Description
The structure of your proposal is likely to be as follows:
Challenges in entrepreneurship
Introduction:
In this section, you introduce the topic, provide some background information and a rationale for your proposed study. You should also identify your research aims and objectives and your proposed specific research question(s), and the structure of the project.
Literature review:
In this chapter you need to demonstrate your ability to draw on previous academic literature and show you have read around your topic area. Your ability to use the library resources is key here.
It is essential that you show critical evaluation in this chapter – what have other researchers said and why? How do they relate to your work? What strengths and weaknesses can you see?
Identify your sources of information: relevant journals, people (researchers) or companies. There are reports from sectors and business sources available through the library which can also be used.
Research Design and Methodology:
This chapter indicates to the reader how you propose to design your research and how you propose to carry out your research.
You should indicate which theoretical perspective you are coming from – what research paradigm do you propose to adopt? Do you intend to be an interpretative researcher, or a positivist? How do you intend to carry out the research? What methods do you intend to employ to collect your data? What data analysis procedures do you intend to follow? You should indicate WHY you intend to conduct the research in the way that you propose.
Ethical Issues:
You should discuss any ethical issues that your proposed research may raise – both from a theoretical and practical perspective. How do you intend to address those ethical issues? An ethical approval form should be completed and added to the proposal as an appendix.
Timescale:
You should provide a realistic and achievable timescale for carrying out your research.
References:
This MUST follow the Harvard referencing system – if you are unsure of what this consists of then follow the library guidance as well as asking for assistance from the module tutor.
Appendix:
You must include a completed Ethics Approval Form for your proposed research as an appendix to your proposal.
