Independent Study

Proposal Handbook
Spring 2010

David Bradley
BA / MA Programme Manager
dbradley@shms.com
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Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………...... 3

Allocation of Independent Study Supervisors……………………………… 3

Proposal Deadline & Submission Details………………………………………. 3

Proposal Writing Guidelines……………………………………………………. 4

Proposal Format & Style……………………………………………………. 7

Layout………………………………………………………………………… 8

Bibliography………………………………………………………………….. 10

University of Derby undergraduate grading scale…………………………. 15

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1. Introduction

This document is intended to provide some broad guidelines on how you should go
about planning, preparing and presenting your Independent Study proposal. The
Independent Study proposal is an important part of the dissertation module. It is
worth 10% of your final grade, you are advised to devote sufficient time to allow you
to complete the work on time. If at any time you face difficulties, contact your tutor at
the earliest possible opportunity.

It is important to stress that the research proposal is an important statement of

intention that will be considered by the examiners to assess your success in
implementing it. It also represents an agreement between the supervisor and yourself
as to the viability of the proposed project and the criteria by which it will be judged.

2. Allocation of Independent Study Supervisors

Also, Friday week 1 of term, students will submit a word document with a title, aim
and objectives to the Programme Manager electronically to
dbradley@shms.com. Early week 2, students will be allocated a supervisor and lists
are published on the BA notice board outside the BA Academic Office to inform
students of their supervisor.

3. Proposal Deadline and Submission Details

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Deadline for submission of the hard and soft copy of the proposal is Friday 12th
March 2010 before 15h00, to Ruth Holland (Executive Academic Secretary) in
the Academic Office in Belvédère. For the hard copy, you must complete a UoD
Assignment Record and Receipt form, available at the Academic Office. The
electronic copy must be submitted onto Turn It In via Moodle, as shown in the
video tutorial on Moodle under the BA Programme, General Information section.
The research proposal should be concise and no more than 2000 words.

4. Proposal Writing Guidelines

Complete sections 1-5 on personal and Independent Study module details.

Section 6: Title or topic area of proposed study: Your working title should reflect
the content of your proposal. The title should be focused and summative. You should
have a title by the time of the proposal submission, but failing this, enter the area of
study on which the proposed research focuses.

Section 7: Aim and Objectives: need to be focused and manageable.

Aim: it is feasible and achievable (resources and data accessibility have been taken
into account)? Is the aim original and has the potential to add insight to the field of
study? The aim should be clear, precise, feasible and simplistic enough for the reader
to understand immediately.

Objectives: need to be focused and lead to the achievement of the aim? Do they
conform to the right format (action verbs)? Examples of the wording used to write
your aim and objectives include: to ascertain; to investigate; to compare and contrast;
to assess; to analyse; to evaluate; to make recommendations, what about to be
‘critical’. You must ensure objectives, if achieved satisfy the aim – ‘no more and no
less’.

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Section 8: Brief overview of relevant literature and rationale for the study

This section should tell the reader why you believe the research that you are planning
is worth the effort. You need to introduce the background literature to which the
project relates. This may be expressed in the form of a problem that needs solving or
something that you find exciting and has aroused your curiosity. The reader will be
looking for evidence here that there is sufficient interest from you to sustain your
interest and motivation over the months […] ahead.

The background literature may include details on an identified destination or

organisation or population you intend to question, as well as demonstrate your
knowledge of the relevant theoretical focus. You MUST research relevant
contemporary literature in relation to the theoretical concepts of your research
question. Moreover, you should clarify where your research fits into the debate in the
literature. You will be expected to show a clear link between previous work done in
your field of research interest with your planned proposal. Note: key references
should be highlighted by providing on a separate sheet, references to approximately 6
key publications you intend to use.

Section 9: Outline of the study design and methods

This section will detail precisely how you intend to go about achieving your
research aim and objectives by stating, explaining and justifying your research
philosophy, your research approach, your research strategy, the time horizon for
your research and the data collection method (s) you intend to use. You should do
this by stating, explaining and justifying why you selected these methods. You
should then explain how you intend to manage these methods to collect your data
and why you intend to manage your chosen methods in these ways.

Here again it is essential to explain and validate why you have chosen your

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approach, you must also refer to research literature to assist your justification.
Your explanation should be based on the most effective way of meeting your
research aim and objectives.

