The research proposal will form a foundation

Objectives

The purpose of this assessment is
to enable students to develop an effective research plan considering context,
research questions, sources, timeline, and larger implicationsfor writing a
formal research report; Also to
practice working with
the Research Proposal
as an academic
genre and to provide an
opportunity for working
on stylistics and
effective academic discourse.

Background

The research proposal will form a
foundation for the final research report. It provides a detailed description of
the proposed research project, and is like an outline of the entire research
project.

Requirements

Each
student is required submit a research proposal (1500-2000). The purpose of this
task is to assist students to plan, prepare and write a scholarly paper at an
appropriate standard for this level of study. It should demonstrate an ability
to communicate ideas and information at a professional level, and be written it
in a form that can be used to build on for the final research report.

You have worked
with your research question(s) for several weeks by now, you mayhave an idea of
how you want to study that question(s). If so, start drawing up a brief plan. Use
the following heuristics to generate information to design your study to guide
you to do so.

Study your
question-

•
What object (people, places or things)
does it suggest you need to study?

•
What kind of study does the question
suggest (empirical–e.g., ethnography, case study, descriptive study,
experimental; historical–oral or archival or both; theoretical; discourse or
textual analysis, etc.)?

•
What data do you need to collect?
(artifacts, texts, people doing something, interviews, etc.)

•
How will you analyse the data?
(qualitative? quantitative? hermeneutics? discourse analysis? historical? etc.)

•
Be very specific in both the data you
will examine and the ways in which you will analyse it.

•
Look for scholarship that is similar to
the kind you wish to design to see what other researchers have identified as
data and how they studied these.

The research
proposalshouldtypically include (but not limited to): a cover page; a TOC
(Table of Contents); an introduction to the proposal, in your own words, that
introduces whatyourproposal is all about; Research Question and Purpose; Methodology;
Planning and organisation; Conclusion that summarises key aspects including why
this research matters; Referencing using APA style. [For more details see the
Marking Guide at the end of this document]

Submission

Submit an electronic copy of research proposalvia Moodle
submission link.Please refer to the Course Description for information regarding late assignments,
extensions, special consideration, and plagiarism. A reminder all academic
regulations can be accessed via the university’s website, see:http://federation.edu.au/staff/governance/legal/feduni-legislation

ITECH5500
Research Proposal- Marking Guide

Student Id.	Student Name
Assessment	Mark	Mark Awarded
Abstract: • Significant concepts • Key aspects of the paper	/5
Introduction: • Background, context, overview • Purpose, scope and method of the study • Summary of proposal	/10
Research Question and Purpose: • Statement of problem- gap in knowledge identified • Research questions, aims, hypotheses are clear and specific • Definition of the paradigm and methodology chosen for the study, including the rationale for the choice; introduction to conceptual or theoretical framework	/10
Literature Review: • Current, balanced, relevant, significant • Multidisciplinary and extensive • Literature clearly summarised and clear connection to the proposed research	/10
Methodology: • Clearly identified research design that is justified and appropriate • Strengths and weaknesses acknowledged • Intended population; sampling; selection criteria; research instrument; data collection; data analysis tool/process [as applicable] • Reasons for choosing tools/samples/choice of sample [as applicable] • Data collection- variables, tools and measurement methods [as applicable] • Identification of threats to reliability and validity	/30
Planning, analysis and organisation: • Proposal of how the study will help fill the gap in knowledge- what new knowledge it might provide. • Clear planning and timelines • Proposed statistical and/or data analysis methods [as applicable] • Logical progression of ideas at the paragraph and whole-paper levels. • Brief conclusion- key aspects including why this research matters	/10
Other considerations: • Ethical considerations and proceduressuch as recruitment of participants etc.; privacy; benefit/harm; coercion; consent; use of data [as applicable] • OHS considerations and procedures to be addressed within the research project	/5
Presentation: • Style and structure- concise and cohesive • Spelling and grammar- evidence of proof-reading	/10
References: • Range of references (internet, articles, quotations, books and journals etc.) • Correct use of citation and referencing • University guide followed e.g. APA referencing	/10
Total	/100
Scaled out of 10
Marked by: