Course/ Module: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

SEGI Course Code: MGT6434/FIN6434 UCLAN Module Code: BU4506

Lecturer name: Adrian Khor Student Submission Date: 2 Apr 2023

ASSESSMENT METHODS
Number of Form of % Size of Category of Learning
Assessments Assessment Weighting Assessment/Duration/ assessment Outcomes
Word count being
assessed
1 Assignment 50% 1000 words report Assignment 3&5
(Part A)
1 Assignment 50% 1000 words report Assignment 1, 2, 3, 4 &
(Part B) 5

TAKE HOME ASSIGNMENT

Regulations

Please make sure that you are aware of the rules concerning plagiarism. If you are unclear about them,
please consult your program coordinator/lecturer.

Plagiarism is presenting somebody else’s work as your own. It includes copying

information directly from the Web or books without referencing the material;
submitting joint assignment as an individual effort; copying another student’s
assignment; stealing assignment from another student and submitting it as your own.
Suspected plagiarism will be investigated and if found to have occurred will be dealt
with according to the procedures set down by the SEGi University/ UCLAN.

SEGi Plagiarism Policy

Minor Plagiarism: poor in-text referencing and few paragraphs being copied – stern warning and or
counseling
Moderate Plagiarism: copying some paragraphs and results without in-text referencing – awarded
next lower grade
Major Plagiarism; Most of the work is copied and cases of repeat minor and major plagiarism – Fail
and re-take or suspension or dismissal
UCLan Plagiarism Policy
Single offence – 0 marks for affected element, element must be re-submitted and student

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 can only secure pass mark on affected element (overall grade remains uncapped)
Repeat offended – 0 marks and no opportunity to re-submit – student can retake courses

To attain the SEGi award the SEGi plagiarism policy will be in place while the UCLAN
plagiarism policy will apply to attain the UCLAN award.

 The assignment should exhibit formal research skills i.e. with a table of content, proper
citations, references, and appendixes.
 The assignment write up must be able to demonstrate critical analysis and application of both
theory and practical issues to the company that you have selected.
 Student may include additional relevant data/information apart from the proposed guidelines in
conjunction to your research. Additional marks will be awarded for such attempt.
 All written reports MUST be submitted for similarity checks to Turnitin.
 Extensions
Authorisation of the late submission of work requires written permission. Your lecturer is
authorised to give permission for one extension period of between 1 and 10 working days
where appropriate evidence of good reason has been accepted and where submission within
this timescale would be reasonable taking into account your circumstances. Requests for
extensions should be made prior to the submission date as extensions cannot be given
retrospectively.
 Late submissions
If you submit work late without authorisation, a universal penalty will be applied in relation to
your work. The appended table summarises the SEGi/UCLAN penalties.

SEGi Penalties
Submission within 5 working date following published deadline – given a pass (50 marks
for the component of assessment)
Submission later than 5 working days – awarded 0 marks for the component
Unauthorised late submission at supplementary will be automatically awarded 0 marks for
the component assessment

Part A: Literature Review (50%)

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Part A of the assignment requires you to produce and prepare the literature review (1000
words) on one of the following topics. Choose according to your specialization:

1. Foreign Direct Investment and its Effects on Economic Growth

2. Impact of Electronic Banking on Customer Satisfaction
3. The Predictors of Mobile Banking
4. Impact of Social Media Advertising on Customer Loyalty
5. Impact of Globalisation on Consumer Behaviour
6. Benefits of E-commerce for Small and Medium Enterprises
7. Critical Factors Influencing Organizational Performance
8. Effect of Work Environment on Employee Performance
9. Effect of Stress on Employee’s Productivity
10. Factors Affecting Employee Retention

Part B: Research Proposal (50%)

Part B of the assignment requires you to produce a RESEARCH PROPOSAL of 1000 words
(written in Times New Roman, font size 12, 1.5 spacing) describing the research project you
intend to pursue in your Masters Project. Typically, the proposal builds on one of the topics
you discussed in your research topic. However, you may write a proposal on a different topic
if you desire.

