IF0ACA Assessment Brief: Research Report University of Reading Module code and title: IF0ACA Academic Skills Module Convenor: Assignment Title: Research Report Assessment weighting (%): 40% Assignment type: Summative Mode: Individual Submission deadline: Feedback due: Monday, 18 March 2024 Assignment Task: To write a report to show your results and discuss your findings on the following topic: "An investigation into people's perceptions of one area of a module you are studying." YOU MUST WRITE THE RESEARCH REPORT INDIVIDUALLY - THIS IS NOT A GROUP ACTIVITY. Learning Outcomes: This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your achievements of the following module learning outcomes. LO 1 Produce written work which is well-organised, relevant and makes use of appropriate terminology and academic style. LO 2 Demonstrate good academic writing skills. LO 4 Identify problems, apply their knowledge and skills in finding solutions and evaluate these solutions. LO 5 Interpret and analyse a range of information beyond mere description. LO 6 Make good use of IT as required (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Excel, email, and the internet) LO 7 Work as a member of a group team by cooperating with others, negotiating, listening to others in the group, sharing responsibilities / tasks and meeting deadlines. Task Requirements: You are required to carry out primary research on fellow IFP students. After you have collected and analysed your data (individually), you must then write a report to show your results and discuss your findings of this investigation. In your report you should demonstrate knowledge of the following relevant skills and concepts, and the ability to apply them appropriately to the report topic: Report Structure: appropriate structure; organisation and language; appropriate data collection method 1 Summative Assessment - Research Report IFOACA 2023/24 - Term 2 IF0ACA Assessment Brief: Research Report University of Reading Critical Thinking: evaluation of your results Research & Online Sources: appropriate use of sources to support the main ideas in your report Referencing: You must use at least three academic sources where you feel it is appropriate, for example, to support your evaluation. Use of accurate in-text and end-of-text references using APA reference style is required. You will design a questionnaire in groups, but you must distribute the questionnaire individually. You should do the following: Data collection: · Questionnaires should be anonymous . Collect data from 12 participants - IFP students only · Questionnaires should consist of 3 closed questions and 1 open question · Questionnaires should also include some demographic questions Assessment Criteria: (see below for detailed marking criteria) Your work will be assessed on the extent to which it demonstrates your achievement of the stated learning outcomes for this assignment (see above) and against other key criteria as outlined below. Criteria Details Weighting Introduction Research focus; background of the topic; reference to the literature; clear aim / hypothesis. 15% Method Description of process; detailed procedures; participants; appropriate research design & questionnaire design. 10% Results Accurate description of data analysis; results presented clearly and in detail; use of figures and tables are accurate and appropriate. 25% Discussion Identify the main findings; explanation of findings; link the results to literature; limitations/modifications; implications. 25% Conclusion Appropriate summing up of main findings; suggestions for further research. 5% Referencing Use of accurate in-text and end-of-text references using APA reference style; range of reliable and relevant academic sources. 10% Language Academic style, cautious language, coherence, logical progression. 10% Summative Assessment - Research Report 2 IFOACA 2023/24 - Term 2 IF0ACA Assessment Brief: Research Report University of Reading Submission mode and feedback details: Submission mode Turnitin Submission Upload your assignment as an MS Word document to the submission point on Blackboard: Assessment > Term 2 Assessments > Assessment Submissions > Summative Assessment: Research Report Submission item requirements Document type: Microsoft Word Word limit: 1500 words (maximum) Format: Include the raw data and copy of the questionnaire in the Appendices. Include clear headings for each section in the Research Report Font: Times New Roman or Arial Text size: 12 Line spacing: 1.5 OR double lines Referencing style: use APA referencing style (7th edition) to reference your work. This information is also available in Blackboard. Coversheet y/n ?: no Moderation The mark for this assignment is provisional and may be subject to moderation by an internal moderator or External Examiner. Extenuating circumstances If something serious happens that impacts your completion of this assignment, you must follow the Extenuating Circumstances procedure. You can contact your Academic Tutor to discuss this process in more detail. Late submission penalty The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/files/qualitysupport/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf Technical issues with submission You must report technical faults with Blackboard immediately. If a system fault is not verified, a late submission penalty will apply. Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism . The University Policy on Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct applies. · Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism may be different in a UK University from school or other contexts. You must make sure that you reference sources using appropriate conventions. . We use Turnitin to generate similarity reports to find matches with the internet. . Each time you submit a piece of work on Blackboard, you are making a formal declaration that the work is your own. Full details can be found here. Summative Assessment - Research Report 3 IFOACA 2023/24 - Term 2 IF0ACA Assessment Brief: Research Report University of Reading Criteria Introduction (15%) Research focus; background to the topic; reference to literature; clear aim / hypothesis Excellent presentation of the research focus, and background to the topic. Research focus is clearly linked in literature. Aim / hypothesis is clear and well-focused. Distinction (80-100%) excellent pass Grade 1 (72 - 79%) very good pass Fail (39 - 20%) Fail Fail (19 - 0%) Fail Little or no presentation of research focus and background to the topic. Research focus, not linked in literature. No clear aim / hypothesis. Methods (10%) Description of process, participants & research / questionnaire design. Provides accurate, thorough description of data collection process, participants, and