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Dear MUBS Students, I welcome you back from your holidays and
bring you greetings from the MUBS Field attachment/Action Research
Project Coordination Office. I hope you enjoyed your long holiday
break of June August 2010 which was marked by hard work of field
attachment. During my visits to your respective lecture
halls/rooms, I talked to you face to face on how your field
attachment should be conducted, the most critical timelines and the
expected outcomes. These meetings were also supplemented by an
extra meeting with GRCs from all the academic programmes currently
run at MUBS. I want to take this opportunity and in a special way
thank the Students Guild Education Minister and the Entire students
guild that made it possible for the meetings to take place. I know
the GRCs delivered the deliberations of the meeting to all MUBS
students.
My dear students, I would like to remind you that, its mandatory
for all university
students pursuing their degree programmes at MUBS to undertake
Field attachment as a
requirement for the degree award. This is consistent with the
minimum requirements set by National Council for Higher Education
(NCHE) and the field attachment Guidelines approved by Makerere
University Senate, a copy of which was given to you and also
uploaded on the MUBS webpage for your information and action.
Details of students e-mail accounts and the corresponding
supervisors (2008-09) and the Additional list of students' email
accounts and the corresponding supervisors (2008-09) were uploaded
in March 2010 on the following webpage -
[http://www.mubs.ac.ug/home/research/undergraduate/action-research].
A copy of the approved Makerere University field attachment
guidelines is available on the following website-
[http://www.mubs.ac.ug/home/research/undergraduate/field-attachment].
The Field attachment course appears on all MUBS programmes with
5 Credit
Units (CU) including BBC and BOIM programmes. No student shall
be
allowed to graduate without completing and satisfying the
minimum
requirements, for all courses approved on the programme
structure
he/she registered for. If you recall, last semester, my office
in collaboration with all
MUBS Faculties and MIS created and circulated a list of
supervisors to all MUBS students, created students user accounts
and posted it to all students accounts together with other useful
information to you. I came to your respective classes and addressed
you over these matters and asked you to begin your field attachment
work with the guidance of your supervisors. This field attachment
course should not be confused with research methods or Business
Research Skills, where you are expected to be assessed using
coursework and tests constituting 30% and a 3 hour examination at
the end of the semester, accounting for 70%. Please remember that,
the final output for the Field attachment work shall be
(1) A preliminary 5 page field attachment report which should
have
been submitted on the 1st
day of this semester 2010 {please
hurry and submit this report as soon as you can}.
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(2) A 50 page - final field attachment report written with
the
guidance of the supervisors following the guidelines sent to
you
from the field attachment coordination office (to be submitted
in
February 2011).
This mail therefore serves to ask all third year students to
urgently
submit to my office the following documents not later than 24.00
hrs
of Thursday September 23, 210.
a) A letter of evidence signed by responsible officer of the
organization that you were attached to. This will serve as proof
that you
undertook field attachment. This letter should indicate the
company and the office to which you were attached, the day you
reported for work, the period you were attached to this
organization and the summary of assignments given to you.
b) A preliminary 5 page field attachment report. This report
should be
written following the following structure (This structure and
instructions applies to all year 1, 2, 3 etc students. 1st and
second year students should submit their reports to faculty and/or
departmental field attachment coordinators. The list of field
attachment coordinators are shown in the table below.
No. Names Faculty /Department Designation
Dr. Joseph Ntayi Computing and Mgt Science Overall
Coordinator
1 Mr. Vincent Bagire FOM Coordinator
2 Mr. Richard Kawere FMHM Coordinator
3 Mr.Dennis Nuwagaba MIB Coordinator
4 Mr. Patrick Kakwezi Proc.&Logistics Coordinator
5 Mr. Isaac Magoola BAD Coordinator
6 Mr. Freddie Lwanga HRM Coordinator
7 Mr.George William
Mugerwa
Leadership &Gov. Coordinator
8 Mr.George Batte Entrepreneurship Coordinator
9 Mr.Rogers Matama Accounting Coordinator
10 M/S. Susan Watundu Mgt. Science Coordinator
11 Mr. Robert Kyeyune Business Computing Coordinator
12 This list is not exhaustive various coordinators
c) All third year students should submit their field attachment
reports to my office between 8.00am to 5.00pm Mondays to
Fridays).
