investigation into economics & finance issues

Assessment

8,000 word dissertation and 1000word reflective essay

Deadline 15th june 2020

The project

The Project is based on a research question chosen by the student (and agreed by the project leader/supervisor). It is a 8000 word investigation into economics & finance issues and a 1000 word reflection on skills developed un undertaking the project. It should have a strategic element – i.e. the research should be applied rather than theoretical. It should be based on secondary data research.

In undertaking a project you will also be required to write a 1000 word reflection on how you have developed in your professional employability skills. This will focus on your vocational specialism but also your problem-solving and analytical skills, planning and organisation skills, meeting deadlines, research and information literacy skills, use of IT, academic writing skills and career economic skills.

Suggested Project Structure

Title Page:

The Title of the project: This should reflect the specific focus of the project.

Student number

Course name and year of submission.

Executive summary: maximum 300 words (not included in the words count) – a summary of the project aim, approach, and results.

Abstract

A maximum of 300 words ( not to be included in the word count)- a summary of the project aim, approach and results.

Acknowledgments

An Acknowledgements page is optional, but some students like to use this opportunity to thank their family, friends, colleagues, sponsor and supervisor for support during their studies.

Table of Content Page

This page lists the main parts of the project together with their page numbers.

Introduction (Chapter 1)– In this section you will frame your research topic. You will set out the main reasons why your chosen topic is worth researching and what you hope to achieve. How will your research focus make a contribution to the business context (i.e. a company’s goals) and the existing literature? This should be followed by the main research question/project aim. This should be followed by a brief description of what the upcoming chapters will be about, your research approach and your key conclusion.

Literature review (Chapter 2) -You should critically review the literature relevant to the objectives of the project.This will involve a concern for both seminal and contemporary literature, with alternative perspectives outlined and controversies discussed.

Research Methods (Chapter 3) – Here, you will discuss the research methods used. This will involve a discussion of qualitative or quantitative research, sampling, reliability and validity, analysis of data and limitations of the research method used. Secondary research may be used such as company reports, company web sites, and newspaper and journal articles.  It is important that you comment on the validity and reliability of such data. It is also important that ethical issues in researching and managing your project are also considered.

Synthesis of the Findings / Discussion (Chapter 4). Here, you will present your key findings. If you are doing quantitative analysis, you will present and analyse your statistics. You may also include graphs, charts and tables to support your arguments. Each graph, chart and table must be numbered and clearly titled. Each should be about half a page and be clear for the reader to see. If you are doing qualitative analysis, extracts from the interviews you conducted should be presented (these should be in italics and in “speech marks”) to highlight the themes that will be evident from the interviews.

When writing up you must ‘synthesize’ the above findings. This requires you to critically analyse them with reference to the existing literature and in relation to your project aim and objectives. The key to achieving success is to ensure that you contextualise your discussion with reference to the literature that supports your arguments.

Conclusion (Chapter 5). This chapter will include recommendations in terms of managerial implications based on your research findings.

Reflection (1000 words). On how you have developed your professional employability skills. This will focus on your vocational specialism but also your problem-solving and analytical skills, planning and organisation skills, meeting deadlines, research and information literacy skills, use of IT, academic writing skills and career accounting skills.

The Appendix

Bibliography / Reference list: Referenced publications are listed in the bibliography alphabetically by author’s surname using the Harvard System.

Diagrams, figures and graphs which are too large for the text should be provided in this section.

Reflection on Professional Employability Skills

While working on the project you will be required to reflect on your development in professional employability skills. Your skills as a business professional will improve through doing a project, but also through other experiences in other modules and activities at UEL, as well as external engagements such as part-time employment. In this assessment you will need to focus on one or more of the following aspects: commercial awareness, problem-solving and analytical skills, planning and organisational skills, time management, research and information literacy skills, use of IT and academic writing skills. Your development in professional employability skills will be assessed by a 1,000 word reflective statement which should be submitted with your project via Turnitin.

The structure of this reflective statement should be organised as follows:

1. Brief introduction
2. Reflective discussion of one or more of the topics suggested above, linking to theory where relevant
3. Conclusion, and targets for further development

Assessment Criteria for the 9,000 word Individual Project (including the Reflection)

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Dissertation and Project

Introduction (including problem identification and rationale) – 15% Is the topic clearly stated and defined with a clear overall purpose? Are the aim and objectives (or research questions) clear, relevant and coherent? Is there a clear justification for the project in terms of its contribution to knowledge?

Review of literature – 20% Has a comprehensive range of relevant literature been used, that is pertinent to the research questions? Are the sources used up to date where appropriate and do they have sufficient academic weight? Is there evidence of a critical attitude towards the literature? Does the review compare, contrast and criticise relevant concepts, models and theories?

Research design or method of inquiry – 10% Is there a clear rationale for the methodology? Is the methodology appropriate? Have the alternatives been discussed and have the advantages and disadvantages of chosen methods been discussed? Is there a discussion of qualitative or quantitative research, sampling, reliability and validity, analysis of data and limitations of the research methods used? Have ethical considerations been made and discussed?

Analysis of data and conclusions/recommendations – 25% Are the analysis and interpretation of data presented in a clear and structured manner? Are the findings meaningful and do they address the business problem, research question and objectives? Are all the statements made supported by the data? Do the conclusions/recommendations follow logically from the findings? Are the conclusions/recommendations grounded in the evidence and arguments presented?

Overall presentation (including writing skills and referencing) – 10% Is the structure and presentation effective? Has the Harvard referencing system been utilised correctly?

Reflection on professional competency and employability skills – 20% Does the reflection show an initial assessment of professional employability skills and targets set? Does the reflection lead to significant targets for future development? Is the reflection evaluative, critical and substantiated? Is there clear evidence in developments in professional employability skills during the academic year? Has the reflection been spell and grammar checked? Is the list of references at the end of the reflection complete and in the appropriate convention?

General Grading Criteria used to Assess Work

Grade	Level 3 (i.e. Level 6)
First (70% or above)	Critical work evidencing excellent synthesis and application of ideas. Work is exceptionally well constructed and presented.
Upper Second (60-69%)	Ideas are critically applied and coherently presented. Evidence of wide reading and some originality. Well referenced.
Lower Second (50-59%)	Clear grasp of concepts and some critical application. Appropriately referenced and relevant argument. Reasonable structure and syntax. Well presented.
Third (40-49%)	Evidence of good understanding of issues, but crudely applied. Work indicates some critical thinking, but tends towards description. Argument may be unbalanced. Poor structure and presentation.
Fail (below 40%)	Poorly referenced and suggests inadequate exploration of relevant literature. Chaotic structure and generally badly written.

General Presentation and Referencing

The project must be word processed, double spaced with 25mm margins. The font and font size must be such that the project is easily readable (e.g. a font size of 11 or 12). Use widely-used fonts such as Ariel or Times New Roman, not those that might be considered informal or unusual. Pages must be sequentially numbered. Chapters, sections and sub-sections must be clearly identified and sequentially numbered or lettered with separate chapters beginning on a new page. Diagrams, graphs, figures, tables, pictures and charts that are incorporated into the project should be clearly labelled and referenced.

References must be accurately provided in the text using the Harvard Referencing System from Cite Them Right. Cite Them Right is the standard Harvard referencing style.

Further information is available at:

Cite Them Right:http://www.citethemrightonline.com/

Project deadline

Your final project submission (5,000 word project + 1,000 word reflection) should be uploaded via Turnitin no later than 4:00pm on the 20 MAY 2020