Business Project - MBA Ulster Uni

Module Title:
MBA Business Project

Module Handbook 2023/24
Module Code: BMG843 (CRN: 46485)
Department of Management, Leadership & Marketing

Ulster University Business School
Dr Nicholas Ioannides
Business Projects Coordinator
Room Number: Academic Hub, RAV, London
Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: n/a
Office Hours (online): Online - by Appointment
Module Instances Submission Deadlines

Group Starting Date (w/c) Ethical Approval Form Dissertation
D 25 September 2023 Sunday, 19 November 2023 (by 23:59) Sunday, 17 December 2023 (by 23:59)
E 30 October 2023 Friday, 12 January 2024 (by 23:59) Friday, 09 February 2024 (by 23:59)
Academic Year 2022/23 - Semester 3 Page 1 of

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................................................
Welcome..........................................................................................................................................................................
1. Module Overview and Communication..................................................................................................................
2. Aim & Learning Outcomes.....................................................................................................................................
3. Assessment and Feedback....................................................................................................................................

Coursework...................................................................................................................................................................
Standard Assessment Guidance....................................................................................................................................
Library’s Support Services.............................................................................................................................................
Blackboard Learn Student Orientation Course..............................................................................................................
4. Organisation and Management............................................................................................................................
5. Summary.............................................................................................................................................................
6. Student Voice & Support Services........................................................................................................................

UUSU Advice Bureau Service.........................................................................................................................................
UU Student Wellbeing Service......................................................................................................................................
APPENDIX 5: PROJECT MARKING SCHEME....................................................................................................................
Pass.............................................................................................................................................................................
Fail...............................................................................................................................................................................
Fail...............................................................................................................................................................................
Appendices
Appendix 1 Student Declaration/Disclaimer 33

Appendix 2 Research Ethics Form 34
Appendix 3 Sample Meeting Record Form 41
Appendix 4 UBS Guide to Citation in the Harvard Style 42
Appendix 5 Project Marketing Scheme 51
Appendix 6 Ulster Business School Level 7 Qualitative Grading Criteria 54
Academic Year 2022/23 - Semester 3 Page 2 of

Welcome
Welcome to the MBA Business Project,
In this project you are required to submit an individual piece of work undertaken over an extended
period of time. It is expected that you will investigate an important issue in business and
management and demonstrate an understanding of practical, ethical and strategic issues within
your research area. The research should be work-based and it is expected that the subject and
design will be such that you will be working with primary, as well as secondary data. The total
process seeks to develop your conceptual and analytical ability, to enhance both work-related
abilities and to prepare you for further research studies.
Please make sure you read your University email every day so you don’t miss any important
information and also log into the module area in Blackboard Learn for all module materials and
assessment details. If you need to contact the MBA BP Coordinator, the best way to do this is via
the email shown on the front of this handbook. When emailing, ensure you include your full name,
ID, course and module that your query relates to. Only email the MBA BP Coordinator using your
Ulster University email and never your personal one.
Kind regards,
Dr Nicholas Ioannides
MBA BP Coordinator at QAHE (Ulster University, London Campus)
February 2023
1. Module Overview and Communication
Course/s: MBA Project

Module Details
Module Title MBA Business Project
Module Code BMG843 Module Level 7
Credit points 30 Module Status Core
Semesters 1/2/3 Location London/Birmingham
E-learning Online/Blended
Contact Details and Communication Methods

Module
Dr Nicholas Ioannides (See cover sheet for contact details)
Coordinator
Teaching Staff
Supervisors’ details will be made available at the start of the module
Contact Details
If you require advice or guidance on any aspect of the module, please

read the guidance provided here, in the Module Handbook.
For ‘General Queries’ or specific queries or studies advice you can avail of
the ‘Virtual Office Hours’. Otherwise, contact the Module Co-ordinator by
General email. Please note, I aim to respond to all queries within 48-72 hours. If
Information, urgent please mark as such and I will aim to respond within 24 hours.
Queries and
Consultations
Key announcements will be presented during tutor-led activities.

Out of class communication including notifications, reminders, etc will be
distributed direct to your student email inbox.
It also advisable that you download the ‘Blackboard’ App as an alternative
Modul
to access content.
e Announcements
2. Aim & Learning Outcomes
Module Rationale
This module provides the opportunity for students to demonstrate the ability to
diagnose and investigate a live, complex business issue from a management
perspective, to locate the work within the body of contemporary knowledge, to
collect and analyse data, to derive supportable conclusions and to make practical and
actionable recommendations for change, improvement or enhancement of current
practice.
Aims of the Project Module
The primary aims of the module are:

· To further develop, through the research process, a critical understanding of key research
techniques, their strengths and weaknesses, and the appropriateness of different techniques
to varying modes of enquiry;
· To encourage students to self-direct their business project, in consultation with individual
supervisors;
· To promote consideration and implementation of the appropriate means of further
disseminating research findings; and
· Complete a self-analysis of their personal learning and development through reflective practice.
Writing a Project
The Project should ideally provide opportunities for identifying and defining a problem for data
collection and interpretation and for suggesting and costing solutions. The research element is an
essential component, and at the same time recommendations must be located in the appropriate
organisational context.
One of the hallmarks of a project is that it must go beyond mere description. Those working in the
marketplace may often be called upon to compose and deliver descriptive reports to their managers.
These are obviously a critically important element of workplace duties. However; the project has got
to do more than this. It requires students to “move up a gear” from producing a mere story or
descriptive narrative to a critical evaluation of some topic. Typically this “extra” dimension will
require a number of distinctive elements and it will be couched in terms of some question:
a) The question will have some theoretical backdrop

b) It will necessitate the student carrying out both theoretical and empirical investigations.
What is research?
1. There is a question to ask or a problem to solve (rationale and discussion of problem is
couched in the literature review)
2. Uses principles and theories that underpin management research
3. Sets about answering the question through sifting through a variety of data and
sources, using specific research methods
4. Choses methodology to be able to answer research question
5. Considers how the Project adds to knowledge on the topic either by generating new
knowledge or clarifying or furthering existing work
The “question” element will be dealt with in greater detail in the discussion of the project topic
later on. The “theoretical backdrop” signals the fact that the project is markedly different to a
consultancy report. Yes, consultancy reports do have questions and they often involve the
collection of primary data as well. However, they lack the theoretical backdrop required of a
project. Consultancy reports are typically commissioned to address a specific problem for a
specific company or industry and how it can best be solved. They do not require a theoretical
home however. “Theory” can be an off-putting term, but in essence it really refers to “the way we
think about” some marketplace phenomenon in general and is usually found in the academic
literature for that particular area. Your project topic has to have such a theoretical home (or
homes). For this reason, Projects that set out to solve the problems of or furnish an absence
management plan for a specific company, for example, often lack this theoretical dimension.
Having a theoretical pedigree on which to hang the chosen topic, problem or issue for
investigation is therefore critical.
Given that you are students on a Management course, the project also requires that you employ
and develop your management research knowledge and skills in an applied fashion; the project
must involve the identification, generation, or collation of relevant primary or secondary data and
the ability to analyse them in a meaningful and critical manner. To this extent it is also an empirical
investigation.
Learning Outcomes
What you should be able to do by the end of this module.
Successful students will be able to:
1 Understand and apply the nature of management studies and research methods, allowing for
the critical evaluation of arguments and evidence.
2 Demonstrate an in-depth applied understanding of the chosen topic.
3 Develop a research design appropriate to an identified research topic, plan and implement
project, time manage.
4 Use technology where appropriate, such as word processing, databases and spreadsheets to
undertake and complete the research and management project.
CONTENT
Learning will be through a mixture of workshops and individual supervision:
At the very beginning of the MBA Business Project the students will be assigned a supervisor and
will be put into small groups of 10. The members of each group will all have a common supervisor
who will be responsible for the group.
Workshops: Each group will be scheduled to attend online group workshops with each workshop
lasting 1 hour (apart from the workshop on week 1 which is double and should last for two hours).
These workshops intend to deliver a planned programme on the requirements and structure of
the MBA Business Project and consolidate student learning and its articulation in draft chapters.
During these group workshop, the students will also be given the opportunity to discuss queries
and aspects of their MBA Business Project and receive feedback from the supervisor. These online
workshops are compulsory and attendance will be recorded.
Supervision: The main method will be directed independent study and research, via the academic
supervisors appointed to each student. It is anticipated that students will receive around 4
sessions of directed supervision via a range of methods including online and face-to-face meetings.
This may involve Skype / Face time for DL students, telephone and email correspondence. During
supervision sessions, the students will be able to ask questions and discuss their topic, direction,
intention, drafts and outcomes of their research with their supervisor independently from all other
members of the group. Students are expected to submit their draft MBA Business Project chapters
for review and formative feedback during the online 1-2-1 supervisory sessions. Supervision
sessions are compulsory and attendance will be recorded.
BBL Support Area: A dedicated MBA Business Project support area has been created via the
module's BBL area. Students are expected to participate in all online activities, using this forum to
exchange ideas and build knowledge in order to support the development of their MBA Business
Project and produce rigorous empirical or applied international and applied business research.
Workshops Themes - Online whole group sessions:
PPT # Workshops Theme

PPT1 Introduction to the Module and the Business Project Process
PPT2 Setting the Direction: Title, Aim, Research Questions, Objectives, Deliverables (Chapter 1)
PPT3 Industry/Company & Literature Review (Chapter 2)
PPT4 Methodology (Chapter 3)
PPT5 Findings, Analysis, Discussion (Chapter 4) & Conclusions, Recommendations (Chapter 5)
The MBA Business Project will be scheduled as follows:
Week # Interaction
1 Group Workshop 1 (Module and Business Project Introduction)
2 Group Workshop 2 (Chapter 1: Introduction)
3 1-2-1 Supervision & Feedback on Chapter 1: Introduction
4 Group Workshop 3 (Chapter 2: Literature Review)
5 Catch Up Week - Students focus on their Business Project (Chapter 1 & 2)
6 1-2-1 Supervision & Feedback on Chapter 2: Literature Review
7 Group Workshop 4 (Chapter 3: Methodology & Ethical Approval Form)

1-2-1 Supervision & Feedback on Chapter 3: Methodology & Reviewing of Ethical Approval
8
Form
Group Workshop 5 (Chapter 4: Findings, Analysis & Chapter 5: Conclusions,
9
Recommendations)
10 Catch Up Week - Students focus on their Business Project (Chapter 3, 4 & 5)
1-2-1 Supervision & Feedback on Chapters 4 (Findings, Analysis) & 5 (Conclusions,
11
Recommendations)
Students finalise their Business Project prior to submission +
12
Submission of the Business Project on Sunday of week 12 by 23:59
Supervision Allocation
The project Coordinators for the Department of Management, Leadership and Marketing are
responsible for allocating supervisors in consultation with the Module Coordinator, Course
Director and Head of Department (or designate) as appropriate. The Module Coordinator will
provide you with contact details for your supervisor. The supervision process commences upon
allocation of an academic supervisor.
Role of the Supervisor

The supervisor’s role is to provide guidance and feedback at various stages of the research
process. Supervisors and students should work towards achieving a balance between the
challenge of undertaking a project and being supported in learning.
The supervisor's role is not necessarily one of 'subject matter expert', but to guide students on
issues such as critical analysis of the literature, methodology, structure and scheduling. However,
in so far as possible, students will be ‘matched’ with a supervisor with a background in their area
of interest. The supervisor is required to monitor any material (such as a questionnaire) that a
student might be sending from the University to an external agency, as these need to fit within the
remit of the Ulster Business School’s Ethical Approval Guidelines (see Appendix 2). Remember
that the supervisor will be one of the two staff members delegated to mark the final piece of work.
The Nature of the Supervision Process
There are a number of pointers that can help ensure that the relationship between you and your
supervisor is a business-like and productive one for both parties. First, be sure to meet early on in
the process, as soon as you have been assigned. It is your responsibility to initiate and maintain
regular contact with your supervisor.
Supervisors typically warm to written material submitted by students by email prior to meeting
and tire of endless meetings “to discuss things”. Remember that, above all else, the project is a
written document. So, from an early stage, make an attempt to always have some written
material to bring along - written lists of articles located, an idea map for your literature review, a
possible table of contents for the Project, a timetable for your work output – whatever is
appropriate for the stage you are at. In this way you will avoid the “passenger syndrome”, of over-
reliance on the supervisor or squandering valuable supervision time. Supervisors can make a more
informed and useful call on your work only if what you submit is your best effort at that point in
time.
The majority of the learning time for the Project will be independent study for research and report
development by the student. The provision of feedback on individual draft chapters will be at the
discretion of the supervisor, however, supervisors will typically read and comment on several
draft chapters throughout the research process. Please note also that they will typically only
read a piece of work once. Feedback on additional drafts is at the discretion of the individual
supervisor. This is intended to emphasise the point that the supervisor is a resource not an
insurance policy and that the Project is not a joint research Project. The supervisor is not a co-
author! It may help your writing to take a look at the marking scheme that readers of your Project
will use when it’s being examined. This is included at the back of this document for your benefit. In
addition, your supervisor will not review a complete final draft of the Project. Students have to
take responsibility for deciding when the Project is ready for submission. It is not the supervisor’s
duty to tell a student that the work is ready for submission, thereby implying that the Project is
of a pass standard. The process is largely self-driven, requiring significant self-discipline and time
management skills. It is important that you are aware from the start that the process is self-led.
Supervision Meetings
Ideally the frequency of meetings will be decided jointly with your supervisor, however, it should
be born in mind that supervisors will not chase after students who choose not to establish or
maintain contact. Meetings can take various forms, e.g. face-to-face, telephone or via Skype.
Although not prescribed, it is recommended that six meetings take place over the course of the
Project process.
At the first meeting it is expected that the student discuss his/her initial proposal with the
supervisor and how he/she would envisage the overall time frame for completing the Project, and
also his/her availability for the duration of the Project. Mutual expectations and roles should also
be discussed and agreed. There should be a promotion of dialogue as to how the student wishes
to use supervision, and to the supervisor’s expectation of same. Such a dialogue would include the
expected turnaround time for reading and commenting on drafts, also the number of drafts the
supervisor will expect to read, and the means of communication.
Both student and supervisor are required to keep records of meetings and the agreed actions. It is
recommended that a formal record of meetings be kept (see Appendix 3) and should be signed by
both parties. The PACE system can also be utilised for this purpose.
Student Responsibilities
As part of your duties and responsibilities as a Project student you will need to:
 Contact your supervisor at the earliest date to discuss your research proposal.
 Meet to discuss the Project at times to be agreed with your supervisor. It is your responsibility
to maintain regular contact with your supervisor.
 Regularly report the progress of the Project to your supervisor, from the outline proposal to
the final submission, in accordance with the timetable agreed between the two of you.
 Keep accurate records of supervision meetings.
 Contact the Module Coordinator in the event of extenuating circumstances arising over the
course of your Project.
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Some Overall Remarks
Before detailing the specific stages of the Project composition process, it is useful to remember
that, while the Project title itself is based on a question, it carries a number of supplementary
questions in its wake. These should be addressed early on. They force the writer in advance to ask
crucial questions about possible respondents, their willingness to co-operate, access to them,
suitable and realistic research instruments and modes of analysis. They can be summarised as
follows:
1. Why are you asking this question?

2. Who has the information needed to answer it?
3. Will they give it to you?
4. How will you get it from them?
5. Do their replies answer the question you posed in 1 above?
The Project composition process has a number of broad stages. These are outlined in Figure 1
below. It is often a useful idea to put a timescale against these stages early on in the process and
to outline realistic deadlines/deliverables in consultation with your supervisor. It can be
constructive to work backwards from when the Project has to be submitted, allowing time for
proof reading and binding. Developing your own Gantt chart can be a useful means of setting
realistic deadlines and ensuring you are aware of the various stages of the research process and
when they must be completed.
1. Identify topic/ general area of interest

2. Develop and clarify the research question/problem
3. The research proposal
4. The literature review
5. Research methodology
6. Presentation and discussion of findings
7. Conclusion and Recommendations
8. Self-Analysis
9. Submission of PROJECT
Figure 1: The Research Process

3. Assessment and Feedback
What you need to do to demonstrate achievement of learning.
This module will be assessed via one item of assessment

Assessment Type Weighting (%)
Coursework 1 MBA Project 100%
Coursework
Assessment Task
WRITTEN REPORT
MBA Project
As a guide, your Project should contain the following:
The content of the whole Project includes essential preliminary information and relevant support
material in addition to the main body of the text. In most cases, your Project will broadly take the
following layout structure:
• First page… (see Note A)

• Declaration/Disclaimer (see Note B)
• Research Ethics Declaration (see Note C)
• Acknowledgements
• Abstract (see Note D)
• Table of contents (see Note E)
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• List of Appendices
• Main body of Project (i.e. Chapters) (See Note F)
• Reflection on Personal Learning
• References/Bibliography
• Appendices
NOTE A: First Page
The title page should contain the following:
(1) The full title of the Project (in capital letters) and the subtitle, if any.
(2) The full name of the author – this must be same as the name you are registered with the
University.
(3) The qualification for which the Project is submitted (i.e. Master of Science in Human
Resource Management).
(4) Name of the supervisor of the research
(5) The name of the institution to which the Project is submitted i.e. University of Ulster, Ulster
Business School, Department of Management and Leadership.
(6) The month and the year of submission.
(7) Submission Statement:
Project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of
Science in Human Resource Management at the University of Ulster.
NOTE B: Declaration/Disclaimer
A student declaration (see also Appendix 1):
I hereby declare that the work for this Project has been conducted at the Ulster Business School,
University of Ulster at Jordanstown. No portion of the work has been submitted in support of
another degree or qualification at this or any other institute of learning.
This should be followed by your signature, student number and date.
NOTE C: Acknowledgments
Acknowledgements should be made to those individuals, groups or organisations that may have
contributed to your Project directly or indirectly. Examples include your supervisor, various
organisations including libraries, colleagues, parents, friends etc.
NOTE D: Research Ethics Disclaimer
Declaration by Researcher:
The information contained here is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, accurate. I have read
the University’s current research ethics guidelines, and accept responsibility for the conduct of the
procedures set out in the attached application in accordance with these guidelines, the University’s
policy on conflict of interest and any other condition laid down by the University’s Research Ethics
Committee or its Sub-Committees. I have attempted to identify all the risks related to this research
that may arise in conducting this research, and acknowledge my obligations and the rights of the
participants.
This should be followed by your student name (printed), signature, and date.
NOTE E: The Abstract
The abstract should provide a brief synopsis of the study by identifying the nature, scope and
purpose of the work, the major outcomes, conclusions and the particular contribution it makes to
knowledge in the field. It should be self-contained and summarise the complete content of the
study. The abstract should be concise and factual and should not exceed 300 words; it may be
broken down into 2 to 5 paragraphs. Reducing a Project to a mere 300 words is often difficult. A
well written abstract demonstrates the capacity of the student to present the main aspects of the
study in a coherent and economical form. The abstract should also indicate the author and title of
the Project in the form of a heading. It should be typed single- spaced.
NOTE F: Table of Contents
All pages of the Project from the title page onwards should be numbered. Pages before the body
of the text (i.e. the first chapter) should be numbered separately using Roman numerals. The
table of contents page should specify the page numbers for each section.
A typical table of contents will contain the following:

