Assessment Assessment 4: Research Project (Part 2) – The Report

Individual/Group Group – Groups are to be between 3-5 students

Length 2000 words +/- 10% (excludes reference list, in text referencing and information presented in tables)

Learning Outcomes

(b) Compare and contrast the differences between qualitative and quantitative research techniques
(c) Apply theoretical marketing research knowledge to practical situations
(d) Utilise technical tools (statistical analysis packages) to analyse and present research findings to key stakeholders, as identified in the client brief
(e) Demonstrate sound analytical, problem- solving and communication skills

Submission Due by 11:55pm AEST/AEDT Sunday of Module 6.1 (Week 11)
Weighting 35%
Total Marks 100 marks

Context

The aim of this assessment is for students to demonstrate both their understanding of and ability to formulate, administer and report on a suitable marketing research project. The research project is intended to give practical application to research theory, giving each student the opportunity to conduct a piece of marketing research and provide insight into the marketing research process.

• Your assignment will be a group task.
• Group size must be no larger than 3-5 persons per group.
• Your group will be a market research agency and your lecturer will be your client.
• It is suggested that you create a name for the group.

Instructions

As a group, you are required to conduct the research proposed in Assessment 2 – The Proposal, then analyse the results of your research and present findings in a written Market Research Report

This is a two-stage project:

• Stage 1 – Write a research proposal responding to the client brief
• Stage 2 – Conduct the research, conduct analysis and report full findings

Two submissions required for this assessment:

a) Report submission, and
b) Peer Evaluation submission.

Part A: The Report Submission

(Only one submission per group) – Assessments are to be submitted via the Assessment link in the main navigation menu in MKT202A.

It is recommended that this assessment be presented in a report format.

Note: An Executive Summary is NOT required.

Students should include a Title Page and Table of Contents, and use suitable headings for the information presented.

Include (at a minimum) the following elements in your report:

1. Research Context: to establish this, summarise the background information in Assessment 2 and re-identify the Marketing Problem, the Marketing Research Problem and Research Objectives.

2. Research Methodology: describe the process that you undertook by:

• Demonstrating a link between the questionnaire content and research objectives
• Including additional details of the sampling technique undertaken
• Highlighting and discussing the impact on results of any challenges/constraints associated with the methodology and/or issues faced during the fieldwork (such as not achieving the sample size outlined in the proposal)

3. Findings from your Analysis: detail these via:

• Justifying the Analytical Steps taken, and Statistical Procedures used.
• Conducting appropriate Descriptive Statistical Analysis, objectively and accurately, on all questions contained in the questionnaire.
• Reporting the Analysis Findings in both, narrative form as well as graphical.
• Applying, where appropriate, more complicated Analytical Techniques and discussion of why these were used.
• Applied critical thinking to analyse the findings. (You will be assessed on how well thought-out your answers are. Think about alternative interpretations, here. So, when you analyse the findings, examine what the motives and causes are. What has been presented in the Survey Question? Have you fully understood and interpreted the issue? Be sure to justify your argument well, back it up with relevant sources and really convince your audience – what are your findings? What has led you to this conclusion?)

Provide Recommendations and Implications of your Findings to the Marketing Problem and any further research required.

Submission Information

• Student Identifiers (Name and Number) of all members of the group should appear on each page of the document – ideally in either the header or footer.
• All assessments are expected to be submitted in a form and format that would be acceptable in the business world. Therefore:
  • Assessments are to be submitted via the Assessment link in the main navigation menu in MKT202A Marketing and Audience Research. The learning facilitator will provide feedback via the Grade Centre in the LMS
    portal. Feedback can be viewed in My Grades.
  • All work must be word-processed, spell checked, grammatically acceptable, and professional in  appearance. Note: US-based spelling
    and grammar not acceptable in the Australian context.
  • Handwritten and/or electronic submissions sent directly to the lecturer will not be accepted;
  • Should not be written from a first-person context, but rather from the third
  • person perspective. That is, “I, we, my, our” are not acceptable;
  • The use any combination of narrative, point form, diagrams, graphs or other visuals including presenting the information in table form is permitted – particularly if these devices reduce the wordiness and increase the “readability” of the
    submission.
  • All claims and recommendations are to be supported by suitable and relevant research and/or theoretical principles; and
  • Include a correctly constructed reference list and accompanying in report citations as per University guidelines (APA Referencing). Please see more information on referencing here http://library.laureate.net.au/research_skills/referencing
• Overall Marks will be awarded for:
  o The depth of understanding of marketing research theories and strategies and
  their applications provided in the case study;
  o The relevance of the recommended findings; and
  o The validity and potential usefulness of the final report presented.

Peer Evaluation
(Individual submission) – to be submitted under separate advice/directly to the lecturer using My class message facility available in the main navigation menu by the due date of the assessment – 11:55pm AEST/AEDT Sunday of module 6.1 (Week 11)

• Peer Evaluation Template is available to download, under Assessment Information
• Each group member is required to complete a Peer Evaluation as this forms part of the marking rubrics.
• You do not need to include a Peer Evaluation on your own performance.
• Each student is to evaluate their group members using the following criteria:

Rating                                                              Description

1. Has been one of the key members of the group, taking initiative and extensively contributing to the group assessment effort.
2. Very valuable member of the team actively contributing to the team effort and the group assessment outcomes.
3. Has been following instructions of one or more team members. Contributed to the team efforts as per agreed tasks, but did not go beyond that.
4. Has fulfilled part of the agreed tasks and overlooked some. Has not been initiating much of the team group effort. More passive member of the group.
5. Showed no real efforts and contribution to the team. Other team members had to contribute more and take on also the tasks agreed to be delivered by this member.

• All rankings are to be accompanied by a detailed comment as to the basis of the ranking (i.e. elaborate on the descriptions provided) otherwise will not be accepted.
• All peer evaluations are confidential and individual rankings will not be released to other members of the group.
• Each student is to provide their peer evaluation using the above grid with the following naming convention: First Name_LastName_MKT202A_ A4_PeerEvaluation.docx
• Failure to submit a peer review correctly, or at all, will result is zero grading for this assessment criteria