Research Paper:?This is a graduate course and students will be expected to research and write papers?summarizing in their own words?what they have found on cu

Research Paper – List of potential research topics

To complete the Article Research Paper due in Week 6, please select a topic from the list

provided below or from the chapter readings.

 Marketing an Exchange Relationship

 Importance of Marketing

 The “Marketing Framework”: 5Cs, STP, and the 4Ps

 The role of sensation and perception; learning, memory, and emotions; motivation; and

attitudes and decision making in the purchase process.

 The Marketing Science of Customer Behavior

 Market Segmentation

 Information as Bases for Segmentation?

 Targeting

 Sizing Markets

 Concept of positioning and its importance.

 Factors affecting product line breadth and depth.

 Brand associations.

 Branding strategies.

 Brand equity.

 New product development.

 Product life cycle.

 Diffusion of innovation and its implications.

 The relationship between new products and marketing strategy.

 Trends in the global marketplace and their potential impact.

 The impact of supply, demand, and elasticity on pricing.

 The psychological aspects of pricing.

 Price discrimination.

 The concept of non-linear pricing.

 “Channels of distribution” and “supply chain logistics.”

 The impact of channel power on channel behavior.

 Designing Advertising Messages to Meet Marketing and Corporate Goals

 Non-advertising components of integrated marketing communication.

 Integrated Marketing Communications across Media

 Social media.

 Social networks

 Return on investment, key performance indicators, and Web analytics associated with

social media.

 Perceptions of quality and customer satisfaction.

 Customer loyalty and customer relationship management.

 Research in marketing decision making.

 Marketing research techniques and their importance.

 Surveys for Assessing Customer Satisfaction

 What marketers can do to increase profitability?

 Significance of SWOT analysis.

 Significance of marketing metrics in strategy.

 Marketing Strategy

 Key Marketing Metrics to Facilitate Marketing Strategy

 Marketing framework in developing a marketing plan.

Research Paper: This is a graduate course and students will be expected to research and write

papers summarizing in their own words what they have found on current topics from the weekly

readings. Research is a theoretical review of relevant literature and application of findings in the

literature to a topic related to a specific industry, field, or business problem.

The research must be conducted using peer-reviewed trade or academic journals. While

Blogs, Wikipedia, encyclopedias, course textbooks, popular magazines, newspaper articles,

online websites, etc. are helpful for providing background information, these resources

are NOT suitable resources for this research assignment.

Please Note: The UC Library staff are very helpful with assisting students in using the UC

Online Library journal database. Please contact them if you have issues. In addition, the

instructor has provided additional resources, including a research tutorial, in the “Course

Resources” folder in the “Content” area of the course.

Assignment Requirements:

i. Choose a research topic from the chapter readings or from the list provided by your

professor.

ii. Research/find a minimum at least four (4), preferably five (5) or more, different peer-

reviewed articles on your topic from the University of the Cumberlands Library online

business database. The article(s) must be relevant and from a peer-reviewed source.

While you may use relevant articles from any time frame, current/published within the

last five (5) years are preferred. Using literature that is irrelevant or unrelated to the

chosen topic will result in a point reduction.

iii. Write a four (4) to five (5) page double spaced paper in APA format discussing the

findings on your specific topic in your own words. Note – paper length does not include

cover page, abstract, or references page(s).

iv. Structure your paper as follows:

a. Cover page

b. Overview describing the importance of the research topic to current business and

professional practice in your own words.

c. Purpose of Research should reflect the potential benefit of the topic to the

current business and professional practice and the larger body of research.

d. Review of the Literature summarized in your own words. Note that this should

not be a “copy and paste” of literature content, nor should this section be

substantially filled with direct quotes from the article. A literature review is a

summary of the major points and findings of each of the selected articles (with

appropriate citations). Direct quotations should be used sparingly. Normally, this

will be the largest section of your paper (this is not a requirement; just a general

observation).

e. Practical Application of the literature. Describe how your findings from the

relevant research literature can shape, inform, and improve current business and

professional practice related to your chosen topic.

f. Conclusion in your own words

g. References formatted according to APA style requirements

Grading Criteria:

 Content Knowledge & Structure (25 points): All of the requested components are

completed as assigned; content is on topic and related to marketing management, critical

thinking is clearly demonstrated (few, if any, direct quotations from the source in the

paper); scholarly research is demonstrated; topics and concepts gained from the assigned

reading and/or from research is evident.

 Critical Thinking (15 points): Demonstrates substantial critical thinking about topics and

solid interpretation of materials and reflection.

 Clarity & Effective Communication (15 points): Communication is clear, concise, and

well presented; scholarly writing is demonstrated; grammar, sentence structure, writing in

third person, and word choice is used correctly.

 Integration of Knowledge & Articles (15 points): Articles used are current and relevant

(preferably published within last five (5) years and MUST be from peer-reviewed journal

article publications. At least four (4) peer-reviewed journal articles are examined and

analyzed in the paper.

 Presentation & Writing Mechanics (30 points): Cover page, headings, in-text citations,

page citations (page number citations required for specific information such as dates,

years, list of items from article, names, numbers, statistics, and other specific

information), and references are properly formatted.

Please Note: Plagiarism will not be tolerated. The paper must be written in your own words.