SOE11131 Research Methods Assignment Brief | ENU

Assessment Details of SOE11131

There is one element of assessment for this module:

A Research Proposal (to be submitted on Monday, 5th May) – This is an individual assessment and accounts for 100% of the mark for the module. As a means of achieving the aims and objectives of this module, and also to enable us to make an informed choice about the appropriate supervisor, you must develop a well thought out research proposal. You are required to produce a proposal that you will use as the basis for undertaking your MSc dissertation. At this stage, it is only what you intend to do, as you will not have carried out the actual research yet. The chosen research topic must be related to one or more of the academic areas covered by your Master's programme.

The maximum word count for the research proposal is 4000 words.

Detailed guidance on the Structure of your Research Proposal can be found on Moodle, but the format should be as follows:

1) Title: Use a provisional title for your research.
2) Introduction (10% weighting)

In this section, you should contextualise the rationale for your proposed research. For example:

• What functional areas of business are you drawing upon?
• Seminal literature (a couple or so references) you are using to illustrate the academic underpinning of the research.
• The practitioner or work-based context that leads you to examine this topic.
• What have you studied in a programme that will help you in this research topic?
• Your particular background and motivation for the proposed research.
• Why is this research project potentially important, perhaps by reference to how it might assist industry, organisations or practitioners?

3) Aim and Objectives (20% weighting)

Here, there should be a very clear statement of the overall aim of the research, leading on from the introduction.

Typically, there will be three or four specific objectives to enable you to achieve your main aim and these will likely incorporate an academic
element (perhaps ‘testing’ a hypothesis or basing your research/analysis on an existing framework or theory), and practical perspective relating to the
workplace/sector/industry. The balance between the two is dependent on the research topic selected, but the academic focus must be visible at this stage.

A brief justification of why these aims and objectives are appropriate is also useful to clarify the focus of the proposal.

4) Identification and initial review of key literature (25% weighting)

In the course of your reading, you are required to identify a minimum of ten key literature sources that you believe inform your proposed research.

These sources should incorporate journal articles, textbooks, practitioner-based articles/trade press, industry/organisation reports, (quality) news media
articles and/or relevant and credible websites. The use of Edinburgh Napier’s online library resource NUINlink to access journal articles from Emerald,
Ingenta, ABI Inform databases, etc., are expected, and you should normally cite such articles as the core material in this section.

When writing this section, compare and contrast the literature (as you will eventually do in the main project) using the APA citation style and ensure
There is continuity and a logical link between the references and themes introduced. (Detailed references of your cited authors would then appear in
the ‘References’ section at the end of your proposal)

5) Research Approach (25% weighting)

Here, you should allude to the methodology and methods to be used in your research. These should be supported by references to the business research texts relating to methods, a selection of which has been given in the lectures and on the VLE, e.g. Bell et al. (2022), Fisher (2010), Saunders et al. (2015), Yin (2009), etc. More specifically, a clear indication of the methods of data collection and analysis that you plan to use should be evident in this section.

You might consider the following in writing this section of your proposal:

• Are you going to use a case study of a particular organisation or a smaller number of organisations?
• Will you carry out a survey of a large number of organisations in an industry to explore the objectives and aims of your research?
• Are you using mixed methods?
• Why have you chosen the selected research method(s)?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of your research method(s)?
• How are you going to analyse the data you have assembled/collected?

This section should also identify any ethical issues (see also number 8 below) which need addressing in your primary data collection, e.g. anonymity,
confidentiality, informed consent, etc. You should adhere to the guidelines of the University, as well as general good practice principles and those unique to certain organisations if appropriate. The University’s guidelines can be downloaded here.

6) Research Plan (10% weighting)

You should identify the key events in your research plan and then provide a concise and realistic timetable which shows how they are linked, when they
will take place and how long they will last. You can do this as a Microsoft Word table or a Gantt Chart (e.g. Fisher, 2010: 87; Bryman and Bell, 2015:77-
78), accounting for each week and month between now and until submission of the project.

This section may also contain additional commentary on any particular characteristics or nuances of the research and its schedule that may
need highlighting.

7) Reference List (10% weighting, not counted as part of your word count)

You should provide an alphabetical list of all references used in your research proposal, based on the APA referencing system.

Take care when listing web references (which should be kept to a minimum) to include the author’s name, article title and date accessed. For technical
Details of all APA referencing conventions can be to the Edinburgh Napier University’s study and library guides on referencing to be found on the module Moodle site.

8) Research Integrity Approval Form (not counted as part of your word count)

You are required to complete the Research Integrity Approval Form (included as Appendix One of this document) and attach it as an appendix to your
Research Proposal. Please ensure that you complete all sections of this approval form and sign and date the Declaration in Section 4.

Marking Criteria 

Distinction (D1 – D5)

To obtain a distinction, an excellent level of work will be evident in all of the categories indicated on the assessment pro forma. That is, students will present a quality research proposal that demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the research process. Students will identify a suitable area of study and provide a clear academic rationale for undertaking study in that particular area. Students will articulate a clear aim, which will be supported by a series of research questions or objectives. An initial literature review will be provided that identifies the seminal research and critically reviews previous studies in the chosen area. The research approach will be clearly explained and critically evaluated, and the research plan will be realistic and appropriate for the study. In addition, the Research Proposal will be well organised, structured and cohesive with extensive and appropriate references.

Pass (P1-P5)

To obtain a passing grade, a mark of 'satisfactory' will be achieved in most or all of the categories indicated on the assessment pro-forma. That is, while students will display a sound knowledge and understanding of the research process, there will be gaps in some areas, sometimes insufficient
application of theories and concepts, and insufficient analysis and critique. Further, there will be lapses in structure and cohesion and some omissions
with regard to the identification, use and referencing of key sources.

Fail (F1-F5)

To obtain a failed grade, a mark of 'poor' will be achieved in most or all of the categories indicated in the assessment pro forma. That is, students will display insufficient knowledge and understanding of the research process, often insufficient application of theories and concepts, absent or insufficient critique or analysis, confused structure and cohesion and limited use of referencing and support from the literature

Aim and Learning Outcomes of SOE11131

SOE11131 Aim

The overall aim of this module is to prepare you to undertake a period of research in one or more areas of intercultural business communication.
marketing, entrepreneurship, tourism, hospitality, events and festival management.

The module delivery includes a variety of teaching and learning methods, which will encourage active participation. In addition to the above academic
aim, this module aims to promote a variety of transferable skills, as noted in the Teaching and Assessment Approach (LTA) section of the Module Descriptor, which you can find in the online Module Catalogue (Modules Napier)

This academic aim is supported by learning outcomes, which describe the skills and knowledge that you will have acquired on completion of this module.

SOE11131 Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Identify an appropriate research topic.
• Evaluate different approaches and methodologies of research.
• critically review relevant literature; design and plan research; and collect appropriate data;
• evaluate various methods of data analysis;
• form appropriate conclusions and recommendations; 
• Understand the requirements for writing up and disseminating research.