Key details:

Assessment title:

Final Research Artefact

Module Name:

Research Project

Module Code:

PM600

Tutor’s Name:

Assessment will be set on:

Feedback opportunities:

Before deadline: Peer feedback in class, tutor feedback in class 1:1

After deadline: Written feedback available on Turnitin two weeks after submission.

Assessment is due on:

Written Report: 17/07/2023, 23:59

Research Presentation: 23/07 2023, 23:59 (Poster) Week beginning 24/03 (Presentations in class time)

Assessment weighting:

Written Report (50%)
Research Presentation (20%)

Assessment Instructions

What do you need to do for this assessment?

Task:

Previously you have produced a research project proposal and completed a literature review relating to the topic you have chosen for the research project.

In this current assignment you have to:

1. conduct your proposed research project, after which you will

2. produce a Written Report and

3. prepare a Research Presentation about the findings in your research project.

You will write your report and prepare your presentation for an academic audience, so a formal, academic style should be maintained throughout.

The aim of this task is to give you practical experience in conducting research, collecting and analysing data, and reporting research findings.

Guidance:

Your tutor will also provide written and verbal feedback and guidance on draft versions of your report throughout the term before the submission deadline. 1:1 discussions with your tutor can be very useful to enhance your final submission.

Before you submit this assessment, you will have an opportunity to receive feedback from your peers (other students in the class).  Your tutor will arrange a time for you to share and discuss your progress with your classmates.  You do not have to act on their feedback, but you may find it useful to enhance your final submission.

Please note:

This is an individual assessment so you should complete it by yourself.

Before you submit this assessment, you will have an opportunity to receive feedback from your peers (other students in the class). You will also be expected to give feedback to your peers on their work. Your tutor will arrange a time for you to share and discuss your progress with your classmates. Please make sure you consider your peer feedback carefully as you may find that suggestions made by your fellow students will help you make your final submission more effective.  Please also be considerate and careful when you are providing feedback to your peers – try to be constructive, not just critical.

The presentation will take place face-to-face during class time.

Please note that the presentation may be recorded.  The recording will only be used for marking purposes and quality assurance reviews.

Structure:
Structure of the Written Report: (4000 words ± 20%)

The Written Report should include the following sections:

Project Title: Give your project a title (10-20 words).

Abstract: In less than 200 words, summarise the key contents of your completed research project (not included in word count).

Section 1: Introduction (~500 words):

In this section you should provide some contextual information about your chosen topic and explain why this topic is worth studying. This should be a developed from your original research proposal based on feedback and your own reflection.  This section should contain the aims and objectives of this research project and a description of the key questions (maximum three) that it aims to answer.

Section 2: Literature Review (~1500 words)

In this section, you will act on previous feedback to improve and possibly extend your previous literature review. You should critically review the available academic literature on your chosen topic.  You should compare and contrast existing research findings in order to identify gaps which your research aims to fill, and critically evaluate the quality of existing literature on your chosen topic.

Section 3: Methodology (~500 – 600 words)

This section should describe and justify your overall methodology. This can be developed from your research proposal but must describe and justify what has been done. In addition, you are required to discuss a range of methodological issues, such as:

1. If you choose primary research methodology you should consider:

· The research perspective and strategy

· Your data collection methods

· Your sample size and sampling technique

· Your research approach for data analysis

· A reflection on the limitations of your methods

2. If you choose secondary research methodology, you should consider:

· Why secondary research is suitable for answering your research questions

· The general strengths and weaknesses of using secondary data

· The datasets you intend to use and the strengths and weaknesses of these

· How and why you have selected this data

· Your research approach for data analysis

In this section you should also consider the ethical issues which are relevant for your project and also provide concrete solutions of how these will be solved.

Section 4:  Research Findings (~500-600 words)

This section should present and describe your key research findings and include, as appropriate, graphics to support and aid the reader.

Section 5: Discussion (~600 – 800 words)

This section should analyse your key research findings and link these to the existing body of literature on your chosen topic. You should also consider how the research data you have collected helped you answer your research questions.

Note: it is possible to combine sections 4 and 5 into one section approx. 1200-1500 words

Section 6: Conclusion/Recommendations (~500 words)

This section should summarise the key findings for your project and reflect on how these could be useful in your chosen field and also recommend how this topic can be further in the future.

Section 7:  Reference List (excluded from the word count)

In this section you should include a list of all sources you have referred to in the report, in accordance with the APA or Harvard referencing conventions.

Section 8: Appendices (excluded from the word count)

This section may include a copy of a reflective diary about your research process and also other documents such as a copy of your research instrument(s), a copy of your informed consent (if applicable), etc.

Note: Word lengths indicated are recommendations. Exact word lengths of sections can vary across projects to best meet the project objectives.

Structure of the Research Presentation / Poster: (max.1000 words)

Your presentation should last between 10 to 15 minutes, including questions from the audience.  You should organise your presentation to include the following information:

Your poster should include the following sections:

Section 1: Introduction & Background

This section should introduce your project aims and research questions, as well as some key background information to support and justify your project area.

Section 2: Research Method

This section should briefly summarise your research approach to indicate how you tried to answer your research questions.

Section 3: Findings & Discussion

This section should be the main focus of the presentation, and should include:

- Visual presentation of your main findings (using appropriate graphs, charts, or other visuals)

- Commentary on your findings with reference to your research question(s), hypotheses and the relevant literature.

- Your interpretation of the findings and the conclusions you draw from them.

