FOR Prof.Dan only
carmen04
preparing_a_research_proposal.pdf
Leeds University Business School
LUBS5018M
RESEARCH METHODS IN FINANCE
Dr Ali Altanlar
Lecture-8: Preparing a
Research Proposal
Leeds University Business School
Lecture-8: Preparing a
Research Proposal
Lecture Outline:
• Assignment.
• Insights for the Assignment.
• Plagiarism Advice and Regulations.
• How to write a research proposal.
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Assignment
General
Assessment will be by means of a 3,500 word
assignment and accounts for 100 per cent of the
module mark. It is LUBS policy that coursework and
examination scripts are anonymised before being
marked.
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Assignment
Requirement
You are required to prepare a research proposal where
the key components will include a literature review that
synthesizes the current understanding in the literature,
which you then use to identify a potential gap in the
research. From this you are required to define a related
research question, state associated formal hypotheses
where appropriate, discuss an appropriate research
methodology and identify the data required to answer
the proposed research question and/or test the
hypotheses.
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Assignment
Submission Deadline
12.00 noon on 9th May, 2016.
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Insights for the assignment
Do not leave your submission until the very last minute.
Accessing the relevant area before 12.00 does not constitute a
submission.
Submission is only complete when the SUBMIT button is
pressed.
Build in time to submit your assignment. Otherwise, you risk
receiving a late penalty.
Go back into the same VLE area and ensure your submission
has uploaded properly and correct.
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Insights for the assignment
Some traps to avoid
Putting off doing any work on the assignment until the deadline is close.
If you leave your assignment until the last minute it will not have the substance, depth or focus it needs.
You need time to allow the process of writing and thinking to take place.
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Insights for the assignment
Some traps to avoid
Proofreading at an early stage of writing.
Proofreading (correcting errors of grammar, spelling and punctuation) at the early stages is not a good idea because:
it can hinder the flow of your thought,
you may later decide to delete parts of your writing and may have to discard segments you spent time for proofreading.
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Insights for the assignment
Some traps to avoid
Perfectionism
Remember that it is better to hand in an assignment that is less than perfect than hand one in late or not at all because you are trying to make it 'perfect'.
It may be more worthwhile to hand in the assignment on time rather than spend too much time on fine-tuning if this leads to late submission.
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Insights for the assignment
Editing and Proofreading:
After your initial draft is complete, put it aside for a
day or so. Later go over it a number of times to improve it.
Look for overall structural coherence. Ensure each argument develops logically from one idea to another.
Proofreading is the final step in the editing process. Check spelling, grammar and punctuation.
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Plagiarism Advice and Regulations
Plagiarism:
The easiest and proven way of failing!!!!!
Do NOT do it.
Leeds University Business School
Plagiarism Advice and Regulations
Avoiding plagiarism:
It is necessary to acknowledge the work of others when you use it.
Writing academic essays always involves the citing of sources in text and the inclusion of reference lists or bibliographies.
You must acknowledge the source when you quote directly, summarise or paraphrase from the work of others.
Failure to acknowledge another’s work is plagiarism.
It is a serious offence and strict penalties apply.
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Plagiarism Advice and Regulations
Avoiding plagiarism:
Sometimes plagiarism is unintentional. Students
may read for an essay and take detailed notes which
find their way into the essay without a reference.
To avoid this you must take great care when making notes
to ensure that the sources of all your information are clear
and accurate.
You should aim to write in your own words and keep
quotations to a minimum.
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Plagiarism Advice and Regulations
Plagiarism regulations
What is it?
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/skills-academic-integrity
Detection at the University and Penalties
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/487/academic_integrity_and_plagiarism/33
8/academic_integrity_and_plagiarism/2
How to avoid?
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/487/academic_integrity_and_plagiarism/33
8/academic_integrity_and_plagiarism/3
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How to write a research proposal
Research Proposal
“A structured plan of your proposed research project”
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How to write a research proposal
• You will be responsible for conceiving, conducting and concluding your research project and creating a dissertation.
• Apart from the advice you receive from your supervisor, it will be your piece of work.
• Developing a research proposal gives you a great opportunity to think carefully about your project.
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The purpose of a research proposal
Organising the ideas.
