Assignment - Research Proposal Report
Learning objectives and graduate skills tested
1. Evaluate strategies for the solution of applied research problems in information systems.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of applied research methods.
3. Collect and analyse information systems research data using applied research methods.
4. Synthesise and communicate information systems research information to inform business decisions.
Assignment 2 - Specification
Assignment 2 requires you to extend your work in Assignment 1 (critical literature review) and develop a research proposal. The research topic, research questions, conceptual framework, literature, methods, significance, limitations and ethical issues must be presented as part of the research proposal in association with your allocated research article sourced from the Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS) held in Wollongong in early December 2016. Your research article has been emailed to you during the second week. As part of the development of the research proposal based on your allocated research article, you are required to investigate at least ten (10) relevant scholarly articles relevant to the keywords of your allocated research article in order to present your arguments in the proposal.
You are expected to follow the following checklist of headings for your research proposal. This proposal template has been sourced from Punch, K., 2006. Developing effective research proposals. 2nd edn, Sage Publications.
Research Proposal Report -
Report Structure and Presentation:
Your report should include a title page and Table of Contents.
Report: Abstract
Your report should include an abstract of the proposal. An abstract is a brief summary of the proposal, NOT the introduction to the proposal. Abstract writing requires you to convey as much as possible in as few words as possible. Abstract is written last. Please include the following in the abstract:
- What the research is about and aims to achieve? (Research questions)
- How the research intends to achieve its objectives?
Report: Introduction
Your report should include an introduction to the report. The introduction should be engaging.
- Give some background information (area and research topic) to provide a context for the report
- State the purpose of the report (statement of purpose)
- Clarify key terms and indicate the scope of the report (i.e. what the report will cover)
Report Section 1 - Research Questions
In this section, you should write the questions the research is trying to answer. The research questions provide a clear picture of the purpose of the research. Therefore, the research question generally follows from the statement of purpose of the report (Introduction). You need to build an argument based on the purpose of the research and then state your research questions.
You might have a general-to-specific framework of research questions; or an exploratory study that states the general questions and how they might be refined during the research.
Report Section 2 - Conceptual Framework
A wide variety of approaches are possible to demonstrate conceptual framework of your research. This section must demonstrate how all the important constructs in your studies are related. This can be often done effectively using a diagram and then an explanation of the diagram. If your conceptual framework is only an initial draft that can be modified later, please state so. The role of theory must be demonstrated here - are you proposing some kind of theory development (design theory, principles, methods, models, concepts, etc.) or theory verification? If you are proposing to verify an existing theory, please state hypotheses and refer to the theory behind your research conceptual framework.
Report Section 3 - Literature
In this section, your proposal must identify the body of literature that is relevant to your research. You should demonstrate how your proposed research is related to the relevant literature and how the literature will be used in the proposed research to justify and explain the directions of your research.
Your work in Assignment 1 (critical literature review) should provide a strong background to write this section. You can re-use what you did in Assignment 1, however the writing must be repurposed to sharpen the focus of your research work and to give a logical structure to your research questions and conceptual framework.
Report Section 4 - Methods
In this section, the overall approach to be taken in your research - quantitative, qualitative or both - must be clearly stated. In this section, you should answer the following:
- What research methodology is proposed? Qualitative, Quantitative, Mixed?
- What is the sampling strategy, the sample size and rationale of sample selection?
- What data collection instruments (survey, interview questionnaire, protocols) are used or generated?
- How the research data is collected and what are the procedures followed for quality data collection?
- How the data will be analysed (statistical analysis, thematic coding)?
Report Section 5 - Significance
In this section, your proposal must state the significance of your proposed research. This section must answer the question: "why is your research worth doing?" You can include the following arguments as part of this section:
-justification of your research
-importance/ impact of your research
-contributions your research can make
- to the body of knowledge/ literature
- to practice/ industry
- to policy/ government
-intended outcomes of your research
Report Section 6 - Limitations and Delimitations
In this section, your proposal must state the limiting conditions that is unavoidable in your research. All research has limitations and they must be noted in your proposal so that you demonstrate you know these challenges in your research.
Besides the statement of limitations, you must also define "delimitations" - drawing the boundaries around your research study to show what is included and what is NOT included in your research work.
Report Section 7 - Ethical Issues
In this section, you discuss the consent, access and associated ethical issues of your research, particularly when your research is based on data from people and about people. You need to discuss this by anticipating what ethical issues may arise in your proposed project and how you will deal with those issues.
Some of the key ethical issues that may need to be addressed are:
- anonymity and confidentiality of data
- privacy
- the use of the research results
- intervention and advocacy
Attachment:- Assignment File.rar