- Abstract
- Acknowledgements
- List of tables (including each table number and table title)
- List of figures (including each figure number and figure title)
- List of diagrams (including each diagram number and diagram title)
- Each consecutive chapter number and chapter title (including chapter subheadings)
- References/ Bibliography
- Appendices
NOTE G: Broad suggestions for Chapter Headings*
Chapter One Introduction to topic. Rationale for the study. Reason for choice of topic,
product, service or industry sector. Specific aims and objectives or research
questions. Overview of chapters/ structure of the Project.
Chapter Two Literature Review. This may be subdivided into two chapters
Chapter Three Methodology
Chapter Four Findings, Analysis, Evaluation and Discussion
Chapter Five Conclusions and Recommendations
Review of Personal Learning
STRUCTURE OF THE Project
Typical details and suggested word lengths for the main sections of the Project are outlined
below.
 Introduction, giving the background and scope of the study and indicating the purpose, specific
aims and objectives or research questions. It should prepare the reader for what follows,
explaining the line of argument or form of presentation.
Suggested word length: 1000
 A review of relevant literature, drawing on high quality academic and practitioner journals and
other sources. Referencing must be thorough and accurate. Please refer to the UBS Guide for
Citation in the Harvard Style, which can be accessed on Blackboard Learn or through the
Library website: http://guides.library.ulster.ac.uk/HRM. Guidelines are also provided in the
appendices of this document.
 A description of the methods of approach adopted in the study, with explanation for the
choice of methods. The chosen methods must be justified and any problems encountered
should be explained. This section must make reference to the literature on research
methodology.
 Data review/findings and discussion, giving the information on which conclusions are based
and the arguments leading to the conclusions. The limitations and qualifications of major
importance should be mentioned. Particular care is necessary in selecting and presenting
tables and figures in this section. Sometimes it is convenient to present the results in a
separate section from the discussion, for example, if the same results are used for several
purposes. It is also critical that the discussion is linked to the literature review.
**The industry review may be included in the introduction, literature review, methodology
and/or findings section of your Project. This will vary according to individual research
approaches and should be discussed with your supervisor. Please note that the suggested word
count should be adjusted accordingly.
 Conclusions. These should be concise, pulling together the main findings and referring back to
key points from the literature.
 Recommendations. The recommendations should be derived from the conclusions. They

should be detailed, with an indication of the timetable for implementation, and costings as
appropriate. The inclusion of costings is a fundamental requirement.
In addition
 Reflection on learning. This is the opportunity for you to reflect on your experience of the
completing the Project and consider how a similar Project might be done differently in future.
This section is a fundamental requirement. You may refer to what you have learned personally
from completing the research, any particular problems you encountered and how you coped
with them, how you will use the skills you have acquired and how you would like to develop as
a result of the process.
Suggested word length: 500 (not included in the word count for the Project)
 Appendices. Appendices give additional information needed by readers with a special interest
in certain points. They are not essential to the reading of the Project and the main body of the
Project must be self-contained. They should all be referred to at the appropriate points of the
main body of the Project and must be carefully planned and well written. The author should be
clear about the purpose of each appendix and include nothing which is not needed by the
intended readers.
Appendices may include:
(a) Description of equipment, processes, organisations or locations.

(b) Final tabulations (i.e. not raw data). Not to be confused with tables of results.
(c) Reservations explained more fully than in the main body of the Project.
(d) Analytical techniques and their derivation or application.
(e) Recommendations in detail for the staff who are to implement them.
 References/ Bibliography. Your reference list/ bibliography should normally be compiled as a

separate section. Each reference should contain enough information for someone else to trace
the item in a library. Under University guidelines, you must use the Harvard system to compile
the bibliography for your Project. Guidelines are included in the appendices of this document.
 Ethics Review Form. Detailed guidelines on research ethics guidelines are contained in
Section D. A copy of the Ethics Review Form is also included in this document.
OTHER STYLE FEATURES
Headings: All chapters should have headings, which are then further divided into subheadings.
Headings within the text should conform to the following conventions:
 Chapter headings should be in bold block capitals, not underlined.

 Main headings within the text should be upper case and bold. They should also be
distinguished in type and position, e.g. 1.1, 1.2 etc.
 Major sub-headings should be in lower case and bold. They should also be distinguished in
type and position, e.g. 1.1.1, 1.1.2 etc.
 Subsidiary subheadings should be in italics.
 The choice to number each heading and subheading or not is a personal preference.
Please refer to the example on the next page.
 All pages of the Project from the title page onwards should be numbered. Pages before the
body of the text should be numbered separately using Roman numerals.
 Page numbers should be located centrally at the bottom of the page and about 10 mm above
the edge of the page.
 Appendices should be named alphabetically, and each appendix paginated consecutively but
separately from the main text and from each other. Appendices should be indicated using
capital letters or large Roman type, e.g. Appendix A, Appendix B or Appendix I, Appendix II etc.
Each appendix does not require a preceding title page. The appendix number should be
indicated on the top centre of the page.
 Numbers less than 10 should normally be spelt out e.g. “five companies” with the exception of
percentages (“6 per cent of the market”). Use “per cent” in the text, “%” in tables.
 Quotations of single sentences should be included in the text and enclosed in single inverted
commas. Quotations of two or more sentences should be indented, single spaced and NOT
enclosed in inverted commas.
 Figures and tables should be clearly labelled and should be numbered according to chapter
and order of appearance within each chapter.
 Common abbreviations do not require full stops. Acronyms should be spelt out in full when
used for the first time e.g. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. You can then
use the initials in subsequent references to the body in question.
Example:
CHAPTER 3:
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction (Main heading)

3.2 Research Paradigms (Main heading)
3.2.2 Positivist Paradigm (Subheading)
3.2.3 Qualitative Paradigm (Subheading)
The rationale for choice of research paradigm (subsidiary subheading)
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
The following provides guidance relating to submission of your Project.
1. Electronic Submission via Turnitin
Students are required to submit an electronic soft copy of their work via Turnitin on Blackboard
Learn, which will confirm the originality of the work and ensure that appropriate referencing
standards have been followed. The module coordinator will monitor Project submissions via
Turnitin.
Projects that fail to undergo the originality test through Turnitin will not be accepted.
You can upload your work multiple times until the Project submission date. Make sure to read
through your originality report carefully, checking for referencing errors and omissions, prior to
final printing and binding of your Project. Students should ensure that their final submission
produces an originality percentage in the green zone.
Turnitin Submission Guidelines
 Login to BMG843 2021-2022 on Blackboard Learn

 Click on the ‘Module Content’ link on the left-hand side of the page
 Scroll down the page to view the ‘BMG843 Project View/Complete’ link
 Follow the online instructions to upload your Project
2. Students are required to submit an electronic bound copy of their Project via Turnitin by the
deadline shown at the front of this handbook.
3. The MBA Project should not exceed 10,000 words, exclusive of personal reflection, appendices
and references. The word count should be documented within the Project. Please note that
penalties will be applied to work exceeding the specified word limit as follows:
 Up to 10% no penalty
 11-20% 10% deduction
 >20% fail
The % reduction will be based on the student's initial mark, prior to the penalty.
4. Specifications: The entire text of the Project should be typed and printed on one side of A4,
80g/m² white paper, using Times New Roman or Arial size12 font. One-and-a-half line spacing
should be used. Margins at the binding edge should not be less than 40mm and the other
margins not less than 20mm.
5. Binding. The front cover of the softbound copy of your Project should contain:
 The title of the Project
 The name of the candidate
 The award for which the submission is submitted MBA
 The year of submission
Information on binding services is available in the Library.

6. A five per cent penalty will be deducted from the awarded Project mark for each week or part
thereof for an unapproved late Project submission.
7. Students should be aware that examiners can request an interview with a student as part of
the Project examination process.
SECTION C: REFERENCING AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why is it important to reference?

