Order DescriptionThe coursework has three parts. The first part consists of an evaluation of a quantitative proposal, the second part is concerned with an evaluation of a qualitative proposal and in the third part you need to design your own proposal for research. You therefore need to complete all three parts. The total word count limit for all three parts is 3,000 words. The weighting of marks for each section of the coursework is specified the marking criteria section.

Part 1: Quantitative proposal evaluation
You need to critically assess the attached quantitative proposal using the proposal guidelines discussed in the lectures and summarised in the frame below. You should critically evaluate and address any shortcomings of the proposal, however you also need to include positive feedback points. You should substantiate your comments based on research methods literature. Line numbers are shown on the side of the proposal to help you situate your critiques.
Suggested wordcount limit – 750 words

Part 2: Qualitative proposal evaluation
You need to critically assess the attached qualitative proposal using the proposal guidelines discussed in the lectures and summarised in the frame below. You should critically evaluate and address any shortcomings of the proposal, however you also need to include positive feedback points. You should substantiate your comments based on research methods literature. Line numbers are shown on the side of the proposal to help you situate your critiques.
Suggested wordcount limit – 750 words

Part 3: Developing your own research proposal
In this part of the coursework you need to design your own proposal on a topic of your choice using the proposal guidelines. Clearly, you are soon approaching the stage of needing to think about your dissertation. You may therefore base this coursework on your forthcoming dissertation topic. We are not able to discuss the suitability of possible topics for your dissertation; you will be discussing this with your dissertation supervisor later on in the year.
Suggested wordcount limit – 1,500 words
Proposal guidelines
A proposal should include:
– Provide a working title.
– A short introduction – overview of the topic/problem, including your motivation for selection of this research topic, a brief literature review
– Research question (s) and objectives (clear, succinct and specific)
– Methodology (survey, case study, ethnography, …) and the reason why this methodology is suitable for this research
– A clear and suitable sampling method.
– A clear and suitable data collection method (including administration and list of questions or questionnaire).
– A clear and suitable explanation of how the data will be analysed.

Please note that you do not actually have to collect or analyse any data for this part of the coursework. Your report must though refer to the relevant concepts and literature covered during the lectures and your background reading.

Additional information
1. You should hand in a hard copy of your combined coursework (with completed cover sheet) to the School reception by 4.00pm on Thursday 21st April 2016. You will also need to submit an electronic copy of your combined report via the module Blackboard site within the same timescales (for checking ‘academic integrity’). There are penalties for late submission of either hardcopy or electronic versions.

2. The maximum wordcount is 3, 000 words. This is a maximum, not a target. Any text that is beyond the maximum word count will not attract any marks. Please consult the Business School’s policy on what is and is not included in the word count.

3. Structure your report. Include a title page with the module title, report title, your student ID number, and date. Use clear, numbered section headings. Include your student ID number and page number on each page. Include a title for every table or figure, along with a source (if you have not originally developed it). Ensure any figures or tables are clearly legible.

4. You should use a single staple in the top left-hand corner.

5. References must be given using the Harvard method every time you mention a theory, or another person’s idea(s) – refer to and follow the School’s Harvard referencing guide. Be selective and only include material that is relevant to your case. Avoid (over) reliance on websites for your sources as they are rarely peer-reviewed and often contain errors. The reference list (ie. not a bibliography) should be sorted alphabetically by first author surname, do not separate out different types of sources (books, journals, etc) into different lists.

6. Finally, this is an individual report, you should not collaborate in any way with anyone else or recycle any of your previous work/assignments… we would like to know how much you have learnt about research methods. Be sure to have read, understood and followed the guidelines on Academic Integrity that you can find in your student handbook or on the University’s website.