| Course | BUS 305 Business Research and Communications |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 5 |
| Paper type | Research plan paper |
| Length | About 1,030 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Business Administration |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUS 305 Module 5
Should Tallgrass Open an Omaha Cross-Dock? A Research Plan and Evaluated Sources
Student Name
Business Administration Program, Aspen University
BUS 305: Business Research and Communications
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Should Tallgrass Open an Omaha Cross-Dock? A Research Plan and Evaluated Sources
Leaders at Tallgrass Logistics, a composite trucking and warehousing firm based in Kansas City, are considering a cross-dock in Omaha, a facility where inbound freight is sorted and moved to outbound trucks within hours rather than stored. Three of its largest customers ship to Nebraska and western Iowa, and drivers currently make long round trips from Kansas City. The leadership team has asked for a research report before committing about $2.4 million to a lease and equipment. This paper sets out the research plan: the question, the information needed, where it will come from and how each source will be evaluated.
Defining the Question
A good research question is specific enough to answer and tied to a decision. "Is Omaha a good market?" is too broad. The working question is: Would a cross-dock in Omaha reduce Tallgrass's cost per shipment to Nebraska and western Iowa enough to recover its cost within four years, while supporting growth in that region? Four sub-questions follow: How much freight does Tallgrass now move to the region, and at what cost? How much freight moves in the region overall, and is it growing? What would the facility cost to run? How would customers respond?
Secondary Sources
Secondary research uses information others have already gathered. For regional freight flows, the Freight Analysis Framework, produced by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics with the Federal Highway Administration, estimates tonnage and value moving between regions by mode (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, n.d.). For the number and size of businesses that might ship through Omaha, the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns reports establishments and employment by industry and county (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). Commercial real estate reports from brokerage firms can provide lease rates for industrial space, and trade publications can describe competitors. Each type of source has strengths and limits.
Evaluating Credibility
Researchers who study how people judge online information find that most users rely on quick cues such as a site's design and seldom perform the careful checks that guides recommend (Metzger, 2007). A study comparing professional fact checkers, historians and university students found that the fact checkers were fastest and most accurate because they read laterally: rather than studying a site closely, they left it quickly to see what other sources said about who was behind it (Wineburg & McGrew, 2019). This plan applies lateral reading to every source that is not a government dataset, checking who publishes it, who funds it and whether independent sources confirm its figures.
Evaluated Sources
The table lists the main sources and how each will be used.
| Source | What it provides | Credibility | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freight Analysis Framework | Freight flows by region and mode | High; federal methodology published | Regional estimates, not company-level; some years forecast |
| County Business Patterns | Establishments and employment by county and industry | High; federal census program | Lags by about two years |
| Brokerage industrial market reports | Lease rates and vacancy | Moderate; check against a second broker | Brokers have an interest in activity |
| Tallgrass shipment records | Current volume and cost to the region | High for internal use | Past patterns may not predict growth |
| Vendor or association articles on cross-docks | Typical cost and design | Variable; read laterally | May promote products |
Primary Research
Primary research gathers new information for this question. It includes three parts. First, an analysis of eighteen months of Tallgrass shipment records to the region, by customer, weight and cost per shipment. Second, structured interviews with logistics managers at the three largest customers, asking how their Nebraska and Iowa volume is expected to change and whether faster delivery would affect their shipping decisions. Third, two site visits to available Omaha facilities to confirm dock doors, yard space and access to Interstate 80. Interview questions will be neutral, so they do not lead customers toward a yes. Each interview will be scheduled for thirty minutes, and the same questions will be asked in the same order, so answers can be compared across the three customers.
Analysis Plan
The final report will compare current cost per shipment to the region with projected cost using the cross-dock, including lease, labor, equipment and changed truck miles, under low, expected and high volume scenarios. Figures from each source will be documented so a reader can trace every number, and assumptions will be stated plainly.
Ethics in Research
The research must be honest and fair. Customer interviews will be voluntary and their answers kept confidential within the project team. Tallgrass will not misrepresent itself to competitors or landlords to obtain information. All secondary sources will be cited, and figures will not be selected to support a conclusion reached in advance; if the data show the cross-dock would not pay back, the report will say so.
Timeline
The research will take six weeks: two for secondary research and the shipment analysis, two for customer interviews and site visits, and two for analysis and the written report, with a draft to the chief financial officer at the end of week five for a check of the numbers.
Risks to the Research
Several things could weaken the findings. Customers may be optimistic about future volume in interviews, so their estimates will be compared with their actual shipments over the past eighteen months. Federal freight estimates describe regions, not specific lanes, so they will be used to judge overall growth rather than to predict Tallgrass's own volume. Lease rates may change quickly, so quotes will be dated. Stating these limits in the report lets leaders weigh the evidence properly.
