BABM2003-2025-603 - Business Research and Analysis Assignment Brief 2026 | DMU

BABM2003 Assignment Brief

Assessment Information - What you need to do

This assignment is an individual assignment.

This assignment is an individual research report where you will demonstrate your ability to apply th principles and tools introduced in this module by connecting classroom theory with a business rese question.

In this assessment, you are required to select an organization and develop relevant business research questions. Next, you should focus on designing an appropriate research strategy and method to answer these questions. You must collect primary and/or secondary data and analyze it using various charts, graphs, and descriptive statistics. Additionally, they need to apply suitable statistical tools to their research, including regression analysis, correlation/coefficient, hypothesis testing, and other relevant qualitative data analysis techniques.

You are required to conduct a comprehensive analysis of data, which may include:

• Through the secondary source quantitative data and/or questionnaires.
• Interviews or primary/secondary source qualitative data.

Please note, your analysis and discussion should integrate relevant theory from your literature review to help examine and interpret the data and findings effectively.

What will help you succeed in this assignment? Before starting your assignment, it is essential to review the rubric carefully, as this will help you identify the key criteria for each marking section. Structuring your work with clear titles and subheadings will make your arguments easier to follow and assist the examiner in understanding your reasoning. To support your points, make sure to use credible academic sources such as textbooks and peer-reviewed journal articles, avoiding reliance on just one or a few references. Diversifying your citations will demonstrate depth in research and critical thinking. Keep in mind that 30% of your marks depend on showing depth of academic knowledge, which is best achieved by engaging with academic literature rather than non-academic sources. Similarly, another 30% is based on how well you apply theory and critical evaluation, which should be supported by credible sources and relevant data. Throughout the process, take advantage of your tutors, who are there to guide and advise you. Ensure your assignment directly answers the question and applies academic knowledge to back your arguments. Your submission should include a cover page, table of contents, introduction, literature review, methods, research analysis, and conclusion, along with a properly formatted Harvard reference list. Each section should follow the suggested word count, with a total assignment length of 2,000 words (+/-10%). Finally, the conclusion should summarize your main points without introducing new ideas, and all citations must adhere to the Harvard "Cite Them Right" system. Here are some points to help you succeed in this assignment task:

Answer the Question and Apply Academic Knowledge: Ensure your assignment directly addresses the question posed and use your academic understanding to substantiate your arguments. Your submission should include the following sections:

Title Page (not included in word count): Include your research title, word count, your name, and student number.

Abstract/Executive Summary (not included in word count)

Table of Contents (not included in word count) and List of Tables/Figures (if applicable).
Introduction and Literature review: Begin your introduction by presenting the research topic and summarizing the proposed study. This should include a concise literature review that identifies and evaluates relevant academic theories and literature. Critically engage with existing research, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of different perspectives. Clearly state the research question and objectives and provide background information on the case study to frame your study within the broader academic context. (700 words suggested).

Methods: Describe your research approach, detailing the methodologies employed. Justify your choice of these methods and explain why alternative approaches were not selected. Additionally, clarify how these methods will address and answer the research questions. (500 words suggested).

Results: Present and discuss the general findings from the primary and/or secondary quantitative and/or qualitative data, using visual aids such as pie charts, tables, histograms, or appropriate statistical methods like correlation and regression, thematic analysis, etc. Analyse these findings through the lens of relevant business theory and literature, applying critical thinking to interpret the data. It should be clear which hypotheses are statistically significant, which hypotheses are rejected, which hypotheses are confirmed. Use appropriate data analysis techniques and supporting academic sources to provide a comprehensive understanding of the results in the context of your research study. (500 words suggested).

Discussion and Conclusion: Summarize your findings and assess whether the research objectives were achieved, emphasizing the key insights gained. Link this discussion back to the introduction and literature review, consolidating your arguments and offering suitable recommendations without introducing new information. This section requires critical analysis, where you should integrate your findings with existing research to build a cohesive argument about their significance. Include a critical reflection on the limitations of your study and discuss their implications, as this is essential for a thorough and comprehensive analysis. The conclusion should not be a summary of the prior sections of the research. The conclusion section should reinstate the key findings and provide any recommendations -implications your findings, what do they mean for the future? (300 words suggested).
Reference List (not included in word count): Ensure your sources are cited in accordance with the Harvard "Cite Them Right" system.

