The Research Skills assignment is an opportunity to start thinking about your ideas for the final year dissertation. The objective of the assessment is for you to develop a research proposal that can be used as a guide to help you structure and manage your final year research activities. Please note that this assignment does NOT require you to define a final topic for your final year dissertation. It serves as an exercise, and you can change your final year dissertation topic afterwards.

The word limit for the assignment is 2500 words (NO leeway) not including charts, diagrams and list of references or appendices.

This is an individual assignment and it will count towards 100% of the module assessment. The due date for the assignment is TBC

Details of the Assignment – Research Proposal

You are expected to develop a research proposal. A research proposal provides the background, the issues (research problems and questions), the theoretical base, the methodology and the timeline of the research. In this assignment you are required to focus on the general concept of ‘technology adoption’ in the Singapore context. (Please note that in your final year dissertation you may choose a different topic and context; this topic and context have been chosen purely for the purpose of this assessment).

For this assessment your discussion must include:

▶ An introduction that sets the scene and informs the reader of the specific topic within technology adoption to be addressed in your discussion.

▶ Some background information of the context, for example information about a specific field (e.g. hotels, universities, hospitals, supermarkets, transport, banks, theme parks etc.) in Singapore, including statistics. Use databases like the Marketline/Mintel to

access such reports on the industry.

▶ A brief literature review should be presented; this should highlight the main theories and concepts associated with this topic. The literature should be clearly linked to the critical issues under discussion. Highlight the main debates and gaps around the issue of

technology adoption, clearly indicating how your study would address these gaps. Your discussion must clearly identify a specific issue that your study will be addressing concerning technology adoption and justify why this issue is pertinent and worth researching further. Credit will be given for originality of the research idea and clearly defined scope and research boundaries

▶ You are required to read peer reviewed academic journals and other similar resources to identify the theoretical debates and gaps around technology adoption. Some useful journal articles have been listed in the module outline; do ensure that you read these as well as

other relevant ones.

▶ Once you have clearly identified the gaps in the literature you must clearly state the research objectives and the research questions that will be addressed by your study (3-5 of them). These must be clearly derived from the gaps noted in the literature.

▶ You must also provide suggested potential theoretical contributions that could emerge from your study, based on the gaps that you are addressing. Ensure that the significance and

rationale for the research is clearly explained and there is evidence of originality in developing a potential research topic. Also indicate the significance of your study to other stakeholders; for example why is your study important for managers or policy makers?

▶ You also need to suggest the research method (s) that would be used for the study, and clearly justify why you choose them, and then conclude the assignment.

▶ You are required to devise a timeline showing the research activities with a reasonable period of time. This timeline can be in various forms, e.g. a table or a Gantt chart.

▶ The Harvard referencing style must be used throughout the paper, and a list of all the references used provided at the end of the paper. Poor referencing will be penalized.

▶ You may include an appendices section to provide any supporting information you find pertinent, such as data/charts/statistics. However appendices must not exceed 3 pages at the most.

Suggested Format and Weighting

 ▶ Title (Clear and concise)

▶ An introduction detailing the specific topic to be addressed (10%)

▶ Contextual background (15%)

▶ Literature debates and gaps related to a specific theoretical framework (20%)

▶ Outline of research question(s), aims and objectives (10%)

▶ Potential contribution of the research to literature and management practice (15%)

▶ Potential methods and conclusion (20%)

▶ Timeline of the research (10%)

▶ References

You must download the Cover Sheet and paste it at the front of your assignment.

Make sure you complete the details accurately. Please upload either a Word or PDF document as your main assignment (including coversheet). Please do not use Google Docs. The recommended format is Harvard Referencing. Please refer to https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/referencing/icite/index.aspx for descriptions of reference styles.

If you are having technical problems submitting please see our help page: Submitting Your Assignment.

Module Learning Outcomes:

In this assessment the following learning outcomes will be covered:

LO1. Demonstrate systematic knowledge and understanding of the various stages of the market research process and be capable of applying them to real-life cases

LO2. Critically appraise the value and use of secondary data from various sources, and be able to use it to construct a literature review

LO3. Use the literature gathered from various sources to identify future research problems

LO4. Compare and contrast research paradigms and select and justify appropriate methodology for a research project

LO5. Analyse both qualitative and quantitative data and provide insights from the analysis

LO6. Demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of the ethical issues that encompass the research process.