This assessment item relates to the unit learning outcomes as in the unit descriptor. This assessment is designed to improve student learning skills and to give students experience in researching the literature on a topic relevant to the Unit of Study subject matter, critically analysing current academic papers then presenting idea or questions and expected outcomes with clarity and definition in a referenced written

report.

For this component, you will write a research proposal on a particular topic. The topic you select must be directly relevant to IS Governance and Risk.

Students can choose to write about the same case study, but the approach and the thrust of each paper must be different.

Here are some proposed topics:

1. Equifax Data Breach (2017)
2. Target Corporation Data Breach (2013)
3. Sony PlayStation Network Outage (2011)
4. JP Morgan Chase Cyberattack (2014)
5. Maersk NotPetya Attack (2017)
6. Stuxnet Worm Attack on Iranian Nuclear Facilities (2010)
7. Capital One Data Breach (2019)
8. WannaCry Ransomware Attack (2017)
9. Yahoo Data Breach (2014)
10. Marriott International Data Breach (2018)
11. Facebook-Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal (2018)
12. Home Depot Data Breach (2014)

The Key elements of the research proposal

The following elements must be included in your research proposal:

1. Introduction or background to the research problem or issue, including an

identification of the gap in the current research

1. Research question and, if possible, a thesis statement answering the question
2. Justification for the proposal research, i.e., why the research is needed.
3. Preliminary literature review covering what others have already done in the area.
4. Theoretical framework to be used in the proposed research.
5. Statement of the contribution of the research to the general area
6. Proposed research methodology
7. Research plan and outline.
8. Timetable of proposed research

1. Introduction
   • The introduction should be as brief as possible (a paragraph or two). Whatever you do, don’t ramble on for pages; you need to make this part of the proposal clear and crisp. In the introduction, you need to give a sense of the general field of research of which your area is a part. You then need to narrow to the specific area of your concern. This should lead logically to the gap in the research that you intend to fill. When the gap is identified, a research question can then be raised. The answer to this question is called the thesis statement.
2. The research questions
   • The research question may not be a question as such, but rather a statement of a problem to be investigated.
3. Justification for the proposed research
   • one page is usually sufficient for this. You need to tell the reader that the research can justified along four main criteria: (1) The size of the industry/area involved; (2) The gaps in the literature that demand attention; (3) The unusual or improved methodology being used; (4) The benefits in terms of policy and practice
4. Preliminary literature review
   • This is where you provide more detail about what others have done in the area, and what you propose to do. You need to write around 2-3 pages in which you cover the following: (1) The major issues or schools of thought

(2) Gaps in the literature (in more detail than is provided in the introduction) (3) Research questions and/or hypotheses which are connected carefully to the literature being reviewed (4) Definitions of key terms, provided either when you introduce each idea, or in a definition sub- section (5) Questions arising from the gaps that can be the focus of data collection or analysis.

1. Theoretical framework
   • The theoretical framework usually forms the final part of the literature review section. It describes the concept/theory/model that you are using in the thesis to demonstrate your point.
2. Contribution of the research
   • In this section, you outline how your research will make a change to an area of study. This is different from the justification of your research. The justification explains why the research should be done. The contribution section explains how what you will do will lead to certain outcomes. You need to outline: (1) The importance of the research outcome(s); (2) The practical or theoretical nature of the outcome(s).
3. Proposed research methodology
   • You do not have to describe the methodology to be used in great detail, but you should justify its use over other methodologies. For example, you could explain the reasons for using: (1) a certain paradigm or theory (2) qualitative or quantitative research (3) a case study of a specific kind (4) surveys, correlational experiments, field studies, specific statistical measurements, etc. (5) certain dependent or independent or moderating variables (6) a particular sampling frame and the size of a sample.
4. Research plan

• The research plan or outline can be discussed in conjunction with a research timetable. However, be aware that they have a different function. A research plan helps you as well as the reader as: (1) it gives you a framework for the direction your research will take (2) it shows the reader the project is well-organized and achievable in the time available (3) it shows your detailed research activities.

1. Research timetable
   • The timetable should indicate the weighting of each part of the proposed thesis in percentage terms, the topics covered, approximate word limit and, importantly, the approximate length of time it will take to complete them. You might consider providing a graph for convenience.
2. List of references
   • This must be provided in the usual scholarly fashion. It helps to convince your reader that your proposal is worth pursuing if you can identify literature in the field and demonstrate that you understand it. It makes a very strong impact if you can identify where there is a research gap in the literature that your proposal hopes to fill. This is your contribution to the scholarly conversation. You should use academic references (peer reviewed

articles), rather than web articles.

The final version of your paper is the polished version. You should not use a lot of small sections and bullet points in the final version. Your research proposal should present the state of current knowledge in a specific area and as such, should have a narrative that flows from one paragraph to another. You cannot achieve this with bullet points and small disjoint sections. All references included with your paper must be cited within the paper and be appropriate to the context of the citation.

• You are required to address Elements 1-10 in your final proposal.
• You are required to provide at least 10 references.
• Word limit: 2500

Holmes Institute is committed to ensuring and upholding academic integrity. All assessment must comply with academic integrity guidelines. Important academic integrity breaches include plagiarism, collusion, copying, impersonation, contract cheating, data fabrication and falsification. Please learn about academic integrity

and consult your teachers with any questions. Violating academic integrity is serious and punishable by penalties that range from deduction of marks, failure of

• Most assessments must be in MS Word format with no spacing, 11-pt Calibri font and at least 2cm margins on all four sides with appropriate section headings and page numbers.
• You must name your file with the Unit Code and Student ID (e.g. “HI5003- GWA1995”).
• Check that you submit the correct document as special consideration is not granted if you make a mistake.
• Student ID needs to be indicated on the cover page.

• All work must be submitted on Blackboard by the due date and time along with a completed Assessment Cover Page. Late penalties apply.
• Reference sources must be cited in the text of the report, and listed appropriately at the end in a reference list using Holmes Institute Adapted Harvard Referencing. Penalties are associated with incorrect citation and

referencing.

Harvard

Reference style (25%)

Sometimes

clear referencing style

Plan and/or timeline are present

but not adequate to support the project.

Plan and/or timeline are present

but not very well defined, not easy to understand.

Plan and timeline are adequate to support the

project activities, costs are reasonable in relation to the