Guide to Writing a Research Proposal for MSc Programs, Exercises of English

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WRITING THE RESEARCH

PROPOSAL (RP)

Professor Min An

School of Science, Engineering and Environment

SCOPE OF RP (3000 WORDS ~8- 10 PAGES EXCLUDING REFERENCES) ~1 page ~2 pages ~1.5 pages ~1.5 pages ~0.5 page + 2

AIM ▪ A simple statement ▪ What you are trying to achieve by undertaking the research ▪ Must relate to your MSc Programme of Study ▪ Discuss with your supervisor if you are unsure Examples: ▪ The aim of this study is to … Or ▪ This research (/study) aims to … 4

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ▪ Sets what and how you wish to conduct your research ▪ Stated intended outcomes of the research ▪ Breakdown the aim into a list of a number of tasks and achievable steps ▪ Generally, there are 4 or 6 objectives to support the aim For example: ▪ Objective 1 - Undertake literature review to review current practices and research; ▪ Objective 2 - Identify challenges and problems that industry faces; ▪ Objective 3 – Undertake questionnaire survey (/interview survey) in the industry; ▪ Objective 4 – Analyse information/data collected from survey by using qualitative (/quantitative) methods; ▪ Objective 5 – Provide recommendations for improvement of construction management practices. 5

JUSTIFICATION ▪ Why you are planning to do what you have described in the Aim and Objectives ▪ Why is there a need for your research? ▪ Evidence what research and development have been done & what problems are still needed for further study– using literature to help you justify ▪ Powerful summary argument…it is expanded on in the next section of Focal Literature Review Generally, for example, what challenges and problems that industry faces, how your research can help them to solve these problems and improve industry performance etc. 7

REVIEW OF FOCAL LITERATURE ▪ You would not be able to complete it all at this stage, but you have to complete it in final dissertation. However, suggest you show the key literature in this area and review that are subject to your proposed research topic. ▪ Hart (2001) describes the challenge of a literature review as being: ▪ PLAN – understanding the ways in which information is organised and made available ▪ MAINTAIN records – Endnote is worth the time and effort to get to grips with ▪ EXTRACT information from useful sources, including: ▪ Main arguments ▪ Theories ▪ Concepts ▪ Definitions 8

REVIEW OF FOCAL LITERATURE – CONT’D Critical literature review should provide: ▪ An assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the main theories; ▪ A clear understanding of the topic; ▪ Citing of all key studies, in other words, you have to cite all of key research sources that you find in the literature related to your research subject. ▪ A clear indication of how the review links to the aim and objectives; ▪ A definition of the boundaries of the research, i.e., what issues will be sort out in the research, and what issues will not be included. ▪ Existing arguments in the literature; i.e., Existing arguments can provide questions for example for a questionnaire, interviews etc. 10

RESEARCH STRATEGY ▪ General approach taken in research is often referred to as the research strategy ▪ Provide a justification for the approach ▪ What are the alternatives? ▪ What is your approach? ▪ Why did you choose this approach? 11

RESEARCH STRATEGY – CONT’D ▪ Define overall approach; ▪ Justify what the approach is in order to achieve the research aim and objectives; ▪ No discussion on research techniques (e.g., questionnaires, interviews, analysis methods etc) because detailed research techniques/methods need to be described in the Practical Implementation section. 13

PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION ▪ Description of what you will be doing ▪ Practical steps to be taken to implement the strategy ▪ Example, if using case studies ▪ How many and why? ▪ Which case studies and why these case studies are suitable? ▪ How will you secure access to the information? ▪ Example, if using a survey ▪ What is the sampling frame? ▪ How will respondents be contacted? ▪ How are the questions being justified? ▪ How many responses are aimed for? ▪ What will be done about non-response? 14

PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION – CONT’D ▪ Identify possible problems that may arise by using the choice of techniques ▪ Identify strategies to minimise the impact of any potential problems Analysing data ▪ Be careful of choices you make – open ended questions in a survey are easy to ask, but can be very time consuming for respondents to answer – reducing response rate ▪ Time consuming for you to analyse, for example, qualitative method/quantitative method ▪ Data analysis is important because the contribution to the research is created in this area 16

PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION – CONT’D ▪ Need to produce a work schedule – easiest to do it in a Bar ( or Gantt) chart ▪ Identify key activities and (approx.) time taken to undertake ▪ A good way of checking the feasibility of your plans 17

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ▪ Must have this if you are collecting primary data – see section 2.3 in the Handbook ▪ Provide a brief summary of the ethical considerations: ▪ Informed consent ▪ Anonymity ▪ Confidentiality ▪ Clear explanation of the practical steps you will be taking if and when they arise in your study ▪ Note: You must have an ethical approval in order you to submit a valid final dissertation 19

REFERENCES ▪ Use “Harvard” style (alphabetical author / date list) as per University policy ▪ Use books and refereed journal papers ▪ Follow a recognized convention – Endnote does this for you ▪ There is support via the library 20