COMSATS INSTITUTE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Islamabad Campus

MPM(2) Assignment 1 Develop a research proposal for any problem you might have observed in an organization. The research proposal is basically a written statement of the research design. It should include an explanation of the purpose of the study i.e. the research objectives/definition of the problem. It should outline the particular research methodology and the procedures that will be utilized at each stage of the research process. The following are contents and some guide lines for the research proposal

1. Title Page: Tile of the research topic. Titles should indicate the nature of the proposed work with clear cut indication of the key variables of the study. 2. Abstract: An effective summary states the problem addressed by the applicant, identifies the solution, and specifies the objectives and methods of the project. 3. Introduction (including Statement of Problem, Purpose of Research, and Significance of Research): The introduction of a proposal should begin with a capsule statement of what is being proposed and then should proceed to introduce the subject to a stranger. It should give enough background to enable an informed layman to place your particular research problem in a context of common knowledge and should show how its solution will advance the field or be important for some other work. The statement describes the significance of the problem(s), referring to appropriate studies or statistics. 4. Background (including Literature Survey): Be sure to (1) make clear what the research problem is and exactly what has been accomplished; (2) to give evidence of your own competence in the field; and (3) to show why the previous work needs to be continued that is the Gap needs to be highlighted. The literature review should be selective and critical. Discussions of work done by others should therefore lead the reader to a clear impression of how you will be building upon what has already been done and how your work differs from theirs and how you intend to fill the gap. (Refer to the article covered in class on Attendance and Flextime, the literature review should at least have 10 to 15 references)

5. Description of Proposed Research (including Method or Approach): The comprehensive explanation of the proposed research is addressed not to laymen but to other specialists in your field. This section is the heart of the proposal and is the primary concern of the technical reviewers. Remember as you lay out the research design to (1) be realistic about what can be accomplished. (2) be explicit about any assumptions or hypotheses the research method rests upon. (3) be clear about the focus of the research. (4) Be specific about the means of evaluating the data or the conclusions. (5) be certain that the connection between the research objectives and the research method is evident. (Focus on the lectures which covered the different research design components) 6. List of References: The style of the bibliographical item itself depends on the disciplinary field. The main consideration is consistency; use the APA style scrupulously throughout.