Strategic Research

Unit Handbook 2021/2

Unit Leader: Mary Carson mcarson@ucreative.ac.uk
Unit Code: EFMM6007
Unit Teaching dates: 8th November - 21st January
Submission Deadline: by Friday 21st January 2021 4pm

HELP & ADVICE

Information available on myUCA EFMM6007 unit area:

• Your Unit Handbook (which includes your Unit Brief)

• Your Unit Timetable + Groups
• Past Student work examples
• myReading List
• Teaching Materials where any lectures, handouts and materials are stored
• Design Library which includes technical videos to help you with design
• Weekly Thursday email announcement will confirm schedule for following week. This will also
be sent direct to your email inbox.

Always use your contact teaching time to ask questions to seek help and clarification - every session
has the opportunity to ask questions to your tutors directly.

Course Team Contacts:

Year 3 Lead Tutor + Unit Leader Mary Carson (Mon-Thurs)

Year 3 Tutor Chris Holt (Mon-Wed)

Year 3 Tutor Louie Stewart-Poynter ((as timetabled)

Programme Director Charlotte Rutter (Mon-Fri)

EAP Tutor Naz (Narinder) Gill Narinder.Gill@uca.ac.uk

EAP CLASSES the same link for every lesson:

https://uca.zoom.us/j/8929166821. There is no need for a passcode. Please ensure you are logged into
zoom using your UCA email (for attendance purposes).

UCA Additional Student Support:

gatewayepsom@uca.ac.uk or 01372 202461 for most student support including 1:1 Study Skills, Financial
Advice, Health and Wellbeing, International Student Support, Disability and Specific Learning Differences
(including Dyslexia Support), and Careers and Employability Advisors.
UCA Counselling can be accessed here https://www.uca.ac.uk/student-services/counselling/

For help with myUCA including Collaborate and Turnitin contact mycoursehelp@uca.ac.uk

Mathew Parfitt - Liaison Librarian can offer tutorial support with researching and referencing - to book a
tutorial, you can check availability and book online
here: https://ucreative.libcal.com/appointments/matthew

myLibrary offers you access to an amazing range of digital research resources - if you need help
with library online resources contact eresources@uca.ac.uk

For Mitigating Circumstances applications, help to view your marks, requests for transcripts and other
administrative contact campusregistryepsom@uca.ac.uk

For technical assistance and support with design software, including Adobe contact
epsomtechniciansupport@uca.ac.uk

For IT assistance visit https://students.uca.ac.uk/it-help/

UNIT TITLE Strategic Research

Unit Code EFMM6007
Location Epsom
 Level 6
Duration (number of weeks) 8 Weeks
Credit Value 40
Total Learning Hours for Unit 400
Date of approval of this version September 2020

Course(s) to which this unit contributes BA (Hons) Fashion Management & Marketing

CONTENT

The emphasis of this unit is on thorough, investigative research into key areas of fashion management and
marketing to support a proposal for a new business concept.

You will be expected to consider the theoretical and professional contexts of your exploration of the competitive
marketplace. It is important that your work and research is contemporary, innovative and representative of its
target audience and market.

Equipped with this knowledge you will be able to determine a future thinking and sustainable new business
opportunity, which demonstrates a process of critical evaluation and a suitable proposal for implementation.

OUTLINE SYLABUS

• Market research methodologies

• Research strategies
• Experimentation and development of ideas and practice
• Theory and practice in relation to fashion management and marketing
• SLA
• Concept proposal development
• Report writing
• Critical reflection
• Personal Development Planning
• Self-management and wellbeing

AIMS

The aims of this unit are to:

A1 To increase and deepen your knowledge of contemporary fashion management and marketing

A2 To provide opportunities to identify a gap in the market

A3 Facilitate critical evaluation to produce a rationale for a new business proposal

A4 To enable clear, structured and creative communication of your research and proposal
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
On completion of the unit, you will be able to:

LO1 Evaluate the competitive marketplace for a chosen market sector to identify innovative new
business opportunities

LO2 Apply primary and secondary market research methodologies to deepen your understanding
of a chosen market sector

