Draft a qualitative research proposal on a topic of your choice. The proposal should cover the main  elements of a research proposal including a clearly-defined topic, research questions, an  introduction, and a literature review. It should also include a bibliography.
Assessment 3 Brief
Program
Bachelor of Applied Social Science
Subject
Qualitative Research Methods
Subject code
SOC301A
Name of assessment
Assessment 2: Research Proposal
Length
1000 (+ / – 10%)
Learning outcomes addressed by
this assessment:
A, B, E
Submission Date:
Week 6
Assessment brief summary:
Research proposal
Total marks
100
Weighting
30%
Students are advised that any submissions past the due date incur a 10% penalty per day, calculated from the total
mark e.g. a task marked out of 40 will incur a 4-mark penalty per day.
Please note: you must attempt all tasks in a subject to be eligible to pass the subject.
More information, please refer to the Academic Progression Policy on
http://www.think.edu.au/aboutthink/thinkquality/our-policies.
Assessment Task:
SOC301A – AB2, Research Proposal
Page 1
Draft a qualitative research proposal on a topic of your choice. The proposal should cover the main
elements of a research proposal including a clearly-defined topic, research questions, an
introduction, and a literature review. It should also include a bibliography. This is a formative
assessment and assessment 3 will build on this discussion. There will be no discussion of the
methodology in this assessment. This will be dealt with in Assessment 3.
Explanation of the assessment:
Your proposal should include the following:
A clearly defined topic
1) The topic should be straight-forward and clear. It should give clear information about who is
being studied, what is being studied, and where the study is being carried out. For example:
“Perceptions of refugees in Glebe, Sydney: a case study of how refugees are viewed in a
trendy, urban suburb”.
2) Where possible, give an indication of the theoretical framework you will be using to explore
this topic. For example:
“A Phenomenological enquiry into the lived experience of ‘otherness’ in Australian
society: A study of Muslim migrants in Sydney’s Western suburbs”.
An Introduction
3) The introduction should clearly discuss the background and social issue being explored. It
should discuss why it is important to carry out this study (the justification for the study). End
the introduction by identifying at least 5 research questions which you hope to find answers
to.
A literature review
4) The literature review section should identify and discuss previous studies, seminal works,
key theorists and researchers who have made important contributions to your topic. You
should discuss and analyse their contributions. That is, look at the strengths and
weaknesses in their work. Most importantly, try to identify gaps in the research. Keep in
mind, the importance of identifying these ‘gaps’ since these gaps help justify the need for
you to carry out your proposed study. The theoretical approach to be taken in the proposed
study should be introduced and justified in the literature review. Remember that the
theoretical framework is the lens through which you will explore your social issue. It helps
SOC301A – AB2, Research Proposal
Page 2
provide the core concepts that you can use to understand the problem. So, think carefully
about which theoretical framework can help you explain your topic best. For example, if I
am interested in studying “women in the workplace”, gender theories naturally come to
mind because they have had a lot to say about women and the structural inequalities they
face in society.
As a minimum, you should review at least 10 key/seminal works on the topic for this
assessment. Remember that these do not need to be done individually, but can be done in
groups. We will discuss this further in collaborates.
Marking Criteria:
Max. in
category
Clearly defined topic
20
Introduction – a clear, concise and effective introduction to the topic;
clear research questions related to the research topic; good
justification for undertaking this study.
20
Literature review – reviews at least 5 research articles on the
topic; shows gaps in previous research; shows how present study
will fill those gaps; introduces and justifies theoretical framework.
50
Word count, grammar, and referencing
Total:
Your
points
10
100
Comments:
SOC301A – AB2, Research Proposal
Page 3
What we want to see:
The work must be fully referenced with in-text citations and a reference list at the end. We
recommend you work with the APA 7th Edition Reference Guide to ensure that you reference
correctly. You will find a copy of this guide on the Portal. Correct academic writing and referencing
are essential tasks that you need to learn. We recommend a minimum of 10 references.
Research and Referencing: References are assessed for their quality. You should draw on quality
academic sources, such as books, chapters from edited books, journals, government reports etc.
Your textbook can be used as a reference, but not the Study Guide and lecture notes. We want to
see evidence that you are capable of conducting your own research.
Formatting: The assessment MUST be submitted electronically in Microsoft Word format. Other
formats may not be readable by markers. Please be aware that any assessments submitted in other
formats will be considered LATE and will lose marks until it is presented in Word.
Use Times New Roman, font size 12.
Stay within the required word count.
Use 3rd person, objective, academic language. Avoid personal language.
What we don’t want to see:
Plagiarism: All sources of information need to be properly acknowledged. Please refer to the
plagiarism information on Blackboard. Like other forms of cheating, plagiarism is treated seriously.
Plagiarising students will be referred to the Program Manager. The best way to avoid plagiarism is
to explain ideas in your own words, while crediting the authors for the information.
No submission: Students must attempt all tasks to be eligible to pass the unit.