The literature review should clearly argue for the proposed research question. It should be themed appropriately: midwifery- Research proposal Dissertation, TCD, Ireland

• Chapter 1
• Literature Review

The literature review should clearly argue for the proposed research question. It should be themed appropriately and contain headings and subheadings. The review should be detailed, demonstrating the breadth of reading and critical appraisal of other research studies relevant to the topic. The review should place this study in the context of previous studies and should include research conducted in Ireland where appropriate.  Strengths and weaknesses of previous research should be identified. In addition, it is important to demonstrate how this study will improve on previous research or add to the body of existing knowledge on the topic. The research question should be stated at the end of this chapter alongside the aims and objectives of the proposed study.

• Research Question or Hypothesis

 State the question(s) that needs to be answered. Identify the independent and dependent variables if relevant. For example; does an exercise prevention program improve outcomes for patients with chronic stable angina?   The research questions should be interrogative i.e. posed as a question, not as a statement. For example; what are women’s experiences of midwifery-led care’?  What are nurses’ attitudes towards patients with mental health problems?  The question should be researchable, and relevant to Irish nursing/midwifery.

It is important to remember that the research question should be formulated in the context of the literature review and it forms the basis of the design chosen for the methodological section.

• Aims / Objectives

These should be stated clearly.  They highlight the purpose and expected outcomes of the study.   They should be realistic and achievable.

• Chapter 2
• Research methodology

 Include a rationale for the decisions about the research process and discuss the strengths and limitations of choices made where appropriate.  Use the following headings as a guide and apply the principles specific to your study.

•  Paradigmatic / philosophical issues

 The choice of design is informed and guided by a world view that shares value systems and beliefs (e.g.  Positivism (quantitative research), or Interpretivism (qualitative research), etc.)  This short introductory section provides an opportunity for the student to discuss some of the relevant underlying assumptions which influenced their choice of paradigm (why did you choose quantitative or qualitative research to address this research question?).

• Research Design

 Outline and discuss the rationale for the choice of research design for the proposed study. The design should be appropriate for the question. State clearly what the design is (e.g.  Survey, experiment, or qualitative descriptive design) and give a rationale for using this design.

• Population/Sample/ Sampling design

 Describe the population. Describe the sample (i.e. size and members) and sampling design giving a rationale for your choices. State inclusion/exclusion criteria and rationale for these choices in the context of the proposed study.

Explain how the sample will be accessed. e.g. through a third party/gatekeeper, online groups, via Facebook Instagram following DkIT social media management policies

• Data Collection (Instrument)

 How, where, and when will be data be collected. (E.g. questionnaire or interview). Give the rationale for choices made. Describe the data collection instrument to be used e.g. survey or interview questions.  Discuss the issues around data collection and the questions to be asked. How will the validity and reliability of the instrument/rigor of the study be achieved?

Place a copy of the instrument in the appendix. (Please reference if it is sourced from another study)

• Pilot Study:

Describe the approach to be used for the pilot study and discuss the size of the pilot sample. State that a pilot study will be done and why it should be done. Where, when, and how will it be done?

•  Ethical Considerations

 Discuss the relevant ethical considerations related to the proposed study in the main body of the work. Outline how the rights of subjects will be upheld in this study. Indicate the essential ethical principles that must be upheld and then state how you might uphold them. Develop a letter to an appropriate ethics committee to seek permission to carry out the study and include this in the appendix (participant’s letter, consent form and ethics form). DkIT ethics forms to be completed and put in the appendix available @http://www.dkit.ie/health-science/research/research-ethics.

• Data Analysis

 How will the data be analyzed?

1. For quantitative research highlight the statistical description and tests to be used.
2. For qualitative research give clear guidelines on how the data will be managed and then analyzed.
3. State the computer package to be used to manage the data e.g. (SPSS/NVivo).
4. Ensure that each step of the analysis phase is highlighted demonstrating that all the research questions will be answered.