LO3 Demonstrate transferable professional skills, incorporating digital written and visual
communication to clearly and creatively present your research and proposal

LO4 Demonstrate professionalism, self-management and critical reflection

INDICATIVE TEACHING & LEARNING METHODS

No. of hours of scheduled activity1 140

No. of hours of independent activity 260
No. of hours of placement activity

This will comprise:

• Lectures
• Tutorials
• Workshops
• Presentations
• Critiques
• Studio Time
• Self-Directed Study

ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS

Table A1- Assessment Components

Assessment Weigh Typical Indicative Assessment Type For Word Count

Component List -ting (%) Assessment tasks each component double Approx word
all separate click in the box count where
components Where the component to see options. applicable
comprises more than one The options equate to
assessment task the assessment types in
table A2

Portfolio 100 Individual Research Portfolio Report

Individual Market Research 5,000
Report
Individual self-management
critical reflection
1 This data is required for CMA/published information purposes. Further guidance about classification
of ‘scheduled’ activity can be found in the Unit Descriptor Guidance Notes in Annex 5 of the QAH
Table A2 –Categories for Assessment

Assessment Type % of assessment Category

Written exam Written
Set exercise (under exam conditions but not testing Written
practical skills)
Written assignment, including essay Coursework
Report Coursework
Dissertation Coursework
Portfolio 100% Coursework
Project output (other than dissertation) Coursework
Set exercise (not under exam conditions, e.g. Coursework
critiques)
Oral assessment and presentation Practical
Practical skills assessment (including production of Practical
an artefact)
Set exercise testing practical skills Practical

Table A3 – Summary of Table A2 data

Assessment Category Total % for Unit

Written
Coursework 100%
Practical

Table A4- Assessment Criteria

CRITERION MAPS TO LEARNING OUTCOME

There should be at least one criteria against each
learning outcome for the unit

Knowledge of: LO1

Competitive marketplace and future opportunities for a
chosen market sector

Understanding through application of: LO2

Analysis, evaluation and synthesis of a range
of research sources and methodologies

Application of technical and professional skills: LO3

Written and visual communication

Application of technical and professional skills: LO4

Critical reflection and self-management

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 RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS CRITIQUES

You have the opportunity to present your initial research for formative feedback to help you
progress towards signing off your SLA.
Presentations are scheduled with your group as timetabled on 22nd and 23rd November.

Make your presentation visual and engaging

Bring your research to life with images

Plan to talk for about 5 minutes

Save your presentation as a PowerPoint or PDF so you can share

What to include:

• Intro - what Market Sector/Sectors are you researching?

• Inspiration - why do you care?
• Insight - what relevant primary and secondary research have you done?
• Interest - who & what is of interest?
• Foresight - what are you looking to solve?

SLA - STUDENT LEARNING AGREEMENT

You are required to sign off an SLA with a tutor to agree your research proposals, plan to
complete this w/c 29th Nov but this can be updated later with your tutors if necessary.
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Use this template to type up and complete:

Student Learning Agreement EFMM 6007 Strategic Research

Student Name:

Intro - what Market Sector/Sectors are you researching?

Inspiration - why do you care?

Insight - what relevant primary and secondary research have you done?
Provide a list of observational, primary, secondary and anecdotal evidence
with referenced sources

Interest - who & what is of interest?

What primary research sources can you use?

Foresight - what are you looking to solve?

Career/Future Study:
How does your research proposal support your future plans after graduation?

Agreed by:

Tutor Name: On Date:

SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS and DEADLINE

Your Assessment Brief contains 3 parts on which you will be assessed:

1. Research Website or Research Journal (with Tutor agreed + dated SLA)

2. PDP with Individual self-management critical reflection (400-500 words)
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 3. Illustrated Market Research Report (4500-5000 words)

DEADLINE for Assessment Brief Parts 1-3 by 4pm on Friday 21st January 2022

Submit digitally the following:

 Assessment Cover Sheet Upload to Submit Your Work on myUCA in EFMM6007 - must include
Turnitin Reference Number and wordcount for Part 3 Report + Website link
and password if submitting a Website for Part 2.

