RMIT Classification: Trusted

ASM 2 BRIEFING (NDT)

A - Background requirements:

- File name: MKTG1418_A2_CampusCode_FamilyName+LastName_StudentID

- Word count limitation: 2000 words +/- 200 words means I will accept the max words for
your paper of 2200 words.
- Late work: Penalised at a rate of 10% of the total marks available per day (or part of a
day) late.
- Other reqruirements: special considerations are made for reasonable, explainable, and
informed cases. I am available for EXPLANATIONS, FEEDBACKS, SUPPORTS but you are
recommended to share your DIFFICULTIES AND PROBLEMS YOU ARE FACING, as well as
commit your 10.000% energy.

B - Content and structure requirements & general consulations:

1. Introduction and research background (300 words suggested)

This section should provide an overview of the specific scenario being addressed by
your market research plan, including information about the company and its market.
The overview should be based on relevant conditions and data that is believed to
influence and lead to the management decision problems in the scenario. In the
absence of necessary data, you can make reasonable assumptions of what might be the
case. The section should conclude with a clear statement of the management decision
problems and the key objectives of your market research plan.
- Introduce your scenario including key information about the brand/company you choose
(choose the key information which can impress the readers right away).
- Introduce very key background information which is RELEVANT to your scenario (at this
point, you can make reasonable assumptions of what might lead to the problem or case,
please don’t use irrelevant information to occupy your word limitation)
- The final sentence or paragraph must be concluded with a decision problem statement
with key objectives of the decision makers. (remember, these are the objectives of the
decision makers, not the research objectives)
- (if you can develop a theoretical framework, then, it’s easier for you to go next, it depends
on you; if you do, pls put it in the right place)
2. Research problem, research objectives and questions (300 words suggested)
This section should provide a clear and justified translation of the
management/marketing decision problems into an equivalent research problem. The
identification of the research problem should then be followed by statements of
research objectives and detailed questions that match with each research objective.
 RMIT Classification: Trusted

- The research problem or the KEY INFORMATION (TOPIC) you need to collect in the
research must be clearly stated in full a sentence (preferred)
- (if you can develop the UOA and especially variables, it’s easier for you to formulate the
research questions)
- Research objectives – the small elements of the research problem which help you achieve
your KEY INFORMATION to solve the decision problem.
- Research questions – build around the variables you need to collect, but you need to
understand the theories of each variable, (ex. The research objective is to identify the
purchasing decision, then you need to understand what is purchasing decision and stick
to that to come with your research questions, don’t go around with not relevant questions
please.)
- (For those who do a causal research, you can formulate the hypothesis right at this place.)
3. Research design (700 words suggested)
This section builds on the research objectives and detailed questions identified
previously. You will comment on the nature of your proposed project e.g., exploratory,
descriptive, causal research, to name some, or a combination of these natures. Your
comments should be supported by a well-argued justification. Then, propose a research
design that follows either a qualitative or quantitative approach, or both, and provide
a rationale for the selected design. Please also determine if you are going to use
secondary data or primary data, or both. Providing the rationale for your decisions is
always required.
- You are suggested to design a good table to map as a matrix from what research
objectives – methods or research (nature) – sources of data if applied – qualitative or
quantitative, then explain why, provide evidences and ratinales for your decisions one by
one:
1) Nature or method of the research (explore, describe, explain), use single method or
mixed or whatever. Different objectives may go with different methods
2) Explain the sources of data if you use both secondary and primary or only 1 type,
3) Define clearly the data types like qualitative or quantitative with explanation of
rationales. Different objectives may go with data types…
4. Data collection (700 words suggested)
In this section, you should clearly identify the process that will be used to gather the
necessary data to answer the research questions. Please specify what data collection
methods and communication techniques will be applied, in what order will they be
applied, and why has this approach been suggested. Note that different research
objectives might be achieved by using different data collection methods.
You are also required to present and discuss your sampling methods in this section.
Your discussion should include but is not limited to the following information: the
target population and sample size, sampling frames, sampling methods used in each
stage of the sampling process, as well as relevant errors that may be associated with
 RMIT Classification: Trusted

your proposed data collection process and their respective remedies. Please note that
you will need to explain your answers with rationale rather than simply presenting the
information.
- For the first part, you are recommended to extend the research design table above to
map your RELEVANT data collection method and relevant communication techniques.
Following this, you should explain and provide evidences, rationales for your choice of
WHY. You can use different data collection methods for different objectives…
- For the second part, you need to provide the target population where you take the
representative samples with specific and clear data, provide the sampling frame if you
have (be noted that the sampling frame will define your sampling methods), define the
sampling selection methods, stages of sampling, SAMPLE SIZE with clear and rational
explanations.