This proposal is effectively your business case and project management plan for the execution of your research project. As such, it must be written
133350805180INSTRUCTIONS
This proposal is effectively your business case and project management plan for the execution of your research project. As such, it must be written in a clear language so anyone can use this document to complete the project.
You must submit the Detailed Proposal in Word format. Please strictly adhere to word limits in each section.
You are highly encouraged to consult Studiosity, ALC and/or Turnitin before submitting your final version.
Dot points are not to be used except where noted as acceptable.
You are encouraged to include relevant diagrams in any part of this submission to more clearly illustrate ideas, including the research design.
You must refer to Moodle Site to learn about the criteria by which your research proposals will be assessed.
Please include the following sections in the proposal (all blue text is for guidance only and is to be replaced by appropriately formatted text).
00INSTRUCTIONS
This proposal is effectively your business case and project management plan for the execution of your research project. As such, it must be written in a clear language so anyone can use this document to complete the project.
You must submit the Detailed Proposal in Word format. Please strictly adhere to word limits in each section.
You are highly encouraged to consult Studiosity, ALC and/or Turnitin before submitting your final version.
Dot points are not to be used except where noted as acceptable.
You are encouraged to include relevant diagrams in any part of this submission to more clearly illustrate ideas, including the research design.
You must refer to Moodle Site to learn about the criteria by which your research proposals will be assessed.
Please include the following sections in the proposal (all blue text is for guidance only and is to be replaced by appropriately formatted text).
Summary of Proposal Inclusions:
Self-assessment (by ticking the boxes of a given checklist)
Project Title
Abstract
The rationale for the study
Significance.
The research questions and objectives:
Research Methodology
Data collection:
Preliminary literature review
Responsibility matrix
Research Project Management: Include project plans and/or documentation as per the guidelines in the supplied template.
List of References.
Appendices:
Summary and theme matrix tables minimum 10 references.
Project Schedule using MS Project including Gantt Chart
The draft of Ethics submission documentation if applicable including data collection instrument, consent form, etc.
Minutes of group meetings during the term (a minimum of three meeting records).
Screenshot of Microsoft Planner platform as an evidence of group engagement in task management.
Hyperlink of shared folder with all collected group members contribution to the group work with screenshots of the content.
Cover page
Include all your identifying information in this page which will be the first page of your proposal effectively. Delete the instruction page before submission.
Research proposal self assessment
You must tick the boxes of the below checklist (Replace the empty box with a ticked box for each item you have complied with)
The research topic
Does it summarise the main idea of my proposed research in an exciting way in no less than 10- 15 words?
Can it stand alone? Is it fully explanatory?
Rationale and Significance
Do I provide a brief description of my proposed research?
Do I explain how the results of my research will advance the general understanding of this topic?
Do I explain how the results of my research fill a knowledge gap?
Research questions and objectives
Do I have a formal and clear statement of my proposed research questions and objectives?
Are my research questions aligned with the rationale and relevant reviewed literature?
Do my research questions and objectives connect? Are they logical, researchable, achievable, and ethical?
Preliminary Literature review
Is the literature review based on summary and theme matrix tables?
Does my literature review justify my research questions?
Does my literature review identify gaps, shortcomings, and limitations in existing research giving context to my study?
Do I demonstrate a thorough and current understanding of the peer-reviewed literature relating to my topic?
Research methodology, methods, ethics and limitations.
Do I explain the approach I intend to use to solve the challenge in my study? Is it explicit and well thought out?
Are both my research approach and methods tied to my research questions and objectives?
Does both my approach and methods show an understanding of relevant reviewed literature?
Are my procedures well organized and clearly described?
Do I discuss how confidentiality of participants and their responses will be maintained? (if applicable)
Have I explained the scope boundaries and exclusions of my research?
Project management
Does my project schedule name all key activities and milestones for specific achievements? And does it pertain to the objectives I have set out to achieve?
Is my schedule manageable and realistic? Do I allow adequate time for completion of each activity?
