MOD006960 Research Skills 2

This is a skills module. As a result, you will be assessed on how well you have developed the research and writing skills practiced during the year.

Allocation of Marks Your grade will be based on how well you address the following points:

1. Task response: a direct answer to the task, supported by explanation of relevant theory, and direct application to an organisation from the case study.

2. Structure: clear paragraphs and logical flow.

3. Use of information from the required sources: including interpretation, evaluation and application.

4. Clarity of expression.

Guidance

Make sure that you use texts from the reading list in the module guide, and that additional sources you select are relevant and academic.

Points to consider

· Be careful to make sure that you focus on the task. There is a lot that can be said about the organisations in the case study, but your task is specific, and you will be penalised for examining irrelevant points. Make sure that your essay is focused on how factors impact on conduct.

· You might choose to examine some of the more complex sides of the model:

§ How the factors impact each other,

§ How the model relates to change and learning,

o but always focused on answering the task set.

· Note: managing your word count is challenging. You need to find a balance:

o write about enough factors that your essay is a full response to the task, but

o examine each factor in detail,

§ Interpreting the theory

§ Explaining the impact on conduct, and

§ Applying the factor and its impact to the organisation. On the VLE, you will find guidance on the key writing skills from the module.

· Paragraph structure and flow.

· Using theoretical models in your writing.

· Applying theory to an organisational context.

· Appropriateness of the sources for the academic assignment.

The guidance documents from Research Skills 1 will also be helpful

· Writing in a clear and formal style.

· Selecting relevant and reliable evidence from texts.

· Using evidence from texts to support ideas in writing.

· Interpreting and explaining sources in your own words.