Module Assessment: Guidance & Information
Purpose
To consider what general modelling literature informs us about the modelling process and to reflect on how this compares with the experience of a practical case study. This should be considered in relation to the material covered in MS800 Foundations of Operational Research and Business Analysis Part 1. Case studies can include either an analytical project that you have worked on yourself or a case study described in a journal article in general Operational Research | Management Science literature.
Your essay should address the following points:
What do you believe are the characteristics of a good Operational Research | Management Science model? Use literature to support your discussion.
Evaluate the extent to which the model(s) you produced in your work or are described in the case study match these characteristics.
What do you believe are the main issues with problem structuring, data collection and analysis in Operational Research | Management Science interventions? Did you encounter any of these during your case studies? Or were any encountered during the case studies in the literature? How are these best managed? Use literature to support your discussion.
What are the key difficulties with implementation? How easy was the implementation stage for your project? If you were not involved in the implementation, or they are not described in the case studies, what do you think the main implementation issues would be for each of the cases? Use literature to support your discussion.
What new insights into the Operational Research / Management Science problem solving process have your case studies provided?
You should begin with a brief introduction to the case study and continue to refer to both the literature and case study throughout. The essay should be around 3,000 – 4,000 words and you should include a word count (excluding references). All five parts of the assignment attract equal marks.
Case Study: Operational Research | Management Science
If you are choosing a case study from the literature (Models and Modelling | Activity 2.3) you may wish to search one of the following journals for appropriate examples.
The Journal of the Operational Research publishes some case-oriented papers in each of its editions.
Interfaces publishes many papers and the January edition includes studies shortlisted for the Franz Edelman Award (conferred for achievement in OR | MS).
Another useful resource is INFORMS Editor’s Cut.
Journal of Operational Research
Interfaces
INFORMS Editor’s Cut
Referencing Guidelines – Harvard style referencing
You should include references to the general literature on modelling in Operational Research / Management Science to support your arguments, as well case studies you have read and any other examples or material which help to illustrate the points that you are making. Please ensure that an appropriate and consistent referencing style is used throughout your assessment.
Why should you reference?
To avoid plagiarism (this is when you use someone’s ideas or work without acknowledgment)
To show the authority on which you base your arguments
To show how widely you have read
To enable others to find your sources
When should you reference?
You should include a reference every time you quote, paraphrase (i.e. write someone’s information in your own words), summarise or gain ideas from another person’s work
