Research Design Assignment
This assignment requires you to synthesize course concepts and apply them to a research article. This assignment can be based on any qualitative or quantitative research study you have read as part of the Concept Paper Assignments. This Assignment can be completed in pairs
Research Article Critique
Your task is to locate a published research study using human subjects from a credible source (it must be a peer reviewed journal article and a research study) for a topic related consumer behaviour and complete the following:
Research Summary (1-2 pages)
1.
State the complete reference for the research (including the author, title, journal, pages, and URL, if applicable).
2.
Write a paragraph describing the purpose of the study. Identify relevant concepts and definitions relevant to the study.
3.
Summarize the method in two paragraphs. Describe the approach, sample and information related to the instrumentation (observation or questions asked)
4.
Describe how the researchers analyzed their data in a paragraph. How did the researchers arrive at conclusions for the study? How did the make sense of the qualitative data they collected?
5.
Summarize key findings of the study and its conclusions (one paragraph)
Note: Failing to select an article from a peer reviewed journal will result in 0 on this assignment
Research Assessment (1-2 pages)
1.
Assess the appropriateness of the research approach based on the stated problem. Is the study valuable to the subject of consumer behaviour? How effective was the approach selected. Are you comfortable with the conclusions made by the author? Explain your answer in 3-4 paragraphs. You MAY use first person for the assessment however, additional sources and resources will assist in your critique of the authors (a minimum of 4 is advised). The lecture and activities from Nov 28 will focus on critiquing research and may be used as a resource.
Study Recommendations and new research design (2-3 pages)
1.
Identify a minimum 5 recommendations to improve the study you assessed.
2.
Design an outline for a revised study.
a.
Your outline will provide the following:
i.
Your research problem (explain the need for the research and the research question)
ii.
Your research approach (qualitative/quantitative) and your research method (survey, observation, focus group, interview) including sampling process and description of the sample. Some examples of the questions you will ask or observations you will make in the research process
iii.
Implementation (how will you collect information and when)
iv.
Analysis: what information are you seeking specifically? How will you analyze information? What tools will you use to summarize information? How will you make sense of the data? (provide samples of tools and/or sample information)
Students are expected to comply with the college policy regarding the proper citation of sources. The penalty for plagiarism is that you will receive 0 on your assignment.
The late penalty is 10% (applied 10 minutes after the assignment deadline and due date and every day until the assignment is received). Students experiencing circumstances which may require special consideration are advised to speak to faculty earlier than 72 hours before the assignment deadline.
Grammar and style is important to conveying your thoughts in this paper. Students are advised to use resources such as writing workshops, grammar checkers (via web) to minimize careless errors. International and ‘English as a Second Language Students’ are advised to also check with the international student office for assistance with reports. Beginning your assignment early will assist in your ability to obtain support for draft revisions.
In instances where poor grammar/presentation hinders the instructor’s ability to assess the submission, students will be required to resubmit the assignment.
