HOLMES INSTITUTE
FACULTY OF
HIGHER EDUCATION
Assessment Details and Submission Guidelines
Trimester T2 2019
Unit Code HI6008
Unit Title Business Research Project
Assessment Type 3. Group* Report on Research Design and Methodology (including statement of ‘who wrote which sections’)
Assessment Title Business Research Design and Methodology
Purpose of the assessment (with ULO
Mapping) The purpose of this assessment is to ensure each student is able to contribute to the construction of a written report demonstrating their understanding of the business research paradigm, appropriate methodology, and required (proposed) data collection, analysis and interpretation.
A brief presentation in-class may be requested by your lecturer. Matches to Unit Learning Outcomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Weight 30 % of the total assessments
Total Marks 30
Word limit 2500 words (plus revised literature review, only if requested)
Due Date Week 10
Submission Guidelines • All work must be submitted on Blackboard by 12 midnight on the due date, along with a completed Assignment Cover Page. [if no cover page your mark will be educed -20%]
• The assignment must be in MS Word format, 1.5 spacing, 12-pt Arial font and 2 cm margins on all four sides of your page with appropriate section headings, paragraphing, and page numbers.
• Reference sources must be cited in the text of the report, and listed appropriately at the end in a reference list, all using Harvard referencing style.
* Note: Students are required to form groups of 3 or 2 students per group and notify their lecturer in writing, indicating the students’ names and Holmes student numbers. You may request approval from your lecturer to undertake this assignment individually, i.e. to form a group of 1. You will not be able to submit your assignment unless you are in a designated group.
Assignment 3 Specifications Purpose:
This unit aims to give you an opportunity to combine many facets of your acquired MBA skills into the production of a high-quality research report.
HI6008 BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT – ASSIGNMENT 3 – BUSINESS RESEARCH
PROJECT REPORT
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Assignment 3 - the Research Design and Methodology - is to ensure each student is able to contribute to the construction of a written report demonstrating their understanding of the business research paradigm, appropriate methodology, data collection, analysis and interpretation.
You will ideally work in a group of up to 3 persons. Your respective contributions will be governed by your Team Charter, which you produced at the same time as your Topic Approval submission. Additionally, you are required to append to this report a statement indicating ‘who wrote which sections’.
This assessment builds upon your Literature Review (assessment 2) in that you are now aware of what additional data is needed to lead you to the answer to your research question(s) (as defined in Topic Approval (assessment 1). To discover the required data may require you to search for additional secondary data, and will most probably also require the collection of primary data, by applying qualitative or quantitative methods. In this assessment you will document what your team has decided as the most appropriate way forward. If you choose a quantitative approach, you will go ahead and state your hypothesis, how you intend to verify it, what data you need, how it can be collected and analysed. [Note that you are NOT required to actually obtain primary data]. If you choose a qualitative approach, you will go ahead and decide which method is appropriate, how you would design the questionnaire (include a few example questions), and state how you would collate and interpret your data. [Note that you are NOT required to actually obtain primary data].
Your lecturer will LEAD and FACILITATE you through the process, week by week. The learning will be progressive, so for best results you will need to be in weekly contact with your lecturer during class time at your campus.
Only if you were requested to revise and resubmit your Literature Review should you append it to this submission.
This submission does require an appendix in which it is stated which members of the group actually wrote which sections of the Business Research Design and Methodology.
Assignment Structure should be as the following:
1. Introduction (an edited and adjusted version of your topic approval) including a justification for your research question(s).
2. A detailed research methodology addressing the qualitative-quantitative debate, hypothesis (if appropriate), additional secondary data, proposed primary data sample size and sampling approach, questionnaire design factors (include some sample questions), data collection method, envisaged analysis and interpretation.
3. A summary of your findings OR what you would expect to find
4. A conclusion (relating back to your original research problem and question(s)) 5. The appended statement of ‘Who wrote What’
Note: You may request your lecturer to allow you to undertake a business project, company-specific consultancy, or business planning project. Permission may be granted by the lecturer to this effect in consultation with the Unit Coordinator and Degree Convenor. In that case the Assignment Structure and Marking Criteria may differ, as directed by the lecturer.
HI6008 BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT – ASIGNMENT 3 – BUSINESS RESEARCH
PROJECT REPORT
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HI6008 Assignment 3 – Research Design and Methodology - Marking Rubric
Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory
Report Layout and
Flow
(7) Report creates an excellent overall impression Report creates a very good overall impression Report creates a good overall impression Report creates a satisfactory overall impression Unprofessional or confusing
Introduction
[take into account improvements made since topic approval]
(3) Excellent - clear, concise, compelling read Satisfactory introduction Insufficient rigour
Methodology –
Research Design
(7) Ample evidence of advanced
understanding
regarding research design Evidence of very good
understanding regarding research design Evidence of good
understanding regarding research design Satisfactory understanding regarding research design Missing or confusing
Methodology –
Example Questions
(3) Example questions are excellent, with
an indicative range of purposeful questions Example questions are
very good, with a range of
purposeful questions Example questions are good, with
purposeful questions Example questions are satisfactory, Missing or confusing
Methodology – Data
(7) Excellent understanding of sampling, data
collection, analysis
and interpretation relevant to this research Very good understanding of sampling,
data collection, analysis and interpretation Good understanding of sampling,
data collection, analysis and interpretation Satisfactory understanding of sampling,
data collection, analysis and interpretation Missing or confusing
Expected Findings and
Conclusion
(3) Excellent indication of how expected findings link to
literature review and research problem and research question(s) Very good indication of
how expected findings link to
literature review and research problem and research question(s) Good
indication of
how expected
findings link to literature
review and research
problem and research question(s) Satisfactory
indication of
how expected
findings link to literature
review and research
problem and research question(s) Missing or confusing
Total Marks (30)
/30
Note to lecturer: No Cover Sheet -20%. No statement of ‘Who Wrote What’ -20%
Note: In the event that your project report was approved to be based on a business project, company-specific consultation, or business planning project, the Marking Rubric may differ. Such projects will be marked by the lecturer using appropriate criteria.
HI6008 BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT – ASIGNMENT 3 – BUSINESS RESEARCH
PROJECT REPORT