The School of Social Work is part of the College of Health with campuses in Albany (Auckland) and Manawatu (Palmerston North). As a student, you must be aware of the facilities and processes designed to support your studies. A range of assessment types are used and you will be informed of the specific requirements for each assignment.
Students will be notified in writing by any paper coordinator who wishes to use a variation of the policies listed here. If you believe that your assignment was not marked fairly, or you want clarity about the grade that was given, you can request this in the first instance from the paper coordinator. A full first draft must be completed by the end of September of the year of entry.
A complete first draft must be submitted by the end of October of the registration year. A complete first draft must be submitted by the end of September of the last year of registration. You cannot continue postgraduate registration for Part A, but you can request re-registration for Part B if the thesis is not completed before the end of the next registration period.
The literature review must be written and can form the basis of the first chapter or the literature chapter itself.
Carry forward Postgraduate Registration / Suspension or extension
This step takes a lot of time and energy and the time required should not be underestimated. Submit two copies for assessment before 31 October if you wish to graduate in the April or May graduation ceremonies, or no later than 31 January following the year of enrolment. The format for the dissertation must follow the format established in the guidelines established by the university, "A Guide to the Presentation of Theses".
Definition of study year
RESEARCH SUPERVISION
- The student-supervisor agreement Principles
- Meetings
- Appraisal of Progress
- Other Agreements
- The University and the Student
- The School and the Student
- University Grievance Procedures
- Harassment Prevention and Complaints Resolution
Thesis students are expected to meet with their supervisor for a minimum of 10 hours per year, usually based on about one hour per month for 10 months of the year. Research project students are likely to meet their supervisor at least four times and make sure to catch up with their supervisors at least once a month. Part of this time can be spent on joint supervision with other students and supervisors.
You may find it helpful to plan your monthly meetings with your supervisor at the beginning of the year. In addition to the scheduled meetings between you and your supervisor, you are expected to attend the Research Discussion Days/Thesis Days on the campus where you receive thesis supervision. A copy of the summary of the discussion, progress to date and plan of work to be completed before the next meeting (see the Individual Session Plan attachment 10) should be retained by you and the supervisor and used to prepare your next meeting to lead.
Six monthly reports can be completed in July and November by you, your supervisor(s) and the Programme/Group Coordinator (see Appendix 3) and these reports provide a formal evaluation of your progress. In addition to the student-supervisor agreement, there are two other specific contracts/agreements that the student enters into, namely the one between the University and the student and the one between the School and the student. The contract between the University and the student begins with the formal acceptance by the University of a student's application to undertake a particular course and the payment by that student (or the student's agent) of the appropriate fee.
The terms and conditions of this contract are set forth in the University Calendar. The agreement between the school and the student begins with the notification of the student's enrollment in the courses offered by the School. This agreement relates to the nature and amount of School resources to be used by the student while pursuing a course of study offered by the School.
The procedures can be accessed from the University Policy Guide at http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/calendar/statutes-and-regulations/student-grievance-procedures.cfm. The University considers bullying of any kind to be completely unacceptable and recognizes that it seriously undermines the atmosphere of trust and respect that is essential to a healthy environment. See further information at http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/student-life/services-and-sources/harrassment-resolution/harrassment-resolution_home.cfm.
WRITING THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Suggested headings for a research proposal
Massey University's complaints procedures are for all campuses and cover all modes of delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate programs and related services. Massey University is committed to creating and maintaining a working and study environment that is free from any form of harassment.
HOW TO OBTAIN ETHICS APPROVAL FOR YOUR RESEARCH
BUDGET PREPARATION AND FUNDING
Budget preparation
When applying for funding, please make sure you cost each item in full so that the committee has an idea of how you arrived at the specified amount. It's also worth contacting any professional organizations you belong to to investigate what awards are available.
