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965N1 – Management Research and Practice Skills
Individual Research Proposal

Assessment Overview
The assessment of the module 965N1 (Management Research and Practice Skills) consists of two distinct parts. The first part is a group presentation, accounting for 30% of the overall grade. The second part is a 2,000-word individual research proposal report, which makes up the remaining 70%.
This document provides a guideline for the second part of the assessment: the individual Research Proposal report, weighted at 70%.
The research proposal you submit is expected to serve as the basis for the research project or dissertation you will undertake during the Summer Term. Therefore, please choose a research topic that is compatible with your MSc course, whether it be MSc Project Management or MSc Strategic Innovation Management. However, you should be note that you will have the opportunity to modify the topic during Semester 2, should you wish to do so.

Student Assessment Notes
Every student is expected to maintain a reflective diary[ For the reflective diary, see, for example, Chapter 1, Section 1.5 of the textbook by Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2019), Research Methods for Business Students, 8th Edition.
] to record their ideas, critical thoughts, and lessons learned that emerge during the development of the research proposal.

Research Proposal Brief
Students are required to produce ta 2,000-word reesarch proposal. The proposal is designed to provide the following opportunities:
Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of research methods
Organise your ideas effectively
Show the tutors of the Management Research and Practice Skills module that your research aligns with the objectives of your MSc course
Indicate to the tutors of the Management Research and Practice Skills module that your research is both viable and promising
Satisfy the criteria for your MSc course research project
Develop a comprehensive plan for your research project
Upon successful completion, facilitate the allocation of a supervisor for your research project

The Individual Research Proposal Structure:
Working Title
1.Research Background (including problem statement / knowledge or research gap)
2.Research Question and Objectives
3.Research Methodology (including access to data)
4.Research Ethics
5.Time Scale and Resources
6.References
Appendix A – Reflective Diary

Further information
Word count: 2,000 words ( ±10%), excluding references and the reflective diary
Submission date: Please confirm on Canvas/Sussex Direct

Assignment Style Guide
Font: Arial
Font size: 12 points for text, 12 points in bold for headings, and 10 points for tables and figures
Line spacing: 1
Further guidance on the research proposal
Working Title
Your working title should accurately represent the content of your proposal. It’s acknowledged that this may change as your research progresses.
1.Research Background (including Problem Statement/Knowledge or Research Gap)
This section serves to introduce your research topic. Here, you should explain why you believe the research you are planning is worthwhile. Clarify any terminology used, as necessary, and position your research within the context of existing academic literature.
Questions to Address:
What is your research topic
Answer this question concisely. Your response should frame your research as a problem to be solved, a gap in existing knowledge, a question requiring an answer, or an issue that has sparked your interest. Where relevant, briefly outline the organisational context and justify the value of your research from this perspective.
Discuss the key academic ideas (theories) related to your research topic, referencing their main proponents (authors).
Indicate how your research relates to these theories.
In addressing these questions, you will be expected to demonstrate familiarity with relevant academic literature and show how your research proposal fits into ongoing scholarly debates. At least five academic articles or books should be cited, and all references should be formatted according to the Harvard referencing style.
Please note that this section is not intended to be a comprehensive literature review. Rather, it should outline, compare, and contrast key academic ideas that will serve as the starting point for your research, offering preliminary evidence that your research is grounded in existing academic work.

2.Research Question and Objectives
The background section should naturally transition into clearly articulated research questions and objectives. This clarity will leave the assessing tutor with no ambiguity regarding the aims of your research. Keep in mind that your research objectives should be achievable within the timeframe of your MSc course and within the scope of your available resources.

