Module code and title: Research Methods Module leader: Halyna MiasoidAssignment No. and type: Research proposal related to tourism (2000 words) As

Module code and title: Research Methods Module leader: Halyna MiasoidAssignment No. and type: Research proposal related to tourism (2000 words) Assessment weighting: 50%

Submission time and date: On or before: 24 May 2024 by 2.00 pm Target feedback time and date: 3 weeks from the date of final submission

Assignment task

This assessment is an individual Research Proposal that presents students ability to design the research project to solve a theoretical or practical problem in the tourism industry in the UK based on the obtained knowledge of research methodology and analysis of the most recent and relevant resources.

This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your achievement of the following module learning outcomes:

LO 1 Define and justify an appropriate business-related research issue to investigate empirically.

LO 2 Explain and critically evaluate the main social scientific research methodologies and methods appropriate for the business.

LO 3 Draw on relevant academic literature and appropriate data sources to develop and evaluate insights from published materials related to chosen research area.

LO 4 Demonstrate an informed understanding on key ethical considerations of conducting research projects.

LO 5 Demonstrate appropriate academic writing skills, referencing and good academic practice and make decisions on organising material in a logical and coherent way with an audience in mind.

Task requirements

Overview of the assignment

Research is an essential element of skillset of a modern professional and key to develop sustainable business and sustainable tourism. As Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (2021) argue, research is vital for innovation in the national economy.

Working on this task will equip students with skills of identifying the research problem in the field of tourism and developing the research proposal which will reflect the research design, methods and instruments to resolve this problem.

Students are encouraged to investigate needs in the jobs they occupy if they are related to tourism or examine the current need for research in the sector in the UK and develop the research proposal according to the identified research question.

In both cases, students will need to explore the theoretical background of the research problem, review research literature and verify if the research question they ask is responded in the previous research, or, alternatively, there is a gap in the research and no solution has been found yet. In the latter case, students will set the research aim, objectives, and develop research methodology, including research design, research methods, research instruments, and a feasible timeline.

This implies that learning about research methodology and applying this information to develop own research proposal will help students to get prepared to their degree research paper in Level 6 and develop mandatory research skills to find informed solutions for tourism business under the changing circumstances. These are core employability skills.

Consequently, this assignment provides the opportunity for students to demonstrate the ability to understand and interpret information relevant to the research methodology and present it to a number of audiences in both academic and business environments in a written form as a 2000 words research proposal with required appendices (see the Research Proposal Template).

Description of the task what you are being asked to do.

Required task:

Develop a research proposal of the theoretical or practical problem in the tourism industry in the UK.

However, a practical problem will be more suitable for an undergraduate level as it is the first attempt to undertake research. Therefore, a research proposal might seek solution to a problem in an existing UK-based business, a tourist destination, DMO or any other organisation in the tourism sector in the UK.

See the assignment guide for a breakdown of this task.

Referencing and research requirements

Please reference your work according to the Canterbury Harvard style guidance which you can access on Moodle. Include at least 15 references.

How your work will be assessed

Your work will be assessed to the extent it demonstrates your achievement of the stated learning outcomes for this assignment (see above) and against other key criteria, as defined in the Universitys institutional grading descriptors. If it is appropriate to the format of your assignment and your subject area, a proportion of your marks will also depend on your use of academic referencing conventions.

Pay attention to the Table of Penalties applied to all assessments (see Appendix A).

This assignment will be marked according to the grading descriptors for Level 5 see Research Proposal Marking rubrics enclosed to the Assignment Brief and Assessment Guide (Appendix B).

Submission details

This assignment should be submitted electronically via Moodle (module tutors will discuss this process with you during class time).

Please ensure that your work has been saved in an appropriate file format (Microsoft Word). Your file must also contain at least 2000 words of text without references and appendices and be less than 40MB in size.

Please, note, that you CANNOT submit a set of images of the text, as this will be viewed as Academic Misconduct and the attempt to avoid similarity check on Turnitin.

Your submitted text must be editable, and not in the textbox or frame.

You can submit your work as many times as you like before the submission date. If you do submit your work more than once, your earlier submission will be replaced by the most recent version.

Once you have submitted your work, you will receive a digital receipt as proof of submission, which will be sent to your forwarded e-mail address (provided you have set this up). Please keep this receipt for future reference, along with the original electronic copy of your assignment You are reminded of the Universitys regulations on academic misconduct, which can be viewed on the University website: Academic Misconduct Policy. In submitting your assignment, you are acknowledging that you have read and understood these regulations.

Submission date and time

This assignment should be submitted to Moodle by 2.00 pm on 24 May 2024.

You should submit all work for summative assessments by the above deadline. Work submitted up to three working days after the deadline will be accepted and marked, but the mark will be capped at the pass mark (40%) unless there is a valid reason for the late submission (i.e., having been granted an extension to the deadline or a deferral under the terms of the Extenuating Circumstances Policy).

Work submitted more than three working days after the deadline without a valid reason will not be accepted and will be recorded as 0% RN (refer, no work submitted).

For more information, please refer to: Student Handbook on Moodle.

