Research Proposal Proforma and recommended wordcount by sectionTitle of Project Proposal (to be recorded on cover page)

Research Proposal Proforma and recommended wordcount by sectionTitle of Project Proposal (to be recorded on cover page)

This needs to be well defined, precise and clearly written. It may well contain phrases such as;An investigation into

A critical analysis/appraisal of

An investigation to establish/analyse the impact of

A comparison between

You MUST choose an organisational context for your research and focus on a particular aspect of business/ management. You also need to ensure secure access to chosen organisational data by gaining any necessary permissions using research ethics forms.

1.0 Context/ Background to chosen research area (approx. 400 words)

Identify a specific researchable topic area:

Academic significance of topic area, (up to two sentences)

Business context where the problem resides, (up to three sentences)

Establish the importance of the problem

Cite previously published statistics that indicate how widespread the problem is, how many people/ businesses are affected by it, etc.

Instead of providing stats on prevalence of the problem, researchers sometimes use other strategies recent corporate or government actions, citing of prominent researchers in the field

An explanation of the general and specific academic areas in which the problem is situated and the general significance and impact of the problem on business operations in general.

Use the following checklist of questions to inform your Introduction:

Has researcher provided conceptual definitions of terms?

Has researcher indicated the basis/ source for factual statements?

Do specific research questions logically flow from introduction?

2.0 Research Aim and Objectives (approx. 100 words)

Research aim (state the aim of the study / this is a restatement of the research problem. This forms the basis of the recommendations that you would make following completion of the study).

The aim the proposed study is

To investigate ...,

To research ...

To analyse/evaluate/compare

To critically evaluate , or

To survey or to assess

List of 3-5 research objectives that correspond to research aim and clearly define the scope of the study.

3.0 Literature Review (approx. 1,800 words)

A summary of theory, and key factors arising from theory, relating to the area of the research. It is important that you link different areas of literature / comment showing a consistent thread of logic connecting the different sources you use. You need to cite a minimum number of references

(between fifteen and twenty will be appropriate).

It is prudent to link defined literature to each of your objectives.

Use the following checklist of questions to inform your LR:

Is there extensive literature on the chosen topic?

Is the LR critical?

Is current research cited?

Has researcher distinguished between theory and opinion?

Have the sources been correctly referenced?

Have the headings/ subheadings been used to organise the LR?

4.0 Methodology (approx. 500 words)

You must briefly justify your suggested methodology by reference to appropriate theory.

Research Design, Research approach and Research Type

This section should refer to the research design and the reasons for the research. You should present a summary of your data collection and data analysis techniques together with how the results will be presented if you were to pursue this research project further. Focus on the following key areas:

Research Design, Approach and Philosophy

Data Collection methods and tools

Sampling

Data Analysis

Discussion of Ethical Issues (approx. 300 words)

Discussion of ethical issues raised by the research and how these can be addressed

Anticipated Outcomes (approx. 100 words)

Importance of research outcomes for participants and organisation as well as benefits of conducted research for the primary investigator.

List of References (NOT included into wordcount)

You need to include evidence of preliminary reading for this assignment (around 20 sources). Cited works should be flagged and listed using the Harvard style of referencing.