Is the sequence for completion logical?
Are all budget and resource requirements assigned to project activities?
Are the key risks well identified and analysed?
Have I completed the responsibility matrix?
Are the key stakeholders well identified and analysed?
Are my procedures for data management clearly described?
Have I provided evidence of engagement with Microsoft Planner for managing group activities?
References, Appendices and Presentation
Have I provided cover page and abstract as per requirements?
Have I had my work checked by Studiosity and ALC before submission?
Is my language clear enough and free from typos and grammatical errors?
Do I provide a list of cited references that are current and relevant?
Am I using Harvard style in the reference list and in-text referencing?
Have I followed all other instructions for submissions?
Have we attached the summary tables to the appendices?
Have I provided all documents needed under appendices as well as the hyperlink of shared folder?
Have I provided the hyperlink of the shared folder with group member contributions with a screenshot of the content.
Research Project Topic
(up to 15 words) in the top of the abstract in this page.
Abstract
(200 words) Summarise the major elements of your proposal in this page.
The rationale of the study
(800 words) References would be needed in this section to support your arguments.
Provide a research context and issues that surround the research topic. Explain why this project is needed and demonstrate the evidence for this need. Evidence could be a limitation of a previous study on the selected research topic or previous literature that suggest there no adequate information to explain the problem or no solution exists for that problem. Think of this section as building the case for the problem you plan to investigate and define the problem.
Significance of the study
(up to 200 words) This section is your argument that the study makes a significant contribution to your discipline. Explain why the topic is worth studying, how it may impact policy, how it contributes to the general understanding of the theory under investigation or who will benefit from this project.
Preliminary literature review
(2000 words, use a minimum of ten scholarly refereed papers.)
Conduct an overview of the key literature sources from which you intend to draw. You must use the sources included in the summary and theme matrix tables.
To complete a literature review section of a research proposal, students should first define the scope of the review by identifying the research question or problem they are addressing. They should then search for relevant literature, carefully read and evaluate it, organizing it into themes or categories and highlighting areas of agreement and disagreement among the authors. Students should also identify any gaps in the literature and explain how their proposed research aims to fill these gaps. The literature review should be written in a clear, concise, and well-organized manner, citing all sources properly. It should include a summary of key findings and a conclusion that connects the literature to the research question or problem. It is important to proofread the literature review for spelling and grammar errors before submitting it as a part of the research proposal.
Research question(s) and objectives
(dot point can be used in this section)
(Up to 150 words) Include two to three research questions and up to 5 objectives only
Define the problem in the form of research questions and objectives. You can also have one or hypotheses if applicable.
4.1 Definition of key terms
(Optional section)
Define any used term that may be vague or have a contextually related meaning.
Research Methodology
Research Approach
(Up to 500 words) Guided by the research onion, structure this section starting with Research philosophy then approach to theory development, methodological choice, strategies, etc. References would be needed in this section to support your justification. Include your research methodology diagram or flow chart here.
Research approach and data collection methods should be detailed enough to describe how you intend to answer the research questions and achieve the research objectives. In this section, you should select and justifya methodological approach to solve the problem (i.e. qualitative, quantitative).
Data collection methods and analysis
(up to 700 words) References would be needed in this section to justify your choices.
This section should include a set of investigative strategies or methods which is considered, coherent and appropriate to the outcomes that the project is designed to achieve. Will it be based on a survey, interviews, examination of secondary data or combination of methods? And what are the reasons of choosing a certain method. If you are using a survey method, you should specify the target population, sampling plan, identification and access to participants, the methods and tools you will use to distribute the questionnaire and analyse collected data. It is also encouraged to provide samples of the survey questions you intend to ask and how the questions are aligned with your objectives.
Ethics Statement
(Up to 150 words)
Explain the ethical considerations that you will follow if you research will involve collecting data from people.
Team Contribution
Explain the detailed areas of contributions of each group member in this part of the assignment and self-reflection of the member's experience to proposal development with the group .
