Getting started webinar

Answers to student questions

Dr Kate Ringham, Programme Lead Applied Accounting, OBU and Dr Jane Towers-Clark,
Head Academic Partnerships, ACCA held a webinar – getting Started on the Research and
Analysis Project. The webinar can be viewed on demand from this link. These are the answers
to the questions asked in the webinar.

The questions have been grouped into general questions (degree classification, eligibility,
mentors) and those relating to the Research Report (topics, research question, business /
accountancy models, primary data collection, secondary data – financial information,
referencing, submission word count, Turnitin / Plagiarism)

DEGREE CLASSIFICATION

Is the mark obtained in the Ethics and Professional Skills module included in the OBU
degree classification? You must have completed EPSm prior to submission but the mark
from EPSm is not included in the degree classification calculation.

Do all modules have the same weight in the degree classification calculation? Your
marks from your CBL, Tax, PM, FM, AA and FR (old F4-F9) examinations carry the same
weight (marks for exemptions do not count).

I think I might be able to obtain a first class degree. How can I check? Please see page 83 of
the 2020/21 Information Pack for the calculation. The assessment criteria are provided in
Appendix 1 of the Information Pack and this explain what OBU expects of Grade A, B and C
work. It also provides information about why you might fail.

ELIGIBILITY

When can I complete the RAP? To submit your RAP you must be opted in to the BSc, have
completed the Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills, and Ethics and professional Skills
module. You have 10 years from the date of your first examination pass or exemption granted,
to submit and pass the RAP. So you can submit your RAP after your Strategic Professional
papers as long as this is within the 10 year limit.

I thought that 10 year limit had been removed? No, as a result of Covid19, if P40 (May
2020) was your last opportunity to submit, and you were unable to, then you have an automatic
extension to P41.
How can I check if I am opted in? Your MyACCA page shows whether you are opted in or
not.

Can I start the RAP before I have finished Applied Knowledge? To submit, you must have
completed Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills papers and EPSm. You can start work on

This material has been produced to support students it must not be copied and pasted into a
RAP.
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the RAP, but your research must be up to date and so think about how many papers you have
left, and when you plan to take these.

I am planning to take exams in September 2020, can I start now? If you start your RAP
now, then take exams in Sept 2020 and pass (notified in Oct 2020) you can submit in Nov
2020. A RAP takes 3 - 4 months to complete and so you do need to allow yourself time to
complete the work well.

MENTORS

Where can I find a list of registered mentors please? There is a list on the How to find a
Registered Mentor page of the web pages https://www.brookes.ac.uk/acca/for-
students/mentors/
Can mentor meetings be conducted after September exams for Nov submission? Your
mentor should be guiding you as you work on the RAP. When you (remotely) meet your
mentor, is up to you and your mentor, but to be ready to submit in Nov, you may want to make
a start on the RAP now.

TOPICS

Regarding topic 3, on the impact of impending legislation, can I use a legislation which
was passed approximately 2 years ago? This topic is looking for you to analyse the impact
the impending legislation might have. So the legislation will have been announced but not yet
implemented.

Any insights on the common topics chosen by students and probably reasons for few
of them being popular? Topic 8 tends to be very popular as it uses secondary data and is a
very common accounting subject area that many students are comfortable with.
Is there a topic specifically related to the effectiveness and usefulness of audits by a
'big 4' company? I am thinking specifically of EY and Wirecard. The audit topic is as
follows 11) An investigation into the financial and operational costs and benefits of the internal
audit / internal review activities within an organisation. As the topic mentions within an
organisation, this is probably a primary data collection topic. There is also a topic relating to
weak corporate governance (topic 17). Do remember that you will need to find a range of
information sources and as the issues relating to Wirecard are still current, you may not have
access to all the information.
Is there any specific advice/or something that comes to your mind to advice student for
Topic 18 - Marketing? I would suggest it is important here to identify and use a marketing
model (such as the 7Ps) or focus on how marketing sits within the Value Chain, as this helps
students focus on strategy. The common issue with this topic is that students describe a
marketing campaign, rather than analyse the marketing strategy.
I am interested in Topic 2 - Technology. Would you recommend to work on this topic
using primary or secondary research? You could use either approach. It might depend on
whether you are working within the organisation and have access to primary data. The key is
to consider the link to business objectives.
Is there any guidance on which approach (primary or secondary data) suits which
topics? There is guidance on Primary data – Types of Information available from
https://www.brookes.ac.uk/acca/for-students/resources-for-rap-students/ (within the downloads

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section). This guidance considers each topic and whether primary data is essential or
desirable, and what form this data might take.

