Assignment 1 (2023-2024)
Research Methods and Techniques
MGT7158
Assignment 1: Short paper
This is an individual assessment whereby students are required to develop a short paper on an empirical research project using qualitative and/or quantitative research methods. The final short paper is worth 100% of the overall module marks.
Each student needs to submit their research proposal by 11:59 pm, Thursday the 9th of May.
Marking Criteria Part A (50% of the module mark)
• Clear definition of your topic (15%)
• Your initial background reading and literature research on the topic (35%)
• Design of your research strategy (35%)
• Presentation - Structure, Writing Style, Referencing (15%)
Marking Criteria Part B (50% of the module mark)
• Organisation and critical evaluation of data (20%)
• Implementation of research design and data analysis (50%)
• Documentation of data preparation and analysis to ensure replicability of results including documentation of any AI used (30%)
Please find below the recommended short paper outline.
Recommended short paper outline of an empirical research project
• Cover page: Student name,student number, programme, research topic and word count.
• [Failure to attach a cover page with all of the indicated information will result in a mark of zero]
• Introduction: context, topic to be addressed, outline of research question(s), aims and objectives,potential contribution of the research to literature and management practice, potential research problems and/or constraints (600 words approx.).
• Review of relevant literature: justification of topic chosen, bodies of literature being addressed, what is already known, gaps in what is already known, how the literature reviewed informs the design of the research. Your literature review must include multiple sources of peer-reviewed academic literature (800 words approx.).
• Methodology: how you intend going about answering the research question(s) and addressing the research objectives (800 words approx.). This should include:
o A very brief summary of ontological and epistemological assumptions underpinning proposed research
o Summary of research approach and purpose
o Detailed research design – methodology including proposed data collection method(s) / description of secondary data sources including a justification for their selection; outline of the data analysis and discussion of strengths and potential weaknesses of proposed approach.
o Potential ethical issues
• Results (500 words approx.): clear description and interpretation of the findings from the data analysis, focus on main results.
• Discussion and conclusion (300 words approx.): Link results to relevant academic literature and discuss them, provide an answer to your research question.
• A bibliography/ reference list must be provided (not included in the word count)
• An appendix (max. 5 pages) containing further documentation of the empirical analysis e.g. download links to secondary data sources, a documentation of the generation of simulated data or questionnaires (or links to questionnaires), interview guides, coding schemes, additional analyses (not included in the word count).
Supplementary material
The submission of supplementary material is mandatory. This material must allow a third person to replicate the results presented in the short paper. The supplementary material contains depending on applicability:
• Raw data files (qualitative and/or quantitative data)
• Complete outputs from software packages that document the data preparation
• Prepared data files (qualitative and/or quantitative data)
• Complete outputs from software packages that document the generation of the results presented in the short paper and its appendix
• Any additional information / explanation that is required for the reproduction of results
• A documentation on the use of AI (e.g. ChatGPT) for the different parts of the assessment (in case students used AI for this assessment)
Outputs from the following software packages are accepted: SPSS/PSPP, NVivo, fsQCA
Assessment
The short paper will be assessed using the conceptual equivalents scale for postgraduate students (see below). The incorporation of relevant literature and theory will be vital to a high quality assignment.
AN IMPORTANT POINT TO NOTE IS THAT WHILE THE SHORT PROVIDES A FOUNDATION FOR YOUR DISSERTATION, THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE AND GRADED PIECES OF WORK AND THEREFORE MUST
BE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT.
Word Count
The word count should be indicated on the coversheet of the assignment. The expected word count is 3000 words (+ or – 10% rule applies), excluding the title page, appendices and references list. If the proposal is longer than 3300 words, you will be penalised. Any material above the word limit will not count towards the mark
Formatting
The proposal must be word processed. Please use size 12 font (Calibri/Arial Narrow/Times New Roman), 1.5 line spacing. Please ensure that the text is professionally laid out and you have proof-read in advance of submission.
Referencing
Please use the Harvard referencing system.
Submission Details
Each student needs to submit the research proposal by 23:59, Thursday the 9th of May 2024, through CANVAS. 11:59 pm.
The short paper must be submitted online in a word document format only. Failure to submit the online copy through CANVAS by the submission deadline will be viewed as late submission (please see “Late Submission Penalties”, on p. 7). Submission of an incorrect format will not be considered as a submission until the correct format, i.e. a word document, is uploaded.
Academic Integrity/Plagiarism
Plagiarism is regarded as one of the most serious academic related offences. In broad terms, plagiarism in the action of submitting work which is not your own work as if it was your own work. Inlay terms, it is regarded as academic theft. Plagiarism generally takes one of three forms (though other forms may occur)
• Copying work from a fellow student
• Using ideas from published work which you do not acknowledge
• Copying work from books, articles or internet sources and failing to acknowledge the sources.
If you are in any doubt of what may amount to plagiarism, contact the module coordinator before submitting work.
We will use Turnitin as an originality checking software. Turnitin an online service that enables institutions and staff to carryout electronic comparison of students' work against electronic sources and other students' work. The system produces an “originality report” which shows the text in the student’s assignment which matches electronic sources.
Students should exercise great care with content produced using Generative AI software (e.g. ChatGPT). QUB has clear guidelines on the use of such software (see:https://blogs.qub.ac.uk/digitallearning/wp- content/uploads/sites/270/2018/06/QUB-AI-guidance-FINAL.pdf). While Generative AI can be used in an appropriate way to enhance the learning process, it can also (inadvertently) lead to academic offenses such as plagiarism and fabrication.
Feedback
Queen’s University policy is that students are provided with feedback within 3 working weeks of submission of their coursework.
Late Submission Penalties
In accordance with University regulations, work that is submitted after the official deadline will have 5 percentage points per working day, or part thereof, deducted from the final mark. This excludes days that the University is officially closed. Work that is submitted five or more working days after the deadline will be given a mark of zero. Late submission will incur the penalties indicated.