Engineering Research Practice

Assignment - Guidelines

Your task for assignment 3 in ERP is to write a 3,000 word research proposal. For most of you, this will be either a quantitative proposal or a qualitative proposal. In some cases, your answers to the questions in assignments 1 & 2 may lead you to decide that your research problem is a mixed problem, requiring elements of both types of proposal. If that is the case, you can mix and match the formats as required.

The two formats below are what are normally expected for a proposal. I suggest you use these headings as a template, and create your proposal by filling in the details required. You can use your earlier assignments especially the literature review, but make sure that you check any previous material for spelling/grammar and update it if required.

My recommendation is that you concentrate the majority of your 3000 words (+/-5%) on sections 1, 2, and 3 in both formats. In other words, I don't want you to use up too much on the sections about your qualifications, and the timeline. Also, you do not have to count references in the 3,000 words.

I recommend that you allow about 900 words for section 1; 900 words for section 2; and 900 for section 3 (both formats). This accounts for about 2,700 words, and then leaves you about 300 for the outline of the proposed study, etc. This is just a suggestion and you can change it as you want.
Recommended Quantitative Proposal format

List of acronyms.

1. The Problem and its setting
a. General background and importance of the study.
b. The statement of the problem andsub-problems (if any).
c. Limitations of the study (limitations that are beyond the control of the researcher).
d. The hypothesis/hypotheses (if any).
e. The assumptions.
2. The review of the related literature
3. The research methodology
a. The data needed and the means for obtaining the data.
b. Systematic description of solving the problem.
c. Ethical implications (if relevant).
4. An outline of the proposed study (steps to be taken, timeline, resources, output, etc.)
5. References
6. Appendices (if any)

Total word length 3000(+/-5%) without references.

Recommended Qualitative Proposal format

1. Introduction
a. General background for the study.
b. Purpose of the study and its importance.
c. Guiding questions.
d. Limitations.
2. Literature Review
3. Methodology
a. Type of research design and role of the researcher.
b. Selection and description of the site and participants.
c. The data needed and the means for obtaining the data.
d. Data analysis strategies.
e. Ethical implications.
4. Management plan, timeline, feasibility
5. References
6. Appendices (if any)

Total word length 3000 without references.