BMG871 International Business Research Skills Assignment Brief 2026

BMG871 (CRN 79255) Research Proposal – Assignment Brief

The assignment is a 4-part research proposal which outlines the plan for a ‘Pure’ research project. It is highly recommended to consider using this as a potential dissertation topic.

As a research proposal it must include the planning of primary research, but no primary data should be collected.

It should follow the format below & the assignment template on pages 2-5. Where approximate word counts are given for each section/subheading.

The template contains sections/subheadings, beneath each there is a short bullet list. This is an explanation of the information you should include within each section. All submissions must include name, student number, contents page, address sections 1-4, a Reference / AI list, and any relevant appendices.

BMG871 Research Proposal

PART 1: (Remember, you must plan to use primary research techniques only.)

Research Title

• One or two sentences. Your topic must be an international business context. You should avoid studies that have exclusive Ireland/UK focus. Introduction, Rationale and International Business Value (approx. 200 words)
• A background overview of the issue you intend to address.
• Articulate why the problem merits investigation and its significance.
• Outline the practical importance of your study to international businesses.
• Outline a literature gap. Outline how and where your study is positioned within the body of academic work (this final part is added following completion of Literature Review).

Literature Review (approx. 700 words)

• You must read the referencing/AI section on p5 before beginning this section.
• Demonstrate your knowledge of the relevant literature i.e. the key concepts and empirical articles related to your study.
• Individual theories should only be included where they are the focus of the study itself.
• How does your research relate to what has been done before in the subject area?
•  It is important to cite academically robust sources and critically review them.
• A literature review should not be descriptive. It should be analytical and evaluative in nature, comparing and contrasting opinions/sources.

Research Aims & Objectives

(approx. 100 words, designed to fill gap in literature previously identified)

• Include an aim statement: The aim of this research project is to….
• The aim statement should be broken down into 3 research objectives.
• Formulate a research question
• The research objectives should facilitate an answer to the Aim.

PART 2: Qualitative Research Proposal (approx. 1400 words)

• Specify the research philosophy that underpins qualitative research and how this will impact the research approach.
• Articulate a detailed qualitative plan for the research, how will it be carried out? This must be specific and provide detail & justifications for all decisions/content. (Avoid bullet points and lists of advantages/disadvantages etc.)
• Outline your chosen data collection instruments in detail (use examples to illustrate e.g. an interview guide) and data analysis techniques.
• Convey relevant sampling considerations.
• Consider the validity and reliability of any methods proposed.
• Discuss any relevant limiting factors to your research.
• You must include a 3-month Gantt Chart as evidence of time management planning (not included in word count)

PART 3 Quantitative Research Proposal (approx. 1400 words)

•  Specify the research philosophy that underpins quantitative research and how this will impact the research approach.
• Articulate a detailed quantitative plan for the research, how will it be carried out? This must be specific and provide detail & justifications for all decisions/content. (Avoid bullet points and lists of advantages/disadvantages etc.)
• Outline your chosen data collection instruments in detail (use examples to illustrate e.g. a survey guide) and data analysis techniques.
• Convey relevant sampling considerations.
• Consider the validity and reliability of any methods proposed.
• Discuss any relevant limiting factors to your research.
• You must include a 3-month Gantt Chart as evidence of time management planning (not included in word count)

PART 4 Conclusion (approx. 200 words)

• Students should specify and justify which methodological approach2 and methods are best suited to address the area of research in a 3-month period (approx. 100 words).
• Students should consider/identify if there are any potential ethical issues that will need to be addressed in Part 2 & 3 (approx. 100 words).

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