ASSIGNMENT 1 – RESEARCH Brief

Write a Research Brief

TASK

Your task is a write a research brief on behalf of a company, in line with a current problem they face. You may choose a company you currently work at, another public company, or respond to a case provided in the assignment details.

INSTRUCTIONS

Students (individually) are required to write a research brief on behalf of a company of their choosing, or in response to a provided case. In the process, students should provide:

• an executive summary,
• a background to the company and their business objectives,
• a discussion of a key problem or decision facing the company,
• a discussion of research objectives,
• a list of related research questions,
• and an evaluation of potential types of data that may be used to address the research

A suggested format:

• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Executive Summary
• Main Body
  • Company Background
  • Business Objectives and Marketing Problem
  • Research Objectives and Research Questions
  • Evaluation of potential data sources
• References
• Appendix: Any additional information you want to reference that is not in the main body

Submission Details:

The report, references and appendices to be assembled in one document and submitted as an electronic copy through the online learning management system (Canvas) by the due date and time.

Word limit: The word limit on this phase of the assignment is 2,000 words (not including table of contents, executive summary, references).

Value/Weighting: This assignment is worth 30% of your total assessment in this subject. The assessment criteria are provided following the next page.

NOTES ON REPORT SUBMISSION

• All submissions should be 5 spaced. Allow a minimum of 25mm (1”) on left, right, top and bottom margins. All pages should be numbered.
• A standard font should be used, such as Arial, Times New Roman or Size 11 font should be used.
• Do not use first person, g., “I” and “we” and avoid colloquialisms and clichés in formal business reports.
• All tables and figures need to be numbered and labelled and referred to as such in the text before they appear in the
• You should adopt the Harvard system of referencing, e., in text referencing (e.g., Smith and John, 2013). All quotations and references should be properly sourced. Inadequate details of publications and other sources will reduce the assessed grade. Please see page 10 of the Unit Outline as well as http://www.swinburne.edu.au/corporate/registrar/plagiarism/ for direction on writing style and how to avoid plagiarism.

NOTE: Assignments or projects which are submitted after the due date and time will attract a penalty of 10% of the total marks available per working day late, up to a maximum of five working days. Assignments submitted after five working days will be graded with zero marks.