1.1 Identify an appropriate topic for master’s level research and produce a researchable question 1.2 Evaluate how established techniques of research and enquiry (words, numbers and secondary data) are used to create and interpret knowledge in a chosen discipline
1.3 Evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship within an identified area of interest
1.4 Undertake a critical search of relevant literature and, through synthesis, produce a literature review appropriate for an academic community.
Submission Requirements
- A critical literature review of 3,000 word (+/- 10%)
- A Turnitin Similarity Report
In this course, we developed a shared understanding of master’s level research, which embraced the making sense of selected sources. We also presented an opportunity to refine a range of masterly skills. In particular, we encouraged you to develop the skills needed to understand, critique and utilise research conducted by others and to consider how you might conduct research within your organisational and professional context.
We would like you to work independently and, having adopted an appropriate methodology, to produce a critical literature review that informs your proposed research, into a business problem. With respect to format, we require you to use a journal presentation and adopt a succinct, focused style of writing.
Adopting a scholarly practitioner stance, you may draw on a range of “quality” literature, as long as your work remains focused on a complex practice-based problem, although “quality” implies that peer-reviewed journal articles would be used predominantly.
This literature review will serve as the starting point for the research project you are going to undertake in Developing Business Solution—the final course on the MBA (Global) programme. As your final MBA (Global) assessment submission, you will be required to produce a Business Solutions Report based on data you will have collected as part of the Developing Business Solutions course. In Research in Practice (the next course), you will develop a research proposal that is based upon the researchable question selected here and your critical literature review.
It is vital therefore that, as you approach this assessment, you identify a research topic and goals that are realistically achievable within the bounds of an eight week course. As you will be writing in a journal style, we feel it is appropriate to structure your assessment around a series of headings:
- Title of Work – Think creatively. Is it sufficiently attention-grabbing to catch the Editor’s eye? • Abstract – Outlines the purpose, background and significance of the review article, in fewer than 120 words.
- Keywords – Identifies up to five keywords that highlight the central focus.
- Methodology – Clearly explains and justifies the approaches used to select and organise material.
- Introduction – Sets out the researchable question, briefly explains why the topic is chosen and provides contextual background to the study. Identifies where the review sits within the wider scholarly landscape.
- Main body – Develops the main arguments: identifies trends and patterns in theories and authors, and alerts the reader to criticisms. Takes the reader on a logical journey and presents well-developed sub-sections that focus on a “story” or themes, rather than presenting a chronological format.
- Conclusion – Concludes to the purpose outlined in the introduction, with the concluding paragraph providing intellectual closure for the reader.
- References – Carefully detail all sources used and present these in a standard academic format.
We recommend that, before embarking on the writing itself and to avoid “drowning” in data, you devise both a clear strategy and a coherent plan.
Your work will be assessed in a holistic manner, similar to a peer-review process. Within the master’s level remit, we will focus on the extent to which your critical literature review achieves the relevant learning outcomes. However, whilst we will evaluate the quality of the writing overall, for example being analytical, rather than descriptive, we will also use the Marking Criteria given below to inform the feedback and mark allocation for the assessment.
Key Specifications and Requirements
You may refer to any of the materials and tools introduced on the course but must:
- Ensure a high quality of argument is present in your work.
- Provide evidence to support any arguments made.
- Maintain the framework for a journal style article we have provided.
- Write in a way that is suitable for a peer-reviewed qualitative journal. This means you may use first or third person as is appropriate within your article. • Label any diagrams used (e.g. Figure 1), give it a title, and credit the source.
- Use Harvard referencing accurately.
- Remember, the literature review should be written in your own words. If you use a quote or directly insert words used by others then these must be placed in speech marks (“…”) and be followed by the author(s) family name, year and page number(s). If you are just using an idea then you should still acknowledge (reference) the source, but no page numbers are needed.
- Ultimately, remember, you are “navigating” the reader through ideas/thinking and evidence and you are coming to a position. As such, there must be considerable “you” in the work. The work cannot simply be a collection of others people’s commentary. You should be comparing, contrasting, evaluating and then ultimately proposing a conclusion.
- Write 3,000 words (+/- 10% not including references) and include a word count at the end of the assignment.
Marking Criteria
Your work will be assessed based on the following criteria:
- Clearly explains the problem, and justifies why it is important from a personal perspective
- Provides a precisely written researchable question and justifies why it is important from an organisational perspective.
- Explains and justifies the method(s) used in conducting the literature review
- Clarifies how the researched area fits into wider debates in the literature
- Demonstrates knowledge of the relevant literature by identifying key debates
- Identifies appropriate concepts and theories, and presents items in a logical structure
- Identifies and explains links and connections between authors and themes
- Synthesises material and identifies patterns and trends in the literature
- Presents a clearly written narrative, with correct grammar and spelling, in journal style format; uses consistent and correct referencing in both the writing and bibliography
1.5 Critically reflect on your role as a scholarly practitioner and how you can advance the boundaries of personal and organisational knowledge through advanced researchreflective scholarly practitioner.
Submission Requirements
- A critical reflective review of learning of 800 word (+/- 10%)
- A Turnitin Similarity Report
We would like you to reflect on and assess the contribution that the Making Sense of Research course made to your development. We would like to write in a narrative style that informs your manager as to your development, thus the focus is a practitioner audience.
Your work will be assessed in a holistic manner and will focus on the degree to which you have engaged in critical reflection on your learning experience; the quality and succinctness of the narrative will also be assessed.
Key Specifications and Requirements
You may refer to any of the materials and tools introduced on the course but must:
- Identify what have you learnt about giving and receiving feedback, both from peers and tutors. • Identify what have you learnt about writing for an academic and practitioner audience.
- Identify which elements of the course have had the greatest impact on your learning.
- Explore how you will action the learning from the course to enhance your research journey.
- Write in a succinct manner that clearly conveys your understanding and application of your learning.
- Set your work out in a “narrative” essay style.
- Ensure that your work has an introduction and a conclusion. Be clear about the use of paragraphs.
- Use the first-person (e.g. “I wanted to undertake this type of change because…) as this is a reflective piece of work.
- Label any diagrams used (e.g. Figure 1), give it a title, and credit the source.
- Use Harvard referencing accurately.
- Remember, the essay should be written in your own words. If you use a quote or directly insert words used by others then these must be placed in speech marks (“…”) and be followed by the author(s) family name, year and page number(s). If you are just using an idea then you should still acknowledge (reference) the source, but no page numbers are needed.
- Ultimately, remember, you are “navigating” the reader through ideas/thinking and evidence and you are coming to a position. As such, there must be considerable “you” in the work. The work cannot simply be a collection of others people’s commentary. You should be comparing, contrasting, evaluating and then ultimately proposing a conclusion.
- Write 800 words (+/- 10% not including references) and include a word count at the end of the assignment.
Marking Criteria
Your work will be assessed based on the following criteria:
- Critically appraises your own learning from the process involved
- Your ability to produce concise and well organised writing
1.1 Design and apply appropriate research methodologies and methods to produce a research proposal.
1.2 Critically evaluate theoretical concepts that underpin research and apply these to a research proposal.
1.3 Demonstrate expertise in determining the different approaches to data collection.
1.4 Synthesise elements of research methods and present a research proposal for a business solutions project that is achievable within an eight-week time scale.
