BUS5008 Business Research Methods Assignment Help in 2024

BUS5008 Business Research Methods - 2024S2 Assessment Guide

Assessment Overview

Each week our LMS will guide you on all the course requirements of our MBA program including what to do in that particular week, and how. For each assessment, our “Study board @VIT” will provide details on the assessment task and guidelines including how you will be assessed on each assessment task, marking criteria and so on.

Some clarification on each assessment:

1. Assessment 1: Annotated Bibliography

A research based annotated bibliography presented based on at least 10-12 research papers of interest to the research topic.

2. Assessment 2: Group Based Presentation and Critical analysis paper

The students select papers from the given list and present the paper in a presentation focusing research report requirements- Objectives, Methodology, Analysis, Findings and Future research and Limitations.

3. Assessment 3: Research Report

The student will write a research project building on their annotated bibliography in Assessment Task 1, articulating a research problem / question, literature review, analysis and discussion of the various issues from different perspectives and coming up with conclusions, solutions and recommendations.

Please Note: All assessment submissions are due by the due date and time. Exemptions or extensions may be granted in extenuating circumstances such as for medical treatment etc.

Tutorials: Where a student is unable to complete a tutorial task, he/she may be given a chance to complete the task within a calendar week (7 days) of the due date.

Assessments: Students are required to achieve an overall mark of 50% to pass the unit. Students will incur a late submission penalty of 20% of marks awarded for each day he/she delays the assessment submission up to a total of 5 days.

Projects: Students will receive a grace period of 10 days late submission. However, they will be penalised at a rate of 10% marks awarded per day they delay the submission.

Note - For all assignments, the preferred layout is in 12-point Calibri, with 1.5 line spacing, 5 centimetres left- hand margins and bold headings. Whenever you use the ideas and arguments of other writers, you must make reference to the writers and their work. By acknowledging the work of others, you avoid plagiarism. The APA style requires a reference list at the end of your assignment. It is arranged in alphabetical order by author surname.

Consultation Availability:

Please note that your lecturer and Learning Support Advisors are available to support, mentor and advice you throughout the teaching period. To make a time with them, communicate with them using the email provided on the front page of the document to request support and / or consultation, or phone reception requesting to talk with them.

Further details on each assessment for BUS 5008 can be found on the following pages.

Assessment details

Assessment 1: Annotated Bibliography • Weightage : 20% Student Guidelines

Introduction

A research based annotated bibliography presented based on at least 10-12 research papers of interest to the research topic.

What is an annotated bibliography?

A bibliography is a list of citations to sources (books, articles, films, websites, etc.) that you’ve used when researching a topic. An annotated bibliography includes a summary and evaluation of each source. These annotations are written in paragraph form and you are expected to include the following information:

1. An explanation of the main purpose of the research paper or academic source in relation to your research topic.
2. A short summary of key findings or arguments of the source.
3. The academic intellectual credentials of the source. What type: e.g. peer-reviewed journal  book chapter etc.
4. Short limitations of the research.
5. The value of bibliography as a contribution to your selected research topic.

To start with your assignment follow guidelines are provided. Your unit lecturer will be available for you to discuss further.

It is best to proceed with this task keeping below steps as a guide:

ï Research and review the list of topics that you would like to focus and select one or two you would like to research further. Always approach to your lecturer if you have doubts on selected  topic.

ï Generate a list of direct sources relevant to your topic. VIT online library access provides you a wide variety of academic resource access. Library resources will get you develop a broader understanding of what academic information sources is available on your topic.

ï You may have a long list of supporting references for your topic. Your requirement is to have 10-12 academic articles, all of which are directly relevant to your topic.

ï To help you select the references Scan through the articles you select and read the abstract thoroughly to find the most relevant and recent materials (Hint: preferably focus on the most recent articles, published in the last 5 to maximum 10 years). Reduce your list of references to 10-12 references. Always remember to select sources directly related with your topic.

ï Write up a summary of your references following above given 5 steps guide. This annotated bibliography is going to be stepping stone for your research project (Assignment 2). ï Upload your annotated bibliography to the given link on Learning Management System (LMS) in week 4.

