Research Proposal
Unit Code and
Title: SBM1300 Research
Project Assessment
Information
Assessment 1 (a):
Research Proposal Brief
Assignment Details:
A Research Proposal Brief early in the
semester is to receive feedback about the suitability of the topic so that by
the time is a document that informs others of a proposed piece of research and
its significance. This is the first stage of preparing a Research Proposal that
could be used as part of an application to undertake a research degree or to
apply for funding to conduct the research.
The purpose of writing the Research Proposal
Brief early in the semester is to receive feedback about the suitability of the
topic so that by the time you complete the Research Proposal (due in week 12)
the final submission is of a standard that could be used to support an
application for a research degree or for research funding.
The Research Proposal Brief early in the
semester is to receive feedback about the suitability of the topic so that by
the time is therefore very important as it provides the basis for feedback that
will assist you to prepare an excellent Research Proposal and should be taken
very seriously even though the weighting of the assignment is relatively low.
The most important aspect of this assignment is to identify a solid research
question, which also means justifying the question from previous research. This
will save you time in the long run. If the proposal brief is well-designed it
will be an outline of the full proposal for the thesis to follow.
You are required to submit a written Research
Proposal Brief in academic format (800-1000 words) and give an oral
presentation (5-10 minutes) about your research proposal.
This assessment is worth 10% of your marks
for SBM1300 and forms the basis of the Research Proposal due in week 12 and
worth 40% of your marks for SBM1300 and your Research Proposal Presentation due
week 13 and worth 20% of your marks for SBM1300. Students develop the Research
Proposal across the semester incorporating (a) feedback on the Research
Proposal Brief; (b) feedback from the Feasibility analysis (due week 5 and
worth 10% of your marks for SBM1300); (c) learnings from your classes,
discussions, feedback and readings during the semester.
For the Research Proposal Brief you need to
prepare an outline of your proposed research topic and research plan for investigating
the topic using the template for the structure below. The document should be
between 800 and 1000 words in length (excluding project title and references).
The recommended lengths of each section are approximate, and will vary
depending on the research question you are proposing to investigate and the
methodology you are proposing to use in your research proposal.
Assignment
Details:
Prepare a 4000 word research proposal to
address your chosen research topic. There is a proposed structure and a
recommendation for how long each section should be below. The recommended
lengths of each section are approximate, and will vary depending on the
research question you are proposing to investigate and the methodology you are
proposing to use in your hypothetical research proposal.
Guideline
for Preparing the Assignment
1. Abstract
/ Overview of the project.
Point out the importance of the project, why it is being conducted, what the results are expected to show, and the
significance of the findings.
2. With reference to
evidence, describe the research objectives.
3. Critically evaluate evidence. Describe and evaluate the evidence concerning
the research topic. The aim is to
provide a critique of existing work and identify gaps in knowledge and / or
methodological weaknesses in existing research.
4. Identify
and justify an area that requires further research. Based on your critical review, identify and justify an area that requires
further research.
5. Pose
a research question or a research hypothesis. This will be closely related to the content of your section on further research. The
principal variables or issues being examined should be identified
6. Describe
a hypothetical research study to answer the research question / test the
research hypothesis. Remember,
this is hypothetical. You do not have to actually be able to carry out the study, but you need to think about
what you would need to carry out a study to answer your research question /
test your hypothesis.
a. Design / Methodology. This section includes details of the research
methodology to be used. Will this be
a randomized controlled trial? A quasi-experimental design? A cross-sectional
survey? A longitudinal design? A qualitative research study using focus groups?
A qualitative research study using semi-structured interviews? A combination of
these or something else entirely? In this section the aim is to accurately
describe the characteristics of a research design / methodology that is capable
of answering the research question / testing the hypothesis posed.
b. Details of participants. How many people will participate? What are
their characteristics? Any inclusion
/ exclusion criteria? How will the sample be recruited? Identify the sampling
method.
c. Description of materials / measures. This may include tests, surveys, questions to
be used in a semi-structured interview,
or many other things. The measures need to be consistent with the methodology
described at 6(a).
d. Data Analysis. Describe the proposed analysis strategy briefly.
e. Ethical issues. This section describes the ethical issues
that need to be considered in the research.
For example, how you would ensure that participation is voluntary and that
people who participate provide informed consent?
f.
Reference list.
Assessment 2:
Feasibility Analysis Report
Assignment Details:
For this assignment students are required to
present their research proposal to an Industry Representative / Consultant or
other approved person (this may include an academic staff member) to discuss their
research project’s significance and feasibility and submit a summary and
reflection on the feedback from the industry representative.
This assignment is aimed at ensuring that the
research project is important, realistic and manageable and that the research
question is appropriate and can be answered with the proposed methodology. It
is crucial that the students can complete the research tasks in a timely manner
and apply the relevant project management and research tools and techniques.
The research feasibility report takes the research
brief proposal to the consultant and investigates the possible continuation of
the project and its realistic execution for the given time period and
availability of resources, as well as taking into consideration the student’s
capacity to carry on with the research task. Students can use a Gantt chart to
keep track of their schedule for all assigned assessment tasks, and therefore,
minimize risks. The feasibility analysis may result in feedback that suggests
changes to the research approach and these can be incorporated in the Research
Proposal. The reflection on the feedback is important for demonstrating that
the feedback has been considered and suggesting how it may be acted upon, for
example, by reconsidering or revising the scope of the topic or research
question or by revising the methodology. This is equivalent to the acceptance
of the project charter for which the students have studied in their course and
has been accepted by key stakeholders.
The Feasibility Analysis is therefore very
important as it provides the basis for feedback that will assist you to prepare
an excellent Research Proposal and should be taken very seriously even though
the weighting of the assignment is relatively low. The most important aspect of
this assignment is to ensure that you have a defensible research question that
is recognized as important by industry experts. This will be very important to
achieving an excellent outcome for your research proposal.
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Assessment 3:
Analysis of Methodologies for the Research Project
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Prepare a 2000 word research methodologies
analysis report for your chosen research topic. There is a proposed structure
and a recommendation for how long each section should be below. The recommended
lengths of each section are approximate, and will vary depending on the
research question you are proposing to investigate and the methodology you are
proposing to use in your hypothetical research proposal.
Preparing the
Assignment
1. Use the topic of your Research Proposal, or
another topic area relevant to project management or business research with
approval from the unit coordinator.
2. Describe and justify a research question /
research questions associated with the research topic. You may vary the
question so that it is appropriate for the different methodologies. For
example, an experimental / quasi-experimental or time-series design may be
useful for answering questions about causes, such as schedule delays associated
with highly complex projects. A qualitative methodology would be more
appropriate for exploring how people carry out teamwork tasks in projects or a
business scenario. (~200 words)
3. Present three different methodologies for
answering the question (~600 words each). For example, you might consider how
the question could be answered using a quasi-experimental, time-series and
qualitative methodology. In your answers you need to indicate for each
methodology
a. Type of
data to be collected and / or analysed (e.g., self-report questionnaires,
structured interviews, existing data set)
b.
Description
of sample required to answer the question (number of people, relevant
demographic characteristics)
c. Advantages
d. Limitations
e. Ethical considerations in using the methodology
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