Major and Minor Errors Found in

Your Research Proposal

-(PSM) for Final Year FPTT Students-(PSM) for Final Year FPTT Students

Note 1: Scenario

• This is an early notification. You are advised to do your correction now-which justify why I have your errors highlighted, albeit you still have not received your proposal.

• The idea is, you start doing your correction on the • The idea is, you start doing your correction on the major errors, when you got your research proposal returned, you have adequate time for correction on minor errors.

• You can take action on this call or ignore it. This is entirely up to you.

Note 2: Scenario-I have marked your research proposal. Up to date, there are many major errors and minor errors which you need to take note. -Although your mark has been set for the allocation of 30% (under the subject of Research Method BPTP4103); to comply with your subject PSM1 and BPTP4103); to comply with your subject PSM1 and Seminar 1…as well as PSM 2 and Seminar 2 assessment; you are advised to start thinking about these suggestions in order to improve the quality of your proposal and the real PSM later.

Note 3: Your responsibility

-You are advised to talk to your supervisor about my suggestions and start do your corrections as early as possible.-My suggestions are merely for the sake of improving the quality of your PSM.improving the quality of your PSM.-At the end, you have the right not to do so (which is entirely up to you).-The bottom line is, you are fully responsible for the grade of your PSM1 and PSM2.

Note 4: Your action

-Thus, you are not required to refer to me again about the errors/corrections.-You may do the corrections on your own, orconsult your supervisor after take in the consideration about my suggestions. -At the end, he/she is the one who will give you -At the end, he/she is the one who will give you marks on your PSM1 and PSM2. I have no rights to intervene the process.-Remember, the scientific canons will check through your research, and you have to comply with them all.

Note 5: Line drawn-Again, I have to stress; my part to assess your research proposal is completed. -Now, you and your supervisor have to work together for your research.-Please do not to involve me in between you and your supervisor. your supervisor. -It is unprofessional for me to intervene the supervision process of yours.-There is a line purposely drawn between BPTP4103 and the supervision process.

Note 6: Correction

-The corrections you made on your research

proposal will not change the initial marks set

under my subject of BPTP4103.

-It is logical, once you have the major and minor

corrections done, your proposal which you will corrections done, your proposal which you will

submit to the subject PSM 1 in week 13 stands a

higher chance to score.

Major errors found in your

research proposalresearch proposal

1. Title-Some of you have constructed big titles and most of them are not clear. You have to understand, in research, the bigger title you set, the higher expectation from your evaluators.-Title sounds like “XXXXX in Manufacturing Industry” “YYYYYY in SME” is good. -However, you need to refine which company you want to -However, you need to refine which company you want to investigate in your chapter 1. -This is because, when you have a big title, but you do not provide further details, you are expect to do the survey on the entire manufacturing industry or the entire SME (since your topic says so).

2. Title…

-I found that, some of you who have the big

title, end up with doing only 1 company as a

case study.

-Hence, try to think to refine the title. -Hence, try to think to refine the title.

-Alternatively, you have to state which company,

how many companies that you intended to

investigate in your Chapter 1 to make it precisely

clear.

2. Selection of the

organisation/industry

1.You need to justify why you select this organisation/industry at this particular location.-Justifications of:(a) The significance of this organisation/industry: it is a best managed company? Wining various it is a best managed company? Wining various award? Has it competitive advantage? Most profit making? Most active in new product development? It has its the best way in marketing/ business management/HR management etc which is/are significant to your research.

2. Selection of the

organisation/industry…

-Justification of:(b) Personal justifications are accepted. Ex: Ease of accession, you know the person well, you have established a good networking/rapport with the person/management team, it is a place with the person/management team, it is a place you conducted your industrial training, you familiar with the organisation/industry.-You can explain this under the “location of your research” or in your Chapter 1.

2. Selection of the

organisation/industry…

-Reasons like: “my supervisor asked me to

investigate this company” is not academically

sounds. If you have been asked (in reality) to do

so, then ask your supervisor to justify for you so, then ask your supervisor to justify for you

why he/she asked you to investigate that

company. I believe he/she has a good reason.

3. Research Method:

Qualitative/Quantitative/Mixed

Methods

1.Justify how many respondents you are going

to do in your qualitative/quantitative/mixed

methods research technique(s) (interview, methods research technique(s) (interview,

observation etc)

3. Research Method:

Qualitative/Quantitative/Mixed

Methods…2. Justify why X number of respondents you have decided to do your qualitative/quantitative/mixed method research technique (interview, observation etc)etc)Ex: Using non-probability sampling, there are 10 top management in the company, so you pick x number of them who are significantly position in the marketing/HR/R&D function that suit to your research.

