Unit 19 - Research Project

Assignment Brief

Student Name/ID
Number

Unit Number and Title Unit 19: Research Project

Academic Year 2023

Unit Tutor Ms. Thenuja

Assignment Title Task 1: Research Proposal

Task 2: Final Project with VIVA

Issue Date 26.02.2024

Submission Date Task 1: 30.05.2024

Task 2: Will be informed

Plagiarism Policy
The submission of work that borrows ideas, words, diagrams, or anything else
from another source (or sources), without appropriate acknowledgement,
constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism is not limited to unattributed cutting-and-
pasting; it includes the reproduction, without acknowledgement, of someone
else's work, taken from a published (or unpublished) article, a book, a website,
a friend’s (or anybody else’s) assignment, or any other source. When an
assignment or report uses information from other sources, the student must
carefully acknowledge exactly what, where and how s/he has used them. If
someone else’s words are used, they must be within quotation marks and a
reference must follow the quotation. Failing to do so leads to academic
misconduct. Academic misconduct is defined as any type of cheating in an
assessment for the purposes of achieving personal gain. When it is determined
that academic misconduct has taken place, a range of penalties may be
prescribed which includes expulsion from the programme.
Student Declaration

I certify that the assignment submission is entirely my own work and I fully
understand the consequences of plagiarism. I understand that making a false
declaration is a form of malpractice.

Student signature: Date:

Submission Format

Submission is in the form of an academic report. This should be written in a concise,

formal business style using font size 12. You are required to make use of headings,

paragraphs and subsections as appropriate, and all work must be supported with

research and referenced using the Harvard referencing system. A bibliography

should be provided using the Harvard referencing system. The recommended

length is 3,000 words, but you will not be penalised for exceeding this. You must

ensure you support the written report with a range of graphical illustrations and

appropriate appendices.

Unit Learning Outcomes

LO1 Examine appropriate research methodologies and methods to identify those

appropriate to the research process
LO2 Develop a research proposal, including a supporting literature review
LO3 Analyse data using appropriate techniques to communicate research findings.
LO4 Reflect on the application of research methodologies and process.

Transferable skills and competencies developed

Analytical Skills
Quantitative and Qualitative Research
Academic Writing
Statistical Data Analysis

Vocational scenario

Assume that you are working as a trainee business consultant for a Sri Lankan

organization committed to corporate social responsibility (CSR), you have been tasked

with assessing the feasibility of the CSR initiatives. In this role, you will propose a

research plan outlining chosen methodologies and processes, supported by an

academically underpinned literature review.

Assignment activity and guidance
You must present a research proposal, including how you are going to address the

identified problem area providing both theoretical and practical justifications.

In doing so, you will have to follow the following steps:

1. Complete a Literature Review

You need to know what the key literature is related to the research objective in order

to plan a research study to explore the phenomenon. Conduct a literature review

using a range of sources relating to the research topic. Evaluate the validity and

reliability of the sources, discussing current understanding on the research topic area.

In your report discuss the sources of literature found and how they relate or

otherwise to the research topic. Your report should critically evaluate literature in

order to assess the validity of the literature in supporting the research topic.

2. Develop a project proposal for researching the research objective identified

Your research proposal identifies the purpose of the research project with clear aim

and objectives and justifies the chosen research methods in terms of the research

question. Discuss the ethical issues which will need to be considered and examine the

research methods and approaches to be taken. Prepare an action plan with target

dates and methods for monitoring and updating your activities to ensure you meet

the deadline for the final written report.

You may use the following structure in preparing your research proposal.

Title Page

It is important that you state clearly, at the beginning of the assignment, what its title

is, which module it applies to and your name as the author. You should also include

the College name, report title and the date.

Executive Summary

A summary should be provided, so that people can see at a glance what the report is

about. You should mention your key findings, conclusions and recommendations.

This summary is usually printed immediately after the title page.

Contents Page

Page numbers as well as section/chapter titles should be included If the report

incorporates some appendices, their titles should be listed.

Acknowledgements

A list of names, roles and organisations (if relevant) of all of those who helped you

when compiling the report should be listed.

1. Background of the study

The background of the study establishes the context of the research. This section

explains why this particular research topic is important and essential in

understanding the main aspects of the study. The background forms the first section

of a research article/thesis and justifies the need for conducting the study and

summarizes what the study aims to achieve. In this section, you can outline the

historical developments in the literature that led to the current topic of research

concisely.