 Readers of your work may want to obtain more information about the topic on which you
are writing. Acknowledging your sources within a text and in a reference list/ bibliography
will help them to find the information they seek.
 Copying the ideas, opinions, comments and findings of other people without acknowledging
them is plagiarism, a form of intellectual theft, which is morally and legally unacceptable.
Plagiarism may take the form of copying another person's opinions or comments verbatim
without acknowledging them, or using another person's ideas without acknowledging them.
Plagiarism can be intentional and/or unintentional. See below for details of the University’s
policy on plagiarism and penalties if caught plagiarising.
 Poor referencing may lose marks for the student.
 The reference list is the section of your Project that contains a full list of any source directly
referred to or quoted in the text arranged alphabetically. Material that you happen to have
consulted by way of background reading does not need to feature in the reference section.
 A bibliography, as distinct from a list of references, is an alphabetical list of all relevant sources
that have been consulted and used, including those not directly referred to in the text.
 In consultation with their supervisors, students may choose to include either a bibliography or
a reference list.
 The Harvard referencing system is one of the most widely-used and respected. It is logical,
unambiguous and you are expected to use it for all written work. You will encounter stylistic
variations of the Harvard system in terms of layout, fonts and punctuation in both books and
journals, but, you must adopt the style as set out in the UBS Guide for Citation in the Harvard
Style (see Appendix 4).
University of Ulster Policy and Regulations on Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a very serious offence. The University’s Student Handbook states that:
‘plagiarism is the act of taking or copying someone else’s work, including another student’s, and
presenting it as if it were your own. Typical plagiarists use ideas, texts, theories, data, created
artistic artefacts or other material without acknowledgement so that the person considering this
work is given the impression that what they have before them is the student’s own original work
when it is not. Plagiarism also occurs where a student’s own previously published work is
represented without being properly referenced. Plagiarism is a form of cheating and is dishonest.’
It is vital that you familiarise yourself with the University’s Policy and Guidance on Plagiarism,
which is available from the Academic Office website:
www.ulster.ac.uk/academicoffice/Policies.html/. Detailed guidelines and advice on citing and
referencing are also available from the Library.
Serious academic offences such as plagiarism, cheating etc., may result in one or more of the
following disciplinary actions being taken against the offending student:
In order to avoid any suspicion of plagiarism in your work, you should:
 Cite the sources of all quotations, paraphrases, summaries of information, tables, diagrams
or other material; including software and other electronic media in which intellectual
property rights may reside, which you use;
 When paraphrasing the work of others, use your own words and sentence structures;
provide a complete reference list/ bibliography of all works and sources used in the
preparation of your Projects, essay or other assignment.
SECTION D: RESEARCH ETHICS GUIDELINES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research Ethics
We have a Research Ethics Filter Committee within the Ulster University Business School (UUBS)
consisting of the following members of staff:
Professor Stephen Boyd (Hospitality and Tourism Management), Dr. Martin McCracken (Research
Director – Business and Management), Mr. Tony Wall (Accounting, Finance and Economics), Dr
Susann Power (Hospitality and Tourism Management), Dr Sharon Loane (Global Business and
Enterprise) and Dr Kristel Miller (Chair, Management, Leadership and Marketing)
You can find information on the formal processes and the appropriate forms under the staff and
student portal. You will find them under the section on Research Governance and Ethics
https://www.ulster.ac.uk/internal/research/governance-and-ethics/ethics
Also see: Research Ethics Guidelines
1.0 Ethical Approval for Student Dissertations or Projects
Students undertaking a project or coursework for a module or course which requires collecting
data from human participants, need to gain ethical approval. The form used across all faculties
within the University for research is the RG1a form. This form should replace the previous
shortened student research ethics forms to ensure consistency of research governance. No data
should be collected until research ethics approval has been obtained.
To help streamline the process, module co-ordinators or supervisors should approve their
student’s research ethics form providing the research is not being carried out with a vulnerable
population (which includes individuals under 18, individuals with health conditions etc.). If you are
unsure if a piece of research is utilising a vulnerable population, please consult with the
documents on the portal under research governance or query it with a filter committee member.
The majority of research undertaken within the UUBS is category A research, which is low risk
research, not carried out on a vulnerable population. Please ensure students fill in their ethical
forms in correctly and consider their own personal safety when conducting the research as well as
issues regarding confidentiality, GDPR and consent.
Any student research involving a vulnerable population should be submitted to the UUBS research
ethics filter committee. This involves emailing the RG1a form to the UUBS research ethics
committee chair, Dr Kristel Miller ([email protected]), who will distribute it out for review at
the next UUBS research ethics filter committee. The UUBS research ethics filter committee process
will require a RG1a form, information sheet(s), consent form(s), data collection instrument(s) and
if needed, distress protocol(s). Please be aware that any projects involving a vulnerable population
will also need to gain approval from the central University research ethics committee (UREC), see
process below in section 3.
Providing research is not with a vulnerable population, module co-ordinators should keep a list of
all students who are doing research on human participants and check that they have filled in an
ethical approval form. All RG1a forms for a particular module should be sent jointly (not
individually, unless the research involves a vulnerable population) to the UUBS research ethics
committee chair, Dr Kristel Miller at the end of a module. This should be accompanied with an
excel sheet which lists the module, the students who have conducted research on human
participants within that module and a note beside each student to indicate that their research is
not on a vulnerable population. It is important that these are sent on to the UUBS research ethics
committee for research governance purposes.
2.0 Ethics relating to Staff and PhD research projects
All research conducted by staff and PhD researchers needs ethical approval. This should be gained
before data collection commences. This will involve filling out an RG1a form and accompanying
documentation (i.e. information sheet, consent forms, data collection instruments – which
includes survey questionnaire development and interview guide) before full approval is given
(provision approval can be given but RG3 will not be sent until all documents are received). Data
collection instruments should not change after approval, otherwise, you will need to submit
approval for an amendment to the filter committee.
From 2020 onwards, you will be assigned an approval number along with receiving an RG3 form
once your research has been approved. If you are conducting research on a vulnerable population,
this will form the first step, with more detail needed for UREC (see section 3).
All ethical approval documents should be sent together in a zipped file to [email protected] by
the following dates each month to allow the filter committee time to review by the scheduled
filter committee meeting (dates may change slightly by a few days depending on staff availability).
Quicker approval is possible but only in emergencies. Please put UUBS Research Ethics Committee
Approval in your subject line.
Table 1: Schedule for the UUBS Research Ethics Committee 2021
Submission Deadline Filter Committee Meeting Latest Date for Feedback

18/01/2021 27/01/2021 29/01/2021
15/02/2021 24/02/2020 26/02/2021
22/03/2020 31/03/2021 02/04/2021
19/04/2021 28/04/2021 30/04/2021
17/05/2021 26/05/2021 28/05/2021
21/06/2021 30/06/2021 02/07/2021
09/08/2021 18/08/2021 20/08/2021
06/09/2021 15/09/2021 17/09/2021
04/10/2021 13/10/2021 15/10/2021
08/11/2021 17/11/2021 19/11/2021
06/12/2021 15/12/2021 17/12/2021
3.0 Research on vulnerable populations
Any research which involves vulnerable populations will normally need approval from UREC. The
first step is to have the research reviewed the UUBS research ethics filter committee and then an
extended application (which will include a research protocol) will need to be sent to the UREC,
who meet once every month. Staff/students may get asked to attend this UREC meeting to discuss
their proposed research. If the research involves the NHS or patients, then further ethical approval
may need to be sought from outside the university and can take up to 9 months for approval and
involves a separate IRAS form. This can include approval from the Office for Research Ethics
Committees Northern Ireland (OREC NI) and approval from individual Trusts. You will need to pay
consideration to the dates UREC and OREC NI meet to schedule your ethical approval process
accordingly since approval for research on vulnerable populations can take up to 9 months.
4.0 Other considerations and guidance for preparing research ethics applications
Based on the most frequent feedback; below is a list of things you should pay attention to when
developing your research ethics form.
- Be clear on your data collection processes. You should state how who you are going to
collect data from, numbers of participants, inclusion and exclusion criteria and include the
data collection tools.
All studies should involve informed consent i.e. distribute a participant information sheet and gain
consent via a consent form. These need to be included in your application.
- All researchers should ensure they follow GDPR and Data Protection Act 2019 guidelines.
This is particularly important regarding the storing of data and contacting participants for
future studies.
- Information sheets and consent forms should include the university logo
- Information sheets should include the following information; overview of the study, why
their participation is needed, what is expected from them, what data you will collect, how
the data will be used and stored, how individuals can withdraw and how they can make a
complaint.
- If you are conducting research with children under 18 then Access NI checks are required.
- Please be advised that all researchers have to complete a the research integrity course
before they can gain ethical approval.
- PhD researchers can not be listed as a principal investigator, the supervisor should be
listed.
- PhD researchers should not give out personal phone numbers when conducting research to
help with personal safety.
- Lone working protocols should be developed where appropriate to ensure personal safety.
To promote responsible research, the University has devised guidelines for staff and students
undertaking research. As such, the ethics of all proposed research projects, which will involve
human subjects, need to be considered by you and your supervisor. You must NOT engage in any
primary research until you have submitted your completed a research ethics form to your
supervisor and it has been approved/ signed. The form is available on Blackboard Learn.
Students must complete the form, providing as much detail as possible, and submit it to their
supervisor for initial approval. Once this ethics form is signed, a copy must be retained by the
student and supervisor. A copy may also be sent to the Department of Management and
Leadership’s Research Ethics Committee Representative.
If it is felt that any potential ethical issues are likely to arise as a result of the study, the form should
not be signed by the supervisor and will then be sent to the Chair of the Filter Committee for
consideration. The supervisor will be contacted and the student will be asked to reconsider the
approach to be taken. If there are no issues with the research, the Research Governance Unit will be
informed that students have considered ethical issues before embarking on the study. Once the
project receives ethical approval a copy of the form will be returned to the student and this should
be attached to the project.
Detailed information on the University’s Research Ethics Guidelines can be found by accessing the
following link: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/internal/research/governance-and-ethics/ethics
Also see: Research Ethics Guidelines
A copy of the University’s Code of Practical for Professional Integrity in the Conduct of Research
is also available on Blackboard Learn.
SECTION E: Project ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The final submission should provide evidence:
1. That the issues(s) have been understood within the organisational context.
2. That the student has used his or her professional expertise and knowledge in examining the
appropriate theory and methodology.
3. That the data has been adequately analysed and evaluated.
4. That the conclusions are well founded and the student is able to defend the work.
5. That appropriate and detailed recommendations have been derived from the conclusions.
6. That the student has reflected on the learning derived from the Project.
The pass mark for the Project is 50%. Project are first marked by the supervisor, second blind
marked by another member of the Department of Management and Leadership and External
Examiners will review a full sample reflecting each level, including all distinction and sub-pass
levels. As the Project comprises the criteria for the CIPD’s Management Research Report,
periodically a sample is also assessed by the CIPD Standards Moderator.
An illustration of how your Project will be assessed is outlined below. Appendix 5 displays the
marking sheet and assessment criteria used in marking your MSc in HRM Project. Appendix 6
outlines the grade descriptors. You should familiarise yourself with the marking scheme as soon
as possible in order to ensure that you address all of the required assessment criteria.
Introduction
 ·Does the student clearly identify and explain what their question or problem is and how
they propose to answer it?
The Literature Review (LR)
 Does the LR feature current material?

