Research Proposal and Literature Review

Research Proposal and Literature Review

Table of Contents

Abstract. 2

1. Introduction.. 2
2. Background to the study.. 3
3. The literature review… 3
4. Methodology and analysis. 4
5. Conclusion.. 4
6. Bibliography.. 4

Appendix       Data Sources (example). 5

Abstract

A project should normally have an abstract. You do not need to provide an abstract for your Research Methods coursework, but you will need to do so for your dissertation

1.                  Introduction

Here your aim is to create interest in your proposal by writing a snappy summary of the topic area you plan to investigate. This can include a brief review of the most relevant literature. The introduction should be concise, interesting and written to be comprehensible to a well-informed but non-specialist reader.

Actions: the introduction should contain:

• A statement of the conceptual framework (1 sentence):

• Brief reference to the literature (2-3 sentences)
  • Synopsis of what has been said.
  • Areas of agreement and disagreement.
  • May incorporate references to key papers using Harvard APA (6^th edition).
• Gaps in knowledge that your project will address (2-3 sentences)
  • What is the main research question that your project asks?
  • What key concepts does your project examine?
  • What is the expected answer to your research question (e.g. “the minimum wage increases teenage crime rates”)?

2.                  Background to the study

This section should offer a brief overview of the project topic to help the reader understand the nature of the problem.

• This section should be one or two paragraphs that explain the background, context, and history relating to the research subject.
• A graph or table may be helpful to explain patterns or trends.
  • One graph or table is generally sufficient.
  • This should be numbered, have an explanatory title, appropriate axis labels, and the units of measurement must be stated. The source of the data should be given using the Harvard APA system.[unique_solution]

3.                  The literature review

This builds on the very brief treatment of the literature on the subject given in the introduction and allied to the proposed research. The main objective is to show that:

• You understand the subject sufficiently to have undertaken an effective literature search.
• Adequate research on the subject has been undertaken, which provides sufficient knowledge upon which to base your own research.
• You are using the literature to justify research questions, approaches etc.

We suggest that you should be able to demonstrate these key points from 5-10 research papers or reports. It should discuss the content of each paper with respect to:

• Research questions
• Theoretical frameworks
• Data used
• Analytical methods
• Results and conclusions

This should be organised thematically (i.e. by examining the way each paper covers the issues in the bullet points above).

• All citations must be complete and correct.
• All sources must be listed in the reference section.

4.                  Methodology and analysis

In this section you state exactly what it is that you plan to do and why. Focus on how you plan to carry out your investigation and analyze the results. Note that SPSS and other software are not methodology; they are tools you use to perform named statistical analysis, regression, modeling etc. It is more important to state the latter than what software you intend to use to perform it. In the corresponding section of your dissertation you will provide enough details for somebody else to be able to carry out the research using only your instructions. The methodology chapter should include a detailed plan of how you intend to test your hypothesis.

The proposal should give some indication of the data required to undertake the project. If this is secondary data, you should give details of the series that you intend to use, their characteristics, and location. This information might be best provided in tabular form in an appendix (see example below).

5.                  Conclusion

Your conclusion is essentially a short statement about the feasibility of the project and its contribution to knowledge.

6.                  References

The reference section must list all items cited in the text in Harvard APA format, including the sources of data used in tables or charts.

Details of Harvard APA can be found at: http://referencing.port.ac.uk/apa/index.html

Appendix

Timeline of project deliverables (possibly Gantt chart)

Appendix 1     Data Sources (example)

Table 1            Data Sources

Appendix 2     Grade criteria

Your assessments are evaluated relative to the criteria outlined below. These provide a consistent reference point to distinguish between different levels of achievement. You should always take the criteria into consideration when preparing for any assessment.