The research proposal will consist of the following NINE items:

1. A business research topic. What is your topic and what is its business significance.

2. A brief literature review of the research topic. Produce 1 to 2 pages on background information on your research topic.

3. Research questions for the identified problem or opportunity. What questions will you research?

4. Appropriate research methodologies and techniques to use for the research project. What research methodology will you use?

5. A project plan using a Gantt Chart and clearly defined milestones. Use Microsoft Project or other software to produce the Gantt Chart.

Your milestones for HI6008 are:

6. Description of the research process. What will be the steps in your project?

7. Description of data collection and analysis methods. What data will you collect? What data analysis will you do?

8. Description of expected research outcomes. Who is your primary mentor or supervisor?

9. A completed Ethics Checklist. Complete and sign ethics checklist below and attach with FINAL research project proposal.

Checklist

This checklist is designed to alert you to your ethical obligations when you conduct research involving human subjects. These questions must be answered when a research project is proposed and before a research project is implemented.

Please circle your answers:

1) Will the human subjects be informed of the nature of their involvement in the collection of data and of features of the research that reasonably might be expected to influence willingness to participate?

2) Will the human subjects be told that they can discontinue their participation at any time?

3) Will the human subjects in your study be aware that they are the targets of research?

4) If the subjects are underage, will their guardians be asked to sign the consent form?

5) Is the confidentiality of the human subject's identity positively ensured?

6) In cases where there is a possibility that the human subject's identity can be deduced by someone other than the researcher, is the subject's right to withdraw his/her data respected?

7) Will the researcher fulfil all the promises made to the human subjects including providing the summary of the findings upon request?

8) Will all necessary measures be taken to protect the physical safety of the human subjects from dangers such as faulty electrical equipment, poor grounding, lack of oxygen, falls, traffic & industrial accidents, possibility of hearing or vision loss etc.?

9) Will the human subject be debriefed (told the true nature of the study) after the data has been collected?

10) In cases in which the human subject is dissatisfied or a complaint about the researcher or procedure, will the researcher explain to the human subject that he or she may express this complaint to the Subject Coordinator?

11) Does the study involve concealment from and/or deception of the human subject?

12) Will deception be used in order to obtain agreement to participate?

13) Will the study involve human subjects who are legally or otherwise not in a position to give their valid consent to participate such as children, prison inmates, mental patients?

14) Will information on your human subjects be obtained from third parties?

15) Will any coercion be exerted upon subjects to participate?

16) Will the study involve physical stress to the human subjects such as might result from heat, noise, electric shock, pain, sleep loss, deprivation of food and drink, drugs, alcohol?

17) Will the study cause any mental discomfort to the human subjects such as fear, anxiety, loss of self-esteem, shame, guilt, embarrassment etc.?

18) Could publication of the research results possibly interfere with strict confidentiality?

19) Could publication of the research results possibly harm the human subject -either directly or through identification with his/her membership group?

20) Are there other aspects of the study that may interfere with the protection of the well-being of the human subjects?