Research Proposal Guidelines and Requirements

BS 3149 CW1: Research Proposal 40% (Cohort 19) Page 1 of
5
BS 3149: Research Methods in a Hospitality Context
CW1: Research Proposal 40% (Cohort 19)
TurnitIn Submission Deadline Final Submission Deadline
Thu 13 Oct 2016 at 22:00 Fri 14 Oct 2016 at 22:00
Submission Mechanism Submission Mechanism
Upload to CampusMoodle:
1. Research Proposal in MS Word format (The
‘pages’ format is not accepted)
Upload to CampusMoodle:
1. Research Proposal in MS Word
format (The ‘pages’ format is not
accepted). This must be an identical
copy of the TurnitIn Submission with
the exception of the references

amendments)
2. TurnitIn Originality Report
Assessment Title and Weight
Coursework 1 (CW1): Research Proposal.
This assessment is the first of 2 total assessments for this
module. It weighs 40% of the final module
grade.
Aim of the Assessment
The assessment gives the students the opportunity to
demonstrate their ability to choose a good
hospitality research topic upon conducting an evaluation of the
topic for feasibility and
appropriateness. Students will demonstrate their understanding
of the first stages of the research
process and apply the needed skills to undertake these stages
leading to the Research Proposal.
This assessment paves the way for the second assessment of this
module (Coursework 2: Research
Project) as students will realize their Research Proposal into a
Research Project to complete the
research process.

5
Assessed Learning Outcomes
1. Identify relevant research topics and questions related to
professional practice, which provide a
scope for an individual investigation.
2. Identify and review existing research and literature, which
provides suitable scope and impacts
on the development of a research proposal.
3. Identify major research approaches and methodologies that
will assist in the development and
management of the research process in a professional context.
Assessment Brief
You will work individually on this assignment to write a
Research Proposal on a hospitality topic of
your choice (self-generated research).
Word Limit
2,000 words. The word count is to exclude the Cover Page, the
Table of Contents, in-text references,
text associated with tables and graphs, list of references,

appendixes…etc.
Tasks
1. Identify an original research topic related to hospitality that
has not yet been researched. It is
important that the topic will sustain your interest throughout the
full research process and you
will have contact and/or access to appropriate people who can
provide you with the relevant
data for your analysis.
2. Evaluate the research topic for feasibility and
appropriateness. A preliminary literature review is
required as a sub-task for the evaluation.
3. Upon completion of the evaluation, determine if the research
topic meets the needed criteria of
a good research topic. If it does not, then repeat steps 1-2.
4. Refine your research topic to have a clear conceptual and
contextual focus.
5. Formulate the research questions, aim, and objectives.
6. Plan your research by defining and developing the research
methodology, resources
requirements, action plan and timeline.
7. Write the Research Proposal to include all the parts listed in
the following section.
Structure and Content of the Research Proposal
Your Research Proposal must include all the following sections
in the given order:
1. Cover Page. The cover page must include:

1.1. The module code and title
1.2. The assessment title
1.3. The title of your Research Proposal
1.4. Your RGU Student ID
1.5. Your name (first name followed by last name)
1.6. The word count (please refer to the word count limit).
Please use automated word count
calculation tools.
2. Table of Contents.
5
3. Rationale and Background of the Research Topic. In this
section you should demonstrate that
you have evaluated your research topic against the criteria of a
good research topic. In particular:
3.1. Give details of your preliminary review of the literature
which has led to the rationale. The
review should include at least 6 relatively recent journal articles
(not older than 2013).
3.2. Classify the type of research you are proposing and discuss
why it falls under that particular
classification. Explain how they research topic will make a
good contribution to the existing
knowledge and/or how it will have significant applied practices.
4. Research Questions. Focus your refined research topic into at
most 2 research questions.

Formulate the questions that your research will address and
answer.
5. Aim and Objectives. Formulate your research aims and
objectives stemming from your Research
Question(s):
5.1. Research Aim: overall purpose of your research explaining
what the end product of your
research will be.
5.2. Research Objectives: list at least 3 and maximum 5
research objectives. The objectives
represent the practical steps, sequential stages and/or applied
tasks needed to achieve the
aim.
6. Research Design and Methodology. Plan your research design
and establish your research
methodology. Make sure to present a comprehensive step-by-
step methodology and to justify
how your choices will achieve research coherence.
7. Resources Requirements. Identify, discuss and explain the
needed resources to conduct your
research, and classify them into “essential” or “potential”.
These may include personal skills to
be developed, fieldwork, permission requisitions and any other
relevant resources which are
needed for your research.
8. Action Plan and Timeline. Create an action plan across the
available timeline set by the module
which covers the stages of the research process and the tasks
needed to complete your research.
In particular, make sure that you identify any needed pre-