Sections 10 & 11: research ethics

These sections outline ethical issues in research that must be very carefully
considered if your research proposal is to be taken seriously. Poor consideration of
ethical issues can lead your proposal to fail. In section 10, confirm your belief in
whether your research involves consideration of ethical issues by circling the
appropriate (yes/no) response. In section 11 you should carefully detail how you
intend to manage the ethical issues listed (in the proposal form) from points A to L
in your research. Further guidance on the completion of section 11 on ethics is
provided at the end of the proposal form. Read this guidance very carefully to
develop your understanding of the ethics terms and then carefully plan how you
intend to manage these ethical issues in your research and why you would manage
them in these ways.

Section 12: sample

This section focuses on issues of sampling in your research. Here, you explain how
your planned methods of sampling are to be managed in the attempt to achieve your
aim and objectives and justify this planned approach to sampling. You will need
to offer a detailed description of the identity of your research population. From
this population, you will need to identify a suitable study sample, showing how you
selected the sample(s) with use of which selection criteria, and how you selected a
suitable sample size (possibly via a relevant sample size calculation).

Section 13: payments, incentives and rewards

This section should state whether or not you intend to pay any participant in your
research and also whether you intend to offer any form of incentive or reward to

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participants of your research. If you do, you will need to explain what these
payments/incentives/rewards are and when and how you intend to administer these,
also making clear whom they are for and why you feel it is necessary to offer such to
any participants.

Section 14: what study materials will you use?

This section should remind the reader of your planned data collection methods (as
communicated in section 9: outline of study design and methods). On a separate sheet
you should supply a copy of your draft data collection method(s) and staple it/them to
the back of the form as an appendix.

Will it be based on a survey, interviews, observation, examination of secondary data

or a combination of methods?

Section 15: what resources will you require?

Here you should list the resources you require and explain why you require them and
how you intend to use them to assist your research process.

Section 16: ethical approval from any other body/organisation?

In this section, simply state whether you need ethical approval or consent from any
other body or organisation, explaining why you need this and how you intend to go
about gaining this approval.

Section 17: declaration of data contents of the proposal to be fair and accurate

This section asks for your declaration that all details of your proposal are accurate and
also that you recognise your obligations as the researcher and the rights of your
research participants. It also requires that you recognise your responsibility and
commitment to act in accordance with the University of Derby code of practice on

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research ethics. Further details on this code of practice on research ethics can be
accessed at http://www.derby.ac.uk/research/ethics/policy-document.

5. Proposal Format and Style

You should at all times pay attention to the presentation of your work.
Remember that the effective communication of your work is a vital part of its success.
Guidelines are provided in these sections to assist with the format of the proposal.
Due consideration should be given to your writing style and use of English. For
example, be consistent in your use of tense and personal and possessive pronouns (do
not use “I”, “my”, “mine”).
Equally, give care to your selection and use of words. Avoid emotive and journalistic
language and try to avoid ambiguity.

It is good style to be succinct and brief, so as to avoid a rambling presentation of

information that lacks natural flow and sequence. This is easier said than done.
At this stage being self-critical is vital, so as to avoid being long-winded and
repetitive in your written work.

You should proof read the typed manuscript to eliminate any errors that have been
made. The care and consideration that you display in presenting your final version of
the proposal has a significant impact on the marks awarded by the examiner.

From the above, it should be clear that examiners not only consider the technical
merit of a proposal, but also the logical development of argument. Students need to
demonstrate interpretative skills and show the ability to study a problem in depth
adopting a critical and analytical manner. Work that is descriptive, superficial and
lacking direction will not be graded highly.

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 6. Layout

You are strongly advised to consider the following guidelines for your proposal
from the criteria below:

Font: The font should be 12 point Times New Roman. Other fonts should be used
only with the express permission of the dissertation supervisor.
Spacing: Spacing is automatically set for you in the proposal form.
Headings: A systematic method of headings should be used in writing the proposal.
A typical example of this would be to use a numbering system. Typically, sections
would have one or two sub-sections. Please speak to your supervisor for specifics on
headings.
Tables: Tables generally contain text only. This should be numbered according to
the section they appear in e.g. if a table appears in section one then it is numbered as
Table 1.1 and so on. The first table to appear in section two will be numbered 2.1 and
so on. Each table should have a number, should be labelled and should have a
reference if taken from literature.
Figures: Figures differ from tables in that they illustrate information in the form of
diagrams and graphs. As above, figures need to be numbered, need to be labelled and
should have a reference if taken from literature.

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