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STELLENBOSCHUNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

PROVISIONS FOR

THESES OF MASTER’S STUDY

(EXCLUDING RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS FOR STRUCTURED MASTER’S PROGRAMMES)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION01

CANDIDATE02

FORMAT OF THESIS04

EXAMPLES OF TYPES OF RESEARCH07

HEAD OF THE DIVISION07

SUPERVISOR08

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

SUPERVISOR, CO-SUPERVISOR AND
RESEARCH-BASED POSTGRADUATE STUDENT09

EXAMINERS13

INTRODUCTION

1.These provisionstie in directly with two sets of formal provisions governing master’s degrees:

1.1those given under “Rules for Higher Degrees” in Part 1 (General) of the University Calendar; and

1.2those given in the Faculty’s own Calendar (Part 12 of the University Calendar).

2.Therefore please read this document in conjunction with the two sets of formal provisions.

3.Keep this document handy for future reference. (In what follows below, unless the context indicates otherwise, “he” and the related forms “him” and “his” are used in a generic sense – that is to say, inclusive of the corresponding meanings of “she” and “her”.)

CANDIDATE

1.Each candidate wishing to be admitted to a master’s degree programme is required to submit to the head of the division concerned the documentation specified below:

1.1A completed application form, accompanied by the prescribed application fee (application forms are obtainable from the Administrative Offices, Tygerberg Campus);

1.2An abridged curriculum vitae (academic and personal), in which the applicant provides the particulars of his qualifications and which, if these were not obtained at StellenboschUniversity, must be accompanied by certified copies of the relevant certificates or, in the case of qualifications obtained abroad, a certificate of assessment issued by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA);

1.3A report of the protocol of research (hereinafter referred to as “the protocol”) not exceeding five pages of double-spaced typescript and specifying or containing the following:

-the proposed place of research;

-the topic and the scope of the proposed research: a concise literature review; the purpose of the proposed research and/or statement(s) of thehypothesis(es) to be investigated; the materials and techniques, including statistical processing; projected results, where possible; a brief description of the originality of the proposed research and of the contribution the proposed research is likely to make to existing knowledge in the area concerned;

-the ethics of the research;and

-the budget, available finance and experimental materials.

1.4A complete application for submission to the Committee for Human Research for the evaluation of the ethics and registration of the research project (obtainable from the Research Development and Support Division (Tygerberg Campus)).All protocols must be approved by postgraduate programme committees for quality assurance purposes before heads of departments or divisions sign them off to be submitted for ethical approval. For this purpose, programme committees may use their own subcommittees for research.

ALL research projects for master’sstudiesMUSTobtain ethical approval from the Committee for Human Research BEFORE the project may begin.The Committee for Human Research handles all “low-risk” projects according to a swift disposal procedure.The candidate must submit all the necessary application documents to the secretary of the Committee for Human Research. Said documents must be accompanied by a letter signed by the candidate’s supervisor and the head of the division and which contains a declaration that the research is to be conducted for the purpose of obtaining a degree and that the swift disposal procedure is requested. The chairman of the Committee for Human Research has the authorityto provisionally approve the project, after which the project may commence. The Committee for Human Research must,however,take the provisional approval under consideration at its subsequent meeting. The Committee for Human Research may ratify or set aside the provisional approval, in which case the project may be halted, until such time as the ethical problem has been satisfactorily resolved.

Candidates experiencing difficulties with the compilation, format and formal organisation of the protocol should approach the head of the division for assistance.

2.Each candidate should note the following requirements for master’s degree study:

2.1A candidate will not be entitled to register until after his application has been approved by the head of the division.

2.2In accordance with the new subsidy formula, prospective master’s degree candidates may only register twice annually –either before 31 March each year orduring the course of July each year. To be in time for formal consideration, any application for admission to a master’s degree programme should reach the Administration Offices:

2.2.1before the end of February for admission in the first semester of the year; and

2.2.2before the end of May for admission in the second semester of the year.

2.3The candidate must submit his work in the form of a thesis/assignment/published article.

2.3.1The terms “thesis”/“theses” and “assignment”/“assignments” are the only officially recognised terms for referring to the product/products of the research done for a master’s degree. In cases where study is prescribed in addition to a treatise (“verhandeling”) and the treatise (including the oral examination thereon) contributes a weight of 50% or more of the final mark, the treatise shall be referred to as a “thesis” and shall be dealt with as such; in contrast, a treatise shall be referred to as an “assignment” if it (including the oral examination thereon) contributes less than 50% of the final mark.

2.3.2The candidate must submit a thesis, in which evidence is provided that the candidate is able to:

plan research;

apply the literature study to the research;

apply elementary statistical principles;

conclude a project; and

draw meaningful conclusions.

2.3.3In the thesis the candidate must furthermore furnish proof of original and/or creative work. Primary and secondary research are both acceptable.

2.3.4This original and/or creative work must be based on laboratory-based and/or clinical methodology, and must contribute to the enrichment of fundamental, theoretical and/or clinical knowledge.

