Assignment on Academic and Research Skills

ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH
SKILLS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
A. Assessing own strengths and weakness.................................................................................1
B. Targets for self improvement.................................................................................................2
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
Demonstration of the achievement of note taking skill..............................................................3
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................4
RESEARCH PLAN....................................................................................................................4
TASK 5............................................................................................................................................6
Reflecting on the progress...........................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

TASK 1
A. Assessing own strengths and weakness
There are some factors in which I have a thorough understanding and knowledge but still,
there are some basic aspects in which I lack somewhere. These are discussed as under:
Personal skills
Strengths
 I think as a very carrier orientated person, I have an efficient amount of leadership skills
that will help me in managing all the functions and employees. Having suitable skills of
leadership is important as well because this helps in maintaining a balance between all
the operations and functions. Therefore, I think I have appropriate leadership skills that I
can be able to manage all the processes and operations of my life effectively.
Weaknesses In terms of communication skills, I still think there is much more to learn. It is because I
am good at speaking English but I am not confident enough to communicate. This states
the requirement of enhancing my interpersonal skills where I need to interact more with
people.
Academic skills
Strengths
 My research skills are appropriate enough because I love to surf internet, books etc., as a
way of increasing the knowledge. So, I am good enough in doing research.
 In paraphrasing as well, I can do efficient enough because I find it as a simple and easy
task. This together states about my efficiency in quickly understanding things that assists
me in quick determination of their connotation and rephrase it rapidly.
Weaknesses
 In note taking also, I think I am efficient enough but still some sort of improvement can
help in making it better. It is because while collecting notes, I sometimes unfortunately
miss the basic points. Therefore, I need to focus on improving it.
 I find summarising a bit difficult task because after reading, I am not able to summarise it
briefly. So, this somewhere can act as a challenging factor for me. Therefore, I need to
focus upon it.
Academic English language skills
1

Strengths
 I am efficient enough in reading English and my grammar is also good enough.
 In writing as well, I am able to perform better functions and write in an effective manner
covering all grammatical concepts as well. I thereby believe to possess both written and
verbal skills of communication.
Weakness
 Even though my vocabulary is better, still because of lack of confidence, I am not able to
put my views in front of people. So, I face issues in speaking. Therefore, I need to focus
upon it. For this, I am required to improve my interpersonal skills by interacting more
with people.
B. Targets for self-improvement
As there are some of my skills in which I lack and in some, I am efficient enough.
Therefore, for the ones in which there is some requirement of improvement, I have to implement
some ways for improvement and then analysis on that basis can be done accordingly.
Skills Area of Improvement Time frame
Personal skills Communication skills 2 months
Academic skills Note taking
Summarising
1 month
Academic English language
skills
Speaking English 3 months
Analysing the same on the basis of SMART objectives as under:
Specific
Although the time frame that has been allotted is specific and does not cover a long
duration. A duration of about two or three months is enough for learning these skills. S
Measurable
The targets that I have decided for acquiring these skills are measurable because it does
not cover a major period of time. In long durations, I will get confuse, so the targets are efficient.
Achievable
2

As my targets are clear enough, so most probably, I will achieve them in the specific time
duration. Also, with the help of some sessions and hard work, I will attain all them.
Relevant
Learning communication skills, increasing the confidence levels etc. are some tasks that
are realistic and can be achieved within the target duration.
Time bound
I need to make improvements in communication skills, note taking, summarising and in
speaking English. For every factor, I have decided a time frame and I will try to achieve them in
the same.
TASK 2
Demonstration of the achievement of note taking skill
Although I was facing some difficulty in note taking but with the help of some ways and
methods, now I am able to write the notes more efficiently, whether after listening, reading or by
means of paraphrased information. I have been to various sessions and programs from where I
became able enough to modify my skills of note taking and also, it has actually helped me to
perform a better and appropriate notes taking. Some examples are also discussed as following:
Noted key points of information using active listening skills
I have been to a conference a few days ago and their various higher authorities of
management were present in order to provide guidance on the basic aspects of operations. The
whole atmosphere of the conference was in a way that there was a deep silence from the
student’s side because everyone was keen to gather information from what the management was
speaking. So, I also tried the same. I kept my focus on what the authorities were saying. When
the management asked us all a few questions, I also raised my hand silently like others and when
the management asked me to answer, then I responded and asked questions in which I was
doubtful. They started replying and I noted all the points in my textbook.
Using reading strategies
Reading strategies are also considered as one of the effective ways that have helped me in
improving my note taking skills. I required some help in making improvements in notes taking
and for that, I took the help of various reading strategies (Chen and Rybak, 2017). Some well-
known examples of these strategies involve inferring, activating etc. It is because inferring
3