2. Research Problem

Provide a definite or clear expression [statement] about an area of concern, a

condition to be improved upon, a difficulty to be eliminated that you intend to study.

Provide a clear declaration of originality mentioning a knowledge gap, which would be

supported by the literature review. In this section you should additionally, provide

some key information about the organization in which your research is based and

state why the study is important to the organization. There should be an indication of

the central focus of the study, and an explanation of the study's significance or the
benefits to be derived from an investigating the problem.

3. Research Questions

These are a series of questions that ‘unpack’ the problem. Break down the problem

into 2 – 4 sub questions. Answering the research question should lead to answering

the research problem. The formulation of research question entails,

 identifying key issues that contributes to the problem

 identifying how the problem is constructed by different interrelated

components

Once you’ve answered the research questions your research problem should have

been answered.

4. Research Objectives

These should be directly drawn from research questions. Like research questions,

objectives should also be clear. They should be stated in action form. They should

also state the empirical domain of the study. Some useful terms: To

identify/investigate/compare/evaluate.

5. Significance of the Study

The significance of the study is basically the importance of your research. Significance

of the study provides information to the reader on how the study will contribute. It

must be specifically stated, however, what the study will contribute and who will

benefit from it.

6. Scope and Limitations

The scope of a study explains the extent to which the research area will be explored

in the work and specifies the parameters within the study will be operating. Basically,

this means that you will have to define what the study is going to cover and what it is

focusing on. Similarly, you also have to define what the study is not going to cover.

This will come under the limitations. Generally, the scope of a research paper is
followed by its limitations.

7. Literature Review

A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. The

literature review surveys scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to a

particular area of research. The review should enumerate, describe, summarize,

objectively evaluate and clarify this previous research. It should give a theoretical

base for the research and help you determine the nature of your research. The

literature review acknowledges the work of previous researchers, and in so doing,

assures the reader that your work has been well conceived. It is assumed that by

mentioning a previous work in the field of study, that the author has read, evaluated,

and integrated that work into the work at hand.

8. Conceptual Framework

A conceptual framework is used to illustrate what you expect to find through your

research, including how the variables you are considering might relate to each other.

The basic design components are boxes, arrows, and lines. Create a box for each

variable. Use arrows to indicate cause-effect relationships. Each arrow should start

from the variable that has causal influence and point to the variable that is being

affected.

9. Hypotheses

A hypothesis is a tentative statement about the relationship between two or

more variables. It is a specific, testable prediction about what you expect to happen in

a study. Make sure the hypotheses you draw are supported by the literature and

consistent to your model.

10. Research Design

State the philosophical stance that you will take, the research approach and research

strategy.
11. Sample

This section discusses about the target population, sampling technique use to draw

the sample and the sample size of your own study.

12. Data Collection

Mention about the type of data used, method used to collect the data.

13. Data Analysis Methods

To answer your research questions, you will have to analyze the data you collected. In

this section you have to specify the techniques that you will be using to analyze that

you will be collecting.

Quantitative data analysis: To analyze numerical data, you will probably use

statistical methods. These generally require applications such as Excel, SPSS or E

Views. Statistical methods can be used to analyze averages, frequencies,

patterns, correlations between variables and regression. When creating your research

design, you should clearly define your variables and formulate hypotheses about the

relations between them. Then you can choose appropriate statistical methods to test

these hypotheses.

Qualitative data analysis: Analyzing words or images is often a more flexible

process that involves the researcher’s subjective judgements. You might focus on

identifying and categorizing key themes, interpreting patterns and narratives, or

understanding social context and meaning. When creating your research design, you

should consider what approach you will take to analyze the data. The main themes

and categories might only emerge after you have collected the data, but you need to

decide what you want to achieve in the analysis.

14. List of References

All references within the body (intext citations) should be listed in the correct Harvard
format (end text citations).

Important Notes

 Use credible sources of references. Research articles on relevant topics are highly

recommended and appreciated.

 Any sources of references without the author and the published date are not

recommended.

 Use Harvard Referencing. Improper referencing will be considered academic

misconduct and will be penalized.