2.3.5The candidate must further demonstrate that he has developed a capacity for independent, critical judgement. That is to say, the candidate must demonstrate that he is able to discuss both existing and newly acquired knowledge rationally and objectively.

2.3.6The candidate must also demonstrate that the research makes a contribution toexisting knowledge.

FORMAT OF THESIS

1In the upper half of the second page of his thesis, the candidate shall place and sign the following:

English set wording:

“DECLARATION

By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenboch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification.

Date: ...... ”

Afrikaans set wording:

“VERKLARING

Deur hierdie tesis elektronies in te lewer, verklaar ek dat die geheel van die werk hierin vervat, my eie, oorspronklike werk is, datek die alleenouteur daarvan is (behalwe in die mate uitdruklik anders aangedui), dat reproduksie en publikasie daarvan deur die Universiteit van Stellenbosch nie derdepartyregte sal skend nie en dat ek dit nie vantevore, of in die geheel of gedeeltelik, ter verkryging van enige kwalifikasie aangebied het nie.

Datum: ...... ”

2.A thesis must fulfil the following minimum requirements:

a Declaration of the nature and extent of the contributions of the candidate and of collaborators;

  • aTable of Contents with accurate page references;

an Abstract in both English and Afrikaans;

an Introduction,preferablynot more than one page in length, briefly defining the topic of the research;

aLiterature Review,whichfocuses on the specific, demarcated area, elucidating the topic of the study, and which may culminate in a problem statement and/or hypothesis;

the Aim of the Investigation, which arises logically from the literature review and which may serve as the motivation for the study;

the Methodology and Materials (experimental animals, patients, tissue culture, therapeutics, etc.);

the Results or findings after statistical processing (where applicable), elucidated by clearly comprehensible tables, diagrams, graphs, etc., with appropriate annotations;

the Discussion,in which the results are succinctly argued and interpreted in the light of the literature review;

the Conclusion, in which the findings, the interpretation thereof, and unresolved issues are concisely summarised. The chapter may close with a set of recommendations suggesting new approaches, clinical applications or further research projects; and

the Bibliography in accordance with any acknowledged style.

3.The article format comprises a completed manuscript for a peerrated subject journal (i.e. one that appears on the list of subject journals approved by the Department of Education) with the candidate as principal author. In addition to the requirements under 2.3 above, the article format must include the following:

3.1A summary

It is important to illustrate the overall purpose,methods, results and conclusions of the study (or studies) in a brief summary.

3.2An introduction

The central research theme, background literature, problem statement and possible hypothesis (hypotheses), including the study aims, must be discussed in the introductory chapter. Any unnecessary repetition of aspects explored in published articles should be avoided.

3.3A conclusion/summarised comments

In this important chapter the candidate must critically consider all datain deciding:

-to what extent preliminary hypotheses were proven correct/incorrect;

-whether or not the study aims were achieved;

-what the overall conclusions were; and

-which fields of research could be explored in future.

Research must be consistent with the following definition:

1.On the basis of clearly formulated problems and through the methodical gathering and systematic processing of data, all efforts must be made to gain insights through which:

-scientific knowledge can be expanded; and/or

-the application possibilities of theoretical knowledge can be scientifically developed; and/or

-techniques, systems, processes or methods for practical use can be developed or improved in a scientifically planned and well grounded way.

2.The research component of the master’s programme is defined as:

a.an independent and cohesive component of activities in a master’s programme (it must be a cohesive component of activities in order to obviate the inclusion of any unconnected activities – especially those that cannot be directly linked to the student’s “clearly formulated problem or problems” – as part of the research component);

b.research that exists independently from any taught modules in the programme;

c.research that takes place under the guidance of a supervisor; and

d.research wherein the candidate may be expected to

i.gain insights by means of methodical gathering and systematic processing of data, through which,based on clearly formulated problems, basic scientific knowledge can be expanded, application possibilities of knowledge can be developed scientifically or techniques and technology can be developed or improved scientifically;

iiperform autonomously, professionally and ethically while conducting the research;

iiicommunicate the results of his research in an academic or professional way; and

ivproduce an academically acceptable thesis about the activity.

3.“Research component” further implies that part of the master’s programme where the outcome is such that it fulfils the “level descriptors” of level 8 (PG3) of the draft New Academic Policy, specifically requirements f: “an ability to present effectively and communicate the results of research to specialist and non-specialist audiences using the resources of an academic/professional discourse; the production of a dissertation or research report which meets the standards of scholarly/professional writing” and g: “a capacity to manage learning tasks autonomously, professionally and ethically.”

4.In all theses to be submitted to the University Library, abstracts of not more than 500 words each in both English and Afrikaans must be included directly after the title page and the author’s declaration.

5.Every master’s candidate required to complete a thesis must also undergo an oralexamination.The oral examination has an important quality assurance function, among others. When theses are sent away, mention is made in the covering letters that an oral examination will in fact take place on completion of the examination of the thesis, in which the examiners have to take part.The oral examination is to be conducted by the two examiners.The oral examination must be a substantiation of the thesis, in terms of which the student normally delivers it, followed by a question session by the examiners.The respective programme committees may themselves decide on the format, content and outcomes of the oral examination, and the supervisor concerned should communicate this to the examiners when they are busy arranging the oral examination.