When preparing a research proposal, it is essential that the proposed area of research is
clearly articulated. Consulting with a faculty member in the research area of interest is
recommended, but not necessarily required. Liaising with an academic who specializes in
your proposal topic will help to strengthen the overall direction of the research.

Working Research Title: An initial working title should be provided and should describe
the content and direction of your project.

1. Abstract

A short 150 words description that describes the research proposal; a quick statement on
goal, method and expected outcomes.

2. Introduction
An introduction about the research title, overview and problems you intend to resolve.

3. Purpose of the Study

What do you want to know, prove, demonstrate, analyze, test, investigate or examine. List

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 your research objectives or research questions you intend to establish.

4. Theories related to the Study

What past theoretical research are you building upon? (Refer to Literature Review in Part
A for guide)

5. Scope and Limitation of the study

Describes the extent of the study (Actual place where the study will only be conducted,
duration of the study, inclusions of the study, limit of the number of respondents, other
limitations)

6. Hypotheses
Depending on the nature of you research, hypothesis might not be stated up front. For
example, if you choose a qualitative research method that leverages grounded theory, then
the “theory” is an emergent property at the END of your research. However, if your
method is Quantitative method, then you should include verbiage upfront in your proposal
that discusses what your hypothesis (or hypotheses will be).

7. Research Methodology
What method will you use? What is the sampling method? What is the sample size? What
do you need? (specify any special equipment, software or material)? Can you access
necessary data or expertise? Do you require particular resources? What are the data
collection procedures? Are there barriers or pitfalls?

8. Timetable
Indicate the estimated timeframe for each stage considering literature surveys, data
collection, production, modelling, review, analysis, testing, reporting milestones, and
research submission date.

9. Significance of the Study and Expected conclusions, implications or justifications

Why is it important? What do you expect it will deliver? What are the expected outcomes?
Establish the importance of your project by highlighting its uniqueness/inventiveness and
why it is worth pursuing. Highlight the benefits, positive expected outcomes or innovative
applications of knowledge.

10. Ethical Considerations

Underline the ethical issues that are likely to affect your research project at the
various stages of the research. Discuss how you will seek to overcome or control it.

11. References
References must be cited in APA 7th Edition format.

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ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES

Table of Contents and Numbering

All submission should be submitted with Individual Assignment Cover Sheet and
comprehensive table of contents is required, with section numbers, section headings, and
page numbers. It should include the List of References, and a List of Appendices; all with
page numbers indicated. All sections and pages should be fully numbered.

Body of Assignment
This is an academic assignment, so it is essential that your statements be justified by relevant
academic theory. At postgraduate level, you are expected to be able to apply recognized
theory to situations and form opinions. You should be developing analytical and
communication skills. You are expected to use your judgment to analyze problems and make
value judgments as to whether it is good or bad (or both); use existing academic theory from
a range of sources to justify your position, and to argue whether something is valid or not. In
the study of management, there is no right or wrong answers, only lots of opinions; many of
which change over a period of time.

Referencing
Referencing is NOT just inserting a list of publications at the end of the report
(coursework/assignment), and this is not acceptable. Referencing is NOT just inserting a
citation at the end of each paragraph, and is not acceptable. At postgraduate level, you are
expected to cite at least 10 to 15 different sources of reference material and to make multiple
references to such material. References MUST be cited using APA system (which is
author/date). Please do not use footnotes, etc. Read your communication skills handbook for
information on how to cite reference materials. References must be listed alphabetically by
author in a single List of References at the end of each coursework/assignment. Do not put
multiple lists of references at the end of each section or part.

Appendices
Larger amounts of relevant material (such as sample documents or supporting material)
should be put at the end of the assignment in an Appendix after the List of References.
Smaller charts or summaries could be located in the text, but anything over a page becomes a
distraction. Appendices should be numbered sequentially (Appendix 1, Appendix 2, etc.).
Unnecessary and irrelevant information should not be attached. Size of assignments has no
bearing on marks achieved.

Turnitin Report
The similarity index should be less than or equal to 15%. Coursework/assignment with a
similarity index that exceeds 15% or without the Turnitin report will not be graded.