Note: Each member must fill this part using their own words.
Name Detailed explanation of member contributions (minimum 50 words) Member Reflection of their experience in group work
Research Project Management
Provide the necessary project management information in the sub-sections below. This section is only needed in the final research proposal submission. Do not include it in your draft submission.
Project exclusions
(Up to 150 words)
Explain boundaries of your research scope (i.e. geographic boundary, sampling, etc.) The boundaries could be self-imposed (de-limitations) or potential weaknesses in the study design or methodology. Explain the rationale as to why and how you chose to narrow your study and explain what you will do to minimize the effect of the identified weaknesses.
Project schedule and milestones:
Here, you only include the list of milestones of your project. In appendices, you must include the full project schedule.
Risk register including analysis and response strategy
(Include a minimum of 10 negative risks that you may encounter during conducting project activities.)
No. Risk Probability
(1 very low, 5 very high) Impact
(1very low, 5 very high) Assessment
(Impact x Probability) Response strategy
1 2 3 4 5 Stakeholder analysis:
Identify and analyse the key stakeholders who may influence or may be impact by the project. (a minimum of 5 stakeholders)
Stakeholder Influence (ability to effect changes) Impacted by project Information needed Outcome desired
Project resources and budget
Use your own table by listing and linking the activities of project schedule with the allocated resources and budget- uuse the given example as a reference:
Activity Resources Budget allowance AUD
Literature review Library access, research assistant $2,000
Travel expenses (if needed) Airfare, lodging, transportation $4,000
Data management
(Up to 150 words)
This section should briefly explain how you will organise your secondary and primary data and whether you have used a software (i.e. Endnote) to help you with this. You should also explain how to safeguard research data & prevent unauthorised use. Include a hyperlink of the shared folder where you saved your work including Endnote library or secondary data used in preparation for this proposal.
References List
A complete list of cited works, as referenced in the proposal, must be included. You must refer to a well-rounded and relevant list of contemporary literature (preferably within the last five years) when justifying the need, research design, and analysis sections of this proposal. Do not include a bibliography only those texts referenced in-text should be included in the reference list. You must use Endnote software in formatting this document.
Formatting of in-text references and the reference list must be consistent throughout the proposal (CQU Harvard format should be used
Appendices
Provide the following documents within this proposal:
Summary and theme matrix tables
Project Schedule using MS Project including Gantt Chart
The draft of Ethics submission documentation if applicable including data collection instrument, consent form, etc.
Minutes of group meetings during the term (a minimum of three meeting records).
Screenshots of group activities within Microsoft Teams, Planner or Asana platform as an evidence of group engagement in task management.
Hyperlink of the shared folder with group member contributions with a screenshot of the content.
PPMP20015(WEEK 1 Tutorial)
Student Name: Yogesh Pokharel
Student Number: 12201925
Campus: Brisbane
Research Topic: Supply chain management challenges in construction during COVID-19 pandemic:
This research topic will focus on identifying and evaluating the supply chain management challenges that construction companies face during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as disruptions to the supply of materials, equipment, and labor, and identifying strategies for addressing these challenges.
Key Words: Supply chain AND challenges AND construction AND pandemic
The Journal
Search for relevant journal related to the topic through Scopus (from CQU Library-Database).
Using Key Words.;
Supply chain, impact, construction, covid-19.
The Main Journal
Theimpactof COVID-19 onconstructionsupplychain management: an Australian case study
https://www-scopus-com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85146135682&origin=resultslist&sort=plf-f&src=s&st1=supply&st2=impact&nlo=&nlr=&nls=&sid=a8b92b486a8afdf4d170f1e04ffa09d0&sot=b&sdt=cl&cluster=scosubtype%2c%22ar%22%2ct&sl=106&s=%28TITLE-ABS-KEY%28supply%29+AND+TITLE-ABS-KEY%28impact%29+AND+TITLE-ABS-KEY%28covid%29+AND+TITLE-ABS-KEY%28construction%29%29&relpos=9&citeCnt=0&searchTerm=
Reference;
Sutterby, P., Wang, X., Li, H.X. & Ji, Y. 2023, "The impact of COVID-19 on construction supply chain management: an Australian case study",Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management,
Backward Search
As I couldnt find most relevant journal, but I think of this would be an appropriate one.
