Oxford Brookes BSc in Applied Accounting

Oxford Brookes BSc in Applied Accounting Study note 2015 1

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Content SESSION1: MUST DO:... 4 SESSION2: HOW TO FINISH RAP:... 4 SESSION3: HOW TO FINISH SLS:... 10 SESSION4: HOW TO FINISH APPENDIX... 11 SESSION5HOW TO FINISH REFERENCE... 12 CHECKLIST BEFORE UPLOADING... 17 3

Session1: Must Do: 1. Pass/Exempted from ACCA F1-F6 and Pass F7-F9 not exempted. 2. Language test: either Pass F4 or you have other qualification like Ielts, toefl, BEC etc. 3. Compete PEM(professional Ethics Module) * Must complete before 31 March 2015 * Complete F1-F9(exempted/pass=completed) * Go to myacca-professional ethics module to complete ethical questions there. * After completion the system will tell you whether you have passed it or not and if not then do the questions all over again. *knowledge required in completing this module is from ACCA P1 Governance, Risk and Ethics. 4. Complete: 1.RAP(Research&Analysis project):maximum words:7,500 2.SLS(Skills and Learning statement) maximum words:2,000 3.Reference(direct quotation) 4.Appendix(eg, Financial statements) 5.PPT(show your findings in a power point) 5. Pay the fees: about GBP191, this fee may change and would be updated by ACCA. 6. Submission dates: 7. Submit all your documents via http://www.obusubmissions.co.uk/ 4

Session2: How to finish RAP: (Maximum 7,500 words in total) 1. There are 5 parts for RAP: PART 1 - Project objectives and overall research approach -1,000 words. PART 2 - Information gathering and accounting / business techniques -2,000 words. PART 3 - Results, analysis, conclusions and recommendations -4,500 words. PART4 - LIST OF REFERENCES. (Also present it in another word doc). PART5 - APPENDICES (Also present it in another word doc). 2. Detailed Explanation: I ll give you the format for the overall RAP and explain how to finish each part within RAP here: 5

1.0 PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND OVERALL RESEARCH APPROACH 1.1 Structure of the Report and the Reasons for Selection of the Organizations 1.1.1 The Topic Why do you choose this topic? like if you choose education and maybe you think education is very important nowadays? if you choose cars maybe you care about its quality? etc. As long as you are saying something sensible then it's ok. 1.1.2 The Organizations You choose 2 organizations to make a comparison then you need to say: Why do you choose these 2 organisations? maybe you think they are similar to each other and also say something about its backgroup information in brief sentences as well. 1.2 Aims and Objectives of the Report and the Overall Research Approach * understand companies' performance. * It s advantages over other companies * Current position * Future strategy * etc 6

2.0 INFORMATION GATHERING AND ACCOUNTING/BUSINESS TECHNIQUES 2.1 Information Gathering 2.1.1 Sources of Information * Annual reports * Analyst reports * Financial magazines * Stock exchange database * ACCA textbooks like Kaplan/BPP * Internet Search Engine *Journals 2.1.2 Methods used in collecting information * Use the above materials * Search for Online materials regarding this industry * use judgment 2.2 Evaluation of the Limitation of the Information Gathering I'm mainly using secondary data(not primary because i haven't interviewed people) so: *Irrelevant data: lots of data on the internet but only part of them are 7 relevant to my topic *Incomplete or missing data: data would be missed in the 1 st place *Biased data: secondary data may not be the same as primary data(authors' own judgement/attitude) *Accuracy and authority of data: like analyst's report may not be correct * Currency of data: listed companies, always good to check its current FS. *Fact or opinion: facts expressed by people may confuse relationship between cause&effect. 2.3 Ethical Issues Involved in Information Gathering You need to say you are: * Independent in giving the opinion in the RAP(not accepting any financial benefit from others for example) * You are the only one who completes this report(no one else help you collect information or complete RAP.) * You are aware that legal issues relating to your RAP as well. 2.4 Accounting and Business Techniques Used and Their Limitations * The accounting limitations would include ratio analysis and because you take the financial information from the FS as at the year-end so: 1. They are snap shot figures 2. Different year would have different results. 3. Different companies would have different definition of ratios and result would be different

