The research proposal is focused on describing a research project that involves collecting primary (social sciences) data, as opposed to secondary data

Due date: See course schedule (20%) (Approximately 9-12 pages complete, excluding literature review & references)
Purpose: This major project will consist of writing a research proposal that reflects all of the content that you have learned in this course.
Assignment description overview: Using the topic and research questions you identified in the literature review assignment that was due earlier in the semester, you will build upon the literature review to create a research proposal. The research proposal is focused on describing a research project that involves collecting primary (social sciences) data, as opposed to secondary data. See Chapter 8: Unobtrusive research: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to make sure you understand the difference between primary and secondary data.
While you will not actually go out and collect the data related to your research proposal, your proposal should be feasible and identify the methodology (research decisions regarding the design and sampling in particular) in detail that will be used. It should explain the strengths and limitations of choosing such a method. For this assignment, assume that I am someone who funds worthwhile research projects. In this hypothetical situation, I currently have 20 proposals sitting on my desk, including yours. I will pick 3- 5 proposals to receive $50,000 to be used for the research study.
As such, you want to write a clear, detailed, and compelling research proposal, so that I award the money to your research project. Refer back to the literature review in the introductory paragraph, and in the closing paragraph, to make a compelling case for the importance of your research; however, make sure you do not go off track with extraneous information or your proposal will end up in the “no” pile. To ensure I add your research to the “yes” pile, follow these assignment guidelines:
Grading will be out of 50 and will be broken down as follows (see grading rubric for more details at the bottom of this document). Please use his format, including section headings, for your research proposal:
▪ Cover page for research proposal
▪ Table of contents
▪ Literature review in its entirety (including cover page and references)
▪ Introduction to research proposal (incudes research question(s), gap, justification for research) (5
marks)
▪ Discussion of the fit with literature review (5marks)
▪ Sample (5 marks)
▪ Methods, including an explanation of why the method(s) you are choosing are the most appropriate for
your research project (10 marks)
▪ Ethical issues, including how you will address them (10 marks)
▪ Expected analysis (5 marks)
▪ Conclusion(5marks)
▪ Spelling/ grammar/APA referencing/ style/document saved in proper format (5marks)
Assignment Suggestions:
In order to determine what you want to know and how you want to go about examining it, consider the charts below. Which method would best accomplish help answer your research question or address your hypothesis?
(Reference for model: Wright, L.W. (1995). Qualitative International Management Research, in B.J Punnett and O. Shenkar, (Eds.) Handbook for International Management Research. Oxford: Blackwell.
1. When designing your methodology, consider the following:
Which method would best help answer your research question? Qualitative, quantitative,
mixed methods, or unobtrusive? Why?
What are the strengths and limitations of the methodological choice you have chosen? Is there
precedence in the literature for your methods?
Who is your population? Who is your sample? Why? How will you choose them specifically (inclusion and
RESM-2100 Research Methods Spring-Summer Semester 2021
Assignment Guidelines:
You will need to use APA 7th ed. formatting for your proposal.
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RESM-2100 Research Methods Spring-Summer Semester 2021
exclusion criterion)? How will you reach them? How many do you need in the study?
How are you going to collect the data from your sample?
How will you analyze the data to answer your research question? What methods will you use?
How will you identify the chosen respondents when you begin your analysis (i.e. ensuring
confidentiality)?
What are some sample research questions you plan to ask participants? How will these questions
answer your main research question?
What are the ethical considerations? Risks? How will you address the ethical considerations? What will
you not be able to address?
What are the limitations of your proposed methods? What are the limitations of your chosen sample?
What are your limitations, as the lead researcher?
2. When compiling your proposal, consider:
Have you clearly connected the literature and theory to your methodology?
Have you concluded the paper, summarizing all of your content?
Have you correctly referenced all sources you have used?
Have you convinced your audience that your study would answer your research question (at
least in part), that you have used the best methodology to do so, and that the research is important and necessary?
Grading Rubric for Research Proposal (Please remember to attach your literature review to your research proposal. Please copy and paste it to the beginning of your research proposal (identifying it as the literature review), rather than sending two separate documents. Please create a table of contents for your paper and one reference list that includes the references from your literature review, as well as any new references that appear in the body of the proposal.

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