Structure of the annotated bibliography ï Provide the full bibliographic citation

ï Provide the main purpose of the source in relation to your research topic ï Shortly explain key findings

ï State academic credentials of the source (e.g. peer reviewed or not) ï State key limitations of the source

Sample annotated bibliography ï https://www.bibliography.com/apa/developing-an- apa-annotated-bibliography/

Submission Instructions

Submit to given Turnitin link on LMS- Assignment 1

IMPORTANT NOTE:

1. Word totals is around 1200, excluding words spent on bibliographic citations.
2. You are required to show critical thinking so only summarising what is stated is not sufficient, you need to provide your original assessment of the literature.
3. Disciplinary knowledge is best demonstrated through presenting evidence from peer-reviewed publications. Make sure that a large majority of citations in your annotated bibliography is peer-reviewed.
4. Be organized in your thoughts and ideas. Incorporate correlations with your research topic. Stay on topic.
5. Be aware of grammar and sentence structure. Use proper etiquette.

BUS 5008 - Assessment 1: Annotated Bibliography Marking Sheet

FOR FACULTY MEMBER ONLY         Assessment Task: Annotated Bibliography • Weightage : 20% Name of the Student: Student No: Lecturer’s Observation on Student Participation:

Weightage 20% =

Lecturer’s Signature:                                                                                                            Date: / /                                                                                                                                            Name:

Assessment details

Assessment 2: Group based reflective work and Critical Presentation WEIGHTAGE : 30% Student Guidelines

Introduction

The students will present an analytical reflection on research papers from the given reading list on LMS

-Assignment 3 Reading materials, using their learning throughout the BUS 5008 unit, to their peers and reflect on and discuss each other’s reports in a rigorous and engaging academic discourse.

Assignment consists of:

• Presentation 15%
• Paper analysis 15%

Presentation

1. Delivery of a 15-minute presentation in groups of 3-4 students. Students are to reflect on their learning , present their findings and discuss each other’s reports in the presentation.

2. Students are required to. ï Select papers from the given reading list on LMS -Assignment 3 Reading materials ï Reflect critically and present to the class on:

   ï Research approach of the paper ï Research questions - Clear, relevant

   ï Methodology used ï Discussion and conclusion ï Bibliography use

3. The primary aim of this assessment is to re-evaluate the learning you have engaged in BUS5008. The secondary aim of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to enhance your analysis, critical thinking, written communication skills, theoretical applications, group work and presentation skills.

Presentation format

Students are expected to prepare a professional presentation that is informative, succinct, and engaging. The length for the total presentation is 15 minutes. Each group member to present for an equal length of time . The presentation must be delivered using various formats including PowerPoint or similar tools.

Use proper in-text referencing as well as list of references. The referencing style must follow the APA referencing style.

Critical Analysis of the paper

Answer below questions as part of the paper analysis.

1. What is the motivation for the paper including the research question? 2. Critically state what you like and do not like about the research
2. How they achieved the answers to the research questions?
3. How did they validate the research and findings?
4. Is there anything missing in the research or how would you approach it differently to improve the research?

Critical Analysis paper structure

Introduction - State the title of the work, the author’s name and the date of publication - Outline main ideas of the paper

• State your own thesis statement and your main idea about the work.

Summary             - Briefly outline the main ideas of the paper

• Should involve who, what, where, when, why and how - You may also choose to discuss the structure, style or point of view.

Analysis               - Critically state what you like and do not like about the research paper

• Explain your ideas with specific other relevant research work
  • Assess whether the author has achieved their intended goal
  • The analysis may look at whether the work is ï focused, understandable, clear, informative and supportive

ï     original, exciting, interesting, well-written ï    meeting the purpose

ï      well researched, with appropriate conclusions,

• The analysis is made up of several different paragraphs.

Conclusion          - Restate your paper in new words

• Summarize your main ideas if possible with new and stronger words - Include possible future research

As a group you will state what you think about the research paper, but you must back up your opinions with supporting arguments and specific details from the text.

Submission Instructions

You required to submit your research paper analysis (around 1000 words long) via Turnitin LMS. Drop-boxes linked to Turnitin will be set up in Moodle . Assessments not submitted through these drop- boxes will not be considered.

BUS 5008 - Assessment 2: Group based reflective work and Critical Presentation Marking Sheet

Assessment Task: Group based and Critical Presentation

FOR FACULTY MEMBER ONLY                                                                                                                                                                                           ï  Weightage : 30%

Name of the Student:                                                                            Student No:                                                                                                            Lecturer’s Observation on Student Participation:

Weightage 30% =

Lecturer’s Signature:                                                                                                            Date: / /                                                                                                                                            Name:

Assessment 3: Case Study Report • Weightage: 50% Student Guidelines

Introduction

The student will be asked to write a research-based project building on their annotated bibliography in Assessment Task 1, articulating a research problem / issue / question, discussing a thorough literature review, analysis and discussion of the various issues identified from the literature review, using different perspectives and coming up with conclusions, solutions, and recommendations.

