NBS8062 Research Methods Assessment 1: Initial Research Proposal Worth

NBS8062 Research Methods 2025-26 Assessment 1: Initial Research Proposal Worth 30% of the final grade

NBS8062 Assessment Brief

In this initial research proposal, you should clearly identify your research area and outline your research aims and objectives relevant to your chosen programme. You will demonstrate your learning from Semester 1 of this module by showing your engagement with relevant literature, your topic of interest, and your understanding of relevant theory and methods.

Using the provided template, you will outline your initial dissertation research proposal. The word account is 1500 words.
The assignment counts for 30% of the final grade for the module.

Deadline for submission 5th January 2026 by 12:00 PM.

Students will receive formative feedback on ideas in seminar and workshop sessions prior to the hand-in date. There will also be drop-in tutorials available before the hand-in date for individual queries.
Feedback will normally be returned within the 20-working-day turnaround period.
Further guidance:

Your initial research proposal should demonstrate your ability to identify a research gap in the existing literature on your chosen topic and clearly articulate your research focus. Your understanding of research methodologies should be evident in your treatment of the relevant literature and in the development of your research questions.

The initial research proposal will cover: 1) Introduction; 2) Literature Review; 3) Research Gap;

4) Research Questions.

Submission:

Please submit your work once on or before 5th January 2026 at 12:00 (noon) GMT to the relevant submission window on Canvas. You do not need to submit a physical copy. All submissions received after 12:00 will be automatically capped at 50%, provided they are received within seven days of the deadline. All submissions received after seven days will receive a mark of 0%. By submitting your assignment, you confirm that you understand the guidance provided and the University’s policy on plagiarism.

Assessment General Guidelines- Please see under Canvas

Please see the FAQ on Canvas (Assignment tab under Course Information) for any additional queries regarding this assignment.
Extensions

No assignments will be accepted late unless an extension has been granted. Please see Student Progress Service for further information: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/student-progress/
Computing problems are NOT acceptable grounds for late submission.

Reassessment
Students who fail the overall module assessment (Assessments 1 and 2) will be required to submit another assessment during the August resit period.

For any questions about this assignment brief, please check the FAQ on Canvas first before emailing the module leader, Dr Liucen Pan, at Liucen.pan@newcastle.ac.uk