PPT- You are required to present a 15-minute academic presentation 10-15 slides to the examination panel presenting your Research Proposal (equivalent to 2000 words). You will be informed when and how the presentation will happen via BRE

Key assignment details

Unit title & code

BSS045-3 Specialist Project (Dissertation)

Assignment number & title

Assignment 1 Project Proposal

Assignment type (including exams)

WR-I

Weighting of assignment

20%

Size or length of assessment or exam duration

15-minute presentation equivalent to 2,000 words

Unit learning outcomes

Demonstrate understanding of the research process in the context of your chosen business-related specialist project

To develop, plan and implement a valid and academically reliable research-based project

Assignment Brief Discussion with Students

The assessment brief must be discussed during an in-class session with students within the first 2 weeks of the unit and be accompanied by a screen/podcast on the BREO shell explaining the assessment, the rubric and marking criteria. Please confirm the date this discussion is to take place:

Click or tap to enter a date.

What am I required to do in this assignment?

You are required to present a 15-minute academic presentation 10-15 slides to the examination panel presenting your Research Proposal (equivalent to 2000 words). You will be informed when and how the presentation will happen via BREO. You must also submit the slides to your presentation onto BREO using the assessment submission link. The slides need to be of academic quality and be fully referenced using appropriate sources. You will need to submit your slides prior to your presentation slot.

GUIDANCE

During the first semester you should be thinking and consulting with your supervisor with regards to your chosen topic. The culmination of this process is the project proposal submission in teaching week 3 of the 1st Semester.

It is of fundamental importance that the project you choose is a project that you feel will sustain your interest throughout the unit. You must adopt an appropriate research methodology in order to meet the needs of the final assessment. It is fundamental that your approach in resolving the research aim and objectives are robust and methodologically sound. A reasoned review of relevant literature will be expected and a well-thought out explanation of the research methodology chosen.

The generation of data is a crucial aspect of the project and must be fully considered at the preliminary stage outlined above. The project proposal that you submit in week 3 should have a detailed plan and schedule of this activity (Gantt chart), noting problems, bottlenecks or likely pressure on you or your time (risk register). Your research is based on primary data.

Detailed guidance on each section will be given week by week in class. The work must be your own and you must use the general structure to each section detailed within the Masterclass teaching.

Layout of the final Report (the dissertation)

The word count of the final report should be 2000 words (+/- 10%). The layout of most projects should follow a standard structure:

•The proposal should provide an account of how you are going to respond to the topic and conduct your research. It should contain the following aspects:

1. Introduction to the project/dissertation

•Overview and context

•Aim & Objectives: 1 aim and maximum 3 to 5 appropriate objectives

•Research Questions

2. Brief Literature Review (on main scholarly areas of knowledge) as well as an outline of the research gap
3. Methodology (what kind of data and creative processes you will adopt to meet your chosen objectives/specifications)
4. Potential outcomes
5. A conceptual map that outlines the concepts explored in the Literature Review
6. Risk register
7. Gantt Char
8. A list of the key reference sources for the project that you have identified. (10 references as a minimum).

What do I need to do to pass? How do I achieve a good grade?

The proposal should have all the required components of a research proposal as listed in the assessment brief

Demonstrate appropriate understanding of your chosen project by providing background to the research problem and outline of the key literature explaining the research problem

Demonstrate the ability to develop, plan and implement an academically valid and reliable project methodology

Evidence critical reasoning using Harvard style of referencing

Note: Turnitinwill be used for all submissions to check for plagiarism. We also reserve the right to initiate a viva voce examination if we have concerns regarding the originality of your submission. You need to be available for a viva if called following the submission of your work. Non-attendance counts as non-submission.

How does this assignment relate to ‘my learning in this unit and help me develop knowledge and skills that I will need for my future?

“How does this assignment relate to what we are doing in the scheduled sessions” –

The unit is based on independent study, requiring you to be responsible for the management and direction of the research, project supervisors are assigned to oversee and guide you through the process. The proposed topic is agreed by yourself and respective supervisors and should relate to a specific Business or Management issue as well as being of interest to you.

The supervisor-supervisee relationship is managed by you and you are provided the opportunity for 8-hours (4 hours in your first semester within your BSS057-3 unit and another

4 hours in your second semester) of individual contact with

your supervisor over the dissertation process. The project is driven by you with the supervisor acting as a support mechanism.

A one-hour master class is provided via the local tutor that addresses issues that are relevant to all students. Broadly topics covered may include:

• Identifying topics
• Literature Review
• Academic 8
• Research Design
• Qualitative data analysis
• Quantitative Data Analysis

The table below indicates graduate competencies gained relevant to this assessment.

What should I be aware of when preparing my and how and where should I submit my work? (May need wiseflow info for exams)

When submitting work for assessment, you must ensure that it is all your own work. Failure to do this could result in sanctions, including removal from your course. The Academic Integrity Resource (AIR) has been designed to introduce you to academic integrity and how to demonstrate this during your studies.

The University provides access to Studiosity that connects students with a team of writing specialists who are here to help you with writing and core skills – anytime, anywhere. Studiosity provides you with two online services: Writing Feedback and Connect Live.  Their Writing Feedback gives feedback on referencing, choice of language, structure and spelling/grammar within 24 hours. If you are not sure how to use the feedback to enhance your work before making a final submission, you can arrange to discuss this with a member of the Study Hubteam. Connect Live also offers live support in areas such as basic English, maths and stats, science and generic study skills. Both services are available 24/7, 365 days of the year, and you can access them for FREE via BREO.

For exams, you should familiarise yourself with the guidance information available here: https://www.beds.ac.uk/exams/

Practice exams can be taken for all exam types before exams week.  Please see section Prepare for your exam.

General Instructions:

• Assignment to be presented and submitted by individual.
• Each student must only submit an e-copy online using ONLY BREO’s link. Please follow the instructions provided in BREO’s “Assessment & Feedback” folder. Your work will NOT be assessed if you failed to submit a copy online before 10.00am on BREO, without approved Mitigation.
• Note: Your e-copy submissions must contain the full report, i.e. front page, content, and references. And you must use full Harvard referencing.
• You will be marked as fail if you have missed the deadline for online submission.
• Your assignment will be scanned by a plagiarism detecting tool (turnitin). Any attempt of plagiarising your work will be detected and penalised.

Your assignment will be scanned by an AI tool (turnitin)-  a high level of AI will be referred to the academic panelfor more detailed information on AIusethis link,.

• Your assignment must be a piece of personal and genuine work.  suspected with plagiarism, fabrication, impersonation, or any other forms of academic offence, a viva will be conducted prior to the disciplinary action.
  • Any student, which fails to follow above specifications, will NOT be assessed.