 Has the LR sufficient focus AND depth or is to too thin and broad?
 Does the student “handle” or organize the literature creatively e.g. thematically or in terms
of different strands/sides of an argument. Are gaps identified?
 Is there evidence of critical evaluation and synthesis?
 Is the student critically aware of literature sources? e.g. is the article based on empirical
work, does the author address competing views on the issue in question, is the author
biased?
 Does the student highlight how her/his research question is located in the literature?
Methodology
 Is the student able to break the overall question down into credible and realistic research
objectives and/or hypotheses?
 Is the choice of methodology properly justified? e.g. what methodologies do key authors in
this area utilise to study this topic?
 Does the student argue convincingly for the choice of methodology used in this specific
case?
 Is the student aware of the limitations of this methodology?
 If the student adapts a methodology is he/she aware of consequences this could have for
robustness of the findings?
Discussion/ Analysis
 Does the student control the data being analysed or is he/she “overwhelmed” by them?
 Signs of a creative framework for analysing findings? e.g. by objective, themes or key
variables.
 Is the student able to distinguish between key and peripheral findings?
Conclusions and Recommendations
 Signs that the student has shown the ability and time to reflect seriously on the Project as a
whole?
 Has the student attempted to match findings with those in the relevant literature?
 Has he/she asked if the findings support, contradict, disprove previous research?
 Has the student provided an analysis of appropriate prioritised recommendations,
implementation plans? Are the relevant costs set out and justified?
 Has the student addressed the “If I was to do this Project again” question, in other words,
shown a critical awareness of the limitations of the work? These limitations could refer for
example to overly broad objectives, unsuitable sample or research instrument.
 Any suggestions for future research?
 Does the student venture any practical applications for the thesis, possible interested
audiences – practitioners, consumers, public policy makers?
Reflection on Personal Learning
 Evidence of reflection on the experience of completing the Project?

 Does the student consider how a similar Project might be done differently in future, e.g.
alternative methodologies?
 Has the student discussed problems they encountered and how they overcame such
problems?
 Does the student evaluate the skills utilised and developed throughout the course of the
Project process?
Housekeeping
 Clear structure with ability to sustain a logical thread throughout the Project?
 Neatness, presentation and prose?
 Referencing. Are all cited sources referenced?
 Spelling and grammar
Assessment Guidelines
What? In order to prepare for their Project, students are required to produce
Assignment an individual Project Outline Proposal of 10,000 words
Summary
When? By noon on Friday 22nd April 2022. An electronic copy of the Project
Submission must also be submitted via TurnItIn.
Date/ Time
Students are reminded that the deadline for submission will be
rigorously enforced and any issues preventing timely submission should
be dealt with through the extenuating circumstances process.
Where to? Electronic Submission: The work should be submitted via TurnItIn
(located in the Blackboard learn module area). Please follow the
instructions to ensure your assignment has been submitted
electronically via this method.
Word Length The MBA Project should not exceed 10,000 words, exclusive of
personal reflection, appendices and references. The word count
should be documented within the Project. Please note that penalties
will be applied to work exceeding the specified word limit as
follows:
 Up to 10% no penalty
 11-20% 10% deduction
 >20% fail
The % reduction will be based on the student's initial mark, prior to

the penalty.
Coursework Feedback will normally be provided within 2 weeks of submission.
FEEDBACK
Standard Assessment Guidance
The following guidance is applicable to all coursework items.

1) Marks are awarded for content, quality of discussion and effective use of referencing. To
achieve high marks, students will be expected to demonstrate a familiarity with the wider
literature in the subject area, and not merely an ability to re-produce the lecture notes. Higher
marks will also be awarded to students who provide strong evidence of analysis and critical
evaluation of the various concepts and techniques identified and their application to real world
situations.
2) Work should include references to journal articles and other relevant publications, and should
be properly laid out using the Harvard system of referencing as indicated below:
Buzzell R., (1968) ‘Can you standardise multinational marketing’, Harvard Business Review,
(Nov-Dec) 46, pp102-113.
Jeannet J.P. and Hennessey H.D., (2004) Global Marketing Strategies. 6th ed. Houghton Mifflin.
More detailed guidance is available in the ‘Guide to Referencing in the Harvard Style’. We
encourage you to avail of the Academic Support via the Library’s Support Service, further
details in the Library Support Services Section.
3) Marks will be deducted for incomplete or inaccurate referencing.

4) Students may make multiple submissions in advance of the due date to
receive feedback via Turnitin on their academic writing style (similarity
score) and any potential plagiarism issues. A similarity score of less than
20% is acceptable.
5) Students must adhere to the word limit policy so as to avoid penalties
as follows:
+10% - no penalty
+>10% - 20% - 5% penalty
+>20% - 30% - 10% penalty
+>30% - 40% - 15% penalty
+>40% - 50% - 20% penalty
+>50% - maximum mark of 40
4. Learning Resources
Reading List
Books required MUST READ

 Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2019), ‘Research Methods for Business
Students 8th Edition, Financial Times/Prentice Hall
Books Recommended (Should read/ Could read)
 Bell, E., Bryman, A. and Harley, B (2018) Business Research Methods (5th ed),
Oxford University Press.
 Wickham, L., and Wilcock, J. (2016) Management Consulting: Delivering an
effective project, (5th ed), Harlow Pearson.
 Bryman, A. (2008) Social Research Methods (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press.
 Bryman, A. and Bell, E. (2015) Business Research Methods (4 th ed.), Oxford
University Press.
 Bryman, A. (2005) Quantitative Data Analysis with SPSS 12 and 13: A guide for
social scientists, London: Routledge.
 Coghlan, D. and Brannick, T. (2005) Doing Action Research in Your Own
Organisation, Sage.
 Cramer, D. and Howitt, D. (2004) The SAGE Dictionary of Statistics: A practical
guide for students in the social sciences, Sage.
 Easterby–Smith M., Thorpe, R., and Lowe, A. (2002) Management Research:
An Introduction, London: Sage.
 Gill, J. and Johnson, P. (2002) Research Methods for Managers, London: Paul
Chapman.
 Jankowicz, A. D. (2005) Business Research Projects (4th ed.), Thomson Kumar,
R. (2005) Research Methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners (2 nd ed.),
Sage.
 Lind, D.A., Marchal, W.G. and Wathen, S.A. (2008) Basic statistics for business
and economics. 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill.
 McQueen, R. and Knussen, C. (2002) Research Methods for Social Science,
Prentice Hall.
 Oakshott, L. (2009) Essential quantitative methods for business management
and finance. 4th ed. UK: Palgrave Publishing.
 O'Mahoney, J. (2010). Management Consultancy. Oxford: Oxford University
Press Punch, K. (2000) Developing Effective Research Proposals, London:
Sage.
 Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2012) Research Methods for
Business Students (6th ed.), Hounslow: Pearson.
 Sturdy, A., Handley, K., Clark, T. and Fincham, R. (2010). Management
Consultancy: Boundaries and Knowledge in Action. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
 Sekeran, U. (2000) Research Methods for Business, Wiley.
 Wickham, L. and Wilcock, J. (2012). Management Consulting: Delivering an
Effective Project. Fourth Edition. Harlow: Pearson.
Library’s Support Services
In collaboration with teaching staff, your Business Librarian has delivered

timetabled workshops to ensure you are able to make the best use of
the Library’s services and information resources in successfully
completing your coursework. Furthermore, if you need specific help
with an assignment or dissertation/project then you can make an
appointment to meet with your Business Librarian by email, phone
or through using the appointments schedule. Online support is also
available through the Library’s subject pages for Business and
Management and these provide help in developing your information and research skills through
literature searching , academic writing support and referencing.
Blackboard Learn Student Orientation Course
It is highly recommended that you complete the above online course to get familiar with Ulster’s
Virtual Learning Platform, Blackboard Learn. The course is accessible from your ‘Course List’ in
your Blackboard Area.
4. Organisation and Management
These are the types of learning activities that will make up your weekly timetable.
BMG843 MBA Project is a 30-credit point module, this requires 300 hours of
your commitment.
There is no prescribed teaching plan for this module. Students have been equipped with the requisite
research method skills to undertake this management project as part of BMG835.
Individual meetings should take place between the student and their supervisor. As noted above,
students are advised to prepare material for discussion during supervision sessions to maximise the
benefit from the supervision process.
5. Summary
The core aim of the business project is that students should investigate an important issue to
business. It is expected that students will demonstrate an understanding of practical, ethical and
strategic issues within their chosen area. The research should be work-based and it is expected
that the subject and design will be such that students will normally be working with primary, as
well as secondary data. The total process seeks to develop and test students' conceptual and
analytical ability, to enhance both their work related abilities and to prepare students for further
research studies.
Blackboard Learning Support

If you require help or support with any of the digital learning tools, please view Ulster’s Blackboard
Student Support area.
6. Student Voice & Support Services
How we support your opinion
As a course team, we incorporate the key partnership principles set out in the
joint UU & UUSU Student Voice Guidelines and proactively engage with the
democratic election of UUSU academic student reps (Faculty Reps, School/Dept
Reps & Course Reps) to ensure that student opinion is heard at Ulster. We
respect your views and welcome your honest and constructive feedback on the
module.
There are several ways to do this:
 You can contact your Module Coordinator about any queries related to your learning
experiences on the module.
 You can voice your opinions through the formal Staff/Student Consultative Committee
process by contacting one of the elected UUSU Course Reps in your class.
 You can use Unitu - a new student feedback online platform, which enables students to
have the right opportunities to raise and discuss feedback about your course and UU
in a transparent way. Unitu allows students, Academic Reps and staff to engage in discussions
that aim to bring about concrete improvements and support the student voice.
 You will have the opportunity to give feedback on the module through completing the
online Student Module Feedback Survey.
UUSU Advice Bureau Service

If you are experiencing difficulties that are impacting your studies, you can contact the Advice
Bureau in the Students’ Union. You can get advice and guidance on issues such as - complaints,
appeals, housing problems, disciplinaries and info on various support providers available. To have
a chat with the team, contact UUSU online.
UU Student Wellbeing Service

