Details of the Assignment – Research Proposal
You are expected to develop a research proposal. A research proposal provides the
background, the issues (research problems and questions), the theoretical base, the
methodology and the timeline of the research. In this assignment you are required to focus on
the general concept of ‘technology adoption’ in the Singapore context. (Please note that in
your final year dissertation you may choose a different topic and context; this topic and context
have been chosen purely for the purpose of this assessment).
For this assessment your discussion must include:
 An introduction that sets the scene and informs the reader of the specific topic within
technology adoption to be addressed in your discussion.
 Some background information of the context, for example information about a specific
field (e.g. hotels, universities, hospitals, supermarkets, transport, banks, theme parks
etc.) in Singapore, including statistics. Use databases like the Marketline/Mintel to
access such reports on the industry.
 A brief literature review should be presented; this should highlight the main theories and
concepts associated with this topic. The literature should be clearly linked to the critical
issues under discussion. Highlight the main debates and gaps around the issue of
technology adoption, clearly indicating how your study would address these gaps. Your
discussion must clearly identify a specific issue that your study will be addressing
concerning technology adoption and justify why this issue is pertinent and worth
researching further. Credit will be given for originality of the research idea and clearly
defined scope and research boundaries
 You are required to read peer reviewed academic journals and other similar resources to
identify the theoretical debates and gaps around technology adoption. Some useful journal
articles have been listed in the module outline; do ensure that you read these as well as
other relevant ones.
 Once you have clearly identified the gaps in the literature you must clearly state the research
objectives and the research questions that will be addressed by your study (3-5 of them).
These must be clearly derived from the gaps noted in the literature.
 You must also provide suggested potential theoretical contributions that could emerge from
your study, based on the gaps that you are addressing. Ensure that the significance and
rationale for the research is clearly explained and there is evidence of originality in
developing a potential research topic. Also indicate the significance of your study to other
stakeholders; for example why is your study important for managers or policy makers?
 You also need to suggest the research method (s) that would be used for the study, and