LW RESEARCH PROJECT - 5FMGOBHAK4

Part 1 Submission Front Sheet to be included with Final Submission and any Resubmission

Unit-4 Research Project AB421H4 HND Hospitality Management September 2017

Submission Front Sheet

Assignment Code: AB421H4

Programme: BTEC Higher National Diploma in Hospitality Management

Unit Title and Number: Research Project (Unit-4)

QFC Level: 5 Unit Code: K/601/0941 Level 5; Credit value: 20 credits

Module Tutor: Yannick Fansi

Email: [email protected]

Date Set: 12th September 2017

Name: ………………………………………….

Registration Number: ……………………………………………

Date: ……………………………………………

( Learner’s statement of authenticity I certify that the work submitted for this assignment is my own. Where the work of others has been used to support my work then credit has been acknowledged. I have identified and acknowledged all sources used in this assignment and have referenced according to the Harvard referencing system. I have read and understood the Plagiarism and Collusion section provided with the assignment brief and understood the consequences of plagiarising. Signature: ___________________ ___________ Date: ___/___/_____ )

( words )Is this a First Submission or Second Submission ?

Word Count (Minimum.5000)

( % )Turnitin Score

Complete and copy this page and add it as the front sheet to your online submission

( LEARNER S’ BRIEF AB421 H4 )

Programme: BTEC Higher National Diploma in Business (Hospitality)

Unit Title and Number: Research Project (Unit -4)

QFC Level: 5 Unit Code: K/601/0941 Credit value: 20 credits

Module Tutor: Yannick Fansi

E-mail: [email protected]

Date Set: 15h September 2017

( Key Dates )

Distribution Date 15th September 2017

Research Proposal (Formative Feedback) 30th September 2017

Research Proposal (Final) 7th October 2017

Research Report (Literature Review – formative feedback) Week-7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12

Research Report (Methodology – formative feedback): Week-7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12

Research Report (Analysis & Interpretation – formative feedback) Week-7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12

Final Submission Date (Full Assignment) : 11th December 2017

( Introduction )

Aim: To develop learners’ skills of independent enquiry and critical analysis by undertaking a sustained research investigation of direct relevance to their Higher Education programme and professional development.

Abstract:

This unit is designed to enable learners to become confident using research techniques and methods. It addresses the elements that make up formal research including the proposal, a variety of research methodologies, action planning, carrying out the research itself and presenting the findings.

To complete the unit satisfactorily, learners must also understand the theory that underpins formal research. The actual research depends on the learner, the context of their area of learning, their focus of interest and the anticipated outcomes. The unit draws together a range of other areas from within the programme to form a holistic piece of work that will make a positive contribution to the learner’s area of interest. Learners should seek approval from their tutors before starting their research project.

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this unit a learner will:

1. Understand how to formulate a research specification

2. Be able to implement the research project within agreed procedures and to specification

3. Be able to evaluate the research outcomes

4. Be able to present the research outcomes.

The aim of this assignment is to assess the learner’s knowledge of the all aspects of the unit

Part 2 Assignment Brief ( ASSESSMENT TASKS )

For this assignment, you are required to undertake substantial research on a topic of your choice and produce a research report. You will be assisted by your supervisor in defining your research topic.

Before embarking on your research, you should complete a research proposal and discuss it with your supervisor who will assess whether or not the relevant resources are available to accommodate a research on your topic. Consider the following 3 notes.

Note 1:

You should address the following in your research proposal

Formulate and record of possible research project outline specifications (1.1)

Identify factors that contribute to the process of research project selection and factors that motivated your choice of topic for research (1.2)

Provide an initial review of the literature on your topic of choice (1.3)

Produce a research project specification (Research question(s)) (1.4)

Provide an appropriate plan and procedures for the agreed research specification (e.g. a Gantt Chart) (1.5)

Note 2:

In conducting your research, you should demonstrate that you have matched resources efficiently to your research question(s) or hypotheses (2.1) and that the research is carried out in accordance with the agreed specification and procedures (2.2). You should also keep record of relevant data you have collected for your research (2.3)

Note 3:

The research report should cover the following

Your research project outline specifications and the factors that influenced your choice for the proposed topic (1.1, 1.2)

A critical review of key references (1.3)

A development of research question(s) and/or hypotheses (1.4)

A set of procedures for the agreed research specification (Methodology) (1.5); a description of variables/ data to be use (2.3) and a description of methods you will use to analyse the data collected (3.1)

At this stage you should put your plan into action and undertake the proposed research investigation in accordance with the agreed specification and procedures (2.2) Then your report continues with …

An analysis of the data and an interpretation of results in terms of the original research specification (3.2)

Recommendations and justifications of areas for further consideration (3.3)

And finally, use of an agreed format and appropriate media to present

the outcomes of the research to an audience (4.1)

( GRADING INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS )

Achievement of a pass grade

A pass grade is achieved by meeting all the requirements defined in the assessment criteria for each individual unit.

