MARK5811 Applied Marketing Research
Assessment Information
T3-2024
Page
1. Class Participation (10%). 2
2. Individual Paper – Marketing Research Exercise (10%). 3
3. Research Report (30%). 5
4. Final Exam (Take-Home Exam) (50%). 7
5. Assignment Submission Procedure. 8
6. Late Submission. 8
Appendix A: Format and Instruction for Research Report. 9
Appendix B: Key Journals for Applied Marketing Research. 13
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1. Class Participation (10%)
Class participation is designed to make sure we have a rich and stimulating class discussion
which will provide opportunities for peer learning and strengthen students’ ability to
actively argue their decisions regarding the applied marketing research issues at hand. It
will also help the development and understanding of alternative approaches and provide an
opportunity for reflective learning.
Your participation includes the responsibility to share your understanding and judgement
with the class to advance the group's collective skills and knowledge. This means we will
need your active participation to make the class a rewarding experience for everyone. Read
the materials assigned for every class, thoroughly prepare cases, take part in pertinent
discussions, listen to others with respect, and you will be rewarded.
Class Participation Assessment Criteria
Criterion Weighting
Evidence of preparation (e.g., advance reading of the related
materials, such as book chapter, journal article or case) and
ability to discuss/debate the issues.
35%
Quality of expression and presentation of arguments. 30%
Quality of contribution during the class and group discussion
(e.g., using theory to explain real-world phenomena, using
theory to propose a solution or identify a problem).
35%
Total 100%
Students are expected to thoroughly read any case discussion materials, textbook chapters
or handout materials prior to the lecture and actively participate in discussions. Each week,
students will be allocated a case study or an article to read prior to attending the class.
Active participation refers to making intelligent comments and providing arguments
related to the discussion topic. You are also required to respond to the lecturer/tutor’s
questions as much as you can during the class. Additionally, students should respond to the
responses of others in the class.
Moreover, each week, students will be asked to provide written comments or questions
during class/tutorial exercises, either as a group or as an individual.
If you are unable to attend the online tutorial on a regular basis during the term and have a
valid reason, please email Ting Yu ([email protected]) by 13 September 2024 to
discuss an alternative arrangement.
Generative AI Permission Level: No Assistance.
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2. Individual Paper – Marketing Research Exercise (10%)
Due date:
16:00, Friday, 27 September 2024.
Word limit: Maximum 500 words (All included except UNSW assignment cover sheet,
references, and appendices).
Submission: To TurnitinTM via Moodle.
Generative AI Permission Level: Simple Editing Assistance.
Task:
Flybuys is one of Australia's largest loyalty programs and has over 9 million members. To
further improve their offerings, Flybuys would like to understand the attitudes of their
existing members toward their gift card options. They have proposed adopting a quantitative
research method for this purpose. However, the management is unsure if it is the best
approach to gather useful information in this case, compared to a single qualitative research
method or a mixed methods research design.
Please critique the proposed quantitative research design for Flybuys and based on your
critique, provide ONE research design suggestion for Flybuys.
Required format:
• The School of Marketing Assignment Cover Sheet as the first page.
• Critically evaluate the proposed marketing research design, a quantitative research
method.
• Propose ONE research design suggestion and justify it.
• References.
Additional format requirements:
• Font size and style: Font size: 12. Style: Times New Roman.
• Margin: 2.5 cm.
• Space: Double-spaced throughout the paper.
• This course uses in-text referencing. For more information, please visit:
https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/citing-different-sources
You must reference all non-original work, e.g., if you take an idea from an academic journal
article, book, magazine, or website, you must reference it. Do not reference lecture
notes/PowerPoint slides, you must go to the original source, i.e., book, article, magazine,
website.
You are free to include an appendix; however, no mark is allocated to the information
contained in the appendix.
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Marking criteria:
1. Quality of the arguments and critical discussion in relation to the proposed marketing
research design and suggestion. (40%)
2. Quality of the supporting evidence (i.e., effective use of theory and/or secondary data,
e.g., published government report, consulting report, to support your arguments and
discussion). (40%)
3. Presentation (i.e., meets the submission guidelines, format and structure requirements,
creative communication, reader-friendly, writes clearly and accurately, expression,
spelling, diction, grammar, punctuation, and proper and consistent referencing style).
