Japanese takeaway restaurant

Project description

Your task:
Write a report on a research topic of your choice. The report must analyse original data that you gathered from your own survey.  The survey can be designed and conducted in groups, but the data analysis and report writing is an individual task where collaboration will be considered as academic impropriety.
Parts of the data analysis will be either actually done or demonstrated in seminars to verify the originality of your work.
Word count: 1,500 – 2,000 words in core text excluding tables and diagrams.

Conditions:
1.    You must make use of all the following data types in your analysis.
a.    Categorical
b.    Numerical: Discrete
c.    Numerical: Continuous
2.    Your data analysis must test hypotheses and include:
a.    Describing a group (or several groups)
b.    Inference about one group
c.    Comparing two (or more) groups
d.    Analysing the relationship between two groups
Aim at using all four tasks for combinations of numerical and categorical data.
3.    Organise and visualise your data and results clearly, using tables and figures as appropriate.
4.    Explain your findings clearly.
5.    Draw conclusions from your findings. This may include recommendations where appropriate, depending on your topic.
6.    All statistical workings (Excel or SPSS output) must be shown in the appendix and in class. Failure to do either will trigger a viva voce.

Report Structure:
1.    Introduction
a.    Explain the use of your survey, justify why it is interesting to do.
b.    State your overall research question(s) / objective(s).
c.    State and shortly justify your hypotheses (min. four)
Note: There is no literature review required in this coursework. In later research reports, your literature review would come here, after your introduction, and provide the basis for your hypotheses.
2.    Data and Research Methods
a.    Explain the metrics of your survey – sampling method, sample size, etc.
b.    Limitations (either here or under 4.)
3.    Findings
a.    Test your hypotheses and provide your findings here.
b.    Summarise your findings in a professional way. Lengthy tables should be appended.
4.    Conclusion and Recommendations
Front matters include:
a.    Title page
b.    Table of contents, automatically created with your word processor’s index function
c.    Lists of tables and figures, automatically created with your word processor’s index function
End matters include:
a.    List of references (Harvard style)
b.    Appendix

Marking Criteria:
–    Justification of topic
–    Relevance of research questions / objectives
–    Relevance of hypotheses
–    Accuracy of hypotheses
–    Justification of hypotheses
–    Accuracy and explanation of research methods
–    Awareness of limitations
–    Appropriate use of data for hypothesis testing
–    Amount of data analysis
–    Spread of data analysis techniques
–    Accuracy of data analysis
–    Appropriate use of statistical software for data analysis
–    Relevance of findings
–    Accuracy of findings
–    Relevance of conclusions
–    Accuracy of conclusions
–    Presentation of data
–    Overall presentation of report
–    Use of word processor functions
–    Clarity and completeness of appendix

