RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Assignment Number

2

LBPG5018

Assignment Title

MARTIN BECKINSALE

Assignment Weighting

1/1/2023

12/05/23 12:00 (noon)

Assessment Information – What you need to do

This assignment is an individual assignment. 

This assignment requires you to……….

Produce an extended research proposal outlining a piece of research you plan to conduct. You may either:

Build on the topic and work already done for Assignment 1 and develop it into an extended research proposal;

OR

Write an extended research proposal on an ENTIRELY new topic. You will not be penalised for doing so, but do bear in mind that you will have no feedback from your draft work (i.e. Assignment 1) to work with or build upon. You do not need to seek pre-approval if you take this option.

A research proposal is an “action plan” for your proposed piece of research. It is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed research. It sets out the central issues or questions that you intend to address in a study, and demonstrates the originality of your proposed research. It outlines the research topic you are interested in, referring to the current state of knowledge and any recent debates on the topic, and describes how you intend to carry out your research. This proposal is most likely to be a preparatory document for your dissertation module.

Criteria for Assessment – How you will be marked

Your extended research proposal should contain the following sections (approximate suggested length in brackets but word count only a guide):

Front Cover Page should include: Your Name; Your Programme; and Your workshop/seminar tutor’s name (not included in word count)

Title

Abstract (~ 200 words)

Introduction/Background statement (approx.. 5 – 10% length – ~ 130-260 words)

Aims and objectives OR research question(s) (approx.. 5% length – ~ 130 words)

Literature Review (approx.. 30% length – ~780 words )

Research Methodology (pprox.. 20-30% length – ~ 520-780 words)

Business and/or managerial implications of your research (approx.. 5% length – ~ 130 words)

Limitations of the proposed study (approx.. 5% length – ~ 130 words)

Ethical issues and considerations (approx.. 5% length- ~ 130 words)

Conclusions (approx.. 5-10% length – ~ 130 – 260 words)

Research timetable/schedule (table – Gantt chart)

References (not included in word count)

Further Section Details

Your proposal should be at least 2000 words in length and no more than 2600 words. The title, abstract, reference list and research timetable/schedule are not included in the word count but in-text citations are. Include front cover page with tutor’s name on and No appendices should be included.

Title

Is your title focused, e.g. in terms of a specific area, literature, timespan?

Does your title point your study at specific bodies of academic literature that already exist – e.g. consumer behaviour, strategy, digital consumerism, tourism development, financial derivatives etc?

Abstract

Remember – an abstract is not an introduction.

Does your abstract provide a self-contained overview of your entire proposed work?

Introduction/Background statement

The introduction sets the context for your proposed research study and should aim to capture the reader’s interest. It introduces the topic and presents an overview of why the topic is interesting, relevant and worth exploring.

Does your introduction open ‘a window’ on your work? Does it ‘set the scene’?

Does it start with a broad statement…. And lead to the focal problem/ research question?

Think about the role of an introduction… does it entice, stimulate interest, inform?

What literatures you are planning to use?

Are there terms or concepts that need defining? This is where you might include them.

Aims and objectives OR research question(s)

You may state research aims and objectives, or research questions.

What is your overarching research question?

Do your aims connect to your objectives?

Remember – one or two aims only – ideally one for clarity.

Remember – employ max 3 objectives – ideally up to three objectives; you do not want too many avenues to pursue. Ensure focused. What is it your research intends to Examine, to identify or The relationships to be tested.

Do your aims and objectives ‘unpack’ and explain your title?

Literature Review

The literature review develops broad ideas of what is already known in a field, and what questions are still unanswered. It will highlight any theories/frameworks/models that may exist to support developing hypotheses and can help narrow the problem for investigation. This process also helps you to be sure that your investigation is not just “reinventing the wheel.” A discussion of the present understanding and/or state of knowledge concerning the problem or issue sets the context for your investigation.

Are you clear what you understand by ‘a literature’?

In relation to which specific ‘literatures’ or subject/topic areas is your work positioned?

Does your work use one or a number of literatures?

Does your work fall between literatures? … (And therefore must draw on a number of literatures in order to make sense of your chosen area?)

Is there apparently no literature on your chosen topic? …perhaps rephrase/rethink your topic?

Does what you have written respond to your Title, RQs and aims and objectives? Is there something you have under-worked or overlooked?

If there are theoretical frameworks/models related to the topic and literature have you identified them?

Approach – Research Methodology

The Research Methodology section should contain the following sub-headings:

Research approach

Research design and strategy

Approach to data collection and analysis of findings

A research proposal’s methodology outlines the strategy for conducting an investigation in order to answer a research question. In this section you will briefly review different approaches, designs, procedures, and methods for investigating your area of research. You will describe your research design and the specific tools that will be used to help you to meet your research goals. Regardless of research design and choice of research methods chosen, it should be realistic and feasible, and be formulated with time and resource constraints in mind.

What is your overall methodology?

Are you using an inductive or deductive approach? Have you discussed the strengths and weaknesses of your chosen method and how you will work with them?

What will be the role of quantitative and/or qualitative data in your work?

What methods have you chosen within your methodology?

Why have you chosen it? Why is it appropriate for your study?

How will you go about collecting your data? Who? How many? How and Why? When and Where?

How will you go about analysing your findings? Are there any specific techniques/tools or software that you might use?

Reference in text to justify and support.

Business and/or managerial implications of your research

What are the business and/or managerial implications of your proposed research? Why would businesses/ managers/ society find your research interesting/ worthwhile?