If you are stressed, anxious or have additional wellbeing support needs or disability please
contact Student Wellbeing and take support.
APPENDIX 1: DECLARATION/ DISCLAIMER
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hereby declare that the work for this Project has been conducted at the Ulster Business School,
University of Ulster at Jordanstown. No portion of the work has been submitted in support of
another degree or qualification at this or any other institute of learning.
Signed: ....................................................................................
Student number: ....................................................................................
Date: .....................................................................................
APPENDIX 2: RESEARCH ETHICS FORM
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER RESEARCH GOVERNANCE
RG1a APPLICATION TO UNDERTAKE RESEARCH ON HUMAN SUBJECTS
PLEASE REFER TO THE NOTES OF GUIDANCE BEFORE COMPLETING THIS FORM. (Available from
the Research Governance website at http://www.ulster.ac.uk/research/rg/)
All sections of this form must be completed (use minimum font size 11). If the form is altered in
any way it will be returned unconsidered by the Committee.
This form should be used for research in categories A, B and D
Do not use this form for research being conducted in collaboration with the NHS/HPSS (category
C).
SECTION A
Chief
Investigator
Title of
Project
Student and
course (if
applicable)
Additional
Investigators
Declaration - Chief Investigator:
I confirm that
 this project meets the definition for research in category* (please insert)
 this project is viable and is of research or educational merit;
 all risks and ethical and procedural implications have been considered;
 the project will be conducted at all times in compliance with the research description/protocol
and in accordance with the University’s requirements on recording and reporting;
 this application has not been submitted to and rejected by another committee; and
 Permission has been granted to use all copyright materials including questionnaires and similar
instruments
Signed: Date:
Once complete, this application and all associated materials must be submitted for peer
review
*In addition, you should complete form RG1d for all category D research and form RG1e for both
category B and D research
Peer Review
 Those conducting peer review should complete form RG2 and attach it to this form (RG1). RG1,
RG2 and all associated materials should then be returned to the Chief Investigator.
 Depending upon the outcome of peer review, the Chief Investigator should arrange to submit to
the Filter Committee, resubmit the application for further review or consider a new or
substantially changed project. The application must not be submitted to the Filter Committee
until the peer review process has been completed (except as permitted below)
 Please note that peer review can be conducted by the Filter Committee if time and
capacity allow. This is at the discretion of the Chairperson of each Filter Committee and is
subject to change.
Filter Committee
 The application must be considered by the Filter Committee in accordance with the
requirements of the University
 The Filter Committee should complete form RG3 and write to the Chief Investigator
indicating the outcome of its review
 Depending upon the outcome of the Filter Committee review, the Chief Investigator
should arrange to proceed with the research OR submit to the University’s Research
Ethics Committee OR resubmit the application for further review OR consider a new or
substantially changed project
 The Filter Committee should retain a complete set of original forms.
SECTION B
1. Where will the research be undertaken?

2. a. What prior approval/funding has been sought or obtained to conduct this. research?
Please also provide the UU cost centre number if known
b. Please indicate any commercial interest in/sponsorship of the study
3. Duration of the Project
Start: End: Duration:
4. Background to and reason(s) for the Project
Please provide a brief summary in language comprehensible to a lay person or non-expert. Full
details must be provided in the description/protocol submitted with this application (see Notes
of Guidance)
5. Aims of the Project
of Guidance)
6. Procedures to be used
a. Methods
of Guidance)
b. Statistical techniques
Please provide details of the statistical techniques to be used within the project
description/protocol (see Notes of Guidance)
7. Subjects:
a. How many subjects will be recruited to the study (by group if appropriate)?
b. Will any of the subjects be from the following vulnerable groups -

YES NO
Children under 18
Adults with learning or other disabilities
Very elderly people
Healthy volunteers who have a dependent or

subordinate relationship to investigators
Other vulnerable groups
46
If YES to any of the above, please specify and justify their inclusion
c. Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Please indicate, with reasons, the inclusion criteria for the project
d. Will any inducements be offered? If ‘Yes’, please describe
e. Please describe how and where recruitment will take place
8. Ethical implications of the research

Please provide an assessment of the ethical implications of the project
9. Could the research identify or indicate the existence of any undetected healthcare concern?
Yes No
If Yes, please indicate what might be detected and explain what action will be taken (e.g.
inform subject’s GP)
10. Risk Assessment **

Please indicate any risks to subjects or investigators associated with the project
**If you wish, you can use form RG1c – Risk Assessment Record (available from the Research
Governance website) to help you assess any risks involved
11. Precautions
Please describe precautions to be taken to address the above
12. Consent form
It is assumed that as this study is being conducted on human subjects, an information sheet
and associated consent form will be provided. A copy of the information sheet and form
must be attached to this application. See Notes of Guidance.
If a consent form is not to be used, please provide a justification:

13. Care of personal information
Please describe the measures that will be taken to ensure that subjects’ personal
data/information will be stored appropriately and made available only to those named as
investigators associated with the project.
15. Copyright
Has permission been granted to use all copyright materials including questionnaires and
similar instruments?
Yes No
If No, please provide the reason
Once you have completed this form you should also complete form RG1d for all category D
research and form RG1e for both category B and D research
APPENDIX 3: SAMPLE MEETING RECORD FORM
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(This form should be completed jointly by the student and supervisor/s at the conclusion of each
meeting)
1. Name of Student................................................................................(BLOCK LETTERS)

2. Name of Supervisor............................................................................(BLOCK LETTERS)
3. Date of Meeting............................................................................................................
4. Duration of meeting......................................................................................................
5. Issues discussed (Please list)
6. Tasks to be completed before next meeting (Please list)
7. Date of next meeting.....................................................................................................

8. Other comments (if any)...............................................................................................
Signature of Student............................................................................................................
Signature of Supervisor........................................................................................................
APPENDIX 4: UBS GUIDE TO CITATION IN THE HARVARD STYLE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
When writing a piece of work, you need to refer in your text to material written or produced by
others. This procedure is called citing or quoting references. Failure to do so amounts to
plagiarism, which is against University Regulations and is regarded as a serious offence.
Consistency and accuracy are important to enable readers to identify and locate the material to
which you have referred. The same set of rules should be followed every time you cite a reference.
In the Ulster Business School (UBS), you need to use our version of the Harvard System, also
known as the ‘Author Date’ method. Our guidance is based on the Bournemouth Guide to Citation
(which uses both the British Standard for the citation and referencing of published material in the
Harvard Style and interpretations of that system used in academic and research institutions).
The UBS version of the Harvard Style is available as an option to users of the RefWorks
bibliographic management software.
We recommend that references to person-to-person communications such as letters and emails

are given only within the running text and are not detailed in the reference list.
When you submit work for external publication please follow the guidelines for authors issued to
you by your publisher. These may differ from the guidelines set out here.
The Harvard System (Author Date Method)
All statements, opinions, conclusions etc. taken from another writer’s work should be cited,
whether the work is directly quoted, paraphrased or summarised.
In the Harvard System cited publications are referred to in the text by giving the author’s surname
and the year of publication (see Citing in the Text) and are listed in a reference list or bibliography
at the end of the text (see References at the end of a piece of work).
Originators/authors: name(s) of the person or organisation shown most prominently in the source
as responsible for the content in its published form should be given. This includes Editors who
have been responsible for the editorial aspects of publication but may not have written an
individual contribution. For web sites, this may be the publisher of the web site in the absence of
any identifiable individual.
If an item is the co-operative work of many individuals, none of whom have a dominant role, the
title may be used instead.
Where neither of these options are apparent and there is clearly no identifiable person/body
responsible, use ‘Anon.’.
Dates: if an exact year or date is not known, an approximate date preceded by ‘ca.’ may be
supplied e.g. (ca.1940). If no such approximation is possible, use (no date). For web pages, it may
be preferable to cite the year in which the page was accessed, e.g. (ca.2009), rather than use (no
date).
Citing in the text
Quotations: as a general rule, if the quote is less than a line it may be included in the body of the
text in double quotation marks. Longer quotations should be indented, single-spaced and appear
in double quotation marks.
Pagination: for citing quotations from particular parts of the document the relevant page
number(s) should be given after the year within the parentheses. This also applies to online
documents except where pagination is absent.
Summaries or paraphrases – give the citation where it occurs naturally or at the end of the
relevant sentence or paragraph. Page numbers are not required.
Diagrams, illustrations, photographs – should be referenced as though they were quotations