I got this from the reference list listed below the main Journal.
The Journal (From Backward Search)
Early impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the United Statesconstructionindustry
https://www-scopus-com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85100509461&origin=reflist&sort=plf-f&src=s&st1=supply&st2=impact&nlo=&nlr=&nls=&sid=a8b92b486a8afdf4d170f1e04ffa09d0&sot=b&sdt=cl&cluster=scosubtype%2c%22ar%22%2ct&sl=106&s=%28TITLE-ABS-KEY%28supply%29+AND+TITLE-ABS-KEY%28impact%29+AND+TITLE-ABS-KEY%28covid%29+AND+TITLE-ABS-KEY%28construction%29%29
Reference;
Alsharef, A., Banerjee, S., Uddin, S.M.J., Albert, A. & Jaselskis, E. 2021, "Early impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the United States construction industry",International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 1-21.
Forward Search
The Journal
As there were not any forward citation from the Main journal, I had to search for a new journal in Scopus. While doing so, I ended up finding this journal as recent to main Journal as it.
I searched this journal the same way I did for the Main journal. Using Similar keywords.
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction sector: asystemized review
https://www-scopus-com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85117889326&origin=resultslist&sort=plf-f&cite=2-s2.0-85100509461&src=s&imp=t&sid=7258adb91e57e7a2845f5132ba29fe1f&sot=cite&sdt=a&sl=0&relpos=6&citeCnt=14&searchTerm=
Reference;
Ayat, M., Malikah & Kang, C.W. 2023, "Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction sector: asystemized review",Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management,vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 734-754.
Credibility check
To Check the credibility of the 3 journal we have selected we have used 3 key methods.
Sc imago Journal & Country Rank
Check quality of Journal (refereed-non refereed)- Ulrich web.
Bealls list of predator Journals and Publishers.
The Main Journal
SC image Journal & Country Rank The main Journal was Published on the Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management . So, we are going to check the credibility of the platform it was posted in.
We can confirm that the journal is listed in SCimago.
Ulrichweb, Quality check.
The Journal is in Ulrichweb and is refereed as well.
Bealls list of predator Journals and Publishers.
The journal is not listed in BEALLS List as well.
So, as of our knowledge the Journal appears to be Credible.
Backward Search Journal
SC image Journal & Country Rank the Main Journal was Published on the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. So, we are going to check the credibility of the platform it was posted in.
The journal is listed on Sc imago with H-Index and Quality Rating.
Ulrichweb, Quality check.
The Journal is in Ulrichweb and is refereed as well.
Bealls list of predator Journals and Publishers.
The journal is not listed in BEALLS List as well.
So, as of our knowledge the Journal appears to be Credible.
Forward Search Journal
SC image Journal & Country Rank the Main Journal was Published on the Asian Journal of Civil Engineering.
So, we are going to check the credibility of the platform it was posted in.
We can confirm that the journal is listed in SCimago.
Ulrichweb, Quality check.
The Journal is in Ulrichweb and is refereed as well.
Bealls list of predator Journals and Publishers.
The journal is not listed in BEALLS List as well.
So, as of our knowledge the Journal appears to be Credible.
ANNITATED SUMMARY
[1] Sutterby, P., Wang, X., Li, H.X., & Ji, Y. 2023, "The impact of COVID-19 on construction supply chain management: an Australian case study",Engineering, Construction, and Architectural Management.