3.0 Results, Analysis, Conclusions and Recommendations 3.1 Organizational Information 3.1.1 ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION The main company in your RAP. 3.2 Significant accounting policies and financial performance 3.2.1 Significant accounting policies *Using IFRS/US GAAP/ other GAAP? *significant accounting policy, eg, Closing inventory: value at FIFO/weighted average cost? Borrowing costs- capitalized? PPE-cost model/revaluation model? Financial instrument- amortized cost/fair value? 3.2.2 Analysis of financial performance and profit potential *using different ratios to analyze the company's performance(big part) Profitability ratio: profit margin/roce/asset turnover Liquidity ratio: current/quick ratio Gearing ratio: debt/equity; interest cover Efficiency ratios: receivable, inventory&payable days Investor ratios: P/E ratio; dividend per share etc. 3.3 Application of PESTEL Model 3.3.1 Political 3.3.2 Economic 3.3.3 Social 3.3.4 Technological 3.3.5 Environmental 3.3.6 Legal 3.4 Application of Porter s Five Forces Model 3.4.1 Threat of entry: High 3.4.2 Threat of substitute products: high 3.4.3 Bargaining power of customers/buyers: Low 3.4.4 Bargaining power of suppliers: High 3.4.5 Rivalry among existing firms: High 3.5 Using SWOT analysis to summarize strategic position associating with CDEL LTD 3.5.1 Strengths 3.5.2 Weaknesses 3.5.3 Opportunities 3.5.4 Threats 8

4.0 Conclusion: summary of the companies/findings/thoughts/future recommendations Appendix Lists of References 9

Session3: How to finish SLS: (Maximum 2,000 words in total) Idea behind SLS: what you have learnt from this RAP? Format for SLS: 1. Learning From Meeting and Presentation: You learn that presentation is important; Presentation skills you have. You generate into ideas from meeting with mentor etc. 2. Achievement of objectives Your objectives are within RAP 1.2 and have you achieved those? Ie, you learn something from each heading within 1.2 3. Assessment of Interpersonal Communication As a result of meeting with mentor your interpersonal communication skills have improved and how? 4. Benefits to The Career Development By preparing this RAP which would help your future career development and you can say whatever you want linking to your actual working life. 10

Session4: How to Finish Appendix Just financial statements or Graph Should be in the RAP and a separate word document 11

Session5How to Finish Reference OBU is using Harvard Referencing System There 2 parts within the referencing system: 1. In-text citations 2. Reference list 1. In text citations: This means in your actual content of your RAP you need to refer to someone s work if you use his/her opinion/report etc. How to do that? Well, the simple idea being: It consists of author (or editor/compiler/translator) and publication year, in brackets: Eg Agriculture still employs half a million people in rural Britain (Shucksmith, 2000). An author can be an organisation or Government Department (common with websites): eg (English Heritage, 2010) If there are 2 or 3 authors, all names should be given: Eg (Lines, Smith and Walker, 2007) If there are more than 3 authors, cite the first author, followed by et al (in italics) Eg (Morgan et al., 1998) For several documents by the same author published in the same year, use (a,b,c): e.g. (Watson, 2009a) If the author s name occurs naturally in the sentence, only the year of publication is given: Eg This concept is discussed by Jones (1998) If there is no author, use a brief title instead: Eg (Burden of anonymity, 1948) For websites, if there is no author or title, use the URL: 12

Eg (http://www.xxxxxxx.org, 2010) If the date cannot be identified, use the abbreviation n.d.: Eg (Labour Party, n.d.) Short quotations may be run into the text, using single quotation marks: Eg: As Owens stated (2008, p.97), the value of... Longer quotations should be separated from the rest of the text by means of indentation and optional size reduction, and do not need quotation marks: Eg:Simone de Beauvoir (1972, p.365) examined her own past and wrote rather gloomily: The past is not a peaceful landscape lying there behind me, a country in which I can stroll wherever I please, and will gradually show me all its secret hills and dates. As I was moving forward, so it was crumbling. 13

2. Reference list: Because you have cited something in your actual RAP and in the bottom of your RAP you need to show the reference list summarizing what you have quoted. Book 1) Author/Editor: Surname first, followed by first name(s) or initials (be consistent). Include all names if there are 2 or 3 authors; if more than 3, use the first name and then et al. For editors, compilers or translators use ed/eds, comp/comps or trans after the name(s). Remember that an author can be an organisation or Government Department. 2) Year of publication: If date not known, use n.d. 3) Title: Include title as given on the title page of a book; include any sub-title, separating it from the title by a colon. Capitalise the first letter of the first word and any proper nouns. Use italics, bold or underline (the most common practice is to use italics) (be consistent) 4) Edition: Only include if not the first edition. 5) Place of publication and publisher: Use a colon to separate these elements. If not given use: s.l. (no place) and s.n. (no publisher). 6) Series: Include if relevant. e.g. Gombrich, E. H. (1977). Art and illusion. 5th ed. London: Phaidon. e.g. Ridley, A., Peckham, M. and Clark, P. (eds.) (2003). Cell motility: from molecules to organisms. Chichester: Wiley. Examples of organisation/government Department as author: e.g. Department of Health (2001). National service framework for diabetes. London: Department of Health. Royal Society (2001). The future of sites of special scientific interest London: Royal Society Example of book with no author: e.g. Whitaker s almanac (2010). London: J Whitaker and Sons. 14