Recommended Resources
Please note that the resources listed are examples for you to use as a starting
point in your research – the list is not definitive.
FLICK, U. (2020) Introducing Research Methodology: A Beginner’s Guide to Doing a
Research Project. 3rd Ed. London: SAGE.
GRAY, D. (2017) Doing Research in the Real World. 4th Ed. London: SAGE.
SAUNDERS, M., LEWIS, P. and THORNHILL, A. (2019) Research Methods for
BusinessStudents. 6th Ed. Harlow: Pearson.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Pass Merit Distinction

LO1 Examine appropriate research methodologies and

methods to identify those appropriate to the research
process

P1 Examine alternative M1 Evaluate alternative

research methodologies. research methodologies
and data collection
P2 Explore alternative methods and justify
methods and tools used choices made based on
for the collection of philosophical/theoretical
research data that frameworks. D1 Justify chosen research
consider costs, ethics and methodologies and processes
access. supported by a credible
academically underpinned
LO2 Develop a research proposal, including a literature review.
supporting literature review

P3 Produce a research M2 Evaluate the merits,

proposal, including a limitations and pitfalls of
defined aim and objectives approaches to data
supported by a literature collection in compiling the
review. research proposal.

Task 2
Assignment guidelines
Conduct research and communicate to the intended audience the research
findings and outcomes, including justified recommendations by providing a
critical reflection of self and for future research.

Submission Format

Submission is in the form of an academic report. This should be written in a concise,

formal business style using font size 12. You are required to make use of headings,

paragraphs and subsections as appropriate, and all work must be supported with

research and referenced using the Harvard referencing system. A bibliography

should be provided using the Harvard referencing system. The recommended

length is 4,000 – 6,000 words, but you will not be penalised for exceeding this. You
must ensure you support the written report with a range of graphical illustrations

and appropriate appendices. There will be a viva session at the end of task 2

completion and the participation is mandatory.

General Formatting

 Margin – right, top and bottom -1”, left 1.5”

 Font – Times New Roman
 Font size – Body 12, Heading 14(for heading first letter capital excluding
preposition and conjunctions, bolded)
 Line spacing – 1.5
 Paragraph – Single line
 Footer - page no. at the right

Unit Learning Outcomes

LO1 Examine appropriate research methodologies and methods to identify those

appropriate to the research process
LO2 Develop a research proposal, including a supporting literature review
LO3 Analyse data using appropriate techniques to communicate research findings.
LO4 Reflect on the application of research methodologies and process.

Transferable skills and competencies developed

Analytical Skills
Quantitative and Qualitative Research
Academic Writing
Statistical Data Analysis

Vocational scenario

Assume that you are working as a trainee business consultant for a Sri Lankan

organization committed to corporate social responsibility (CSR), you have been tasked

with assessing the feasibility of the CSR initiatives. In this role, based on the research

proposal you have submitted, conduct a research and present the findings with
relevant conclusion and recommnedations.

Assignment activity and guidance

Upon the approval of the proposal for the selected organization you are required to

undertake the following steps to collate, analyse and present your findings. This will

be presented in the form of a research report in the board meeting of the company.

This would mandate you to continue with the following steps.

Carry out independent primary research

Design, implement, collect and critically analyse data. For example, using a

survey/questionnaire/interview or other primary research technique collect data and

then present and analyse findings. Present your findings using visual illustrations e.g.

bar charts/pie graphs/tables. Your report will include the critical analysis of data and

the advantages and disadvantages of the research methods and approaches taken to

data collection.

Communicate outcomes - Report

Develop a report that provides valid and justified recommendations for the business

organisation based on the analysis of the research both primary and secondary. Your

findings and outcomes must be based on the research proposal objective/s and refer

back to this in drawing your conclusions. Finally, critically reflect on how you have

conducted the project, the lessons learnt and the alternatives you would consider in

the future with recommendations for actions to be taken forward.

Please see below for guidance on a report format:

Title Page

It is important that you state clearly, at the beginning of the assignment, what its title

is, which module it applies to and your name as the author. You should also include
the College name, report title and the date.

Executive Summary

A summary should be provided, so that people can see at a glance what the report is

about. You should mention your key findings, conclusions and recommendations.

This summary is usually printed immediately after the title page.

Contents Page

Page numbers as well as section/chapter titles should be included. If the report

incorporates some appendices, their titles should be listed.

Acknowledgements

A list of names, roles and organisations (if relevant) of all of those who helped you

when compiling the report should be listed.

Terms of Reference

Refer to your project proposal.

Introduction

This section should provide some of the background of the subject that forms the

principle theme of your report. If the report is designed to solve a perceived

‘problem’, the history of the ‘problem’ can be reviewed here, culminating in the

situation that prompted the report to be written. You should also provide some key

information about the organisation in which your research is based.

