Topic An academic or business communication issue.
This assessment is designed to allow students to develop good research and interpretation skills. Good reports demonstrate the ability to critically analyse relevant researched material, interpreting what it means for a given topic or issue. This then leads to supported recommendations and conclusions.
The literature review gives the opportunity to study an assigned topic in depth. It requires students to find relevant sources of information that will enable them to write the eventual individual report from an informed point of view. This will help students to develop writing and information literacy skills.
Students need to choose a topic relating to academically sound business communication. Some topic suggestions are as follows. Students may choose a different topic with the approval of the tutor - all topics MUST be approved by the Tutor. Approvals should be gained by week 4 at the latest.
Topic suggestions:
- What makes an effective presentation?
- Common business communication problems.
- How should good references be displayed and why each element of the reference is important.
- How a business report should be structured and why.
- What is the difference between an acceptable and an unacceptable reference source?
- How reference sources can be used to support a business recommendation.
- Why good communication skills are important in a business career.
- What are the characteristics of effective written communication?
- Why are good spelling and good grammar important?
- How should a reference be used to be effective?
- Why is it important to avoid plagiarism?
- Why isn't it enough to just copy and paste in an assessment, even if you reference your sources?
- Why aren't Wiki sources acceptable? Can they ever be useful in academic or business
communication?
TASK 1: Create a Reference List.
Each student needs to find two (2) appropriate reference sources relating to the individual's chosen
topic. One reference source should be from an academic journal, and one reference should be from
some other source the student feels would be acceptable in a piece of good academic and/or business
writing.
Presentation - Task 1
Task 1 needs to be submitted as follows:
- Word .doc or .docs
- Arial 10 point font
- Heading
- Reference List
o The reference list should be in proper Harvard (Anglia) referencing style. Do NOT give
just an Internet reference - the reference must give the full details of the source of the
material.
o Half of the references should be from academic journals (either hardcopy, or
electronic), and the remainders form a variety of sources including at least 1 book, 1
internet site and 1 current affairs magazine or newspaper.
TASK 2. Literature Review
Write a literature review using academic style report.
Using your approved topic from Task 1, students need to:
- Determine what has been written on a topic
- Provide an overview of key concepts from the sources
- Identify major relationships or patterns
- Identify strengths and weaknesses
- Identify any gaps in the research
- Identify any conflicting evidence
Students should combine the different reviews into a single coherent report - this will probably mean that the different contributions cannot be just added to each other, but need to be fully integrated into an overall discussion.