BNV7200 Individual Master’s Project Research Proposal L7 Coursework Assessment Brief | BCU

Assessment Information

The 1st assessment of this module is in the format of a research proposal. The research proposal is an integral part of your individual Master’s project. Based on preliminary research, you should be able to identify a specific and manageable subject relevant to your programme, ascertain the knowledge gap in your chosen research area, establish your research aim and objectives, and outline your research plan. This is to ensure that you are on the right direction for your research project.

Things to include

• A specific and manageable subject relevant to your programme
• A justification of your research subject
• A preliminary literature review on your research subject
• Your research aim and objectives
• Your intended research methodology and your justification
• Potential problems you may meet and your proposed solutions
• Your research schedule

Completion of this assessment will address the following learning outcomes: 

• Plan a research-informed project using appropriate literature and/or professional outputs 

Task: You need to identify a specific and manageable subject relevant to your programme, ascertain the knowledge gap in your chosen research area through preliminary literature review, establish your research aim and objectives, and outline your research plan (including your intended research methodology, potential problems you may meet and your proposed solutions, and your research schedule).

Style: Research proposal

Rationale: To complete your individual Master’s project, you need to have a clear plan to outline your research subject and the methods to use. This is a very important milestone in your research project.

Description: At the end of the first semester, you need to submit a research proposal to outline your research plan. Your research proposal should include the following contents: 

• The rationales of choosing your research subject – what is your research question, why is it a problem
• Preliminary literature review on your chosen research subject – what has been done in your chosen area, where is the knowledge gap (i.e. what has not been researched)
• Your research aim and objectives – please clearly identify 1 research aim and 4 – 5 research objectives (the steps you are going to take to achieve your research aim). Please start your research aim and objectives with an appropriate verb.
• Your research plan – what are the proposed research methods and your justification of your choice, and a timetable of your research (probably in a Gantt chart)
• Possible problems and potential solutions
• Reference list