(20%)
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3. Research Report (30%)
A research project involves the investigation and analysis of a marketing research problem
and allows the students to “put into practice” what has been discussed in class, as well as
gaining first-hand experience in conducting research for a company. Applying the skills
and knowledge developed in this course, as a marketing research consultant, you are
required to conduct qualitative (e.g., focus groups, semi-structured interviews) and/or
quantitative (e.g., survey) research, and prepare a research report for a company. The
research findings will be used to advise the selected company on its marketing strategy.
Due date: 16:00, Friday, 15 November 2024.
Word limit: Maximum 3,000 words (All included except UNSW assignment cover
sheet, references, and appendices).
Submission: To TurnitinTM via Moodle.
No. of students per group: 3 – 5.
Generative AI Permission Level: Simple Editing Assistance.
Main tasks:
1. Select a firm/organisation, then critically discuss the current marketing problem and its
implications or a marketing challenge of the selected firm/organisation. Then propose an
accomplishable marketing research objective. No more than one objective should be
proposed. The objective must be specific, practical, and realistic.
2. Identify the most appropriate research method(s) that can be adopted in relation to the
proposed marketing research objective. The selection of the research method(s) must be
critically discussed based on the (marketing) research theories and concepts studied in
MARK5811 and/or supported by secondary data, e.g., published government report,
consulting report. Provide details of the data collection method.
3. Analyse the data collected using appropriate data analysis techniques and procedures
then report the findings.
4. Based on your research findings, provide one recommendation to address the marketing
problem identified in the earlier section. The recommendation will need to be well
supported and justified by the research findings and/or marketing theory. No more than
one realistic and practical recommendation should be proposed.
Be creative and make the written report professional and reader-friendly.
Group formation (i.e., selecting your own group members) will be organised in Week 1
tutorial. Please make sure you attend Week 1 tutorial. If you are unable to attend
Week 1 tutorial, please contact your tutor 12 hours in advance to make an alternative
arrangement.
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You must reference all non-original work, e.g., if you take an idea from an academic
journal article, book, magazine, or website, you must reference it. Do not reference lecture
notes/PowerPoint slides, you must go to the original source, i.e., book, article, magazine,
website.
Refer to Appendix A for more details.
Manage group dynamics
You are expected to actively manage the conduct of meetings and record members’
contributions and the decisions/actions agreed to at each meeting. Clearly documented
procedures and agreed outcomes are a sound professional tool when working in groups. Each
student within the group will receive the same mark unless there is a dispute about an
individual’s contribution.
Choose your group members wisely. It is important to note that management of group
dynamics is your responsibility. Keep in mind that assignment of clear responsibilities as
well as development of consistent group norms, such as regular meetings, communication,
and division of labour, is essential for cohesive group performance. Also, take note of the
meeting discussions and group dynamics in case there is any dispute on the contribution of
the members.
Conflict and grievance procedures
Groups function best when everyone participates actively in the development and resolution
of the task. However, sometimes you will need to address situations where one or more
members do not attend meetings or complete their work. In the first instance, such issues
should be handled within your group.
If a grievance issue arises and it cannot be resolved within the group, then the next step is
to discuss the situation with the lecturer. Based on the evidence provided, the lecturer will
decide as to whether a single group mark is warranted or whether individual marks are to
be awarded. Please keep your meeting notes, drafts, and email communication in case there
is any dispute.
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4. Final Exam (Take-Home Exam) (50%)
The final exam will take place in the formal examination period at the end of the term and is
worth 50% of the total marks for this course. It will be a take-home exam, available for 24
hours. Written answers are to be submitted to TurnitinTM.
The exam will be comprehensive in nature and will draw on work covered in lectures,
tutorials, discussions, textbook materials and course readings. The final exam aims to evaluate
students’ understanding and application of marketing research theories covered during the
term. Therefore, it contains theory discussion and theory application questions. Details of the
exam will be discussed in Week 10 during the lecture.