[2] In this article, Sutterby, P., Wang, X., Li, H.X., and Ji, Y. (2023) share their view on how important supply chain management can be in the context of the construction industry and what have been the impacts and remedial measures seen during the time of the pandemic, focusing on a particular Australian company. [3] This study (Sutterby, P., Wang, X., Li, H.X., & Ji, Y., 2023) adopts a qualitative and quantitative research approach focusing on the literature reviews and data collected from conducting designed interviews with the stakeholders in the context of the impact of COVID-19 in the construction industry and the importance of supply chain management to sustain a company during the time of an epidemic. [4] The study (Sutterby, P., Wang, X., Li, H.X., & Ji, Y., 2023) consists of a respondent sample of 5 respondents from the case company, whereby all respondents had to have five years of experience in the relevant field and a minimum of a bachelor's degree. The interviewees were selected based on their decision-making power within the organization and involvement in the topic of concern.
[5] This study (Sutterby, P., Wang, X., Li, H.X., & Ji, Y. 2023) is of particular relevance to the topic selected for Assignment 1, as the topic aims to explore the impacts of COVID-19 in supply chain management for the construction industry. [6] An important limitation of the study (Sutterby, P., Wang, X., Li, H.X., & Ji, Y., 2023) is that the research was conducted based on a specific company and a specific region (Australia), along with 5 participants from a particular company's hierarchy. However, this limitation means the results cannot be generalized to a broader part of the world. Nevertheless, this study's results can serve as recommendations for future extensive research in this domain.
[7] The research identifies (i) increased competition for primary contractors and subcontractors after the breakout. ii) Due to proper risk transfer strategies, the supply chain risks faced by primary contractors were limited. iii) The company's nature and business strengthen its capabilities to withstand supply chain risks. Furthermore, through the analysis of interviews conducted with experts, the research identifies that significant risks can be avoided during a crisis by building relationships between the participants in the supply chain, i.e., suppliers and local governments. [8] This research paper is relevant to the topic of "Supply Chain Management Challenges in Construction During the COVID-19 Pandemic," as exploring impacts and their mitigating factors gives a clear idea of the challenges that come with it.
References.
[1] Citation
[2] Introduction
[3] Aims & Research Methods
[4] Scope
[5] Usefulness [to a particular topic)
[6] Limitations
[7] Conclusions
[8] Reflection
Full citation Research aim Research question/s Research design Key findings Limitations Usefulness/relevance
1 Sutterby, P., Wang, X., Li, H.X. & Ji, Y. 2023, "The impact of COVID-19 on construction supply chain management: an Australian case study",Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management.
This study discusses the impact of supply chain management crisis and ways to minimalize them during the time of pandemic. What are the measures and upgrades that can be done to neutralize the falling supply chain management system during the time of crisis? The study uses the interview strategy and obtains data from interview questionnaires sent to various stakeholders in the company to identify the impact and mitigating measures taken. The study identifies supply chain management impact to be very impactful in construction industry and suggest various majors to minimalize it i.e., through risk assessments mechanisms, establishing relationships with relevant parties, making culture and flexibility in making quick decisions. A key limitation to this study is that data collection was done in Australian company. So, it is unable to resonate with the overall part of the world. This article has a high relevance to my research as it discusses about the impact of Covid-19 in supply chain management.
2 Alsharef, A., Banerjee, S., Uddin, S.M.J., Albert, A. & Jaselskis, E. 2021, "Early impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the United States construction industry",International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 1-21.
This paper investigates the early impact of COVID-19 in the US construction industry just after the declaration of COVID as a national emergency. 1. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the construction industry and ongoing projects (general/adverse impact)? The author has created a certain questionnaire after reviewing limited and relevant research, hence conducting an interview with the targeted number of participants. 1. Major supply chain disruption occurred with restrictions being implemented nationally and internationally.
2. Price hike due to minimal supply of materials.
3. Delay in most of the construction activities i.e., permit, inspection, new projects. 1. A key limitation to this study is that the data collected was from the US construction industry of 17 states and may not generalize with other part of the world.
2. This study was conducted at the early stage of the pandemic. This article has high relevance to my research as it explores about the effect of COVID-19 in construction industry and the issue occurred in supply chain are during the pandemic.
