Individual Research Proposal Template

Using the IRP Rubric listed below as a guide for the specific grading criteria, the Assignment Directions (includes list of possible topics) and the Individual Research Proposal Template, you will begin work on an Individual Research Proposal which is the first step towards completing your final team project. Although this assignment is completed individually, your team members will consider your proposal next week as a possible topic for the Final Team

Use the template below to develop your IRP.

 

 

Assignment Directions:

 

 

ENGL311 Individual Research Proposal Directions

 

The Individual Research Proposal (IRP) is a 2-3 page single spaced document written in memo format. The proposal should identify a realistic and substantive research topic for the subsequent individual presentation and team report. (See below for possible research topics.) Provide a tentative plan for scholarly study and include a request for approval/action. You MUST use the IRP Template to write this proposal.

 

The proposal should contain the following sections:

1. Introduction with purpose of report, goals of the research project, background on the problem. Include any research cited in APA.

2. State of Problem; preliminary research should be cited here in APA format to explain need for research (needs assessment)

3. Proposed Solution – provide at least one potential solution

4. Scope – research topics/questions

5. Methods – how will the research be conducted; be specific (see template)

6. Qualifications – how is the student qualified to study this topic?

7. Limitations – what are the obstacles to the project?

8. Conclusion – request for approval

 

You will need an APA style references page submitted with your proposal. You should demonstrate research literacy by including 5 secondary sources. These must be cited in-text and on the references pages.

 

**Please note: Any instance of plagiarism will result in a zero for this assignment. In a 300 level writing course you MUST be able to use and apply APA format to citations. You have had 2 weeks of quizzes and access to APA videos detailing format. The ability to correctly cite sources is mandatory. You may use and cite additional sources as needed.

 

Possible report topics include but are not restricted to:

 

· Family Medical Leave Act or similar types of policies

· Discrimination (hiring, training, separation)

· Hiring, training, retaining, or mentoring employees

· Continuing education policies

· Sustainable business practices

· Flexible work policies (job sharing, flex time, telecommuting, etc.)

· Managing employee performance, developing employees

· Leadership (there are many topics in this area)

· Privacy issues in the workplace (employers’ rights, employee rights, implementation of policies, procedures)

· Technology (many topics in this area such as “Bring Your Own Devices,” managing technology, updating technology, monitoring employee use of technology, technology use/upgrades, cost of technology, etc.)

· Background checks for employees (implementation, use, difficulties)

· Managing work schedules, overtime, and labor issues

· Multigenerational workplaces – managing different generations

· Social media use (employers, employees, organizations; policies, procedures, repercussions)

· Issues affecting small businesses (payroll, health care, use of third party vendors/sources, financing/funding issues, hiring, family employee policies, etc.)

· Immigration, global employers, foreign employees (all  topics which include hiring, mentoring, maintaining, and separating employees who are non-citizens)

· Outsourcing, right-sizing, and “effective workforce staffing”

· Legal issues affecting the workplace (hiring, separating, supervising, etc.)

· Rewarding and compensating employees

· Managing employer/corporate risk

 

 

 

Individual Research Proposal Templet

 

 

 

MEMORANDUM

 

To: [audience; recipient; stakeholders]

From: [Author’s Name]

Date: [Month (written out) Day, Year]

RE: [Proposal for XXX]

 

Introduction

The introduction section states the purpose of the report and goals of the proposed research project.  The topic must be a potential problem identified in the areas of business, IT, or healthcare, and should not be specific to a single business but offer a broader perspective. Students will give background information on the topic that summarizes and defines the main issues for a reader. For example:  Is there longevity with this potential problem, or is this a new phenomenon in the community or certain career field?

 

When any facts are provided, a citation must be used.  Students cannot generically guess at issues; students must find, use, and cite credible, professional sources that support their beliefs about the issue.

 

This section will be a few well-developed paragraphs. Avoid opinion and 1st person narrative.

 

Statement of Problem

This section briefly explains the potential problem and should include initial research to explain the need for the further, more in-depth research (for example a needs assessment or SWOT analysis could be used).  This section needs to clearly state what the potential problem is. This section should address what concerns/issues may be facing this topic in general.

 

The statement of problem tells more about the potential problem/issue.  Which stakeholders are affected? How does it affect those people?  What are some stats on this demographic-median age, income, educational level (if applicable)?  Are any of these issues a problem that could affect stakeholders locally, regionally, nationally, and/or globally?  How so?  Are there new policies or events that will be in effect or happen in the next two to five years, such as an election year, new health care plan, law, or world event that will affect this topic?  Examples of world events would be the recent Heartbleed virus, the Olympics, or cessation of Twinkie production.  This section will be a few well-developed paragraphs.

 

When any facts are provided, a citation must be used.  Students cannot generically guess at issues; students must find, use, and cite credible, professional sources that support their ideas about the topic. Avoid opinion and 1st person narrative.

 

Proposed Solution

Based on the background and initial research of the aforementioned problem, the author will present one viable potential solution that could be further researched.  This solution should be general in nature; students will not have done enough research at this point to provide detailed and pointed solutions.  In this section, could, may, might is acceptable language as the solution has not been solidified or researched in full.

 

This section will vary in length depending on the student’s use of sources.

 

Scope

Students should introduce the topic and then provide a list of potential research questions. Some information may be repeated (not word for word). Research questions generally answer how or why instead of what. “Yes/No” questions are to be avoided.

· What are the overarching questions this research will answer?

· What question does the student want to ask and answer through the research?

· An author should not limit his/her research by writing scope questions that are too specific or too narrow.

 

For example, a scope question could be, “How is social media being used to market ABC Business?” instead of, “Does ABC Business have a Facebook page?”

 

Methods

This section explains how students will find answers to the aforementioned research questions.

 

Students will state what type of research will be done if the proposal were to be accepted and why these sources will be helpful in researching the topic. For example, if a student were researching a medical topic, he or she would discuss the use of medical journals, medical studies, credible medical websites, etc. or directly name those resources.

 

Students should NOT generically state, “I will search Google and DU databases.” Instead, an author should state, “The New England Journal of Medicine will be helpful in evaluating current effects of the topic.”

 

Qualifications

This section provides proof that the student is qualified to research/provide feedback on this topic. Qualifications should be related to the student’s professional experience, education, or volunteer work.

 

Does the student already work in this field? Does the student have a personal history with the topic? Has the student taken specific coursework related to this topic? For example, if the topic were local election fraud, the student could list being a political science major and working at the county clerk’s office as an intern for the last three years as qualifications.

 

Limitations

What foreseeable obstacles or limitations for this project are of concern to the author? Time limitations? Small survey sample? Potential scheduling conflict for interviewing primary sources? This section will most likely be a short section. Do not include limitations from personal issues.

 

Conclusion

This section should wrap-up the proposal like any essay or paper and should be a full paragraph of five to eight sentences (minimum).

 

There will also be a request for approval as shown on page 544 of the Lannon textbook.

 

References

 

All entries should be in alphabetical order. URLs should be listed without a hyperlink or be followed by a period.

Interviews and personal communications are not listed in the reference page. Instead they are cited in text: (First initial. Last name, personal communication, month day, year).  For complete information, check your handbook/text for examples.

The reference section starts on a new page. References should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

This section should include at least five (5) credible sources.  Please be sure you are appropriately citing sources.

Those references that do not end with a URL will use a period as end punctuation.