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Assessment Brief
Module Name:
Module Code Level Credit Value Module Leader STRM059 7 30
Assessment title:
Research Project Report (7500 words)
Weighting: 100%
Submission dates: 7 Jan 2023
Feedback and
Grades due:
Please see NILE under Assessment Information
Please read this assessment brief in its entirety before starting work on the Assessment Task.
Purpose of Assessment
The purpose of this assignment is to enable learners to develop advanced-level independent
research and critical problem-solving skills within a business context. Learners will develop
knowledge of, proficiency in, and application of a range of management research
methodologies including qualitative and quantitative research methods resulting in proposals/
recommendations.
The Assessment Task
In the current international economic environment, entrepreneurs and managers are
frequently required to undertake business planning, project and consultancy work in addition
to their core responsibilities. Frequently, these projects are focused upon investigating new
business opportunities or potential strategic changes in order to create, retain and extend
competitive position.
The assessment task is to produce a 7500 words (±10%) research project report based on an
independent research, which investigates a business/organisational or management problem,
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issue or challenge, applies appropriate research techniques and analysis, and consequently
informs the development of a business plan and/ or results in recommendations for change.
Where the submission exceeds the stipulated word limit by more than 10%, the submission will
only be marked up to and including the additional 10%. Anything over this will not be included
in the final grade for the assessment item. Abstracts, bibliographies, reference lists, appendices
and footnotes are excluded from any word limit requirements.
Where a submission is notably under the word limit, the full submission will be marked on the
extent to which the requirements of the assessment brief have been met.
Additional Guidance
Projects should be submitted with the UoN Faculty of Business & Law Ethics Form which has
been signed by your project supervisor. The blank Ethics Form, sample Participant Information
and Consent Forms/ Templates are available at the end of this assignment brief. Please see
NILE for additional guidance about appendices.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:
Subject-Specific Knowledge, Understanding & Application
a) Critically assess and apply theoretical concepts, constructs and models required to analyse
business-related problems, plans and issues.
b) Evaluate and implement appropriate research methodologies to examine management and
business-related issues.
c) Enact appropriate ethical standards and use suitable tools to collect quantitative and
qualitative data.
d) Demonstrate the ability to link question formulation or research aim and objectives to data
analyses, interpretations and implication of results.
Employability & Changemaker Skills
e) Define and express succinct and measurable targets, within business and organisational
contexts.
Your grade will depend on the extent to which you meet these learning outcomes in the way
relevant for this assessment. Please see the grading rubric on NILE for further details of
the criteria against which you will be assessed.
Ethics Approval
Your primary research should be undertaken under cover of an authorised Ethics Application
that must include all supporting documentation (eg research instrument, participant
information sheet, informed consent form). If you do not include your approved Ethics Form
in your submission, 10% of your final grade will be deducted. If you do not have Ethics
Approval for your research, your submission will be an automatic AG (fail).
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SUGGESTED FORMAT FOR THE PROJECT REPORT
TITLE/ COVER PAGE
The following details should be stated on your title page: • The title of your project • Student name and number • Full Name & affiliation of Supervisor Your cover page should also include the University Logo and your Faculty of study
ABSTRACT
This is a summary of your report and should not be more than one page.
Essentially your Abstract is a summary (NOT an outline) of the different sections of the
proposal or report – for example a summary of the research topic describing the
project, in terms of some background information, your project aim, your methodology,
main outcomes and recommendations from your research.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank any people that have assisted/contributed to your project.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Provide a list of the sections of your project report with page numbers. Provide a list of the figures and tables presented in your project report, if applicable.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
• What is the setting/ context for your research project? • What is your project about? • What are the aim and objectives of your research project? • What is/ are your research question(s)
• Describe how your project will assist the organization that is under study, if
relevant and applicable.
• Describe the consultation process you have undertaken with the organization, if
applicable.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
What are the key concepts and theories that provide some background or platform for
your research project? Discussing these entails a thorough review of relevant studies
related to your research. Make sure you consult a wide range of relevant literature/
studies. Ensure this is a critical review – not just descriptive or an annotated
bibliography. All sources should be correctly attributed using the Harvard Referencing
format.
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
• What methodology did you adopt and why? • What is the principle or philosophy that guides & shapes your research project and
why (example Positivist, interpretivist; inductive/deductive, etc.)?
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• Who is your target audience or your research sample and why? • What methods did you employ for collecting data and why? • How did you ensure adequate ethical procedure? • What are your hypotheses, if applicable?
