Working title, Context of your research and Rationale (in this order):
A Working title
You should note that while this will not be binding on you, and may well change slightly before submission of your dissertation, a working title is extremely useful in helping you to focus the direction of your research and position the central concept. Keep it concise and precise, and eliminate unnecessary phrases such as ?a study of . . .? and ?an approach to . . .?. Omit most articles and prepositions, and ensure that your title clearly defines the central focus of the study. It may be a single title, or, as in the example given below, a double title.
Example:
?The negative consequences of tourism for Turkey: mitigating negative environmental impacts.?
A brief Context of your research, in which you state the broad domain or subject area (e.g. Tourism, travel, sport, arts, heritage, events, hospitality, sports and music and media studies) in which your proposed study is to be located, the specific topic area with which it will deal (e.g. analysis of leisure participation, evaluation of innovative museum display techniques, assessment of visitor management strategies, comparative analysis of customer feedback models, development of musical styles in the 2000s).
Example
?The study, located in the non-competitive sport domain, aims to identify and analyse the key factors influencing participation by casual user groups in minority sports.?
A Rationale or justification, for the research. You should explain briefly why you believe that there is a need for the research that you propose to undertake, and identify clearly the benefits likely to derive from it, including the specific contribution which you believe it will make to the advancement of knowledge in your chosen field. You should note particularly that the comments that you make here should not simply be unsupported statements of intent, but need to be backed up by firm evidence, derived from literature citations and other sources. These should be listed, in Harvard referencing format, at the end of the Proposal. You should identify any evident gaps in the literature, and explain precisely how your proposed research will build on and relate to the studies that you have cited.
A Research Question, a Research Aim and Research Objectives:
The research question, or research aim, is literally, just that. What do you intend to research and find out? ?Aim" means intention. "Objective" means goal.
When you are composing your list of research objectives think of what you actually intend to do (research aim), which will be concerned with answering your research question and advancing knowledge in the field, and how the intermediate goals (research objectives) that you have to achieve help in order to reach your research aim.
Your research aim and objectives must be feasible within the constraints of your current knowledge base, time and finance. DON?T BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW.
Example 1
To what extent is the music of the Rolling Stones derived from the music of Chuck Berry?? (research question).
You intend to explore the relationships between the Rolling Stones? music and that of Chuck Berry and to identify whether the latter inform the formulation of the former (research aim).
Based on the research question and aim, you compose a list of feasible research objectives which help you to answer the question of your research and fulfill your set research aim. For example:
To investigate critically the relationship between Rolling Stones and Chuck Berry?s music.
To analyse the changes of Rolling Stones? music throughout the band?s history.
To explore the factors shaping and influencing the Rolling Stones? music throughout the band?s history.
To identify clearly whether and how the Rolling Stones? music is derived from Chuck Berry, and the strength of Chuck Berry?s influence.
Example 2
Bob Marley?s lyrics were a reflection of what social movement?? (research question).
You aim/intend to find out what social movement Bob Marley?s lyrics reflected (research aim).
You compose a list of feasible research objectives, for example:
To identify the songs by Bob Marley that are considered reflective of social movement
To analyse critically the background environment to which the lyrics of XX songs are referring
To analyse critically the characteristics of the society in which Bob Marley was based
To investigate the purposes of the songs that Bob Marley intended to achieve and whether they are met
To examine the relationship between the lyrics and the characteristics of the society
Example 3
?What are the principal deterrents to the development of ecotourism in Spain?? (research question).
You want to find out the obstacles of, or what factors limit the development of ecotourism in Spain (research aim).
A list of feasible research objectives may be:
To examine critically the current tourism products and services in Spain
To identify possible or potential ecotourism sites in Spain
To investigate the accessibility, availability of infrastructure and superstructure of the ecotourism sites
To identify and examine the sensibility and carrying capacity of the ecotourism sites
To research tourists? purposes of visiting Spain
To investigate tourists? perceptions of Spain?s ecotourism sites and whether they would be willing to visit those sites
PLEASE NOTE: the research question and the working title are different
Preliminary Literature Review:
In this section of your proposal, you must provide the theoretical/conceptual framework or model upon which your research is based. This comes from extensive reading of current, quality and academic-oriented journals and books. The literature review is not solely about reiteration or citation of existing knowledge or what has been researched. Analysis and discussion of literature is needed.