Achievement of a merit or distinction grade

All the assessment criteria and merit grade descriptors need to be completed within a unit to achieve a merit grade.

All the assessment criteria, merit and distinction grade descriptors must be completed within a unit to achieve a distinction grade.

Any learner submission that does not meet a targeted assessment criterion must be re-submitted by a date specified by the assessor.

Grade Descriptors	Indicative Characteristics	Contextualised Grade Guidance
MERIT
M1 Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions.	1. effective judgements have been made 1. complex problems with more than one variable have been explored 1. an effective approach to study and research has been applied	You should develop an appropriate research plan for your research. It needs to cover all aspects of your research, including ethical consideration. It should also include a detailed analysis of the method you will use together with its advantages and weaknesses. (1.5)
M2 Select / design and apply appropriate methods/techniques	1. relevant theories and techniques have been applied 1. a range of methods and techniques have been applied 1. a range of sources of information has been used 1. the selection of methods and techniques/sources has been justified 1. the design of methods/ techniques has been justified 1. complex information/data has been synthesised and processed 1. appropriate learning methods/techniques have been applied	Learners need to demonstrate the use of a range of sources of information throughout the completion of their research project. This will be evidenced by the appropriate use of the Harvard referencing system in-text and the reference list (All assessment criteria)
M3 Present and communicate appropriate findings.	1. the appropriate structure and approach has been used 1. coherent, logical development of principles/concepts for the intended audience 1. a range of methods of presentation have been used and technical language has been accurately used 1. communication has taken place in familiar and unfamiliar contexts 1. The communication is appropriate for familiar and unfamiliar audiences and appropriate media have been used.	The structure of the research report should be appropriate. Your research report should be coherent and presented in a logical sequence. The communication style in the report should be appropriate (e.g. the use of the passive voice) (All assessment criteria)
DISTINCTION
D1 Use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusions	1. conclusions have been arrived at through synthesis of ideas and have been justified 1. the validity of results has been evaluated using defined criteria 1. self-criticism of approach has taken place 1. realistic improvements have been proposed against defined characteristics for success	You should provide a clear synthesis of all ideas at the end of your literature review and identify these areas that you will further explore in your research. (1.3). You should also identify the weaknesses of your research after you have presented your findings to make recommendations (3.3)
D2 Take Responsibility for managing and organising activities	1. autonomy/independence has been demonstrated 1. substantial activities, projects or investigations have been planned, managed and organised 1. activities have been managed 1. the unforeseen has been accommodated 1. the importance of interdependence has been recognised and achieved	Autonomy/ independence must be demonstrated throughout the research process and all deadlines should be met (All assessment criteria)
D3 Demonstrate convergent / lateral / creative thinking	1. ideas have been generated and decisions taken 1. self-evaluation has taken place 1. convergent and lateral thinking have been applied 1. problems have been solved 1. innovation and creative thought have been applied 1. receptiveness to new ideas is evident 1. effective thinking has taken place in unfamiliar contexts	Your research findings and recommendations should be valid and clearly illustrates how you have contributed to the existing literature (either providing further evidence to the work of other authors – that you have cited in your literature review, or providing new evidence) (3.2)

Specification of Assessment

· Present your work in one business report style which should include table of contents, reference list, foot or end notes and appendices if any

· Include the reference code of this assignment on your assignment submission front page.

· Each page must be numbered at the bottom right hand side.

· Ensure the following information is in the footer on every page:

· Your name

· The production date of your submission

· The code number of your assignment brief

· The page number

· Spell-check the document and make sure there are no grammatical errors.

· Complete all the tasks.

· Produce clear specific reasoning and arguments in support of your answers.

· Submit your work in a single work processed document of not more than 5000 words for all Learning Outcomes. This word limit is only for guidelines, and is not applied to grading.

· You must include a bibliography at the end to show where your information was sourced.

· Your sources must be identified using the Harvard referencing system. The words used in your bibliography will not be included in your word count.