Marking Rubric
No attempt = 0    2    4    5    6    7    10
Fail    Bare Pass    Pass    Merit    Distinction    Outstanding
1.    Justification of topic  [5]    Not sufficiently justified.     Generally justified, mainly implicitly.     Generally justified by personal experience and/or literature, partly implicitly.     Well justified by personal experience and/or literature, put into a general business context.     Fully justified by personal experience and business and/or academic literature, put into a general business context.     Fully justified by personal experience and a comprehensive review of business and academic literature, put into a general business context.
2.    Relevance, feasibility and accuracy of research questions / objectives  [5]    Not sufficiently relevant.     Generally relevant research questions to the broader topic in question. Lack of clarity.     Generally relevant research questions to the overall topic in question.     Fully relevant research questions to the overall topic in question. Clear questions, feasible to research.    Fully relevant research questions to the justified topic. Entirely clear questions, feasible to research.    Entirely and precisely relevant research questions to the justified topic. Entirely clear questions, feasible to research.
3.    Accuracy and explanation of sampling method  [5]    Insufficient explanation of survey metrics.    Basic explanation of survey metrics.    Full explanation of survey metrics.    Full explanation of survey metrics inc. some reference to  representativeness of the sample.     Comprehensive explanation of survey metrics inc. some statistical analysis of how representative the sample is of the overall population.     Comprehensive explanation of survey metrics inc. full statistical analysis of how representative the sample is of the overall population.
4.    Questionnaire Design  [5]    The questionnaire is insufficiently designed and phrased.    The questionnaire is sufficiently designed and phrased; the questions lack some clarity so that their use for providing answers may be limited.     The questionnaire is generally well designed and phrased; the questions are generally designed to provide answers to the research questions.     The questionnaire is professionally designed and phrased; the questions are designed to provide answers to the research questions.     The questionnaire is entirely professionally designed and phrased, the questions are informed by literature and designed to provide answers to the research questions.     The questionnaire is entirely professionally designed and phrased, the questions are well informed and justified by literature and designed to provide answers to the research questions. Evidence of a pilot survey.
5.    Awareness of limitations  [5]    Not sufficiently aware of possible limitations of the research design and methods.     Aware of a few possible limitations of the research design and methods.     Aware of some possible limitations and possibly some ethical pitfalls of the research design and methods.     Highly aware of all possible limitations and possibly some ethical pitfalls of the research design and methods.     Fully aware of all possible limitations and ethical pitfalls of the research design and methods.     Fully aware of all possible limitations and ethical pitfalls of the research design and methods. Evidence of comprehensive reading on this.
6.    Relevance of hypotheses for the research questions [5]    Hypotheses are insufficiently relevant for answering the stated research questions.     Hypotheses are generally relevant for answering the stated research questions.     Hypotheses are well relevant for answering the stated research questions.     Hypotheses are fully relevant for answering the stated research questions, and a good attempt of justification shown.     Hypotheses are entirely relevant for answering the stated research questions and fully justified.     Hypotheses are entirely relevant for answering the stated research questions and fully justified, especially concerning directions of tests.
7.    Accuracy of hypotheses [10]    Clearly an insufficient idea of how accurate hypotheses should look like.    Clearly an idea of how accurate hypotheses should look like, but too many mistakes or omissions.     About half hypotheses are accurate, both in their text and mathematical form. In most cases, both forms are congruent and H0 and H1 are mutually exclusive and exhaustive.    Most hypotheses are accurate, both in their text and mathematical form, with just minor weaknesses. In most cases, both forms are congruent and H0 and H1 are mutually exclusive and exhaustive.    Almost all hypotheses are entirely accurate, both in their text and mathematical form. Both forms are congruent and H0 and H1 are mutually exclusive and exhaustive.    All hypotheses are entirely accurate, both in their text and mathematical form. Both forms are congruent and H0 and H1 are mutually exhaustive.
8.    Amount and spread of data analysis [10]    Less than four different tests have been performed.    A minimum of four different tests have been performed.     A minimum of four different tests have been performed, some more than once.     A minimum of five different tests have been performed, possibly some more than once.     A minimum of six different tests inc. a regression have been performed, possibly some more than once.    A comprehensive range of tests have been performed in a highly meaningful way.
9.    Accuracy of data analysis [10]    The data analysis is not sufficiently accurate and documented.     The data analysis is sufficiently accurate and documented.     The data analysis is generally accurate and well documented.     The data analysis is almost fully accurate, well documented and possibly justified.     The data analysis is entirely accurate and well justified and documented.     The data analysis is entirely accurate and comprehensively justified and documented.
10.    Accuracy and relevance of findings [10]    Findings show insufficient accuracy and clarity.     Most findings show sufficient accuracy and clarity, practical terms sometimes missing.     Most findings from the tests are accurate and clearly stated, both in practical and technical terms.     Almost all findings from the tests are accurate and clearly stated, both in practical and technical terms.     All findings from the tests are accurate and clearly stated, both in practical and technical terms.     All findings from the tests are entirely accurate and clearly stated, both in practical and technical terms.
11.    Accuracy and relevance of conclusions [10]    Conclusions show insufficient accuracy and clarity.     Conclusions show sufficient accuracy and clarity.     Most conclusions are clear and accurate and follow logically from the findings.     Most conclusions are clearly stated, accurate and follow logically from the findings. They are generally put into the context of the research questions.      The conclusions are clearly stated, entirely accurate and follow logically from the findings. They are put into the context of the research questions.      The conclusions are clearly stated, entirely accurate and follow logically from the findings. They are put into the context of the research questions and the literature.
12.    Presentation of data [5]    Insufficiently clear data presentation.     Sufficiently clear data presentation with some weaknesses that should be addressed.     Clear data presentation with a few weaknesses    Data are presented in an almost professional manner    Data are presented in an entirely professional manner    Data are presented in an entirely professional, publishable manner
13.    Overall presentation of report  [5]    The overall presentation inc. layout and use of English language is insufficient and requires improvement.     The overall presentation inc. layout and use of English language is sufficient but requires improvement.     The overall presentation inc. layout and use of English language is very legible and easy to read.     The overall presentation inc. layout and use of English language is almost professional.     The overall presentation inc. layout and use of English language is entirely professional.     The overall presentation inc. layout and use of English language is entirely professional and publishable.
14.    Use of word processor functions  [5]    Insufficient use of word processor functions. Please familiarise yourself with them as they are important in you studies and career.     Just about sufficient use of word processor functions. Please familiarise yourself with them as they are important in you studies and career.     Good use of word processor functions, but use of some functions missing.     Full use of word processor functions, including an automatic contents page, Greek symbols and mathematical operators with a few weaknesses.     Full use of word processor functions, including an automatic contents page, Greek symbols and mathematical operators.     Full use of word processor functions, including an automatic contents page, separate lists of tables and figures, Greek symbols and mathematical operators.
15.    Clarity and completeness of appendix  [5]    Insufficient appendix.     Appendix includes at least the full questionnaire.     Good appendix with most workings and the questionnaire.     Good appendix with clearly legible workings and questionnaire.     Comprehensive appendix with clear workings, questionnaire and possibly any other evidence.     Comprehensive appendix with all workings, data, questionnaire and possibly any other evidence.