Word Count
The total word count should be 2,000 words for both part-A and part-B of the assignment
excluding tables and figures as well as references. Try to stay with the allocated word count
as far as possible. Marks are gained for facts and conciseness, and marks are lost for

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unnecessary material. As a postgraduate student, there is no excuse for poor spelling, bad
grammar, or lack of formatting. Use 1.5 lines-spacing with 12-point font size, and pages must
be numbered. Use Times New Roman font ONLY.

Submission Platform
The assignment should be submitted through Blackboard submission. The submission
deadline is 2 APR 2023.

Late Submission
 Late submission between 1 and 5 days, 1 mark deducted per day up to maximum of 5
marks.
 Late submission between 6 and 10 days, 2 marks deducted per day from day 6 to 10, plus
the 5 marks deducted from day 1 to 5 up to maximum of 15 marks.
 Late submission between 11 and 15 days, a pass grade of 50% given if work submitted
earned more than 50%. For coursework that earned below 50%, the marks will be
maintained.
 Late submission more than 15 days, coursework will not be accepted and automatic 0%
will be given.

Additional Information
1. Do not FORGET to include Name, Identity Card Number/Passport Number, Student
Number, Course, Code, Mode of Study, Name of Lecturer, Due Date, and Centre in the
coursework/assignment cover sheet.
2. The student who omitted to filled-in student details in this cover sheet results in a 10%
deduction of total coursework/assignments marks.
3. The student who filled-in inaccurate or misleading information in student details in this
cover sheet, you should accept the responsibility or risk of affecting your final marks or
grade.
4. You should submit your coursework/assignment online via SEGi University Blackboard.
5. Use the United Kingdom (UK) English language to complete your
coursework/assignment.

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ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Part A
Content Total Excellent Good Acceptable Below Poor
Marks Average
Relevance 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Directly relevant to the
requirements of the assessment
Knowledge 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
A substantial knowledge of
relevant material, showing a
clear grasp of themes, questions
and issues therein
Analysis 20 20 - 17 16 - 13 12 - 9 8-5 4-1
Comprehensive analysis – clear
analysis and demonstrate insight
of the research
Argument 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Well supported, focused
argument which is clear and
logical.
Critical Evaluation 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Contains distinctive or
independent thinking; and begins
to formulate an independent
position in relation to contrasting
literatures
Organisation 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Structures and demonstrated
organisation in the presentation of
information
Literature sources 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Critical appraisal of up-to-date
and/or appropriate literature from
secondary literature sources from
the experts of research area and
peer reviewed academic journals
Language/Syntax 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Well written, with standard
spelling and grammar, in a
readable style with acceptable
format
Citation and References 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
In-text citations and reference list
are complete and properly
formatted in APA style.
Total 100

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Part B
Content Total Excellent Good Acceptable Below Poor
Marks Average
Title and Abstract 5 5 4 3 2 1
The title meets the requirement and
abstract clearly summarises the
research proposal
Introduction 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Provide a comprehensive overview
about the research area and its
environment
Purpose of the Study 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Clearly stated the purpose of study,
what was intended to
examine/investigate for the research.
Presents research objectives and
questions
Theories related to the study 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Well supported, focused argument on
theories that underpins the research
Scope & Limitation 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Clearly defined the scope of the
research, exceptions if any and
limitation present in the research
Hypothesis/Framework 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Structured hypothesis/grounded
theories based on the nature of the
research.
Methodology 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Provides clear direction of the
research in terms of method,
sampling techniques, sample size,
data collection procedures and
analysis
Significance of study 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Comprehensive analysis on the
expected outcome, highlighting the
benefits and application of
knowledge
Timetable & Ethical consideration 5 5 4 3 2 1
Detailed planning for each stage of
research and the ethical
consideration involved in completing
the research
Language/Syntax 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Well written, with standard spelling
and grammar, in a readable style
with acceptable format
Citation and References 10 10 - 9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
In-text citations and reference list are

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complete and properly formatted in
APA style.
Total 100

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