1. Refining Your Topic -

2. Session Overview Purpose of Proposal Ethical Issues Class Exercise: Evaluating Proposals Reasons to reject title

3. Purpose of Proposal Summarises work to be done for dissertation Focuses student at key issues in dissertation – allows you to project manage process Organises thoughts logically Allows appropriate supervisor to be allocated

4. Key Areas to Address Title Aims Reviewing Literature Method Timescales Resources Ethical Issues

5. Ethical Checklist Consider whether research: Involves children or vulnerable adults Involves other primary research: Company Consent Confidentiality Individuals –Informed and evidenced consent –Rights to anonymity

6. Class Exercise You will be a given a Dissertation Proposal In Pairs: –Critically evaluate the quality of the proposal –Do you believe that there may be ethical considerations? Why?

7. Class Brainstorm – What is wrong with these titles? Swot Analysis of McDonalds Success Factors in Mergers and Acquisitions: A Study of Asda and Walmart Why do so many mergers and acquisitions fail? Implications for company transferring operations to India

8. Class Brainstorm – What is wrong with these titles? Enron and Worldcom: An investigation Competition and Strategy of airlines Globalisation of the supply chain – effects on small businesses

9. Common Problems with Proposals Title too vague/broad Area over-researched Mergers and Acquisitions Porters Five Forces Expectations Gap The ‘so what’ factor Too specific or utterly boring Inappropriate method proposed (next session)

10. Common Problems with Proposals Inappropriate method proposed (next session) No clear idea of information sources Sensitive; Confidential; Unlikely to get response No evidence that student has engaged in appropriate reading Course textbook or ’ internet’ cited