Produce a critically informed research design with the appropriate combination of methods, sample sizes and selection criteria

Assessment Brief : You are expected to produce a research proposal for the dissertation stage of your MSc in no more than 4,000 words. This proposal will build on your first assessment in which you forwarded the research context, question and objectives and together they form the first three chapters of your dissertation in advanced yet skeletal form. Consequently, the standard of work must consistently represent Masters’ level standard and be as advanced as the time constraints allow. Research Proposal#2 will consist of the following: 1. The research title, research question(s), aim, and objectives only – from assessment#1. This will not be included in the word count. 2. An outline of the critical discussion of the literature and a conceptual framework drawn from the literature and an explanatory rationale. 3. A critical discussion of research methods and approaches as the justification of the research design framework. This should include the underpinning research philosophy; research strategy; a critical review of appropriate methods to include an explanation of how triangulation will be achieved (if applicable); considerations of the issues of validity and reliability in the research design process. Learning Outcomes LO2: 2 Produce a critical appraisal of relevant literature synthesised into an appropriate conceptual framework LO3: Demonstrate a firm grasp of differences between research philosophies and the justification of that one selected LO4: Produce a critically informed research design with the appropriate combination of methods, sample sizes and selection criteria 5 4. A critical evaluation of the overall research design including any limitations in the approaches chosen and the possible impact these may have on the research objectives. This should reflect any particular constraints in the specific context of your research. Issues of sample criteria, sizes and representativeness should be clearly dealt with. 5. A Reference List/Bibliography in the Harvard convention, further details are available from http://www.bolton.ac.uk/bissto/Finding-Information/Referencing/Harvard-Referencing.aspx This work is at Level HE7 and this assessment forms 80% of a 20 credit module. Assessment Criteria. The Pass mark is 50% Minimum References Requirement: Level HE7 – It is expected that the Reference List will contain between fifteen to twenty sources. As a MINIMUM the Reference List should include four academic books and five refereed academic journals.