Module Title

Research Methods for Marketers

Assignment Number

2

Module Code

MARK5069

Assignment Title

“Stress Awareness in the UK: A Quantitative study”

Module Leader

Assignment Weighting

50%

Assignment Release Date:

5/4/2022

Submission Date/Time:

16/05/22 12:00 (noon)

Assessment Information – What you need to do

This assignment is an individual assignment. 

This assignment requires you to:

Prepare a research plan to address the ‘No Stress’ Institute’s requirements (bullet-points shown in the Case Study). In this plan, they expect you to i) undertake exploratory secondary research, and ii) design a research instrument for primary data collection (questionnaire), for a sample of University students in Leicester.

In your report, you must:

TASK 1:

1. Referring to secondary sources on stress and the related problems, discuss the key data patterns that you have identified during your secondary research, and you think would be important to help the ‘No Stress Institute’ take decisions and implement their plan. Illustrate by referring to specific examples of useful data. Your secondary data collection and analysis should focus on addressing bullet-points (see case study) 1, 2 and 3 ONLY.
2. You are also required to comment on the usefulness/relevance and reliability of the sources you identified.

TASK 2:

1. Develop a short a QUESTIONNAIRE for a QUANTITATIVE survey.  Write SIX to NINE questions in total (two or three questions, for each one of the 4,5 and 6 bullet-points as seen in the Casy Study). Please note, that you SHOULD NOT collect ANY DATA.
2. Give a brief outline of how you plan to collect the data (also, where and when). Explain your sampling approach and justify why you chose that approach. Identify how the data you would collect can help the “No Stress” Institute.

Criteria for Assessment - How you will be marked

Marking Criteria: 

TASK 1:

Comments on specific secondary sources identified prior to the examination are required, and students should draw out relevant ideas from them. Some better students should be able to link key patterns from the exploratory analysis to the focus in main data collection. Specific, reasonably current sources relating to the UK should be noted and cited, providing comments as well on the usefulness, relevance and credibility of those sources identified.

A good response should identify key issues impacting the stress issue in the UK and clearly identify any health issues. In addition, better students would hopefully take account of the Leicester context and would bring in local data or regional statistics. Also, a more coherent focus on data relating to specific individual behavioural choices relating to lifestyle would be expected to feature.

TASK 2:

This is a practical ‘how to do it’ question that gives you the opportunity to apply the lessons you have learned in class. Your answers must take into account as many of the questionnaire design steps as possible (those ONLY applicable), i.e.: “specify the information needed”, “specify the type of interviewing method”, “determine the content of individual questions”, “overcome the participant’s inability and unwillingness to answer”, “choose question structure”, “choose question wording”, “arrange the questions in proper order”, “identify the form and layout”, “ reproduce the questionnaire”, “eliminate problems by pilot-testing”.

Remember, that the overall direction(s) of questioning should be indicated by the research problem and aim as described in the case study.  Emphasis should be put on unbiased question wording and creating a logical flow of topics.

In a basic response to the second part of this question, the data collection process should be outlined and logically linked to the brief. Some indication of relevant respondent profile(s) or characteristics is needed, and choice of sampling method must be articulated: there needs to be one clear, relevant sampling method identified. In the last part, you need to link some of the intended data to be gathered to the client’s likely decision-making needs.

Further information on University mark descriptors can be found here. 

This assignment is designed to assess the following learning outcomes: 

1. Critically evaluate the different methodologies that can be used in academic research in marketing,
2. Be able to develop research propositions for a defined project,
3. Propose solutions to real-world marketing problems. 

Assessment Details

The word count is 1,500 

There will be a penalty of a deduction of 10% of the mark for work exceeding the word limit by 10% or more.

The word limit includes tables, figures, quotations and citations, but excludes the references list and appendices.

How to Submit your Assessment

The assessment must be submitted by 12:00 noon (GMT/BST) on 16/05/22. No paper copies are required. You can access the submission link through the module web.

• Your coursework will be given a zero mark if you do not submit a copy through Turnitin. Please take care to ensure that you have fully submitted your work.
• Please ensure that you have submitted your work using the correct file format, unreadable files will receive a mark of zero. The Faculty accepts Microsoft Office and PDF documents, unless otherwise advised by the module leader.
• All work submitted after the submission deadline without a valid and approved reason will be subject to the University regulations on late submissions.

o   If an assessment is submitted up to 14 days late the mark for the work will be capped at the pass mark of 40 per cent for undergraduate modules or 50 per cent for postgraduate modules

o   If an assessment is submitted beyond 14 calendar days late the work will receive a mark of zero per cent

o   The above applies to a student’s first attempt at the assessment. If work submitted as a reassessment of a previously failed assessment task is submitted later than the deadline the work will immediately be given a mark of zero per cent

o   If an assessment which is marked as pass/fail rather than given a percentage mark is submitted later than the deadline, the work will immediately be marked as a fail

• The University wants you to do your best. However, we know that sometimes events happen which mean that you can’t submit your coursework by the deadline – these events should be beyond your control and not easy to predict.  If this happens, you can apply for an extension to your deadline for up to two weeks, or if you need longer, you can apply for a deferral, which takes you to the next assessment period (for example, to the re-sit period following the main Assessment Boards). You must apply before the deadline. You will find information about applying for extensions and deferrals here.
• Students MUST keep a copy and/or an electronic file of their assignment.
• Checks will be made on your work using anti-plagiarism software and approved plagiarism checking websites. 

Return of Marked Work

You can expect to have feedback returned to you on 15/06/22. If for any reason there is a delay you will be kept informed. Marks and feedback will be provided via Turnitin. It is important that you access the feedback you receive as this will help to make improvements to your later work, you can request a meeting with your Module Leader or Personal Tutor to discuss your feedback in more detail.

Marks will have been internally moderated only, and will therefore be provisional; your mark will be formally agreed later in the year once the external examiner has completed their review. More information on assessment and feedback can be found here.

Academic Integrity

In submitting a piece of work for assessment it is essential that you understand the University`s requirements for maintaining academic integrity and ensure that the work does not contravene University regulations. Some examples of behaviour that would not be considered acceptable include plagiarism, re-use of previously assessed work, collusion with others and purchasing your assignment from a third party. For more information on academic offences, bad academic practice, and academic penalties, please read chapter four of our academic regulations.

Academic Support and Your Well-being

Referencing is the process of acknowledging other people’s work when you have used it in your assignment or research. It allows the reader to locate your source material as quickly and easily as possible so that they can read these sources themselves and verify the validity of your arguments. Referencing provides the link between what you write and the evidence on which it is based.

You identify the sources that you have used by citing them in the text of your assignment (called citations or in-text citations) and referencing them at the end of your assignment (called the reference list or end-text citations). The reference list only includes the sources cited in your text. The main referencing guide can be found here and includes information on the basics of referencing and achieving good academic practice. It also has tabs for the specific referencing styles depending on whether you require Harvard style used in business or OSCOLA style used by the Law school.

The University has a wealth of support services available to students; further information can be obtained from Student Gateway, the Student Advice Centre, Library and Learning Services and, most importantly, your Personal Tutor. If you are struggling with your assessments and/or deadlines please do seek help as soon as possible so that appropriate support and guidance can be identified and put in place for you. More information can be found on the Healthy DMU pages.