BE965-7-AU & BE969-7-AU: Research Methods in Management and Marketing 

Marking Criteria Coursework-2 (750 words, 30% of module mark)
The coursework will be marked as per the following guidelines:

Distinction (marks of 72 and over)
An excellent coursework will:

• be based on an original idea and precisely cover each element of the assignment.
• propose research problem and research question(s) that are novel and theoretically relevant for a quantitative research.
• provide a brief but comprehensive theoretical background, citing relevant theoretical sources.
• offer all the required hypotheses in the assignment that are accurately drafted and empirically testable.
• present a conceptual model accurately depicting the proposed relationships.
• clearly elaborate and justify the selected research method.
• thoroughly cover relevant issues supported by the appropriate literature (5 to 10 references).
• have an excellent structure that is clearly written and well-organised.

Merit (range 62-68)
A good coursework will:

• be based on a relatively new idea and cover each element of the assignment.
• propose research problem and research question(s) that are appropriate for a quantitative research.
• provide an adequate theoretical background, citing relevant theoretical sources.
• present the required hypotheses that are adequately drafted.
• present a conceptual model adequately depicting the proposed relationships.
• Adequately demonstrate the selected research method.
• appropriately use academic/non-academic sources.
• be clearly written, well-organised in a logical manner and clearly signposted.

Pass (range 52-58)
A pass coursework will:

• typically demonstrate an appropriate basic understanding of the underlying issues in the assignment.
• be a good attempt to propose a research problem and research question(s) that are suitable for a quantitative research.
• provide some theoretical background covering some relevant literature but the sources may not always be fully referenced.
• offer the required hypotheses but are too simplistic.
• present a conceptual model depicting the proposed relationships.
• demonstrate some awareness of the selected research method.
• use some sources which may not be thoroughly integrated.
• be readable with appropriate referencing which is generally accurate.

Fail (range 0-48)
A combination of the following features will usually mean a fail grade:

• a weak answer which demonstrates some knowledge, but it tends to be superficial, incomplete or poorly understood.
• inadequate or irrelevant description of the topic.
• poorly written and badly structured.
• fails to address question or misses an important aspect of the question.
• very poor referencing and citation.