What implications does your approach have for your research design and methods?

THE IMPACT OF LABOUR UNIONS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN MINING INDUSTRY
Research Proposal Complete a research proposal on the topic: THE IMPACT OF LABOUR UNIONS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN MINING INDUSTRY The research proposal needs to consists of a 250-300 word abstract and the proposal should be approximately 1500 words long (not including the abstract, table of contents, references and bibliography) The proposal should have the following sections and sub-sections: A. Title : THE IMPACT OF LABOUR UNIONS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN MINING INDUSTRY B. Abstract: Summary of the research topic describing the major issue(s), Your proposed methodology and possible findings and justification for the study. C. Table of Content: List of all major parts and divisions (including the abstract, even though it precedes the table of contents). 1. Introduction: What the research project is to achieve? Research Rationale (Statement of Problem) What is the underlying rationale and aim of your research? What in your experience prompted it? Why are you doing it? Objectives (Purpose of Research) What is the study trying to achieve (i.e. is your purpose to explore, describe, understand, explain, predict, change, or something else)? I am currently employed within the South African mining industry and the impact which the labour unions have on the industry and the economy as a whole seems to be significant. I would like to become an expert on the selected topic by learning more about the roles played by the different labour unions with regards to the welfare to the workers, how they are constituted in terms of rank and whether the impact they had on the economy and/or the mining industry was positive or not. Thus the purpose should be to explore and to understand the topic better. Research Question (Hypotheses) What is your research question(s)? or proposition(s)? This research proposal seeks to explore in details and provide substantial answers based on the following research questions and aims. First, to explore the roles played by the labour unions in solving issues related to the worker’s welfare To find out how these labour unions are constituted in terms of ranks and also how they use their administrative powers to address issues affecting their members To determine how they have impacted the workers salaries and welfare while at work in the mining sites. What negotiation tactics are employed and what impact these tactics had on the mining industry and the economy. Some additions can be added to the above or some alterations. 2. Critical Literature review (Indication of the literature that informs your research) This will be indicative. You will need to identify the key landmark studies in your topic area and will describe how these relate to the issues you intend to look at in your research. You are not expected to have thoroughly read and absorbed all the books and papers you discuss but you will obviously need to know what the papers are about. You will need to provide a preliminary, critical evaluation or assessment of why they are likely to be relevant to your topic Theoretical / Conceptual frameworks (Role of theory) From the literature identify working concepts/models and theoretical frameworks that you will use to guide your research – What is the role of theory in relation to your research? In what ways are you using the theories of others? Are you testing theories or building them? 3. Methodology and Methods Outline how you plan to go about doing your research. Research Design (description of proposed research – type of study) Justify the methodological and philosophical approach you intend to employ. What implications does your approach have for your research design and methods? Research Context (e.g. industry sector, organisation) What is the context of your proposed research? Key features, characteristics! Why is it a suitable context? Who will be studied? How many? How will they be selected (i.e. sampling)? Procedure (i.e. what happened from the participants perspective, ethical considerations) Consider ethics and access to your study sample. Try to anticipate any problem you might have in implementing your method. Methods for data collection Describe (and justify) the methods and techniques you plan to use to collect your data. -What sort of data will you collect? How will you collect this data? Why is this method suitable for your question? Methods for data analysis Describe (and justify) the methods and techniques you plan to use to analyse collected data. – What type of data analysis will you use 4. Discussion Significance of proposed research (Research Contribution) A necessarily preliminary statement of what you may find or demonstrate by having undertaken the research. Why it will be important and what the practical or theoretical implications might be. Research limitation What are the envisaged limitations to your research? D. Provisional work schedule A timetable for completing the research indicating the tasks necessary to complete each segment. Dont forget to include slippage time. E. References A list of all works cited in your proposal F. Bibliography This is a list of works not cited in your proposal, but which will be followed up in the main research. Presentation Style of Research Proposal All research proposals must be presented using the Guidelines as follows:- Style Guidelines: Emphasis should be made by printing relevant text in italics and underlining should be avoided in preference to bolding. First paragraphs (after a heading) should be flush to the margin with subsequent paragraphs first-line indented five spaces. Dates should be written as: 29 May 2001; a decade may be written as: 1990s; pairs of dates may be hyphenated as: 1980-1990. Single quotation marks should be used when quoting an author; double quotation marks should be used in other circumstances. Text (excluding titles) should be written using12 points font. References: Footnotes are to be avoided and should take the form of endnotes, avoiding unnecessary elaboration. Use brief parenthetical citations in the manuscript text, with all cited sources listed alphabetically in the reference section of the Paper. Parenthetical citations in the body of the text should include the name of the author of the cited material and the date of the reference, e.g. (Lowi, 1965); include page number of references to a direct quote, e.g. (Downs, 1954: 54). For multiple listings, citations should be in date order and alphabetical order within the same year; use semi-colons between citations. For multiple works which have the same author(s) and publication date, use a, b after the date of the cited item, e.g. (Coffman, 1984a). Page numbers for chapters in books are essential. Form for referencing Journal Articles: Hans, J.M. (1984), The Political Economy of group Membership, American Political Science Review, Vol. 79, No. 1, Summer, pp. 70-96. Mayer, R. and Burton, J. (1985), Distributional Impacts of Consumer Protection Policies: Differences Among Consumers, Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 12, No. 1, March, pp. 91-105. Form for Referencing Books: Aronson, J.R. and Hilley, J.L. (1986), Financing State and Local Governments (4th edition), The Brookings Institute, Washington D.C. Kare, M.T. (1984), American Arms Supermarket, University of Texas Press, Austin. Form for Referencing Edited Books: Charles, M.T. and Kim, J.C. (Eds) (1988), Crisis Management: A Casebook, Charles C Thomas, Springfield. March, J.G. (1984), Theories of Choice and Making Decisions, in Lane, F.A. (Ed.), Current Issues in Public Administration, St Martins Press, New York, pp. 229-246. Form for Referencing Web: Lutz, T. (1996), ‘Leadership and Power, Reflection Paper 2, https://cbpa.louisville.edu/bruce/rflct600/lutz2.htm, (DD.MM.YYYY). DD.MM.YYYY = date of information retrieval
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