Reference no: EM132773425

Action Research Thesis - Digital Marketing for small/medium businesses

1/ Entrepreneurial Opportunity:
# Ensure there is clear alignment with what you proposed in your ethical application form in your final project report unless you have subsequently agreed a slightly different focus with your tutor /supervisor. Again only secondary research is permitted.
# Clearly demonstrate how the opportunity / issue / problem is one worthy of investigation and how it addresses the Learning Outcomes, in particular, LO1: "Critically evaluate entrepreneurial opportunities and practices from the perspective of different communities of practice in order to develop a case study for why an issue is worthy of investigation." You should naturally be aware of and address all the other Learning Objectives as well in your action research report.
# Application of Entrepreneurial Action module material and relevant material from the core textbooks should underpin and frame this. Referencing this material is mandatory.

2/ Research Methodology:
# Ensure you draw upon Entrepreneurial Action module material as well as a research methods textbook to explain and critically justify your approach. The book by Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill called ‘Research Methods for Business Students' is a good one and available online in the library. It is suggested that you use the research onion (see section 4 of the book) to explain and justify your approach. Applying the diagram to your chosen approach would also add value.
# You MUST also cover Action Research in this section, drawing upon the core textbook by Coghlan and Brannick ‘Doing Action Research in your own Organisation'.
# You should highlight at this early stage what you feel any limitations of your research might be.

3/ Community of Practice:
# Identify your stakeholders and undertake a stakeholder analysis - explaining the relevance and teasing out the key points arising from this as they pertain to the focus of your research.
# Provide evidence of stakeholder engagement to determine the opportunity, issue or problem that is going to be the focus of your research i.e. discussions with your line manager.
# Outline in your final project report if there is to be a Phase 2 which may involve further stakeholder engagement in respect of undertaking any primary research (which would happen AFTER you have submitted your project to the University) or indeed in respect of any implementation plans.

4/ Use of Literature / Sources:
# It is imperative that you undertake a detailed literature search for academic and grey literature that is relevant to you're the focus of your research and your sector / organisational context. You should engage in critical analysis.
# At the start of your literature research chapter you should explain your search strategy, and this should (like all sections of your report) be underpinned by theory which is referenced.
# It is critical that you underpin your action research report with the application of online module theory and relevant theory from the core textbooks. It won't appear per se in your literature chapter but will appear throughout your report in other sections.

5/ Analysis of the entrepreneurial opportunity / challenge:
# Your data collection section should be separate from your research methodology section.
# Your data analysis section is again another discrete section in your report. You need to ensure you go into sufficient detail. Employ diagrams, tables and charts as appropriate to aid analysis and to help provide insights.

6/ Conclusions and Recommendations:
# These naturally need to be logically derived from previous sections such as literature review and data analysis.
# Ensure that you undertake triangulation with previous chapters such as with the research aim, objectives and questions which you will have shared in your first chapter.

7/ Reflection on learning / skills to take forward:
# Don't forget to include this section!
# There are many things you can reflect upon which include, for example:
• Limitations of the research
• The process of undertaking the action research project itself
• What went well - and why
• What didn't go so well - and why
• What you might do differently next time
• What learning is transferable to the workplace
• Development of your entrepreneurial competencies
• What next .......

8/ Academic Literacy Skills:
# Ensure you address the Learning Outcomes.
# Ensure you address the marking criteria.
# Read and act on feedback. If you don't understand or don't agree with it discuss with your Supervisor.
# Ensure that there is a logical flow to the structure of your report and to your arguments.
# Reference correctly in-text and in your references list, observing the Harvard referencing system.