requisites that must be resolved/made
available to ensure a smooth transition of the steps.
9. Reference List. Alphabetical list of all references you used in
your preparation of the Research
Proposal including the preliminary literature review. All
references must follow the RGU Harvard
referencing system (Refer to
http://libguides.rgu.ac.uk/RGUHarvard).
Submission Requirements
To complete your submission:
1. Upload your Research Proposal in MS Word format to the
TurnitIn area in CampusMoodle by
the date/time specified at the beginning of the assessment’s
specifications.
2. Download the Originality Report generated by TurnitIn.
3. Do the needed references amendments to the Research
Proposal. No other amendments are
allowed to the Research Proposal at this stage.
4. By the date/time specified at the beginning of the
assessment’s specifications, upload:
4.1. Your Research Proposal in MS Word format (identical copy
of the TurnitIn Submission with
the exception of the references amendments) AND
4.2. The TurnitIn Originality Report (downloaded in step 2) to
the Final Submission area in

CampusMoodle.
http://libguides.rgu.ac.uk/RGUHarvard)
5
Assessment Criteria
The assessment will be evaluated according to the following
criteria:
Criterion Percentage
Evaluation of Research Topic
(preliminary literature review, rationale and research type)
20%
Research Questions, Aims and Objectives Formulation 20%
Research Design and Methodology Choices 30%
Resources Requirements and Action Plan 15%
Citations and Referencing 15%
Refer to the Assessment Marking Criteria for details of each
criterion across the grade bands.
Policies and Penalties

Plagiarism
“Plagiarism is the practice of presenting the thoughts, writings
or other output of another or
others as original, without acknowledgement of their source(s).
All material used to support a
piece of work, whether a printed publication or from electronic
media, should be appropriately
identified and referenced and should not normally be copied
directly unless as an acknowledged
quote. Text translated into the words of the individual student
should in all cases acknowledge
the source.” For further information please see:
http://www.rgu.ac.uk/about/academic-affairs/quality-assurance-
and-regulations
Before submitting assignments, you should check to ensure that:
published source has been properly
attributed by an appropriate reference in the text;
such (using “quotation
marks” at the beginning and end of the
selected text), and

end of the text.
Late Submissions
The penalty for late submission of a piece of coursework is that
the coursework is failed. A fail will
also be given for any accounts of plagiarism found in the
coursework.
If you, for genuine reasons, are unable to meet the submission
date, please contact Ms. Heather
Robinson [email protected] before the submission deadline with
the Coursework Extension Form
to apply for an extension of the coursework.
and-regulations
mailto:[email protected]
http://www.rgu.ac.uk/file/coursework-extension-form-doc-
146kb
5
Penalties
- 10%) from
the word limit. The penalty is a
deduction of up to 5 grade points from the final grade.

enalty for poor spelling and grammar. The
penalty is a deduction of up to 5 grade
points from the final grade.
proposal (format and structure). The
penalty is a deduction of up to 5 grade points from the final
grade.
Report. The penalty is a deduction of
up to 5 grade points from the final grade.
TurnitIn which do not fall under
references amendments may lead to a deduction of up to 10
grade points from the final grade.
a penalty of up to 5 grade points
from the final grade.
Support
For any questions on the assessment, please contact the Module
Co-ordinator Ms. Samia Hossfeld
[email protected]

5
Assessed Learning Outcomes
1. Identify relevant research topics and questions related to
professional practice, which provide a
scope for an individual investigation.
2. Identify and review existing research and literature, which
provides suitable scope and impacts
on the development of a research proposal.
3. Identify major research approaches and methodologies that
will assist in the development and
management of the research process in a professional context.
Assessment Brief
You will work individually on this assignment to write a
Research Proposal on a hospitality topic of
your choice (self-generated research).
Word Limit
2,000 words. The word count is to exclude the Cover Page, the
Table of Contents, in-text references,
text associated with tables and graphs, list of references,
appendixes…etc.

