VALID THRU: 26-Apr-2026

Express Assignment is a trading name of AKOSZ TEC LTD (Company No. 11483120). View on Companies House

LO4: Critically engage in the ethical considerations of conducting research projects and the associated difficulties associated with the ethics involved in research decision-making

Assignment Brief

Academic Year 2024-25

Module code and title:	BM631 Research Methods	Module leader:
Assignment No. and type:	CW2 Coursework: Written Assignment: A critical reflection of ethical issues and requirements for a researcher, 1,000 words.	Assessment weighting:	30%
Submission time and date:		Target feedback time and date:

Assignment task

Coursework 2 is an individual written report on the ethical considerations of the student’s research proposal, weighted at 30%. Within this coursework, the student will examine the broader contextual issues of ethics in research, as well as the relevant legal frameworks and compliance.

This assignment requires you to provide the following:

Aim of your research: In one sentence, explain what you intend to find out.
Objectives of your research.
Methodology: Briefly reiterate the approach, design, methods, and participants.
Ethical considerations: This is the main section of your assignment, where you are expected to identify and discuss ethical issues relevant to your research.

Respect for the autonomy, privacy, and dignity of individuals and communities: Explain what procedures you will implement for valid consent, confidentiality, anonymity, and fair treatment. These could include the Participant Information Form and Participant Consent Form.
Scientific integrity: Describe the measures you will take to ensure your research is based on authentic data collected from the participants as described in your methods section.
Social responsibility: Explain how your research supports and reflects respect for the dignity and integrity of the persons and organisations involved. Discuss how your research contributes to the common good.
Maximizing benefit and minimising harm: Detail the steps you will take to avoid potential risks to personal values, invasion of privacy, and risks to the psychological well-being of your participants and organisations. Identify who could benefit from your findings and how.

References: Please reference your work according to the Harvard style as defined in Cite Them Right Online (http://www.citethemrightonline.com).
Research Ethics Checklist: The template document for this will be provided for you to complete and submit using a separate submission point on BB.

Required Appendices:

Research Participant Informed Consent Form.
Research Participant Information Sheet.
Draft Research Tools (e.g., survey, interview guide, focus group guide, observation guide, archival research document identification, and data requirements list).

This 1,000-word (+/-10%) report should include a front cover featuring a clear title, your student ID number, and the word count. You are allotted a total of 10 pages for appendices, excluding the required ethics documents provided by the university, which include the Research Ethics Checklist, Participant Information Sheet, and Participant Informed Consent Form. Note that the words used in these appendices are not included in the word count. Additionally, words appearing in tables, charts, and diagrams are also excluded from the word count. The report should be supported by a minimum of 10 references from reputable sources, all cited using the Harvard referencing system.

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

LO4: Critically engage in the ethical considerations of conducting research projects and the associated difficulties associated with the ethics involved in research decision-making.

LO5: Demonstrate transferable skills including time management, project management, listening, negotiation, written communication skills, independent learning and advanced research skills.

Practicalities: Referencing, presenting and submitting your work

Please see your programme handbook for information on the standard referencing style, presentational requirements and process for submitting your work.

Please reference your work using the Harvard style as defined in Cite Them Right Online

(http://www.citethemrightonline.com).

Follow the course guidelines regarding submitting work, as below (e.g. electronic or paper copies).
Pages should be numbered.
All work to be submitted as Arial 11 font with line and a half spacing.
All writing should be in the third person passive.
Front cover, executive summaries, if used, contents pages, reference lists, all words in tables charts and diagrams are not included in the word count.
Written work must be word-processed.
The module title and code number must be clearly marked on the front cover.
There should be a minimum of 10 references from reputable sources and referenced using the Harvard system used to support your work.
The work should be professionally formatted and presentable to a business manager.
Work you submit for assessment must be properly referenced – a guide to the Harvard system of referencing can be found on the Bucks website at bucks.ac.uk/referencing.
You may seek clarification from the module tutor at any time.
There is no excuse for failing to submit your work in accordance with the guidance, work that does not meet the necessary standards in that respect will be marked accordingly.
No collaboration is allowed.
You are required to submit your work electronically. Please use the relevant submission point in the

Submit your work area in your Blackboard module shell at the time and date specified.

Please ensure that your work has been saved in an appropriate file format. Turnitin will only accept the following file types: Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint, PostScript, PDF, HTML, RTF, OpenOffice (ODT), Hangul (HWP), Google Docs, or plain text. Your file must also contain at least 20 words of text, consist of fewer than 400 pages and be less than 40MB in size.
You can submit your file as many times as you like before the submission date. If you do submit your file more than once, your earlier submission will be replaced by the most recent version.

Once you have submitted your file, 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 the file

Confidentiality

You should maintain and respect confidentiality in relation to the protection of personal, technical and/or commercial information of a sensitive nature in your assessed work.

For further information and guidance, please see your programme handbook.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity means taking responsibility for your own work.