RESEARCH QUESTION

How does the aim link to the topic? This depends on the topic, but generally, in writing your
aim you make the topic more specific. For a topic based on secondary data you might make
reference to the organisation and if you are conducting primary research you might reference
the source of your data (eg managers, employees).

What is the difference between Research Questions and Project Objectives? The
Research Question (this can also be called the Research Aim) is the overarching aim of the
research, and the project objectives are how you will achieve this aim.

Do we have to select variables and calculate correlations between them? We do not

expect students to complete a full statistical analysis for their RAP. If they have collected
numerical data then descriptive statistics is acceptable. When writing the research aim /
question, reflect the nature of the analysis. If you are using descriptive statistics, the research
aim might be “an evaluation of managers’/employees’/ customers’ views of….” rather than “an
investigation into the relationship between……..”.

I am thinking about researching my own company. What should I consider? Firstly,

discuss with your manager to find out whether the company is willing to be involved (and get
permission to do the research). Then think about the type of data you have access to and
which topic you are interested in.

BUSINESS / ACCOUNTANCY MODELS

What is the optimal number of business models please? This depends on your topic and
is your decision. You need to identify model(s) that are relevant to the topic but bear in mind
that you need to keep within the word count. We often see students discuss a couple of
models but it depends on your topic.

If you chose a model and conclude it isn't viable (and why) will that lose marks? No, but
you do need to use a relevant model to guide your analysis and evaluation. As you have a
limited word count, you might briefly mention other models you considered and rejected, and
(most importantly) why.

Can we use the business models (eg SWOT, PESTLE, Value Chain) in other topics? It
depends on the topic, you need to explain how your business model are relevant to your topic.

Is it fine if I do not apply a model? No, the assessment criteria re clear in that you need to
demonstrate “Understanding of accountancy / business models” and “Application of
accountancy / business models”.

If I am considering the advantages and disadvantages of models, the approach to

information gathering, and the tools used in analysis (eg ratios), do I have to be specific
to the company I am researching or can they be general? Some of the advantages and
disadvantages will be general, but where you can, relate specifically to your company.

PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION

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Is an approval / permission letter needed for companies that are listed when their
financial information can be easily accessed from the public domain? No using
information in the public domain is secondary data and permission is not required (the
information is publically available). A permission letter is required if you undertake primary
data collection.

Can we gather primary data by emailing firms or industries? The method of data collection
needs to be appropriate for the topic. Firms or industries often do not respond to emails unless
they know where the email has originated from. If you are emailing from the organisation you
work for, you do need permission.

If using questionnaires for Primary Data collection, what is an acceptable amount of

responses? The level of response will depend on the nature of the questionnaire and the
number of people surveyed. Ideally you will have sufficient responses to be able to answer
your research question. In your research report, discuss how many questionnaires you sent,
the number of responses, how you encouraged people to respond (reminders). You may also
want to include an open ended question in the questionnaire so that you have some narrative
comments to analyse as well.

My organisation does not want to remain anonymous, but want to know about the
confidentiality of the RAP. The RAPs are not made publically available. Your work will be
seen by the marker, and possibly moderator and external examiner (this is done on a sample
basis) and no one else.

SECONDARY DATA - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Where do I get the information from? For topics using secondary data, an important source
of information can be the financial statements.

Will the current list of industry sectors will be the same for P42 (May 2021)? Yes the
industry classifications are for the academic year

I work for a University - can I not do a project in this sector (it doesn’t appear on the
industry list)? The industry sectors are only relevant to topics 8 and 15. You can use a
University as the organisation for one of the other topics.

For Topic 8, who chooses the organisation, me, my mentor or OBU? You are required to
choose the organisation from one of three industry sectors (see below). You also need to
select a comparator organisation. It is good practice to explain why you think your comparator
organisation is a good choice.

For Topic 8, does the comparator have to have the same financial year end? If there is a
difference in the year ends, you will want to understand the impact this might have. When
discussing the comparator in your report, explain this impact to the reader.
Should I use the consolidated financial statements? I would recommend using the
consolidated statements. If you think this has an impact on your analysis, explain this to the
reader of the report.
Can I do my project on a state owned company? Yes, if this is for topic 8 make sure you
can identify a comparator organisation and that there is enough information from a variety of
sources about the state owned company.