The final exam will be organised by the UNSW exam unit. The date of the final exam will be
announced once the university exam timetable is released. No early examinations are
possible. When the provisional examination timetable is released, ensure that you have no
clashes or unreasonable difficulty in attending the scheduled examinations. All exams are
scheduled and conducted in accordance with the UNSW Rules for the Conduct of
Examinations, and it is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with these rules.
Generative AI Permission Level: No Assistance.
Marking criteria for the answer to each final exam question
Part I: Theory discussion (40%)
• Illustrates theoretical understanding in a specific area as instructed, i.e., key points are
all covered, appropriate use of examples if required, sufficient (critical) discussion as
required within the word limit, customises the points according to the
instruction/question.
• Meets the format requirements (e.g., submits answer in Microsoft Word format, does
not exceed the word limit), reader-friendly, writes clearly and accurately, appropriate
and creative expression.
Part II: Theory application (60%)
• Recommendations/suggestions provided as instructed are detailed and practical, and
they are properly evaluated/discussed within the word limit.
• Meets the format requirements (e.g., submits answer in Microsoft Word format, does
not exceed the word limit), reader-friendly, writes clearly and accurately, appropriate
and creative expression.
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5. Assignment Submission Procedure
A) For individual paper
The individual paper must include a cover sheet and be signed by the student.
Students MUST submit written assignments through the course website. The originality of the
assignments will be checked with TurnitinTM. Students can check the similarity index and
resubmit their reports up until the deadline. Students are responsible for planning ahead and
allowing sufficient time to review their similarity index. Students are also advised to submit
their papers during working hours to receive any technical support, if necessary. Technical
difficulties will not be accepted as a valid reason for late submission.
B) For research report
The research report must include a cover sheet and be signed by all students in the group.
Students MUST submit research reports through the course website. ONLY ONE STUDENT
IN THE GROUP SUBMITS THE RESEARCH REPORT. The originality of the assignments
will be checked with TurnitinTM. Students can check the similarity index and resubmit their
papers up until the due deadlines. Students are responsible for planning ahead and allowing
sufficient time to review their similarity index. Students are also advised to submit their
reports during working hours to receive technical support, if necessary. Technical difficulties
will not be accepted as a valid reason for late submission.
6. Late Submission
Late submission will incur a penalty of 5% per day or part thereof (including weekends) from
the due date and time. An assessment will not be accepted after 5 days (120 hours) of the
original deadline unless special consideration (https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/special- consideration) has been approved.
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Appendix A: Format and Instruction for Research Report**
• Please include: The School of Marketing Assignment Cover Sheet as the first page
1. Title page (Title of the research report, student names and IDs, date, and additional
information related to the assignment that you wish to communicate to the marker. (Note
that this is different from The School of Marketing Assignment Cover Sheet).
2. Table of contents
3. List of tables and figures (if applicable)
4. Executive summary
You should only briefly summarise the marketing research objective, research design,
data collection method(s), data analysis techniques/procedure, and recommendation.
This should be no more than 1 page. Have a separate page for the executive summary.
5. Marketing research objective
Identify and critically discuss the current marketing problem and its implications or a
marketing challenge for the selected firm/organisation. Then propose an appropriate (i.e.,
realistic, practical, clear, and specific) marketing research objective that addresses the
company’s identified marketing problem/challenge. No more than one objective should
be proposed.
This section should be no more than 350 words.
6. Research method(s)
Use theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report,
effectively to identify the most appropriate research method(s) that can be adopted to
achieve the proposed marketing research objective (including sampling, if collecting
primary data). The selection of the research method(s) must be critically discussed based
on the (marketing) research theories and concepts studied in MARK5811 and/or supported
by secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report. Provide details of
the data collection method(s) employed. Systematically and logically develop the data
collection instrument(s) (e.g., questionnaire, interview protocol) to achieve the proposed
marketing research objective.
This section should be no more than 1,100 words.
7. Data analyses
Analyse the data using the appropriate procedure, then report the findings. Use theory
and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report, effectively
to justify data analysis techniques and procedure.
This section should be no more than 700 words.
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8. Recommendation and research limitations
Based on your research, provide no more than one realistic recommendation to the
selected firm/organisation. This needs to address the marketing problem/challenge
identified in the earlier section. Do not recommend theory or ideas in this section. A
practical and specific recommendation is required. The recommendation should be
evaluated in terms of its advantages and disadvantages (strong and weak points).