 Part 1 Research Journal upload to Submit Your Work on myUCA in EFMM6007 OR

Research Website give Website link & password on your Assessment Cover Sheet

 Part 2 PDP Journal + Individual Self-Reflection upload to Submit your Work Area on myUCA in
EFMM6007

 Part 3 Report PDF upload to Turnitin in Submit Your work EFMM6007

Remember it is your responsibility to back up your digital work securely

THE ASSESSMENT BRIEF

Things to Consider:

 Your research and proposals should provide enough scope to show your skills in the Strategic
Implementation unit in Term 2/3
 Your proposals should allow you to demonstrate your greatest strengths and interests
 You may not find the evidence you need to support your initial ideas so be prepared to change
direction

THE ASSESSMENT BRIEF - Part 1

PART 1 Research - Choose either a Website or Research Journal

Your Research should be professionally presented, clear and easy to navigate through.
Show your research journey and process of critical analysis and evaluation
You can see examples of previous student’s work on myUCA

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 Website - clearly sectioned with a horizontal
navigation bar on top of each page
OR
Research Journal - with Contents Page with
section headings and page numbers

The following provides some suggestions as to

what you could include in your research website
or journal but you can adapt this:

 SLA (Tutor agreed and dated)

 Discovery Research
 Ideas Development and Assessing ideas
analysis eg Mindmaps
 Key secondary research eg books,
documentaries, podcasts, reports and
articles of interest
 Market Research
 Competitor and Brand Analysis
 Exhibitions, talks, webinars, online
events
 Primary research - interviews, focus
groups and questionnaires - include
photos and video recordings and observations
 Critical reflection on your research process, ideas development and key findings

Always clearly annotate and critically reflect on your research leading the reader through your research process.

Note: Referencing + Bibliography Part 1 Research - you should make the source of your research clear in your
research journal or website, but you do not need to have a bibliography for Part 1 Research.

THE ASSESSMENT BRIEF - Part 2

Part 2 PDP + Self-Management Critical Reflection (400 - 500 words)

PDP
Complete PDP form to discuss in your PDP tutorial - you can update and add to your PDP as you progress through
the unit.

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Self-Management Critical Reflection (400 - 500 words)
Towards the end of this unit write your Self-Management Critical Reflection to submit for assessment with your
PDP Journal (400-500 words)

Writing a critical reflection happens in two phases:

1. Analyse
In the first phase, analyse your Self-Management and Personal Development asking critical questions:

• What areas have I taken + expanded, worked with or reshaped?

• Where have I grown or developed so far this year and over my whole 3 years at UCA?
• How has my critical thinking developed?
• What are my most progressed skills? e.g. Time management, self-care, communication, group work,
life/work balance, negotiating, self-reflection etc.

2. Articulate
In the second phase, use your analysis to develop a clear argument about what you learned. The way forward -
explore how your experiences will shape your future thinking and behavior:

• What are you going to do as a result of your experiences?

• What will you do differently?
• How will you apply what you learned?

THE ASSESSMENT BRIEF - Part 3

Part 3 Illustrated Market Research Report (4500 - 5000 words)

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 Tips for a successful report
 Word count guideline (4500- 5000) - be concise and clear
 Create a clear story narrative for the reader leading them through the report to your conclusions
 Only include relevant research to support your proposals
 Support your report with UCA Harvard referenced primary and secondary research evidence
from a wide range of sources
 Write in the third person (do not use “I”)
 Presentation is very important - your report should be produced in InDesign
 Do not use upper case font except for headings/quotes
 Avoid large tracts of unbroken text
 Use visuals, graphics, graphs and charts wherever possible to illustrate

Example of suggested report structure but you can amend this:

Cover Page with your name and Unit Title

Contents Page with section headings and page numbers
Report structure continued:
Executive Summary
Your executive summary should be no more than a page - it’s concise length and summary
format will enable the reader to quickly get an overview of the report and proposals.
It should be the last thing you write in your report even though it's usually the first thing
read by others

Introduction

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 Say why the report was written, summarise research methodology, sources of
information and limitations to your research