– Helps clarify your thoughts.
– Helps organise your thoughts in a coherent way.
Convincing the audience.
– Helps explain your thoughts to your audience (readers).
– Allows to assess whether your research ideas meet the qualities
of a good research project.
– Allows for further discussion and refinement of research idea.
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Preparation of a research proposal
– Generating research ideas.
– Refining research ideas.
– Converting research ideas into research projects.
– Writing the research proposal in a structured format.
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Generating Research Ideas
• Consider the areas of your own interest and future
plans.
• Assess your knowledge and understanding of the
field.
• Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses (e.g.
resources, skills).
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Generating Research Ideas
• Search the literature. For example:
– Journal articles (including review articles).
– Textbooks.
• Record the ideas and evaluate them against the
following:
– Why is the project appealing for you?
– What is good about the project?
– What are the potential weaknesses of the project?
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Refining Research Ideas
The Preliminary Study:
– This is essential in almost all circumstances for all topics.
– In some cases it could be a review of some literature.
– May need discussing with experienced researchers and experts
in the field.
– May require a pilot survey or an initial investigation.
– Finally, check your research idea against the qualities of a good
research problem.
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Refining Research Ideas
Integrating Ideas:
– You now have a research topic that has been discussed and
checked.
– You should narrow it down to a specific research issue.
Your research topic should be identified by now!
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Research Ideas into
Research Projects
Formulating research questions/objectives:
•Develop specific research questions/hypotheses.
For example, if your research topic is “Target status and acquirer’s
gains” your research questions are likely to be:
–The main research question:
Can the listing status of target affect bidders’ gains?
–Potential supplementary research questions:
o Does method of payment interact with the listing status of
target in shaping the gains of acquirers?
o Is the gain dependent on the relative size of merger
partners?
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Research Ideas into
Research Projects
The importance of theory:
• Recall that “Theory” is a core component of a
research process.
– Research questions, selection of proxy measures, measurement
of variables may depend on the theory.
– You should corroborate your arguments with theory.
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Key Components of
a Research Proposal
1. Title • Should be specific, clear and reflect your research.
2. Introduction • Should explain the purpose and relevance of your research.
• Should demonstrate your knowledge of the literature (only the closely related literature is expected at this stage).
• Should briefly identify the gap in the literature that you plan to fill.
• Should explicitly and clearly state what the research question(s) is (are), to whom it is of interest and why (i.e. the implications of your work).
• Should provide a rationale for your proposed research.
• Articulate the main contribution(s) of the research.
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Key Components of
a Research Proposal
3. Literature review and research questions • A more thorough literature review is expected in this section.
• Should, in detail, identify the gap in the literature that you plan to fill.
• Research questions should emerge from the literature review.
• The research questions and the objectives of the study should be clearly stated.
• The rationale for your proposed research should be discussed in detail.
• You should show the developing process of your hypotheses.
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Key Components of
a Research Proposal
4. Data and Methodology
– This section should show how you are planning to answer your
research question(s).
– Should state the data sources and data collection techniques.
– The choice of variables (measures) used to proxy theoretical
relationships should be justified.
– Should discuss the sample selection procedure (e.g. sample
period, unit of analysis, research population (i.e. a particular type
of firms?)).
– Should state the main methods (analysis techniques) that you
plan to use in testing your research question(s) and hypotheses.
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Key Components of
a Research Proposal
5. Conclusion.
– Provide a brief summary of your proposal.
6. References.
– Ensure that you include a list of references that you have cited in
your proposal.
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Evaluation Criteria
• Do the components of the proposal fit together?
• Is the proposal feasible?
• Can this research enhance our knowledge and
understanding of the subject matter?
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Evaluation Criteria
• Coverage (range and understanding of sources, synthesis and focusing of ideas on the topic).
• Analysis (organisation/coherence of argument; support through example/detail/quotations/references/experience; critical approach).
• Presentation (length; use of academic conventions; spelling; grammar; paragraphing, etc.; layout; proofreading).
• Research (questions; rationale; theoretical background; data collection methods; critical analysis, implications).
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Suggested Readings
Saunders, M., P. Lewis and A. Thornhill (2012), Research Methods for Business Students, 6th edition, Pearson.