( Support Material )

Dawson, C. (2009). Introduction to Research Methods: A Practical Guide for Anyone

Undertaking a Research Project. How to Books. ISBN 9781845283674.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2009). Research Methods for Business Students. 5th Edition. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited

BTEC Level 4/5 Higher National Certificate/Diploma in Business Study Skills Guide (2013) Section 2 Research. Pearson Education, Harlow. ISBN 978-1-447954-43-9

( Plagiarism and Collusion )

Any act of plagiarism and collusion will be seriously dealt with according to the regulations. In this context the definition and scope of plagiarism are presented below:

‘Plagiarism occurs when a student misrepresents, as his/her own work, the work, written or otherwise, of any other person (including another student) or of any institution. Examples of forms of plagiarism include[footnoteRef:1]: [1: ]

· the verbatim (word for word) copying of another’s work without appropriate and correctly presented acknowledgement;

· the close paraphrasing of another’s work by simply changing a few words or altering the order of presentation, without appropriate and correctly presented acknowledgement;

· unacknowledged quotation of phrases from another’s work;

· The deliberate and detailed presentation of another’s concept as one’s own.’

All types of work submitted by students are covered by this definition, including, written work, diagrams, designs, engineering drawings and pictures.

‘Collusion occurs when, unless with official approval (e.g. in the case of group projects), two or more students consciously collaborate in the preparation and production of work which is ultimately submitted by each in an identical, or substantially similar, form and/or is represented by each to be the product of his or her individual efforts. Collusion also occurs where there is unauthorised co-operation between a student and another person in the preparation and production of work which is presented as the student’s own.’ (’Carroll, J and Appleton, J.( 2001) Plagiarism – A Good Practice Guide. Oxford Brookes University/JISC, Oxford)

All work for assessment must be submitted with a Turnitin Report on plagiarism. The Maximum Turnitin score admissible is 15% (after deduction of 1% & 2% records). Assignments with more that this adjusted 15% score will be automatically referred for reworking and resubmission.

( Extension and Late Submission )

If an extension is necessary for a valid reason, requests can me made using a course work extension request form available from the college. Please note that the lecturers do not have the authority to extend the coursework deadlines and therefore do not ask them to award a coursework extension.

The completed form must be accompanied by evidence such as a medical certificate in the event of you being sick.

Summative Feedback will be given by 3rd January 2018

Referral dropbox will open from 4th to 18th January 2018

Referral result declared 2nd February 2018

Assignment Resubmission Policy

A Resubmission is any work handed in for final assessment a second time.

The Final Deadline is the date on which the whole assignment must be completed and submitted (usually in week 12 at the end of the semester).

Work submitted To be Resubmitted

1 Referred after Final Deadline Four weeks after the final deadline

2 Missed Final Deadline End of next semester

3 Missed formative assessment(s) and

Referred after Final Deadline End of next semester

4 Referred SMALL after resubmission £25 reassessment fee

5 Referred LARGE after resubmission Repeat semester and attend classes

Completed, assessed units (Pass, Merit) from your first Semester may be reworked and submitted for a higher grade once only on payment of a reassessment fee of £25.

Checklist for Research Project Formative Assessment

1. Is the title a realistic research project that seeks to shed a new light on an issue or is it just ‘finding out about a subject’?. It must be the former.

2. Do the specified Objectives flesh out a research focus?

3. Literature Review – does it provide a background of what is currently known about the field in which the intended research is to be focused? Does it provide any pointers towards a viable research project?

4. How much groundwork for the research topic can be gained from initial secondary research? It might be that the project can be achieved by investigating current findings through a new juxtaposition of extant conclusions or by comparing results from a similar field. This process might also provide pointers to the research focus to be undertaken.

5. Many project topics can be resolved by finding extant data: e.g. television viewing figures; the net income to the Brazilian economy from the Rio Carnival; the size of the world golf industry; the business models of different national bakery chains; the actual growth in the number of UK leisure centres over the last 20 years; a comparison of the disabled facilities per head at 10 selected UK annual pop festivals in the last 5 years.

6. The Research tasks do not need to be a Questionnaire but if they are:

· Are the questions relevant to what is being investigated?

· Will the answers to each question add to the research project by throwing new light on the objectives; if they don’t they should be changed.

7. Findings: these are not the same as the data displays (e.g. charts). The Findings are how the data informs the subject being researched , i.e.what does this tell us about our research question? If it tells us nothing it means either this is not a relevant factor in what we are researching, or, more likely, this was a badly phrased or useless question which should not have been asked. Possible findings could be : Annual income has a clear effect on the sort of pastries people by from baker’s shops; or: Ethnicity has no influence on the type of cooking programmes people watch on TV.

8. Yes/No questions and opinions are usually worthless questions in all surveys except those on voting intentions. The only reason for researching opinions is if you think they will contradict standard wisdom on a subject and you can go on to establish a case for reinterpretation of the norm.

