======= Date Modified 12 17 2008 16:17:28 =======
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To be honest, I'm not sure if you should be asking everyone since it's your work and your work alone. Why not grab a review article on SCA - have a read around, learn about it, consult with your supervisor, look at what kind of data you can collect.

As suggested, coming up with an end-of-year dissertation Project for an MSc is something for yourself to decide on.

Speak to your advisor about this. For my MSc dissertation all the projects were set and I had to choose the 3 I most wanted to do.

======= Date Modified 12 Oct 2008 15:38:04 =======
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It's great that you've found a topic that interests you, but you'll have to narrow it down into a viable project by thinking about it in more detail. Presumably you've done some research already to get to this point, so perhaps think about what aspect of it you find the most interesting and why. Have you spotted gaps in existing research, where you could make a new contribution? Maybe you disagree with work that has already been been done in that area, and want to offer a fresh perspective. If you want to collect data, start thinking about what exactly you want to collect - what precisely do you want to know, how would you collect it and why would this help you find answers to a question you think needs asking? Can you think of any problems you might have in collecting it, ethical, practical or otherwise?

Topics can be huge, but by thinking about an angle that you personally find really interesting and that is also an original idea in the existing field is the next stage. This is where your supervisor comes into the process, as they need to help you talk through your ideas and focus on an aspect of it that would be a viable masters project, in both its academic content and actually possible to complete within the time you have to do it. Ultimately it will have to be your own work, but they should have helped you to shape it and will be involved in assessing it.

======= Date Modified 12 Oct 2008 15:45:00 =======
======= Date Modified 12 Oct 2008 15:35:37 =======
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I'm not being rude here, BUT 1) you've asked the forum for ideas for this end-of-year project and 2) you're now asking for how to write a research proposal. Maybe it would be easier of you just cut to the chase and asked someone on here to do it for you!

That said, have you tried searching google for links/articles, or looking on amazon for related book (or even searching on here for similar questions)?

I was just going to say the same thing, Golfpro...

Nnenna, you will really have to start thinking for yourself if you want to do research, and that includes selecting your own topic and writing your proposal. It's different to an undergraduate degree. Why not give it a try? Good luck!

Hi nnenna,

usually universities provide detailed guidelines, in the form of handbooks, verbal or written instructions on such things. All schools I've attended have done that. Maybe you should check up with your school/department intranet and/or classmates, teachers dept admins etc.

On another note, this forum can go out of its way to help people out, REALLY, trust me, when people feel low, out of sync, have interpersnal or academic issues, the number of people who'll rally around with detailed postings is just unimaginable. That said, its a fair deal to bring up issues which arent this easily solved (for e,g with ones own hard work, or a little finding out here and there)...

cheers!(up)