Reference no: EM134039762

Research Proposal & Literature Review

Assessment: Research Proposal Draft Report

Purpose of the assessment (with ULO Mapping)

Identify research problems and undertake quantitative and qualitative literature review methods. Formulate research questions and design hypotheses. Search, analyse and critique relevant literature. Research project design - models, epistemology and ontology. Develop and communicate research proposals and plans.

The 2,000-word limit excludes the reference list. All text within the report, including headings, tables, figures and in-text citations, is included in the word count. Appendices (if included) are not part of the word count and will not be assessed unless specifically referred to in the report.

Reference sources must be cited in the text of the report and listed appropriately at the end in a reference list using APA 7th edition (School of Business) or IEEE (School of IT and Engineering) referencing style.

Report.

Students should review the feedback received on Assessment 1 and use it to refine:

the research problem;
the identified research gap;
the research questions and objectives;
the rationale and scope of the study; and
the proposed research methodology.

Students should consult their tutor where further refinement of the topic, research questions, scope, or methodology is required.

Research Proposal Draft Report Requirements

The Research Proposal Draft Report must build on the approved research topic and Literature Review Report completed in Assessment 1. Students should use the literature reviewed, the research gap identified, and the feedback received in Assessment 1 to further refine and develop their proposed research. The report must include the following components.

Introduction and Problem Domain

Provide a clear and focused overview of the proposed research topic and explain its significance within the relevant field of study. The introduction should:

establish the broader academic, professional, industry, organisational, or technical context of the research;
clearly describe the problem domain or area in which the research is situated;
identify the current issue, limitation, challenge, or opportunity that the proposed study will address;
provide a clear rationale explaining why the proposed research is needed;
explain the practical and academic importance of the topic; and
provide a brief overview of the structure of the report.

Depending on the topic, students may explain how the proposed study could contribute to improved knowledge, practices, strategies, systems, technologies, performance, or decision-making.

2. Literature Review and Research Gap

The literature review must be built on the Literature Review Report completed in Assessment 1. Students should refine and synthesise the existing work rather than reproduce Assessment 1 without revision. Students should draw on the body of scholarly literature developed in Assessment 1 and include additional sources where required to support the proposed research problem, questions, theoretical foundation, and methodology. Sources should:

be directly relevant to the approved research topic;
consist primarily of peer-reviewed journal articles and, where appropriate, peer-reviewed conference papers;
include foundational or seminal studies and recent research publications; and
address relevant theories, models, frameworks, methods, technologies, systems, professional practices, or industry developments.

Credible government publications, professional reports, technical documents, case studies, or industry sources may supplement the scholarly literature where appropriate but should not replace it.

Scope of the Literature Review

The review must critically analyse, compare, and synthesise the literature rather than summarise sources individually. It should address:

Key themes: major findings, developments, and recurring patterns across studies;
Theoretical or conceptual perspectives: relevant theories, models, frameworks, or principles;
Methodological approaches: research designs, data sources, analytical methods, tools, technologies, or procedures used in previous studies;
Debates or inconsistencies: conflicting findings, unresolved issues, or competing perspectives;
Strengths and limitations: weaknesses, methodological issues, technical constraints, and underexplored areas; and
Research gap: the specific theoretical, empirical, practical, methodological, or technical gap that the proposed study will address.

The final part of the literature review should clearly summarise:

what is already known;
what remains insufficiently understood or addressed;
the gap selected for investigation; and
the direction the proposed study will take.

3. Research Aim, Questions and Objectives

Clearly state the overall aim of the proposed research. The research aim should provide a concise statement of what the study intends to achieve.

Research Questions

Present clear, focused, and researchable questions arising directly from the literature review and identified research gap. Students should include a maximum of three research questions. The research questions should:

be sufficiently specific;
align with the identified research problem and gap;
be answerable through the proposed methodology; and
provide a clear foundation for the research objectives and analysis.

Hypotheses may be included where they are appropriate to the research design, particularly for quantitative or experimental studies. They are not compulsory for every proposed study.

Research Objectives

State the specific objectives required to achieve the overall research aim and answer the research questions.

The objectives should:

align directly with the research questions;
clearly describe what will be examined, analysed, evaluated, compared, developed, or tested;
be focused and achievable;
reflect the intended scope of the study; and
provide a clear basis for the proposed methodology.

