Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad (Department of Business Administration)

Final: 5-3-2021
ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD

(Department of Business Administration)
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS (5009)

M.Sc. ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES
CHECKLIST
SEMESTER: SPRING, 2021
This packet comprises the following material:
1.Textbook (one);
2.Course Outline;
3.Assignment No. 1 and 2;
4.Assignment Forms (2 sets);
In this packet, if you find anything missing out of the above-mentioned material, please
contact at the address given below:
The Mailing Officer,

Mailing Section, Block-28,
Allama Iqbal Open University,
H-8, ISLAMABAD.
Ph: 051-9057611-12
Prof. Dr. Syed Hassan Raza

Course Coordinator
ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD
(Department of Business Administration)
WARNING
1. PLAGIARISM OR HIRING OF GHOST WRITER(S) FOR SOLVING
THE ASSIGNMENT(S) WILL DEBAR THE STUDENT FROM AWARD
OF DEGREE/CERTIFICATE, IF FOUND AT ANY STAGE.
2. SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENT(S) BORROWED OR STOLEN FROM
OTHER(S) AS ONE’S OWN WILL BE PENALIZED AS DEFINED IN
“AIOU PLAGIARISM POLICY”.
Course: Business Research Methods (5009) Semester: Spring, 2021
Level: M.Sc. Administrative Sciences
GUIDELINES FOR ASSIGNMENT No. 1:
You should look upon the assignments as a test of knowledge, management skills, and
communication skills. When you write an assignment answer, you are indicating your
knowledge to the teacher in the following way:
 Your level of understanding of the subject;
 How clearly you think;
 How well you can reflect on your knowledge & experience;
 How well you can use your knowledge in solving problems, explaining situations,
and describing organizations and management;
 How professional you are, and how much care and attention you give to what you do.
To answer a question effectively, address the question directly, bring important related
issues into the discussion, refer to sources, and indicate how principles from the course
materials apply. You must also be able to identify important problems and implications
arising from the answer.
The references should be given at the end of the assignment. For citing references,
writing bibliographies, and formatting the assignment, APA format should be followed.
ASSIGNMENT No. 1
(Units: 1–5) Total Marks: 100
Pass Marks: 50
Note: Attempt all questions.
Q. 1 Discuss the need for research in decision making. (20)
Q. 2 Discuss the significance and importance of the elements that make up the complete
research problem. (20)
Q. 3 How can we choose the appropriate design model for a specific research problem?
Discuss with examples. (20)
Q. 4 Discuss how to design questionnaire for collection of primary data. (20)
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Q. 5 Discuss the idea of stratification of a population and to use stratified sampling
method to improve precision. (20)
ASSIGNMENT No. 2
Total Marks: 100
Pass Marks: 50
This assignment is a research-oriented activity and encompasses the Literature Review Report
of the proposed research topic and the research proposal. You are required to develop a
Literature Review report and research proposal and submit to the tutor for evaluation as per
the last date of submission of 2nd assignment. You will have to participate in the activity
fully, actively, and practically to be eligible to pass this assignment.
The objective of Assignment No. 2 is to prepare:
1. Written Literature Review report and of the proposed research topic
2. Develop research proposal,
This will provide students with experience in preparing a research proposal for thesis.
TIPS FOR WRITING LITERATURE REVIEW
In this assignment students are required to prepare a Literature Review Report between ten
(10) to fifteen (15) pages and at least 8 — 15 research articles from published source may be
consulted. With minimum of 8 research papers should be from the past 05 years. Students
must follow the proper referencing and citation style to be mentioned at the end of the
Literature Review Report under the References heading. Students are advised to consult the
tips of writing literature review as mentioned below.
The Literature Review Defined
What is it and why are students required to do one? The literature is exactly what one would
expect from its title — it is a review of a collection of previously published literature on a
specific topic or topics. The literature review is often required of students as they undertake
research into a particular topic in order to determine whether or not their specific research topic
has already been undertaken. Generally speaking, the literature review summarizes and
condenses an extensive amount of material. In addition, the review allows the student to
organize a vast amount of information into a pattern that is meaningful to his or her research
purposes, and will allow the student to draw his or her own conclusions about the nature of that
information.
Objectives of the Literature Review
What should students strive for? When a student is performing his or her literature review,
perusing all that information, having a specific objective(s) in mind is very important.
Without a specific objective(s) in mind, students can end up spinning their wheels, not
accomplishing much. The following are common objectives for a literature review; students
should choose the objective(s) that best correspond with their particular research goals.
i. Summarize Information — As stated above, the main objective of the literature review
is to summarize previously released research information. While not all the objectives
on this list apply to every literature review, this is one objective that every student
should strive for when reviewing literature.
ii. Compare Findings and Results — The literature review allows students to compare the
results from a wide variety of published research. The rates of similarity or discrepancy
in research findings can go a long way in helping the student to understand how his or
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her research may unfold in the future.
iii. Compare Research Methods — The literature review also allows students to evaluate
the different research methods used among those that have previously studied their
topic of interest. Weighing the pros and cons of those research methods enables
students to choose the method that best suits them.
iv. Identify Untapped Areas of Research — By thoroughly organizing and reviewing an
extensive collection of research material, a student performing a literature review will
be able to identify areas that have not been addressed, or addressed poorly, by the
literature that is currently available. In addition, if a student does happen to discover
that his or her research topic has been previously undertaken, this will allow the student
to more easily choose a secondary topic.
v. Identify Major Research Studies — Not all research studies are created equal. The
literature review allows students to recognize which particular studies have been the
most important to the furthering of knowledge in their particular research area.
vi. To Better Understand the Relevance of Your Upcoming Research — If the student's
upcoming research has proven to be untapped, the literature review will allow the
student to better understand where his or her findings will fit into the system of
knowledge on that particular subject.
This list is by no means exhaustive, and there are a multitude of other reasons and objectives
for completing a literature review. However, these are the most common objectives for
university students, and they can provide students with the basis for the effecting of a
thorough literature review.
It is not necessary to attach the articles reviewed with your assignment; however, you should
include a detailed reference list. The APA format (one of the most commonly used author-
date styles) is the preferred referencing and citation style used by the AIOU.
WORKSHOPS
The workshop presentations provide you opportunity to express your communication skills,
knowledge & understanding of concepts learned during practical study assigned in
assignment No. 2.
You should use any interactive material for effective presentation. The transparencies/Power
point slides are not the presentation, but only a tool; the presentation is the combination of the
interactive material and your speech.
GUIDELINES FOR WORKSHOP PRESENTATION:

n Make eye contact and react to the audience. Don't read from the slides or from report,
and don't look too much at the slides (occasional glances are acceptable to help in
recalling the topic to cover).
n A 15-minute presentation can be practiced several times in advance, so do that until
you are confident enough. Some people also use a mirror when rehearsing as a
substitute for an audience.
Note: Prepare assignments as per these guidelines and it may be re-evaluated by the quality
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assurance cell, department of business administration, AIOU, Islamabad at any time.
======

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Final: 5-3-2021

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD

BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS (5009)

SEMESTER: SPRING, 2021

This packet comprises the following material:

The Mailing Officer,

Prof. Dr. Syed Hassan Raza

Q. 4 Discuss how to design questionnaire for collection of primary data. (20)

GUIDELINES FOR WORKSHOP PRESENTATION:

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