February 2009

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY Guidelines for a Masters Resear ! Pro"osal
The following are guidelines to assist students structure their MA research proposals, in consultation with their supervisors. Len#t!$ Approxi ately ! " 9 pages, excluding references

Preli%inar& infor%ation #$%A&TM$'T (F )(*+(,(-. / )(*+A, A'T0&(%(,(-. &$)$A&*0 %&(%()A, *andidate1s na e2 #egree2 3MA )ociology4)ocial Anthropology5 #ate2 3of final proposal5 )upervisor2 *o"supervisor2 3if applicable5 Stru ture ' t&"i al !eadin#s 3final for ulation in consultation with your supervisor5 () Title A brief descriptive title that gives a clear indication of what the thesis is about. 2. Resear ! "ro*le% and rationale 3one or two focused paragraphs5 This provides a succinct state ent of what it is that you are atte pting to understand4address through your research and why it is worth investigating 3within the chosen field5. 6. Preli%inar& literature re+ie, 32 7 8 pages5 0ere you discuss the results of your preli inary scan of the literature, including how other researchers have addressed the issues, a9or points of debate or disagree ent or convergence within the literature, and how your envisage that your study will build on or challenge other studies. Focus on what you have already read, but where there are individual wor:s and4or bodies of literature that you :now are i portant but have yet to consult, indicate this and their li:ely contribution to your study. 8. T!eoreti al- on e"tual fra%e,or. 3if not covered in the literature review; < 7 2 pages5 This ay be incorporated in the literature review but could also be presented as a separate section that flows out of the literature review. 0ere you outline the :ey concepts and theoretical fra ewor: or approach that you are drawing on to guide the conceptuali=ation4fra ing of your study and to infor the interpretation of your results. >. /e& resear ! 0uestions 3up to half a page5 .our proble state ent should already have posed, ore or less explicitly, what your central research ?uestion is about but given this, and ta:ing into account your preli inary literature review and conceptual fra ewor:, it is useful to brea: this down further into two or three subsidiary but still broad ?uestions that need to be answered through your research, in order to address your research proble fully. These will be

February 2009

crucial in shaping your research design. #epending on the nature of your study, you ay need to for ulate your provisional research hypothesis here. @. Resear ! %et!odolo#& 3approxi ately 2 pages5 A discussion and brief 9ustification of the research design infor ing your specific study 3eg survey 4 case study 4 ethnographic 4 historical 4 progra e evaluation 4 docu ent analysis, etc., including co binations as applicable5; this section should address not only how but also where you plan to conduct your study. Ahat is not re?uired is a general essay on research design principles and the differences between ?uantitative and ?ualitative research in the abstract. #epending on the nature of your study, you ay need to consider, inter alia, the unit3s5 of analysis 3individuals, groups, organi=ations4institutions, social actions, cultural artefacts, etc.5 as well as the study population. This section should include a discussion of the ain stages in the research process 3including a pilot study if appropriate5, the instru ent3s5 that will be used 3?uestionnaires, interview schedules, etc.5, your sa ple design 3if applicable5, accessing the study site, as well as data collection procedures and your ethod3s5 of analysis. 1) Et!i al onsiderations 0ere you consider the ethical i plications of your study and how you plan to address the , as well as whether ethical clearance fro the Faculty $thics *o ittee will be re?uired. 3'ote2 students ust ta:e note of Faculty policy, procedures and dates5 B. Pro+isional !a"ter outline 3if sufficiently developed5 +t is useful to give consideration to the structure of your thesis in ter s of how you plan to organise and present your aterial, but it is also i portant to recognise that this ay change as your research unfolds. There is no prescribed for at; the se?uencing and content of chapters should reflect the logic of your study and the bac:ground, conceptual and ethodological issues you need to address in support of your findings and analysis. 2) Pro+isional ti%e fra%e +t is i portant to develop a realistic ti e fra e in consultation with your supervisor, that covers the ain co ponents of your study 3including bac:ground and fra ing literature review, the develop ent and possible testing of your research instru ents, ethical clearance, negotiating access to your study site3s5, field wor:, analysis, follow" up wor: in the field as re?uired, writing of your individual chapters and revisions5. Ta:e note of :ey dates in the Faculty calendar around the sub ission of theses for exa ination, and allow sufficient ti e for attending to final co ents fro your supervisor, including a final proofread. <0. Resear ! *ud#et 3if appropriate5 +te s to consider include stationery, copying4printing, telephone, transport, and subsistence and acco odation in the field. (() Referen es %rovide a full set of references for all sources entioned in your proposal.