Feedback and marks for this assignment will be available in three weeks from the deadline.

Assignment Guide - Research Proposal

This Assignment Guide should be used with the Assignment Brief and the Research Proposal Template. Its purpose is to provide guidance on the best way to meet the task requirements in the assignment brief. It also gives an indication of what the marker will be looking for in the case study.

Please, use the Research Proposal Template to type in your information as required.

Start you research proposal with a strong title, which includes relevant key words, indicates your research approach and contains a research question.

The word count in the following guidelines is given approximately to help students keep the proportions withing the research proposal volume. Each section divided into subsections might require different word count, however, generally the biggest sections Literature Review and Research Methodology, will require elaborated approach and more specific details.

Follow the structure and suggestions in the Research Proposal Template:

Introduction (100 words)

The introduction should draw from either industry or business reports or academic sources and include the following:

Background and Context.

Lead the reader into the topic and scope of your research, explain why this research has value and why it will be original, and why the research is required.

Problem Statement.

Describe the theoretical or practical research problem that you want to address.

What is already known about the problem? What is missing from current knowledge?

Briefly refer to 2-3 main policies/reports/frameworks that introduce the reader into the context and specify the contradiction/problem that still exists and needs solution. Here you will use relevant terminology: relate to the key concepts, theories, and empirics (reports/statistics which reveal the problem)

Literature Review (800 words)

The literature review summarises, compares and critiques the most relevant scholarly sources on the topic. There are many different ways to structure a literature review, but it should explore:

There will be three main subtopics mentioned in the Literature Review, usually in the synthesised ways:

Key Concepts, Theories and Studies (and include three topics there under headings).

Key Debates and Controversies (optional for undergraduate research)

Gap(s) in Existing Knowledge

Important: Students are free to organise their Literature review in one of two ways:

Students either divide the Literature review as suggested into subsections:

Key Concepts, Theories and Studies.

Compare, contrast, and establish the theories and concepts that will be most important for your project. These should be divided into topics.

Topic 1.

Topic 2.

Topic 3.

Key Debates and Controversies (optional for undergraduate research)

Identify points of conflict and situate your own position as for any controversies or conflict research/academic opinions you might find in the literature related to the research topic.

Gap(s) in Existing Knowledge (around 50 words within 800 of Literature review)

Show what is missing and how your project will fit in.

Alternatively, students may have three subsections, Topic 1; Topic 2; Topic 3, and include in each of them Key Concepts, Theories and Studies; Key Debates and Controversies (optional for undergraduate research) and Gap(s) in Existing Knowledge.

Topic 1 (including Key concepts, theories, debates, and a gap).

Topic 2 (including Key concepts, theories, debates, and a gap).

Topic 3 (including Key concepts, theories, debates, and a gap).

There must be at least three topics with 4-5 resources minimum for each of topic. The resources must be synthesised. Topics present key theories and concepts definitions, reflect previous research and analysis.

Generally, in your Literature Review you will:

Compare and contrast the main theories, methods, and analyse the debates and controversies;

Critically analyse the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches;

Show how your research fits in the previous research and/or the issues of the economic activities of the tourism enterprise, destination, etc. How will you build on, challenge or synthesise the work of others?

Fill a gap in the existing body of research and explain why you consider your research idea innovative.

Research Question, Research Aim and Research Objectives (150 words)

Research Question.

State the specific question that you aim to answer.

One research question is enough for the undergraduate degree. However, these may be two or more related questions. The more specific questions you ask, the wider the scope of the research will be, usually at higher levels of scientific research.

Research Aim.

Make it clear what new insights you will contribute.

Formulate a clear research aim in one line, e.g.

The aim of this study is to determine

This research aims to explore

This research aims to investigate

Research Objectives.

Define research objectives (at least three). Justify a major approach you will take (general methodology to achieve these aims)

Start using active verbs, e.g.

To discover current research surrounding the topic of dark tourism.

To evaluate the motivations of travellers visiting destinations associated with dark tourism.

To use focus groups to examine whether tourist perspectives are influenced by dark tourism.

OR include specific detail HOW you will achieve these objectives, e.g.

To measure using quantitative methods.

To analyse by means of . analysis.

To test (e.g. customer brand awareness).

DO NOT REPEAT THE VERBS!

Note. Verbs will differ depending on your research methodology.

If you apply quantitative methodology, you will need to formulate quantitative research objectives, using verbs like determine, measure, assess, quantify, analysemetrics/score, investigate (indices), examine effects, assess influence, determine the correlation between X and Y, predict rates, etc. see Verbs for research objectives on Lecture Week 1 slides)

If your research approach is qualitative, you will need verbs for qualitative research objectives, like determine, predict, assess, investigate, explore, understand, uncover, capture, delve into, explain, explore, and the like, see Verbs for research objectives on Lecture Week 1 slides)

For mixed methods you will probably need both.

Research Methodology (800 words)

This section should explain your approach to the research and describe exactly what steps you will take to answer your questions:

Research Design.

Explain how you will design the research: qualitative/quantitative/mixed data research. Determine what kind of data you need to analyse, and which resources you will use, primary or secondary. Decide and justify if this will be a descriptive, correlational, or experimental research.