When you submit an assignment, you are making a declaration that it is your own work and that you have acknowledged the contribution of others and their ideas in its development (for example, by referencing them appropriately). For further information and guidance, please see the University website: https://www.bnu.ac.uk/current-students/registry-helpdesk-and-academic-advice/academic-integrity-and- misconduct

Please also see the University’s guidance for students on the appropriate use of generative AI as part of assessed work: https://www.bucks.ac.uk/current-students/registry-helpdesk-and-academic-advice/artificial- intelligence-guidance-students

0-34 (F) –

Fail

Not successful

35-39 E –

Marginal fail Below required standard

40-49 (D)

Pass Satisfactory

50-59 (C)

Pass Good

60-69 (B)

Pass Very Good

70-79 (A)

Pass Excellent

80-100 (A+)

Pass Outstanding

Criterion 1 (LO1) Engage in identifying a relevant topic appropriate to the student’s area of study from which a suitable research project can be developed.

This should include evidence of:

Knowledge and understanding 25%

Depth of knowledge and understanding to identify a suitable and realistic research topic.

Engagement with subject-specific theories, paradigms, concepts, and principles.
Background investigation, analysis, research, enquiry and/or study.

The work demonstrates a limited and/or substantially inaccurate or no understanding of key aspects of the subject, with few if any examples of coherent and detailed knowledge, which is unlikely to be at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

What business research is: quantitative and qualitative research methods and analysis; structuring research questions, aims and objectives; presenting a business case for a research topic.

The work demonstrates insufficient understanding of key aspects of the subject, including some coherent and detailed knowledge, little of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

What business research is: quantitative and qualitative research methods and analysis; structuring research questions, aims and objectives; presenting a business case for a research topic.

The work demonstrates a basic yet systematic understanding of key aspects of the subject, including some coherent and detailed knowledge, at least some of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

What business research is: quantitative and qualitative research methods and analysis; structuring research questions, aims and objectives; presenting a business case for a research topic.

The work demonstrates a sound breadth and depth of systematic understanding of key aspects of the subject, including some coherent and detailed knowledge, some of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

What business research is: quantitative and qualitative research methods and analysis; structuring research questions, aims and objectives; presenting a business case for a research topic.

The work demonstrates a sophisticated and critical systematic understanding of key aspects of the subject, including coherent and detailed knowledge, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

What business research is: quantitative and qualitative research methods and analysis; structuring research questions, aims and objectives; presenting a business case for a research topic.

The work demonstrates a highly accomplished systematic understanding of key aspects of the subject beyond what has been taught, including coherent and detailed knowledge, most of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

What business research is: quantitative and qualitative research methods and analysis; structuring research questions, aims and objectives; presenting a business case for a research topic.

The work demonstrates an exceptional systematic understanding of key aspects of the subject, including coherent and detailed knowledge well beyond what has been taught, all of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

What business research is: quantitative and qualitative research methods and analysis; structuring research questions, aims and objectives; presenting a business case for a research topic.

Criterion 2 (LO2) Demonstrate an understanding of how to conduct a literature review including searching for, and critically engaging with, the ideas of contributing authors to the particular topic.

Analysis and criticality

25%

This should include evidence of:

Logic and argument.
Use and range of independently selected sources.
Analysis and synthesis of literature to produce either a conceptual or theoretical framework to base the primary research tools on.
Organisation and communication of ideas and evidence

The work demonstrates a limited or no ability to work independently and deploy relevant techniques of analysis and enquiry accurately;

A poor/inappropriate research title and topic selection: An unclear and logical argument for the research, not supported by up to date and reputable sources of data and information; the selection and justification for a range of data collection methodologies and analysis; an incoherent and poorly organised communication of ideas and evidence presented in a non- professional format.

An unsuccessful attempt at producing conceptual or theoretical framework has been provided that provides no confidence that the research will accomplish the research aim and objectives.

Draft literature review has not been produced and/or is at an unsuccessful standard.

The work demonstrates an insufficient ability to work independently, deploying accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within the discipline;

A poorly constructed

/inappropriate research title and topic selection: A vague/unclear logical argument for the research not supported by up to date and reputable sources of data and information; the selection and justification for a range of data collection methodologies and analysis; an incoherent and organised communication of ideas and evidence presented in a non- professional format.

A below standard conceptual or theoretical framework has been produced that provides limited confidence that the research will accomplish the research aim and objectives.

Draft literature review has been completed to a below standard.

The work demonstrates a sufficient ability to work independently, deploying accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within the discipline;

An appropriate research title and topic selection: A clear and logical argument for the research supported by up to date and reputable sources of data and information; the selection and justification for a range of data collection methodologies and analysis; a coherent and organised communication of ideas and evidence presented in a professional format.

A satisfactory conceptual or theoretical framework has been produced that provides some confidence that the research will accomplish the research aim and objectives.

Draft literature review has been completed to a satisfactory standard.

The work demonstrates a sound ability to work independently, deploying accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within the discipline;

A good conceptual or theoretical framework has been produced that provides confidence that the research will accomplish the research aim and objectives.

Draft literature review has been completed to a good standard.

The work demonstrates a sophisticated ability to work independently, deploying accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within the discipline.

A very good and sophisticated conceptual or theoretical framework has been produced that provides confidence that the research will accomplish the research aim and objectives.