taken from a published work. So page numbers are after the year within the parentheses.
Diagrams etc. are usually accompanied by a brief description and are listed throughout a piece of
work by figure number.
e.g. Figure 1. Forces Governing Competition in an Industry (Porter, 1979 p.141)
Text or script from videos, films or broadcasts – should be referenced as though it were a
quotation taken from a published work, but without page numbering.
e.g. In Love with the Groove (Walkers Snacks Advertisement, 2011)
Examples
1) If the author’s name occurs naturally in the sentence, the year is given in parentheses:-
e.g. According to Cottrell (2008) there are 8 things you can do before starting university...
e.g. As Cottrell (2008, p.61) indicates, “your performance as a student is likely to improve if
you...reflect on how you learn”, so that you...
2) If the name does not occur naturally in the sentence, both name and year are given in
parentheses:-
e.g. More recent research (Lee, 2010) has examined environmental issues related to supply
chains and supply chain management.
e.g. More recently, environmental issues relating to supply chains and supply chain
management have been examined (Lee, 2010).
3) When an author has published more than one cited document in the same year, these are
distinguished by adding lower case letters (a,b,c, etc.) after the year and within the
parentheses:-
e.g. Johnson (1994a) discussed the subject…
NB: The addition of letters is determined by the order of appearance within the main text, not
by the alphabetical sequence of the items themselves. Thus, a citation “Johnson (1994a)” will
always precede “Johnson (1994b)”.
4) When more than one source is cited, the sequence of citations may be either chronological,
e.g. (Smith 1999; Jones 2001; Turner 2006) or in order of academic relevance.
5) If there are two authors the surnames of both should be given:-
e.g. Whiteacre and Buckley (2010) have proposed that…
6) If there are more than two authors the surname of the first author only should be given,
followed by et al.:-
e.g. As part of their research, Comstock et al. (2010) examined marketing management at
General Office Co. (GE).
NB: A full listing of names should appear in the list of references.
7) If the work is anonymous then “Anon.” should be used:-
e.g. In a commentary referring to the global financial collapse (Anon. 2009) the responsibility
of financial regulators was discussed.
8) If it is a reference to a newspaper article with no author the name of the paper can be used in
place of “Anon”:-
e.g. Although it is believed that the UK economy is growing slowly, others suggest that the
economy is on a ‘plateau’ (The Guardian 2011)
(You should use the same style in the list of references.)
9) If you refer to a source directly quoted in another source you cite both in the text:-
e.g. A study by Allen (2001 cited Parker, 2009) showed that…
(You should list only the work you have read, i.e. Parker, in the list of references.)
10) If you refer to a contributor in a source you cite just the contributor:-
e.g. While questioning may appear to a straightforward form of communication, it is in fact a
more complex and versatile occurrence (Dickson and Hargie, 2006).
See References at the end of a piece of work below for an explanation of how to list contributions
(chapters in books, articles in journals, papers in conference proceedings) in the list of references.
11) If you refer to a person who has not produced a work, or contributed to one, but who is
quoted in someone else’s work it is suggested that you should mention the person’s name and
you must cite the source author:-
e.g. Richard Hammond stressed the part psychology plays in advertising in an interview with
Marshall (1999).
e.g. “Advertising will always play on peoples’ desires”, Richard Hammond said in a recent article
(Marshall 1999, p.67).
(You should list the work that has been published, i.e. Marshall, in the list of references.)
Person-to-person communications (letters, emails, interviews, etc):
 Taken from: APA (2009) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 6th
ed. Washington: APA.
 They do not provide recoverable data and so are not included in the reference list.
 Cite personal communications in the text only. Give initials as well as the surname of the
communicator and provide as exact a date as possible.
 When citing research data which you have collected, it is advisable to also include copies or
summaries of source data in Appendices.
References at the end of a piece of work
At the end of a piece of work list references to documents cited in the text. This list is called
References. Materials or sources used in ‘reading around’ the subject should be listed in the
Bibliography section. Sources are listed following the same rules as the Reference section. It is
important that you check whether you are required to submit a reference list OR a bibliography
OR both when you submit a piece of work.
1. In the Harvard System, the references are listed in alphabetical order of authors’ names.
2. Only include the reference once in the reference list, regardless of how many times it has
been cited in the text.
3. If you have cited more than one item by a specific author they should be listed
chronologically (earliest first), and by letter (1993a,1993b) if more than one item has been
published in the same year.
4. Whenever possible, elements of a reference should be taken from the title page of the
publication.
5. For place of publication give the city. If more than one town/city is listed give the first one
or the location of the publisher’s head office. If the town/city is not well known, you may in
addition add a county, region or state. Note that in the United States of America states are
denoted by a two letter code, for example Hillsdale, NJ.
6. For the publisher’s name omit superfluous terms such as Publishers, Co., or Inc. Always
retain the words Books or Press.
7. Where the publisher is a university and the place or location is included in the name of the
university, do not include the place of publication.
8. Where authorship is attributed to an organisation or corporation instead of an individual

author, ascribe authorship to the organisation e.g. The Economic and Social Research
Council.
9. In academic writing, names of organisations may be abbreviated once they have been
given in full e.g. Office of National Statistics (ONS, 2010). You must always give the FULL
version of organisational names in the Reference List.
10. Each reference should use the elements and punctuation given in the following examples
for the different types of published work you may have cited.
Referencing Printed (and Recorded) Materials
Reference to a book
Author’s Surname, INITIALS. (Year of publication) Title. Edition (if not the first). Place of
publication: Publisher.
e.g. Johnson, G., Whittington, R. and Scholes, K. (2011) Exploring strategy: text and cases. 9th
ed. Harlow: Pearson Education.
Reference to a contribution in an edited book
Contributing author’s Surname, INITIALS. (Year of publication) Title of contribution. Followed by
In: Surname, INITIALS., of author or editor of publication followed by ed. or eds. if relevant. Title
of book. Place of publication: Publisher, Page number (s) of contribution.
e.g. Keep, E. (2004) UK management skills and the future of management education. In:
Jeffcutt, P., ed. The foundations of management knowledge. London: Routledge, 83-107.
Reference to an encyclopaedia or dictionary entry (without an editor)

Short form title/publisher (Year of publication) Title of contribution. In: Title of source. Edition (if
not the first) Media type (if not print). Place: Publisher.
e.g. CIMA (2003) Activity-based costing. In: CIMA dictionary of finance and accounting.
London: Bloomsbury.
Reference to an article in a journal

Author’s surname, INITIALS. (Year of publication) Title of article. Title of journal, Volume number
and (part number), Page numbers of the article.
e.g. Edmondson, A. C. (2011) Strategies for learning from failure. Harvard Business Review, 89
(4), 48-55.
Reference to a newspaper article

Author’s Surname, INITIALS. (or Newspaper Title,) (Year of publication) Title of article. Title of
newspaper, day and month, page number/s.
e.g. Timmons, N. (2011) Pay divide between top executives and public widens. Financial
Times, 16 May, 3.
Reference to a conference paper

In: Surname, INITIALS., of editor of proceedings (if applicable) followed by ed or eds if relevant.
Title of conference including date and place of conference. Place of publication: Publisher, Page
numbers of contribution.
e.g. O’Connor, P.J. (2008) The role of geotourism in supporting regeneration in disadvantaged
rural communities in Ireland. In: Pineda, F.D. and Brebbia, C.A., eds. 3rd international
conference on sustainable tourism, 3-5 September 2008 Malta. Southampton: WIT Press,
267-275.
Reference to a report from a corporate author

(e.g. a government department, company or other organisation)
Name of Issuing Body (Year of publication) Title of publication. Place of publication: Publisher,
Report Number (where relevant)
e.g. Key Note, (2011) Childrenswear market report. London: Key Note
NISRA (2001) Measures of deprivation in Northern Ireland. Oxford: Social Disadvantage

Research Centre, NISRA Occasional Paper 11.
Reference to a Project or Project
Author’s Surname, INITIALS. (Year of publication) Title of Project. Designation, (and type). Name of
institution to which submitted.
e.g. Doran, C. (2005) An exploration of networking within Northern Ireland SME business
networks. Project, (MBA). University of Ulster.
Reference to a video, film or broadcast

Title (Year) [For films, the preferred date is the year of release in the country of production) Media
format. Subsidiary originator. [Optional but director is preferred] Production details ie. Place:
Organisation.
e.g. The language of advertising: how adverts work (2001) DVD. Bromley: TV Choice.
Programmes and series: the number and title of the episode should normally be given, as well as
the series title, the transmitting organisation and channel, the full date and time of transmission.
e.g. Business nightmares, Episode 1, Doomed designs (2011) TV, BBC2. 2011 May 9. 2000 hrs.
News at ten (2011) TV, BBC1. 2011 May 23. 22.00hrs.
Contributions: individual items within a programme should be cited as contributors

e.g. Obama, Barack (2011) Interview. In: Andrew Marr Show. TV, BBC1. 2011 May 22. 11.15 hrs.
Reference to CD-ROMS and DVDs

This example refers to CD-ROMs and DVDs which are works in their own right and not a video, film
or bibliographic database.
Author’s Surname, INITIALS. (Year of publication) Title. Edition. Media format. Place of
publication: Publisher (if ascertainable). Available from: Supplier/Database identifier or number
(optional) [Accessed date] (optional)
e.g. Goleman, D. (2002) Business: the ultimate resource. CD-ROM. London: Bloomsbury.
Referencing Online Materials
The recommendations outlined below follow best practice in referencing online resources.
Remember that scanned chapters, journal articles etc. which are located on the module area of
Blackboard Learn have been provided from print sources located within the University Library and
therefore should be referenced the same as the original print sources.
Similarly, lecture and tutorial notes, whether downloaded from Blackboard Learn or not, are not
regarded as ‘published’ materials and are only intended as pointers toward such sources rather
than as source materials in themselves, in other words, students should not reference them in
their coursework.
In general, if online material (e.g. electronic journals and electronic books) is available in printed
format, then students should reference these as print sources regardless of how they have
viewed them. If in doubt, students should reference the material as an online source.
Reference to an electronic book (ebook)
Author’s/Editor’s Surname, INITIALS. (Year) Title. Edition (if not the first). Place of publication:
Publisher (if ascertainable). Available from: URL [Accessed Date].
e.g. Miller, J. E., Walker, J.R. and Drummond, K.E. (2007) Supervision in the hospitality industry:
applied human resources. 5th ed. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. Available from:
http://www.instituteofhospitality.org [Accessed 26 May 2011].
Reference to an online journal article

If you are certain that the copy you find on a database is identical to the printed version you may
omit the URL and reference it as a printed journal. If you are in any doubt you should use one of
the options below.
If the article has been located on a library database e.g. Business Source Premier, ABI Global or
Emerald, then also give the database URL e.g. www.emeraldinsight.com, so:
Author’s Surname, INITIALS. (Year) Title. Journal Title, volume (issue), page numbers (if available).
Available from: database URL [Accessed Date].
e.g. Toms, J.S. (2010) Calculating profit: a historical perspective on the development of
capitalism. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 35 (2), 205-221. Available from:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science [Accessed 21 January 2011].
In all other cases, give full URL to the article, so:
Author’s Surname, INITIALS. (Year) Title. Journal Title, volume (issue), page numbers (if available).
Available from: URL [Accessed date].
e.g. Grant, K. (2011) Knowledge management, an enduring but confusing fashion. The
Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 9 (2), 1117-1131. Available from:
http://www.ejkm.com/issue/download.html?idArticle=285 [Accessed 28 April 2011].
Reference to web pages

Author’s/Editor’s Surname, INITIALS. (Year) Title. Place of publication: Publisher (if ascertainable).
Available from: URL [Accessed Date].
e.g. Bryson, A. and Forth, J. (2010) Trade union membership and influence: NIESR discussion
paper no. 362. London: National Institute of Economic and Social Research. Available
from: http://www.niesr.ac.uk/pdf/010910_144250.pdf [Accessed 20 February 2011].
Reference to a conference paper online