Research Methods and Sources.

Describe the tools, procedures, participants and sources of the research. Specify when, where and how you will collect and select data. Justify chosen methods. State exactly what or who you will study and if you will collect data personally or use the databases. If the databases will be used, which ones and what data will be taken from there. State clearly how you will access the databases or the resources of information.

Include data analysis methods and justify them.

Sampling Design.

Describe the procedure and the sample of the participants of your research.

Outline the proposed sample group, including any specific criteria, e.g. for a consumer behaviour analysis you might need data on the age, sex, marital status/family size, income level, frequency of travel, travel length, occupation, etc.

In case you collect primary data via the interview or questionnaire survey, make sure you explain this and make reference to Appendices where the Questionnaire must be enclosed.

Research Procedure and Ethical Considerations.

Indicate clearly what the involvement of the sample group will be in the research process. Address any ethical issues which might arise during the research, e.g. data protection, ownership of the research materials, etc. How will you plan for and deal with problems?

Specify how the consent of subjects will be obtained. Refer to Appendices where the Consent Form must be enclosed. Please include within this a description of any information with which you intend to provide the subject. Indicate any potential risks to subjects and how you propose to minimise these. Mention policies and guidelines regulating data collection and data protection in the university and in the UK (there will be at least two documents). Include them in the reference list.

Practical considerations.

Give a balanced view of the chosen research methodology based on the literature (Pros and Cons of this approach). Address any potential obstacles, limitations or practical issues. Clarify how you plan to deal with problems?

Implications and contributions to knowledge (150 words)

This section should emphasise why your proposed project is important and how it will contribute to practice or theory.

Practical Implications.

Explain if your research findings will help to improve a process, inform policy, or make a case for concrete change. State in one sentence who will benefit from your research findings /solution of the problem (the audience).

Theoretical Implications.

Explain if your research findings will help to strengthen a theory or model, challenge current assumptions, or create a basis for further research. How?

References.

Include at least 15 references here (These sources are highlighted in green throughout the template).

Please, include only the resources that you used for:

contextualising your research topic,

analysing the previous research in the Literature Review

regulating your research procedures, especially Ethical Considerations.

Do NOT use bullet points or numbering!

Appendices are mandatory, though not included in the word count. The content of the appendices impacts the mark and is reflected in the grading rubrics. There are three appendices as specified in the Research Proposal Template:

Appendix A. Questionnaire

You will have to create a research questionnaire on one of the online platforms, e.g. Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, etc., then download it and present as Appendix A.

The survey will have different types of questions depending on the type of data you will need to collect. It is obligatory that developed questionnaire contains both closed and open questions. This may be one long survey, or two short (up to 10 questions) questionnaires. If you opt to have two questionnaires, name them Appendix A.1. Title, and Appendix A.2. Title.

Appendix B. Consent Form

You will develop the consent form or, alternatively, use the CCCU Consent Form with a proper reference.

Appendix C. Research Timeline

A nice way to lay out the timeline for your program is to use a Gantt diagram as shown in the Research Proposal Template. Alternatively, create your timeline in Excel. It is best to arrange the time divisions according to your particular timeline as described in the Research Methodology section, so if it works better for you to divide your months into weeks.

The sample in the Research Proposal Template must be replaced with an actual Gannt Chart created in Microsoft Office, which will reflect all stages of your research and relevant dates, starting with research proposal preparation (now) till project completion. In case you will use the research proposal for your degree paper in Level 6, you will be able to make changes and adapt the actual dates.

The dates must be realistic, and the tasks feasible withing the set time limits.

The final stage will the presentation of tour research findings either a thesis, or paper, presentation to the business owner/ destination board, etc, depending on the research audience and context.

Academic Integrity

Our GBS and CCCU community is based on the shared values of honesty, fairness and responsibility. In your studies, it is vital that the work you present is your own so that CCCU can award you credit for your work. When you use any information from another person, or the internet (that can be words, ideas or images), you must acknowledge and credit the original work by using citations and references. There are serious consequences for continued malpractice which can result in your withdrawal from your course.

Please, get acquainted with the following documents to comply with the requirements on Academic Integrity, preventing and handling cases of Academic Misconduct:

Student-Academic-Integrity-Policy (canterbury.ac.uk)Student-Academic-Misconduct-Procedures-staff-students (canterbury.ac.uk)Learning Materials/Resources

At GBS you have access to our online databases through ESBCO, which can be accessed through the Moodle page. You also have access to the CCCU library which can be accessed online at:

https://ulms.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/client/en_GB/CCCU

Essential Resources (available on shelves and electronically in GBS library)

Bell, E., Bryman, A. and Harley, B. (2019). Business Research Methods. 5th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2019). Research Methods for Business Students. 8th ed. Harlow: Pearson.

Flick, U. (2020) Introducing research methodology: Thinking your way through your research project. London: SAGE.

