Research Skills (RS) - Written research essay based on data collection and analysis.
The Task
Write a 750-1000 word research essay on any one of the following topics:
1. Smartphone Usage among the youth of Oman
The highly capable and efficient smartphones along with access to many free apps have helped smartphone users to do many tasks such as connect with friends and colleagues, stay informed, shop online and perform many more tasks. This has resulted in an increase in the number of hours smartphone users spend with their device. According to a study conducted by eMarketer, the average American adult spends about 4 hours and 15 minutes on their phones every day (eMarketer,2016). Carry out a research on the smartphone usage of young Omanis by administering a questionnaire to 10 respondents and find out how much time they spend with their smartphone device on communication activities such as texting, phone call, email and social media, entertainment activities and taking photos.
OR
2. Should there be a ban on fizzy drinks in Oman?
Fizzy drink is a carbonated drink with lots of carbon dioxide and sugar. There are many fizzy drinks available in the market such as Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, Fanta, Pepsi, Sprite and so on. Regular consumption of fizzy drinks has been linked to obesity in both adults and children. According to Euro monitor Nutrition data, in 2015 Saudi Arabians received 35% of their sugar from fizzy drinks, a remarkably high amount (Euromonitor International, 2017). The governments in the Gulf region have planned to reduce the consumption of fizzy drinks by imposing taxes. In its attempt to reduce obesity, Oman also has taken some measures. According to a report from the National Tobacco Control Committee (NTCC), Oman, there will be a 50% tax on fizzy drinks from June, 2018 (Muscat Daily,2018). Is it enough to impose taxes or should the government totally ban fizzy drinks? Carry out a research on the fizzy drink consumption of the youth of Oman, their views on effects of fizzy drinks on health and find out if they propose a total ban on fizzy drinks.
Structure
You are expected to write the essay following the structure below:
COVER PAGE
The cover page should contain the following information:
- Title of Assignment
- Name of the module
- Your name and student number
INTRODUCTION
100 words Introduce the topic of your choice by presenting the main idea of the essay to capture the interest of your reader and tell why your topic is important. Your Introduction should end with a thesis statement describing the main idea. You can provide some background information about your topic. You can use interesting facts, quotations, or definitions of important terms you will use later in the essay.
DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS
600 words Following the design of the Questionnaire you are supposed to conduct your research among a group of respondents of your choice of 10 people. Your respondents can be your class mates, lecturers, colleagues or someone who is related to the field of your research. The results of the research, the data, should be presented in tables, described in detail and followed by a short conclusion demonstrating the main trend shown by the respondents.
CONCLUSION
50 words
You should summarize the results of your research presenting the most important findings without repeating the information provided in the discussion of the results.
REFERENCES
not included in the word count
You should provide the list of sources that you used in the introduction and conclusion, arranged according to The Harvard Style. Do not include any sources that were not used in the research.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. This is an individual take home Assignment.
2. The body of the assignment should be formatted according to the following parameters:
- Font type: Times New Roman
- Line spacing: 1.5
- Font size: 12
- Page margins: 1 inch on all sides (top/bottom, right/left)
3. All assignments must be adhered strictly to the deadlines specified by Majan College. Failure to hand in the assignment for any reason and without prior approval and a valid written extension from the module lecturer will not be marked and will be awarded a grade G (0) irrespective of the quality of the work.
4. Unacknowledged use of work of others (plagiarism) is regarded as a dishonest practice and will be penalized.
5. You are strongly recommended to show a draft of your assignment to your lecturer prior to submission.
Attachment:- Questions.rar