Tasks
1. Identify an original research topic related to hospitality that
has not yet been researched. It is
important that the topic will sustain your interest throughout the
full research process and you
will have contact and/or access to appropriate people who can
provide you with the relevant
data for your analysis.
2. Evaluate the research topic for feasibility and
appropriateness. A preliminary literature review is
required as a sub-task for the evaluation.
3. Upon completion of the evaluation, determine if the research
topic meets the needed criteria of
a good research topic. If it does not, then repeat steps 1-2.
4. Refine your research topic to have a clear conceptual and
contextual focus.
5. Formulate the research questions, aim, and objectives.
6. Plan your research by defining and developing the research
methodology, resources
requirements, action plan and timeline.
7. Write the Research Proposal to include all the parts listed in
the following section.
Structure and Content of the Research Proposal
Your Research Proposal must include all the following sections
in the given order:
1. Cover Page. The cover page must include:
1.1. The module code and title

1.2. The assessment title
1.3. The title of your Research Proposal
1.4. Your RGU Student ID
1.5. Your name (first name followed by last name)
1.6. The word count (please refer to the word count limit).
Please use automated word count
calculation tools.
2. Table of Contents.
5
3. Rationale and Background of the Research Topic. In this
section you should demonstrate that
you have evaluated your research topic against the criteria of a
good research topic. In particular:
3.1. Give details of your preliminary review of the literature
which has led to the rationale. The
review should include at least 6 relatively recent journal articles
(not older than 2013).
3.2. Classify the type of research you are proposing and discuss
why it falls under that particular
classification. Explain how they research topic will make a
good contribution to the existing
knowledge and/or how it will have significant applied practices.
4. Research Questions. Focus your refined research topic into at
most 2 research questions.
Formulate the questions that your research will address and

answer.
5. Aim and Objectives. Formulate your research aims and
objectives stemming from your Research
Question(s):
5.1. Research Aim: overall purpose of your research explaining
what the end product of your
research will be.
5.2. Research Objectives: list at least 3 and maximum 5
research objectives. The objectives
represent the practical steps, sequential stages and/or applied
tasks needed to achieve the
aim.
6. Research Design and Methodology. Plan your research design
and establish your research
methodology. Make sure to present a comprehensive step-by-
step methodology and to justify
how your choices will achieve research coherence.
7. Resources Requirements. Identify, discuss and explain the
needed resources to conduct your
research, and classify them into “essential” or “potential”.
These may include personal skills to
be developed, fieldwork, permission requisitions and any other
relevant resources which are
needed for your research.
8. Action Plan and Timeline. Create an action plan across the
available timeline set by the module
which covers the stages of the research process and the tasks
needed to complete your research.
In particular, make sure that you identify any needed pre-
requisites that must be resolved/made

available to ensure a smooth transition of the steps.
9. Reference List. Alphabetical list of all references you used in
your preparation of the Research
Proposal including the preliminary literature review. All
references must follow the RGU Harvard
referencing system (Refer to
http://libguides.rgu.ac.uk/RGUHarvard).
Submission Requirements
To complete your submission:
1. Upload your Research Proposal in MS Word format to the
TurnitIn area in CampusMoodle by
the date/time specified at the beginning of the assessment’s
specifications.
2. Download the Originality Report generated by TurnitIn.
3. Do the needed references amendments to the Research
Proposal. No other amendments are
allowed to the Research Proposal at this stage.
4. By the date/time specified at the beginning of the
assessment’s specifications, upload:
4.1. Your Research Proposal in MS Word format (identical copy
of the TurnitIn Submission with
the exception of the references amendments) AND
4.2. The TurnitIn Originality Report (downloaded in step 2) to
the Final Submission area in

Plagiarism
“Plagiarism is the practice of presenting the thoughts, writings
or other output of another or
others as original, without acknowledgement of their source(s).
All material used to support a
piece of work, whether a printed publication or from electronic
media, should be appropriately
identified and referenced and should not normally be copied
directly unless as an acknowledged
quote. Text translated into the words of the individual student
should in all cases acknowledge
the source.” For further information please see:
and-regulations
Before submitting assignments, you should check to ensure that:
published source has been properly
attributed by an appropriate reference in the text;
marks” at the beginning and end of the
selected text), and
end of the text.

Late Submissions
The penalty for late submission of a piece of coursework is that
the coursework is failed. A fail will
also be given for any accounts of plagiarism found in the
coursework.
If you, for genuine reasons, are unable to meet the submission
date, please contact Ms. Heather
Robinson [email protected] before the submission deadline with
the Coursework Extension Form
to apply for an extension of the coursework.
and-regulations
http://www.rgu.ac.uk/file/coursework-extension-form-doc-
146kb
5
Penalties
- 10%) from
the word limit. The penalty is a
deduction of up to 5 grade points from the final grade.

penalty is a deduction of up to 5 grade
points from the final grade.
on for the research
proposal (format and structure). The
penalty is a deduction of up to 5 grade points from the final
grade.
Report. The penalty is a deduction of
up to 5 grade points from the final grade.
TurnitIn which do not fall under
references amendments may lead to a deduction of up to 10
grade points from the final grade.
ons (file type) has
a penalty of up to 5 grade points
from the final grade.
Support
For any questions on the assessment, please contact the Module
Co-ordinator Ms. Samia Hossfeld
[email protected]

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