Assignment - Overview of the two assignments

Overall, you are required to create a proposal for a research project aimed at a business related problem or opportunity. The two components of this proposal are related but separately assessed:

- Firstly, you must prepare a Literature Review and Evidence Review on that research proposal, fully referenced.

- Secondly, you are required to design a Business Research Proposal aimed at a business-related problem or opportunity

As explained above there are two integrated parts to this assessment:

• Component 1 - the Literature Evidence Review
• Component 2 - the Research Design Proposal

Component 1 - Literature-Evidence Review

TASKS - This should be an analysis and synthesis of the literature pertaining to your topic. You should ensure that you read up-to-date sources and assess current academic concepts and models relating to that topic and the research question and objectives developed.

Introduction

• Is the domain explained?
• Is there a rationale for the chosen topic?
• Are the main sources stated?

The Main Body

• Is there a clear structure?
• Does the review flow into a logical progression?
• Does the review convey the thinking of the writer?
• Use of secondary sources, citation, references, synthesis, critique, chronology, seminal works, models?
• Is the current position conveyed?
• Is there a set of emergent conclusions?

Conclusion

• Is there a clear concluding statement?
• Is there a clear implication for further research?
• Are research questions specified?
• Are there emergent themes?
• Is the literature review conclusive?
• Has a theoretical or conceptual framework been identified?

FORMATTING AND LAYOUT - Please note the following when completing your written assignment:

1. Writing: Written in English in an appropriate business/academic style

2. Focus: Focus only on the tasks set in the assignment.

3. Length:2500 - 3000 words

4. Formatting: Typed on A4 paper in Times New Roman or Arial font 12 with at least 2.5 centimetre space at each edge, double spaced and pages numbered.

5. Document format:

6. Ensure a clear title, course, and name or ID number is on a cover sheet and a bibliography using Harvard referencing throughout is also provided.

7. Research: Research should use reliable and relevant sources of information e.g. academic books and journals that have been peer reviewed. The research should be extensive.

Component 2:  Research Design Proposal

TASKS -

Research Title

Research Question

Research Objectives

A Background to the Research Proposal:                                                                              

• Is the overall context for the research well established?
• Is the research topic interesting from an academic and practical perspective?
• Is there a statement of the problem?
• Is there a rationale for the topic?
• Is it clear what aspects of the chosen topic will be researched?
• Do the boundaries of the research make sense?
• Is there a clear statement of the aim of the research?
• Are research objectives included which are specific?
• Are research questions matched to the research objectives?

Research Methodology - Philosophy, Reasoning, Design

• Is there a logical and cohesive structure to the proposal?
• Are all the relevant sections included?
• Is the approach adequately explained?
• Is the scope of Literature outlined relevant to the research objectives to address the research questions?
• Is the relevance of the literature, models, theories and frameworks for thinking justified?
• Are the proposed research methods appropriate to the research task?
• Have the data types been defined and classified?
• Have target populations and samples been defined and justified?

Data Analysis                                                                                                                                    

• Is the proposal for analysis linked back to the literature and the research questions?
• Have analysis methods been specified?
• Is there an adequate time plan for the research?
• Ethics, Validity and Reliability
• Are validity and reliability issues discussed?
• Are the ethical issues in the project understood and dealt with?
• Are the intended outcomes for the research made known and is there a clear understanding of the value added?

Gantt Chart (or other suitable format)

FORMATTING AND LAYOUT - Please note the following when completing your written assignment:

1. Writing: Written in English in an appropriate business/academic style

2. Focus: Focus only on the tasks set in the assignment.

3. Length:2500 - 3000 words

4. Formatting: Typed on A4 paper in Times New Roman or Arial font 12 with at least 2.5 centimetre space at each edge, double spaced and pages numbered.

5. Document format:Report

6. Ensure a clear title, course, and name or ID number is on a cover sheet and a bibliography using Harvard referencing throughout is also provided.

7. Research: Research should use reliable and relevant sources of information e.g. academic books and journals that have been peer reviewed. The research should be extensive.

GUIDANCE FOR STUDENTS IN THE COMPLETION OF TASKS -

NOTE: The guidance offered below is linked to the five common assessment criteria overleaf and specifically aligned to the "exceptional" outcome category to which we anticipate students aspire.

1. Research-informed Literature

Your work must embed and be informed and supported by relevant and credible scholarly material that is accessible in the learned journals listed on the module schedule.  You should refer to at least 25 such sources.  Additionally, you should refer to text books, current news items and benchmark your organisation against other organisations to ensure your assignment is current and up-to-date.  High-level referencing skills using the Harvard Method must be demonstrated throughout your work and all sources listed alphabetically within your bibliography. 

2. Knowledge and Understanding of Subject

Your work must demonstrate the growing extent of your knowledge and understanding of concepts and underlying principles associated with the subject area.  This means that within your work, you should provide evidence of your growing mastery in critical awareness of current challenges, new insights and the constant need for innovation within the field.  Furthermore, a critical awareness of the ambiguities and limitations of knowledge and even understanding, should be considered and examples of such, illustrated within your work. 

3. Analysis

To be considered masters worthy, your work must contain evidence of analysis, evaluation and synthesis.  This means not just describing "What!" but also justifying: Why? How? When? Who? Where? And at what cost!  At all times, you must provide justification of your arguments and judgements.  Evidence that you have reflected upon the ideas of others on matters occurring in the real world of business is crucial to you providing a reasoned and informed debate within your work.  Your choice of methodologies to gather data and information must be rigorously defended.  Furthermore, you should provide evidence that you are able to make sound judgements and convincing arguments in the absence of complete data, since within the real world of work, we rarely have access to, or know all the information!  Persuasive conclusions are especially necessary and must be derived from the content of your work - there should be no new information presented within your conclusion.  Your work should aspire to resemble work which is of journal publishable quality.

4. Practical Application and Deployment

It is essential that you rationalise how you decided upon certain methods, materials, tools and techniques to inform and complete your work.  You must demonstrate what informed your decision(s) to apply certain concepts that enabled you to formulate innovative and creative solutions to the challenges presented to you or that you identified for yourself.  Plausible, costed and justifiable recommendations are demanded and where these are absent, your work is undermined.  Your work should provide evidence that you are growing in mastery in developing cutting edge processes and techniques within the subject area. 

5. Skills for Professional Practice

Your work must provide evidence of your attributes in the application of professional practice.  This includes demonstrating that you are highly capable of individual and collaborative working.  Regarding the presentation of your work, you must demonstrate your ability to select and deploy the appropriate media that is "fit for purpose. Additionally, you must exhibit your ability to: communicate with an exceptionally high level of professionalism; work professionally, autonomously and within a team; develop leadership skills; and produce/present work that is coherent, cogent and specifically addresses the challenges set for you or you have set yourself. Importantly, your work should be easily understood by specialists and non-specialists in the field.

Assignment File & Sample -

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6dbcf5tqqi1zh8j/Assignmentt%20File%20And%20Sample.zip?dl=0