BA6NB03O Research Methods | Summative Assignment 2

BA6NB03O Research Methods | Summative Assignment 2

Assessment title	Individual Proposal
Submission date and time
Word Count (or equivalent)	2,500 words (+ / – 10%)
Where to submit	Turnitin
Feedback date	15 working days after the deadline
Assessment Weighting
AI usage Guideline	AMBER: AI can be used in the assessment for brainstorming, creating structures, and generating ideas for improving work. No AI Content is allowed in the Final submission.

Variable	Possible measurement
AI adoption	Number of AI/GenAI use cases
AI investment	£ spent on technology/AI
AI value	Financial value generated by AI
Employee performance	Customers served per FTE
Employee productivity	Revenue/operating income per employee
Customer engagement	Digital users / digital transactions
Customer experience	NPS/customer satisfaction
Operational efficiency	Cost-to-income ratio
Customer service efficiency	Automated queries / resolution rates
Workforce impact	Employee numbers and productivity
Financial performance	ROE/RoTE, profit, revenue
Digital adoption	Percentage of sales through digital channels

Theoretical framework

1. Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) framework
2. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
3. Resource-Based View (RBV)

Example conceptual model

Data analysis

Descriptive statistics

Trend analysis

Correlation analysis & Regression analysis

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Research background
3. Aims/ objectives of research
4. Research rationale
5. Research scope
6. Literature review
7. Method/methodology
8. Analysis/findings
9. Conclusion and recommendations
10. Research proposal schedule
11. Gantt Chart
12. 12.              References

Submitting, feedback & grades online using VLE

Students should provide a completed assessment cover sheet with all essential details. This assessment should be submitted in electronic format via college systems on the VLE on or before the submission deadline. All late submissions will be capped at `PASS`. Students can view their feedback and grades by using the same submission link in the VLE.

Assessment Aim:

The assignment aims to assess your ability to design a primary research project by identifying gaps in existing research, justifying its topic, defining the aim, objectives, and research questions, and selecting appropriate methodologies. 

• This Proposal aims to assess the following key areas:
• Choose a research topic that is relevant to the subject being studied and appropriate for the undergraduate level.
• The clarity of the overall research question for the proposed research (research title) and research focus (statement of the problem, research aim and objectives or research questions, research rationale, and scope).
• The ability to engage with a review of the existing established knowledge around the focus area of the proposed research (literature review).
• The ability to evaluate methodological choices and select appropriate research methods (Research Methodology).

Research Considerations:

For this assessment, you must select a topic relevant to your course of study and discuss it with the lecturer. You can select a topic from a diverse range of subjects and issues prevalent in the industry and specific organisations or industries. However, we strongly advise selecting an industry-focused topic or contemporary issues and, if necessary, selecting small organisations to ensure access.

Research Supervisor:

The Proposal will help the college to allocate a project supervisor that would help assess the potential and feasibility of the proposed research project. Your research supervisor will guide on how to approach the research project, including its content and structure. Your research topic and the research context, including the chosen organisation, must be approved by your module lecturer/ research supervisor. The research title and /or focus of the Proposal you undertake now cannot be fundamentally changed in the research project next semester without the written expressed approval of your module lecturer/supervisor.

Assessment Format Guidance:

The written Project Proposal should not be more than 2,500 words (plus or minus 10%). It should consist of 1.5 spaced typescript, and an appropriate font style such as Times New Roman or Arial, with text size 12. The paragraph margins should be set as: top 2.5 cm, bottom 2 cm, left 3 cm and right 2 cm. You must leave an empty line between paragraphs.

Expected Content of Your Proposal:

Your research proposal report should be organised as explained below: 

Front cover sheet

This is the NCL Assessment Cover Sheet for all assessments of the UWL programme. This must be completed, and the declaration form must be signed and dated.

Title page

State your research title/research question.

Introduction

The introduction to the Proposal, research background, statement of the problem, the overall aim or purpose of the research, research objectives, hypotheses (if required), research questions, research rationale, and research scope.

Literature Review

Explore the topic area by reviewing literature, theories and models relevant to the chosen topic area. 

Research Methodology

Identify and explain the research methodology with clear justification. Saunders`s Research Onion framework is recommended.

Ethical Issues

You must specify the key ethical considerations for the proposed research for both primary and secondary collection methods. A Proportionate Ethics Review Form will be provided during the Written Research Project next term.

Project Schedule (Timeline)

Use an appropriate project planning tool (Gantt Chart or PERT) to schedule the activities/tasks of your Proposal for the entire research project, including the final written project next semester.

Conclusion

Provide a brief conclusion for the Proposal only—not a completed study, summarising the research problem, purpose of the proposed research, scope, and potential contributions to the body of knowledge of the research area.

References

Sources used and referred to in the main proposal report using the Harvard Referencing System. Submission of a report without references is a serious academic ethical issue.

