This is a group assignment with
specific individual components.
Groups choose from the list of
topics that are based on the lectures. However, in this assignment you must do
better than recycle the lecture. You are to research your topic in more depth
providing evidence of independent research. The set of topics will be provided
from which your group must choose on a ‘first-come, first-served basis’.
Note that each topic has a group
component to which each group member must contribute. However there are also
specific individual components which have been defined.
You will deliver your research
topic findings in a presentation at any time during the trimester. The presentation
is primarily assessed on presentation technique. Your tutor will make
suggestions on improving the academic quality of your assignment.
You may improve the quality of
the assignment for the written report at any time up until submission date at
the end of the semester. It is at this point that the academic quality of your
research is assessed.
10
15
TOTAL 25
Research Paper 2 (25%)
Presentation
Students form into groups and
nominate their broad research topic. Research on the broad topic is a group
activity and each student must contribute to that work. Each student in the
group will then research, in depth, an individual component drawn from the
broad research topic.
The live presentation (worth 10%)
must be organised as a business presentation. Strict adherence to the ten
minute limit is expected so the time should be carefully allocated to allow for
a very short introduction on the broad topic followed by a few minutes
allocated to each student to present their individual component.
The presentation is primarily
assessed on presentation technique. Your tutor will make suggestions on how the
academic content can be improved and that will only be assessed on the written
report due in the final week of the semester. Students can therefore choose to
present at any time in the semester and it is suggested that you make the
decision to present earlier rather than later when there will be many
assignments falling due.
Research Report
The final report on your topic
will be written up as a seminar report (worth 15%) and submitted to your
lecturer by the end of the semester. You may incorporate ideas generated in the
live presentation. That written report should begin with the broad research
topic which is followed by each individual component identified by the
individual student who prepared it.
Organisation of the research
report – a key ingredient to writing a successful report involves the planning
or organising stage. Organising can help you to sort out your ideas and to
present your report in the order that communicates best to your readers. Your
essay is to be structured and written as a business report. It, therefore, must
begin with a Management Summary within which you state in stark form (i.e.
unsupported by argument) what you are asserting in this report and you must do
that in less than two pages.
As already stated above, you
begin the main body of the report with some general background on the broad
research topic. This introduction should end with a brief paragraph outlining
the plan of the rest of the essay What follows is the specific issues of each
individual component which were considered. As for any good business report
these components should be structured into sections and sub-sections and the
heading for these should be in the Table of Contents. In these individual
components the in-depth discussion of the relevant issues is elaborated based
on the existing literature and/or data. You must provide in-text references to
your sources. The last section of the report contains a brief summary followed
by a complete list of references that are cited in the text of the essay.
Follow a standard referencing method consistently.
Suggested limits are as follows:
Management Summary: ideally one page but no
more than two.
Sections 1: Introduction 400-600 words,
Section 2: Main body of the essay consisting
of each of the individual components limit each component to approximately 1,000 words each,
Sections 3: Conclusions 100-300 words,
Summary and Complete List of References (5-15
references).
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