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Assessment Task One Guideline Applied Business Research Methods Due:Class Week 4.5 Type:Business Research Methods Evaluation Value of Assessment:30% Rationale for Assessment: This assessment offers learners the opportunity to demonstrate that they have gained understandings, critical and analytical skills that relate to learning outcomes 1- Differentiate common research methodologies applied in business and professional business advising (Range - Quantitative & Qualitative, Mixed Methods Model, Action and Appreciative Inquiry methods) and 2 - Critically evaluate a range of action and appreciative inquiry based business research project literature. Learners are required in this assessment to differentiate major methodological schools of research thought and practice, analyse action and appreciative inquiry research methodology and critically evaluate samples of action and appreciative inquiry based research literature. . Guidelines for Assessment: In this assessment Learners are required to exhibit the capacity to: differentiate major schools of research methodological thought; analyse action and appreciative inquiry research methods and evaluate action and appreciative inquiry based research project papers. The above assessment task is designed to form the basis for choosing one of these research methods for a research and ethics proposal and the topic or question focus of Assessment Task Two. Core requirements the Assessment must include are set out below: 1. Review class notes, designated readings and preparatory activities and formative assessment task learning. 1. Formulate an Evaluation Format that includes the following section headings: Introduction; Differentiation of the three Major Research Approaches; Critical Evaluation of Action Research Papers; Critical Evaluation of Appreciative Inquiry Research Papers; Reflection on Potential Research Project Foci, Summative Conclusion and References. 3. Word limit excluding references (1200 to 1800 words) Marking Criteria Marks may be awarded as set out below. Assessment Requirements Available Marks 1. Introduction (Up to one mark maybe awarded for clarity of the introduction and ‘evaluation’ purpose). 2 1. Differentiation of the three Major Research Approaches (Up to two mark maybe awarded for the clarity and accuracy of the differentiations of each of the three major schools of research thought) 6 1. Critical Evaluation of Action Research Papers (Up to one mark maybe awarded for the accurate identification, analysis, articulation and future inferences drawn from evaluating the Action Research papers) 4 1. Critical Evaluation of Appreciative Inquiry Research Papers (Up to one mark maybe awarded for the accurate identification, analysis, articulation and future inferences drawn from evaluating the Appreciative Inquiry Research papers) 4 1. Reflection on Potential Research Project Foci (Up to one mark maybe awarded for the reflection on the literature reviewed, additional case study material examined, analysis of the meanings drawn from these sources and identification of a ‘valuable research project topic and /or question for applied investigation) 8 1. Summative Conclusion (Up to two marks maybe awarded for the accurate insights and articulation of the Evaluation outcomes for the Learner) 4 1. References (Up to one mark maybe awarded for accuracy and completeness of the reference section purpose). 2 Total 30 Note to Assessor: Assessor should be informed by the generic Marking Rubric-Performance Criteria in the Learner Programme Handbook. Recommended Readings See required readings and handouts given in classes Comparison of Environmental Impact of Plastic, Paper and Cloth Bags Providing research and information services to the Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Library Service Briefing Note 1 Paper 36/11 23 February 2011 NIAR 139-11 Kirsty Bell and Suzie Cave Comparison of Environmental Impact of Plastic, Paper and Cloth Bags This Briefing Note looks at the environmental impact of different types of carrier bags- cloth, paper and plastic. Their impact is compared based on four categories: decomposition, the manufacturing process, their reusability and their recyclability. 1. Decomposition Paper Bags Research demonstrates that paper in landfills does not degrade or break down at a substantially faster rate than plastic does. In fact, nothing completely degrades in modern landfills because of the lack of water, light, oxygen and other important elements that are necessary for the degradation process to be completed. A paper bag takes up more space than a plastic bag in a landfill, but because paper is recycled at a higher rate, saving space in landfills is less of an issue.1 1 http://www.davidkrohn.net/what-are-the-impacts-of-plastic-paper-and-jute-bags-and-which-is-the-most- environmentally-friendly/ http://www.davidkrohn.net/what-are-the-impacts-of-plastic-paper-and-jute-bags-and-which-is-the-most-environmentally-friendly/ http://www.davidkrohn.net/what-are-the-impacts-of-plastic-paper-and-jute-bags-and-which-is-the-most-environmentally-friendly/ NIAR 319-10 Plastic, Paper and Cloth Bags Providing research and information services to the Northern Ireland Assembly 2 Plastic Bags It can take between 400 and 1000 years for plastic bags to decompose. A number of UK retailers have recently introduced degradable carrier bags. These bags are made from plastic which degrades under certain conditions or after a predetermined length of time. There are two types of degradable plastic: bio-degradable plastics, which contain a small percentage of non oil-based material, such as corn starch; and photodegradable plastics, which will break down when exposed to sunlight. There are a number of concerns over the use of degradable plastics. First, these plastics will only degrade if disposed of in appropriate conditions. For example, a photodegradable plastic product will not degrade if it is