• How did you analyse your data (analytical and statistical procedures employed) and why?
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS/ FINDINGS
• Provide clear and logical presentation of the findings or results of your research,
sighting corresponding examples/ instances from your collected/ generated data o
These might include tables, graphs or other diagrams
• Ensure your results correspond with your stated research objectives/ research
questions, or hypotheses (if applicable)
• You might want to consider integrating this section with Chapter 5 (below) or it can
be a standalone Chapter.
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION
• Provide an analytical/ critical discussion of your findings/ results aimed at
addressing your research objectives or answering your stated research
question(s)/ hypotheses.
o Refer to any diagrams, questionnaire results, graphs, etc. discussed/ presented in
the Results/ Findings Chapter
• What are the implications of your findings? • How do your findings link with existing research?
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
• What do your findings show? • What were the limitations of your project? • What recommendations would you make on the basis of your findings/ results?
• Do you think your recommendations are innovative or entrepreneurial? Present
your arguments such that they demonstrate how and why you think your
recommendations are innovative or entrepreneurial.
CHAPTER 7: REFERENCES
• Full details of all the sources cited in your report. These should be formatted based on the recommended Harvard Referencing System
GUIDANCE ON APPENDICES
• These should include any material which is of interest, but which is peripheral to
the project, e.g. approved ethics form, sample participant information sheet &
consent form, tables of results, graphs, photos, raw data from surveys and
interviews, etc. • You should try and keep any such appendices to a minimum.
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Assessment Support
Specific support sessions for this assessment will be provided by the module team and
notified through NILE. You can also access individual support and guidance for your
assessments from Library and Learning Services. Visit the Skills Hub to access this support
and to discover the online support also available for assessments and academic skills.
Academic Integrity and Misconduct
Unless this is a group assessment, the work you produce must be your own, with work taken
from any other source properly referenced and attributed. For the avoidance of doubt this
means that it is an infringement of academic integrity and, therefore, academic misconduct to
ask someone else to carry out all or some of the work for you, whether paid or unpaid, or to
use the work of another student whether current or previously submitted.
For further guidance on what constitutes plagiarism, contract cheating or collusion, or any other
infringement of academic integrity, please read the University’s Academic Integrity and
Misconduct Policy. Also useful resources to help with understanding academic integrity are
available from UNPAC .
N.B. The penalties for academic misconduct are severe and can include failing the
assessment, failing the module and expulsion from the university.
Assessment Submission
To submit your work, please go to the ‘Submit your work’ area on the NILE site and use the
relevant submission point to upload your report. The deadline for this is 11.59pm (UK local
time) on the date of submission. Please note that essays and text based reports should be
submitted as word documents and not PDFs or Mac files.
Written work submitted to TURNITIN will be subject to anti-plagiarism detection software.
Turnitin checks student work for possible textual matches against internet available resources
and its own proprietary database. Work
When you upload your work correctly to TURNITIN you will receive a receipt which is your
record and proof of submission. If your assessment is not submitted to TURNITIN, rather
than a receipt, you will see a green banner at the top of the screen that denotes successful
submission.
N.B Work emailed directly to your tutor will not be marked.
Late submission of work
For first sits, if an item of assessment is submitted late and an extension has not been
granted, the following will apply:
• Within one week of the original deadline – work will be marked and returned with full
feedback, and awarded a maximum bare pass grade.
• More than one week from original deadline – grade achievable LG (L indicating late).
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For resits there are no allowances for work submitted late and it will be treated as a non-
submission.
Please see the Assessment and Feedback Policy for full information on the processes related to
assessment, grading and feedback, including anonymous grading. You will also find the generic
grading criteria for achievement at University Grading Criteria. Also explained there are the
meanings of the various G grades at the bottom of the grading scale including LG mentioned
above.
Extensions
The University of Northampton’s general policy with regard to extensions is to be supportive
of students who have genuine difficulties, but not against pressures of work that could have
reasonably been anticipated.
For full details please refer to the Extensions Policy. Extensions are only available for first sits
– they are not available for resits.
Mitigating Circumstances
For guidance on Mitigating circumstances please go to Mitigating Circumstances where you
will find detailed guidance on the policy as well as guidance and the form for making an
application.
Please note, however, that an application to defer an assessment on the grounds of mitigating
circumstances should normally be made in advance of the submission deadline or
examination date.
Feedback and Grades
These can be accessed through clicking on the Feedback and Grades tab on NILE. Feedback
will be provided by a rubric with summary comments.