a. Cover page (One page) b. Introduction (one and a half
pages)
i. Background to the field attachments
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ii. Objectives of the field attachment iii. Background of the
organization attached to iv. Structure and organization with
emphasis on the department where the
student was deployed v. Major activities and focus of the
department
c. Experiences (two pages) i. Duties and responsibilities i. New
knowledge and skills gained in each of the Duties and
responsibilities assigned ii. Level of accomplishment of the
Duties and responsibilities assigned
(you may include your contribution in terms of new knowledge and
skills provided)
iii. Relationship with other staff iv. Things enjoyed most and
why
i. Things enjoyed least and why ii. Problems experienced and how
they were handled
iii. Major benefits derived from the field attachment programme
d. Conclusions and Recommendations (A half page to One page)
i. Conclusion ii. Recommendations
We hope you will be able to comply and complete your field
attachment work on time without
delaying the overall completion date of your programme of study.
You are also reminded to
comply with the deadline given to you. Student lists with
allocation of supervisors and project
research guidelines are available for students on their group
e-mail. Should you have any
problems accessing this group e-mail, please contact our MUBS
MIS Manager Charles Olupot
on mail: [email protected] or telephone number 0712-943-039
during working hours. All
subsequent communications will be sent to your group e-mail.
Should you need any more
information, please consult me in my office between 8.00am 5.00
pm, Mondays Fridays.
Final Field attachment Report (for only 3rd
year students to be
submitted in February 2011)
Field attachment Action Oriented report requires students to be
attached to organizations for an in-depth study and analysis of a
practical problem. Action research is regarded as research that is
normally carried out by practitioners (persons that stand in the
field of work). It enables the researcher to investigate a specific
problem that exists in practice. This requires that the researcher
should be involved in the actions that take place. A further
refinement of this type of research is that the results obtained
from the research should be relevant to the practice. In other
words it should be applicable immediately. This means that the,
researcher, as expert, and the person standing in the practice,
jointly decide on the formulation of research procedures, allowing
the problem to be solved. Action research is characterized by the
following four features; first, problem-aimed research focuses on a
special situation in practice. Seen in research context, action
research is aimed at a specific problem recognizable in practice,
and of which the outcome problem solving) is immediately applicable
in
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practice. A second characteristic is that all participants (for
instance the researchers and persons standing in the practice) form
an integral part of action research with the exclusive aim to
assist in solving the identified problem. Thirdly, action research
is characterized as a means to change the practice while the
research is going on. Finally outcome of research can not be
generalized.
Please remember that the student assessment form will only
capture issues related to field attachment action report. The
timetable for this action project work is as follows. This guide
should be used simply as a guide to your work.
Activity Start time End-time Duration Comment
1 Chapter One
Introduction Friday June 04, 2010 Thursday July 15, 2010
One and half months
ongoing
2 Chapter Two
Literature Review Friday July 16, 2010 Monday August 16,
2010
One month (1)
ongoing
3 Chapter Three
Methodology Tuesday August 17, 2010
Friday September 17, 2010
One month (1)
ongoing
4 Chapter Four
Results and Discussion of findings
Saturday September 18, 2010
Monday October 18, 2010
One month (1)
ongoing
5 Chapter Five
Summary of findings, conclusions and recommendations
Tuesday October 19, 2010
November 19, 2010
One (1) month
ongoing
Hereunder we present an outline of the Field attachment Project
report, which should be followed by every student. I wish you a
good time in all. By copy of this e-mail all undergraduate students
are requested to comply with the above research schedule.
Yours,
Joseph M. Ntayi, PhD
Field attachment Coordinator
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MAKERERE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL
[TYPE FIELD ATTACHMENT PROJECT REPORT TITLE HERE]
A title should indicate the nature of the study but without
being too vague and elaborate. If the title is too long, it may
trap you into an over-ambitious piece of work or you may leave part
of it unfulfilled. One way of putting together a title is to have
an attention-attracting beginning and a more descriptive `tail'.
Keep your title in mind as you work through the study and check
that you have done all that it implies.
By
[Your Name]
[Registration Number] A Project Report submitted in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
[Name of degree]
[Name of university]
[Year]
Approved by Name of Supervisor
Prof/Dr/Mr/Ms____________________________________ Signature of the
Supervisor _____________________________________ Date
_____________________________________
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Abstract
[PROJECT REPORT TITLE]
By [Your Name]
Department of [Name]
[Type abstract text here.]
