COURSE CODE: MGMT.

9001
COURSE TITLE: ADVANCED APPLIED RESEARCH
PROPOSAL

SEMESTER 1, 2017

ASSESSMENT 2

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

TASK 2:

Deadline: May 30, 2017

Weight: (55%)
LEARNING OUTCOME COVERED:

1. Analyse formal research project phases;

2. Create a professional level research question and hypothesis;

3. Conduct a critical research literature review to support a formal research project;

4. Critically analyse research methods and select an appropriate research methodology to address a
specific research question;

5. Create a formal research proposal;

INSTRUCTIONS:

This assignment is done individually.

Correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and paragraph construction are important. Avoid writing
incomplete sentences. Edit your paper for readability.

FORMAT:

Your submission must follow the format provided in assessment rubric.

Text should be 1.5 spacing;

Times New Roman;
12 point font.
The report must include a cover page with the following information:

- Your Name and ID number

- TITLE: Must be specific and concise [17 word limit]. Do not use jargon.

PLAGIARISM:

Plagiarism and copying from others without proper referencing/citation is considered a prohibited
practice and will be penalised severely.

You may be awarded a zero mark for this assignment

a) If you submit a work that has more than 20% that is not your own original contribution
(excluding references or correctly cited direct quotations), and/or

b) If you submit a work that has more than 5% of content from a specific (individual) source.

SUBMISSION:

You must submit your paper electronically through Turnitin before the deadline, and a hard copy to
submissions box (BITA reception) at your earliest convenience.

Class ID: .

Password:

Please see Turnitin guidelines on eCampus.

ASSESSMENT RUBRIC:

Criteria Marks obtained

Part A (600 words): Introduction (15% of the mark)

General area/research field of interest of your research topic

Your focus (specific area) is on a particular part of the bigger

conversation

Convince the reader of the importance of the research/Significance

and importance of the research.

Identify the theoretical and practical significance of the research.

Find key literature closely related to research topic and their
findings

Bring 2/3 major key studies of your research topic

Briefly give an idea what you notice is missing in existing literature

that has not been said before or needs addressing in more details or
need a different approach/aspect to address this issue.

Clear flow of general to specific discussion

the research gaps and problem statement/contribution of the
research

Part B: (1200-1400 words): (70% marks)

Literature Review (35% of the mark)

Point out overall trends in what has been published about your
topic.

Summarize individual studies with as much or as little detail as each

merits according to its comparative importance in the literature,
remembering that space (length) denotes significance.

Proceed from the general, wider view of the research under review
to the specific problem. This problem/opportunity should be of
applied character (dealing with a specific business decision for a
specific organisation).

More details of the gaps mentioned in introduction.

After reviewing at least 15 sources relevant to your topic, you are

expected to raise at least THREE research questions.

Each of your research questions must be justified by the references

to the literature.
Methodology (35% of the mark)

What method(s) of data collection would you use and why?

Where would you conduct the research (e.g. in a specific

organisation, industry, geographic region; in a laboratory or field
environment)?

Specify whether your study is qualitative/quantitative/mixed and

why you chose a specific method?

Must justify that qualitative/quantitative/mixed (both qualitative or

quantitative) method is more appropriate for this research

How many participants would be involved? Explain why you need

this number of study participants.

What particular sampling frame (e.g., random/convenient) will be

used? Why?

Identify dependent and independent variables of the relationship

you are interested in to investigate

Outline the instruments (Survey, interview, observations) you

propose to use

Specify how you would analyse the data (use of descriptive analysis,
regression analysis, focus group analysis etc.)

How long would this research take?

How would your research findings be communicated back to the

interested parties or participants?

Describe potential limitations

Part C (400 words): Conclusion (5% of the mark)

Point out major gaps in research, inconsistencies in theory and

findings, and areas or issues pertinent to future study.

Indicate who the potential users of the study findings could be,
and how the study might be used to improve the
organisation(s), group(s), or sector.

Part D: References (10% of the mark)

A references section should appear at the end of your paper. See an

article in a recent issue of any APA journal for an example of the proper
formatting. The complete rules are given in the APA Publication
Manual.
Writing Qualities

Writing is clear and concise.

Subheadings used to clarify organization.

Length appropriate - no more than 2500 words.

Writing is in active voice, present verb tense as much as

possible.

Your voice is present and distinct from article authors.

Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct.

APA format is followed for writing, citations, and references.