Section 4: Conclusion & Reflection

This section should provide a conclusion to your research and make any recommendations for future research. This section should also include reflection on the limitations of your research study and research design, identifying what you would do differently if you were to do your project again.

Additional sub-sections can be added that are relevant to the project.

Theory and/or task resources required for the assessment:

Both primary and secondary research approaches must include some secondary research and you must find and use relevant sources independently.

You should aim to refer to a minimum of 15 sources specific to your topic in your research project.

You may wish to use some informal sources for background research on your topic e.g. newspapers, reputable websites, in addition to a diverse range of academic sources available to you through your college and the internet, including journal articles, textbooks and chapters in edited volumes, as well as databases.

Referencing style:

You should refer to a minimum of 15 relevant sources for your report.
You must include citations as required throughout your report and include a reference list at the end of your report.

APA is the preferred style, although Harvard or APA styles may be used.

Expected word count:

Your Written Report should be 4000 words (+ 20%) in total. The project title, front cover page, table of contents, headings, citations, references and appendices are excluded from the word count. Approximate section lengths are indicated above.

Your Research Poster should contain no more than 1000 words total. The project title, module details and references are excluded from the word count. The Research Presentation should be no more than 15 minutes, including questions from the audience.

Learning Outcomes Assessed:

The following learning outcomes are assessed in this task:

· Implement appropriate qualitative or quantitative research methods and critically appraise methodology

· Conduct and produce a critically evaluative academic literature review appropriate to the proposed research question(s) following accepted conventions.

· Critically reflect on academic skills & performance, responding appropriately to feedback to improve aspects of academic work.

· Produce a research report or other artefact which follows accepted academic conventions, in which research findings are presented and analysed

Submission Requirements:

You must include the following paragraph on your title page:

“I confirm that this assignment is my/our own work. Where I have referred to academic sources, I have provided in-text citations and included the sources in the final reference list.”

You must type your assessment in an academically suitable font (e.g. Arial), font size 11, with 1.5 spacing. Sections and sub-section headings can be font size 14/16.

You must submit the assessment electronically via the VLE module page.  Please ensure you submit it via the Turnitin VLE plug-in. The Written Report should be submitted as a word document or pdf (must contain recognised text). The Research Presentation / Poster should be submitted as a PowerPoint (ppt) or pdf files.

Note: Apple file-types such as Pages documents are not accepted by Turnitin. Similarly, image-only pdf files are not accepted. Please ensure you have checked which file types are accepted by Turnitin.

When you submit your assignment to Turnitin, you must include a title page with the following information:

ü Module Code: PM600

ü Class/Group: e.g. Group EDU A

ü Module Title: Research Project

ü Assessment Type: Written Report

ü Module Tutor Name

ü Student Name

ü Student ID Number: P-number

ü Date of Submission

When you submit your assignment on Turnitin, the submission title should include:

Your student ID number_ module code and group_ tutor initials

e.g. 2999999_PM600F_JB

NB – If you experience problems submitting your assessment to Turnitin:

1. Email College Services: [email protected]

2. In your email, write what the assignment is (e.g. Formative 1 Research Proposal), the module (e.g. PM600), group (e.g. X EDU), tutor’s name and date it was due in

3. Attach your assignment and screenshot(s) of the error message

Assessments submitted after the submission deadline may incur penalties or may not be accepted

Academic Integrity & Misconduct Information:

Please use this link to access more information on academic integrity and misconduct:

https://pathways.kaplaninternational.com/course/view.php?id=1940

How will this assessment be marked?

The Written Report will be marked using the following areas and weightings:

- Introduction and Literature Review

· How well you presented the background to your research project

· How well you conducted your literature review.

· How well you explained and justified your project aims and research questions.

· How wide a range of sources specific to your topic you used.

· How appropriate your choice of sources for your research area were.

- Methodology*

· How effectively you explained and justified your choice of research design.

· How effectively you explained your research method

- Findings & Discussion

· How effectively you presented and discussed the results and findings of your research project, visually and textually.

· How effectively you connect your project findings to existing literature and research.

· How effectively you summarise the key findings of project and conclude your project.

- Organisation & Structure

· How clearly you structured the sections of your report.

· How effectively you developed your paragraphs and your ability to maintain a logical flow of argumentation and presentation of ideas.

· How well you use cohesive devices and linking expressions to organically connect ideas and sections.

- Academic Integrity

· How accurately you use paraphrasing/summarising, quotes, citations and references.

· How genuine, accurate and precise is the representation of facts and data.

- Presentation of the Report

· How well you formatted and presented your report, overall

· How well you adhered to submission requirements.

· How well you visually presented relevant data and information, in terms of visual clarity, communication and labelling.

*There are separate marking criteria for the Methodology section for primary and secondary research.

You will receive a (%) grade for each criterion, which will be grouped in bands of five (50, 55, 60, 65 etc.). The overall assessment grade will be averaged from the six criteria, and the overall mark will be a percentage.

The Research Presentation / Poster will be marked using the following areas and weightings:

- Selected Findings & Discussion (25%)

· How clearly you present and discuss your research findings

· How effectively you connect your findings to both previous research and your research objectives.

- Structure and Quality of Materials (25%)

· How effectively you organise and signpost the sections on your poster.

· How well sections and arguments are structured.

· How well visuals and graphics are used to communicate project content.

- Reflections on Project (RP) (25%)

· How well you used academic language and topic terminology.

· How effectively you comment on the successes, challenges and limitations of your research project.