research / questionnaire design. Very good presentation of the research focus, and background to the topic. Very good attempt to link research in literature. Aim / hypothesis is focused. Provides very good description of data collection process, participants, and research / questionnaire design. Grade 1 (60 - 69%) good pass Grade 1 (50 - 59%) satisfactory pass Grade II (40 - 49%) weak pass Good presentation of the research focus, and background to the topic. Good attempt to link research in literature. Aim / hypothesis is focused. Adequate presentation of the research focus, and background to the topic. Some attempt to link research in literature (at least one). Aim / hypothesis is satisfactory. Limited presentation of the research focus, and background to the topic. Research focus, not well- linked in literature. Aim / hypothesis is not clear. Provides good description of data collection process, participants, and research / questionnaire design. Provides satisfactory / adequate description of data collection process, participants, and research / questionnaire design. Provides minimal description of data collection process, participants, and research / questionnaire design. Does not provide clear description of data collection process, participants, and research / questionnaire design. Results not accurate, with little or no reference to figures. No labelling of graphs, and poor choice of graphs. Discussion (25%) Identify the main findings; link results to literature; limitations; implications Interpretation/analysis of results are accurately informed by the study's result and are completely explained. Excellent discussion of how findings relate to a range of literature; includes limitations and implications. Interpretation/analysis of results are informed by the study's results and are very well- explained. Very good discussion of how findings relate to literature; includes limitations and implications. Interpretation/analysis of results are informed by the study's results and are well- explained. Good discussion of how findings relate to literature; includes limitations and implications. Interpretation/analysis of results are adequately informed by the study's results and are partially explained. Satisfactory discussion of how findings relate to some literature; includes limitations. Interpretation/analysis of results are minimally informed by the study's results and are minimally explained. Limited discussion of how findings relate to literature; limitations are unclear. Interpretation/analysis of results are not informed by the study's results and are unclear. Little or no discussion of how findings relate to literature; limitations missing. Content is unclear; hard to judge relevance to the task. AND/OR No work submitted or disqualified for lateness or on disciplinary grounds. AND/OR Clear evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct. 4 Summative Assessment - Research Report IFOACA 2023/24 - Term 2 Results (25%) Accurate description of data; presentation of data; appropriate graph selection Results clearly, accurately described, with very clear reference to figures. Excellently labelled graphs, and excellent choice of graphs. Results accurately described, with reference to figures. Very well-labelled graphs, and very good choice of graphs. Results accurately described, with reference to figures. Well-labelled graphs, and good choice of graphs. Results mostly accurate, with some reference to figures. Satisfactory labelling of graphs, and adequate choice of graphs. Results not very accurate, with limited reference to figures. Minimal labelling of graphs, and inadequate choice of graphs. IF0ACA Assessment Brief: Research Report University of Reading Conclusion (5%) Appropriate summing up of main findings; recommendations / suggestions for further research Excellent summary of main findings Concluding remarks and suggestions for further research are insightful and thoughtful. Very good summary of main findings Concluding remarks and suggestions for further research are very good. Good summary of main findings Concluding remarks and suggestions for further research are good. Adequate summary of main findings Concluding remarks and suggestions for further research are adequate. Limited summary of main findings Concluding remarks and suggestions for further research are unclear. Very limited summary of main findings Concluding remarks and suggestions for further research are severely limited or missing. Language (10%) Academic style; cautious language; coherence Language outstandingly accurate and academic. Links between ideas very clear and logical; excellent control of cohesive devices. Language accurate and academic. Logical links between ideas; good, controlled use of cohesive devices. Content is unclear; hard to judge relevance to the task. AND/OR No work submitted or disqualified for lateness or on disciplinary grounds. Language occasionally accurate and academic. Links between ideas not always logical; limited range of basic cohesive devices - may be incorrect. Inconsistent control of in-text and end-of-text referencing; important features missing or inaccurate. Few or very poor- quality sources used. Little or no in-text and end-of-text referencing. No external sources used or evidenced. Language not accurate or academic. Links between ideas not logical; only most frequently occurring cohesive devices. Referencing & quality of sources (10%) Use of accurate referencing (APA); reliability and relevance of sources Highly proficient control of in-text and end-of-text referencing - used correctly throughout. Excellent range and good selection of quality of sources used. Very good control of in- text and end-of-text referencing. Accurate use of referencing. Very good attempt to select quality sources; good selection to appropriate sources. Good control of in-text and end-of-text referencing. Mostly accurate use of referencing. Good attempt to select quality sources; good selection to mostly appropriate sources. Adequate control of in- text and end-of-text referencing; some minor features missing or inaccurate. Range of sources used, although of mixed quality - limited selection of better-quality sources. Language suitably accurate and academic. Links between ideas mostly logical; adequate use of cohesive devices. Language mostly accurate and academic. Logical links between ideas; controlled use of cohesive devices. AND/OR Clear evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct. Criteria Distinction (80-100%) excellent pass Grade 1 (72 - 79%) very good pass Grade 1 (60 - 69%) good pass Grade 1 (50 - 59%) satisfactory pass Grade II (40 - 49%) weak pass Fail (39 - 20%) Fail Fail (19 - 0%) Fail 5 Summative Assessment - Research Report IFOACA 2023/24 - Term 2