9. Bibliographies: at this level these must be perfect Harvard style.

10. Spelling and grammar : at this level these research papers could go forward for publication and so need to be literate – refer for proof-reading for poor spelling and punctuation. This is now a BTEC requirement.

11. Ideas for further research : what new avenues have been opened up for further research (by the learner or others) e.g. could more detail in the survey help answer some questions better?; could the same research project be applied to further examples, to broaden and substantiate the conclusions so far?; or applied to another context – business, industry, geographical location, survey client group (e.g. would a poll of youth differ from one of old persons)?.

Leslie Doyle 17th February 2014

Research Project Agreement

Student Name:
Registration number:
Date:

	Tasks/Questions
1.	Define the research problem and establish research objectives
2.	Develop research plan – how are you going to carry out the research

Agreed Research Problem: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Research Objectives:

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Activity	Sept 2017	Oct 2017	Nov 2017
	26	02	09	16	23	30	06	13	20	27	04	11
Week number
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Students signature: ………………………………………..

Date:…………………………………………….

Teacher’s signature:………………………………………………

Date: ……………………………………….

Part 3 Assessment and Feedback Record

( ASSESSMENT DECISION )

Programme: BTEC Higher National Diploma in Business (Hospitality)

Unit Title and Number: Research Project (Unit -4)

QFC Level: 5 Unit Code: K/601/0941 Credit value: 20 credits

Module Tutor: Yannick Fansi

Learner’s Name : Learner ID:

Session of Admission: Grade:

Date of Assessment:

Assessment criteria for pass	Evidence Sources	Achieved	Comments
To achieve each outcome a learner must demonstrate the ability to:		Y/N

1.1 formulate and record possible research project outline specifications
1.2 identify the factors that contribute to the process of research project selection
1.3 undertake a critical review of key references
1.4 produce a research project specification
1.5 provide an appropriate plan and procedures for the agreed research specification
2.1 match resources efficiently to the research question or hypothesis
2.2 undertake the proposed research investigation in accordance with the agreed specification and procedures
2.3 record and collate relevant data where appropriate
3.1 use appropriate research evaluation techniques
3.2 interpret and analyse the results in terms of the original research specification
3.3 make recommendations and justify areas for further consideration
4.1 use an agreed format and appropriate media to present the outcomes of the research to an audience

Merit Descriptors	Assessment Criteria for Merit. The learner demonstrates that:	Met Y/N	Page No.	Assessor Comments
M1 Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions.	· effective judgements have been made · complex problems with more than one variable have been explored · an effective approach to study and research has been applied
M2 Select/design and apply appropriate methods/techniques	· relevant theories and techniques have been applied · a range of methods and techniques have been applied · a range of sources of information has been used · the selection of methods and techniques/sources has been justified · the design of methods/techniques has been justified · complex information/data has been synthesised and processed · appropriate learning methods/techniques have been applied
M3 Present and communicate appropriate findings	· the appropriate structure and approach has been used · coherent, logical development of principles/concepts for the intended audience · a range of methods of presentation have been used and technical language has been accurately used · communication has taken place in familiar and unfamiliar contexts · The communication is appropriate for familiar and unfamiliar audiences and appropriate media have been used.

Distinction Descriptors	Assessment Criteria for Distinction. The learner demonstrates that:	Met Y/N	Page No.	Assessor Comments
D1 Use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusions	· conclusions have been arrived at through synthesis of ideas and have been justified · the validity of results has been evaluated using defined criteria · self-criticism of approach has taken place · realistic improvements have been proposed against defined characteristics for success
D2 Take responsibility for managing and organising activities	· autonomy/independence has been demonstrated · substantial activities, projects or investigations have been planned, managed and organised · activities have been managed · the unforeseen has been accommodated · the importance of interdependence has been recognised and achieved
D3 Demonstrate convergent / lateral / creative thinking	· ideas have been generated and decisions taken · self-evaluation has taken place · convergent and lateral thinking have been applied · problems have been solved · innovation and creative thought have been applied · receptiveness to new ideas is evident · effective thinking has taken place in unfamiliar contexts

( Assessor’s General Comments: Resubmission Status: unnecessary SMALL LARGE Please resubmit Sections indicated above to meet Assessment Criteria: Referral dropbox will open from ____________________________________ Assessor’s Signature : Date: Print Name: Yannick Fansi )

( Learner’s Comments: Signature : Date: Print Name: )

Summative Feedback will be given by ____________________

Referral result declared _____________________________

Assig Brief AB421H4 Internally verified as fit for purpose by Leslie Doyle 12th September 2017 Page 2