of the text in the dissertation.
A full bibliography should be included at the end of the thesis (not at the end of individual chapters) under the heading "Bibliography". This should all works quoted or consulted. The layout of the bibliography and the referencing of works in the body of the text should follow the University's guidelines as outlined in the Cite it Right booklet, and also summarised on the library's referencing web-site.
Spacing: all manuscripts are to be typed with double or one-and-a-half spacing between lines (e.g. 20 point leading on 10 point type). Footnotes and block quotations are to be single spaced. Print on only one side of each page.
Pagination:
Layout: the dissertation should include front matter consisting of the following:
The main matter consists of the text of the dissertation, and pages should be numbered consecutively from 1. Chapters should start on a new page.
End matter consists of endnotes (if used as an alternative to footnotes; footnotes are preferable), the bibliography, and may include an index. It also includes any appendices.
Footnoting: footnotes, if used, should be numbered consecutively throughout each chapter. The function of the footnote is to elaborate concisely a point mentioned in the text. It should not be disproportionately lengthy. It should indicate the source of authority for a proposition advanced.
A double space should be left between footnotes and footnotes must be single-spaced. A short horizontal line should separate the footnotes from the text.
Spelling: the text should be carefully checked for spelling errors. Do not trust spell checkers: it is up to you to decide whether your relationships are casual or causal.
Appendices: these should be included at the back of the work and page numbering should be Arabic. Appendices can be distinguished from one another by use of Roman numerals e.g. Appendix I and Appendix II. In the text they can be referred to in parenthesis, for example (see Appendix II)
It is recommended that the thesis be submitted on A4 size white 80g/m2 paper. Only one surface of the paper may be used. A standard 10 point or 12 point typeface shall be used. A serif typeface such as New Century School Book or Times New Roman is recommended for the body text. Double or one-and-a-half line spacing should be used in the body of the text. For footnotes and indented quotations single spacing may be used. Margins at the binding edge should be not less than 40mm, and the other margins not less than 20mm.
The title page of each volume of the thesis should contain the following information:
An abstract in English or Irish not exceeding 300 words or one page in length, should be bound as an integral part of the thesis, and should precede the main text. Each copy of the thesis submitted should also be accompanied by a separate copy of the abstract.
The abstract should be printed in single spacing and should indicate the author and title of the thesis in the form of a heading.
The thesis must be securely bound within boards in such a way that leaves cannot be removed or replaced. Any photograph or diagram, which is not reproduced integrally with the text, should be fixed firmly in place. The boards should have sufficient rigidity to enable the thesis to stand upright on a shelf without other support. The binding should also be such as to enable the pages to lie flat when the thesis is placed lying down and opened at any page.
The front cover of the thesis must contain the following information only:
The same information (excluding the title of the thesis) must be printed in a least 24 pt (8mm) print along the spine of the cover in such a way as to be easily legible when the copy is lying flat with its front cover uppermost. All lettering on the cover and spine must be clearly legible.
Plagiarism is the passing off of someone else's work, published or unpublished, as your own. All quotations must be attributed, and all paraphrases of, or ideas derived from, other sources must be acknowledged as outlined in section 2 above.
Plagiarism is academic dishonesty, is a serious offence, and will provoke disciplinary proceedings.
10.1 The candidate is encouraged to publish material in advance of presentation of the thesis. Reference to such published material should be listed in an appendix to the candidate's thesis.
10.2 Copyright in the thesis resides with the candidate. Ownership of other intellectual property arising in the course of the preparation of the thesis and patent rights in respect of any relevant product or process should be agreed in advance between the candidate and the University. It shall be the responsibility of the Supervisor to ensure, before a candidate is proposed to the Academic Council for registration, that adequate provisions have been made in this regard.
10.3 In cases where the material in the thesis is confidential or proprietary, the External Examiner(s) is/are required to sign a non-disclosure undertaking in respect of the material comprising the thesis.
10.4 The internal supervisor should advise the Department Office as regard to access to the thesis for purposes of research by third parties.
10.5 The University Library will retain its copy of the thesis and will make this copy available for consultation, in the library, in accordance with normal academic library practice and subject to 10.6 below.
10.6 In cases where the material in the thesis is confidential, the University Library shall embargo access to the thesis for a specified time after it has been lodged in the library. This embargo will be reviewed after five years and may be extended at the author's request.
10.7 Notwithstanding section 10.6, one copy of each thesis completed in the University of Limerick must be deposited in the University Library, in the interest of historical scholarship.
10.8 The University Library will make provision for the inclusion of a description and abstract of the thesis in appropriate directories of abstracts for reference by the international academic community.
The thesis should be submitted on Friday 2 September, 2011. Students should submit 3 bound and typed copies of their theses on this date to Anne McCarthy, Postgraduate Administrator, Department of Sociology, Room F1003 (before 4.00 pm).