This unit contains the components to enable a systematic approach to define, design and undertake a business research project in people practice. It focuses on developing ability to produce an integrated report based on evidence and to include own recommendations and critical reflection.
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Your 7CO04 assignment questions will closely follow these assessment criteria. Here's what the marker is looking for in each one.
You need to develop and justify a research aim and set of objectives related to an identified business issue in people management that has strategic relevance. The marker wants to see a clear, focused aim with SMART objectives that demonstrate you understand what you are researching and why it matters to the organisation. Justify your choice of topic — explain its strategic significance and the value the research will add. Avoid vague or overly broad aims.
Use a range of appropriate sources — academic journal papers, book chapters, textbooks, government and sector reports, research by professional bodies (especially the CIPD), and other material. The marker expects you to evaluate sources of evidence critically, not just summarise them. Structure your literature review thematically, read and write critically, and ensure the review clearly informs your research questions and project outcomes. A descriptive summary of sources will not achieve a pass.
Analyse key findings from your literature review to develop clear, concise, and valid research questions. These questions should guide your primary research and help you achieve targeted results. The marker wants to see a logical connection between the literature review findings and the research questions — the questions should emerge naturally from gaps or themes identified in the literature, not appear arbitrary or disconnected.
Consider the appropriate research strategy and design — qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. Cover specific data collection methods such as surveys, questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and sampling approaches (probability and non-probability). The marker expects you to justify your choices — explain why the selected methods are the most appropriate for your research aim, not just describe them. Show awareness that methodology should be driven by the research questions, not by convenience.
Cover validity (face, content, and ecological validity), the appropriateness of research methods to achieve the research aim, and possible threats to reliability (consistency of results, participant and researcher bias, participant and researcher error). Discuss generalisability — both internal and external — and consider the use of pilot testing and re-testing. The marker expects honest, critical discussion of the weaknesses and constraints of your research design, not a superficial acknowledgement.
Cover key principles of ethical research — informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, data protection (GDPR compliance), right to withdraw, and responsible storage and handling of data. The marker expects you to assess how these ethical principles apply specifically to your project, not just list generic ethical guidelines. Show that you have thought carefully about how to protect your participants and manage data responsibly throughout the research process.
Use appropriate methods to analyse both quantitative and qualitative data. For quantitative data, this might include descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, cross-tabulations, or correlation analysis. For qualitative data, consider thematic analysis, coding, and content analysis. The marker wants to see that you can move from raw data to meaningful findings — not just present data, but analyse it to make sense of what it tells you.
Select appropriate methods to present your data — tables, charts, graphs for quantitative data, and thematic narrative for qualitative data. The purpose is to transform raw data into a form that makes it possible to understand and interpret. The marker expects clear, well-labelled, professional presentation that makes the data accessible to the reader. Avoid dumping raw data without explanation or using inappropriate chart types.
Compare and contrast your primary findings with the secondary literature, assimilating evidenced ideas to identify themes and gain insight into the business issue. Discuss key factors and the wider implications for the organisation. The marker expects an integrated discussion — not just a summary of what you found, but a thoughtful analysis of what it means in the context of your literature review and the original business problem.
Draw on the research questions, literature review, and data analysis to develop integrated, justified, and well-informed conclusions. The marker expects your conclusions to flow logically from the evidence presented and to align clearly with your original terms of reference. Report these concisely and clearly — avoid introducing new information at this stage or making claims that are not supported by your data.
Develop a set of recommendations derived from your conclusions, with an associated action plan for implementation. Include techniques for presenting a persuasive business case — potential costs, business benefits, impact, and ROI. The marker wants practical, actionable recommendations that address the original business issue, not vague suggestions. Your cost-benefit analysis should demonstrate commercial awareness and help decision-makers understand the value proposition.
Apply critical reflection skills to evaluate your own performance throughout the research project. Identify strengths and weaknesses of how you completed the project, analyse your research competencies, and propose specific ways to improve future project design and delivery. The marker expects genuine self-evaluation as part of your CPD — not a superficial statement that 'everything went well'. Be honest about what you would do differently.
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