ASSESSMENT TASK 2: Research Proposal – INSTRUCTIONS
The objective of this assignment is to complete an accounting research proposal. You have already completed the Literature Review (Assessment task 1) and that would have assisted you in identifying and confirmed research opportunities/gaps. Thus, this assignment is a continuation of the first assignment. In this research proposal you should individually look at a current unresolved issue/s in accounting research, identified through the literature review you have completed, and develop a proposal for exploring and researching such issue/s.The proposal that you develop should be relevant to the area which you have covered in literature review.
ACC6040 Integrated Accounting Projects Assignment-Edith Cowan University Australia.
Overall, the proposal must show evidence of autonomy and accountability within the discipline, by providing insightful and relevant connections made through contextual explanations, inferences, and examples, as well as informed analysis of strengths, weaknesses and practical transferability to the industry or the profession.In case you are not satisfied about the outcome of your previous literature search in terms of research problems/gaps, and therefore you are considering changing your topic please get in touch with the Lecturer.
Tasks to Complete
1.Outline the structure of your research proposal (see Structure and Contents sections)
2.Start drafting the different sections, by building on the topic/issue/gap of your previous literature review:
- Clearly present the research objectives, research problem, questions and the links to the literature and practice.
- Identify how the project can be practically deployed and transferred within the industry or the profession.
- Develop and design your conceptual framework, including hypotheses or codes/themes and related relationships.
- Present your research methodology: Design, data collection method and analysis.
- Identify the limitations of your proposed research.
3.Once you consider your draft document complete, run a plagiarism check using the Turnitin link Assessment 2 – Research Proposal Revision.
4.Fix the eventual plagiarism and finalize the document (i.e. section numbering, grammar, table of contents, spelling check, typos, etc.).
5.Once your document is finalized, submit using the Turnitin link Assessment 2 – Research Proposal FINAL SUBMISSION before the date/time provided (once submitted no further submissions, revisions, changes or amendments will be possible).
Submission Information
- There is a maximum word limit for this assignment: 3,500 words with maximum length of 12 pages excluding the cover pages, references pages, annexures, table of contents, 10% variation is allowed.
- At least 10 references shall be included, out of which at least 3 references within the period 2016-2020 (This list can include articles referred in your previous literature review too).
- Use APA 6th or 7th Referencing styles.
Assignment structure and contents
Sections to cover in the Research Proposal:
- Cover Page: Identifies topic, investigator/s, institution and degree
- Table of Contents: Lists sections of the proposal and page references.
- Abstract: The abstract should be self-contained, concise, readable, and not more than 250 words. It should outline what you intend to do, why you believe it needs to be done and what the results will mean for theory and practice.
- Introduction:
o The Background to the Study: This sub-section sets the scene for a naive reader who knows nothing about your research.
o The Significance of the Study and Motivation: This sub-section states the relevance and importance of the study. It should highlight implications to practice and academia. Further elaboration is needed if you have covered this already in the literature review.
o The Objectives/purpose of the Study: This sub-section states, what you expect to achieve by doing this research
o Research Problem (and Questions): A problem statement may be presented in broad terms and there could be number of unambiguous questions that the research is designed to answer as questions (do not provide questions if you plan to develop Hypotheses). - Literature Review:
as this has been done already, no need to include it in the proposal. However, hypotheses/codes, research design and other related aspects should be justified using relevant literature in subsequent sections. - Conceptual framework:
Presentation of the conceptual framework that identifies hypotheses (quantitative) or codes/themes (qaualitative) indicating variables impacting on the research problem/questions and their inter- relationships. The theoretical framework is often summarised as a diagram/map, showing relationships between theories, concepts and variables of the study. - Methodology:This section describes your research approach and how you will collect data and analyse them to answer the research questions. It can be organised in the following sub-sections:
o Procedure: This sub-section describes, step by step, how you will collect the data.
o Sample and population of the study: the nature and size of the population and how you have selected your sample (if applicable, including sampling method).
o Data Analysis: This sub-section describes how you will use the data you collect. It is often useful to organise this according to the research questions, explaining how you will analyse the data to answer each question. It must be planned before any data is collected, otherwise it may be impossible to analyse the data in such a way as to answer the questions.
o Ethics Declaration: refer to the sample declaration provided within the material of Module 3. - Transferability: Provides articulate and well-reasoned suggestions for future practical deployment and transferability within the industry or a professional setting.
- Limitations:You are expected to be aware of any weaknesses in your research and show evidence of attempts to overcome them.
- References: List all the cited sources using APA 6th or 7th.
- Appendices & Annexures (optional): may include a time line, draft data collection instruments (questionnaire/interview guide or data analysis template for archival data) and a draft budget.
Resources
Library links and Lectures materials provided (Modules 3, 4 and 5) Smith, M. (2017). Research methods in accounting (4th ed.). Chapter 3, Sage Publications.
ACC6040 Integrated Accounting Projects Assignment-Edith Cowan University Australia.
Oral Examination
All written unit assessments, excluding those completed under supervised conditions, may, at the unit coordinators discretion, be extended to require an oral examination to clarify and support the written submission. The oral examination will normally be held in person with the Unit Coordinator but may be conducted by telephone or other means at the Unit Coordinator’s discretion. The oral examination should be conducted as soon as possible after the assessment but may be deferred if the student is unable to attend and can provide supporting evidence. The oral examination will be able to override the original assessment of the written submission. Failure to attend for an oral examination, if requested, will result in a mark of 0 for the assessment.
ACC6040 Integrated Accounting Projects Assignment-Edith Cowan University Australia.