Research Assignment

Specifically, you will be expected to formulate a specific research question, identify, describe and justify the methods used and proceed to conduct a small scale research project into the topic chosen. In the proposal, each student will be required to submit a topic for research relevant to their professional / business interests and needs and after from a list of suggested topics compiled by the module leader or suggested by students.

You will be expected to formulate a relevant specific research question. Then you will need to identify, clearly describe and justify the methods you will use to answer the research question and then conduct a small scale research investigation where collected data is analysed using appropriate analytic techniques.

You may use software tools to help with the analysis, for example quantitatively using analytics software such as Minitab, SPSS, STATA etc., or qualitatively using QDAS such as Nvivo or ATLAS.ti. MS Excel is also a popular spread sheet tool for basic data analysis. Note that the emphasis should be on the understanding of the data analytic process irrespective of what tools are actually used.

The project output should incorporate elements of (i) an introduction, (ii) a relevant literature review, (iii) details on the study design, (iv) explanation of the analysis performed and discussion of the results; please refer to the Assessment Criteria document for more details. It should be presented in the form of a portfolio of not more than 4800 words, using appropriate reporting conventions and ensuring all sources are cited and referenced using the Harvard style.

Essential information: All module summative assessments

Assessments should be uploaded to the submission link in the VLE by 11pm (23:00 hours) VLE (UTC) time on the due date at the latest.

Furthermore, your assignment will be submitted to Turnitin so it can be electronically checked for originality of content.

The standard USW policy in relation to penalties for late submission/non submission will apply. Late submissions of up to 5 days are accepted but capped to 40% of the assessment marks, submissions over 5 days late receive a mark of 0.

If you face any extenuating circumstances please seek advice from UNICAF Student Support who can advise you of your options and on how to put an appropriate claim to the USW Advice Centre as soon as the circumstances arise. Please note the regulations in relation to the USW “Fit to Sit” policy.

Marking and Feedback

Please refer to the general “Marking Criteria for Post Graduate Assessments”, as well as the “Module Assessment Criteria” documents posted in the VLE for details on how your submission will be marked. Feedback will be provided using the appropriate “Assessment Cover Sheet and Feedback Form”.

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