Description
Research Proposal
ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE AND TASK
Assess students’ beginning knowledge of social research methods through the development of a research proposal. A research proposal is a plan for a research.
The development of a research proposal ideally includes the selection of the topic. To spare students the potentially significant amount of time required to select a topic, we are presenting the suggested research topic specified below. Students may opt to work on a different research topic but they would do well to check their ideas with their tutors. The requirement is a research proposal/plan. The expected contents of the proposal are outlined below.
Suggested Research Topic
The 2017 Universities Australia Student Finances Survey (Universities Australia 2018) found that ‘One in seven domestic students say they regularly go without food or other necessities because they can’t afford them. And three in five domestic students say their finances are a source of worry.’
Over a third of part-time students (35.7 per cent) indicated that they ‘regularly missed classes to attend paid employment’ and over half (52.4 per cent) said that their work commitment ‘adversely affected their performance at university’.
The survey provides a general, quantitative overview. We are specifically interested in investigating the lived experience of UniSA students experiencing financial difficulties (as opposed to all UniSA students) for reasons you need to explain in discussing the background and significance of the study.
Reference
Universities Australia. (2018). The 2017 Universities Australia Student Finances Survey. Retrieved from Canberra: