BMG871 Research Proposal – Assignment Brief CW1 & CW2

The assignment is a 2 Components Research Proposal and Critical Evaluation of the Research Methodology which outlines the plan for a ‘Pure’ research project.It is highly recommended to consider using this as a potential research project topic.

As a research proposal it must include the planning of primary research, but no primary data should be collected.

It should follow the format below & the assignment template on pages 2-5. Where sections are explained for each course work e.g., 1 & 2.

The template contains sections/subheadings, beneath each there is a short bullet list. This is an explanation of the information you should include within each section. All submissions must include name, student number, contents page, address sections 1-4, a Reference / AI list, and any relevant appendices.

Deadline: Friday May the 8^th 2026, 12pm, (Afternoon) UK Time (via Turnitin)

2 Components 1500 Words Each

Submission Format: Written assignment (Word) via the university`s VLE Deadline: Week-12: Friday 8th May 2026 before 12pm (Noon)

Document format: Word (not PDF)

Font type: Times New Roman

Font size: 12

Line spacing: 1.5 line spacing.

Similarity score: No higher than 10%

Format: Cover sheet (see page 2)

Contents page (please use page numbers)

Assignment main body (following the template headings on pages 3-5) Reference list

Appendices

BMG871 Research Proposal – Assignment Template

Contents Page

Coursework 1:

Weighting: 50%

Word Count: 1,500 words (±10%)

Submission Format: Written assignment (Word) via the Turnitin Link Deadline: Week-12: Friday 8th of May 2026 before 12 PM (Noon)

Structured Research Proposal

(Remember, you must plan to use primary research techniques only.)

Assessment Brief: Research Proposal (International Business Context)

1. Assessment Overview

You are required to develop a structured research proposal on a topic of your choice relevant to International Business.

Your topic must involve an international context and cannot focus exclusively on Ireland or the UK.The purpose of this assessment is to demonstrate your ability to apply theoretical knowledge to the practical planning of an academic research study.

Research Proposal Requirements 700 Words Your proposal must include the following sections:

. Research Title and Rationale

• Provide a clear, concise title (one or two sentences).

• Offer a background overview of the issue you intend to investigate.

• Explain why this problem is important and merits scholarly research.

• Discuss the practical significance of the topic to international businesses.

• Present critical review of the relevant literature and a theoretical Framework with a research gap

Your proposal must contain:

• A research aim statement, beginning with:

“The aim of this research project is to…”

• Exactly three research objectives, each clearly aligned with the aim.

• One main research question, formulated logically from the aim and objectives.

• Clear alignment between the aim → objectives → research question.

. Proposed Methodology 600 Words

You must explain and justify your methodological choices in full sentences (avoid bullet points and lists of pros/cons).

Your discussion should include:

• The research philosophy (e.g., positivism, interpretivism, pragmatism) and how it shapes your approach.
• The overall research strategy (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods).
• A detailed explanation of how the research will be carried out, demonstrating clear planning and justification for each decision.
• A detailed description of your intended sample and sampling method
• A description of your data collection instruments (e.g., survey questionnaire, or an interview guide). B
• An outline of your data analysis techniques (e.g., thematic analysis, regression analysis), with justification.
• Clear justification of why this approach is appropriate for your study and its theoretical relevance
• Identify any potential ethical issues associated with your study. Explain how each issue will be addressed responsibly.

Justification and Ethical Consideration 200 Words Provide:

Coursework 2: Critical Evaluation of Research Methodology

Weighting: 50%

Word Count: 1,500 words (±10%)

Submission Format: Written assignment (Word) via the Turnitin Link Deadline: Week-12: Friday 8th May 2026 before 12 PM (Noon)

Assignment Description:

You are required to select a specific research context or scenario within international business.

Overly broad or vague topics will limit your ability to demonstrate methodological coherence.

Your chosen research context may be the same as or different from the one used in your Research Proposal assignment.

Once you have selected your research context, you are required to produce a critical evaluation of an appropriate research methodology for investigating the topic. Your work must demonstrate clear alignment between the following elements:

• Research context
• Research aim
• Research objectives
• Research questions or hypotheses
• Methodological choices

Specifically, your coursework should include:

Research Context and Focus 450 Words

Clearly introduce and justify your chosen research context.You must explain why the topic is worthy of investigation and demonstrate how it logically leads to your stated research aim, objectives, and research questions or hypotheses.

• You must clearly state your research aim and supporting objectives, along with either research questions or hypotheses as appropriate. These should be internally consistent and clearly derived from the research context.

Research Paradigms 350 Words

Demonstrate understanding of relevant research paradigms such as positivism, interpretivism, or pragmatism. You must critically evaluate and justify the suitability of your chosen paradigm in relation to your research aim, objectives, and questions or hypotheses.

Data Collection, Analysis, and Ethical Considerations 350 Words

Critically evaluate suitable data collection methods and briefly indicate appropriate data analysis approaches. You must also consider ethical and practical challenges relevant to your proposed methodology and explain how these would be addressed.

Research Design and Justification 350 Words

Select and justify an appropriate research design, such as a survey, an interview study, or a mixed methods design. Your justification must explicitly explain how the design enables you to address your research questions or test your hypotheses.

Structure, Coherence, and Academic Writing

Your submission must be clearly structured, logically argued, and written in an appropriate academic style. All sources must be properly cited using Ulster University Harvard referencing.

Referencing / Generative AI:

• You must include a full list of references used in your work
• You must always acknowledge your source every time you refer to someone else’s work. Failure to do so counts as plagiarism which is against University regulations and is treated as a serious offence. http://www.ulster.ac.uk/academicoffice/download/Policies/PlagiarismPolicy&Proced ures.docx
• All references must adhere to the Ulster Harvard Referencing Guide 2024 https://guides.library.ulster.ac.uk/ld.php?content_id=35197722
• It is advisable that you use the library for your research: https://library.qahighereducation.com/ulster https://guides.library.ulster.ac.uk/businessguide
• It is strongly recommended that you do not use generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Google Bard, Midjourney, Copilot). It does not help with this assessment. As with any source used in a piece of work, generative AI must be acknowledged and referenced in the usual way with a citation and reference list entry. Full details can be found: https://guides.library.ulster.ac.uk/harvardref/AIGenerativeTool