LD7201 Academic and Employability Skills and Research Methods Dissertation Semester 1, 2025/26

Academic Year	2025/26

LD7201 General Information

Further information about The Assessment Regulations for Taught Awards (ARTA), general assessment criteria, regulations, referencing and plagiarism can be found on the e-Learning Portal (Blackboard) site for the module. Students are advised to read and follow this information.

Module Learning Outcomes (MLOs)

Knowledge & Understanding:

• KU1 Demonstrate critical knowledge and understanding of choosing,
  justifying and implementing an appropriate & systematic research methodology and methods for the successful completion of a major research project in a given time and with appropriate resources.
• KU 2 Knowledge and understanding of a range of hard and soft skills and competencies required for research, employability, and entrepreneurship.

Intellectual / Professional Skills & Abilities:

• IPSA 1 Systematically identify your pathways-specific complex business problem, plan and execute a major research project on a contemporary business, and then present your report to the relevant stakeholders thus demonstrating skills to solve complex business problems.
• IPSA 2 Be able to critically apply, analyse, synthesise and evaluate a range of discipline-specific concepts, theories and models, as well as demonstrate competency in choosing & implementing an appropriate research methodology, and collecting and analysing data for your chosen research topic.
  Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• PVA 1 Demonstrate curiosity and critical awareness of professional, ethical, social, legal and sustainability issues in research and also about the processes involved in the research, including reflection upon your own ethical values, job relevant skills, meeting targets, self-direction, originality, independence and the contribution of the research to the topic area.

This assessment contributes to KU2 and PVA1

LD7201 Instructions on Assessment

This strand will be assessed by one summative assessment: A Personal Development Plan (for your chosen field of work) of 1,500 words which comprises the following three components:

Part 1: Academic Report (750 words)

Write a critical evaluation of employment, career and entrepreneurial opportunities within your chosen field of work. Use a range of relevant literature, both academic and professional sources, to inform your writing.

Present your writing as an academic report. Divide your report into relevant sections which may include some of the following:

• Knowledge, skills and competencies
• Employment opportunities
• Entrepreneurial opportunities
• Challenges

Decide which sections are most appropriate for your field and include an introduction and conclusion.
Your ‘chosen field of work’ must be clearly related to your study pathway specialism. For example, if you are studying Business with Finance, Investment Banking is a relevant field, whereas Hotel Management is not.

Part 2: Self-analysis and Action Plan (750 words)

Write a self-analysis that identifies your strengths and weaknesses in relation to your chosen field of work/career path. Include three action points for personal development to enhance your readiness for your career goals. Use a range of relevant literature, both academic and professional sources, to inform your reflection.

Part 3: Portfolio of completed tasks (appendices A – F)

Provide evidence of completed tasks and ‘Turnitin’ submission receipts.
(A. Library search task sheet / 
B. Evaluate sources task sheet /
C. Annotated reading list / 
D. Report outline / 
E. Personal SWOT analysis / 
F. SMART action plan). These should be appendices to your assignment.

Professional presentation of your assessment and portfolio completion.

• You must present all three components (Part1, Part 2 and Part 3) as one document. (Use MS Word or equivalent)
• You must present your work to the academic standard commensurate with Level 7 following APA style guidelines on formatting and style.

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Word Limit and Weighting

	Length	Weighting
Part 1: Academic Report	750 words	40%
Part 2: Self-analysis and action plan	750 words	40%
Part 3: Portfolio Tasks (Appendices A – F)	n/a	10%
Professional presentation	n/a	10%
Total	1,500 (+/- 10%)	100%

The Word count does not include appendices, references or tables.

Please note, in text citations [e.g. (Smith, 2011)] and direct secondary quotations [e.g. “dib- dab nonsense analysis” (Smith, 2011 p.123)] are INCLUDED in the word count.

If this word count is falsified, students are reminded that under ARTA this will be regarded as academic misconduct.
The marker will stop reading at the point when they judge that the word limit exceeds the recommended word count by more than 10%. The marker will indicate the point at which they stop reading on the text.

Students must retain an electronic copy of this assignment (including ALL appendices) so it can be submitted again if necessary.

The full Word Limit Policy is available here

Mapping to Programme Goals and Objectives:

At the end of your programme of study you will have achieved the following goals: 

Goal 1: To develop the skills necessary for employment and career progression. 
Goal 2: Be culturally and ethically aware.
Goal 3: Have developed leadership and management capability.
Goal 4: Have developed and applied knowledge of international business and management theory.
Goal 5: Have developed a range of research skills and project capabilities.

All learning that takes place within modules is designed to enable you to achieve the above goals and your assessment tasks are mapped directly to these goals. In this module you will be assessed on objectives relating to Goal 1:
1.1 Demonstrate awareness of your personal strengths and weaknesses and the ability to engage in continuing self-development.