Reporting the Results
The report will present the recommendation first, followed by the cost comparison under three scenarios, the evidence behind each assumption and the limits of the research. Every figure will carry a citation or a note on its internal source, so a reader can check it.
Conclusion
A $2.4 million decision deserves a focused question, reliable data and honest analysis. This plan narrows the question to cost recovery and growth, draws on federal freight and business data, internal records and customer interviews, and evaluates each source for credibility and limits, using lateral reading for anything outside government datasets. The result should give Tallgrass's leaders evidence they can trust.
References
Bureau of Transportation Statistics. (n.d.). Freight Analysis Framework. https://www.bts.gov/faf
Metzger, M. J. (2007). Making sense of credibility on the Web: Models for evaluating online information and recommendations for future research. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 58(13), 2078-2091. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.20672
U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). County Business Patterns (CBP). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp.html
Wineburg, S., & McGrew, S. (2019). Lateral reading and the nature of expertise: Reading less and learning more when evaluating digital information. Teachers College Record, 121(11), 1-40. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811912101102
BUS 305 Module 5 instructions, in plain terms
Researching information is one of the skills Aspen names in the BUS 305 description, and the fifth module often asks for a research plan with evaluated sources. Your Module 5 prompt comes through the classroom, so this example plans research for one decision. Write a question narrow enough to answer and tied to a decision. Break it into sub-questions. Identify secondary sources suited to each, and explain what they can and cannot tell you. Describe how you will judge credibility, using a recognized approach. Plan primary research that fills gaps. Explain how the findings will be analyzed and reported. Address ethics and the risks that could weaken conclusions, and give a realistic timeline.
How the BUS 305 Module 5 example is put together
The paper introduces the Omaha decision and why leaders want evidence first. It narrows the question to cost recovery within four years and lists four sub-questions. Secondary sources include the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' Freight Analysis Framework, the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns, brokerage lease reports and trade articles. The credibility section cites Metzger on how people judge online information and Wineburg and McGrew's comparison of fact checkers, historians and students. A five-row table evaluates sources on content, credibility and limits. Primary research includes shipment analysis, structured customer interviews and site visits. Analysis under three scenarios, ethics, risks to the research, reporting and a six-week timeline close it.
BUS 305 Module 5 rubric: what earns full marks
Research plans earn credit for a focused question, suitable sources, careful evaluation, sound primary research and honest attention to limits. This example ties every source to a sub-question and says what each cannot show. Its four APA references are Metzger's article on web credibility in the Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Wineburg and McGrew's Teachers College Record study of lateral reading and two federal data programs. The evaluation table makes the reasoning easy to review. Planning neutral interview questions, comparing customer forecasts with actual shipments and committing to report unfavorable findings show research integrity. The timeline builds in a finance check of the numbers before the draft goes to leaders.
BUS 305 Module 5 help: mistakes that cost marks
Students often start with a topic rather than a question. Tie your question to a decision someone must make. Another weakness is listing sources without evaluating them; say what each is good for and where it falls short. Prefer original data sources to summaries of them. Use lateral reading for anything that is not a government or peer-reviewed source. Plan primary research that fills a real gap. Write neutral interview questions. State limits honestly. Keep the timeline realistic. If you cannot find data at the level you need, say so and explain how you will estimate. Ask a librarian for help locating business databases through your school's library. Keep a simple log of every search and source as you go, which makes the final reference list and any follow-up questions much easier to handle.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
More BUS 305 and Business Administration sample papers
- BUS 305 Module 1: Audience and Writing Process
- BUS 305 Module 2: Routine and Positive Messages
- BUS 305 Module 3: Bad-News Messages
- BUS 305 Module 4: Persuasive Proposal
- BUS 305 Module 6: Formal Business Report
- BUS 305 Module 7: Business Presentation
- BUS 305 Module 8: Team Communication and Culture
- BUS 225 Module 7: Discrimination and Fair Employment
- BUS 210 Module 2: Business Ownership Form Discussion
BUS 305 Module 5 questions, answered
What does BUS 305 Module 5 usually ask for?
Aspen's BUS 305 covers techniques for researching information, so a research plan with a focused question and evaluated sources is typical. Follow your classroom prompt.
What is the difference between primary and secondary research?
Primary research gathers new data for your question, such as interviews or internal records; secondary research uses information others have already published.
What is lateral reading?
Checking a source's credibility by leaving it to see what other sources say about its author, publisher and claims, as professional fact checkers do.
Where can I find a free BUS 305 Module 5 sample paper?
Everything is above: a research plan for an Omaha cross-dock decision, with a focused question, federal data sources, a table evaluating five sources and a primary research plan.
How do I evaluate a website as a source?
Check who publishes and funds it by seeing what independent sources say about it, confirm key facts elsewhere and prefer original data to summaries.