ASSIGNMENT 2 – Research Proposal 

Weighting: 30% towards final grade 

Word limit: 3000 (-/+10%) – text only, excluding tables, appendices, references, 

covers page, contents. 

This is an individual piece of work 

Apply the requirements of the Harvard Referencing System throughout the 

report. 

Use the structure appearing below:

Research Proposal Specifics

You are about to commence a new research project in a field of your choice. 

You are expected to write a report that constitutes a research proposal. 

1. Working individually, you will:

– Have chosen a clear and specific research question/ aim/ hypothesis for your research; 

– Have contextualised your research question/ aim within the academic literature; 

– Understand the philosophical and methodological bases for your research; 

– Have a sound method to address the research question/ aim/ hypothesis. 

2. Use Harvard style in-text citation and referencing.

3. Do not copy any materials you use word for word unless you identify these sections clearly as 

quotations. 

4. If you paraphrase any materials, you must identify sources through in-text referencing. 

5. This is an individual assignment please do not work closely with anyone else. 

6. Write 3000 words (+ or – 10%) excluding the header sheet, cover page, contents page, reference 

list, footnotes and appendices. 

Marks for criteria: Criteria 

10% Focus and Completion Does the proposal 

address the set tasks in a meaningful 

manner? 

20% Research Objective Does the proposal 

clearly articulate 

20% Synthesis and Soundness Does the 

proposal place the research objective in 

the context of the relevant academic 

literature and any relevant past studies? 

Does the discussion demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of that 

literature? 

30% Research Methods and Methodology Does 

the proposal sensibly outline methods for 

accessing sources of data that will address 

or answer the research objective? Is the 

method consistent with the methodology? 

10% Clarity of Approach Is the proposal well 

organised, logically constructed and 

attentive to the needs of the reader? Does 

the timeline include an Gantt chart or key 

milestones for research? 

10% Mechanical Soundness Is the portfolio 

clearly written, spell 

Structuring the research proposal 

1. Introduction (~200 words) 

Explain the issue you are examining and why it is significant. 

Describe the general area to be studied 

Explain why this area is important to the general area under study (e.g., psychology of 

language, second language acquisition, teaching methods) 

2. Background/Review of the Literature (~1000 words) 

A description of what has already known about this area and short discussion of why the background 

studies are not sufficient. 

Summarise what is already known about the field. Include a summary of the basic 

background information on the topic gleaned from your literature review 

Discuss several critical studies that have already been done in this area (cite according to 

Harvard style). 

Point out why these background studies are insufficient. In other words, what question(s) do 

they leave unresolved that you would like to study? 

3. Research Objective (~500 words) 

A contextualisation and description of the questions you are examining and an exploration of the 

claims. 

Outline the methodological position you will take (ontology and epistemology) 

Outline the overarching research aim, objective or hypothesis that you will explore. 

List the specific question(s) that you are exploring. 

Explain how these research questions are related to the larger issues raised in the 

introduction. 4. Method and Design (~900 words) 

A description of how you would go about collecting data and test the questions your are exploring. 

(You are not required to come up with a new or original method!). 

Describe the general method you choose for your study, in order to explore your research 

objective or test your hypothesis(es). 

Explain why this method is the best for your purposes. 

Explain any potential difficulties in collecting data and how these will be overcome 

Explain the design features that ensure acceptability for ethical purposes 

Describe the participants (if any) and explain how you selected the sample 

Explain how you will present the collected data and how it will be able to be analysed the 

results to explore the research aim or to test the research hypothesis 

5. Significance and Conclusion (~400 words) 

Discuss, in general, how your proposed research would lead to a significant improvement over the 

original studies, and how it would benefit the field. (In other words, why should someone care? 

6. References (not in word count) 

Include all references in Harvard style. 

Appendix: (not in word count) 

Dissertation structure in chapters 

Gantt Chart or timeline

 

Please let there be Reference at the end and it has to be Harvard Reference System