The Mass Media Success and Struggles in Exposing Political Corruption in Ghana

Kafui Keyi

ESH UNIVERSITY
Department Public Policy Analysis
Falculty social Sciences

Your name

Your supervisor’s name

Programme
Department
Institution
Date

I. Introduction
The introduction should include the following elements:
Background and Context
Lead the reader into the topic and scope of your research.
Problem Statement
Describe the theoretical or practical research problem that you want to address. What is already
known about the problem? What is missing from current knowledge?
Research Questions
State the specific question(s) that you aim to answer.
Relevance and Importance of the Research
Make it clear what new insights you will contribute, who they are relevant to, and why the
research is worth doing.

II. Literature review

It’s important to show that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A
strong literature review convinces the reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing
knowledge or theory (i.e. how it relates to established research in the field).
Your literature review will also show that you’re not simply repeating what other people have
already done or said. This is also where you explain why your research is necessary. You might
want to consider some of the following prompts:
 Comparing and contrasting: what are the main theories, methods, debates and
controversies?
 Being critical: what are the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches?
 Showing how your research fits in: how will you build on, challenge or synthesise the
work of others?
 Filling a gap in the existing body of research: why is your idea innovative?

III. Research design and methods

This section should include:
 Research type
 Qualitative vs quantitative research? Combination?
 Will you collect original data or work with primary/secondary sources?
 Is your research design descriptive, correlational or experimental? Something
completely different?
 If you are undertaking your own study, when and where will you collect the data? How
will you select subjects or sources? Ethics review? Exactly what or who will you study?
 Research Methods
 What tools and procedures will you use (e.g., systematic reviews, surveys, interviews,
observation, experiments, bibliographic data) to collect your data?
 What tools/methods will you use to analyse your data?
 Why are these the best methods to answer your research question(s)? This is where you
should justify your choices.
 Practicalities
  How much time will you need to collect the data?
 How will you gain access to participants and sources?
 Do you foresee any potential obstacles and if so, how will you address them?
Make sure you are not simply compiling a list of methods. Instead, aim to make an argument
for why this is the most appropriate, valid and reliable way to approach answering your question.
Remember you should always be defending your choices!

IV. Implications and contributions to knowledge

Finish the proposal by emphasizing why your proposed project is important and what it will
contribute to practice or theory.
Practical Implications
Will your findings help improve a process, inform policy, or make a case for concrete change?
Theoretical Implications
Will your work help strengthen a theory or model, challenge current assumptions, or create a
basis for further research?
V. References
Your research proposal MUST include proper citations for every source you have used and full
references. Please, ensure you are citing and referencing in an appropriate way, e.g.:

Author Last Name, First Initial., & Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title of article. Title of
Journal, Volume (Issue), Page Number(s). https://doi.org/number
Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Title of article. Title of Book, Publisher.
etc.
VII. Research schedule

How have the privately-owned mass media contributed to fighting political corruption in Ghana?

How have the private mass media contributed to the problem of political corruption in Ghana?

What conditions (factors) have promoted the private mass media’s watchdog role in addressing

political corruption?

What factors have compromised the private mass media’s watchdog role in monitoring and

fighting political corruption in Ghana? And

How can the private mass media be strengthened to be a more dominant force against political

corruption in Ghana

To what extent have privately-owned mass media outlets played a role in combating political

corruption in Ghana?

To what extent have private mass media outlets contributed to the issue of political corruption in

Ghana?

What circumstances have facilitated the private mass media's role as a watchdog in addressing

political corruption?

What factors have hindered the private mass media's ability to effectively monitor and combat

political corruption in Ghana?

Furthermore, how can the private mass media be empowered to exert a more influential and

dominant force against political corruption in Ghana?