Dissertation Proposal Form: Business Development Dissertation Project

This document is a dissertation proposal form designed to guide students through the process of structuring their dissertation, particularly within the realm of business development. The form prompts students to define their research aim, objectives, and specific research questions. It requires a brief literature review, outlining relevant authors and themes, and directs students to detail their chosen research methods, including qualitative or quantitative approaches, and the rationale behind these choices. The proposal also addresses the context of the research, including an overview of the company or sector, anticipated analytical techniques, potential problems, and a proposed timetable. Furthermore, it includes sections for company liaison and project management if the dissertation is part of an industry placement, ensuring ethical considerations are acknowledged and student-supervisor contact is maintained.

Dissertation Proposal Form
All students are required to complete this form as apart of the
requirements of the dissertation.
Student Name:
Student Number:
E-mail address:
Only complete the following section if you are undertaking a for-company project
Company Name:
Company Contact Person:
Company Contact Job Title:
Company Contact e-mail:
Company Telephone:
Company Address:
The objective of this document is to start your focus on the purpose and structure of
your dissertation. At this stage, this is a working document but one which reflects the
intent and outlook of a dissertation. It is quite likely and permissible that as you
progress with your dissertation, several aspects of content, direction or emphasis of
the dissertation will change. It is vitally important that you keep your academic and
company supervisor informed of any such changes. Also any such changes may
require you to reconsider any or all of the content of this proposal form.
The working title for the dissertation is:
Where will you be based while working on the dissertation? (please mark with
X)
UK: Outside the UK:
The space between each section indicates the required extent of your thoughts at this
stage. Overall your responses should be contained within the next pages.
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1) Research Aim: Provide indication as to the overall aim of the dissertation – what,
in quite specific terms, are you trying to find out? This forms the overall purpose
of the dissertation.
2) Research Objectives: State, in more precise detail, what you plan to find out
which will help you fulfill the research aim? This will help direct the research and
provide structure to the dissertation.
3) Research Question(s): Based around your aims, what specific research questions
will you ask? This will form the basis of your research in practice; everything you
do will be directed toward answering these questions. Remember to use how, why
and what in your questions.
4) Literature Review Pt.1: Provide a brief literature review of the main authors and
themes relevant to your topic. Indicate any models that you may wish to apply,
Dissertation Proposal Form 2

test or review. This will help identify opportunities for study and direct your
literature.
5) Literature Review Pt.2: Identify the main authors and texts that are important to
the topic you wish to study. Provide a reference list in the Harvard style (use
separate sheet if necessary).
6) Research methods: Outline how you will gather the information you need to
answer the research questions. Is this a qualitative study? Or quantitative? Will
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you interview? Who will you interview? Or will you carry out surveys? Where
and how many? How will you measure responses? Or manage a case study? Of
which organisation(s)? What literature on research methods will you use to justify
your selected methods.
7) Overview of company or sector: Briefly describe the main activities and
strategic issues facing the company and / or sector you are setting your research
in.
8) Discussion and Analysis: Describe what techniques you anticipate using in
analysing the data you have collected and the questions you are investigating.
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9) Anticipated Problems: Indicate areas where you anticipate problems arising –
for instance in company access, questionnaire collection, writing-up etc. Indicate
possible solutions to these problems and how these might affect your overall
research.
10) Anticipated Timetable: Provide a rough timetable describing when you plan to
complete the stages of the dissertation. Schedule time for: Initial research;
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literature review first and second drafts; completion of methodology chapter;
completion of primary research; analysis; final writing up. Remember also to
work in time to deal with the potential problems identified above!
11) Company Liaison & Project Management: If you are doing the dissertation as
part of an industry placement, state what specific things they have asked you to do
in addition to your dissertation research. Also state how frequently you have
agreed to visit the company and how you will review progress with your company
supervisor throughout the dissertation project.
 I confirm that I have read the ethical guidelines for research and
will comply with them.
 I understand that it is my responsibility to ensure that adequate
contact is maintained with my supervisor.
Student Signature: ………………………………………… Date:
……………….
Confirm acceptance by
Academic Supervisor Date:
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Dissertation Proposal Form 7