Research Proposal Submission Guidelines: Aim, Objectives and Theoretical Framework

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We wish to support any student who is experiencing mitigating circumstances which prevents students from performing to the best of their ability when completing or submitting assignments. If you are experiencing such circumstances then you may apply for mitigating circumstances. Wherever possible this must be done prior to handing your assignment.

You are required to use the remainder of the 100 hours self-directed study time to read relevant text books and journal articles as per the reading list in the MIP and using Library resources.

The sessions will give you a conceptual grounding in research methodologies as well as practical guidance for the design of a viable research project. Emphasis will be placed on the systematic nature of the research process so that you can see the links between research philosophy, methodology, methods and data analysis.

The research proposal is designed to assess your ability to both conduct a search and review of existing literature and design an appropriate research strategy. This research proposal informs the subsequent dissertation module which can be taken in year 2 of the course.

Please note that this is the latest time you can submit.

Your feedback and mark for this assessment will be provided on Blackboard, 15 working days after the deadline date.

The University requires students to adhere to submission deadlines for any form of assessment in accordance with the precepts contained in The Student Charter.

Your research proposal should:

• Demonstrate your understanding of the research process and design.
• Present your research aim (research question) and objectives.
• Explain how your research is derived from and interrelated to the existing literature.
• Make clear philosophical and methodological underpinnings of the research.
• Provide an outline of data collection methods that could be used in the Dissertation.
• Demonstrate your awareness of research ethics.
• Present a convincing research proposal that is well planned and demonstrated in the timescales.
• Present the awareness of possible limitations of the research proposal.
• Demonstrate independent research that is applied effectively and appropriately using the Harvard Referencing System.

An introduction to your chosen research area (400 words)

The Introduction should tell the reader what the report is about. It sets the project in its wider context, outlines the structure and signposts the reader to the key points. This is followed by:

1. Background to the research (context of the research). This is the section, in which you should justify why the topic you have chosen is of relevance and importance. You might provide some relevant facts and figures regarding a particular industry – if possible, these should highlight any gaps in the existing body of knowledge. There should not be a significant overlap with the literature review, but appropriate references should be made. This part of your report should contextualise the research and lead the reader logically to the research aim and objectives.
2. Research aim and objectives:

Begin this section by clearly stating the aim of your proposed research in one or two sentences (verbs often used are: to investigate; to explore; to compare). Then provide a breakdown of the specific objectives you will undertake in your research in order to meet the aim (there should not be more than four objectives). Be as precise as possible. The objectives should link directly to the research aim and be numbered (i.e. from 1 to 4).

Please note that if it is more appropriate to use an overarching research question, followed by a subset of research questions (no more than four), you can do so. It is your personal choice.

3. Literature Review

You must identify the main theoretical underpinnings of your work and the key authors in your field of research. You should make references to the key authors and themes from the body of academic literature that is relevant to your researched topic area. It is important to utilise a range of academic sources (such as, journal articles, academic textbooks) and should be appropriately referenced.

4. Methodology: a description and justification of research methods for your study including
5. Your philosophical position and methodological approach to your study
6. Research strategy, including data collection and a justification of their appropriateness
7. How you propose to analyse the data you gather
8. Any problems you anticipate and how you might overcome them
9. Ethical considerations:
10. How you intend to inform and gain access to the appropriate informants, data, and / or sites for your study
11. How data and informants’ identities are protected