Example Question : “Is there a gap in the market for a new Slamannan – Airdrie bus service?”
Stage 3: Writing your methodology
List first the secondary (published) sources from which your obtained your background information, then describe in a little more detail the primary research that you undertook yourself, all in a total or around 100 words.
(1) Secondary sources
I obtained via the Internet several newspaper articles discussing the deregulation of public transport, and read the relevant chapters of “Privatisation” by F E Smith. Population figures were obtained from the 2001 Census. Local bus timetables were consulted, as well as the annual report of Autobus Group for 2004-5.
(49 words - now for the purposes of illustration of course I made all this up except for the census data. Don't attempt to do the same - examiners have much experience and have developed a sixth sense for spotting fakers!)
(2) Primary sources
I conducted a quota sample of 100 Slamannan residents between 9.30 and 11.30 on 18 February 2006 at the bus stop in the village centre, and interviewed the despatcher of Unicorn Taxis of Slamannan on 22 January. I wrote to Autobus asking about their Falkirk route but received no reply.
(51 words - I made this up too, but it's the sort of thing you ought to be writing. Examiners like to see several sources, not just one. Different sources allow you to contrast data and get a better idea of what the truth is and what biases are likely to exist. It's also fair to tell the examiners if you encounter insurmountable difficulties. Of course if you find a way of surmounting problems then be sure to say so, because the examiner will be impressed with your perseverance.)
Stage 4: Writing your analysis section
This is where so many candidates who have been all right so far start to go wrong. To collect and present the data is less than half the job. Now I have to work out what it's telling me. Single statistics are usually not very revealing, but compared with other statistics they will tell a story. We have already seen how we learned quite a lot about Slamannan by comparing it with Falkirk. Now we have to find out who does and who does not seem likely to want our proposed new bus service.
The potential market - school age
There is no secondary school in Slamannan. The lack of second cars means that few Slamannan children are taken on the "school run" by a parent. However the responsible education authority is Falkirk, so none of these children need to travel to Airdrie for their education.
(Notice how the author is comparing age group data with car ownership data in order to derive these conclusions.)
There are not enough girls to go round in Slamannan and teenage boys need to travel for entertainment anyway. There are however youth sports facilities in Slamannan, which has football clubs (and a pitch) as well as judo and other indoor sports clubs in the community centre. There are relatively few facilities in Airdrie that are not matched in Falkirk, and it takes longer to get to Airdrie by road so most teenagers would not want to go there even if transport were to be available. There is sailing on a loch between Slamannan and Airdrie, but most people who own boats also own cars.
(This is leading up towards a conclusion that young people don't want buses to Airdrie at all.)
The potential market - working age
Adults engage in regular travel for work, shopping and leisure. The higher than average first car ownership and higher than average unemployment reduce the potential market for buses, though possibly some car ownership is forced by the inadequacy of bus services. It is also possible that more Slamannan women would work part time if they had transport.
(Leading towards a conclusion that there might be a limited need for morning and evening buses to Airdrie but not much else.)
My survey showed that residents without cars favoured Falkirk for major shopping, whilst those with cars favoured Cumbernauld where fuel is cheaper than Falkirk. There was no sign of a significant desire to shop in Airdrie.
Potential market - senior citizens
Pensioners do not travel for work and can collect their pensions at the local post office. In Slamannan they also tend to own a car for shopping and leisure.
(279 words - just a few too many, and perhaps a little careful pruning could reduce the number without losing anything. We are now leaning heavily towards there not being an adequate market for more than a very limited service, but maybe there are other possibilities.)
Stage 5 - Writing Your Conclusions
This is the crucial section where you answer the question. You do not repeat what you have already said. That simply irritates the reader and gives an impression of disorganisation.
What do you think should be the conclusion here? You have all the evidence. Remember that the conclusion has to be justified by argument based on the evidence. It is not some prejudice that you started with or some arbitrary decision unconnected with reality. Try an experiment. Before you write a first project of your own, try wriiting a conclusion to this project.
This page is: Edinburgh Academy / curriculum / business / coursework2.htm