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How many years secondary data is minimum to be considered in the research? This
depends on topic, at a minimum you will usually compare 2years for your company and (if topic
8) a comparator.

For Topic 8 & 15 the 2019 financial statements are not yet available. Can I use 2016-
2018 annual reports? Your research needs to current and up to date so please use the most
recent financial statements. It is good practice to explain to the reader the reasons for using
the information sources. So you might mention in your report that the 2019 financial
statements are not yet available. It is very important to explain to the reader why you are not
using the most up to date information available. If this is a consequence of Covid19, then
explain this.

REFERENCING

Should I include page numbers for information gathered from the financial statements?
Yes, this is good practice and helps the reader find the source of the information.

What is the minimum number of references? The references included in your Research
Report are the sources of information you have read and have decided are useful to support
your work. There is no minimum, it will depend on your topic and research question.

How do I know that the source that I am referring to is a reliable source? Think about
where the material (source) is coming from, is it an expert in that area (eg consultancy firm
discussing technological innovation), when was it written (it should be in the last couple of
years) and is there any bias (the company is likely to say they are doing a great job!)

SUBMISSION

What are the submission windows? RAPs are submitted in November and May. The exact
details are on the ACCA website and in the Information Pack.

Is there a time limit from when we start to when the RAP has to be handed in? You must
submit your RAP within ten years of your first ACCA examination pass, or date of your first
exemption.

Is the RAP be submitted by email, or should it be printed and delivered? RAPs are
submitted online. You upload your work to the submission portal. Details are in the Information
Pack.

What is the pass rate for the RAP? Globally, it usually around 64%

Are any of the assessment criteria a common factor for failure? The two assessment
criteria students find more difficult are analysis and evaluation, and information gathering and
referencing - but it does vary.

How do I register for Nov 20 submission? You don’t need to register for a particularly
submission window. To submit, you need to be opted-in (check your MyACCA page), have
passed Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills and completed the Ethics and Professional
Skills module.

Do we need do calculations for every topic? One of the graduate competencies is

Information Technology. You are required to have created and submitted an Excel
spreadsheet that includes the use of formulae. If you have collected primary data, you can use

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Excel to calculate percentages, averages etc. If you are using secondary data then calculating
ratios is evidence to support your discussions.

Will I be able to have a model RAP on each topic, just for reference? We do not produce
model RAPs for each topic as there are lots of different ways you can approach writing your
report and achieve a pass. Be guided by the assessment criteria (Appendix 1 of the
Information Pack). There are resources on the OBU website explaining different aspects of the
RAP (eg how to write aims and objectives, guidance on reflective writing, referencing). We
regularly publish articles in Student Accountant which are then posted on the OBU website.

How long does the project take to complete? Students tell us it takes about 3-4 months
to complete the RAP.

WORD COUNT

What is the maximum word count? The maximum is 7500 for your Research Report.
Considering the number of words for the research report, how can I demonstrate wider
reading on theories? You need to focus on the relevance of the theories to your topic and
question. You can use a lot of words describing the theory in detail. This is not necessary as
the markers know the theories, you need to include a brief summary and then focus relevance
to your question.
Are references included in the word count? The in-text references (those included in the
Research Report) are included in the word count. You also submit a reference list as a
separate document. This is not included in the word count.
Is the referencing tool in Microsoft word useful? You can use the referencing tool in
MSWord.

PLAGIARISM / TURNITIN

How do I check for plagiarism? There is guidance on the OBU website (Article on
WriteCheck). The only Turnitin product that is available is iThenicate. Some of the other
websites offering plagiarism checking service, follow up by offering to correct or write work for
you. This is not good academic practice and may result in a referral for academic misconduct.
If you follow good practice in keeping notes of your sources, writing in your own words and
acknowledging the source, limiting the amount of direct quotes you use, then there is no need
to use a plagiarism checker.

Is there a threshold percentage match in Turnitin? All RAPs are submitted through Turnitin
and the Turnitin report is considered. We do not expect your percentage match to be below a
threshold as it is the nature of the matches that is important. It is possible to have reasonably
high percentage match where there are lots of small matches to lots of different sources. It
can be more problematic if there is a lower percentage match but it is larger pieces of writing to
one or two sources.

The next webinar is Analysis, evaluation and critical writing for Research and Analysis Project
on Monday 17 August at 9am BST. This is the link to register to attend. If you can’t make that
time, it will be available on demand after the event.

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