SUMMARY TABLE
3 Ayat, M., Malikah & Kang, C.W. 2023, "Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction sector: asystemized review",Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management,vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 734-754.
This research aim is to explore and provide impact and changes that have occurred in construction industry and to present a mitigating framework to minimize its effect. 1.What were the major
Impacts on the construction industry during the pandemic from the research conducted related to it? The authors conduct a comprehensive literature review using rigorous systemic data collection protocol and diverse data analysis protocol followed by rigorous bibliometric and content analysis. 1.The prominent challenge to the industry was supply chain disruption.
2. Health and safety crisis in the construction environment.
3. Material price hike and unavailability along with labor shortage. 1.One of the key limitations is that the study done of the journals and articles are more of a country-region specific.
2.No comparison has been made between countries-regions experiences. This study is relevant to my research as it presents data of several research that has been done on Impact of covid-19 in construction industries and discusses it.
THEME MATRIX
Theme Article 1 (Main Article) Article 2(Backward Article) Article 3(Forward Article)
Challenges in Supply chain management. Lack of proper planning and risk assessment mechanism, Construction approval processes are too tedious, due to these at the time of crises instantaneous major cant be taken. The sudden crisis resulted in the halt of all the supplies as countries went into lockdowns. Lack of human movement due to safety reasons. Majorly due to the safety reasons which caused disruption in production & transportation.
Importance of Supply chain Management According to this study, it reduces stakeholder risk during construction stages and improve supply chain performance.
As this study suggests, helps to maintain the construction work running effectively with the supply of raw materials and controls the inflation of the industry. This study mostly points out that the proper supply chain performance could ease the supply of raw materials and goods.
Effective
Supply chain Management Strategies According to this study,
1.Nature of the project, existing Supply chain management strategies and inspection processes
2. Relationship with the suppliers and local governments.
3. Culture and flexibility to take quick decisions.
4. Focusing on risk assessment mechanisms. According to this study,
1.Conducting internal review and improving existing system
2. Strictly following the OHS requirement during every construction stage.
3.Managing project risk at very early stage of the project. This study finds that,
1.Training the local workforce, providing them with safety measures while at work.
2. Restructuring the organizations, conducting internal review to improve existing systems.
3. Invest in Research and development.
4. Flexibility in logistics.
Reflection
My learning in this Unit PPMP20015 (Research Proposal) was quite a roller coaster coming to this phase. During the start of the semester there were quite a few changes in the schedule of the unit which created a certain amount of confusion in itself. As I was expecting a physical class, the first week turned out to be an online class, which I couldnt attend due to the confusion of the schedule and not being aware of the online class. Coming to the second week, we has a profession in our university and that week was quite productive. I got my first insight on research. I got to know that research was in itself a vast topic and was vital in development as well as analysis of any topic that has to be studied in detail. I got to know how to select existing journals for my research and check their credibility using valid sources and databases. I learned about literature review and its use in a research proposal. In week 3 I came to know about the assessment work to be done in this unit. But due to the change in schedule of the unit again happening in our university, I got a bit overwhelmed and anxious about all of the stuffs. I finally took the online lecture and tutorial conducted by the units coordinator of PPMP20015 in my university Moodle account. So, I started taking those online classes, which has helped me complete the assessment as well as understand the unit in detail. Through those online classes and while doing my assessment, I came to be familiar with the concept of why research is conducted, being an investigation of certain topic we are keen to find more about using available resources. For research we are obliged to only use a scholarly source as they have been verified by the experts. I learned to use credibility tools such as Scopus, SCImago, Ulrichweb, etc. I also learned about literature review to be a summary of overall review of the primary and secondary sources of data in the are where the research is being conducted. And Annotated bibliography being summary of the key aspects of article relevant to the initial topic and learned to write one. I finally got a good idea of citing my work, referencing it and paraphrasing it. I learned to prepare a summary table and theme matrix with key points which can give a overall reflection of the research work which is being done.
