Research Proposal

· This assignment carries 10 % of your final grade

· Your assignment should be analytical, resourceful and complete with sources

· Your assignment should be atleast 1000 words (4 pages) long

· You are required to submit your assignment by Wednesday 6 October 2004. Late submissions will not be entertained.

Your research proposal must include the following headings:

1. Proposed Project Title – usually a single sentence title that clearly explains to the reader what the dissertation is going to be about.

2. Research Objectives – includes a set of objectives (usually 3 to 4) that clearly describes the aims of the research study.

3. Problem Statement – describes what exactly is the problem that is being analyzed through the research study.

4. Literature Review – existing knowledge, related to the subject matter of the research study, which is already published in books, magazines, journals, on websites etc.

5. Research Design – what will be the broad research methodology or approach for collecting data, both primary and secondary, for your research?

6. Resources Required – the physical, financial, human resources that will be required to carry out the required study.

7. Form of Presentation – the way in which the completed dissertation will be structured and presented for final submission.

8. Business/ Management Implications of the Study – how will the research study help businesses and/or the industry that will be analyzed through the research study? Are there any implications for the businesses?

9. Limitations of the Research – are there any geographical, scope, time, financial, or other limitations that you might encounter in doing your research.

10. Bibliography – sources used for gathering the information to prepare your research proposal.

Assignment # 2

Literature Review Assignment

Based on the research proposal that you had prepared earlier for your Assignment # 1, gather secondary information for the literature review of ANY ONE of your research objectives.

· Your literature review assignment should be of atleast 1000 words.

· A variety of sources i.e. books, magazines, journals, websites, government publications etc. should be used.

· Appropriate referencing for every source used is a must.

· Your literature review should also include quantitative data / figures / charts etc. wherever appropriate

· All information should be presented in a clear, organized manner

· This assignment carries 10 % of your final grade

· The last date for the submission of this assignment is Wednesday 3 November 2004 . Late submissions will not be entertained.

Please note that this literature review will serve as an assignment for the course Research Methods as well as a part of your actual literature review for the dissertation (Independent Study).

Assignment # 3

Data Collection and Analysis Assignment

Based on the research proposal that you had prepared earlier for your Assignment # 1, draft a questionnaire that will help you gather the primary information for the objectives you had mentioned in your research proposal.

· Your questionnaire should include a minimum of 10 questions and should reflect your understanding of data measurement techniques.

· A variety of scaling methods should be used for the questionnaire.

· Your research should be done on a minimum of 50 respondents

· You should specify the sample type that is used and the reasons for your choice.

· All the responses of the people selected in the sample should be tabulated and presented through the use of various charts and graphs.

· The data collected should be investigated to reach at analytical and meaningful conclusions.

· All questionnaires should clearly indicate the name and telephone number of the respondents. Students of your class/college should not be included among the respondents. These will be checked to assess the authenticity of your research!

· The last date for the submission of the assignment is Wednesday 15 December 2004. Late submissions will not be entertained.

· This assignment carries 10 % of your final grade

Please note that this questionnaire will serve as an assignment for the course Research Methods as well as your actual questionnaire for the dissertation (Independent Study).

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING THE DISSERTATION IS AS FOLLOWS:

ALL SENIOR STUDENTS (BOTH ACCELERATED AND NORMAL) :

5 JANUARY 2005

ALL JUNIOR STUDENTS (BOTH ACCELERATED AND NORMAL) :

4 APRIL 2005

Study Material Dissertation Guidelines

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