Qualitative data collection, coding and analysis

Assessment Information

Subject Code: BUS605

Subject Name: Business Research Methodology and Data Collection

Assessment Title: Assessment 2 – Qualitative data collection, coding and analysis
(Individual Written Report)

Weighting: 40 %

Total Marks:
Length:

40
2500 (+- 10%)

Due Date: Submission due Week 8 – Sunday at 11.59 pm

COURSE: Master of Business (Research)

Unit: Business Research Methodology and Data Collection

Unit Code: BUS605

Type of
Assessment:

Assessment 2 – Individual Written Report

Unit Learning
Outcomes
addressed:

(a) Demonstrate an advanced ability to identify, assimilate, and
review applications of, particular research techniques.

(b) Identify various means of data collection that are feasible
and can be ethically enacted.

(c) Articulate and critically evaluate differences between
alternative research methodologies.

(d) Explain how research outcomes may be affected by the
nature and application of particular research techniques.

(e) Demonstrate an advanced ability to construct a robust
methodology for addressing a research question.

(f) Explain how the use of selected methodologies is relevant to
a specific research proposal.

Criteria for
Assessment:

 Clarity of introduction
 Literature review
 Methods
 Findings of a qualitative study

Submission Date: Week 8 (online submission).

Total Mark &
Weighting:

40 marks | 40%

Students are advised that any submissions past the due date without an approved
extension or approved extenuating circumstances incur a 5% penalty per calendar

day,
calculated from the total mark e.g. a task marked out of 40 will incur a 2-mark penalty per

calendar day.

Task description

This assessment will help you to design and implement a qualitative study. The knowledge and
skills you have acquired in BUS 600, BUS 604, and BUS 606 will be useful in this assessment.

Scenario

Excelsia College is one of the fastest-growing faith-based Colleges in Australia. The College relies
mostly on international students. As part of developing student satisfaction strategy, the College
is seeking to understand the learning experience of its international students. Based on this
scenario, conduct qualitative research to help the College to obtain useful insights to develop the
strategy.

You must identify, define, and situate the research problem in relevant literature and theory.
Develop research questions and research objectives based on your research problem. Please
limit your research questions to three.

To clearly define and justify your research problem, you must learn from the existing literature
and understand what other researchers have done and how they have done it. Thus, you must
critically review relevant literature on the above topic. The literature review will enable you to
overcome challenges in designing your research and implementing it (Please review not less than
20 journal articles from top-tier journals).

Design your qualitative study and report your findings. After the literature review, use an
appropriate qualitative research strategy to address the research problem you have identified.
Identify and describe your sample for the study. Based on the research questions, design a semi-
structured interview guide to collect data from your sample. Limit your sample size to four.
Describe how you selected your sample, how you contacted them, and how you conducted
interviews, how long the interview took, and how you recorded the interviews. Transcribe all the
interviews, code them, and analyze using a thematic analysis technique. Provide justifications for
all your methodological decisions.

Attach your codes and interview transcripts as appendices.

Structure of the research report:

Abstract: state your research objective, your research strategy, sample, participant selection
method, data collection method, data analysis method, key findings.

Introduction: Using relevant sources describe the basic facts and importance of the research
topic – provide the general and specific contexts of the study. Describe clearly and concisely, the
issues you want to address- state the specific problem you want to address (e.g. lack of
understanding of the subject, competing explanations, overlooked area), situate it in the relevant
literature, and theory. State the motivation of your research and how important is it for Excelsia
College, the education sector in Australia, and knowledge advancement. State your research
questions/ objectives.

Qualitative design: Based on your research design conduct your qualitative study. Restate your
research questions/ objectives. Describe the qualitative research strategy you have chosen for
your study.

Identify and describe your sample for the study- who are the participants of your study?. Provide
justifications for selecting these participants.

Based on your research questions, design a semi-structured interview guide to collect data from
your participants. Provide justifications for using a semi-structured interview for your data
collection.

