Instructions for assessment
A. Summative assessment
Your coursework assignment is designed for you to demonstrate your knowledge of management research methods and to prepare you for writing your research proposal to meet the requirements of the dissertation module. You are required to write a report of 3,500 words on a topic of your choice as explained below.
Step 1: Select a topic of interest or business problem relevant to your degree specialisation or pathway, i.e. if you are on the generic International Management degree, your topic will have an International Management theme. If you are taking a pathway within that degree, you will focus on a topic related to the pathway (marketing, finance, or HRM).
The MBA would focus on topics relevant to strategic or operations management within an international business context.Choose a topicthat motivates you and that you are likely to pursue for your dissertation (you may change your mind later, but it will be to your advantage if you stick to it, so choose carefully). This will require some preliminary research into that specific area.
Step 2: For your chosen topic identify the body or bodies of knowledge that you consider relevant and find at least four or five academic journals that publish literature in this field. You should use key words or terms to search for the most relevant articles in these journals on your topic and identify the key authors by comparing the cited references across these papers.
You should start to build up a bibliography of relevant literature, which you will analyse to ascertain the research questions or problems addressed, theories drawn upon or developed and the range of research methods used.
Step 3: Present your analysis within a report containing 6 elements as detailed below:
1) An introduction that provides a brief commentary of key relevant literature. Be sure to justify your choice of these references in introducing the existing knowledge on your topic. (About 250 words)
2) A further section discussing particular conversations taking place in the relevant journals you have selected with a map of the literature using a visual presentation in the form of either a mind map, Venn diagram, or grandfather, father, son literature map. The map should show the relationship between key knowledge contributions (seminar 3 will cover suggested formats for your map). (About 750 words)
3) An analysis section which documents the research questions, theories, and methods used in the literature, including at least one table to show the extent of use of alternative research methods (seminar 3 and 4 will cover suggested formats for this table). (About 500 words)
4) A detailed critique of at least two well-used research methodologies in the literature you have reviewed. Discuss a) how they are applied; b) how the methods were deployed to provide a worthwhile contribution to theory and research and c) what gaps the methods may leave that could lend the area to further analysis (and an opportunity for your own research). (About 1500 words)
5) A conclusion with regard to those research question(s) you consider worthy of further investigation in the light of your analysis above, and a suitable research methodology for your own proposed investigation and potential research question/s. (About 500 words)
6) A bibliography containing a minimum of 12 references to relevant journal articles from good academic sources, including at least 6 published in the last 24 months and all cited in your analysis (seminar 4 will cover how to find quality articles and reference correctly).
Your report should be presented in good academic style, having been formatted using the Harvard referencing system and proofread for grammatical errors. It should not exceed 3,500 words including tables and figures, but excluding references.
Assessment Brief (see also separate document for further instructions)
Type of assessment: Individual written report on a topic of interest
Word count- 3,500 words
Instructions & Assessment Criteria
For the instructions and the assessment rubric see the separate documentcalled "MRM Assessment Brief" that is available on the respective Moodle site.
Formative assessment
Formative assessment is non-marked work designed to help you develop your main piece of coursework to an acceptable standard for submission.
We expect all students to complete the formative assessment which is an individual interim draft version of selected elements of the summative assessment (maximum 3 sides of A4) handed in as a hard copy during class in session 5 of the module.
This work will then be peer reviewed by a fellow student on the module with final comments from the module tutor. You will be asked to review someone else's work as part of this peer review process.
The work will be returned to you in session 7. This interim work will not attract marks but will provide you with valuable feedback on your progress to help you develop your own critiquing skills.
How will we support you with your assessment?
An early draft of sections 1, 2 and 6 to be prepared for the week 5 seminar. This workwillbe assessed by peers with feedback from the tutor and discussed in session 7.
Every seminar session is linked to your final piece of work to provide guidance and practice.
FAQs on Moodle
How will your work be assessed?
Lecturers on the research methods teaching team will use the marking grid provided in this assessment brief to assess your work. When you access your marked work it is important that you reflect on the feedback so that you can use it to improve future assignments.
Referencing
Ensure you use the Harvard referencing system when citing and referencing other's work.
Assignment Submissions
The Business School requires a digital version of all (summative) assignment submissions. These must be submittedvia Turnitin on the module's Moodle site. They must be submitted as a Word file (not as a pdf) and must not include scanned in text or text boxes. They must be submitted by 3:00 pm on the given date.
Mitigating Circumstances/what to do if you cannot submit a piece of work or attend your presentation
The Mitigating Circumstances Policy can be found in the Student Guidelines. If you have questions regarding this, please ask the Academic Office for aid.
Marking and Feedback Process
Between you handing in your work and then receiving your feedback and marks, there are a number of quality assurance processes that we go through to ensure that students receive marks which reflects their work. A brief summary is provided below.
Process One-The module and marking team meet to agree standards, expectations and how feedback will be provided.
Process Two-A subject expert will mark your work using the criteria provided in the assessment brief.
Process Three-A moderation meeting takes place where all members of the teaching and marking team will review the marking of others to confirm whether they agree with the mark and feedback.
Process Four-Work then goes to an external examiner who will review a sample of work to confirm that the marking between different staffis consistent and fair.
Process Five-Your mark and feedback is processed by the Office and made available to you.