1. Market Overview
1.1 Current Market Analysis (market size, performance, growth, shrinkage)
1.2 Market Share (key players, changes to market share)
1.3 Factors affecting the Market (Macro/Micro drivers and restraints)

2. Impacting Retail, Marketing and Lifestyle Trends

3. Related Consumer Demographics and Ethnographics

3.1 Demographic and ethnographic group changes and developments
3.2 The consumer - shopping and spending priorities
3.3 Marketing Typologies/Tribes (with visual examples that capture lifestyle trends, supported by
primary research)

4. Brand Analysis Competitive Landscape

4.1 Competitor Position Matrix
4.2 Brand Research and Analysis - synthesis of key findings to inform potential opportunities

5. Quantitative and Qualitative Research to identify gap/s in the market

Synthesis of the key findings of your quantitative and qualitative primary research to establish potential
gaps with target consumers/groups

6. Proposal
You should now be able to present a rationale evaluating your finding from sections 1 to 5 to identify
opportunities in the market

7. SWOT

8. Future Thinking
Things we WILL do
Things we MIGHT do
Things we will NEVER
do

9. Point of Difference

10. Conclusions & Recommendations

Bibliography UCA Harvard

List of Illustrations

Appendices (these are optional)

MY UCA - MY READING LIST
Reading Lists are now accessed direct through myReading List
in EFMM6007 on myUCA

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MY UCA - MY LIBRARY SECONDARY RESEARCH RESOURCES

https://ucreative.libguides.com/mylibrary

Databases A-Z to access:

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 Drapers Online
 Edited
 Euromonitor Passport
 Fashion + Beauty Monitor
 Flipster
 LS:N Global
 Mintel
 Nexis
 Press Reader
 WARC
 WGSN

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 Mitigating Circumstances:

UCA has a system for helping students who need extra time to do their learning on a project due to
illness or another circumstance outside their control which occurs suddenly during a Unit’s teaching
and couldn’t be predicted or avoided by the student. Please contact unit leader Mary Carson before
your deadline should you need to apply.

To apply for extra time using this system go to the myA-Z on myUCA. Go to the ‘M’ section. Read
the guidance about mitigating circumstances and download the form (this works best in Chrome).
Fill it in and email it to campusregistryepsom@uca.ac.uk it will then be sent to the Program Director
for consideration and authorisation.

Academic Misconduct Regulations:

UCA has academic misconduct regulations which apply to all students’ submissions. You may read
these regulations in full in the A section of the myA-Z on myUCA.

Here are some important aspects to consider:

The University has a public duty to ensure that the highest standards are maintained in the conduct
of assessment. This is essential to safeguard the legitimate interests of its students and the
University’s academic standards and reputation. Academic misconduct is taken very seriously. The
University will take action against any student who contravenes these regulations through
negligence, carelessness, ignorance or by deliberate intent. The University considers that an act of
academic misconduct is committed irrespective of whether the student intended to commit the act,
e.g. plagiarism may be committed regardless of whether the student intended to deceive the
assessors.

Plagiarism (including self-plagiarism)

2.2.1This is where a student either: i) presents work for assessment which contains the unacknowledged
published or unpublished words, thoughts, judgements, ideas, structures or images of another person
or persons. This includes material downloaded from digital sources, and material obtained from a third
party; or

ii) presents work for assessment which that student has previously submitted for assessment as part
of the same or another unit or course, or at another institution. This is known as self-plagiarism and
relates to the principle that a student may not receive credit for the Page 2 of 9 2020/21 same piece
of work more than once unless specifically required to resubmit work (e.g. as part of a Resit task.)

2.2.2It is not an offence for a student to draw upon the work or ideas of another person where this is
appropriately acknowledged. Plagiarism can be avoided by the accurate use of quotation marks,
detailed references and a full bibliography.

Further information, including guidance on how to avoid plagiarism, can be found on the Academic
Integrity section of the myA-Z on myUCA. Students who have any doubts about what constitutes
correct referencing can also look up the Harvard Referencing Guide on the UCA website at the
following

link: https://www.uca.ac.uk/library/academic-support/harvard-referencing/

Alternatively, students can contact Matthew Parfitt the liaison librarian or the learning development
tutors for support on this.