This should be brief (no more than 200 words) and should refer
to the area of interest or the questions addressed, the methods
used and the conclusions/ recommendations/ implications. It informs
the reader of the purpose and aims of the project.
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Dedication and Acknowledgements (optional) This is an
opportunity to thank all those who made your study possible, those
who offered Advice, were sources of information or otherwise
facilitated your study.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS [Insert Table of Contents] This should be a
list of Chapters (with sub-headings where appropriate) appendices,
tables and figures with page numbers. The relevant page numbers
should not be inserted until your project report is complete.
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LIST OF FIGURES [List of Tables and Graphs]
This should contain a list of tables and figures with page
numbers.
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Chapter One: Introduction
1.1 Background (1.5 pages) An introduction should contain a
statement of the question or problem you set out to investigate. It
should also set out the organizational context, if appropriate, of
the study and the reason(s) for your interest in it. This section
contains:
o A foundation for the problem that instigated the project o
Evidence of the manifestation of the problem
Ensure that o all concepts in the study have been introduced o
There is a logical flow of argument o The problem has been
introduced
1.2 Statement of the problem (1/4-1/2 pages) We expect students
to have practical research problem based on students desire to
solve an
existing problem and/or contribute to understanding of
concept(s) in a particular field of study
e.g work culture in the Ugandan civil service and how it
actually manifests itself.
This section contains: o Succinct explanation of the problem
within the context of the application (company
circumstance) that undergirds the project (WHAT? WHERE? WHEN?) o
Explication of why the project needs to be done? (WHY?) o problem
statement flows from the introduction o Statement of the problem
leads to analytical thinking
1.3 Purpose of the study (1/4 page) This section is distinct
from Statement of the problem. It presents a clear flow of ideas
from the Statement of the problem and its purpose to solve the
problem
1.4 Project Objectives & Questions (1/4 page) In this
section,
o Focus is on the management problem o Objectives flow from
Statement of the problem and purpose o All the concepts in the
problem are included o Objectives are short, precise, and
actionable o Questions flow from the objectives
1.5 Scope of the study (1/4 page) This section sets,
o Delimitations or boundaries in time and space o Consequences o
Methodological solutions
1.6 Justification/ significance (1/4 page) 1.7 The Conceptual
Framework (Optional) (1/2 page - 1 page)
What to look for o Graphical representation of the problem
build-up o For project work, flow chart (or System Dynamics Model)
o Clear flow o Parsimony
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1.8 OUTLINE OF THE PROJECT REPORT
Chapter two: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 2.2
Conceptualization and operationalization of the study variable(s)
2.3 [heading 3] 2.4 [heading 4] 2.5 [heading 5] 2.6 [heading 6] 2.7
Conclusion [Notes for this section] This should be a survey of the
most important and recent work of relevance to your field of study.
This section Provides context for the problem, consolidates the
necessity of the study, Indicates the extent of the students
knowledge about the problem. Exploration of related works and
ongoing debates should be encouraged and Identification of gaps or
extension of what is known is a must. The sections of this chapter
would be presented as shown above.
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Chapter Three: Methodology
3.1 Introduction
[Notes for this section] This section presents your
understanding of the methods used in this project work. It
discusses the research design adopted, population and sample size,
sampling procedure and design, methods of data collection,
measurements and data Analysis. The FIELD ATTACHMENT ASPECT MUST
FEATURE PROMINENTLY IN THIS SECTION
3.2 Research Design
[Notes for this section] Research design can be thought of as
the structure of research -- it is the "glue" that holds all of the
elements in a research project together. We often describe a design
using a concise notation that enables us to summarize a complex
design structure efficiently. For example one may consider adopting
a cross sectional or a longitudinal research design.
3.3 Population and sample size
[Notes for this section] Population refers to the target
population or group of individuals of interest for study. Often,
the primary objective is to estimate certain characteristics of
this population, called population values. A sampling unit is an
element or an individual in the target population. A sample is a
subset of the population that is selected for the study. Before you
use the survey procedures, you should have a well-defined target
population, sampling units, and an appropriate sample design. In
order to select a sample according to your sample design, you need
to have a list of sampling units in the population. This is called
a sampling frame. For purposes of illustration, we shall assume
that a BBA student has a topic effectiveness of Audit teams: A case
of KPMG. This student needs to ask the management of KPMG to tell
him/her how many audit teams the company has. Management might
indicate that, they have 23 audit teams. This constitutes the
population. It is up to the student and the supervisor to agree on
either to select and study a sample of 15 teams or the entire
census of 23 teams.
