| Research Proposal Guidelines
Weight:
35%
Length:
1500-‐2500
words
(Not including appendices or the bibliography)
The
major assignment for SOC831 is
a qualitative research report due in Week 13.
The
Research proposal
assignment prepares students to undertake this project
by
developing a
research
plan
for this qualitative research project.
In small groups, students are to
identify
a
social
research question that they wish to
investigate through the use of qualitat
ive
research methods. Individually
, students are
required to submit a
research proposal, which provides a rationale and feasible plan for
undertaking
their proposed
study.
This will form the basis for the fieldwork
that
students
will conduct as a small researc
h team. This fieldwork will form the basis of the individual
research report to be submitted in Week 13.
Your research proposal
–
outlining the research topic, background to the proposed study
and a methodology
–
must be submitted by the end of Week
5
.
It is not intended that the research will provide thorough empirical evidence. Rather the
intention is that students
obtain
some exposure to the practice of
qualitative
social
research. Therefore:
–
The propos
ed research should
be feasible within the limits
on
time and
of
expertise.
–
The proposed research question should be amenable to a qualitative research
strategy.
Approval from the Unit
Convenor will be required prior to any fieldwork being undertaken.
Guidelines for the ethical conduct of research will be discussed in the seminars.
While not definitive, t
hese headings are suggestions
that can
be
use to structure
a
research
proposal. N
o
t all headings will be required for all proposals. It is important to tailor the
proposal to the topic and purpose involved.
Title
Title should indicate the topic of the study in 1
-‐
10 words.
Background to the Research
What events/issues led to interest
in the project?
Literature Review
In the context of this assignment this does not need to be definitive.
However you may find that some academic references may be
especially helpful in refining your research question and providing
ideas for your
research design
. It should
briefly
review the findings of
relevant
studies and their methodology. Draw out important
research questions and messages for methodology at the end of the
review.
Aims and Objectives
Identify the study’s key research
questions or hypothesis.
Methodology
Discuss the methodology and justify why you have chosen the
approach selected. It is good practice to discuss (briefly) the merits
of the main alternative approaches. Use references if appropriate.
What methods will y
ou use? What will be the outcome of using these
methods?
2
Research Timetable
Set out the best information available on the time required to
undertake the various stages of the research: preparation, data
collection, analysis, wri
te up
.
Ethical
Issues/Concerns
Identify any specific issues arising from the research. Pay careful
attention also to generic ethical issues in research with human
subjects
–
Respect for Persons: Informed Consent; confidentiality;
possible risks for subjects and any possi
ble benefits. Any conflict of
interest etc. involved in the research?
References
List any books, articles, reports, web sites etc. you have cited in the
proposal. |
