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see attached university format and copy of assessment 1 for guide.
Use Learning Outcomes Assessed:
LO1: Formulate a critical understanding of research paradigms and techniques and evaluate their contribution to a specific area of investigation.
LO2: Propose, combine and evaluate literature relevant to a chosen research topic
LO3: Organise and originate research literature
LO4: Plan and document a postgraduate research project
Assessment Brief
This assignment is designed to assess your critical understanding of research paradigms, techniques, methodologies, and their contributions within the context of your subject specialism. It is an essential component of the Research Methods Module and consists of a portfolio of work.
The assignment will require you to demonstrate your ability to conduct a literature review, present your findings, and develop a dissertation plan related to the dissertation proposal submitted in assignment 1 and within the context of your masters programme.
Portfolio Components:
1. Dissertation Plan
2. Presentation
Dissertation Plan –
Approximately 3000 words
Objective: To critically analyse and synthesize the existing literature related to research paradigms, techniques, and their application in the context of your subject area and academic discipline (e.g., Software Engineering, Data analytics or Network Engineering) into a
comprehensive evidence-based plan for your future dissertation research, integrating the knowledge from a literature review and the proposal submission.
This will be a well-structured plan based upon the literature that examines key research paradigms, Methodological approaches, and techniques relevant to your chosen research area within your discipline. Evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of different research paradigms and their suitability for your research questions will lead to higher marks. Likewise the identification of seminal studies, debates, and emerging trends in your chosen area should be incorporated and backed up by fully cited evidence from the literature.
Requirements:
A well-structured dissertation plan that includes the following:
1. Research question/ hypothesis.
a. Clearly state what your research questions or hypothesis that you intend to address in your dissertation. It should be concise, specific, and directly related to your chosen area of study.
2. Justification for your choice of proposed research paradigm and methodology.
a. Explain why you have selected a particular research paradigm (e.g., positivist, interpretivist, critical) and methodology (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods).
b. Discuss how these choices align with your research question and objectives.
3. Proposed research methods and techniques.
a. Describe in detail the research methods and techniques you plan to use in your dissertation. This section should include a critical evaluation, in the context of your chosen field:
i. Data collection methods (e.g., surveys, interviews, experiments, observations).
ii. Data analysis techniques (e.g., statistical analysis, content analysis, thematic analysis).
iii. Sampling methods (if applicable).
iv. Data sources (e.g., primary data, secondary data, archival materials).
4. A Gantt chart or similar for the research process.
a. Develop a timeline based upon the actual academic calendar for your dissertation that outlines the key milestones and activities in your research project. This should include estimated timeframes for completing each phase, such as data collection, analysis, and writing.
5. Potential Challenges and Mitigation Strategies:
a. Anticipate potential challenges that you may encounter during your research and propose strategies to mitigate these challenges. Critically evaluate any limitations to your research and how this might impact on the successful compilation of your research.
6. Ethical considerations.
a. Discuss any ethical considerations related to your research, especially if it involves human subjects, sensitive data, or potential ethical dilemmas. Describe how you plan to address these ethical concerns.
b. In all cases, please add a completed research ethics form as an appendices.
Fishing for supervisors – Presentation of Work
(7 min delivery + 7 min questions):
Objective: To communicate and discuss your dissertation plan and insights to members of the faculty and fellow students effectively through an oral presentation.
Requirements:
A formal presentation (e.g., PowerPoint, Prezi or similar) summarising the key points from your literature review that provides information on your chosen subject, methodological approaches that link directly back to your chosen subject. This is a pitching presentation that will evaluate whether your chosen subject is good and can go ahead. You will be required to deliver for 7 minutes and will get 7 minutes for questions from fellow students and members of the faculty. You must deliver your presentation in a clear and engaging style and
respond to questions and engage in discussions from attendees about your research area.
Additional Guidelines – assessments 1 and 2 :
• Your chosen research topic and area of focus within should be clearly defined and align with the overall objectives of the module.
• You should engage with relevant academic sources and demonstrate your ability to critically evaluate and synthesize research literature.
• Use appropriate referencing and citation styles consistently throughout your portfolio.
• The presentation should be delivered in a clear and professional manner, adhering to any time constraints specified by the module instructor.
Minimum Secondary Research Source Requirements:
Level HE7 – It is expected that the Reference List will contain between fifteen to twenty sources. As a MINIMUM the Reference List should include four refereed academic journals and five academic books.