CQP Advanced Level

Research Project / Workshop Case Presentation flashcards

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What four tests decide whether a proposed research topic is a plausible study?

Researchable: the question can be answered by evidence (a question of fact, not of value). Feasible: the data can be obtained within the time, budget and access you actually have. Significant: the answer matters to somebody. Original in some respect: in the population, context, period, method or combination. A topic failing any of them should be abandoned early rather than defended.

What are the four movements of a statement of the problem?

1. The ideal or expected situation. 2. The actual situation, evidenced by statistics, reports or documented cases. 3. The consequence of the gap between the two. 4. What is not known about it: the knowledge gap the study occupies. The objectives should follow directly from the last movement.

How does a theoretical framework differ from a conceptual framework?

Theoretical framework: established theory developed by others (for example the ISO 9000 quality management principles, Deming, Juran or Crosby), stated, justified and criticised. Borrowed and general. Conceptual framework: the researcher's own model, usually a diagram, of the relationships between this study's variables. Constructed and specific.

State Yamane's formula for sample size and apply it to a population of 180 firms at a 5 per cent margin of error.

n = N / (1 + N x e^2), where N is the population size and e the margin of error. e = 0.05, so e^2 = 0.0025 and N x e^2 = 0.45. n = 180 / 1.45 = 124.1, so 124 firms. At an expected 70 per cent response rate, distribute to 124 / 0.7 = 178, almost the whole population, so consider a census.

In the findings chapter, what is the difference between presentation, interpretation and discussion?

Presentation: displays the data (tables, charts, summary statistics) without comment. Interpretation: explains what the data means for the objective. Discussion: relates the result to the literature, whether it agrees with, conflicts with or extends earlier studies, and why. Discussion is the part most often omitted and where most of the marks sit.

How do a finding, a conclusion and a recommendation differ?

Finding: what the data showed, factual and usually numerical. Conclusion: what the findings mean for the objective, at the level of the study's question. Recommendation: what should be done about it, by whom and why. A conclusion resting on no finding is an opinion; a recommendation resting on no conclusion is advice the study did not earn.

What is the matching rule between in-text citations and the reference list?

Every in-text citation must appear in the reference list, and every entry in the reference list must be cited in the text. Both directions are checked. Before submission, work through every citation to confirm its entry, then through every entry to confirm its citation.

What two questions decide whether material belongs in an appendix?

1. Does the text refer to it? 2. Would a reader wanting to verify or repeat the study need it? Both yes: it belongs in an appendix. If the first is no, add the reference or remove the material. If the second is no, remove it.

Why is a low similarity index not proof that a project is free of plagiarism?

The index reports matching text, not misconduct: properly quoted and cited passages register as matches. The software cannot detect an idea, argument or structure taken without acknowledgement and expressed in fresh words. So the index is a diagnostic aid; the standard is honest attribution.

Does a managing director's permission to run a study count as the employees' consent?

No. Organisational permission is required in addition to individual consent and does not replace it. Each participant must consent personally, be told participation is voluntary and that declining carries no consequence, and be able to decline in a way management cannot observe.

How does a research proposal relate to the finished research project?