3.4 Sampling design and procedure
[Notes for this section] Survey sampling is the process of
selecting a probability-based sample from a finite population
according to a sample design. You then collect data from these
selected units and use them to estimate characteristics of the
entire population. A sample design encompasses the rules and
operations by which you select sampling units from the population
and the computation of sample statistics, which are estimates of
the population values of interest. The objective of your survey
often determines appropriate sample designs and valid data
collection methodology. A complex sample design often includes
stratification, clustering, multiple stages of selection, and
unequal weighting.For more detailed information, refer to Cochran
(1977), Kalton (1983), Kish (1965), and Hansen, Hurwitz, and Madow
(1953). Using our example of the BBA student above with a topic
effectiveness of Audit teams: A case of KPMG. The student has
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a task of selecting a sample of 15 teams out of the 23 teams
which will ensure
representativeness. The procedure of selecting these 15 teams
must be described in detail. Always begin with sampling frame and
avoid try to avoid Bias resulting from non-probability sampling if
possible.
3.4 Methods of Data Collection
[Notes for this section] Data Collection is an important aspect
of any type of research study. Inaccurate data collection can
impact the results of a study and ultimately lead to invalid
results. Data collection methods for impact evaluation vary along a
continuum. At the one end of this continuum are quantatative
methods and at the other end of the continuum are Qualitative
methods for data collection. There are two sources of data. Primary
data collection uses surveys, experiments or direct observations.
Secondary data collection may be conducted by collecting
information from a diverse source of documents or electronically
stored information. Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) isan
examples of a common sources of secondary data. This is also
referred to as "data mining." Key Data Collection Techniques
Include: Surveys, Questionnaires, Panel Questionnaire Designs,
Interviews, Experimental Treatments
3.5 Measurements of variables
[Notes for this section] If we examine our variables, we need to
think of the ways we are going to measure those variables. In other
words, we need to determine which of the variables are quantitative
(i.e. data can be collected in numerical form) and which of the
variables are qualitative (i.e. data that can only be collected
through categories). It is advisable to use measures which have
been developed by researchers and published in refereed
journals.
1. Sex. = qualitative 2. Amount of disposable income =
quantitative 3. Age = quantitative 4. Performance at School =
quantitative or qualitative (depends how we chose to
measure this...) 5. Sports Achievement = quantitative or
qualitative (depends how we chose to
measure this...) 6. Alcohol consumption in the home =
quantitative or qualitative (depends how we
chose to measure this) 7. Religious affiliation = qualitative 8.
level of consumption = quantitative
Our list of variables is now arranged into two categories,
either qualitative or quantitative. We now need to determine how we
are going to measure the quantitative variables. Supervisors are
requested to assist students by ensuring that the correct/right
measures are used.
3.6 Data Analysis
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[Notes for this section] Data Analysis is the process of
systematically applying statistical and/or logical techniques to
describe and illustrate, condense and recap, and evaluate data.
According to Shamoo and Resnik (2003) various analytic procedures
provide a way of drawing inductive inferences from data and
distinguishing the signal
(the phenomenon of interest) from the noise (statistical
fluctuations) present in the data.While data analysis in
qualitative research can include statistical procedures, many times
analysis becomes an ongoing iterative process where data is
continuously collected and analyzed almost simultaneously. Indeed,
researchers generally analyze for patterns in observations through
the entire data collection phase (Savenye, Robinson, 2004). The
form of the analysis is determined by the specific qualitative
approach taken (field study, ethnography content analysis, oral
history, biography, unobtrusive research) and the form of the data
(field notes, documents, audiotape, videotape). An essential
component of ensuring data integrity is the accurate and
appropriate analysis of research findings. Improper statistical
analyses distort scientific findings, mislead casual readers
(Shepard, 2002), and may negatively influence the public perception
of research. Integrity issues are just as relevant to analysis of
non-statistical data as well. Research Project students are free to
undertake quantitative or qualitative research with the guidance of
the supervisors.