helped me in combining all the essential and basic facts that have been spoken. In activating as
well, it helped me to recall all my skills and understanding. So, on the basis of these strategies,
my note making skills have been improved to a huge extent. Therefore, I think the involvement
of reading strategies can actually prove helpful in making improvements in the notes making
process.
By paraphrased and summarised information
While paraphrasing, initially I find it quite difficult to implement but when I started
paraphrasing from one source to another, I learned note taking because I started making notes
from the one I have to start paraphrase. In the form of notes, it was a bit easy task to paraphrase
all the data (Kodish, 2017). Therefore, paraphrasing helped me to a huge extent in improving my
note taking skills. In summarising information as well, it was all about making small notes from
the whole paragraphs. Therefore, is started reading the whole paragraph and then on the basis of
small points and considering basic facts, I started making notes. So, it also helped me to a huge
extent and I have also realised that my not taking skills have been improved to an extent as well.
TASK 3
RESEARCH PLAN
Aim
To analyse the influence of involving organic range in Birchbox.
Objectives
 To determine the impact of involving organic range. To analyse the relationship between involving organic range and increased business
objectives of Birchbox.
Segmentation
Segmentation is considered as the division of the market in sub units so that the analysis
can be performed more effectively (Rornsuk, Riach and Klanrit, 2015). There are four types of
segmentation that can be considered by Birchbox and it involves geographic, demographic,
behavioural etc. It means that Birchbox should ensure they can expand their organic range
worldwide because it will be a quite different concept for people as well.
Targeting
4

Targeting refers to the fact that Birchbox can focus on targeting women especially
because a wide and attractive organic range can actually attract a wide range of women and
their interests. They can target the markets where there is a lack of organic range being provided
because in that case, there might be the possibility that people will attract by the fact of
involvement of an organic range in the market.
Positioning
Positioning is also considered as a way that Birchbox can involve in order to consider the
fact that their organic range will be able to help them to compete in the market place.
4 P's of Marketing
Birchbox can ensure involving all the basic aspects so that they can have a better
productivity rate after involving a wide range of organic products. The aspects are covered as
under:
Product
Birchbox should ensure that the organic range they are providing to the people is made
up of original ingredients so that it does not cause any sort of harm to the skin of people.
Involving an appropriate rate of ingredients and maintaining an efficient quality in all the organic
products can actually help Birchbox to gain the trust and interest of the customers. Therefore, it
is very important that Birchbox can focus on maintaining the quality of the ingredients etc. that
are being used within the organic range of products.
Price
Along with maintaining the quality, it is very important that Birchbox should ensure that
they keep an affordable range of it so that the customers can be able to afford it. This will also
help Birchbox in an increased productivity rate (Arnold, Back and Nelson, 2015). It is because
the customers keep their focus on two factors only, the quality and the pricing. Therefore, it is
important that along with the quality, Birchbox also ensures to keep an affordable range of the
products so that each customer can be able to afford their range.
Promotion
As Birchbox is involving a wide range of organic products, so they must promote its
involvement by various means such as by advertisements, through social media networking
websites etc. so that their customers may be able to know that the company has involved an
organic range. A large rate of promotion can help in increasing the productivity rate of Birchbox
5

and that too at a huge extent. There are various ways Birchbox can use for a better promotion of
their new organic range such as social media websites, by posters, advertisements etc.
(Whittaker, Forrester and Jones, 2016). By these means, they will be able to make more people
aware of their new organic range. So, this can also lead to a better productivity rate of these
products.
Place
Birchbox should stay clear enough of the markets in which they are expanding their
organic range because this plays a very important role. An area or place where there is actually a
requirement of organic products and there are not available, those areas can be targeted. This can
help Birchbox to a huge extent.
TASK 5
Reflecting on the progress
Skills Ways of Improving Time frame
Personal skills  I was lacking in
communication skills because
initially I was not confident
enough to speak in front of
people but I joined various
seminars and conferences, so it
helped me in an increased
level of confidence.
0 months
Academic skills  In note taking and in
summarising also, I was facing
some issues. But with the help
of reading strategies,
summarising etc. now I am
able enough to make notes and
that too in a very efficient
0 months
6

manner.
 After an improvement in my
note taking skills, I have also
developed various
modifications in the way I
summarise. It is because after
making the basic notes once,
all can be combined for a
better summarizing.
Academic
English
language skills
 Even though I have an
appropriate rate of
understanding and knowledge
of vocabulary but because of
lack of confidence, I was not
able to speak English in front
of people but attending various
seminars helped me in gaining
an appropriate rate of
confidence.
 I also gave many presentations
then, so it has helped me on an
overall basis and now, I am
able to speak English in a very
fluent manner in front of
people.
0 months
7

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Arnold, R. M., Back, A. L. and Nelson, J. E., 2015. The critical care communication project:
improving fellows' communication skills. Journal of critical care. 30(2). pp.250-254.
Chen, M. W. and Rybak, C., 2017. Group leadership skills: Interpersonal process in group
counseling and therapy. SAGE Publications.
Kodish, S., 2017. Venturing into the unknown: Blogs as a means of advancing leadership
skills. Journal of Education for Business. 92(6). pp.315-321.
Rornsuk, U., Riach, W. and Klanrit, P., 2015. DEVELOPING ENGLISH READING
COMPREHENSION ABILITY USING START.
Whittaker, C. E., Forrester, D. and Jones, R. K., 2016. Can we reliably measure social work
communication skills?. International Journal of Child and Family Welfare (IJCFW)
2016-Jrg 17-Nr 1/2: Investigating interactions: The dynamics of relationships between
clients and professionals in child welfare. 17(1/2). pp.47-63.
8