This assignment is intended to be an applied research project; ‘applied’ in this context means research that has “a very practical focus . . . with an emphasis on achieving measurable outputs that are specific to a particular society or organization” (Gray 2017, 3). Therefore, students are required to choose a proposed industry partner (such a as a town council, non-government organisation, or government department) and, based on background research, identify communication and/or media related needs; this means they need to identify a ‘problem’ and then propose a possible solution. This proposed solution may be something which can be immediately implemented or it may be something which needs to be researched further. The Research Paper will discuss: The chosen organisation and the needs identified(background) Why this organisation should solve the ‘problem’ that has been identified (significance) Who else has researched in this area (literature review) How the solution could be implemented (method) What potential ethical considerations would need to be included It will need to demonstrate a practical application of the communication and media research skills covered in the unit. The report is to be evidence-based, using citations, qualitative and quantitative data (where appropriate) and follow the conventions of report writing. Students should consider this to be a ‘pitch’ to the chosen industry partner.

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