Massey University Internal Funding
CARRYING OUT THE RESEARCH
Writing the report/thesis
Before you start writing, prepare a computer template with all the required formatting (see Benn & Benn [2006] for a list of references and also the Massey University Guide to Presenting Theses for guidelines). Writing a thesis/research report usually takes place in a start/stop fashion - periods of high activity and periods of concern about progress. Text previously considered important may need to be deleted as the thesis takes shape.
The summary, introduction and conclusion chapters are usually written last because they are overviews of the thesis. You may miss deadlines because you tend to underestimate the time the entire process will take. In addition to possible delays in the research process itself, a lot of time is needed to get the entire thesis up to the desired level.
There must be uniformity in quality across the thesis, and the final written sections should not be rushed. You should also be prepared that good writing does not come easily to most of us. Try to see each draft as a step forward towards a final product rather than getting too attached to the idea of each chapter ending as it is written.
Sometimes taking time to read a novel and think about how a good writer puts ideas to paper can be an extremely educational (and therapeutic) activity. Try searching the library for books on writing style and such from early in your thesis entry period.
PRESENTATION OF THE RESEARCH REPORT / THESIS
EXAMINATION OF THE THESIS / RESEARCH REPORT
Research Reports (30 and 60 credit research projects)
Examination of a Research Report (30 or 60 credit)
Examination of a Thesis (120 credits) A thesis is examined by two people
RECOMMENDED READING
APPENDICES
Contacting Postgraduate Staff
Massey University
Social Work / Social Policy Programmes ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET
Instructions for Use
Please complete panels 1 and 2, print all details clearly
Markers Use Only
CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES FOR NEXT SIX MONTHS: list your objectives for the next six months
A research report is a low-risk study, a student research learning exercise, and usually involves a small-scale study focused on selected professional issues within social work and social policy. A student preparing a research report must demonstrate a good understanding of conducting research. The study design, findings and implications for midwifery/nursing should be presented in a concise report.
Clarity with which the research question/question/research area is demarcated and continued in the research. The expected length of a research report for the Master of Applied Social Work and BA Hons (Social Policy) is words. In the case of candidates presenting for MA, MSW, MPhil, a thesis based on independent work is required as partial fulfillment of the requirements for this degree.
To qualify for the award of the Honours/Distinction degree, the coursework, usually consisting of four papers (30 credits each) and a thesis*, is expected to be completed within three years of full-time or five years of part-time study partial. The research topic for the thesis can be drawn from any aspect of education or management of social work practice or social policy and therefore the methodology is likely to vary from one instance to another. In recent years, most of the problems selected in the framework of social work and social policy have been adapted to qualitative approaches.
Consequently, where appropriate, the thesis format and reporting style are modified, for example to allow the use of the first person instead of the impersonal third person form common in traditional scientific writing. It is assumed that the criteria for evaluation will address the subject of the thesis in the context of social work and social policy issues surrounding the design and implementation of the chosen method, and will consider the readability and overall quality of the presentation. In the context of social work and social policy knowledge, the relevance of the topic and the way it has been approached, including the degree of innovation and overall contribution to social services knowledge, are all important.
Clarity with which the research question/question/research area/is demarcated and continued in the research. Appropriateness and appropriateness of the research design, depth of associated understanding, and absence of obvious methodological flaws. Interpretation (and generalization where appropriate) of the findings, in relation to the goal, and understanding their wider implications.
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
In some circumstances, a three-paper thesis or equivalent project with a balanced increase in course work may be approved.
Research Supervision Statement
FUNDING
Funding
A second round of applications will be provided later in the year if funds are available. PhD students are not eligible to apply for the GRF in their provisional year of enrollment, but may apply for funding in subsequent years in which they are enrolled and pay a fee. It does not cover textbooks, digital recorders, hardware, conferences, travel for supervision, or printing and binding theses.
College of Health School of Social Work
Application for Graduate Research Funding
GRF applicants only)
The order of these items must be the same as the order in Sections 2 and 5.
