MBA507 Research Methodology Assessment Brief 2026 | Lincoln University College (LUC)

Paper format: 3000 words; 1.5 spacing; a separate title page with the author’s name, the paper’s title, and the date; page numbers; in-text citations and works cited in APA format; 1″ margins.

Grading: This assignment is worth 40% of the overall class grade.

Goals of the Assignment: There are three interconnected goals for this assignment:

1. To assist you in developing an effective research strategy for your project, consider the context, research topics, sources, schedule, and broader implications.
2. The second goal is to provide you with some hands-on experience with the Research Proposal as an academic format.
3. To provide an opportunity for students to improve their stylistics and academic discourse effectiveness.

Proposal Requirements and Structure

The proposal must be at least 3000 words in length (include page numbers, please!) and should have a well \thought-out title and contain effective visual rhetoric as appropriate. Even though it must be separated into sections with the following subheaders, it should be a regular, linear Word document.

The first section is titled “Introduction.” This introduction should be written so that it will spark your reader’s interest in your topic and proposal while also providing some historical/cultural context for your project. Include a tentative thesis after your introduction to demonstrate to your reader that you are approaching your project with a critical, analytic lens; this thesis should clearly state your intentions using a finding optimal solution structure (i.e., “In this project, “This research project will investigate…”). A good formula for an introduction is context + problem/complication + proposed argument or \research question. Each stage in this formula should be a few sentences long. If you are not ready to \construct a hypothesis at this point, be sure to include at least one well-thought-out research question \to indicate what line of inquiry you’re going to use in your research.

NOTE: Consider the latest reference to include in your proposal.

The second section should be a review of the literature. You should select the papers which are appropriate for your research topics. Al least review ten articles/journals.

Section third is Research Methodology. In this section, you should discuss the methods and \sources you will use to conduct your research, including specific references to sites, databases, vital \texts, or authors that you feel will be indispensable to your project. Include references to less conventional research methods, such as fieldwork, interviews, surveys, trips to chatrooms, and games, where appropriate to your issue. It is also the section where you might troubleshoot the research project \or weigh the benefits and drawbacks of specific sources (i.e., availability, bias, etc.). Make sure \your reader understands how the methodology/sources you have chosen are appropriate to your \specific topic.

In your section four conclusion, address the “So What?” of this research. That is, why does \what you are investigating matter as more than an academic exercise? Why should your audience \want to read it? Why does it matter?

References or Preliminary Bibliography If you cite any sources, you must also include the works cited section after the proposal, citations in APA format. Any parenthetical citations in the text itself should also follow APA guidelines.

Please include the following sections:

• Introduction
• Problem Statement
• Research Questions
• Research Objectives
• Significance of the Study
• Scope of the Study
• Literature Review
• Independent Variables
• Mediator or Moderator Variables
• Dependent Variables
• Theory
• Empirical Literature Review
• Research Gap
• Conceptual Framework
• Development of Hypotheses
• Research Methodology
• Research Design
• Research Method
• Research Population
• Sampling Technique
• Sample Size
• Data Collection
• Questionnaire Development
• Data Analysis and Statistical Tools Conclusion

Assessment Criteria

Please see the assessment criteria below.

Rubric for Master’s in Business Administration Assignment

Assignment Guidelines

1. The assignment must be typed,  and well presented. It must be written in business REPORT format/style. You may, however, use subheadings and bullet- points where appropriate within the report. You may also incorporate graphs, tables, diagrams, and figures into the body of the report if you wish. (If lengthy, material of this kind may be attached as appendices.)
2. In this particular assignment you MUST include a bibliography. This should be on a separate page. FULL details are required – name and initials of all authors, full title, publisher, place, and date of publication. At this level of study, you must get these details right!
3. The word limit for the first assignment is 2,000 words. You will not be penalised for exceeding these limits – within reason (say 10%) – provided that there is no repetitiveness, irrelevance, or “padding”. Similarly, you will not be penalised for being under the word limit, provided that the question has been fully and satisfactorily answered.
4. Although you are encouraged to seek a greater understanding of the issues raised in this assignment by discussing them with business practitioners of your personal acquaintance, you are NOT permitted to make unsolicited contact with business organisations to obtain information.
5. All assignment submission must ensure that the Similarity Index must be below 30%-Above the range, the assessment will be rejected (e.g: due to poor citation and/or poor paraphrasing, article outright rejected, student need to do

RESUBMISSION – subject for acceptance by course facilitator)