Research Project
Template
Title Page
The title of the project (preferably 12 words or fewer)
Your ID number
Module Code/Title
Acknowledgements
Acknowledge thanks to anybody who has helped during the research process
e.g. research participants, lecturers, friends and family
Abstract
A concise summary of your entire project. It should include the following
elements:
the purpose of your research (what you set out to do)
a brief rationale for performing the research (why you did it)
the methods employed (how you did it)
key findings of the investigation (what you found)
how the research has contributed to current knowledge (the significance of
your findings)
The suggested length of this section is 100 approximately words
Contents
Outline of the project in list form, setting out in sequence the sections and
sub-sections with their page numbers clearly indicated.
Number the preliminary pages (abstract, contents and any prefaces) with
lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.).
The main pages of text (starting with the Introduction) are numbered using
Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.).
Include a list of all tables and figures
Introduction
Introduce the reader to your topic
Provide a brief rationale for the research (why you did it)
Identify the present problem that your study attempts to address
Provide some background literature to clarify the key findings from previous
research
Clearly identify the aims and objectives of the study
The suggested length of this section is approximately 400 words.
Literature Review
Introduce and conclude the chapter
Examine background knowledge in relation to your research topic
Identify the main concepts relevant to your project
Identify the commonalities and differences between different sources (which
authors support/contradict each other)
Cross-reference where applicable
Discuss the various views that exist regarding the concepts involved in your
project
Be analytical (is the source dated? Unreliable? Based on a small data set?
Based in a different geographical region? Etc)
Everything in this chapter must be based on existing literature- no opinions!
All sources must be reliable- no Wikipedia, Investopedia or Dictionary.com!
Read widely – an annotated bibliography may help
The suggested length of this section is approximately 1500 words.
Methods
Introduce and conclude the chapter
Discuss your choice of research approach (qualitative, quantitative, or both;
why have you chosen to do this, what are the benefits and limitations- support
with references)
Discuss your chosen sampling methodology (the type of sample you selected;
justification of how the sample was contacted; how many were contacted;
response rate, and so on- what are the benefits and limitations of your
sample- support with references)
Discuss your chosen method(s) of data collection (justification for the
method(s) used and design of research instruments (e.g. survey, interview
script), why have you chosen to do this, what are the benefits and limitations-
support with references)
All content of this chapter must be supported by research methods
references- use only textbooks or journal articles- no qualitativeresearch.com!
The suggested length of this section is approximately 1500 words.
Results and Discussion
Introduce and conclude the chapter
Outline how you intend to present findings should this research be carried out
Provide examples of mock data- quantitative data should use tables, graphs, charts etc-
these must all be correctly labelled and clear to read. Qualitative data should use quotations,
text excerpts etc
Discuss how you would analyse the results (quant-what statistical tests would you use?
Why-support with references? Qual-what coding system would you use? Why- support with
references
Discuss whether you would use computer software or analyse data manually and why-
support with references
Outline the way in which these findings would be discussed with reference to the
literature presented in your literature review (you may wish to organise your results into key
‘themes’)
The suggested length for this section is 500 words.
Conclusion
Summarise your research outlining the key findings
Emphasise why your research is important
Discuss the limitations of your research (e.g. time, small sample size etc)
Make suggestions for future work
The suggested length for this section is 300 words.
References
Use the Harvard referencing system
Ensure all referencing is correct
Ensure that you use a wide variety of sources- no online only reference lists!
There must be references relevant to both your literature and methodology chapters