Limitations of the proposed study

Are there any limits with regards to your proposed instruments, sample, time and resource constraints?

Are there any issues with regards to access that you need to consider/ acknowledge?

Ethical issues and considerations

Provide a complete Ethics Triage form for your methods (may be attached as an appendix). Plus outline what are the ethical issues that arise with your proposal in relation to you, your respondents and others? What measures will you take to deal with them? Have you identified an appropriate code of ethics that you will adhere to? Reference DMU Code of Ethics and maybe one other research methodology ethics reference.

Conclusions

Your conclusion should not include the introduction of any new material or ideas.

Does your conclusion….

– Summarise the argument and key points you have made?

– Present its points in a punchy manner using the technical terms and concepts you have discussed in your argument?

Remember – your conclusion is about the proposal!!

Research timetable/schedule

You should provide a realistic timetable/ schedule outlining all the key stages in the dissertation process and the time you would allocate to each task. This can be presented in the form of a Gantt chart or table.

Have you identified all the key tasks that you will need to undertake in your dissertation?

Is a realistic amount of time allocated to each phase of your work?

To what extent will various stages of the work overlap with each other?

If October 2022 starter then timeline 1 June 2023 to 8^th September 2023

If January 2023 starter then timeline 1 February 2024 to 12the May 2024

References & Writing Style

A reference list should be provided at the end of your proposal and should include all the material cited in the main text. It should be presented using the Harvard System of referencing.

Further information on University mark descriptors can be found here. 

This assignment is designed to assess the following learning outcomes: 

Demonstrate an understanding of the main methodological approaches relevant to business and management research (Assessment 1)

Identify a suitable research topic and appropriate (focused) objectives aligned with their programme of study (Assessment 1)

Assessment Details

The word count is 2000-2600 WORDS

There will be a penalty of a deduction of 10% of the mark for work exceeding the word limit by 10% or more.

The word limit includes quotations and citations, but excludes tables, figures AND the references list.

How to Submit your Assessment

The assessment must be submitted by 12:00 noon (GMT/BST) on 12/05/23. No paper copies are required. You can access the submission link through the module blackboard site.

Your coursework will be given a zero mark if you do not submit a copy through Turnitin. Please take care to ensure that you have fully submitted your work.

Please ensure that you have submitted your work using the correct file format, unreadable files will receive a mark of zero. The Faculty accepts Microsoft Office and PDF documents, unless otherwise advised by the module leader.

All work submitted after the submission deadline without a valid and approved reason will be subject to the University regulations on late submissions.

If an assessment is submitted up to 14 days late the mark for the work will be capped at the pass mark of 40 per cent for undergraduate modules or 50 per cent for postgraduate modules

If an assessment is submitted beyond 14 calendar days late the work will receive a mark of zero per cent

The above applies to a student’s first attempt at the assessment. If work submitted as a reassessment of a previously failed assessment task is submitted later than the deadline the work will immediately be given a mark of zero per cent

If an assessment which is marked as pass/fail rather than given a percentage mark is submitted later than the deadline, the work will immediately be marked as a fail

The University wants you to do your best. However, we know that sometimes events happen which mean that you can’t submit your coursework by the deadline – these events should be beyond your control and not easy to predict.  If this happens, you can apply for an extension to your deadline for up to two weeks, or if you need longer, you can apply for a deferral, which takes you to the next assessment period (for example, to the re-sit period following the main Assessment Boards). You must apply before the deadline. You will find information about applying for extensions and deferrals here.

Students MUST keep a copy and/or an electronic file of their assignment.

Checks will be made on your work using anti-plagiarism software and approved plagiarism checking websites.

Return of Marked Work

You can expect to have feedback returned to you on 05/06/23 (15 working days). If for any reason there is a delay you will be kept informed. Marks and feedback will be provided online. It is important that you access the feedback you receive as this will help to make improvements to your later work, you can request a meeting with your Module Leader or Personal Tutor to discuss your feedback in more detail.

Marks will have been internally moderated only, and will therefore be provisional; your mark will be formally agreed later in the year once the external examiner has completed their review. More information on assessment and feedback can be found here.

Academic Integrity

In submitting a piece of work for assessment it is essential that you understand the University’s requirements for maintaining academic integrity and ensure that the work does not contravene University regulations. Some examples of behaviour that would not be considered acceptable include plagiarism, re-use of previously assessed work, collusion with others and purchasing your assignment from a third party. For more information on academic offences, bad academic practice, and academic penalties, please read chapter four of our academic regulations.

Academic Support and Your Well-being

Referencing is the process of acknowledging other people’s work when you have used it in your assignment or research. It allows the reader to locate your source material as quickly and easily as possible so that they can read these sources themselves and verify the validity of your arguments. Referencing provides the link between what you write and the evidence on which it is based.

You identify the sources that you have used by citing them in the text of your assignment (called citations or in-text citations) and referencing them at the end of your assignment (called the reference list or end-text citations). The reference list only includes the sources cited in your text. The main referencing guide can be found here and includes information on the basics of referencing and achieving good academic practice. It also has tabs for the specific referencing styles depending on whether you require Harvard style used in business or OSCOLA style used by the Law school.

The University has a wealth of support services available to students; further information can be obtained from Student Gateway, the Student Advice Centre, Library and Learning Services and, most importantly, your Personal Tutor. If you are struggling with your assessments and/or deadlines please do seek help as soon as possible so that appropriate support and guidance can be identified and put in place for you. More information can be found on the Healthy DMU pages.