RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Title of Your Dissertation Here

B.Sc. (Hons) in Transportation Management and Logistics

CINEC Campus Ltd

Submitted by
Your name here
Your Index number here
Submission Date:
Table of Contents

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 1. INTRODUCTION
This document gives the instructions for the submission of research proposal of
undergraduate students of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in CINEC
Campus. You can use this document as a template into which you can directly type
your research proposal. Write your introduction of the selected study here under the
following subsections.
1.1 Background of the study
This is set to explain the broad background against which the research will be
conducted. It should include a brief overview of the general area of study within
which the proposed research falls, summarizing the current state of knowledge and
recent debates on the topic. This allows demonstrating a familiarity with the
relevant field as well as the ability to communicate clearly and concisely.

1.2 Problem Statement

A problem statement is a brief overview of the issues or problems existing in the
concerned area selected for the research. It is an explanation of the issues prevalent
in a particular sector which drives the researcher to take interest in that sector for in-
depth study and analysis, so as to understand and solve them (Saunders et al. 2009).
This focuses on why the study will be undertaken, or why the thesis will be written.

1.3 Research Question (s)

Developing a good research question is one of the first critical steps in the research
process. A research question is an answerable inquiry into a specific concern or
issue. It is the initial step in a research project. The 'initial step' means after you have
an idea of what you want to study, the research question is the first active step in the
research project. The research question should be a clear, focused question that
summarizes the issue that the researcher will investigate. Without a question, you
can't have a hypothesis.

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1.4 Research Objectives
The objectives provide an accurate description of the specific actions you will take in
order to reach the aim of the study.
Objectives of this research is to,

• Write your Primary objective here

• Write your Secondary objectives here

The proposal should demonstrate the originality of your intended research. You

should therefore explain why your research is important (for example, by explaining

how your research builds on and adds to the current state of knowledge in the field

or by setting out reasons why it is timely to research your proposed topic)

1.5 Significance of the research

The proposal should demonstrate the originality of your intended research. You

should therefore explain why your research is important (for example, by explaining

how your research builds on and adds to the current state of knowledge in the field

or by setting out reasons why it is timely to research your proposed topic)

Write the significance of your research here.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The scope of a study explains the extent to which the research area will be explored

in the work and specifies the parameters within the study will be operating.

Basically, this means that you will have to define what the study is going to cover

and what it is focusing on.

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1.7 Structure/Organization of the Study

This is a summary/a road map that may guide readers through the reading and
understanding of the dissertation. In this activity, you will provide readers with a
roadmap to your dissertation that illustrates what they should expect i.e how the
study is organized and conducted from chapter wise.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

Here, you need to critically assess studies/theories that are important to your
research. Please remember that the literature review constitutes a piece of
argumentative writing in which you critically engage with relevant
scientific/academic sources. The literature review does not simply provide
background information to your study; it justifies your research
question/hypothesis/theoretical framework/method and signals your in-depth
knowledge of recent studies in your field.

You could use either author prominent or information prominent form of writing

literature review. Refer to Harvard guide to write literature review. You could use

either author prominent or information prominent form of writing literature review.

Refer to Harvard guide to write literature review.

2.1. Theoretical Background of the topic

These are theories that are developed from academic books and journal articles and
other research outputs.

2.2 Past Studies findings (Local and International context)- you can subdivide
based on your choice and the scope of the study

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 3. METHODOLOGY

Write your tentative methodology here. This may change as you progress with your

data set. But write your tentative methodology in according to the data set to be

collected.

3.1 Conceptual framework

It involves variables such as independent variables and dependent variables that

form a topic of a research study. The purpose of conceptual framework is to test the
theories, make research findings more meaningful and generalizable, stimulate
situation and predict and control the research situation.

3.2 Hypothesis Development

3.3 Operationalization of the Variables

Table 1:

Independent variables Measurements

Dependent Variable Measurement

3.4 Population
3.5 Research Design
3.6 Sample and Sample size
3.7 Time period of study
3.8 Data collection method
3.9 Data analysis method

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 4. TIME PLAN FOR THE RESEARCH

It is strongly recommended that your proposal be accompanied by a timeline

reflecting the estimated time devoted to each stage of the research process, from
proposal to writing up of the dissertation/thesis. In this regard, you may find it
useful to employ a Gantt chart to plan your research study.

Table 3.01: Time plan of the research

Jan-
May- Jun- Jul- Aug- Oct- 20- Feb- Mar-
Activity Description 20 20 20 Sept. Dec. 2014 20 Apr.
Preparation and
submission of the research
proposal
proposal presentation
Questionnaire preparation
Data collection
Data entry
Data cleaning
Data Analysis
Finalizing the research

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 5. REFERENCES

Sample reference list is given below, for more details please refer the Harvard guide

AGRESTI, A. (2007). An Introduction to Categorical Data Analysis. Florida: JohnWiley

& Sons, Inc.

AGRESTI, A. (2002). Categorical Data Analysis. Florida: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Fajan, S. (1991). Graduate Unemployment and the Job Search Process: A Theoretical
and
Emprical Analysis. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations , 367-383.

Grazier, S., O’Leary, N. C., & Sloane, P. J. (2008). Graduate Employment in the
UK:An Application of the Gottschalk-Hansen Model. The Institute for the Study of
Labor , 2-19.

Formatting requirements
• Font to be used: Times New Roman
• Font Size: Title 16”, subtitles, 14”, text 12” and footnotes, 10”
• Bold, Italics and Underline are accepted (where and when appropriate)
• The text must be in black text only
• 2cm page margins required
• 1.5 line spacing is required
• Pages numbered in the bottom right hand corner

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6. APPENDIX

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