Tracy, S.J. (2020) Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, Communicating Impact. 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

eBooks (unlimited user access):

Big Data for Qualitative Research / Kathy A. Mills

International Organizations and Research Methods: An Introduction / Fanny Badache, Leah R Kimber and Lucile Maertens

Research Methods for Business and Social Science Students / John Adams, Hafiz T. A. Khan and Robert Raeside

Research Methods for Graduate Business and Social Science Students / John Adams, Hafiz T A Khan, Robert Raeside and David I. White

Other recommended reading:

Abdulai, R. T., & Owusu-Ansah, A. (2014) Essential Ingredients of a Good Research Proposal for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students in the Social Sciences. SAGE Open, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244014548178

Booth, W.C., Colomb, G.G., & Williams, J.M. (2016) The Craft of Research. University of Chicago Press.

Cooper, D.R. (2019) Business research: a guide to planning, conducting, and reporting your study. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Cottrell, S. (2019) The Study Skills Handbook. 5th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave, pp. 352-361.

Creswell, J.W. (2017) Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. SAGE Publications.

Creswell, J.W., & Plano Clark, V.L. (2017). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. SAGE Publications.

Davies, M. and Hughes, N. (2014) Doing a successful research project: using qualitative or quantitative methods. 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Ford, N. (2012) The essential guide to using the Web for research. London: Sage

Kirk, R. (2012) Experimental Design: Procedures for the Behavioral Sciences. SAGE Publications.

Kumar, R. (2019) Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners. SAGE Publications.

Laetus O K Lategan, Liezel Lues and Hesta Friedrich-Nel (2011) Doing research. Bloemfontein, South Africa: Sun Press. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=nlebk&AN=2256576&site=eds-live&scope=site (Accessed: 19 December 2023). UNLIMITED COPIES AVAILABLE

Neuman, W.L. (2019) Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Pearson.

Punch, K.F. (2001) Developing Effective Research Proposals. London: Sage

Romberg, S. (2018) Business Research: A QuickStudy Laminated Reference Guide. [S.l.]: QuickStudy Reference Guides. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=nlebk&AN=2803701&site=eds-live (Accessed: 4 April 2024).

Yin, R.K. (2017) Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. SAGE Publications.

Journals:

Educational Researcher: Sage Journals (sagepub.com)International Journal of Research & Method in Education: Vol 46, No 5 (Current issue) (tandfonline.com)Journal of Business Research | ScienceDirect.com by ElsevierJournal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics: Sage Journals (sagepub.com)Journal of Mixed Methods Research: Sage Journals (sagepub.com)Journal of Research in Science Teaching - Wiley Online LibraryJournal of Research Practice DOAJQualitative Research: Sage Journals (sagepub.com)Open Access SAGE Journals with a Research Methods Focus:

Big Data & Society(BD&S)Methodological InnovationsResearch EthicsTeaching Methods Identifying & Planning Research

The International Journal of Qualitative MethodsWebsites and electronic resources:

On Academic Writing and writing a Research Proposal:

Academic Phrasebank | The University of Manchester

An Ultimate Guide to Write a Tourism Business Proposal - HttClubCourse: Study Skills (globalbanking.ac.uk)McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-proposal/ (Accessed: 18 December 2023)

National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM)Research Objectives (manchester.ac.uk)On research in Business and Tourism:

All data related to leisure and tourism - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)Article Archives - CMI (managers.org.uk)Businessweek - BloombergCensus - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)CMI Career Confidence | Management & Leadership Development (managers.org.uk)ETC Corporate - The European Travel Commission (ETC) (etc-corporate.org)Financial Times (ft.com)Harvard Business Review - Ideas and Advice for Leaders (hbr.org)Hospitality & Tourism Complete | EBSCOInternational tourist arrivals by world region 2022 | StatistaOxford EconomicsStatistics of tourism | World Tourism Organization (unwto.org)The Economist | World News, Economics, Politics, Business & FinanceThe UNWTO Tourism Data Dashboard | Tourism DataTourism Statistics | World Tourism Organization (e-unwto.org)Tourism Statistics Database (unwto.org)

UK Tourism Statistics 2023 - Latest Data (condorferries.co.uk)On Research Ethics:

Governance and Ethics - Canterbury Christ Church University

Appendix A

Table of Penalties

Issue with the Assignment Penalty to be Applied

The assignment is more than 10% over the prescribed wordcount i.e. for 3000 words, 3301 is submitted excluding Assignment Front sheet, Content page, the Reference list, and the Appendices A 10-mark deduction applied to the overall grade that is manually entered by the Lecturer. This deduction is capped at 40%, which means an assignment cannot get less than 40% after a deduction for being more than 10% over the total wordcount.

Where assignments are more than 10% less than the prescribed wordcount and lecturers cannot identify if the learning outcomes have been met. This assignment will be graded below 40.

Where a student submits a .pdf instead of a word document. This assignment will be graded a Fail.

Students not working in their groups as agreed by the lecturer. This assignment will be graded a Fail.

Please note: Where a student has asked the lecturer to move from their original group and the lecturer has agreed this does not apply.

For a presentation assignment that requires oral delivery and the student does not present in person. The Oral rubric criteria is not moved and the oral criteria will remain at zero.

For a presentation assignment and the student does not upload a converted PPT To Word File with speaker notes. The communication rubric criteria is not moved and the communication criteria will remain at zero.