3.7 Summary and Conclusion
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Chapter Four: Results and Discussion of Findings
4.1 Introduction 4.2 {Objective One} 4.3 {Objective two} 4.4
{Objective three} 4.5 {Objective four} 4.7 Summary
[Notes for this section] The main parts of this section should
be an attempt to assess how far you have answered the research
questions you set out to investigate. You should also relate your
findings to the literature. You may also offer a range of
explanations of your findings and assess each explanation
critically.
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Chapter Five: Summary of findings, Conclusions and
recommendations
5.1 Introduction 5.2 Summary of findings
[Notes for this section] In this section you will briefly
summarise all your presumptions and findings. The Summaries include
the most important pieces of information and findings of the whole
project report.
5.3 Conclusion
[Notes for this section] What you set out to investigate and
what your investigations have revealed should be clearly stated
here. The relevance of your study to current theoretical debates
should be presented, if applicable. You may wish to make evaluative
judgments or suggest avenues for action or further research. It is
important, however, that you do not overstate what can be deduced
from your findings. You may also wish to offer a critical,
reflective overview of your research but this should not merely
repeat what you have stated under Design and Methodology. No new
findings or arguments should be included in the Conclusions.
5.4 Managerial and Policy Recommendations
[Notes for this section] Managerial and policy recommendations
should be derived from the action research findings undertaken by a
student. A policy recommendation is simply written policy advice
prepared for some level of management that has the authority to
make decisions. Policy recommendations are in many ways the chief
product of the ongoing work of action researchers. Policy
recommendations are the key means through which policy decisions
are made in most levels of management. Whether the policy
recommendation is accepted as sound advice or dismissed in favour
of another option largely depends on how well the issue and the
arguments justifying the recommended course of action are
presented. A policy recommendation may have other pieces, but those
three partsissue, analysis and recommendationwill always be
there.
5.5 Areas for further research
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Appendices
[Notes for this section] In general terms, material should only
be included here if the text is meaningless without them, or if the
inclusion of such material in the text would distract from the
development of your argument, e.g. if the data were too detailed or
extensive. Materials you should consider for inclusion could
be:
questionnaires;
interview schedules;
Raw data.
etc
References (This should follow the APA format) [Notes for this
section] In your Degree Project report you will be expected to
acknowledge where you obtained ideas and information from. The
object of this process is to enable a reader of your work to find
the source from which you obtained your information. There are two
places in which you should provide this information: at the end of
your project report and in the text of it. In-Text Citations refer
to inserting the name of an author right into your paper when the
author is cited, quoted or mentioned. These Citations go inside of
parenthesis, but different styles handle them differently.
Example of references at the end of your project report:
References
Gottschalk, L. A. (1995). Content analysis of verbal behavior:
New findings and clinical applications. Hillside, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates, Inc
Jeans, M. E. (1992). Clinical significance of research: A
growing concern. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 24, 1-4.
Lefort, S. (1993). The statistical versus clinical significance
debate. Image, 25, 57-62. Kendall, P. C., & Grove, W. (1988).
Normative comparisons in therapy outcome. Behavioral Assessment,
10, 147-158.
Nowak, R. (1994). Problems in clinical trials go far beyond
misconduct. Science. 264(5165): 1538-41. Resnik, D. (2000).
Statistics, ethics, and research: an agenda for educations and
reform. Accountability in Research. 8: 163-88
Schroder, K.E., Carey, M.P., Venable, P.A. (2003).
Methodological challenges in research on sexual risk behavior: I.
Item content, scaling, and data analytic options. Ann Behav Med,
26(2): 76-103.
Shamoo, A.E., Resnik, B.R. (2003). Responsible Conduct of
Research. Oxford University Press.
Shamoo, A.E. (1989). Principles of Research Data Audit. Gordon
and Breach, New York.
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Shepard, R.J. (2002). Ethics in exercise science research.
Sports Med, 32 (3): 169-183.
Silverman, S., Manson, M. (2003). Research on teaching in
physical education doctoral dissertations: a detailed investigation
of focus, method, and analysis. Journal of Teaching in Physical
Education, 22(3): 280-297.
Smeeton, N., Goda, D. (2003). Conducting and presenting social
work research: some basic statistical considerations. Br J Soc
Work, 33: 567-573.
Thompson, B., Noferi, G. 2002. Statistical, practical, clinical:
How many types of significance should be considered in counseling
research? Journal of Counseling & Development, 80(4):64-71.