Q: Could anyone explain to me what a protocol fail is? At university they explained a few things about the consequences if you do not hand in your work on time and they mention protocol fail at one point. Any ideas?
A: There are several ways of failing a piece of work. The first is the one we are all used to - the 'academic fail' - ie where your work just isn't up to the required standard. But at University there are also other ways to get a zero mark or a mark capped at a bare pass. One is the version you mention - a protocol or procedural fail. This means you didn't submit the work correctly. This can include not handing it in by a deadline (for some subjects 30 seconds late is too late); not handing it in to the right person/place; not submitting it electronically (often via anti-plagiarism software). It can also include not submitting it via the correct format - for eg handwritten instead of typed; a dissertation incorrectly bound and so on The consequences of failing a piece of work this way will vary by university but will usually mean that you fail and have to resit the work - so using up one of your 'resit lives' and getting a much poorer grade overall for that module and year For all these reasons it's vital that students read the submission instructions very very carefully indeed