For a presentation assignment that requires oral delivery and the student did not present on the day or upload a converted PPT to Word file with speaker Notes. This assignment will be graded a Fail.

For a presentation assignment the student uploads a file that contains no slides and is simply continuous text. This assignment will be graded a Fail.

If the assignment is group work and the resubmission is not changed to individual work.

If a group assignment is failed then the resubmitted work must be changed by a minimum of 25% to make it an individual piece of work.

This means if a Group Presentation is 12 slides a minimum of 3 must be different to the group submission. If the assignment is a Group Poster with 6 text boxes then a minimum of 2 of them must be different to the Group Poster. The Assignment is failed and graded as Zero.

Written feedback will state This resubmission should be individual and a minimum of 25% of the assignment has not changed.

Where a written assignment has text that is unable to be read by Turnitin because it is either a graphical image (excluding Presentations & Posters); for example, a screenshot or the assignment is written within text boxes on each page. This assignment will be graded 0 and referred for Academic Misconduct investigation.

An assignment does make use of any Mandatory references provided in the assignment brief/Module Handbook. The reference rubric criteria is not moved and that criteria will remain at zero

An assignment has a reference list, but no citations. The reference rubric criteria is not moved and that criteria will remain at zero

An assignment has no citations and no reference list. Foundation & Level 4 - The reference rubric criteria is not moved and that criteria will remain at zero.

At Level 5 and Level 6 this would be graded as a Fail.

Where False references are included in an assignment. This will be referred for Academic Misconduct

Academic Misconduct or Breach of Academic integrity The Assignment will be graded zero.

Written feedback will be This assignment has been identified as potential Academic Misconduct/Breach of academic integrity. You will be invited to a meeting to discuss.

You will be invited to a meeting with an academic Misconduct reviewer. When you attend the meeting if Academic Misconduct or the breach of Academic Integrity is upheld you will be asked to rewrite the section it applies to and re-submit the assignment. Failure to attend the meeting means the assignment will remain graded at zero and you will fail the module.

Student Integrity and Academic Misconduct

The values of student integrity expected by CCCU are:

Honesty being clear about what is your work and where your ideas come from other sources.

Trust others can have faith in you being open about your work and acknowledging others work.

Fairness you do not try to gain an unfair advantage in using others work.

Responsibility you take an active role in applying the principle of Academic Integrity to your work.

Respect you show respect for the work of others.

Peer-support:

Students might choose to get support from their peers when preparing assessments, such as discussing the subject of the assessment, exchanging ideas, and receiving suggestions for improving the work. This is peer-support, and the University accepts this as a reasonable expectation when completing assessments. However, peers must not make any changes to anyones assessments as such actions could lead to allegations of academic misconduct.

Use of English as the medium of assessment:

Students cannot write an assessment in another language and subsequently translate their work into English or have it translated by any form of third-party. Use of translation software or third-party translators is a form of academic misconduct.

Artificial Intelligence (AI):

Students must write the entire assessment without using AI software such as ChatGPT. Submitting an assessment that contains any form of AI is a form of academic misconduct.

Proofreading:

Students can make use of Microsoft Words grammar and spell-checking functions but the use of Grammarly is not allowed as it uses AI text generation. If students use third-party proofreaders, these cannot make any changes that alter the assessment in anyway including correcting language or citation format errors. Third-party alterations to the assessment are a form of academic misconduct.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism can be defined as incorporating another persons material from books, journals, the internet, another students work, or any other source into assessment material without acknowledgement. It includes:

Using exactly the same words (sentences, phrases or even expressions not in everyday use, invented or created by an author to explain an idea) as used originally

Rephrasing by making slight adjustments

Paraphrasing in a way which may deceive the reader as to the source.

Plagiarism in whatever form it takes is form of academic misconduct.

Collusion:

If students submit work for assessment that is falsely presented as the students own work but was jointly written with somebody else; this is a form of academic misconduct.

Duplication/Self-Plagiarism:

The inclusion in assessments of a significant amount of identical or substantially similar material to that already submitted for assessment by the student and graded for the same course or any other course or module at this University or elsewhere is classed as self-plagiarism. It does not include a resubmission of the same piece of work allowed by the examiners in an improved or revised form for reassessment purposes. Self-plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct.

Appendix B. Research Proposal: Marking rubrics

Area Reference Weighting % (Must add up to 100 in multiples of 10) Criteria 100-80 : Excellent 79-70 : Very Good 69-60 : Good 59-50 : Sound 49-40 : Satisfactory 39-20 : Fail 19-0 : Fail

A) Knowledge & Understanding 1 10 KnowledgeKnowledge and application of subject and theories Knowledge and understanding of theory are very detailed and beyond what has been taught. Demonstrates a coherent understanding of the limits of subject specific theories throughout the work. Approach to assessment task is appropriately and theoretically informed. Demonstrates an extensive, accurate, systematic understanding of the subject and a range of key theories. Appropriately selected theoretical knowledge is synergised into the overall assessment task. Shows a good systematic and accurate understanding of key subject-specific theories, which are appropriately integrated within the context of the assessment task. Sound descriptive knowledge of key theories with appropriate application; may be balanced towards the descriptive rather than the critical or analytical. Selection of theory is satisfactory, and terminology, facts and concepts are handled accurately, but application and/or understanding is generalised. In this assignment some of the theories presented are not appropriate. Terminology, facts, and concepts are presented inaccurately and/or with omissions in key areas. The application and/or understanding demonstrated is limited. In this assignment there is a lack of relevant subject-specific theory.