Task

Students are to work on a selected research problem/question, conduct a narrative literature review, and prepare a research report.

Aim

The primary aim of this assessment is for you to understand the research process and get familiar with conducting a literature review, exploring relevant theories, methods, and concepts. The secondary aim of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to enhance your research skills, critical thinking, theoretical applications and report writing skills.

How to write a research report step by step:

To start with your research report, you need to be clear on below questions. ï What is the aim?

ï What is the topic? (A topic may be given by your lecturer, or you can make your own choice in consultation with your lecturer, this process needs to be determined through Assessment 1) ï What is the expected research report format?

Use proper in-text referencing as well as list of references. The referencing style must follow the APA referencing style.

Report format: The report must be of 3000 words in length excluding references list.

Report structure:

Your report should have a suitable flow to allow for a clear reading with a sequence of ideas.

1. Abstract

Even though an abstract comes in as the first, you should write it at the very end, after you completed all other sections. Abstract is presenting the most relevant information and it should be no more than 250 words long. The abstract follows the same structure as your research report: Background, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. Make sure you present only the most important information in your abstract, something that is the most interesting and the most relevant to the readers.

1. Introduction/Background

In this section, you need to outline the purpose of your report and its scope by presenting the research aim and the topic. You can use the same research or similar title that you have used in your Assessment 1. You need to discuss the background of your research by introducing information that include a rationale for the importance of

your topic by presenting a brief review of the literature already available on the topic and the gaps in the literature this research is trying to address.

1. Methods

You are going to conduct a narrative literature review and analyse relevant, most recent (last 5 to maximum

10 years) peer-reviewed literature available on the topic- Use minimum of 10-12 papers . In the methods section you need to:

ï Explain our search strategy outlining your search syntax and databases in which you searched ï Outline study selection process and exclusion and inclusion criteria ï Present data extraction process and coding

1. Results

Results indicate what you found in your research, that is in the available, most recent peer-review literature on your topic. This is only to provide the results of your research, do not interpret them at this stage.

In the results section, you need to include a table and extract the following data from each of the publications you found- Minimum of 10-12 papers.

1. Discussion

This section should be the most elaborate and you should show your critical thinking skills. Do not just present the findings from the literature but critically evaluate them. It is necessary to discuss the relevance of your results and how your findings fit with other research in the area. You should relate back to your literature review and your research purpose. In the discussion section you should also mention:

ï the limitations of your review and ï the recommendations for future research and also for decision makers and practitioners.

1. Conclusion

This is a summary of the most significant results/findings. You should not include any new material in this section. You may include research limitations and further research requirements in this section. 7. List of references

Submission Instructions

All report submissions are to be submitted through Turnitin on LMS. Drop-boxes linked to Turnitin will be set up in Moodle . Assessments not submitted through these drop-boxes will not be considered.

The Turnitin similarity score will be used in determine any plagiarism of your submitted assessment. Turnitin will check conference web-sites, Journal articles, online resources and your peer’s submissions for plagiarism. You can see your Turnitin similarity score when you submit your assessments to the appropriate drop-box. If your similarity score is of concern you will have a chance to change your assessment and resubmit. However, re- submission is only allowed prior to the submission due date and time. After the due date and time have elapsed you cannot make re-submissions. Thus, plan early and submit early to take advantage of this feature. You can

make multiple submissions, but please remember the teaching team will only grade your last submission, and the date and time you submitted will be taken from that submission.

BUS 5008 - Assessment 3: Research Report • Marking Sheet

FOR FACULTY MEMBER ONLY                                                                                                                                   Assessment Task: Research Report • Weightage: 50% Name of the Student:                                                                               STUDENT NO:                                                                          LECTURER’S OBSERVATION ON STUDENT PARTICIPATION:

Weightage 50% =

Lecturer’s Signature:                                                Date: /         /              Name:

“Unlock your academic potential with Punjab Assignment Help your trusted partner for expert guidance, timely solutions, and top-notch support in all your assignments!”