Describe how you selected your participants, how you contacted them, how you conducted your
interviews, how long the interview took, and how you recorded the interviews. Provide
justifications for your decisions.

Analysis and Findings: Transcribe all the interviews, code them, and analyze using a thematic
analysis technique. Write a report to present your key findings.

Total Marks: /35

Criteria for Written
Report

High Distinction
85%-100%

Distinction
75%-84%

Credit
65%-74%

Pass
50%-64%

Fail
0-49

Clarity of
introduction
(problem, research
question, and
research
objectives) (5
marks)

All aspects of the research
problem are defined.

Research problem, research
question (s), research aim are
clearly stated.

Most aspects of the research
problem are defined.

Research problem, research
question (s), research aim are
well stated.

Some aspects of the
research problem are
defined.

The clarity of the research
problem, research question
(s), research are slightly
lacking.

Very few aspects of the
research problem are
defined.

Research problem, lacks
clarity, research question
(s), research aim are
inconsistent with the
research problem.

The scope of the
research problem is
inaccurately
defined.

The research
problem lacks
clarity, research
question (s),
research aim are
poorly presented.

Literature review
(10 marks)

The student demonstrates an
in-depth understanding of the
literature.
Seminal papers are cited, the
literature supports the research
problem and leads to the
research questions.

The student has shown an
adequate understanding of the
literature.
Some relevant seminal papers
are cited, the literature supports
the research problem and leads
to the research questions.

The student has shown
some understanding of the
literature.

Some papers are cited,
literature slightly supports
the research problem and
research questions.

The student descriptively
presents very little
literature.
Papers cited do not
accurately support the
overall argument of the
study.

A very limited
review/ no literature
is presented.

Methods
(10 marks)

The student has described and
justified all the methodological
decisions.
The interview guide completely
addresses the research
question.

Most research methods are
clearly described with
justifications.
The interview guide mostly
addresses the research
question.

Some of the research
methods are clearly
described, justifications are
slightly weak.
The interview guide to some
extent addresses the
research question.

Very few research methods
are clearly identified.
The interview guide
inaccurately addresses the
research question.

The clarity of the
methods is lacking.
The interview guide
is poorly designed
and does not
accurately address
the research
questions.

Findings of a
qualitative study
(10 marks)

Four participants were
interviewed.
Coding and codes are
accurate. All findings address

Three participants were
interviewed.
Most of the findings are related
to the interview guide, most of

Two participants
interviewed.
Some of the findings are
related to the interview

One participant was
interviewed.
The clarity of the findings
lacks clarity, has little

Data analysis is
poorly done, very
limited, or no

the research and are related
questions used in the interview.

the findings are address some
of the research questions.

guide, some of the findings
address the research
questions.

relation to the questions
used in the interview.

relevant findings
are reported.

Academic writing (5
marks)

Writing is very well clear,
concise, and coherent.
Discipline-specific language
has been used.

Arguments are supported by
relevant sources.

No grammatical and
punctuation errors.
Over 15 journal articles have
cited,
report accurately referenced in
APA format.

Writing is very well clear,
concise, and coherent.
Discipline-specific language
has been used.

Exhibits and Facts are clearly
presented in support of claims.
Very little grammatical and
punctuation errors.

At least 10 journal articles have
been used to identify the
research problem.

The report is accurately
referenced in APA format.

Writing is very well clear,
concise, and however, the
logical flow is slightly lacking.
coherent. Discipline-specific
language has been used.
Arguments are not well
supported with relevant
sources.

Some little grammatical and
punctuation errors.
At least 8 journal articles are
used to identify the research
problem.

Most of the references are
consistent with the APA
format

Reasonably organized
report is presented in
discipline-specific academic
language.
Some grammatical and
punctuation errors.
At least 3 journal articles are
used to identify the
research problem

Referencing is slightly
inconsistent with the APA
format.

Discipline-specific
language is hardly
used. The
arguments lack
coherence and
support.
Very limited
sources were used.

Referencing is
poorly done.