Overall Requirements

 development
 Evaluation based on research concepts application and demonstration of
critical thinking skills
 Use of textbook and other research projects (i.e. journals) as examples/guides
is recommended
 Use of past literature in the assessment of your study is essential
 Exceptional grammar and document presentation
 

Penalties – Substantial deductions will be applied for the following:

 Failing to provide evidence of research (surveys, transcripts, excel sheet
analysis - appended). Penalty applied: automatic 0 for the findings &
discussion section. 
Evidence includes – an excel or spss data file, transcripts, audio files or sample audio
files. Put these at the back of your document as Appendices. -  Please Ask me if you
have any questions –
o Copied or unoriginal results. Penalty applied: 0 for the entire research
report
o Failure to connect research findings to past research. Penalty applied:
Minimum of 25% reduction for the findings and discussion section
o Late submission. Penalty applied: Late penalty is 10% per day
(deducted off final grade for the assignment, applied at 5.05 PM).
Format
Students are encouraged to produce a document approximately 10-12 (some will
exceed this length) pages in length (12 font, double spaced) plus appendices. The
document must be written in third person and careful consideration regarding layout
(page numbers, title page, margins etc) is expected (Students are advised to refer to
APA instructions regarding the format of document). APA referencing standards
are required.
 

Resource Requirements

A minimum of ten resources (8 must be academic peer reviewed journal articles) is

required.  Students are also advised to find evidence in popular sources that suggest
the topic is current and relevant (2 sources is advised).
 

 
Report Structure: Title, Table of Contents (List of Figures, Tables), 5
page numbering, use of figures and tables, margins, font selection,
Executive Summary: One page summary of entire report.  10
Essential information such as the purpose, approach, key findings
and significance of the research should be presented.  AN EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY IS NOT AN ABSTRACT!
Introduction 10
Research Topic and its significance are detailed. Presents a
significant research problem related to hospitality (or other approved
topics). Purpose of document as a research report is clearly stated.
Purpose of study stated
Research Questions/Objectives or hypotheses: Articulates clear, 5
reasonable research questions given the purpose, design, and
methods for the study. All constructs and variables have been
appropriately defined. Propositions are supported from the research
and theoretical literature. Revisions and corrections from earlier
drafts have been incorporated
Literature Review / Theoretical Foundation: Research is 10
organized according to subtopics. Resources correspond and support
discussion of research and completed study. Literature supports
purpose statement and hypotheses/objectives or research questions.
Author makes connections between and within topics. Original ideas
and examples summarize concepts of reported research. Note:
changes may have occurred from your original proposal and thus, the
literature review may have also changed.
Method: The purpose, questions, and design are consistent with 20
applied method. Limitations and assumptions have been clearly
stated. The description of the context and population is meaningful,
including both quantitative and qualitative description (as
appropriate). The reported sampling process is reasonable to recruit
a representative sample of the population. Attention is given to
controlling for extraneous factors and sampling error. Descriptions of
instruments and observation protocols include purpose statements,
type and number of items, and type of scores. Evidence of the
validity and reliability is presented including how instrument was
‘tested’ in advance of data collection.  Procedures were thorough,
manageable and coherent.  Procedures included roles for researcher
and participant. Ethical considerations are documented and
discussed. Analytical methods consider whether relationships or
 differences will be tested and are appropriate given the research
questions and research design. THIS SECTION WILL HAVE CHANGED
FROM EARLIER SUBMISSIONS. DO NOT INCLDUED BUDGET IN THIS
REPORT
Results/Findings: Analysis is comprehensive and applies concepts 25
and tasks covered in lectures, labs and the textbook. Findings
concisely summarize collected information using meaningful
charts/figures/tables. Applied statistics are appropriate and
accurately assessed for significance. Qualitative research explains
process for induction of theory/conclusion and follows consistent
method or process appropriately. Findings are presented to clearly
respond to objectives or research questions.
Discussion/Implications/Conclusions 30
Elaborates the key research findings and emphasizes significance of
results. Postulates reasons or rationale for findings that are unique.
Contrasts research results to past research, identifying
advancements in knowledge for the field. Limitations of the study are
identified and suggestions for expanding or extending the study to
examine other aspects are stated. Demonstrates competence in
research by extending the discussion beyond repeating findings to
include an analysis of the research subject.
References:APA citation and referencing rules. Standards are met 10
regarding the quantity and quality of resources. Grades are deducted
for not meeting minimum standards
Appendices (research evidence – surveys, tape recordings, etc. 5
required).  Non-essential information should be included in the
appendices
Readability/Overall Presentation: Document content is organized 10
and flows well, professionally presented
Overall Quality and Complexity of Research Study: Research 10
knowledge is evident based on the complexity of the research study
including: required analysis (above descriptive), conceptualization of
measured variables and executed research process
Total 150

Spelling/Grammar (Note: After the first 3, 1/2 mark will be deducted  

for each spelling/grammar mistake), first/second person use will be
included as a grammatical penalty