MAN00162M-S3A-A
Individual Research Project – Finance
Assignment (Summative): The Individual Research Project
Submission Deadline: 11:00 AM, Thursday 4th September 2025
Overview
This assignment requires you to produce an individual research project. You will need to research an area of academic, corporate, or policy concern and develop a literature review based on appropriate sources. These include academic journal articles, regulatory reports, and materials from relevant professional bodies. This literature should form the basis of the research questions you aim to address in your project. It will also guide the data you need to collect and the form of analysis you undertake.
You are expected to use the databases and research resources provided by the University of York for conducting research in the field of finance. This involves identifying the data you require, downloading the data from available sources, and compiling it into a usable format. Once your dataset has been curated, you are expected to carry out an analysis using one or more university-approved statistical software packages, such as STATA or SPSS.
It is your responsibility to design and carry out the analysis, interpret your findings, and discuss the effectiveness of your approach. You should also reflect on any challenges or limitations encountered during the process.
After completing your literature review, formulating your research questions, collecting and analyzing your data, you will then write up your project according to the prescribed structure and expectations detailed in this brief.
Project Structure & Weighting
Your Individual Research Project should include the following components:
1. Introduction (10%)
This section should outline the scope of your research project, clearly state the research question(s), and explain their significance from both academic and public (policy or corporate) perspectives.
2. Literature Review (30%)
This section should engage with relevant academic literature, primarily from peer-reviewed journal articles and other credible sources. A critical and analytical approach is expected when discussing the literature.
3. Data Collection, Econometric Analysis, and Interpretation (40%)
You must use datasets provided by the University, such as those available through the Refinitiv platform. The analysis should incorporate econometric and statistical techniques covered in Week One. All results should be professionally written up and include detailed interpretations explaining their accuracy and relevance.
4. Conclusions (20%)
This section should reflect on your analysis and its outcomes, evaluating both the strengths and limitations of your research. Consider the implications of your findings and their relevance to academic and practical contexts.
Assignment Options
You may choose to undertake your research project in any of the areas of finance covered in your program. Possible options include:
- A corporate finance (governance) project
- An accounting or ESG investment project
- A finance and economics project
Formatting Requirements
- Word count: Maximum of 8000 words, including footnotes but excluding the contents page, appendices/annexes, and references.
- Font and spacing: Use size 12 font with 1.5 line spacing.
- Referencing: Use Harvard referencing style for all sources.
- Structure: Your submission must include an introduction, conclusion, and references section.
Suggested Readings
Reading materials for each research area are available on the VLE site corresponding to your selected research design area.
Let me know if you’d like this in Word or PDF format for submission or printing.