No.	Learning Outcomes	Marking Criteria
2    3	Understanding research methodologies includes research paradigms, philosophies, approaches and other key methodological aspects. Critically review relevant literature and theoretical models to explore the research topic.	Clear research context and precisely defined aim, objectives, and research questions – 25% Indicative theories and scholarly views to provide theoretical justifications for the study – 25% Key methodological choices and appropriate data collection plan – 25% Conclusion & Structure – 25%

 

Section	100–80% (Excellent – Level 6)	79–70% (Very Good)	69–60% (Good)	59–50% (Satisfactory)	49–40% (Marginal)	39–30% (Poor)	29–0% (Fail)
Research Context, Aim, Objectives & Research Questions (25%)	Exceptionally clear and critically framed research context. Aim, objectives, and research questions are precisely defined, coherent, and logically aligned, demonstrating strong independent academic judgement.	Very clear research context with well-defined and aligned aims, objectives, and questions.	Clear research context with appropriate aims and questions, minor issues with precision or alignment.	Basic research context; aims and questions evident but lack clarity or coherence.	Weak research context; aims and questions are vague or poorly aligned.	Poorly defined context with unclear or inappropriate aims and questions.	Missing, irrelevant, or fundamentally flawed research context and aims.
Indicative Theories & Scholarly Views (25%)	Excellent Level 6 engagement with theory, demonstrating critical evaluation, synthesis, and justification of relevant theories and scholarly views. Shows originality and strong conceptual understanding.	Strong use of relevant theories with clear justification and good critical engagement.	Appropriate theories applied with some critical discussion, though depth may be uneven.	Largely descriptive use of theory with limited critical evaluation.	Minimal theoretical engagement and weak justification for the study.	Poor or inappropriate use of theory with little understanding.	No meaningful theoretical framework or scholarly justification.
Methodology & Data Collection Plan (25%)	Highly appropriate and well-justified methodological choices, clearly aligned with the research aims and questions. Data collection plan is realistic, ethical, and demonstrates strong methodological awareness.	Appropriate methodology with clear justification and a feasible data collection plan.	Suitable methodology with some justification, minor weaknesses in detail or alignment.	Basic methodological outline with limited justification or clarity.	Weak methodological choices with poor alignment to research aims.	Poor understanding of methodology and data collection methods.	Missing, inappropriate, or incorrect methodology.
Conclusion & Structure (25%)	Insightful and well-structured conclusion synthesising the research context, theory, and methodology. Overall work is coherent, logically organised, and academically structured to a high Level 6 standard.	Clear and well-organised conclusion with good overall structure.	Appropriate conclusion and structure, though synthesis or flow may be uneven.	Basic conclusion with limited synthesis; structure is adequate but inconsistent.	Weak conclusion and poorly organised structure.	Poor conclusion with unclear or disorganised structure.	Missing conclusion and/or no coherent structure.

 

Marking Criteria/Scheme and Rubrics in details
Below is the marking scheme your assessor will use when deciding the mark to award your Research Project Proposal. This is an important source of guidance for the writing of your Proposal. It states the evidence assessors will be looking for, and the marks available for them.
Rubric	Key evidence	Marking/Assessment criteria. You are expected to include the following evidence:	Indicated Weighting
Introduction			25%
	Research Background	Introduce the research idea by presenting the context and background of the study. A brief problem statement and logically stated the purpose for conducting the study.
	Research Aims and Objectives or questions	Specific, relevant, clear, achievable, and concisely written research aim, research objectives/ questions, and hypotheses (if required).
	Research Rationale and Scope	Rationale: The contribution to your personal and professional career aspirations. A brief explanation of any gap in the literature that the research may seek to contribute. The practical benefits and contributions of the research study. Scope: Identified the research context and justify it choice. Identified the research subjects, theories, and themes that will be involved for the study.
Literature Review			25%
	Introduction         Main body:         Conclusion	Relevant and concise purpose of the research and themes reviewed. Well-structured relevant themes and sub-themes. Reviewed academic and other relevant literature. Identified relevant models and theoretical frameworks, findings, and methodologies (where applicable) of reviewed studies. Sources are current, relevant, and credible. Coherent argument linking the present research study to studies reviewed. A summary of the findings and methodologies reviewed studies and existing gap for the proposed study.
Research Methodology			25%
	Introduction     Research Design	Relevant and concise purpose of the research, and type of research design. A clear, relevant, coherent, sufficiently but concisely justified research design: research philosophy, research approach, research methods/techniques (to collect and analyse the collected data), ensuring the validity and reliability, and any ethical issues for the proposed research study.
Conclusion & Structure			25%
	Conclusion for the Proposal	Concisely reiterate the research problem. purpose, and research context. Mention the significance of the potential contribution of the proposed research to existing knowledge in the research topic.
	Research Schedule	Apply an appropriate and correctly represented project planning tool to schedule all relevant tasks/activities to complete the entire proposed research from Proposal to the written report next semester.
	Potential outcome/contribution	Outline potential outcomes and contributions to the body of knowledge.
	Structure & Academic Writing style	An appropriate overall structure. Evidence of formal tone and style; no complex, clumsy, and complicated sentences and good punctuation and appropriate word choice. Evidence of consistent formatting.
	Harvard Referencing Style	There are sufficient references, and correctly applied Harvard referencing system in both in text citations and list of references.

Employability Skills

This assessment covers the following employability skills, which you could demonstrate on your CV and at job interviews if you successfully pass the assessment:

• Communication
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • Listening
  • Presenting
  • Non-Verbal
• Problem solving
• Take initiative and be self-motivated
• Critical thinking
• Can work under pressure and to a deadline
• Planning and organisation skills
• Ability to learn and adapt
• Valuing Diversity
• Industry/commercial aware
• Reflective lifelong learners
• Digitally literate
• Creativity/lateral thinking
• Time management
• Project management
• Intellectual curiosity
• Flexibility
• Perseverance
• Confidence
• Integrity and accountability
• Decision making
• Reading and reviewing published literature
• Qualitative Research
• Quantitative Research