| Task specific guidance:
Title: The title should reflect the general research aim.
1.0 Background to the research (context): In this section, you should introduce your research topic, and explain its relevance and importance. The section should also provide a rationale for the chosen research topic. You should provide some secondary information about the theoretical context, industry, or subject you are researching, which provides rationale for the study. This section should lead the reader logically to the research aim and research objectives. (approx. 500 words)
Research Aim: You should develop an overarching aim for your research. This statement will form the clear theme throughout your research paper and will follow logically from your background section. Your research aim should be written to suit the research approach you have decided to take. (approx. 100 words)
Research Objectives: Your research aim should be supported by logical and coherent research objectives. These objectives should contribute to you addressing your overall research aim and should be numbered. (100 words)
2.0 Literature review: You must identify the main theoretical underpinnings of your work and the key authors in your field and provide a succinct summary of key areas of literature. You should refer to key authors and themes from academic literature relevant to your proposal. The purpose of the literature review is to explain what we already know in your chosen area of research. This will show your understanding of the key concepts in your research question and the relationships between them. Indicate any models that you may wish to apply, test or review. (800 words)
Present a conceptual framework which reflect your literature review. This sets out formally the concepts you intend to include in your data collection and the proposed relationship between them. The conceptual framework becomes a guide for your data collection and analysis. This should normally be presented in a diagram with some narrative explanation. (approx. 100 words)
3.0 Methodology: This section must detail the approach you have decided to take for your research and provide appropriate justification for and details of that approach. This section needs to provide specific explanation of how you are planning to collect and analyse data to answer your research aim/objectives and explain why you think the methods you choose are appropriate for answering your research question. You should structure this section as follows:
a. Research approach. Specify the research approach you intend to adopt. This will normally be either quantitative or qualitative. Justify why you have chosen this and link to your research question/objectives. (approx. 200 words)
b. Data collection. How do you intend to collect your data? This will normally be using questionnaires or interviews. Describe the process and justify why it is appropriate for your research question/objectives (approx. 300 words)
c. Sample. Who are you intending to collect data from? Explain why this is an appropriate and representative sample to enable you to address your research aim and objectives. Research ethics should also be a consideration. (approx. 300 words)
d. Data analysis. How do you propose to analyse your collected data? Describe how you would analyse your data. (approx. 100 words)
Please ensure there is a direct link between the research aim/ objectives and the methods you choose.
4.0 References
Please provide a full list of references used in your proposal.
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