B) Cognitive Skills 2 20 SourcesQuality of sources used Significant use of primary sources, in conjunction with high quality secondary sources. Work draws upon current research and/ or advanced scholarship. Significant use of primary sources in conjunction with high quality secondary sources. Work draws upon current research and/ or advanced scholarship. Work uses a balanced combination of primary and higher quality secondary sources. Work makes sound use of primary sources but is generally reliant on secondary sources. Work mostly relies on set secondary sources. Use of primary sources limited and does not extend beyond set sources. Work draws on some set secondary sources, but also relies on inappropriate sources. Hardly any use of primary sources. The submission is based on unreliable and/ or inappropriate sources.

3 20 MethodsSelecting research methods (Relationship between method chosen and the nature of the inquiry) Methodology selected is effective and appropriate to the aims of the task enabling successful and efficient collection and recording of complex data. The rationale for choosing this methodology from several methodologies is self-determined and convincingly explored. Methodology selected is effective and appropriate to the aims of the task enabling effective collection of complex data. The rationale for choosing this methodology from several methodologies is convincingly explored. Methodology chosen is appropriate to the task and attention given to the selection of a methodology from the range of prescribed ones. Methodology used is appropriate to the task and the rationale offered refers to established guidance. Methodology used is appropriate to the task and brief rationale offered refers to established guidance. In this piece of work the choice of methodology and relationship to information and/or data being collected is confused and confusing. In this piece of work the issue of methodology is not addressed and/or an inappropriate methodology is selected. There is little evidence of how planning was used to complete the task. 4 10 AnalysisAnalysisDemonstrates outstanding grasp of relevant analytic techniques, and the ability to apply these to new and/or abstract information and situations. Shows an exceptional appreciation (for this level) of the limits and/or appropriate uses of analytic approaches. Makes excellent use of a range of relevant analytic techniques and applies these to new and/or abstract information and situations. Shows well developed ability to compare critically alternative theories and/or analytic approaches (where relevant). Makes effective use of established techniques of analysis relevant to the discipline. Shows developing ability to compare with some insight alternative theories and/or analytic approaches (where relevant). Makes consistent, albeit conventional, use of established techniques of analysis, relevant to the discipline. Makes satisfactory but limited use of established techniques of analysis, relevant to the discipline. The submission includes analysis, but the analysis is ineffective and/or uninformed by key disciplinary techniques. This submission does not contain effective analysis and does not yet engage with key disciplinary techniques. C) Practical Skills 5 10 ApplicationForm and content in a practical context Demonstrates a well-developed ability to critically engage with theory and practice. Synthesises creative strategies and interrelated forms and styles more widely. Clear awareness of and some ability to experiment with conventional forms. Work shows clear evidence of intellectual rigour and/or creativity. Technically and professionally competent throughout. Demonstrates some ability to critically engage with theory and practice. Synthesises creative strategies and interrelated forms and styles. Work shows clear evidence of intellectual rigour and/or creativity. Experiments with conventional forms. Technically and professionally competent. Work evidences some ability in critically relating theory to practice. Demonstrates developing ability to analyse, synthesise and experiment with relationships between form and content. Good evidence of creativity. Generally, technically and professionally competent in most respects. Work evidences some awareness of the relationship between theory and practice. Work tends to be conventional but shows ability to relate form and content. Some aspects of creativity present. Structure and content are relevant and approaching technical and professional competence throughout. Work shows evidence of an appropriate relationship between form and content. Moderate degree of technical and professional competence. Some presence of creativity. Work shows little or no evidence of an understanding of the relationship between form and content. Lacks creativity and is technically poor. The work has not addressed the brief in a way that shows understanding of the relationship between form and content. D) Transferable Skills 6 20 CommunicationCommunication and presentation (appropriate to discipline) Exceptional communication which demonstrates a comprehensive and sophisticated understanding of the discipline. Accomplished communication which demonstrates a particularly good understanding of the discipline. Very good and thorough communication in a format appropriate to the discipline. Effective communication in a format appropriate to the discipline. Clear communication and in a format which shows awareness of the disciplines academic style. Here the communication is unstructured and unfocused and/or in a format not appropriate to the discipline. Here the communication is disorganised and/or incoherent and does not show understanding of the disciplines academic style. E) Professional Competencies 7 10 ProfessionalWork within a framework of professional values / code of conduct Develops specific, achievable objectives which show some creativity. Objectives are fully consistent with professional values and/or code of conduct and appropriate to the clientele. Develops specific achievable objectives which are consistent with professional values and/or code of conduct and appropriate to the clientele. Develops achievable objectives which are consistent with professional values and/or code of conduct and appropriate to the clientele. Develops objectives which are consistent with professional values and/or code of conduct and generally appropriate to the clientele. Uses objectives which are consistent with professional values and/or code of conduct but are set by the clientele. Limited consideration of appropriateness and practicability. Inadequate attempt made here to ascertain needs of clientele and develop a workable brief. Limited use of professional values and/or code of conduct frameworks. No attempt made here to ascertain needs of clientele and develop a workable brief. Has not worked within the prescribed professional values and/or code of conduct framework.

