The research project is an independent piece of primary research carried out individually by the student whose aim is to enable the student to undertake a piece of independent research. Mentored by a member of the academic team, the student will engage in a process of integration of the various knowledge acquired (across the degree programme to date), as well as putting into practice the learning outcomes from the Research Methods module. It also offers the opportunity to explore an aspect of one of the academic disciplines, normally within a retail or services context.
The subject matter of the Research Project includes the elements the student will have completed as indicated above as well as the following indicative elements
- a statement of the issue or problem being explored
- a review of relevant academic literature related to the research problem identified
- a report on the context within which the research study resides ( Industry sector or organisational context)
- A clear description and justification of the research methodology adopted
- Data collection and analysis
- Identification of key findings of the research
- Discussion of key findings in line existing knowledge in academic literature
- Conclusion to the study and writing up of the Research Report
The research report should be approximately 12,500 words in length including references.
In arriving at the total word count for the submitted work, the following guidelines apply:
Brief Critical Review of Existing Literature 5,00 Words
Short Contextualisation of research to a particular business sector or issue 2,000- Words
Description of Primary Research Undertaken including methods 2,500 Words
Findings, discussion & conclusions 3000 Words
_____________
12,500 Words
____________
The student will be allocated a supervisor by week six of semester one and will meet weekly from that date for a minimum period of 20 minutes. This constitutes a total of six direct contact hours over the course of the academic year. A written log of the on-going progress for the research project will be documented by the supervisor.
Once a meeting is cancelled by the student, the time is forfeited. If the meeting is cancelled by the supervisor, it will be re-scheduled at an alternative time, with the exception of where the academic supervisor is unfit for work.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |