Overview
You will write a 1500 word independent research project in the form of a report, to present your findings and submit via Turnitin.
Assessment Details:
Hand out Date:
Submission Date:
Assessment Duration:
Notes:
Marks for the research project will be broken down as follows: Commodity market research – 15 marks (5 marks available for Harvard
Referencing) Commodity Market Report – 35 marks
Evidence for Assessment:
Choose an agricultural commodity and research the buyers and sellers of the commodity over time
Interpret, draw comparisons and comment on what the researched figures for your commodity mean for both those buying and those selling the commodity
Use diagrams and economic models to explain the changes in price of your commodity
Consider what future events may affect the demand and supply of your commodity, evaluating their importance
Submission Details:
Include information about formatting and submission details (and location of Turnitin).
Task(s) Learning Outcome
A brief outline/description of the Agricultural commodity/where and how it is sold/uses of the commodity
LO7 Select an appropriate commodity market to research. Evaluate sources of information and critically select appropriate information to incorporate into a comprehensive Market Report
Task(s) Learning Outcome
An explanation or comment on the change in prices of the commodity (supported data evidence)
LO8 Present research findings in a form consistent with conventions of academic report writing using a good range of word-processing, graphic and spreadsheet functions.
Task(s) Learning Outcome
Using diagrams/data where applicable assess the effect of the price movement on the demand and supply of the chosen agricultural commodity and the wider effects on trade, the farmers and their families/Society/government revenues
LO4 Apply microeconomic models to a range of different markets in order to explain the dynamics within these markets.
Task(s) Learning Outcome
Analysis of government policies to encourage growth of the agricultural commodity/subsidies/providing farmland/measures to improve productivity and quality/tariffs/prevention of diseases affecting crops/providing insurance coverage to farmers
LO6 Evaluate the range of interventions available to governments which seek to rectify market failure.
Task(s) Learning Outcome
Consequences/benefits and limitations/recommendations examined with a balanced judgement about the Agricultural commodity & its place on the commodity market.
LO9 Critically select and retrieve appropriate online resources to support research and report writing activities.
Assessment Summary
You are required to write a report on the economics of an agricultural commodity of your choice. For this report, you will need to do independent research and write approximately 1500 words. This assignment needs to be submitted via TurnitIn on StudySmart.This project is worth 50% of your total module grade.Marks for this coursework will be broken down as follows:
Agricultural commodity market report – 50 marks
This coursework is to be submitted as a finished report with an appendix.Submission deadline date:
Report Tasks: Investigate the market around an agricultural commodity (major buyers
and sellers, historic market prices, government regulation etc) Use appropriate economic theory and diagrams to explain the price
development of the agricultural commodity Interpret your findings and analyse what the implications are for the
buyers and sellers within this market Evaluate the commodity and discuss how its demand and supply might
change in the future
Commodity report
In the report we will be looking for specific content:Introduction
A brief introduction to the commodity and an outline of your report
Commodity market description A description of the agricultural commodity, where and how it is sold and how it
is used An outline of the price development of that commodity The use of graphs to support your explanation
Economic theory application An application of economic theory to explain the price development of the
agricultural commodity The use of research to support the application of economic theory (for example,
whether it was caused by government actions, technology, trade, social changes etc)
Market analysis and evaluation An analysis and brief discussion of the effects of the commodity on the wider
society (like social impacts, government revenues or trade flows) An evaluation of the prospects of this commodity The presentation of research to substantiate the analysis and evaluation
Conclusion A summary of your arguments along with a closing statement
Reference and appendix The consistent and correct use of the Harvard referencing style both in the text
and the reference list The quality and appropriateness of your sources The use of an appendix to further explain your sources
References and the appendix
The appendixAt the end of your document you must include an appendix that briefly describes 5 sources that you have used in your report. This needs to include:
One source that contains the price development of your chosen agricultural commodity for at least the last 10 years
All sources must have a link to the reference, a brief description of the content and the date it was retrieved
References You are required to provide a reference in the text for every claim you make and each reference needs to be explained in proper detail in the reference list. Pictures must be referenced in the same way.All the sources used in the report must be appropriate for an academic environment, for example:
Information from public bodies (Governments, established NGOs, international organisations like the World Bank or the UN)
Resources from academia (academic textbooks, papers and publications) Articles from high-quality newspapers (the Financial Times, the BBC, the
Economist)
A guide to the appendix
Below you will find more detail on what should be included in the appendix along with some examples.
What you need to include You need to include at least 5 sources in total, one of which should display the
market price of the commodity you have been writing about Each source needs to have a link and a brief description Pictures of the source can be included The sources must come from reputable sources
Below you will find examples
Example A – Data evidence showing the price of the commodity
https://www.macrotrends.net/2531/soybean-prices-historical-chart-data
Source - An historical chart of the prices of soybeans, showing ten years’ worth of data.
Example B – A diagram showing relevant facts about the commodity
This diagram shows some relevant facts about soybeans.
Example C – Video
https://youtu.be/ 5pf3sLBmdCM - “ What are Soybeans? Agriculture 101/America's Heartland"
Source - A video showing how versatile and common soy beans are in everyday products.
Grade Rubric – Microeconomics
Assignment Title: Commodities
The Main body of the report will be marked using the marking grid below:
The research will be marked according to
The quality of the numerical data in your appendix, showing the price of your commodity for at least the last ten years
Max 5 marks
The quality of other sources in your appendix (video, articles etc.) including any extracts and the descriptions you have accompanied with them
Max 5 marks
The quality of how the information is properly referenced using Harvard Referencing style
Max 5 marks
