3000 word Accounting/Financing Assignment
Research Methods for Finance and Accounting
5: Research proposal to research project (dissertation)
Martyn Jarvis
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Topic selection - recap
Personal interest
Originality
Practicality
Body of literature
Data gathering
Boundary
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Topic selection -sources
Work
Other modules
Other coursework
Reading:
Newspaper, professional journal, etc.
Previous or current academic research
Refereed academic journals
Textbooks
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Topic selection - recap
Criteria for topic selection
Personal interest
Existence of relevant body of literature
Practicality
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Topic selection
Sources
Taught modules
Professional journals
Newspapers
Web sites
Academic journal articles
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Research proposal coursework
A working title and general overview of topic area (20%)
Identification of the relevant literature (30%)
Key research questions (10%)
Methodology (30%)
Presentation, including referencing (10%)
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Research project process
Components
Research project
Research proposal
Research sequence
Definition of topic
Research ethics
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Components of research project
Introduction, objectives
Literature review
Theoretical framework
Methodology
Results
Discussion of results
Conclusion, recommendations
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Components of a research proposal
A working title of the topic area
General overview of area
Identification of the relevant literature
Key research questions
Methodology
Bibliography
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Three questions
Why?
Background
Importance
What?
Objectives
How?
Method
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The research sequence
Identify broad area
Select topic
Decide approach
Formulate plan
Collect information
Analyse data
Present findings
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Definition of topic
Alternative styles:
Objectives
Questions
Hypotheses
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Research ethics
Written permission from participating organisations
Written permission from participating individuals
No personal harm to participants
Participants informed of motives for research
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Participants offered opportunity to receive feedback on results
Coercion avoided
Confidentiality and anonymity guaranteed
Right of withdrawal at any time granted to participants
Security of research data guaranteed
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Dissertation
20,000 words + / - 10%
Not including appendices, list of references
Hand-in date:
Feb MANDIF/IB 30 April 2014
Otherwise 30 September 2014
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Dissertation result
Pass (> 39%)
Fail (< 40%) or non-submission (0%)
Resubmission by
Feb MANDIF/IB 30 Sept 2014
Otherwise 30 April 2015
Same project or new project
Capped at 40%
Extenuating circumstances
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Dissertation structure
Title page
Abstract
Table of contents
Introduction
Background (if required)
Literature review
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Dissertation structure – cont’d
Methodology
Findings: presentation and analysis
Discussion
Conclusions and critical reflection
Recommendations (if required)
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Supervision
Supervisor allocated on basis of dissertation proposal
Agree supervision “ground rules”
Supervisor is first marker
Final mark agreed between first and second marker
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Reading
Collis and Hussey
Chapter 7
Ed 2 (On line) Chap 5 (5.10 – writing proposal)
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