Depending on the topic, objectives may involve:

analysing behaviours, trends, relationships, or performance;
evaluating business practices, strategies, technologies, systems, models, or frameworks;
assessing organisational, financial, technical, or operational outcomes;
analysing datasets or computational models;
improving decision-making, system performance, efficiency, security, or professional practice; or
developing or evaluating a framework, prototype, model, algorithm, or applied solution.

4. Research Design and Proposed Methodology

Describe and justify the research design and methods proposed for addressing the research questions and objectives. The methodology section should explain, where relevant:

whether the study will adopt a quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, experimental, case study, observational, design-based, simulation-based, or secondary-data approach;
the proposed population, sample, participants, organisation, system, technology, or dataset;
the proposed sources of primary or secondary data;
the proposed methods of data collection;
the proposed methods of data analysis;
any relevant software, platforms, programming languages, statistical techniques, analytical tools, models, or technical environments;
how reliability, validity, credibility, data quality, or system performance will be addressed;
why the proposed methodology is appropriate and feasible.

Depending on the topic, appropriate methods may include:

surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observations;
case study analysis;
analysis of publicly available or organisational datasets;
statistical, financial, econometric, or thematic analysis;
experiments or simulations;
quantitative research techniques;
prototype or system development;
algorithms, frameworks, or software evaluation; or
performance, usability, or security testing.

Students are not expected to complete the data collection or analysis for this assessment. They are required to propose and justify a suitable methodology.

5. Research Requirements, Ethics and Feasibility

Research Requirements

Identify the resources and requirements needed to undertake the proposed research. These may include:
access to participants, organisations, industries, systems, or datasets;
questionnaires, interview protocols, or other data-collection instruments;
hardware, software, databases, platforms, programming environments, or analytical tools;
specialist equipment, laboratories, cloud services, or computing resources;
relevant approvals or permissions; and
any other resources necessary to complete the research.

Briefly explain and justify why each major requirement is needed.

Ethical Considerations

Identify any ethical issues associated with the proposed research, including where relevant:
informed consent;
voluntary participation;
confidentiality and anonymity;
privacy and data protection;
secure data storage;
use of organisational, personal, or sensitive information;
cybersecurity or responsible use of technology;
potential harm or risk to participants; and
responsible collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of data. Consider relevant Ethics And Responsibility principles when addressing these considerations.

Students should indicate whether the proposed study is likely to require ethics approval. Research involving human participants will normally require an appropriate ethics application. Where ethics approval is unlikely to be required, students should briefly explain why.

Feasibility and Limitations

Explain whether the proposed research can reasonably be completed within the available timeframe and resources. Identify:

the boundaries of the proposed research;
possible difficulties obtaining data, participants, software, systems, or organisational access;
methodological or technical limitations;
resource or time constraints; and
how significant risks or limitations may be managed.

6. Relevance and Expected Contribution of the Study

Explain the anticipated academic and practical contribution of the proposed research. The report should identify how the study may:
address the research gap identified in the literature;
extend, refine, test, or apply existing theories, models, or frameworks;
contribute new knowledge, evidence, insights, methods, systems, or solutions;
support improved organisational, managerial, financial, professional, or technical decision-making;
improve strategies, operations, performance, efficiency, security, or professional practice;
support innovation or technological development; or
assist in addressing a relevant real-world problem.

The expected contribution must be realistic, clearly connected to the research questions and proposed methodology, and supported by the literature reviewed.

7. Proposed Research Timeline

Provide a concise timeline showing the major stages of the proposed research. The timeline may be presented as a table or preliminary Gantt chart and should include where relevant:
further literature review;
refinement of research instruments or technical specifications;
ethics application and approval;
data collection or acquisition;
data preparation and analysis;
development, testing, or evaluation activities;
interpretation of findings;
thesis drafting and revision;
final submission.

The timeline should demonstrate that the proposed research is appropriately sequenced and feasible. Effective Project Management And Planning can support the organisation of these research stages.

8. Conclusion

Provide a concise conclusion that:
restates the research problem and identified gap;
summarises the research aim, questions, and proposed methodology;
reinforces the academic and practical relevance of the study; and
confirms the proposed direction for the next stage of the research.

The conclusion should not introduce new literature or arguments.

Recommended Report Structure

To assist students in organising their report, the following structure is recommended:
Introduction and Problem Domain
Literature Review and Research Gap
Research Aim, Questions and Objectives
Research Design and Proposed Methodology
Research Requirements, Ethics and Feasibility
Relevance and Expected Contribution of the Study
Proposed Research Timeline
Conclusion
Reference List
Appendices, if applicable

Students may use additional headings and subheadings where appropriate to improve the organisation and flow of the report.