Research Proposal for Bachelors degree paper in Business and Tourism Management

Contents

TOC o "1-3" h z u Research Proposal Title PAGEREF _Toc163210906 h 31.Introduction (100 words) PAGEREF _Toc163210907 h 31.1.Background and Context PAGEREF _Toc163210908 h 31.2.Problem Statement PAGEREF _Toc163210909 h 32.Literature Review (800 words) PAGEREF _Toc163210910 h 42.1.Key Concepts, Theories and Studies PAGEREF _Toc163210911 h 42.1.1.Topic 1. PAGEREF _Toc163210912 h 42.1.2.Topic 2. PAGEREF _Toc163210913 h 42.1.3.Topic 3. PAGEREF _Toc163210914 h 42.2.Key Debates and Controversies (optional) PAGEREF _Toc163210915 h 42.3.Gap(s) in Existing Knowledge (around 50 words within 800 words of Literature review) PAGEREF _Toc163210916 h 43.Research Question, Research Aim and Research Objectives (150 words) PAGEREF _Toc163210917 h 53.1.Research Question PAGEREF _Toc163210918 h 53.2.Research Aim PAGEREF _Toc163210919 h 53.3.Research Objectives PAGEREF _Toc163210920 h 54.Research Methodology (800 words) PAGEREF _Toc163210921 h 64.1.Research Design PAGEREF _Toc163210922 h 64.2.Research Methods and Sources PAGEREF _Toc163210923 h 64.3.Sampling Design PAGEREF _Toc163210924 h 64.4.Research Procedure and Ethical Considerations PAGEREF _Toc163210925 h 74.5.Practical considerations PAGEREF _Toc163210926 h 75.Implications and contributions to knowledge (150 words) PAGEREF _Toc163210927 h 75.1.Practical Implications PAGEREF _Toc163210928 h 75.2.Theoretical Implications PAGEREF _Toc163210929 h 8References PAGEREF _Toc163210930 h 8Mandatory Appendices: PAGEREF _Toc163210931 h 9Appendix A. Questionnaire PAGEREF _Toc163210932 h 9Appendix B. Consent Form PAGEREF _Toc163210933 h 9Appendix C. Research Timeline PAGEREF _Toc163210934 h 9

Research Proposal TitleOne line title:

Includes relevant key words

Indicates your research approach

Contains research questions

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Introduction (100 words)The introduction should include the following elements:

Background and ContextLead the reader into the topic and scope of your research

Explains why this research has value.

Explains where its originality lies.

Explain why the research is worth doing.

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Problem StatementDescribe the theoretical or practical research problem that you want to address.

What is already known about the problem?

What is missing from current knowledge?

Briefly refer to 2-3 main policies/reports/frameworks that introduce the reader into the context and specify the contradiction/problem that still exists and needs solution. Here you will use relevant terminology: relate to the key concepts, theories and empirics (reports/statistics which reveal the problem)

(Important: do not confuse it with the literature review.)

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Literature Review (800 words)The literature review summarises, compares and critiques the most relevant scholarly sources on the topic. There are many different ways to structure a literature review, but it should explore:

There will be three main subtopics mentioned in the Literature Review, usually in the synthesised ways:

Key Concepts, Theories and Studies;

Key Debates and Controversies (optional for undergraduate research)

Gap(s) in Existing Knowledge

Generally, in your Literature Review you will be:

Comparing and contrasting: what are the main theories, methods, debates and controversies?

Being critical: what are the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches?

Showing how your research fits in: how will you build on, challenge or synthesise the work of others?

Filling a gap in the existing body of research: why is your idea innovative?

Key Concepts, Theories and Studies

Compare, contrast, and establish the theories and concepts that will be most important for your project. These should be divided into topics.

There must be at least three topics with 4-5 resources minimum for each of topic. The resources must be synthesised.

Topics present key theories and concepts definitions, reflect previous research and analysis.

Topic 1.Type here.

Topic 2.Type here.

Topic 3.Type here.

Key Debates and Controversies (optional)Identify points of conflict and situate your own position as for any controversies or conflict research/academic opinions you might find in the literature related to the research topic.

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Gap(s) in Existing Knowledge (around 50 words within 800 words of Literature review)Show what is missing and how your project will fit in.

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Research Question, Research Aim and Research Objectives (150 words)Research QuestionState the specific question that you aim to answer.

One research question is enough for the undergraduate degree. However, these may be two or more related questions. The more specific questions you ask, the wider the scope of the research will be, usually at higher levels of scientific research.

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Research AimMake it clear what new insights you will contribute,

Formulate a clear research aim, e.g.

