Thesis Proposal
Thesis Proposal
Get 70% back via Tax Credit
€3,500 refund on this module
Module Description
In this unit, the student will dedicate 6 months to the research and formulates Thesis Proposal which will be presented to the Doctoral Committee for consideration at the end of this phase.
Following the presentation, the student will be given an interview by the Doctoral Committee who will assess the proposal, Research Question and other parameters deemed necessary for the transition that leads to the commencement of a Doctoral Thesis.
Module Unit / Instruction
Since this is the doctoral proposal, it will not have a taught component, but supervision of an assigned tutor will be provided throughout this stage of the study programme.
Supervision may take a blended form to include face-to-face meetings, online meetings, written feedback and reviews of draft chapters, discussions etc.
Target Audience
Academically qualified practitioners in business or other related fields who seek innovation through applied research and wish/need to be formally educated to achieve their objective.
How you’ll be assessed
Assessment shall inlcude:
Presentation of doctoral thesis proposal:
- 80% Interview and defense of thesis proposal with the Doctoral Committee
- 20% Thesis
- Proposal proposal should: Not exceed 7,500 words (i.e. about 30 pages) in length (excluding cover page, abstract, table of contents, bibliography, and appendices)
Learning Outcomes
Competences
At the end of the proposal writing process the learner will be able to:
- Produce a literature review through critical reading and analysis identifying gaps in the area of specialization.
- Identify a specific problem or hypothesis and formulate a focused research question for investigation.
- Identify ways of attacking that problem, of finding solutions, which may or may not be generalised across contexts and determine the best methodological approach required to conduct the research.
- Consider possible ethical issues and propose measures to address them.
- Design a clear plan of action to be taken/applied to complete the research study.
Knowledge:
At the end of the proposal writing process the learner will have been exposed to the following:
1. Produce a literature review through critical reading and analysis identifying gaps in the area of specialization.
- Review local and international scholarly literature related to the identified area of study.
- Synthesize the key points/concepts/ideas/arguments in the relevant literature and the implications of these claims vis-à-vis the topic selected.
- Compare studies and predominant practices, identifying gaps and proposing areas that need further research in the field.
Guiding questions:
- What is the argument(s) being made, or the position taken, by various authors writing in the domain to be investigated?
- What assumptions underpin these positions/arguments?
- What is the basis for the arguments presented?
- What evidence is presented to substantiate the arguments?
- What, if any, are the implications of argument(s) presented?
- What are the connections with your own research problématique?
2. Identify a specific problem or hypothesis and formulate a focused research question for investigation.
- Identify gaps in the field that could be addressed through independent research.
- Formulate the conceptual/theoretical framework to be used for the study.
- Design the central research question and/or hypotheses to be investigated emerges from the existing literature.
3. Identify ways of attacking that problem, of finding solutions, which may or may not be generalised across contexts and determine the best methodological approach required to conduct the research.
- Evaluate which research methodology will produce valid data and facilitate data analysis leading to congruent answers to the research questions.
- Analyse strengths and weaknesses of the chosen approach to justify choice of methodology and methods of data collection.
- Identify the sources of information or data that are required for the study.
- Determine information about the quality and/or availability of such data.
4. Consider possible ethical issues and propose measures to address them.
Guiding points:
- Why do research ethics matter?
- Getting ethical approval of the study.
- Types of ethical issues ( voluntary participation, confidentiality, informed consent, potential for harm, communication of results)
- Research Misconduct.
5. Design a clear plan and timeline of action to be taken/applied to complete the research study.
- Draw a plan and timeline for the doctoral study?
- Identify the important milestones in the doctoral study.
- Manage the doctoral study timeline.
Skills:
At the end of the proposal writing process the learner will have acquired the following skills:
- Write a doctoral thesis proposal meeting all the established criteria.
- Present a clear and realistic plan of action to carry out the doctoral thesis proposal.
- Defend the proposal in front of the Doctoral Committee.
Module-Specific Learner Skills:
At the end of the module/unit the learner will be able to:
- Analyse scholarly literature related to the field of study.
- Research information and sources effectively.
- Write a doctoral proposal.
Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences:
At the end of the module/unit, the learner will be able to:
- Use digital tools effectively to write a research proposal according to guidelines.
- Use digital tools and online databases to conduct research and access scholarly material.