E-book 1) Author/editor 2) Year of publication (use the date for the e-book version rather than any print version) 3) Title 4) Edition 5) Place of publication and publisher (if available) 6) [Online] in square brackets 7) Available at: URL (this should be the URL of the e-book collection if it is from a collection). 8) (Accessed: date you read it) (in brackets) Eg: Holliday, A., Hyde, M. and Kullman, J. (2004). Intercultural communication: an advanced resource book. London: Routledge. [Online]. Available at: http://www.dawsonera.com/ (Accessed: 15 August 2011) Eg: Friedman,M.(1955). The role of government in education.[online]. Available at: https://webspace.utexas.edu/hcleaver/www/friedmanroleofgovteducation1955.htm (Accessed:27 October 2011) 15

Printed Journal article 1) Author 2) Year of publication 3) Title of article (not italics) 4) Title of journal (in italics) 5) Volume number, issue number and/or date 6) Page numbers e.g. Williams, J. (2000). Tools for achieving sustainable housing strategies in rural Gloucestershire. Planning Practice & Research 15 (3), pp.155-174. Electronic/online journal article Same as for printed journal article AND ALSO 7) Name of online journal collection (if applicable) 8) [Online] in square brackets 9) Available at: URL (if 7 applies, this should be the URL of the online journal collection). 10) (Accessed: date you read it) (in brackets) e.g. Jones, P. and Evans, J. (2006). Urban regeneration, governance and the state: exploring notions of distance and proximity. Urban Studies 43(9), pp.1491-1509. Academic Search Complete [Online]. Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com (Accessed 17 August 2010) Web page: Labour Party(2010).Policy guide. Available at: http://www.labour.org.uk/policies/home (Accessed: 13 August 2010) Report from a database: Mintel (2010). Sports goods retailing UK May 2010. Mintel Leisure [Online]. Available at: http://reports.mintel.com (Accessed: 17 August 2010) Newspaper article: Hunt, P. (1999). Time is running out. Daily Telegraph, 8 February, p. 10. Email: Saunders, L. (2010). Email to Linda Hinton, 18 August. Thesis: Groschl, S. (2001). An exploration of cultural differences between French and British managers within an international hotel company. PhD thesis. Oxford Brookes University. 16

Checklist before uploading Have you completed the ACCA Professional Ethics Module (accessed via myacca) by the date given in the period submission information (see page 41) of the BSc degree programme information pack 2012-13? This is a compulsory module for EVERY student submitting a project to Oxford Brookes. Have you included a Reference List and cited it within the project correctly? (See http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/resources/harvard.doc for details) Is there evidence of a spreadsheet and/or IT within the project? (Spreadsheet formulae should be included) If you used a questionnaire as a means of gathering data, have you included your results as well as a sample questionnaire in an Appendix? Have you included the relevant pages of the company s Financial Statements (if necessary)? (Please do not submit the entire document, copies of the relevant sections are adequate) Have you used the most up-to-date financial statements for review if you have based your RAP on topic 8? If you have focused on topic 08, have you used a comparator for the ratios of another company or industrial averages in your work? Have you answered the 4 specific questions required in the Skills and Learning Statement (SLS)? (You may use the questions as headings to structure the SLS) Have you included copies of your overhead/powerpoint presentation slides for your SLS? Have you included a title page with your name and ACCA number written on it as well as the word count? Is your Research Report more than 5500 words and your SLS more than 1800 words? Any submission under this word count is unlikely to pass. Is your Research Report 6500 words or less and your SLS 2000 words or less? Before logging on to submit, please ensure you have card details ready to pay the relevant submission fee If you are resubmitting, have you included a 500 word Resubmission Statement? Please note that each session we will select a sample of student projects to be passed through TURNITIN to ensure good academic practice. Students will not be notified in advance. Are you an active member of ACCA? If your account has been suspended you will need to resolve this before submitting a project to Oxford Brookes University. Please check that your name appears correctly on your ACCA records, as this will be the name that will appear on your certificate should you be successful. Please note that you must inform Oxford Brookes University of any changes in address that take place after submission of your project, and before the results date. The University does not receive this information from ACCA and therefore it is a student s responsibility to keep Oxford Brookes informed of their personal details. This can be done by emailing acca@brookes.ac.uk If you experience any difficulties in uploading your project, please email acca@brookes.ac.uk 17