You Are Required To Draw Up A Research Proposal For A Topic For Which You Propose To Conduct Research: Social Care Thesis Proposal, TUD, Ireland

Research Proposal

For your continuous assessment, you are required to draw up a research proposal for a topic for which you propose to conduct research for a dissertation in your final year.  This proposal accounts for 60% of the final mark.  A presentation of your research proposal will make up the remaining 40% of the overall mark.  The research proposal should include the following:

Title:

This should be concise and descriptive.  If possible, think of an informative or catchy title within social care that you would like to research. You should also state the research question(s) and/or angle from which you propose to investigate your chosen topic.

Abstract:

This is a brief summary to include the research question(s), the rationale for the study, and the proposed method(s) to complete the research.

Introduction:   

The main purpose of the introduction is to provide the necessary background or context for your research problem/area.  If the research question is placed in the context of a very focused and current research area, its significance will become evident.

The introduction typically begins with a general statement of the problem area, with a focus on a specific research problem/area, to be followed by the rationale or justification for the proposed study.  The introduction should cover the following elements:

• State the research problem, which is often referred to as the purpose of the study.
• Provide the context and set the stage for your research question(s) in such a way as to show its necessity and importance.
• Present the rationale for your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing.
• Briefly describe the major issues to be addressed by your research.

 Literature Review: 

You should demonstrate your ability to critically evaluate relevant literature and convince the reader that your proposed research will make a significant contribution to scholarship in your chosen area of study.  Make use of subheadings to bring order and coherence to your review.

Methodology:   

This should outline how you propose to tackle your research problem.  This should provide a description of the method(s) you propose to use, highlighting the advantages of the chosen method(s).  You need to demonstrate your knowledge of the proposed method and make the case for why the chosen approach is the most appropriate and most valid way to address your research question(s).  You need to include the following in this section:

• Subjects or participants? – Who will take part in the study?
• Procedure? – How do you plan to carry out your study? What activities are involved? How long will it take?
• What are the limitations of your proposed research (maybe justified by financial constraints, time constraints as well as by the early developmental stage of your research area? 

Ethics:

In this part say how you would or should behave ethically, you can use the material we covered in the course but in the context of your research proposal.