Assessment 1 - Research Proposal - RES500 (v7) 1
Candidate Name:
Assessor/s:
Date/s of
Assessment:
Week 2
Qualification: Certificate IV in Business (BSB40120)
Units of Competency
to be assessed:
BSBINS401 Analyse and present research information
Assessment
Description:
This is a written research proposal approximately 800 words in length.
The research proposal should demonstrate you have the ability to:
• Clearly define research objective and targets
• Locate, gather and organise information from reliable secondary sources
• Apply theory to practice
• Write a clearly structured and formatted report
This assessment is worth 25% of your course mark.
Assessment
conditions:
This assessment is to be conducted outside class hours, though some planning
and support work may be conducted in class with your trainer.
The research proposal will be submitted through the ‘Research Skills & Business
Statistics 500’ page on ‘My Phoenix Online’.
Instructions to
Assessor/s:
Assessor will need to use the assessment marking guide for the assessment.
Reasonable
adjustment:
Where a candidate has a disability or condition that affects their ability to
complete the assessment as set out in this document, adjustments can be made
to allow them to carry out the assessment. These adjustments will not interfere
with the assessment requirements set out in the unit of competency and
associated training package.

Any adjustments to this assessment will be discussed and agreed upon by
assessor and candidate prior to the date for the assessment.
Complaints and
Appeals
Any disputes regarding assessments results and grading will be dealt between
the assessor and the candidate as per the Phoenix Academy Complaints and
Appeals Process outlined in the student handbook.
Copies of this process are also published around the school and are readily
accessible to candidates.
Identified OHS
hazards:
None identified
Material and/or
resources required:
• Computer Access to the ‘Research Skills & Business Statistics 500’ page
on ‘My Phoenix Online’.
• Use of a computer with word processing software and access to the
Internet.
Research Skills & Business Statistics 500
Assessment 1 – Research Proposal
Assessment 1 - Research Proposal - RES500 (v7) 2
Instructions to Candidate:
This assessment requires you to write a research proposal. This will be a written report of approximately
800 words in length outlining a research project. It will contain your research objectives, background,
literature review, and specific plans for research going forward.
(Note: assessment can be +10% over the suggested length).
Important: you are not required to conduct interviews, surveys or any other primary research for this stage
of the assessment. This report describes which primary research you will undertake in the future.
Case study
You are an Executive Assistant working for Phoenix Academy. You are in charge of distributing student
surveys, collecting the feedback provided, and reporting on important trends to your CEO. As part of quality
improvement, you want to use the survey data from the previous period of study to propose further
research into a specific area of student experience.
The written report needs to contain the following key sections:
1. Aims and objectives (50 words)
• Give a broad indication of what the researcher wishes to achieve in the research.
2. Introduction (150 words)
• Set the scene and put the research in context.
• Create interest in the reader about the topic and proposal.
• Convey to the reader,
• What you want to do,
• what necessitates the study and your passion for the topic.
• Who has an interest in the domain of inquiry?
• What do we already know about the topic?
3. Background and significance (100 words)
• What has not been answered adequately in previous research and practice?
• How will your research add to knowledge, practice and policy in this area?
4. Literature Review (350 words)
• Describe the methodological approaches to be undertaken to gather secondary sources of information.
• Summarise of a wide variety of sources of academic/scientific evidence pertaining to the topic in
interest (Summarise each article in a paragraph, highlighting the details pertinent to the topic of
interest).
• Evaluate each source with reference to the following:
o reliability
o accuracy
o authority
o audience
o relevance
o likelihood of bias.
5. Primary Research design and method (150 words)
• Mention the methodological approaches to be undertaken to gather primary research information.
Assessment 1 - Research Proposal - RES500 (v7) 3
• Convince the reader that the overall research design and methods of analysis will correctly address the
research problem. Impress upon the reader that the methodology chosen is appropriate for the specific
topic. The design and method should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study.
• Refer to organisational policies and procedures relating to:
o accessing information
o storing information
o security requirements
6. References
• Cite all sources you used in composing your proposal using the Chicago referencing style (refer to the
guide on the School of Business Home Room page if in doubt)
Document Requirements
The information in the written report needs to be displayed in a suitable report format as per the School of
Business Style Guide:
• Title page included, containing all appropriate information.
• Automated contents page with appropriate headings
• Pages numbered.
• In-text citation and reference list included
• Spelling and grammar check - set to English (Australia)
• You will need to submit all required documents to the relevant submission box on the ‘Research
Skills & Business Statistics 500’ portal page as a Microsoft Word Document
• Name your file using the following conventions:
o LAST NAME, First Name - RES500 - Assessment 1
Assessment 1 - Research Proposal - RES500 (v7) 4
Research Skills & Business Statistics (RES500)
Assessment 1: Research Proposal
Assessment
Section
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
MAPPING GRADING
BSBINS401 Score
*Max
score
S/NYS
1) Provides clear and relevant Research Objective
PC 1.1
/2
2) Provides a clear and detailed Introduction /2
3) Provides a clear and detailed Background /2
4)
Literature Review identifies sources of information and how
they were accessed. PC 1.2
/2

Literature Review adequately summarises sources. /2
Literature Review evaluates each source with reference to
the following:
• reliability
• accuracy
• authority
• audience
• relevance
• likelihood of bias.
PC 1.3 /2
5)
Proposed Primary Research Design and Method clearly
convinces the reader on the appropriateness of the
methodology.
PC 1.4
/2
Proposed Primary Research Design and Method complies
with the following organisational policies:
o accessing information
o storing information
o security requirements
/2
6)
Provides a complete Reference list that is presented in the
required Style
PC 1.2 /2
7) Submits the files as per the document requirements /2
*Grading instructions:
2/2 = Highly Satisfactory
1/2 = Satisfactory
0/2 = Not Yet Satisfactory
Percentage score Total score
/100 /20
The candidate is: Satisfactory / Not Yet Satisfactory
Mapping 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5
BSBINS401 X X X X
S/NYS
Assessment 1 - Research Proposal - RES500 (v7) 5
Feedback to Candidate:
Candidate response
1 Do you wish to appeal the decision? Yes No
2 Do you consider the assessment to be fair? Yes No
3 Did the assessment relate to your work? Yes No
4 Do you have any suggestions to improve the assessment? Yes No
Assessor Name Assessor
Signature
Date:
Candidate Name Candidate
Signature
Date:
Grading Grading Result Total Mark /100
NCO - Not Competent Fail < 48% 0 – 47/100
CP Conceded Pass 48% - 49% 48 – 49/100
CO - Competent Pas s 50% - 59% 50 – 59 / 100
CO – Competent Credit 60% - 69% 60 – 69 / 100
COM – Competent with Merit Distinction 70% - 79% 70 – 79 / 100
COM – Competent with Distinction High Distinction > 80% 80 – 100 / 100