1.This first part of the Individual Research Project is an Outline and Annotated Bibliography. The
Outline should provide a very brief
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tline should provide a very brief overview of what you think you will do in the Policy Brief.
The Annotated Bibliography requires you to summarize at least three peer-reviewed scholarly
sources you will cite in the Policy Brief.
This assignment is designed to get you thinking about your topic in a way that clearly anticipates
the writing you will do for the Policy Brief. We want you to brainstorm and do a bit of research
well in advance of the deadline for the Policy Brief and, most importantly, we want you to put
your ideas down on paper so that we can give you feedback before writing the actual Policy
Brief. In other words, we are asking you to submit an Outline and Annotated Bibliography so
that we can help you write the best Policy Brief possible.
Your Outline should be divided into the following five sections and should be written in
complete sentences:
I. Audience: Identify the audience you are addressing and consider what that audience
is interested in. Who are you talking to in the Policy Brief and what does this suggest
about the approach you should take? (75-100 words).
II. Problem: State how you know the issue exists. What is the proof that students need
to improve this skill? (125-150 words).
III. Importance of Problem: Indicate why this problem matters. What are the
consequences of the problem not being addressed? Why do students need to improve
this skill? (100 words)
IV. Solution: Identify your preferred solution. What solution will work in your context
and why? (75-100 words)
V. Alternative Solution: Identify at least one other possible solution. What other
solutions did you consider? (75-100 words)
The total length of the Outline should be between 450 and 550 words.
When you submit your Outline, you must also include an Annotated Bibliography. An Annotated
Bibliography is an alphabetical list of research sources that provides bibliographical data (the
title, author, date, publisher, etc.) and a short summary or annotation of the source.
Your Annotated Bibliography should contain a minimum of three scholarly or peer-reviewed
sources, each with an accompanying annotation that is between 150 and 250 words long. The
annotations must summarize the research question or thesis, research methodology, results, and
conclusion. Annotations must include summaries and paraphrased information, NOT quotations.
A good annotation will include two separate paragraphs: 1) a paragraph summarizing the
research question or thesis, research methodology, results and conclusion; and 2) a paragraph
commenting on why this source is relevant for your research.
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2.ou are a consultant who works for the Diligent Consulting Group. In this Case, you are engaged on a consulting
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consulting basis by Loving Organic Foods. In order to get a better idea of what might have motivated customers’ buying habits you are asked to analyze the ages of the customers who have purchased organic foods over the past 3 months. Past research done by the Diligent Consulting Group has shown that different age groups buy certain products for different reasons. Loving Organic Foods has sent a survey to 200 customers who have previously purchased organic foods, and 124 customers have responded. The survey includes age data of past customers who purchased organic foods in the previous quarter.
Case Assignment
Using Excel, create a frequency distribution (histogram) of the age data that was captured from the survey. You should consider the width of the age categories (e.g., 5 years, 10 years, or other). That is, which age category grouping provides the most useful information? Once you have created this histogram, determine the mean, median, and mode.
After you have reviewed the data, write a report to your boss that briefly describes the results that you obtained. Make a recommendation on how this data might be used for marketing purposes. Be sure to conduct adequate research on organic foods industry, organic market analysis, and healthy food industry using IBISWorld database or other databases such as Business Source Complete (EBSCO) and Business Source Complete - Business Searching Interface in our online library. Provide a brief description on the industry background and the consumer changing attitudes and behavior toward healthy lifestyles. Also identify the customer demographics of organic food industry and explain how the customers of Loving Organic Foods are different from this target market.
Data: Download the Excel-based data file with the age data of the 124 customers: Data chart for BUS520 Module 1 Case. Use these data in Excel to create your histogram.
Assignment Expectations
Excel Analysis
Complete analysis in Excel using the Histogram function. Please watch the following video which covers how to create a histogram in Excel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL91GrVf3EY
If you are not so familiar with Excel, refer to the following link on Excel training videos: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Excel-training-9bc05390-e94c-46af-a5b3-d7c22f6990bb?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US
Check the professional market research reports from the IBISWorld database to conduct the industry analysis. IBISWorld can be accessed in the Trident Online Library.
IBISWorld Overview (n.d.). IBISWorld, Inc., New York, NY.
IBISWorld Forecast (n.d.). IBISWorld, Inc., New York, NY.
IBISWorld Data and Sources (n.d.). IBISWorld, Inc., New York, NY.
IBISWorld Navigation Tips (n.d.). IBISWorld, Inc., New York, NY.
Written Report
Length requirements: 4–5 pages minimum (not including Cover and Reference pages). NOTE: You must submit 4–5 pages of written discussion and analysis. This means that you should avoid use of tables and charts as “space fillers.”
Provide a brief introduction to/background of the problem.
Provide a brief description of organic food industry and target market characteristics such as their demographics, lifestyles and shopping behaviors.
Provide a written analysis that supports your Histogram age groups (bins).
Based on your analysis of the histogram data, provide complete and meaningful recommendations as the data relates to Loving Organic Foods’s marketing strategy.
Write clearly, simply, and logically. Use double-spaced, black Verdana or Times Roman font in 12 pt. type size.
Have an introduction at the beginning to introduce the topics and use keywords as headings to organize the report.
Avoid redundancy and general statements such as "All organizations exist to make a profit." Make every sentence count.
Paraphrase the facts using your own words and ideas, employing quotes sparingly. Quotes, if absolutely necessary, should rarely exceed five words.
Upload both your written report and Excel file to the case 1 Dropbox.
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