Draft literature review has been completed to a very good standard.

The work demonstrates a highly accomplished ability to work independently, deploying accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within the discipline;

An excellent and highly sophisticated conceptual or theoretical framework has been produced that provides confidence that the research will accomplish the research aim and objectives.

Draft literature review has been completed to an excellent standard.

The work demonstrates a highly accomplished ability to work independently, deploying accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within the discipline;

An outstanding and highly sophisticated conceptual or theoretical framework has been produced that provides confidence that the research will accomplish the research aim and objectives.

Draft literature review has been completed to an outstanding standard.

0-34 (F) –

Fail

Not successful

35-39 E –

Marginal fail Below required

standard

40-49 (D)

Pass Satisfactory

50-59 (C)

Pass Good

60-69 (B)

Pass Very Good

70-79 (A)

Pass Excellent

80-100 (A+)

Pass Outstanding

Criterion 3 (LO3) Critically evaluate and design a range of research methods and appropriate research techniques for the collection and analysis of data using quantitative, qualitative or joint methods in order to address the research aim, question and objectives.

Application and practice

25%

This should include evidence of:

• Development and/or application discipline- specific specialist skills

• Accuracy, coordination, and proficiency in completion of practical tasks/processes.

Work demonstrates a limited or no ability to select and apply appropriate, discipline- specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

The development and application of secondary research skills, analysis, evaluation and synthesis of data and information is not evident within the work.

The ability to draw conclusions for the reader is clearly missing and/or inappropriate for the standard required as a manager.

The ability to read and follow instructions is clearly absent with no evidence of conceptual awareness of the wider business contexts involved that could be researched and/or integrated into the work.

The work fails to address all the required elements set out in the briefing.

Work demonstrates an insufficient ability to select and apply appropriate, discipline specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

The development and application of secondary research skills, analysis, evaluation and synthesis of data and information is weak within the work.

The ability to draw conclusions for the reader is clearly missing and/or inappropriate for the standard required as a manager.

The work fails to address all the required elements set out in the briefing.

Work demonstrates a sufficient ability to select and apply appropriate, discipline specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

The development and application of secondary research skills, analysis, evaluation and synthesis of data and information is acceptable within the work.

The ability to draw conclusions for the reader is evident but this is acceptable and mostly appropriate for the standard required as a manager.

The ability to read and follow instructions is acceptable with some evidence of conceptual awareness of the wider business contexts involved that could be researched and/or integrated into the work.

The work mostly addresses the required elements set out in the briefing.

Work demonstrates an ability to select and apply in a consistent and informed manner appropriate, discipline specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

The development and application of secondary research skills, analysis, evaluation and synthesis of data and information is good.

The ability to draw conclusions for the reader is evident and what is presented is to a good standard and appropriate for the standard required as a manager.

The ability to read and follow instructions is good with some evidence of conceptual awareness of the wider business contexts involved that could be researched and/or integrated into the work.

The work meets all the required elements set out in the briefing.

Work demonstrates an ability to select and apply in a capable and effective manner appropriate, discipline specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

The development and application of secondary research skills, analysis, evaluation and synthesis of data and information is very good.

The ability to draw conclusions for the reader is evident and what is presented is to a very good standard and appropriate for the standard required as a manager.

The ability to read and follow instructions is very good with clear evidence of conceptual awareness of the wider business contexts involved that could be researched and/or integrated into the work.

The work meets all the required elements set out in the briefing.

Work demonstrates an ability to select and apply in a highly accomplished manner appropriate, discipline specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

The development and application of secondary research skills, analysis, evaluation and synthesis of data and information is excellent.

The ability to draw conclusions for the reader is evident and what is presented is to an excellent standard and appropriate for the standard required as a middle manager.

The ability to read and follow instructions is excellent with clear evidence of conceptual awareness of the wider business contexts involved that could be researched and/or integrated into the work.

The work meets all the required elements set out in the briefing.

Work demonstrates an ability to select and apply in a highly accomplished and innovative manner appropriate, discipline specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

The development and application of secondary research skills, analysis, evaluation and synthesis of data and information is outstanding.

The ability to draw conclusions for the reader is evident and what is presented is to an outstanding standard and appropriate for the standard required as a senior manager.

The ability to read and follow instructions is outstanding with clear evidence of conceptual awareness of the wider business contexts involved that could be researched and integrated into the work.

0-34 (F) –

Fail

Not successful

35-39 E –

Marginal fail Below required

standard

40-49 (D)

Pass Satisfactory

50-59 (C)

Pass Good

60-69 (B)

Pass Very Good

70-79 (A)

Pass Excellent

80-100 (A+)

Pass Outstanding

The work meets all the required elements set out in the briefing.

Criterion 4: (LO5) Demonstrate transferable skills including time management, project management, listening, negotiation, written communication skills, independent learning and advanced research skills.

Transferable skills 15%

This should include evidence of:

• Written, verbal and electronic communication
• Numeracy and digital literacy
• Personal motivation, organisation, and time- management

Work demonstrates limited or no ability to: