Introduction

Academic and research skills for business is a common issue for a business. For improvement
(revisited and updated at regular intervals), with targets, timescales, clarity of tasks are the
common issues plan. Revisited and updated at regular intervals: For self-assessment plan, regular
intervals must be revisited and updated and through these the improvement is ensured
(McCormack and Slaght, 2009).

Task1

1.1 Assessing own academic strengths and weaknesses including academic

English language skills

Academic English ability (oral and written), academic competencies, personal skills and
qualities, personal skills for academic work (time management, initiative, perseverance
flexibility, responding positively to change and feedback); strengths and weaknesses are the most
common self-assessment of academic competency.

Academic English ability (oral and written): For the academic English language skills,
Academic English ability is the exhibition of academic strengths and weakness. The ability is
two types. They are given below:

 Oral
 Written

Academic competencies: These competencies also the exhibition of academic strengths and
weaknesses of the academic English language skills (Jones-Smith, 2011).

Personal skills for academic work: Time management, initiative, perseverance flexibility,
responding positively to change and feedback are the personal skills for academic work.

These are the determiners of the strengths and weakness of academic English language skills.
 Academic
English ability
(oral and
written)

Self-
assessment
of academic
competency

Personal skills
Academic
for academic
competencies
work

Figure1: Self-assessment of academic competency

1.2 Setting targets for improvement using the self-assessment

Specific of the target issues, Measurement, Achievement to the target, Reality and Timed are the
elements of (SMART) of setting targets for improvement using the self-assessment.

Specific

Timed Measurable

SMART

Realistic Achievable

Fifure2: SMART theory

Specific: Setting specific tasks for the improvement using the self-assessment is the first action
of the SMART theory.

Measurement: After specifying the action of the tasks, the second issue of SMART is
measurement.

Achievement: Application is another issue of SMART theory which is known as achievement.

Realistic: Matching with the ability of target is known as realistic which is essential for getting
the effective result.

Time: At last the achievement is measured by time and this is essential for improvement using
the self-assessment (Perry and Sherlock, 2008).

For improvement (revisited and updated at regular intervals), with targets, timescales, clarity of
tasks are the common issues plan.

Revisited and updated at regular intervals: For self-assessment plan, regular intervals must be
revisited and updated and through these the improvement is ensured.

Timescales and clarity of tasks: For effective plan timescales and clarity of task issues are the
most considering issues for self- assessment.

Above these are the improvement issues of self-assessment plan.

Task2

2.1 Outlining the process for carrying out primary research from different
sources
There are three types of primary research issues. They are given below (Library use of e-books,
2002):

 Questionnaires
 Focus groups
  Interviews

Questionnaires: Design of questionnaires, avoiding leading questions, gathering qualitative and

quantitative data, issues of bias and analysis are the important issues for the questionnaires which
is effective sources of primary research.

Design of
questionnaires

avoiding
issues of bias questionnaires's
effective issues
leading
and analysis
questions

gathering
qualitative and
quantitative
data

Figure3: Effective issues of questionnaires

Focus groups: For focus groups first determine the target groups and then questionnaires must be
designed according to the target group people. Here is important the participants of the target
groups. Balance of the groups also another important issues of the focus groups and the most
important issue is timing because time is the most effective and crucial issues for the primary
research.

Interview: This one of the best ways or sources of primary research. Questionnaires are designed
according to the interview is ensured for the interview method of primary research.
2.2 Outlining the process for carrying out secondary research from different
sources
Secondary research is another effective and most used research method between the two research
methods. There are mainly two types of secondary research method. They are given below:

 Desk method
 Recording sources

Desk method: Noting information is known as desk method which is most common in secondary
research method and effective for academic and research skills for business (Scruggs and
Mastropieri, 2004).

Recording sources: Collating information, evaluation of sources, citation and reference lists are
the effective issues for the recording sources method. Collecting and evaluation is the first step
for the recording sources method. Citation is effective and essential issue for the secondary
research method because this is the authentic issue of information and the citation must be
sequential listed as well.

Task3: Being able to take effective notes from a variety of sources

3.1 Noting key points of information from a variety of sources using active
listening skills and reading strategies
Notes: For noting acronyms, symbols and shorthand are used because they are essential for
effective notes. Acronyms are the sequential notes and symbols are the sign of indication and
shorthand is the tool or way of short time writing by using the symbols.

Active listening skills and reading strategies are two types of sources of information. These
information issues are essential for the academic and research skills for business.
 Active
Reading
listening strategies
skills

Figure4: Variety of sources information

Active reading: Some effective issues play vital role for the active reading and they are reading
aloud, paraphrase, summary, synthesis. Loudly reading is needed for the active reading. Paraphrase
and summary are the core issues for effective active reading. By maintaining these reading aloud,
paraphrase, summary, synthesis, information is collected (Gardner, Jewler and Barefoot, 2011).

Active listening skills: The most common factors of active listening are acknowledging, eye
contact, body language, concentrating and understanding what is being said. Eye contact is the
first issue for listening. Then concentration is essential which helps the understanding of the
listeners. Body language and acknowledgment are another two effective issues for active
listening.

3.2 Paraphrase and summaries the information

Paraphrase and summaries are two effective facts of information. For paraphrasing information,
reviewing notes are needed.
 Re-reading

Reviewing
notes

Clarifying/expanding Checking understanding

Fifure5: Review notes’ issues

For paraphrasing and summaries, review notes play effective notes and for these re-reading,
checking understanding, clarifying/expanding are the core issues of review notes.

Re-reading and checking understanding are needed for the paraphrasing and clarifying/expanding
is essential for the summaries.

Task4. Being able to plan a piece of research

4.1 Creating a plan for research on a chosen topic in business

The thoughtful, compelling and well-written document that outlines unique research ideas is
known as a research plan.

Creation of a research plan: For creating a research plan check understanding of the brief and, in
particular, the use of action words, check deadline, plan research methods, schedule time, set
SMART objectives, review plan are the core issues.
 Check
understanding
of the brief

the use of
review plan
action words

Research
plan
issues
check
schedule time
deadline

set SMART plan research

objectives methods

Figure6: The research plan issues

Check understanding of the brief: Understanding the main issues are the evaluation is the
checking of the understanding of the brief.

The use of action words: Time schedule, check deadline plan research methods like SMART
objective and review plan are the action word.

Deadline: Research duration is known as deadline.

Plan research method: The ways or tools by which research plan is evaluated and considered are
known plan research method like SMART objectives.

SMART objectives: One of the best tools for creating a effective research plan is SMART
objectives (Austin, 2014).

Time schedule: Time is the duration of the research project and it is the determiner of the
usefulness of the research project.

Review plan: At the end of the research plan, the plan must be reviewed.
4.2 Drafting a piece of research work using appropriate reference techniques
Drafting means avoiding plagiarism, referencing, and personal organization and here is
important review for editing and proof reading helps the editing process.

Avoiding plagiarism: This is the main objectives for the drafts and uniqueness is ensured.

Appropriate reference techniques: Draft is done by the appropriate reference techniques because
they are the effective ways for the draft. Text citation, reference list citation and broad categories
reference are the types of appropriate reference techniques.

They are the library and information services.

Task5. Producing academic work

5.1 Produce academic work to a professional standard using the existing draft
The professional standards of academic work’s issues are written work that meets brief, good
standard of English, demonstrates referencing skills, reviewed and edited.

Written work that meets brief: The written work is the summary of the total discussable thing of
the research project which is effective for the academic work.

Good standard of English: This indication of the better academic work of professional standard
by using the draft.

Demonstrates referencing skills and reviewed and edited: Reference is the skills of collecting
information and review is required for the edit.

Planning and preparation, use of technology, support materials/aids, use of verbal and non-verbal
skills are the Presenting work orally to professional standard (SPIE, 2014).

With peers and supervisors/academic staff, demonstrate depth of knowledge is the discussion
content of work.
Task6. Being able to reflect on own academic progress

6.1 Reflecting development of academic skills and academic English

Academic progress is the evaluation of own work. That’s why evaluate content of own work,
own skills development, Academic English ability, academic competencies, personal skills and
qualities, personal skills for academic work (time management, initiative, perseverance
flexibility, responding positively, to change and feedback) ; strengths and weaknesses are the
reflecting development of academic skills and academic English (Gilbert, 2011).

6.2 Developing action plan for further improvement

Action plan: For achieving the specific goal, taking document steps is known as action plan. The
academic development and personal development requires action plan and the action plan is given
below:

Setting the plan

Action plan for

Feedback and Taking proper
edit
future steps
improvement

Implementation

Figure7: Action plan

Setting the plan: The first step of the action plan is setting the plan such as developing the
weakness of the standard of English

Taking proper steps: Then taking the appropriate steps is the next step.
Implementation: After that the implementation is taken.

Feedback and edit: The last step of the action plan is feedback and edit.

Conclusion

Drafting means avoiding plagiarism, referencing, and personal organization and here is
important review for editing and proof reading helps the editing process. The most common
factors of active listening are acknowledging, eye contact, body language, concentrating and
understanding what is being said. Academic English ability (oral and written), academic
competencies, personal skills and qualities, personal skills for academic work are the discussable
issues (Brandt, 2009).
References
Austin, J. (2014). Writing the Research Plan. Science.
Brandt, C. (2009). Read, research and write. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Gardner, J., Jewler, A. and Barefoot, B. (2011). Your college experience. Boston, MA:
Bedford/St. Martin's.
Gilbert, J. (2011). Review of: Instant academic skills. Journal of English for Academic Purposes,
10(4), pp.285-286.
Jones-Smith, E. (2011). Spotlighting the strengths of every single student. Santa Barbara, Calif.:
Praeger.
Library use of e-books. (2002). [New York]: Primary Research Group.
McCormack, J. and Slaght, J. (2009). English for academic study. Reading: Garnet Education.
Perry, N. and Sherlock, D. (2008). Quality improvement in adult vocational education and
training. London: Kogan Page.
Scruggs, T. and Mastropieri, M. (2004). Research in secondary schools. Amsterdam, the
Netherlands: JAI.
SPIE, (2014). New spectrometer standard published. SPIE Professional.