Effectively use theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report,
consulting report, to form a critical discussion regarding the key limitation(s) of the
research design and subsequent suggestions for improvement. No more than 3 key
research limitations should be identified and discussed.
This section should be no more than 700 words.
9. References
You should read and refer to at least two recent academic journal articles (published after
2016, excluding 2016) that are related to the applied marketing research theories to
support your arguments and discussion in the report. See Appendix B for a list of key
academic journals. The two articles need to be selected from the journals listed in
Appendix B. You may choose these two articles from outside the list, however, you will
need to obtain written permission from Dr Ting Yu by 3 November 2024 via email.
10. Appendix
You are free to include an appendix; however, no mark is allocated to the information
contained in the appendix.
**Please ensure that:
• The activities comply with any relevant privacy and/or confidentiality requirements
(e.g., a process of informed consent);
• Relevant health and safety requirements are adhered to (e.g., personal safety
procedures, interview protocols etc.);
• Information will not be disseminated or published;
• Participants from a vulnerable population are not the focus of the project;
• The project does not aim to explore contentious or sensitive topics;
• There is no potential for participants to be exposed to harm because of the project
including physical, psychological, social, economic or legal harm; and
• You do not contact the company directly for your research project.
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Additional format requirements for the report:
• Font: Headings - Font size: 14; main text - Font size: 12. Times New Roman is
preferable.
• Margin: 2.5 cm.
• Space: Double-spaced throughout the paper, except the Executive Summary.
• Presentation style for Executive Summary: Font size: 12, 1.5 spaced, no more than
one page.
• This course uses in-text referencing. For more information, please visit:
https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/citing-different-sources
• You must reference all the sources used (to form your ideas, arguments, and analyses)
throughout the paper and make a reference list at the end of the report.
Marking Criteria#
1. Marketing research objective (10%)
The report clearly identifies and discusses the marketing research problem or marketing
challenge, supported by sufficient evidence drawn from marketing research theory and/or
secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report. Develops a realistic,
practical, clear, and specific marketing research objective, which addresses the company’s
identified problem/challenge. Effectively uses theory and/or secondary data, e.g.,
published government report, consulting report to support the arguments and discussion.
(i.e., Section 5: Marketing research objective).
2. Research method(s) (30%)
The research design employed to achieve the marketing research objective is well justified
by marketing research theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report,
consulting report. Development of the data collection instrument(s) (e.g., questionnaire,
interview protocol) is systematic, logical, and robust, and the data collection instrument(s)
is appropriate to achieve the marketing research objective. Quality of the data collected is
appropriate, which allows the research team to achieve the marketing research objective.
Effective use of theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report,
consulting report to support the arguments. (i.e., Section 6: Research method(s)).
3. Data analyses (20%)
The data analysis techniques and procedures are appropriate and well justified by
marketing research theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report,
consulting report. Shows appropriate level of skill in relevant analysis. Results are
accurate. Drawn conclusions are consistent with the analyses. (i.e., Section 7: Data
analyses).
4. Recommendation and research limitations (20%)
Critically discusses the implications and insights drawn from the analyses. The
recommendation is closely linked to and well-supported by the findings, and appropriately
addresses the research problem/challenge identified. A critical discussion is included
regarding the key limitations of the research design, and suggestions for improvement are
offered. Effective use of marketing research theory and secondary data, e.g., published
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government report, consulting report to support the arguments. (i.e., Section 8:
Recommendation and research limitations).
5. Presentation (20%)
Presentation (i.e., meets the submission guidelines, format and structure requirements,
creative communication, reader-friendly, writes clearly and accurately, expression,
spelling, diction, grammar, punctuation, and proper and consistent referencing style).
# Please make sure that you follow the required format. Your research report will be
marked according to what you have written under each section.
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Appendix B: Key Journals for Applied Marketing Research
• Journal of Business Research.
• Journal of Marketing.
• Journal of Retailing.
• Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.
• Management Science.
• Academy of Management Journal.
• Journal of Consumer Research.