The aim of this study is to determine

This research aims to explore

This research aims to investigate

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NB. In examples you may see synonymous terms: research purpose = research aim

Research ObjectivesDefine research objectives (at least three)

Justify a major approach you will take (general methodology to achieve these aims)

Start using active verbs, e.g.

To discover current research surrounding the topic of dark tourism.

To evaluate the motivations of travellers visiting destinations associated with dark tourism.

To use focus groups to examine whether tourist perspectives are influenced by dark tourism.

OR, even better, include specific detail HOW you will achieve these objectives, e.g.

To measure using quantitative methods.

To analyse by means of . analysis.

To test (e.g.. customer brand awareness).

DO NOT REPEAT THE VERBS!

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Note. Verbs will differ depending on your research methodology.

If you apply quantitative methodology, you will need to formulate quantitative research objectives, using verbs like determine, measure, assess, quantify, analysemetrics/score, investigate (indices), examine effects, assess influence, determine the correlation between X and Y, predict rates, etc. see Verbs for research objectives on Lecture Week 1 slides).

If your research approach is qualitative, you will need verbs for qualitative research objectives, like determine, predict, assess, investigate, explore, understand, uncover, capture, delve into, explain, explore, and the like, see Verbs for research objectives on Lecture Week 1 slides).

For mixed methods you will probably need both.

Research Methodology (800 words)Here you should explain your approach to the research and describe exactly what steps you will take to answer your questions.

Research DesignExplain how you will design the research.

Qualitative or quantitative? Mixed data research?

What kind of data do you need to analyse?

Which resources will you use, primary or secondary?

Will this be a descriptive, correlational, or experimental research?

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Research Methods and SourcesDescribe the tools, procedures, participants and sources of the research.

When, where and how will you collect and select data? Justify chosen methods.

Exactly what or who will you study? Will you personally collect the data, or use the databases? Which databases?

Include data analysis methods and justify them

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Sampling DesignDescribe the procedure and the sample of the participants of your research.

Please outline the proposed sample group, including any specific criteria, e.g. for a consumer behaviour analysis you might need data on the age, sex, marital status/family size, income level, frequency of travel, travel length, occupation, etc.

In case you collect primary data via the interview or questionnaire survey, make sue you explain this and make reference to Appendices where the Questionnaire must be enclosed.

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Research Procedure and Ethical ConsiderationsIndicate clearly what the involvement of the sample group will be in the research process.

Address any ethical issues which might arise during the research, e.g. data protection, ownership of the research materials, etc. How will you plan for and deal with problems?

Specify how the consent of subjects will be obtained. Make reference to Appendices where the Consent Form must be enclosed. Please include within this a description of any information with which you intend to provide the subject.

Indicate any potential risks to subjects and how you propose to minimise these.

Mention policies and guidelines regulating data collection and data protection in the university and in the UK (there will be at least two documents). Include them in the reference list.

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Practical considerationsGive a balanced view of the chosen research methodology based on the literature (Pros and Cons of this approach).

Address any potential obstacles, limitations or practical issues. How will you plan for and deal with problems?

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Implications and contributions to knowledge (150 words)Finish the proposal by emphasizing why your proposed project is important and what it will contribute to practice or theory.

Practical ImplicationsWill your findings help improve a process, inform policy, or make a case for concrete change?

State in one sentence who will benefit from your research findings /solution of the problem (the audience)

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Theoretical ImplicationsWill your work help strengthen a theory or model, challenge current assumptions, or create a basis for further research?

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ReferencesInclude at least 15 references here (These sources are highlighted in green throughout the template).

Please, include only the resources that you used for:

contextualising your research topic,

analysing the previous research in the Literature Review

regulating your research procedures, especially Ethical Considerations.

Do NOT use bullet points or numbering!

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Mandatory Appendices:Appendix A. QuestionnaireYou will have to create a research questionnaire on one of the online platforms, e.g. Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, etc., then download it and present as Appendix A.

The survey will have different types of questions depending on the type of data you will need to collect. It is obligatory that developed questionnaire contains both closed and open questions. This may be one long survey, or two short (up to 10 questions) questionnaires. If you opt to have two questionnaires, name them Appendix A.1. Title, and Appendix A.2. Title.

Appendix B. Consent FormYou will to develop the consent form or, alternatively, use the CCCU Consent Form with a proper reference.

Appendix C. Research TimelineA nice way to lay out the timeline for your program is to use a Gantt diagram as shown below. Alternatively, create your timeline in Excel.

The example below is separated into quarter-years. It is best to arrange the time divisions according to your particular timeline as described in the Research Methodology section, so if it works better for you to divide your months into weeks .

The sample below must be replaced with an actual Gannt Chart created in Microsoft Office, which will reflect all stages of your research and relevant dates, starting with research proposal preparation (now) till project completion. In case you will use the research proposal for your degree paper in Level 6, you will be able to make changes and adapt the actual dates.

However, the dates must be realistic, and the tasks feasible withing the set time limits.

The final stage will the presentation of tour research findings either a thesis, or paper, presentation to the business owner/ destination board, etc, depending on the research audience and context.

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