Reference no: EM133581813

Assessment 1: Annotated Bibliography

Introduction
A research based annotated bibliography presented based on at least 10-12 research papers of interest to the research topic.

A bibliography is a list of citations to sources (books, articles, films, websites, etc.) that you've used when researching a topic. An annotated bibliography includes a summary and evaluation of each source. These annotations are written in paragraph form and you are expected to include the following information:

An explanation of the main purpose of the research paper or academic source in relation to your research topic.
A short summary of key findings or arguments of the source.
The academic/intellectual credentials of the source. What type: e.g. peer-reviewed journal/ book chapter etc.
Short limitations of the research.
The value of bibliography as a contribution to your selected research topic.

To start with your assignment, the following guidelines are provided. Your unit lecturer will be available to discuss further.
It is best to proceed with this task keeping below steps as a guide:
ï Research and review the list of topics that you would like to focus and select one or two you would like to research further. Always approach your lecturer if you have doubts on selected topics.
ï Generate a list of direct sources relevant to your topic. VIT online library access provides you a wide
variety of academic resource access. Library resources will get you develop a broader understanding of what academic information/sources is available on your topic.
ï You may have a long list of supporting references for your topic. Your requirement is to have 10-12 academic articles, all of which are directly relevant to your topic.
ï To help you select the references, scan through the articles you select and read the abstract thoroughly to find the most relevant and recent materials (Hint: preferably focus on the most recent articles, published
in the last 5 to maximum 10 years). Reduce your list of references to 10-12 references. Always remember to select sources directly related with your topic.
ï Write up a summary of your references following above given 5 steps guide. This annotated bibliography is going to be steppingstone for your research project (Assignment 3).

Structure of the annotated bibliography
ï Provide the full bibliographic citation
ï Provide the main purpose of the source in relation to your research topic ï Shortly explain key findings
ï State academic credentials of the source (e.g. peer reviewed or not) ï State key limitations of the source

Assessment 2: Group Based Presentation and Critical Analysis paper

Introduction
The students will present an analytical reflection on research papers from the given reading list in LMS (i.e. Assignment 2 Paper list), using their learning throughout the MBA 5008 unit, to their peers and reflect on and discuss each other's reports in a rigorousand engaging academic discourse.

Presentation
Delivery of a 15-minute presentation in groups of 3-4 students. Students are to reflect on their learnings, present their findings and discuss each other's reports in the presentation.
Students are required to.
ï Select paper from the given reading list on LMS ï Reflect critically and present to the class on:
ï Research approach of the paper
ï Research questions - Clear, relevant ï Methodology used
ï Discussion and Conclusion ï Bibliography use
The primary aim of this assessment is to re-evaluate the learning you have engaged in MBA5008. The secondary aim of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to enhance your analysis, critical thinking, written communication skills, theoretical applications, group work and presentation skills.

Presentation format
Students are expected to prepare a professional presentation that is informative, succinct, and engaging. The length for the total presentation is 15 minutes. Each group member presents for an equal length of time. The presentation must be delivered using various formats including PowerPoint or similar tools.
Use proper in-text referencing as well as list of references. The referencing style must follow the APA referencing style.

Critical Analysis of the paper
Answer below questions as part of the paper analysis.
What is the motivation for the paper including the research question?
Critically state what you like and do not like about the research.
How they achieved the answers to the research questions?
How did they validate the research and findings?
Is there anything missing in the research or how would you approach it differently to improve the research?

Assessment 3: Research Report

Introduction
The student will be asked to write a research-based project, building on their annotated bibliography in Assessment Task 1. A research problem / issue / question, is discussed thorough a literature review, analysis, and discussion of the various issues identified from the literature review, using different perspectives and coming up with conclusions, solutions, and recommendations.

Task
Students are to work on a selected research problem/question, conduct a narrative literature review, and prepare a research report.

Aim
The primary aim of this assessment is for you to understand the research process and get familiar with conducting a literature review, exploring relevant theories, methods, and concepts. The secondary aim of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to enhance your research skills, critical thinking, theoretical applications and report writing skills.

How to write a research report step by step:
To start with your research report, you need to be clear on below questions. ï What is the aim?
ï What is the topic? (A topic may be given by your lecturer, or you can make your own choice in consultation with your lecturer. This process needs to be determined through Assessment 1)
ï What is the expected research report format?
Use proper in-text referencing as well as list of references. The referencing style must follow the APA referencing style.

Report format: The report must be of 2500-3000 words in length excluding references list.

Report structure:

Your report should have a suitable flow to allow for a clear reading with a sequence of ideas.

Abstract
Even though an abstract comes in as the first, you should write it at the very end, after you completed all other sections. Abstract is presenting the most relevant information and it should be no more than 250 words long. The abstract follows the same structure as your research report: Background, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. Make sure you present only the most important information in your abstract, something that is the most interesting and the most relevant to the readers.

Introduction/Background
In this section, you need to outline the purpose of your report and its scope by presenting the research aim and the topic. You can use the same research or similar title that you have used in your Assessment 1. You need to discuss the background of your research by introducing information that include a rationale for the importance of your topic by presenting a brief review of the literature already available on the topic and the gaps in the literature this research is trying to address.

Methods
You are going to conduct a narrative literature review and analyse relevant, recent (last 5 to maximum
10 years) peer-reviewed literature available on the topic. Use a minimum of 10-12 papers. In the Methods section you need to:
ï Explain your search strategy outlining your search syntax and databases which you used ï Outline study selection process and exclusion and inclusion criteria
ï Present data extraction process and coding
Results
Results indicate what you found in your research, that is in the available, most recent peer-review literature on your topic. This is only to provide the results of your research, do not interpret them at this stage.

In the results section, you need to include a table and extract the following data from each of the publications you found (minimum of 10-12 papers).
Discussion
This section should be the most elaborate and you should show your critical thinking skills. Do not just present the findings from the literature but critically evaluate them. It is necessary to discuss the relevance of your results and how your findings fit with other research in the area. You should relate back to your literature review and your research purpose. In the discussion section you should also mention:
ï the limitations of your review and
ï the recommendations for future research and for decision makers and practitioners.

Conclusion
This is a summary of the most significant results/findings. You should not include any new material in this section. You may include research limitations and further research requirements in this section.

Attachment:- Business Research Methods.rar