In: Surname, INITIALS., of editor of proceedings (if applicable) followed by ed or eds if relevant.
Title of conference including date and place of conference. Place of publication: Publisher (if
ascertainable). Available from: URL [Accessed Date].
e.g. Poon, S. and Swatman, P.M.C. (1997) Emerging issues on small business use of the
internet: 23 Australian case studies. In: 5th European Conference on Information Systems,
June 19-21, 1997, Cork, Ireland. Available from:
http://www.uni-koblenz.de/~swatmanp/pdfs/poon.ecis97.pdf [Accessed 1 June 2011].
Reference to a podcast
Although podcasts can be downloaded onto portable devices, you should always reference where
it was published or displayed for download.
Author/Presenter’s Surname, INITIALS., Day Month (Year of production) Title of podcast. Day and
month of posted message. Available from: URL [Accessed Date].
e.g. Chakrabortty, A., 25 May (2011) Dotcom boom or new media bubble? Available from:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/audio/2011/may/25/business-podcast-dotcom-
boom-bubble [Accessed 20 April 2011].
Reference to moving images accessed online

Use originator/author if ascertainable otherwise use title.
Originator. (Year) Title. Place of publication or production (if ascertainable): Publisher or producer
(if ascertainable). Available from: URL [Accessed Date].
e.g. Walkers Snacks. (2011) In love with the groove. Available from:
https://edu.xtremeinformation.com/Search/ [Accessed 10 May 2011].
Dahan, E. (2006) How can we better understand customers? Google TechTalks. Available
from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkbpJ7XkrOA&feature=related [Accessed 17
May 2011].
Reference to photographs/images accessed online

Photographer/Artist’s Surname, INITIALS. (Year of publication) Title of image. Media type. Place of
publication: Publisher (of online image) if ascertainable. Available from: URL [Accessed Date].
e.g. Platt, S. (2010) Stocks surge dramatically after EU approves debt rescue package.
Photograph. Getty Images. Available from:
http://edina.ac.uk/purl/eig2/getty_stills.98948582.jpg [Accessed 2 June 2011].
APPENDIX 5: PROJECT MARKING SCHEME
Student Name: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Supervisor signature (1st marker): ………………………………………………….. Mark: ……………………….
Second marker signature: ………………………………………………………………. Mark: ……………………….
Final agreed mark: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Rationale, Aims and Objectives

70-100%60- 50-59%40-49%0-39%
69%
Is there a clear (business) rationale for the Project?
*
Are the objectives of the project clearly stated and
of strategic value?
Are the objectives of the project realistic and
achievable, i.e., is it a viable proposition (e.g.,
scope, resources: time, cost, people)?
*Is it likely that completing this project will lead to added value to the organization/body/sector involved (e.g., cost
reduction, business improvement, potential new insights/markets provided, or extended knowledge);
Comments:
Review of Management Theory

70-100%60- 50-59%40-49%0-39%
69%
Do(es) appropriate management theory (ies) and
concepts underpin and support the applied
objectives of the project?
Have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of
the management theory (ies) and concepts been
demonstrated?
Is there evidence of a critical review/debate and
evaluation of the applied management theory (ies)
and concepts?
Is there evidence of reviewing a wide variety of
relevant management theory?
Have wider relevant external factors and
management issues been considered
(environmental, social, technological, ethical)?
Comments:
Application and Analysis
70-100%60- 50-59%40-49%0-39%
69%
Has sufficient data been gathered to satisfy the
project objectives?
How effectively has the data been analysed in line
with the chosen management theories/concepts
and linked project objectives?
How effectively has the data been presented in line
with the chosen management theories/concepts
and linked project objectives?
Comments:
Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations

70-100%60- 50-59%40-49%0-39%
69%
How well has the student discussed
the application of management
theory in the project setting in line with the project
objectives?
Conclusions are of high quality, logical, coherent,
and demonstrates integration of management
theory and project objectives
The student has provided recommendations that
are appropriate and of strategic value
Comments:
Review of Project Management
70-100%60- 50-59%40-49%0-39%
69%
How well has the student critically evaluated and
reflected on their management of the project
against accepted project management practice?
Has the student demonstrated suitable project

management skills in completing the project (e.g.,
met deadlines set by academic supervisor/project
sponsor, maintained proactive engagement with
supervisor/project sponsor, completed the project
within the set objectives, resources )
Comments:
Presentation and Referencing

70-100%60- 50-59%40-49%0-39%
69%
Quality of report structure and flow
of arguments
Have sources been consistently and correctly
referenced using the Harvard method?
How well has the report been checked for spelling
and grammar?
Comments:
APPENDIX 6: ULSTER BUSINESS SCHOOL LEVEL 7 QUALITATIVE GRADING CRITERIA
Signature 1st marker: _____________________________ Mark: _______

Signature 2nd marker: _____________________________ Mark: _______
Signature External marker: _____________________________ Mark: _______
Classification % Range Content Application of Theory Knowledge & Evidence of Reading Referencing & Presentation, Grammar &
Understanding Bibliography Spelling
With distinction 70 – 100 Critical insightful evaluation Extensive evidence of Exceptional knowledge & Extensive evidence of Outstanding referencing & Outstanding, well-directed
& synthesis of complex advanced applications &/or conceptual understanding integrating supplementary bibliography presentation, logically &
high level of originality & empirical results, where of complex &/or specialised sources coherently structured,
reflection. Demonstrates applicable, informed principles & concepts & the using correct grammar,
the ability to pursue extensively by current development & spelling & citation.
research at Doctoral level research & practice in the advancement of ideas &
area practice
Pass 60 – 69 Critical evaluation & Clear evidence of relevant Wide knowledge & depth of Evidence of extensive Comprehensive Excellent presentation,
synthesis of complex applications &/or empirical understanding of complex reading of supplementary referencing & bibliography logically structured, using
issues & material which results, where applicable, &/or specialised principles sources correct grammar & citation
includes an original & informed by current & concepts and the
reflective approach research & practice in the development of ideas and
area practice
Some critical evaluation & Evidence of relevant Appropriate knowledge & Evidence of reading Adequate referencing & Orderly presentation, clear
Pass 50 – 59 synthesis of key issues & applications &/or empirical depth of understanding of supplementary sources bibliography structure & acceptable
material results, where applicable key principles & concepts grammar & spelling
with some links to current with some understanding of
research in the area their development in
practice
Fail 45 – 49 Some evaluation & Occasional relevant Basic knowledge & depth Limited evidence of Limited referencing & Adequate presentation &
synthesis of issues & applications &/or empirical of understanding of key reading bibliography structure, grammar,
material results, where applicable principles & concepts only spelling & citation
Limited evaluation & Limited applications &/or Limited &/or superficial Minimal evidence of Inadequate referencing & Poor presentation &
Fail 31 – 44 synthesis of issues & empirical results, where knowledge of key principles reading bibliography structure, grammar,
material applicable & concepts spelling & citation
Little or no evaluation & Little or no evidence of Virtually devoid of any Little or no evidence of Inadequate referencing & Inadequate presentation,
Fail 0 – 30 synthesis of issues and relevant application &/or evidence of knowledge & reading bibliography structure, grammar,
material empirical results understanding spelling & citation
A pdf copy of the Level 7 Qualitative criteria is available to download at http://www.ulster.ac.uk/academicoffice/assessmenthandbook.html .

All five elements will be considered
Academic Year 2023/24 - Semester 1 Page 55 of 55

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Module Title:

MBA Business Project

Module Code: BMG843 (CRN: 46485)

Department of Management, Leadership & Marketing

Room Number: Academic Hub, RAV, London

Phone Number: n/a

Office Hours (online): Online - by Appointment

Module Instances Submission Deadlines

Academic Year 2022/23 - Semester 3 Page 1 of

1. Module Overview and Communication..................................................................................................................

2. Aim & Learning Outcomes.....................................................................................................................................

3. Assessment and Feedback....................................................................................................................................

4. Organisation and Management............................................................................................................................

6. Student Voice & Support Services........................................................................................................................

Appendix 1 Student Declaration/Disclaimer 33

Academic Year 2022/23 - Semester 3 Page 2 of

Welcome to the MBA Business Project,

Course/s: MBA Project

Module Code BMG843 Module Level 7

Credit points 30 Module Status Core

Semesters 1/2/3 Location London/Birmingham

Contact Details and Communication Methods

If you require advice or guidance on any aspect of the module, please

Key announcements will be presented during tutor-led activities.

Aims of the Project Module

The primary aims of the module are:

a) The question will have some theoretical backdrop

Successful students will be able to:

Learning will be through a mixture of workshops and individual supervision:

PPT # Workshops Theme

The MBA Business Project will be scheduled as follows:

2 Group Workshop 2 (Chapter 1: Introduction)

3 1-2-1 Supervision & Feedback on Chapter 1: Introduction

4 Group Workshop 3 (Chapter 2: Literature Review)

5 Catch Up Week - Students focus on their Business Project (Chapter 1 & 2)

6 1-2-1 Supervision & Feedback on Chapter 2: Literature Review

7 Group Workshop 4 (Chapter 3: Methodology & Ethical Approval Form)

Role of the Supervisor

The Nature of the Supervision Process

THE RESEARCH PROCESS

Some Overall Remarks

1. Why are you asking this question?

1. Identify topic/ general area of interest

Figure 1: The Research Process

What you need to do to demonstrate achievement of learning.

This module will be assessed via one item of assessment

As a guide, your Project should contain the following:

• First page… (see Note A)

NOTE A: First Page

The title page should contain the following:

A student declaration (see also Appendix 1):

This should be followed by your signature, student number and date.

NOTE D: Research Ethics Disclaimer

NOTE E: The Abstract

NOTE F: Table of Contents

A typical table of contents will contain the following:

NOTE G: Broad suggestions for Chapter Headings*

 Recommendations. The recommendations should be derived from the conclusions. They