If you intend to submit a Research and Analysis Project (RAP) to Oxford Brookes University, Oxford Brookes University strongly recommends that you should choose one of the following 20 approved project topic areas as the basis for your RAP.

1. An organisation’s budgetary control system and its links with performance management and decision making
2. How the introduction of a new technology can assist an organisation in achieving its business objectives
3. The impact of an aspect of impending legislation on the operations and financial position of an organisation
4. The impact of e-business on an organisation
5. The effects of globalisation on an organisation
6. The key factors or indicators in the motivation of employees in an organisation
7. The restructuring of an organisation’s operational activities and the effect on the organisation’s financial performance
8. The business and financial performance of an organisation over a three year period
9. The planning and implementation of an information system in an organisation
10. The effectiveness of the use of costing techniques within an organisation
11. The financial and operational costs and benefits of the internal audit / internal review activities within an organisation
12. The possible effects of a proposed accounting standard on the financial statements and business activities of an organisation
13. The relationship between an organisation’s human resources activities and its business objectives
14. The business and financial objectives of a strategic investment decision made by an organisation and its impact on key stakeholders
15. The management of an organisation’s working capital over a three year period and its impact on the organisation’s funding strategies
16. The financial and operational risk management within an organisation
17. The quality of the corporate governance within an organisation and the impact on an organisation’s key stakeholders
18. The marketing strategy of an organisation and its effectiveness
19. The financial and operational consequences of a merger between two organisations or of the acquisition of one organisation by another
20. An organisation's corporate social responsibility policies, including business ethics, and their impact on business practice and key stakeholders.
    
    
    

    Research and Analysis Project Title

    Your RAP must be focused on one organisation. The main focus of your project research must be an analysis / evaluation of the project topic area issues in the context of your chosen organisation. 

    There are two crucial aspects to ensure success in this project:

    1. Your RAP must be focused on one organisation
    2. The analysis must be a business analysis not just a financial analysis.

    You should combine the analysis / evaluation requirement of the RAP with the project topic area and with your chosen organisation to produce your Research and Analysis Project Title.

    For example, if you have chosen an organisation called 'OBU Co' for your research work, then some possible Research and Analysis Project titles are as follows:

    • An analysis of the key factors that influence the levels of motivation of staff within OBU Co. (Topic 6)
    • An evaluation of the business and financial performance of OBU Co between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2007 (Topic 8)
    • OBU Co: A case study for the evaluation of the use of different costing techniques in the pricing of consultancy services (Topic 10)
    • A business and financial analysis of the entry of OBU Co into the market for online postgraduate degree courses and the impact on teachers and learners (Topic 14)
    • An evaluation of the quality of corporate governance within OBU Co and the impact on OBU Co professionally qualified accountants. (Topic 17)

    Your actual choice of project topic area and organisation will depend on the access you have to internal and external sources of information about the organisation. This is discussed elsewhere in the RAP Preparation Guide. 

    Study of other project topic areas

    If you believe that you face exceptional circumstances and cannot identify a suitable project from the list of approved project topic areas, then Oxford Brookes University will consider your request to undertake a RAP based on a different area of your previous academic study. 

    However you must obtain permission from the ACCA office at Oxford Brookes University before you start your RAP research work. You must provide an outline (minimum one page in length) of your proposed project research work, which includes the project title, the objectives of your research and how you will undertake your research to meet your objectives. The outline should also state how you will be able to demonstrate your evaluative and / or analytical skills.

    Please email acca@brookes.ac.uk with your one page outline and allow 10 working days for a response.