Summary

All research proposals, regardless of the audience and focus of the research share some common characteristics.

• First of all, a research proposal should demonstrate the need for the research. Typically to demonstrate the need, you must first review the relevant literature to determine what is already known and identify gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed.
• The proposal should also specify the aims and research questions. Clearly specified research questions are the basis for making appropriate and informed research planning decisions. Research questions are linked to your observations drawn from practice, review of the literature, your aims for the research, methodological approach and anticipated outcomes. Research questions in effect are the basis for all your research design decisions.
• The research design is the most important part of the research. If the research design is flawed, nothing can be done to salvage the data collected and the project as a whole. Therefore, a research proposal must provide a detailed description of the chosen approach or methods you plan to apply to yield data that can answer the research questions. The design will also need to show evidence of considering and addressing all potential ethical challenges that might be met in conducting the research.
• The research proposal should also provide a succinct outline of the anticipated outcomes (including deliverables) and milestones to ensure the project is feasible and the outcomes achievable within available timelines.

Your research proposal will vary according to your choice of final project artefact. Since most students will choose a final deliverable that will be a formal research proposal for an internal or external grant, an ethics application for research you plan to undertake in the future, or a conference/journal paper based on your review of the literature and findings from research you have previously conducted, or demonstrating the gaps in the literature demonstrating the need for future research, your proposal will effectively be a draft of what you plan to develop for Assessment 3.

Structure

Your research proposal should be a maximum of 2,000 words (try to aim for 1,500 and be succinct). It should be submitted online as a Word document by the start of Week 6. This is a formal proposal even though it may form the draft of your final deliverable.

The proposal should be presented as a scholarly piece of work written in third-person voice. The style of writing should be clear and the document should show coherence and logical development of the argument for the research.

Support

Support for completing this assessment includes:

1. Unit readings.
2. Online discussion forums for sharing resources and discussing module materials.
3. Feedback provided by peers and unit coordinator.

This task will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• Introduction providing context for the proposed project or deliverable, consideration of and reflections on the nature of the research question or problem, and any ethical issues that may arise.

• Literature review incorporating your preliminary research findings and demonstrating an understanding of the topic under investigation and your ability to synthesise the findings into a coherent piece of writing with cited references (APA 6 or Harvard format) to support your argument. Your review should show evidence that you have challenged your existing assumptions about the issue.

• A proposed set of aims and research questions that you wish to develop and include in your formal research proposal.

• Proposed research approach (methodology) you plan to undertake to address the research questions.

• Timelines/milestones to complete your major project or deliverable (for example the steps you will take throughout the term to develop your ethics application, grant application, conference paper or journal article).

• References – include only those cited in your proposal (minimum of 5 academic sources) using either APA 6 or Harvard referencing style.

Summary

As a researcher, we often interact with multiple communities about what we do: sharing our methods and findings, soliciting feedback and information about impact, and creating new networks for further work. One common vehicle for such engagement is oral presentation - often given at conferences and other research settings. The focus of this presentation is on your developing research proposal and the aim is for you to receive feedback to refine your proposal so that you can finalise your project deliverable (which is Assessment task 3).

Structure. The Oral Presentations will be conducted via a Zoom session in Week 8. Your presentation should be 20 minutes in duration inclusive of question time and any materials (for example PowerPoint slides) should be submitted online three days prior to the session.

Support. Students will receive support for this task as follows:

1. Guidelines for conducting online presentations.
2. Unit readings.
3. Online discussion forums for sharing resources and discussing module materials.
4. Feedback provided by peers and unit coordinator.

This assessment task will be assessed using the following criteria:

1. Synthesis. The presentation contains an effective summarisation of your proposal.
2. Reflection. The presentation also offers insights into your own growth as a researcher, based on your experiences while engaging in the unit.
3. Communication and presentation. The presentation is free from grammatical and spelling errors. The language is accessible to those outside the discipline. The presentation contains the level of detail needed to communicate the essential points. The presentation does not exceed the maximum time limit (20 minutes) and includes time for questions.

Summary. This assessment task is the final written component of the unit, first proposed in your research proposal (assessment 1). The specifics of these documents will be negotiated between the student and the instructor, including:

• scope of inquiry
• depth of analysis
• effective use of arguments
• structure of final deliverable

Structure

The final deliverable should represent a synthesis and refinement of the work completed for assessments one and two, rather than a completely new body of work. The expected word count is maximum 3,000 words, building and refining the written work previously produced for assessments.

Support

Students are expected to proactively seek support for completion of the task throughout the term. Key support sources include:

1. Informal consultations with the instructor as needed.
2. Unit readings.
3. Online discussion forums.
4. Feedback provided by peers.

While the nature and the scope of the final project deliverable will vary somewhat between students, all deliverables will be assessed by the final criteria

1. Communication and presentation. This document is written in clear and concise language. The structure of the document is in alignment with professional standards for the genre selected (conference paper, grant proposal, etc).
   
2. Scholarly use of literature. Effective use of critical elements of the Literature Review to create or support compelling arguments and demonstrating an understanding of the topic under investigation and your ability to synthesise the findings into a coherent piece of writing with cited references.
   
3. Effective use of arguments. In your deliverable, you will be creating propositions (arguments) about the need for the research, the quality of your work, and the potential impact of your findings.