Research Project: Investigating Cashless Trend Impact on Charities

This research proposal investigates the impact of the cashless trend on small charities' fundraising efforts. The study aims to understand the factors influencing this trend, the challenges of traditional fundraising methods, and the benefits and obstacles of a cashless society for charities. The research will employ a positivism philosophy, descriptive design, and probability sampling technique, collecting primary data through questionnaires to analyze the perspectives of employees. The research will also explore the technologies and strategies charities are adopting to target various demographics, including middle-aged women and young people. The proposal includes a research ethics form, consent forms, and data management statements to ensure ethical conduct throughout the research process.

RESEARCH ETHICS AND INTEGRITY
RISK ASSESSMENT FORM
FORM A
For all Undergraduate/Postgraduate Dissertations and
Research Projects
Please fill in this form, then SAVE IT AS A PDF and submit as instructed by your
supervisor with your project proposal
Your name: (first) ……………………… (last) ………………………
Student number: …………… Your email address: ……………@student.uwl.ac.uk

PROJECT DESCRIPTON
Please answer the following questions:
1. Do you intend to involve human participants in the conduct of your research?
If no, please skip questions 2 & 3.
☐ Yes ☐No
2. Does your research involve vulnerable adults or under-18s?
☐ Yes ☐No
3. Could your research potentially expose you, anyone assisting you, or
participants to emotional harm?
☐ Yes ☐No
4. Will your research involve travelling to geo-politically unstable
regions/countries (e.g. areas affected by war, civil unrest, natural disasters, or
listed as unadvisable to travel by the UK government?
☐ Yes ☐No
5. Will your research involve access to security-sensitive material? If yes, you
must include a data management statement.
☐ Yes ☐No
This proposal must be completed with the assistance of your supervisor. You
can change the size of the boxes (below) by typing or deleting as necessary.
It is very important to convey with clarity:
• Your research questions/the problem/the theme or topic you are investigating
(what you are proposing to do and to find out or to create)
• The methodology or technical approach (for projects comprising in whole or
in part the creation of an artefact) you will adopt – methods, number of
participants, who the participants (if any) will be, survey instruments used
technology and equipment employed etc.; and what questions you are
planning to ask your respondents (if applicable); how you will deal with
technical challenges.

Title of project: Investigate the Cashless Trend and its Impact on Small Charities
for Raising Money
Name of researcher(s)
_____________________________________Email:[e-mail]
Name of supervisor _____________________________Date:________________________
WHERE APPROPRIATE TO YOUR CHOSEN TOPIC/RESEARCH: YES NO N/A
1 Will you describe in writing the main procedures to participants in
advance, so that they are informed about what to expect? A copy of
this must be attached to this application

2 Will you tell participants that their participation is voluntary? 
3 Will you obtain written consent for participation and include within this
that they have a right to withdraw at any point? A copy of this must be
attached to this application

4 If the research is observational, will you ask participants for their
consent to being observed?

5 With questionnaires, will you give participants the option of omitting
questions they do not want to answer?

6 Will you tell participants that their data will be treated with full
confidentiality and that, if published, it will not be identifiable as
theirs? This should be evidenced in the consent form and with a
signed copy of UWL’s data management form, attached to this
application.

7 Will you debrief participants at the end of their participation (i.e. give
them a brief explanation of the study)? A copy of this must be
attached to this application

If you have ticked No to any of Q1-7, but have ticked box A overleaf, please give an
explanation on a separate sheet.
[Note: N/A = not applicable]
YES NO N/A

8
Will your project involve
deliberately misleading
participants in any way?

9 Is there any realistic risk of any participants experiencing either
physical or psychological distress or discomfort? If Yes, give details
on a separate sheet and state what you will tell them to do if they
should experience any problems (e.g. who they can contact for help).

If you have ticked Yes to 8 or 9, you should normally tick box B overleaf; if not, please
give a full explanation on a separate sheet
YES NO N/A
10 Does your project involve work with animals? If yes, please tick
box B overleaf.

11 Do participants fall into any of
the following vulnerable
groups? If they do, please and
tick box B overleaf.
Note that you may also need
to obtain satisfactory DBS
clearance (or equivalent for
overseas students).
Schoolchildren (under 18 years of
age)

People with learning or
communication difficulties

Patients 
People in custody 
People engaged in illegal
activities (e.g. drug-taking)

Any other groups who could be
reasonably argued as
representing any form of
vulnerability – please specify

12 Will you be accessing materials which may be considered security-
sensitive under the Counter Terrorism Act (2015)?

There is an obligation on the researcher to bring to the attention of the School Ethics Panel any
issues with ethical implications not clearly covered by the above checklist.
PLEASE TICK EITHER BOX A OR BOX B BELOW AND PROVIDE THE DETAILS REQUIRED
IN SUPPORT OF YOUR APPLICATION. THEN SIGN THE FORM.
Please tick
A. I consider that this project has no significant ethical implications to be brought
before the School Ethics Panel.


B. I consider that this project may have ethical implications that should be brought
before the School Ethics Panel, and/or it will be carried out with children or other
vulnerable populations.
I have received guidance on ethical research practices relevant to my subject as part of
my preparation for this module.
Signed ___________________________ Print Name ______________________ Date
_______________
(UG Researcher(s))
Signed ___________________________ Print Name ______________________ Date
_______________
(Supervisor)

PART 2
SPECIFICATIONS OF PROJECT
Please answer the following question:
1. Do you intend to use only secondary data in the conduct of your research?
☐ Yes ☐No
Introduction to the research
A cashless trend or society in fundraising might sound something like science science
fiction but the world is heading in that way in a fast pace. The cashless trend in
fundraising for charities is said to be donations made by the individuals using electronic
media such as credit and debit cards instead of handing over cash directly. Digital
fundraising or cashless trend is proposing and creating new ways for charities to raise
money because charities need money for working and fulfilling the ultimate purpose of
serving good to the society.
The aim of the research is to investigate the cashless trend and its impact on small
charities for raising money.
The questions for the research are:
What do you mean by cashless trend?
What are the factors influencing the cashless trend?
What are the challenges of raising money manually?
What are the benefits and obstacles of cashless society for the charities?
What are the technologies and strategies charities prefer for targeting middle aged women
and young people?
Method
Positivism philosophy, descriptive design and probability sampling technique will be used
for undertaking the research. Positivism philosophy will be suitable because with this
philosophy numerical analysis can be used along with the use of logic and facts.
Meanwhile, descriptive design will be used because this will help in determining the
relationship between cashless trends and raising funds for charities. Probability sampling
technique will be used because this will enable selecting 50 employees out of all the
employee population and consider their view about the increasing demand of opting for
cashless fund raising for charities.
Analysis

Primary data collection process and quantitative
data analysis technique will be used. With
quantitative data analysis technique, it will be
easy to determine the positive and negative feedback of the participants in terms of
numbers and proceed with the analyses further.