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FCOM401 Research design proposal (45%)

Due: Due Week 12

Word limit ~ 3,000

The proposal (must be a quantitative based approach) should include the following:

• A review/statement of the research problem to be studied and its importance. The material covered in weeks 2 and 3 should be consulted in developing the problem statement.
• A review of the literature relating to the problem under study, leading to an explication of key findings, and the identification of unanswered questions.
• A clear statement of the resultant research objectives.
• Propose a model that describes the constructs relevant to the problem and the relationships among them.
• A clearly stated (quantitative) research approach

The Research Design proposal shows how the various research questions/sub questions will be addressed; an operationalisation of the conceptual framework, which includes concept/construct definitions; statements regarding the proposed methods of measurement and scaling design (including draft questionnaires); proposed sampling design; instrumentation (method of data collection); use of secondary data; proposed methods of data analysis, including a formal statement of hypotheses, and a statement of the proposed report format.

NB: You may subsequently elect to execute this research proposal, under FCOM430

1. REPORT (3,000 words max)
2. Introduction

• Provides the motivation for the study
• Provide a brief introduction and background to the topic, provide the problem statement, purpose, and scope.
• Provides a broad perspective on the topic and culminates with a general description of the research direction and an outline of the rest of the research report.
• Outline the theoretical basis for your research and research question(s).
• Why is the topic worth doing in practice and theory, such as highlighting trends and burning issues in practices and/or previous research (Think about “who cares”).
• Describe what we know, what we don’t know, and why this should be addressed (this will primarily come from the literature review). Be concise and to the point in the introduction section.
• Describe the purpose of the study. What is it you want to find out? What will we learn from your study?
• Describe the scope of your research (e.g., the industry or sub-industry which you might be researching, what is and is not included) and any other aspects that might be relevant. Indicate why this is appropriate for your topic.

2. Literature review

• Review previously published literature which addresses the problem area you wish to study. Identifies where there might be gaps in the literature (research) or available information/knowledge about the topic.
• Covers significant concepts, constructs, methodologies and findings.
• Focused on the specific research problem or issue.
• Summarises and integrates the literature review into the proposal.
• Places your research in the context of an ongoing dialog and provides a framework for establishing both the importance of the study and the significance of the results.

3. Theoretical Framework & Hypotheses
   • Generally follows from the literature review.
   • Clearly integrates gaps in the research, theory and conceptualisation.
   • Develop a theoretical framework for your research and formulate at least three hypotheses. Also introduce the main variables of interest that will be measured and the predicted relationships between these.
4. Methodology

Research approach

Provide an indication of the research “world view” (e.g., positivist, post-positivist, critical, etc) you will bring to your study. Include a brief explanation of your world-view, and its implications for your research.

Discuss the overall research design and method to be used for your study, and why it is suitable. Explain the specific data gathering plan you intend to use for your research, including any ethical issues that might arise.

1. Primary research
   • Survey, experiment, etc.
2. Secondary research
   • Data bases, etc.
3. Questionnaire Development (if applicable)

• Provide a discussion regarding the operationalisation and/or selection of items to measure the main variables being researched (The use of a table that sets out variables, items and literature sources may be useful here).

1. Survey Design (if applicable)

• Provide a discussion of the target population, sampling scheme and the planned procedures for distributing and collecting your survey questionnaire.
• Explain the ethical considerations of your proposed research as well as any foreseeable limitations of your proposed survey research.

1. Experiment (if applicable)

• Provide a discussion regarding the formulation of statistical hypotheses
• Determine the experimental conditions (independent variables), measurement (dependent variable) to be recorded, and control variables.
• Specify the number of subjects required and the population to be sampled.
• Specify the procedure for assigning subjects to the experimental conditions

1. Data bases (if applicable)

• Determine which databases will be used and the rationale
• Provide a discussion regarding the formulation of statistical hypotheses
• Specify the criteria and procedure for collecting and analysing the data

5. Proposed Analysis

• Provide a specific analysis plan explaining the descriptive data that you would report and the statistical methods you would apply to your data to answer your research questions and/or test your hypotheses.

6. Contribution

• Provide an indication of how practitioners, managers, and other relevant parties might benefit from your findings. Also indicate what the academic benefit(s) of your research will be. Indicate how your research relates back to the literature review. Avoid general terms such as “contribution to academic knowledge”.

7. Limitations

• Note and discuss the main anticipated limitations of your study. Also, discuss possible problems that may arise, and how you will deal with each should it arise.

8. Reference list
   • The APA (American Psychological Association) referencing style is the common standard across VBS.

2. APPENDICES (no word limit)
   1. HEC DRAFT application (Hard copy). A preliminary draft is fine, identify any major (potential) HEC concerns and how they may be addressed
   2. A copy of your final questionnaire (if applicable) including cover letter.
   3. A table of coding instructions (if applicable).

Literature Review Format

Spacing & Font:1.5-spaced, Times New Roman, font size 12.

Heading: Title of the Review (research project) and your name at the top of the first page of the introduction, that is, no extra sheet.

Headers: Include a short running title² (left) and your name (right) at the top of all pages other than the first. You might include a line under your header.

Footers: Number pages at the bottom (centre or right).

No footnotes or endnotes.

Important Considerations for Writing

1. Spell-checking and proof-reading are crucial. Be careful to leave yourself sufficient time to complete these important tasks prior to submitting your work.
2. Information taken from other sources should be properly cited and referenced. Failure to do so represents intellectual dishonesty, which is taken very seriously in the academic community. Cited references should be listed at the end of the paper, in a format that provides complete information, allowing the interested and motivated reader to delve into the finer details of your argument.
3. Use of EndNote (or a similar citation/reference editor) is highly recommended.

Word Limit Guidelines

This is a guideline only, based on 350 words per page (3,000 words/ 350 words per page = 8.6 pages)

Section	Page guideline
Introduction	½ – 1
Literature review	2 – 4
Theoretical Framework & Hypotheses	½ – 1 ½
Methodology	1 – 1 ½
Proposed Analysis	½ – 1
Contribution	½ – 1
Limitations	½
Total pages	5 ½ – 8.6

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