Assessment Criteria
| Assignment task | |
| The assignment for your final piece of assessment for this module is to carry out an empirical research project using quantitative data analysis. The aim of the project is to devise a brief questionnaire, collect data and the analyse the data using SPSS and then write a 1,500-word report on your findings. Your reference list and any appendices do not count towards your 1,500- word limit. Details of what needs to be in the report are outlined below. Guidance will be provided in class. Do not commence data collection until the Lecturer has agreed your topic area. Collecting data before your topic is agreed by the module leader is a breach of ethics and may result in you failing the assessment. |
|
| This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your achievement of the following module learning outcomes: |
|
| LO 1 | Critically evaluate and assess epistemological positions, research design and ethical issues in relation to social scientific research. |
| LO 2 | Demonstrate understanding and knowledge of quantitative social research |
| LO 3 | Analyse quantitative data using SPSS and link the results to wider social scientific literature. |
| Module code and title: |
LC572: Quantitative Research Methods for Social Scientists |
Module leader: | Nelson Anti |
| Assignment No. and type: |
CW1 – Coursework | Assessment weighting: |
80% |
| Submission time and date: |
26-May-23 | Target feedback time and date: |
3 weeks |
| Task requirements |
| Your report must include the following elements and be presented in the following order: • Title • Abstract • Introduction to include o Introduction to the topic area your research explored o Rationale for doing the research o Research questions and aims • Literature review of previous research on the topic you have chosen to write about • Methodology o Methods used and rationale for these o Sampling and rationale for this o Research process – (e.g. what you did in practice) o Ethical considerations – (e.g. what you did to ensure your research was ethical) • Results – statistical results from quantitative projects (includes copies of SPSS tables) • Discussion • Reflection: reflect on how you feel about using quantitative data and how you approached the module with reference to your study group and how useful you found collaboration • Conclusion • Reference list • Appendices (a copy of your questionnaire) |
| Referencing and research requirements |
| Please reference your work according to the Harvard style as defined in Cite Them Right Online (http://www.citethemrightonline.com). This information is also available in book form: Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2019) Cite them right: the essential reference guide. 11th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Copies are available via the University library. |
| How your work will be assessed |
| Your work will be assessed according to the following criteria: • Satisfactory completion of all elements • Coherence of research project as a whole (i.e. coherent relationship between research aims, literature review, methods used, discussion and conclusion) • Evidence of quality of research and reflexivity • Understanding • Quality of analysis of data and discussion • Quality of academic writing • Breadth and quality of academic sources • Referencing |
IMPORTANT: REFER TO THE MARKING CRITERIA IN YOUR STUDENT HANDBOOK
FOR GRADING GUIDELINES
| Submission details |
| • You are reminded of the University’s regulations on academic integrity, which can be viewed on the University website: https://www.bucks.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2021-07/academic-integrity policy.pdf. In submitting your assignment, you are acknowledging that you have read and understood these regulations • Please also note that work that is submitted up to 10 working days beyond the submission date will be considered a late submission. Late submissions will be marked and the actual mark recorded, but will be capped at the pass mark (typically 40%), provided that the work is of a passing standard. Work submitted after this period will not be marked and will be treated as a non-submission. |
| Before you submit |
| • Please use the provided checklist below to make sure you are ‘fit to submit’ your work • We recommend you use this checklist as soon as you get this assignment brief to help you plan your work |
| Fit to Submit: Assignment Checklist |
| This brief assignment checklist is designed to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes students make in their coursework. Have you read the assignment brief? If not, do so now! In it you will find details of the assessment task, word count, the assessment criteria your work is marked against, and the learning outcomes – the basis for the assessment strategy in each module. Students often lose marks by forgetting some of the more straightforward elements of their assignments. We recommend that you “tick off” each of the points below as you prepare your work for submission. If you need any help, ask your tutor and/or visit https://bucks.ac.uk/students/academicadvice/assessment-and-examination Have you read and understood the assessment criteria? Have you met the learning outcomes? You will lose marks and your work may even be failed if you have not. Have you demonstrated you can think and write critically in the completed work? This means you have supported your arguments/explanations appropriately e.g. using relevant academic sources and you have offered discussion points which extends your own or others’ viewpoints to make reasoned conclusions/judgements. Have you maintained an appropriate tone throughout your work? Is your work formal, focused, developed and clear? Have you checked that the referencing in your assignment is in line with your programme requirements? Have you proof-read your work and used spellcheck software to check your spelling and grammar? Have you checked the presentation of your work is as specified by your tutor, for example, are font size, colour, style, line spacing and margins as the tutor specified? Have you kept to the word count (or equivalent)? If you are not sure, check with your tutor. Can you confirm that the work submitted is your own and maintains academic integrity? |