3.Research Methodology (including access to data)
This section outlines your intended approach to achieving your research objectives, thereby establishing the viability of your proposal. The content will vary depending on the type of research project you plan to undertake.
Research Projects Based Entirely on Literature Review
If your research project is solely based on a review of the literature in a specific management field, address the following questions:
How do you intend to obtain the relevant literature
Have you confirmed your ability to access this literature
What criteria will you use to select the literature for inclusion
At this stage, you are not expected to have read all the relevant literature. However, you must confirm that you can access the necessary back issues of appropriate journals, many of which may not be available through online databases. Additionally, ensure you have received permission to use any specialist libraries or databases essential for your research and mention this in your proposal.
Research Projects Based on Primary and/or Secondary Data
If your research project relies on primary and/or secondary data, please answer the following:
What strategy or strategies do you intend to use (e.g., case study, survey, experiment, action research, or a combination thereof)
Why have you chosen this particular strategy
Research Setting
What is the setting in which you plan to conduct your research
Why have you chosen this particular setting
If your research is focused on a single organisation, state and justify this choice. If your research is broader, specify the economic sectors or employee groups you intend to study, explaining your selection.
Data Collection
How do you plan to collect your data
Why have you chosen this approach or these approaches
Have you ensured that you can access the necessary data
If you are collecting primary data, specify and justify the data collection techniques you intend to use (e.g., observation, interviews, questionnaires), your sample size, the sampling method, and the expected response rate. Although you don’t need to have a complete questionnaire or observation schedule at this point, provide assurance that you will have access to the necessary data and mention this in your proposal.
If you are using secondary data, justify your methodological choice using existing research literature. Ensure that you can access the required data. If the data are organisation-based, confirm their suitability and obtain organisational permission, reporting this in your proposal. For published data, check their relevance to your research and cite them using the Harvard referencing format.

4.Research Ethics
This section serves as evidence that you have given due consideration to ethical issues associated with your research, and that you intend to adhere to the highest ethical standards throughout the research process.
Questions to Address:
Does your research involve any of the following: deception of participants, financial inducements, potential psychological stress, access to confidential information, or any other special circumstances
If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of these, specify how you plan to address these ethical concerns.
Are you likely to need to preserve participants’ anonymity and/or confidentiality
If ‘yes’, outline your approach for ensuring this.
If your responses to any of these questions raise ethical concerns, your project must undergo formal ethical review. This will initially be conducted by the Business School’s Research Ethics Officer and may be resolved promptly during the Summer term.
Additional Notes:
Certain issues automatically trigger an ethical review, such as research involving children, illegal activities, or instances where the researcher has not adequately considered how to handle potentially compromising information.
While the topic of research ethics may not constitute a separate section in your final report, associated documentation—such as consent forms and information sheets—should be included as appendices. Additionally, consider how ethical considerations might impact your research budget (e.g., certain travel may be restricted for ethical reasons).

5.Time Scale and Resources
This section aids in evaluating the feasibility of your research proposal, given the time and resource constraints of your MSc course. It is advisable to break down your research plan into distinct activities with clearly defined completion dates. This approach will provide you with a realistic view of what can be accomplished within the allotted time frame. However, bear in mind that, regardless of how well you organise your time, the entire process often takes longer than initially anticipated.
Questions to Address:
What are the key activities required to complete your research project
How long do you anticipate each of these activities will take
Are there any activities that must be completed before others can commence
What are the likely dates associated with the completion of these activities
Many students opt to present this information in the form of a table or a Gantt chart. If you choose to do so, ensure that the activities are described in sufficient detail (e.g., designing the questionnaire, piloting the questionnaire, administering the questionnaire) to make the time scale meaningful.
Do you have sufficient resources (financial or otherwise) to undertake the proposed research
This consideration is especially crucial. For instance, if your research involves interviewing people in various locations, have you accounted for the associated travel and accommodation expenses If you are using a questionnaire, have you budgeted, if applicable, for costs such as photocopying, stationery, and postage Alternatively, if your research relies on online statistical data, will you incur any costs for access

6.References
There is no need to attempt to impress tutors with an extensive list of references. What matters most is that you properly cite all the sources you have consulted in your proposal, using the Harvard style of referencing.
Students may find it helpful to familiarise themselves with appropriate reference management software, such as Zotero, which can automate much of the referencing process.

Appendix A – Reflective Diary
In addition to jotting down ideas, critical thoughts, and lessons learned that arise during the development of your research proposal, students are required to reflect on how the results of the research could be disseminated. This includes tailoring different research outputs (e.g., academic journal papers, conference papers for both academic and trade audiences, posters, webinars, executive briefs, policy briefs, workshops, etc.) to various audiences. These audiences may range from specialists to non-specialists, such as academics, experts, practitioners, executives, politicians, and members of the general public. Students should elaborate on the types of recommendations appropriate for each audience.
The reflective diary should be submitted as an appendix (Appendix A) to the research proposal. An indicative word count for the diary is 500 words, which does not count towards the total word count for the report. The term ‘indicative’ is used here to suggest that this figure serves as a guideline only; students will not be penalised for exceeding or falling short of this word count. The primary focus should be on the quality of reflections and critical thoughts.