If you plan to use the Mixed Methods

-You should explain how will you use your mixed

methods. Remember, the research method is

aimed to materialise your research objectives.

-Find example from text book pg.167 Box5.3-Find example from text book pg.167 Box5.3

4. Do not get confused with

Research Strategy-There are 8 research strategies.

-Case study is only focus on ONE organisation (deep

investigation); while survey is spreading across a

number samples from the entire population.

-If you are doing mixed method: Firstly, semi--If you are doing mixed method: Firstly, semi-

structured/in-depth interview is used to interview Y

number of respondents. Secondly, X number of self-

administrated questionnaire are distributed to X

number of respondents (NOT SURVEY)

4. Do not get confused with

Research Strategy…

-This is because, case study and survey are two different research strategies. -Each of them are difficult and vast enough that can take a lot of time for your study. -Imagine if you opt for survey which should be approximately >100 respondents, then you conduct -Imagine if you opt for survey which should be approximately >100 respondents, then you conduct in-depth interview on 20 respondents, you need to spent much time for data analysis (unless you want to use these two research strategies and your supervisor asks/agrees you to do so).

4. Do not get confused with

Research Strategy…

-Instead use “X number of semi-structured

questionnaire were used while Y number of self-

completed questionnaire were distributed for

these mixed methods.these mixed methods.

-Do not misuse the word “Survey” unless you

know it is one of the research strategies and you

know how to do it.

4. Do not get confused with

Research Strategy…

-If you mixing survey, case study, archival

research, then you know you have burdened

yourself much.

-Each of the research strategy is big and time -Each of the research strategy is big and time

consuming for your data collection and data

analysis.

5. Scientific Canons

-You have explained well about reliability, construct

validity, external validity and internal validity.

-Yet, most of your did not include the way “How are

you going to achieve them”. you going to achieve them”.

-If you do a case study, you should refer to the

author named Robert Yin. Without referring his

work, this means your justification for case study is

weak.

In your real field work

-Keep your mind clear how to achieve the scientific canons when you in your field work. Make sure you aware the errors, biases which you have learned from my lectures.-Besides, take note additional scientific canon -Besides, take note additional scientific canon (apart from the usual 4) that appears: #observation (ecology validity), #questionnaire (content validity, predictive validity)

In your real field work…-Avoid the errors, biases, taking notes….etc are those you need to do. -Since you know them, act and show your evaluator/supervisor how you have overcome them.-You can put them in your appendix of your real -You can put them in your appendix of your real PSM (after you have completed your field work) to demonstrate you have achieved the scientific canons successfully. -Field notes can be put in your appendix.

6. References

-Standardise the format of your referencing, and

stick to ONE TYPE only (APA or Harvard)

-Get yourself ready to justify why you have the

references made which are before year

2000/2002 (since you understand the references 2000/2002 (since you understand the references

you made should be ranged within 10 years

from 2012). Unless that is the key theory!

-Arrange your references in an alphabetical

order.

6. References…

-Although your word processor has a readied

made Harvard or APA format, do not take for

granted. Most of you who used it, ended up

with showing the format which is not consistent. with showing the format which is not consistent.

Check with the format. I have Harvard

referencing put on my teching blog. Find at the

right top of my teaching blog.

Minor errors found in your

research proposalresearch proposal

Minor errors

1. Avoid using “&”, instead “and”

2. Avoid using don’t, can’t instead do not and

cannot

3. You are encouraged to state the sources of 3. You are encouraged to state the sources of

your tables and figures

4. Do ask your supervisor to help your grammar.

Minor errors…-Initially, I allowed you to submit your Chapter 2 with few readings done. Yet, your literature review must not stop here. -At the end of your literature review, you must be able to produce the theoretical framework (appears in model, diagram, table, chart) which be able to produce the theoretical framework (appears in model, diagram, table, chart) which pulls in all the theories you will use. Therefore, until you can come up with the theoretical framework, you are advised to keep reading.

How did I mark your research proposal?

1. Abstract 10%

2. Chapter 1: Introduction 30%

3. Chapter 2: Literature Review 20%

4. Chapter 3: Research Method 80%4. Chapter 3: Research Method 80%

-where Scientific Canons takes up 40%

5. References 10%

Total: 150%, then convert to 30%

Take note

Since we are running against time, if I found

out more errors, I will launch the second

powerpoint which I will upload on my

slideshare. Do check my teachingblog for slideshare. Do check my teachingblog for

further information from time to time.

I wish you all the best for your PSM 1, seminar 1,

PSM 2 and Seminar 2.