6.A candidate for a master’s degree must – with the supervisor’s permission – notify theAssistant Registrar (Tygerberg Campus) in writing at least six months in advance of his intention to submit a thesis.

7.For graduation in December, candidates have to submit their theses before 1 September. For graduation in March of the next year, candidates have to submit their theses before 1 December. The supervisor is responsible for finalising these deadlines with the candidates. The supervisor must give permission for handing in of the thesis for examination.

8.The number of copies to be submitted and the further requirements for a thesisare laid down in the relevant sections of G.9 of “Rules for Higher Degrees” (Part 1 of the Calendar). When the candidate’s examination results have been finalised, it is his responsibility to hand a bound copy (final product) to each examiner.

9.Typing and duplication costs, etc. are the candidate’s responsibility.

The University offers facilities for the duplication and binding of theses. Full information on these facilities can be obtained from the US Printers, in Block A of the Central Administrative Complex, Stellenbosch Campus (tel. 0218084417).

EXAMPLES OF TYPES OF RESEARCH

1.Laboratory-based research relating to the candidate’s discipline.

2.Prospective preclinical or clinical research.

3.Goal-directed retrospective research, based on information available in data banks or files.

4.Epidemiological research.

  1. Health service system research.
  1. Qualitative research.
  1. Research oneducation/teaching.
  1. Cochrane review.
HEAD OF THE DIVISION

1.The head of the division is responsible for the checking and further handling of the application for admission to a master’s degree programme, and must refer all the necessary documents to the Assistant Registrar (Tygerberg Campus).

2.The head of the division is moreover required to familiarise himself with all the formal provisions and requirements governing admission to a master’s degree programme, and to make it clear to the candidate that he cannot register until such time as the application has been approved.

3. The head of the division is moreover required to familiarise himself with all the provisions and requirements for the handling of the protocol, the research, the submission of the thesis and the evaluation thereof.

4.The approval and appointment of a supervisor are the responsibilities of thehead of the division. Supervisors must ensure that they can cope with the number of students registered under them. The onus is on the head of the division to decide how this requirement is to be met, taking into account the special demands and alternatives of the various disciplines, as well as the different approaches and capacities of supervisors.

  1. The head of the division is responsible for the appointment of examiners, in consultation with the supervisor, and for obtaining their consent to participate. Thereafter he is required to submit the names via the Committee for Postgraduate Education to the Faculty Board. (See point 5 under Supervisor.)
  1. If the head of the division is also the supervisor, abovementioned duties are performed by the executive head of the department.

SUPERVISOR

Besides being familiar with the information above, the supervisor must acquaint himself with the contents of the following provisions:

1.The supervisor must consider his own availability when accepting candidates for postgraduate study. If some subsequent event radically affects his availability, with a concomitant effect upon postgraduate programmes, arrangements must be made with the head of the division and the executive head of the department concerned, and every student thus affected should be informed accordingly in writing, whereafter alternative arrangements must be made. Such instances should be reported to the Committee for Postgraduate Education.

2.In cases where the nature of the topic or research methodology requires expertise in more than one area, consideration must be given to involving aco-supervisor(s)with the appropriate qualifications and experience.

3.The supervisor must ensure that, where appropriate, the required equipment and laboratory, computer and library facilities are available or accessible.

4.The supervisor assumes responsibility for the originality, scientific merit and standard of the research work that is to be performed.

5.The supervisor should take the initiative for the appointment of two independent examiners (one internal and one external) by the head of the division, in consultation with the Programme Committee(A person is independent if he was not involved in the realisation of the thesis in any way. An internal independent examiner is a person who is on the university’s or associate’s staff establishment, but who is independent in terms of the abovementioned. An external examiner is a person who is not on the university’s staff establishment and who should also be independent. Extraordinary professors and honorary professors of the university do not qualify as external examiners.); and should restrict his interaction with the examiners solely to the originality, scientific merit and standard of the research work.

6.The supervisor must alsoacquaint himself with all the provisions governing the handling of the protocol, the research and the submission of the thesis,as well as the examination thereof.

  1. Feedback on the progress of the study should be given on an annual basis and in writing by the supervisor to the head of the divisionand the Postgraduate Programme Committee of the division or the dean.
  1. All work handed in should be handed back to the candidate with comments by the supervisor within a reasonable time, but within 60 days for a full thesis.
  1. Both the supervisor and the student can approach the Vice-Dean (Teaching) of the Faculty of Health Sciences should disagreement between the supervisor and student arise for whatever reason. The input of the Vice-Dean (Research) of the faculty can also be obtained, where applicable. Should the Vice-Dean (Teaching) not be able to solve the problem, the matter can be directed to the Committee for Postgraduate Education.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUPERVISOR, CO-SUPERVISOR AND RESEARCH-BASED POSTGRADUATE STUDENT