Appendix (not included in word count): The appendix contains supplemental material that is helpful in understanding the main text. Should include a blank version of the questionnaire if used or interview/focus group questions used. It cannot include analysis discussion but can include definitions, tables of data, summaries of data, spreadsheet analysis.

Criteria for Assessment - How you will be marked

The general marking criteria for this assignment are as following:

Further information on University mark descriptors can be found here.

This assignment is designed to assess the following learning outcomes:

1. Turn research ideas into a research project which has clear research questions andobjectives (Online Exam & Business Research Report)
2. Understand the importance and purpose of the critical literature review to a researchproject (Online Exam & Business Research Report)
3. Be aware of issues relating to research ethics (Business Research Report)
4. Have a critical awareness of the sources of primary and secondary data and the variousmethods of collection (Online Exam & Business Research Report)
5. Be able to interpret and analyse both qualitative and statistical data using an appropriatemethod and package (Business Research Report)

Key Information:

• As per the DMU assessment policy, there is a University requirement for written coursework, at all levels, to be checked for originality using Turnitin.
• Please remember all student must complete an ethical approval form before commencing their research

How to Submit your Assessment

The assessment must be submitted by 12.00 Hours (Noon, BST) on 15/01/25. No paper copies are required. You can access the submission link through the module web.

• Your coursework will be given a zero mark if you do not submit a copy through Turnitin. Please take care to ensure that you have fully submitted your work.
• Please ensure that you have submitted your work using the correct file format, unreadable files will receive a mark of zero. The Faculty accepts Microsoft Office and PDF documents, unless otherwise advised by the module leader.
• All work submitted after the submission deadline without a valid and approved reason will be subject to the University regulations on late submissions.
• If an assessment is submitted up to 24 hours late the mark for the work will be capped at the pass mark of 40 per cent for undergraduate modules or 50 per cent for postgraduate modules If an assessment is submitted beyond 24 hours late the work will receive a mark of zero per cent
• The above applies to a student's first attempt at the assessment. If work submitted as a reassessment of a previously failed assessment task is submitted later than the deadline the work will immediately be given a mark of zero per cent
  o If an assessment which is marked as pass/fail rather than given a percentage mark is submitted later than the deadline, the work will immediately be marked as a fail
• The University wants you to do your best. However, we know that sometimes events happen which mean that you can't submit your coursework by the deadline - these events should be beyond your control and not easy to predict. If this happens, you can apply for an extension to your deadline for up to five working days, or if you need longer, you can apply for a deferral, which takes you to the next assessment period (for example, to the re-sit period following the main Assessment Boards). You must apply before the deadline for your assessment. You will find information about applying for extensions and deferrals here.
• Students MUST keep a copy and/or an electronic file of their assignment.
• Checks will be made on your work using anti-plagiarism software and approved plagiarism checking websites.

Academic Support and Your Well-being

Referencing is the process of acknowledging other people's work when you have used it in your assignment or research. It allows the reader to locate your source material as quickly and easily as possible so that they can read these sources themselves and verify the validity of your arguments. Referencing provides the link between what you write and the evidence on which it is based.

You identify the sources that you have used by citing them in the text of your assignment (called citations or in-text citations) and referencing them at the end of your assignment (called the reference list or end-text citations). The reference list only includes the sources cited in your text. The main referencing guide can be found here and includes information on the basics of referencing and achieving good academic practice. It also has tabs for the specific referencing styles depending on whether you require Harvard style used in business or OSCOLA style used by the Law school.

The University has a wealth of support services available to students; further information can be obtained from Student Gateway, the Student Advice Centre, Library and Learning Services and, most importantly, your Personal Tutor. If you are struggling with your assessments and/or deadlines please do seek help as soon as possible so that appropriate support and guidance can be identified and put in place for you. More information can be found on the Healthy DMU pages.