Research Proposal

Assignment 1: Research Proposal
ASSESSMENT TASK AND GUIDANCE
Deadline: Friday, 14th May 2021, 1pm (please note that this deadline does not apply to
students on placement pathway or entrepreneurship pathway options) This is a summative
assignment which contributes 15% towards the overall module mark As a necessary part of
preparing for your research project, you must produce a research proposal, which you are
advised to discuss with your tutor or course director prior to submitting your final proposal
by the deadline above. The topic must relate to the subject you are studying and should have
some relation to issues covered in your course. It is acceptable to utilise a few bullet points in
some areas of your proposal. You are required to submit a research proposal of about four to
five pages, along the following lines:
1. GENERAL TOPIC AREA and MAIN AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
This should be a statement of the main issue, or group of issues, which will be the key
concern of the research project. Also clearly outline the aims and objectives of your proposed
research. Students who will write a traditional dissertation will propose their own topic and
central research question(s)/hypotheses, and are recommended to discuss these with their
course director or the module lead prior to embarking on their proposal. Students who will do
the placement pathway or the entrepreneurship pathway will not submit their proposal until
they have started their placement or entrepreneurship project. In these cases, you will be
informed about your submission deadline for a research proposal at a later date.

2. CENTRAL QUESTION(S) TO BE TACKLED or HYPOTHESES
Give an overview of the main research question(s) to be tackled or the
mainhypothesis/hypotheses you see as a starting point for further investigation. The
question(s) should focus on the specific issues that you will investigate in your research.
3. OVERALL APPROACH TO RESEARCH, AND METHODS FOR DATA
COLLECTION AND
ANALYSIS
This section should provide an outline of the overall approach to research (e.g., case study
approach) and the research methods employed within the study. This discussion will enable
you to identify the main sources of information that you will use to find answers to your
research question(s). For example, documentary evidence, interviews, and in some cases
questionnaires or observation. Briefly reflect on the way these methods might be utilised,
(e.g., semi-structured online interviews) and why.
4. RELEVANT PRIMARY SOURCES AND DATA COLLECTION ACCESS
Briefly outline where and how you aim to gain access to research data. For example, identify
what types of documents are available (such as for example, company, industry or trade
union archives and other documents, customer feedback, government (or other) statistics,
etc.), and with whom you are hoping to carry out interviews, or to whom you will be able to
circulate questionnaires, if relevant to your research project. We are looking for indicative job

roles of potential participants, not actual names of participants. Also, provide some indicative
numbers of research participants, if relevant to your research project. Finally, where relevant,
also state whether contact to a research company or companies is required, and whether
access has already been established and access been secured, or whether you are in the
process of gaining access.
5. RELEVANT SECONDARY SOURCES
In general terms, identify the main literature areas that will be relevant to your dissertation
topic and to your research question. This is likely to include material for a review of the
relevant and to explore the context of your research. As a starting point, this is likely to
include literature from the course modules; it is important to bear in mind that your research
project is, to a significant degree, an examination of your ability to use the taught part of the
course to analyse a research situation. However, you might also need to identify literature that
might be specific to your research organisation, industry, or the country context under
investigation.
6. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Explore any ethical issues that might arise from the research project (including data safety
and data management) and how these issues might be addressed in your research project.
7. PROJECTED RESEARCH TIMELINE
Your proposal will also have to set out a projected timeline of your research activities. This
can be achieved in several ways, for example, in the form of a Gantt chart.
8. LIST OF REFERENCES REFERRED TO IN THE PROPOSAL
You must submit a final proposal through the KLE (module HRM-40040) by the deadline
that applies to you. It is recommended that you have a brief preliminary discussion with your
module tutor or course director before you approach any organisation to ensure your
proposed
topic/research is feasible.
Please be advised that your final research proposal, and in particular, your research topic, will
need to have received approval from the Course Director of your programme before you will
be able to conduct your research. Please also note that you must not start any fieldwork
activities (e.g., interviews, surveys/questionnaires/observation, etc.) until you gained approval
from your
Course Director, have fully discussed your research with your Supervisor AND completed
your ethical documentation (where required).