The literature review is an important first step as it will show you what previous researchers have found, which will make it easier for you to identify gaps in the knowledge base or deficiencies in existing research. The key concepts or theories that you consider essential to your proposed research must be identified and discussed in the Preliminary Literature Review section.
Literature review is an on-going process throughout your research. It is worth remembering that literature reviews will grow as your research progresses, and you become aware of newer and older, and perhaps better sources. It is necessary, in the Dissertation, that you compare and contrast different views from various sources and synthesise them succinctly, that is, REVIEW of literature. Review of literature is NOT a summary of the references you have collected; nor is it reiteration of these sources.
Research Methods and research plan:
In this section you describe the method(s) you plan to use for data collection, and explain and justify why the method(s) is considered appropriate, and any ethical issues which may arise during the primary data collection process. You will also need to suggest a timeframe for your secondary and primary data collection process.
Example
The research will start with a desk-based study followed by a customer survey at XYZ hotel. The research includes literature research and existing reports conducted by other researchers and market research firms and will be continual throughout the research process. Primary data collection will be generated using a customer survey in the period of February to April. The survey will be conducted during weekdays as well as weekends in order to cover a wider range of different customers. The reason for using a customer is because this research aims to identify customers? satisfaction level of hotel XYZ?s front office house services and a survey is the ideal method because it can be used to collect data from large number of respondents; it is relatively cheap and not so time-consuming. It is anticipated that the survey will take no longer than 10 minutes for each respondent. Respondents will be assured that any information provided by them will be used for research purpose only and will be treated with strict confidence. The hotel general manager and front office manager have agreed for the survey to be conducted in the lobby area between February and April. The results will be analysed using MS Excel, and the findings discussed in the light of existing knowledge on the subject in order to draw conclusions or see what further considerations may be important.?
Research Timetable and Estimated Resource Requirements: not included in the word count, but be brief and realistic
Research Timetable
You should present an outline timetable for the research and writing period, showing as realistically as you can how you intend to plan your research schedule. You should set aside adequate blocks of time for completion of secondary research, drafting of preliminary chapters, undertaking any field (primary) research, final writing-up, preparation of illustrative matter, assembly and binding. While you may seek to modify this slightly after meeting with your supervisor, it will nonetheless be helpful to draft this at this stage.
Estimated resource requirements
You should conclude your proposal with a few short paragraphs in which you show that you have also considered and estimated project resource requirements other than time – including issues such as access (to libraries, leisure or tourism facilities, and key personnel), boundaries and limitations (availability, seasonality, timing, general feasibility) and cost (including items such as travel, phone-calls, photocopying, library charges, purchase of bibliographic material, paper, typing, binding and consumables). In your own interest you are advised to take careful account of these aspects when considering the scale of what you intend to attempt.
Primary research is strongly recommended. This does not mean that you need to be out in the rain in the wind in the field interviewing people, observing crowds or surveying customers.
Example 1
Analysis of images of holiday brochures.
Your primary data are in the form of holiday brochures and you analyse the photos and texts of the brochures.
Example 2
Examination of Leonardo Da Vinci?s technique used in Mona Lisa.
Your primary data are contained in the painting Mona Lisa itself and you study and analyse how the formation of the painting and the strokes, colour combination, foreground and background of the painting.
Example 3
Analysis of market trends in pop music purchasing behaviour.
Suppose there is a series of such market reports on consumer behaviour in pop music over the past five decades. Your primary data are those reports and you evaluate and analyse the trends in issues such as expenditure, frequencies of buying and rises and falls of artists.
If you wish to conduct conceptually oriented research for your dissertation, this is fine, however, you must be aware that this type of research is one of the most advanced research and is only undertaken by very experienced and highly qualified researchers. There is a grave danger that this conceptual research may end up as an extended essay. You will fail this module if your submitted work is an extended essay. This module is Research and Dissertation and an essay is NOT research.