buried in a landfill site where there is no light. Second, they may cause an increase in emissions of the greenhouse gas methane, as methane is released when materials biodegrade anaerobically.2 2. Manufacturing Process Paper Bags It takes more than four times as much energy to manufacture a paper bag as it does to manufacture a plastic bag. For paper bag production, forests must be cut down (trees are absorbers of greenhouse gases) and then the subsequent manufacturing of bags produces greenhouse gases. The majority of paper bags are made by heating wood chips under pressure at high temperatures in a chemical solution. The use of these toxic chemicals contributes to both air pollution, such as acid rain, and water pollution. These chemicals can pollute waterways; the toxicity of the chemicals is long-term and settles into the sediments, working its way through the food chain. Further toxicity is generated as both plastic and paper bags degrade. Paper bags generate 70% more air and 50 times more water pollutants than plastic bags.3 It would take approximately seven lorries to transport the same number of paper bags as can be transported by a single lorry full of plastic bags.4 Plastic Bags Plastics are produced from the waste products of oil refining. An analysis of the life cycle of plastic bags includes consideration of the environmental impacts associated with the 2 http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/informationsheets/plastics.htm 3 http://www.reuseit.com/learn-more/myth-busting/why-paper-is-no-better-than-plastic 4 http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/1268.html http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/informationsheets/plastics.htm http://www.reuseit.com/learn-more/myth-busting/why-paper-is-no-better-than-plastic http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/1268.html NIAR 319-10 Plastic, Paper and Cloth Bags Providing research and information services to the Northern Ireland Assembly 3 extraction of oil, the separation of products in the refining process, and the manufacturing of plastics. The total environmental impact depends upon the efficiency of operations at each stage and the effectiveness of their environmental protection measures.5 Their manufacture can add many tons of carbon and other toxic chemicals into the atmosphere6 It takes around 2 billion barrels of oil to service the plastic bag industry alone.7 However, plastics are currently made from a by-product of oil or natural gas. It could be argued that this by-product arises because the world needs fuels, and would arise whether or not the by-product were used to make plastic goods. Until other fuels have been developed, it makes good environmental sense to use the by-product, instead of using scarce agricultural resources and water to make paper or cloth bags or vegetable- based plastic.8 Cloth Bags Cloth Bags are much thicker and more expensive. 30,000 cotton bags can be packed into a 20-foot container, but the same container will accommodate 2.5 million plastic carrier-bags. Therefore, to transport the same number of jute or cotton bags 80x more ships and lorries would be required than for plastic bags, using 80x more fuel, using 80x more road space and emitting 80x more CO2.9 3. Reusability Plastic Bags Plastic Bags can be made very thin, and are still strong enough to carry a full load of heavy shopping. A plastic bag can carry 2,500 times its own weight and stay strong when wet. The bags can also be re-used many times over for shopping, and are compact enough to be put in a pocket or handbag. They are also put to many other uses in the home, and for other uses such as clearing dog-waste from the streets, and most of them will eventually serve as a bin-liner to safely collect and dispose of household waste.10 Reusable plastic bags (the so-called ‘bags for life’) are more sustainable than all types of lightweight plastic carrier bags if used four times or more. They give the greatest 5 http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/1268.html 6 http://www.davidkrohn.net/what-are-the-impacts-of-plastic-paper-and-jute-bags-and-which-is-the-most- environmentally-friendly 7 http://www.ecocarrierbag.co.uk/eco/faq.asp 8 http://www.biodeg.org/position-papers/plastic-bag-bans/ 9 http://www.biodeg.org/position-papers/plastic-bag-bans/ 10 http://www.biodeg.org/position-papers/plastic-bag-bans http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/1268.html http://www.davidkrohn.net/what-are-the-impacts-of-plastic-paper-and-jute-bags-and-which-is-the-most-environmentally-friendly http://www.davidkrohn.net/what-are-the-impacts-of-plastic-paper-and-jute-bags-and-which-is-the-most-environmentally-friendly http://www.ecocarrierbag.co.uk/eco/faq.asp http://www.biodeg.org/position-papers/plastic-bag-bans/ http://www.biodeg.org/position-papers/plastic-bag-bans/ http://www.biodeg.org/position-papers/plastic-bag-bans NIAR 319-10 Plastic, Paper and Cloth Bags Providing research and information services to the Northern Ireland Assembly 4 environmental benefits over the full lifecycle.11 Tesco reward customers with one ‘Green’ Clubcard point for every bag re-used, even if it isn’t one of their bags.12 According to the Welsh Assembly Government, The Environment Agency completed a study into the environmental impacts of types of carrier bags. The study concluded that for a paper bag to have the same impact on the environment as a plastic bag it would need to be used at least 4 times; however, most paper bags would not be durable enough to be used 4 times.13 Cloth Bags Cloth Bags can be reused many times. However, cloth bags are not hygienic, like plastic bags. Research by Guelph Chemical Laboratories in Canada in 2008 Microbiological Study of Reusable Grocery Bags4 has shown that "re-usable grocery bags can become an active microbial habitat and a breeding-ground for bacteria, yeast, mould, and coli forms."14 4. Recyclability Paper Bags It takes 91% less energy to