A 1500-word Research Proposal: Investigation of a Management or Business Problem

Working Title

Produce a 1500 word (+ or – 10%) research proposal structured as per the guidance below. The word count does not include the working title or the list of references.

1. Working title This need not be the final title, but should give an indication of your intended research topic.

2. The management or business problem that you seek to solve, and its context What is the management or business problem you wish to investigate?

Briefly explain the research question(s) you are seeking to answer and make clear what the purpose or aim of your research is, i.e. What do you want to find out by the end of your dissertation, that you do not already know? Having identified the problem, what are the objectives of the research (= the problem broken down into manageable steps)?

In this section, you should also include an explanation of the business context in which your research will be set e.g. organisation or industry, in other words, the background to your research – what has given rise to your intended research and why is there a need for it? Which types of organisations or business practitioners will benefit from you solving the management or business problem that you have identified? Cite appropriate sources to support your points. (Suggested word count: 400 words)

3. Useful peer reviewed articles For this section you will need to have identified and read SIX peer reviewed articles. At least FOUR must come from scholarly journals on ABI Inform/(Proquest) or other authoritative databases from the BNU Library e.g. marketers might use World Advertising Research Center). The remaining TWO can be taken from newspaper databases or authoritative reports. All sources should have been published in the last five years. Discuss one theory, key idea or finding from each article/source which you think will be helpful for your literature review and explain why that theory, key idea or finding is particularly relevant to your investigation. What you are aiming to evaluate here is the contribution that others have made to your subject area and how their research could help to enlighten – and drive forward - your own. (Suggested word count: 100 words per article = 600 words)

4. Proposed primary research How do you intend to obtain your primary data and why do you consider that this method or methods is/are likely to be the most appropriate? Who will be in your sample? (In this section we are looking for credible plans, not simply wishful ideas!) This section should;

Management or Business Problem and Its Context

• critically evaluate whether quantitative, qualitative or mixed (joint) techniques are appropriate to investigating your topic area, and why

• support your arguments with appropriate texts/sources on Research Methods and/or to how other similar studies, such as those from your peer-reviewed articles, have been conducted.

• comment on why you consider that your proposal is ‘do-able’ e.g. do you have established contacts or friends who can introduce you to potential interview respondents, who is in your network and who might those respondents be? For surveys, you need to be clear how you will maximise the response rate. (‘Convenience samples’ e.g. getting your friends to complete a survey using a web link from your Facebook page – are rarely acceptable).

• offer a short ‘Plan B’ e.g. if your suggested method(s) do not work out, what is your back up plan? (Suggested word count: 500 words) List of references This should include all sources cited in the body of the report. Assessment Criteria Management and business problem and its context:

This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your achievement of the following module learning outcomes:

LO 1 Engage in identifying a relevant topic appropriate to the student’s area of study from which a suitable research project can be developed.

LO 2 Demonstrate an understanding of how to conduct a literature review including searching for, and critically engaging with, the ideas of contributing authors to the particular topic.

LO 3 Critically evaluate and design a range of research methods and appropriate research techniques for the collection and analysis of data using quantitative, qualitative or joint methods in order to address the research aim, question and objectives

LO 5 Demonstrate transferable skills including time management, project management, listening, negotiation, written communication skills, independent learning and advanced research skills Task requirements Please avoid using tables, charts and words presented in a box or grid – and stick to the recommended word count (+ or – 10%).

This is simply because a proposal is intended to be a concise document. Please use line and a half spacing, Arial 11 font and page numbers. No Appendices are required. Referencing and research requirements Please reference your work according to the Harvard Referencing style as defined in Cite Them Right Online (http://www.citethemrightonline.com).

This information is also available in book form: Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2016) Cite them right: the essential reference guide. 10th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Copies are available via the university library. How your work will be assessed Your work will be assessed against the assessment criteria which have been provided at the end of this brief. These criteria have been designed specifically for this assignment and are intended to measure the extent to which you have demonstrated your achievement of its associated learning outcomes (see above). They have been aligned with the institutional grade descriptor appropriate for your level. The assessment criteria provide a basis for fair and consistent marking and indicate what is expected of you in this assignment.

Useful Peer Reviewed Articles

It is strongly recommended that you engage with them while you are working on the assignment and use them in combination with any feedback you receive once your work has been marked to help you plan for future learning and development. Submission details You are reminded of the University’s regulations on academic misconduct, which can be viewed on the University website: https://bucks.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/9546/Academic-Misconduct-Policy.pdf. In submitting your assignment, you are acknowledging that you have read and understood these regulations.

Please also note that work that is submitted up to 10 working days beyond the submission date will be considered a late submission. Late submissions will be marked and the actual mark recorded, but will be capped at the pass mark (typically 40%), provided that the work is of a passing standard. Work submitted after this period will not be marked and will be treated as a non-submission. Before you submit Please use the provided checklist below to make sure you are ‘fit to submit’ your work We recommend you use this checklist as soon as you get this assignment brief to help you plan your work Fit to Submit:

Assignment Checklist This brief assignment checklist is designed to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes students make in their coursework. Have you read the assignment brief? If not, do so now! In it you will find details of the assessment task, word count, the assessment criteria your work is marked against, and the learning outcomes –

the basis for the assessment strategy in each module. Students often lose marks by forgetting some of the more straightforward elements of their assignments. We recommend that you “tick off” each of the points below as you prepare your work for submission. If you need any help, ask your tutor and/or visit https://bucks.ac.uk/students/academicadvice/assessment-and-examination Have you read and understood the assessment criteria? Have you met the learning outcomes? You will lose marks and your work may even be failed if you have not. Have you demonstrated you can think and write critically in the completed work?

This means you have supported your arguments/explanations appropriately e.g. using relevant academic sources and you have offered discussion points which extends your own or others’ viewpoints to make reasoned conclusions/judgements. Have you maintained an appropriate tone throughout your work? Is your work formal, focused, developed and clear? Have you checked that the referencing in your assignment is in line with your programme requirements?

Have you proof-read your work and used spellcheck software to check your spelling and grammar? Have you checked the presentation of your work is as specified by your tutor, for example, are font size, colour, style, line spacing and margins as the tutor specified? Have you kept to the word count (or equivalent)? If you are not sure, check with your tutor. Can you confirm that the work submitted is your own and maintains academic integrity?