Methodology

This section is needed for the reader to judge the authenticity of the ‘evidence’ that

comprises the main body of the report. All sources should be mentioned and, if

appropriate, describe how you put together your questionnaire or survey. Copies of

questionnaires, interview questions etc. should be included in the appendices. If any

published documents were studied, this should be mentioned here.

Main Body

This is likely to comprise many paragraphs or sections. It is often useful to break up

your assignment into subheadings. This section should be structured around the key

themes of your research. Use tables, charts if possible. Your presentation of data is

important. This section should bring together your secondary and primary research
and your findings.

Conclusions

In this section you should say what your facts or findings mean i.e. discuss the key

implications arising from the wealth of detail you may have collected. Your findings

and outcomes should be related back to your initial research objective and proposal.

The conclusions should not incorporate any new facts.

Recommendations

Your recommendations should clearly spell out your ideas to enable them to be acted

upon. In particular, if your proposals involve expenditure, you must supply a cost

benefit evaluation to show what it costs and what management will get from it.

Bibliography

All references in the report should be listed in the correct Harvard format.

Appendices

All detailed statistical tabulations, graphs, lists, questionnaires etc. should be

organised into separate appendices. Include a list of references (sources that are

actually cited in the report itself). Nothing should be included that isn’t referred to in

the main body of the report.

Guidance for Students

You should read this information before starting to define and work through your

research brief. You should refer to these instructions as you are completing work for

this unit.

 Conduct your research as outlined in the proposal agreed with your tutor.

 Carry out your research, analyse your research findings and draw conclusions.

Apply qualitative and/or quantitative research methods to evaluate data collected

from primary research.

 Communicate your research outcomes in a manner appropriate to your audience.

 You will be asked to reflect on the success of your research project and evaluate

the problems/ issues encountered.

 You must complete the research project in order to complete your work for this

unit.

Important Notes
 Use credible sources of references. Research articles on relevant topics are highly

recommended and appreciated.

 Any sources of references without the author and the published date are not

recommended.

 Use Harvard Referencing. Improper referencing will be considered academic

misconduct and will be penalized.

Recommended Resources
Please note that the resources listed are examples for you to use as a starting
point in your research – the list is not definitive.
FLICK, U. (2020) Introducing Research Methodology: A Beginner’s Guide to Doing a
Research Project. 3rd Ed. London: SAGE.
GRAY, D. (2017) Doing Research in the Real World. 4th Ed. London: SAGE.
SAUNDERS, M., LEWIS, P. and THORNHILL, A. (2019) Research Methods for
BusinessStudents. 6th Ed. Harlow: Pearson.

Pass Merit Distinction

LO3 Analyse data using appropriate techniques to

communicate research findings.

P4 Conduct research using M3 Present the analysis of D2 Communicate to the

appropriate methods for a data utilising appropriate intended audience the
business research project. analytical techniques, research findings and
charts and tables to meet outcomes, including
P5 Analyse data from the research aim and justified
research findings to communicate outcomes. recommendations.
communicate research
outcomes in an appropriate
manner for the intended
audience.

LO4 Reflect on the application of research

methodologies and process.
P6 Reflect on the M4 Demonstrate self-
effectiveness of research reflection and engagement D3 Demonstrate critical
methods applied in meeting in the research project self-reflection and insight
objectives of the business process, leading to that results in
research project. recommended actions for recommended actions for
future improvement. improvements to inform
P7 Consider alternative future research.
research methodologies
and lessons learnt in view
of outcomes.
Pass Merit Distinction

LO3 Analyse data using appropriate techniques to

communicate research findings.

P4 Conduct research using M3 Present the analysis of D2 Communicate to the

appropriate methods for a data utilising appropriate intended audience the
business research project. analytical techniques, research findings and
charts and tables to meet outcomes, including
P5 Analyse data from the research aim and justified
research findings to communicate outcomes. recommendations.
communicate research
outcomes in an appropriate
manner for the intended
audience.

LO4 Reflect on the application of research

methodologies and process.

P6 Reflect on the M4 Demonstrate self- D3 Demonstrate critical

effectiveness of research reflection and engagement self-reflection and insight
methods applied in meeting in the research project that results in
objectives of the business process, leading to recommended actions for
research project. recommended actions for improvements to inform
future improvement. future research.
P7 Consider alternative
research methodologies
and lessons learnt in view
of outcomes.