1) Present the research problem that will be assessed and provide contextual information that helps demonstrate an understanding of the nature of the problem.
2) Clearly state a single SPECIFIC and academically rigorous research question and hypothesis. [Note – ONE academically rich research question].
3) Explain why this case study is important to investigate. What can be learned from this situation? How the knowledge gained through the research will broaden the research community’s understanding of the topic.
4) Provide a preliminary literature review the includes at least 8 preliminary sources, 6 of which must be from peer-reviewed journals. The literature review will discuss the key concepts, theories, and paradigms related to the issue (case study) by grouping the material in relevant categories. The literature review will not be a simple listing of one article and then another article. The student is to use the Chicago citation method. Please note there are two Chicago styles including the author-date style, and bibliography-notes style. Make sure the citation style is consistent throughout the paper.
5) Discuss the theoretical framework developed out of the literature review. In this section, the student will summarize/synthesize some of the theories/models and concepts such as Grounded Theory, Rational Choice Theory, or Game Theory to assess the research question.
6) Discuss the research design (methodology) that will be used to assess the central research question. Also, the student will state a clear and concise research hypothesis based on the literature review.
Paper Format: The proposal must include a title page, abstract, introduction, initial literature review, theoretical framework, research design, conclusion, and reference page. The title page, abstract and reference page are not part of the 4-to-5-page length. The paper will have 1-inch borders on all four sides, use a Times New Roman 12-point font, be double line spaced, and not have an extra line spacing between paragraphs (no triple line spacing). The student may need to turn this off function in WORD by going to paragraph settings and select don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style. Since this is an INTL course the student must use the Chicago parenthetical citation style for the references page.