LD7201 Marking Criteria

Marking Criteria
	0-39% Standard Not Met 1	40-49% Standard Not Met 2	50-59% Meets Standard 1	60-69% Meets Standard 2	70-79% Exceeds Standard 1	80-89% Exceeds Standard 2	90-100% Exceeds Standard 3
Part 1 –	Demonstrates very	Displays inadequate	Demonstrates	Indicates satisfactory	Shows solid	Displays a high level	Demonstrates an
Report	poor knowledge and	knowledge and	somewhat limited	knowledge and	knowledge and	of knowledge and	exceptional depth of
Content	understanding of the	understanding of the	knowledge and	understanding of the	understanding of the	understanding of the	knowledge and
	chosen field. Analysis	chosen field. Analysis	understanding of the	chosen field. Analysis	chosen field. Analysis	chosen field. Analysis	understanding.
	is absent or entirely	is minimal offering	chosen field. Mostly	presents a basic	offers insights into	provides	Analysis is insightful
	superficial. Critical	little insight into	descriptive. Analysis	exploration of	opportunities and	multifaceted views of	and offers nuanced
	evaluation of sources	opportunities and	may lack depth or	opportunities and	challenges. Critical	opportunities and	perspectives. Critical
	is missing.	challenges. Critical	insights into	challenges. Critical	evaluation of sources	challenges. Critical	evaluation of sources
	Arguments are non-	evaluation of sources	opportunities and	evaluation of sources	is present, assessing	evaluation of sources	is thorough,
	existent or	is missing. Arguments	challenges. Critical	is evident though	strengths and	is effective,	identifying strengths
	incomprehensible.	lack development	evaluation of sources	limited. Arguments	limitations.	recognising strengths	and limitations.
		and meaningful	is weak or absent.	are adequately	Arguments are	and limitations.	Arguments are well
		support.	Arguments lack	supported by some	adequately	Arguments are well	crafted and
			coherence or strong	relevant sources.	developed and	developed and	supported by a wide
			support.		supported by	supported by	range of relevant
					relevant sources.	relevant sources.	sources.
Score	1 –4	5-7	8 –9	10-11	12-13	14-15	16
Part 1 – Report	Introduction is	Introduction lacks	Introduces the topic	Introduces the topic	Presents a well-	Introduces the topic	Demonstrates
Structure	unclear or missing,	clarity or structure,	but may lack clarity	and maintains	structured	clearly and organises	exceptional clarity in
	making the structure	affecting overall	in structure.	organisation with	introduction and	the report	introduction and
	difficult to discern.	organisation.	Transitions could be	clear headings.	body, with clear	coherently.	structure, guiding the
	Transitions are	Transitions between	smoother to improve	Transitions are	headings, allowing	Transitions are	reader seamlessly
	absent or severely	ideas are unclear,	flow. Conclusion	mostly smooth,	the reader to	smooth, facilitating	through the report.
	disrupt the flow.	impeding	summarises points	guiding the reader	navigate the report.	easy comprehension.	Logical flow and
	Conclusion is absent	comprehension.	but may lack	through the report.	Adequate transitions	The conclusion	transitions enhance
	or does not	Conclusion may not	conciseness.	The conclusion	maintain logical	concisely reiterates	readability.
	summarise	effectively	Paragraphs and	restates main points.	progression.	important aspects.	Concluding summary
	effectively.	encapsulate main	cohesion could be	Paragraphs and	Conclusion	Paragraphs and	encapsulates key
	Paragraphing and	points. Paragraphs	more effective.	cohesion are	summarises key	cohesion contribute	insights effectively.
	cohesion hinder	and cohesion need		adequately used.	points satisfactorily.	to readability.	Paragraphs and
	readability.	significant			Paragraphs and		cohesion are
		improvement.			cohesion are used		masterfully
					appropriately.		employed.

Score	1 –4	5-7	8 –9	10-11	12-13	14-15	16
Part 1 – Report Communicatin g ideas	Style is informal or inappropriate. Coherence is severely lacking rendering writing nearly incomprehensible. Pervasive grammar and syntax errors hinder any meaningful communication.	Style may be inappropriate and inconsistent. Coherence is inconsistent making writing challenging to follow. Frequent grammar and syntax errors obscure clarity.	Style is mostly appropriate (formal and objective) but lapses may be evident. Coherence issues may intermittently disrupt readability. Errors may occasionally hinder comprehension	Style is mostly appropriate (formal and objective) with only occasional lapses. There may be occasional lapses in coherence. Errors rarely affect comprehension.	Adopts an appropriate style for report. Writing is generally coherent. Minor errors do not impede comprehension.	Maintains a consistently appropriate style. Coherent, clear and organised writing. Expression is consistently accurate resulting in clear communication.	Employs an appropriate style throughout. Coherence is impeccable, enhancing overall readability. Clear and precise expression.
Score	1 –2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Part 2 Self-analysis and reflection	Lacks self-awareness, with no meaningful identification of strengths and weaknesses. Absence of relevant literature. Reflection on personal qualities is absent or severely lacking.	Inadequate self- awareness, with identification of strengths and weaknesses lacking substance. Use of relevant literature is minimal. Reflection on personal qualities is rudimentary.	Reveals a limited level of self- awareness with identification of strengths and weaknesses lacking depth. The relevant literature may be sporadic. Reflection on personal qualities i