This Assignment Is Designed So That You Can Demonstrate These Learning Outcomes 2

This Assignment is designed so that you can demonstrate these learning outcomes:• Identify and apply appropriate research methodologies • Construct and implement a realistic research timetable • Deliver a presentation on a chosen reseaarch topic • Critically reflect on data produced • Critically reflect on the ethical considerations of your chosen research topic

Details of the task:

A small-scale research project (2500 words) and presentation slides to summarise the research design and findings

You are required to conduct a small-scale research project employing at least two different data collection methods (e.g. questionnaire, observation, interview, etc.) and analyse your findings.

You need to choose ONE of the research questions from below for your small-scale research.

How effectively are UEL undergraduates planning their future lives and careers?

OR

What factors are important to UEL undergraduates to help them to learn effectively on their courses?

Guidance Notes

You are not required to write a literature review in this assignment, although that will be an important stage in your final management project. However, you may find it useful to scan one or two books or articles related to the subject of the research. This will give you some important pointers in planning your data collection. In other words, this might help you decide which questions you need to ask in questionnaires and interviews, or what to look for when you are carrying out observations.

For your research you should collect data from UEL students only. In your analysis you need to first justify your research methods and explain why these have been preferred to alternative methods. You should also explain your sampling method and how you arrived at the sample of students. You need to show your findings in qualitative (numerical) and/or qualitative (non-numerical) data with your commentary. You need to analyse the data in a way shows how it is relevant to your question. You should demonstrate how your analysis serves to answer the question.

You should reference research-methods books like your core text, Collis and Hussey (2009), to demonstrate the background reading you did to justify your choice of data collection and sampling methods.

You also need to attach presentation slides to your appendices. You will not need to make any presentations, but you will need to create PowerPoint or Word slides to summarise your research, as if you had to deliver a presentation. You should have no more than 6 slides. For example, you can have 1- Small scale research topic/question, 2- Brief introduction/significance 3- Methods used, sample and limitations, 4- Main findings, 5- Main discussion points. 6. Conclusions and limitations.

Structure

The Portfolio should contain the following:

Part One – small-scale research project

• Title page with the details of your chosen research question
• Contents page
• Introduction to the topic and research methods
• Findings – set out your data from each method of data collection and comment on the data
• Analysis and conclusion – develop the themes that have emerged across the questions and from different data collection methods. How have you answered the research question
• Reference List – mainly research methods texts
• Presentation slides in handout format

NB. More detailed ‘Assignment Instructions’ follow the assessment criteria on page 8. That section will tell you about presenting your work, where to find skills advice, the rules about the word count, using Turnitin and submitting your work. The section is very detailed but it is important that you have studied these details before you submit your work. You will also find the guidelines in case you have to claim extenuating circumstances, do a re-assessment or make an appeal.

Assessment criteria

These are the criteria we use to assess your work, but it is important for you to use them as a checklist as you are writing and before you submit. Under each criterion below, we have set out some features that we are looking for in your work. Does your assignment have the following features?

Assessment Criteria for Assignment 2

Application of Appropriate Techniques (30%)

Did you:

Employ at least two different research methods?

Explain how you arrived at your research design?

Explain how you collected and recorded your data systematically?

Include quantitative data sheets in the appendix?

Logical Sequence and Development (20%)

Did you:

Introduce the research?

Include a section on research methods?

Include a section to show your findings?

Include a section of broader analysis?

Include a conclusion?

Include a reference list?

Include Presentation slides in handout format?

Evidence of Background Reading (5%)

Cite research-methods books in the text, using author surname/s and date

to explain and justify your research methods?

Include page numbers in in-text references where you have used a quotation?

Have a reference list at the end, using Harvard-style layout?

Include all the in-text references in the reference list at the end?

Refer in the text to all references shown in the reference list?

Notrely on questionable Internet sources?

Appropriate Depth of Critical Analysis (40%)

Did you:

Justify your chosen data collection and sampling methods and explain why these have been preferred to alternative methods?

Present your quantitative findings clearly and systematically, using charts and graphs?

Present your qualitative findings clearly and systematically using a rigorous structure?

Comment on the interesting and surprising aspects of your findings?

Analyse the data using a variety of variables?

Analyse your overall findings comparing qualitative with quantitative data?

Conclude with your insights into the research question and how far you have answered it?

Summarise you research thoroughly but succinctly in your Presentation slides?

Writing and Presentation (5%)

Did you:

Use accurate spelling and grammar?

Present your writing attractively and consistently?

Present the PowerPoint presentation handout attractively and clearly?