1. IAVI/DIT BSc (Hons) in Property Studies How to complete the Dissertation Proposal Form

2. IAVI/DIT BSc (Hons) in Property Studies Dissertation Proposal Form This form is intended to help students formulate a successful proposal Please Note:  This proposal will be graded and will contribute to your overall dissertation mark.  This form must be completed and submitted by the due date (7 th Nov 09)  Dissertation Proposals Must Only be Submitted in this Format Student’s Name (Please write in capitals) Signature Proposed Title of Dissertation Proposal Status: (to be completed by Dissertation Co-Ordinator) Approved □ Not Approved □ Mark : Signature of Assessor:Date:

3. Section 1The Overall Aim of the Dissertation Explanation: The aim of a dissertation summarises the overall question that the author is hoping to address and is therefore very important. The aim of the dissertation will help determine the type of literature reviewed and the analysis undertaken. In order to assist you the following hypothetical example of a dissertation aim is provided: Example - The aim of this dissertation is to assess the impact of the abolition of the Grocery order upon the performance of Retail Grocery Anchor Stores in Ireland. Section 1.1 Please complete the following for your own proposed dissertation topic. The aim of this dissertation is to:

4. Section 2:Objectives to fulfil the aim of the Dissertation Explanation: The objectives of the dissertation summarise the steps which must be undertaken to fulfil the aim. The objectives help identify the structure and content of the various chapters of the dissertation. There are normally six or seven objectives in a dissertation but do not feel bound by this. In order to assist you the following hypothetical examples of potential dissertation objectives are provided. Example - The aim of this dissertation is to assess the impact of the abolition of the Grocery order upon the performance of Retail Grocery Anchor Stores in Ireland. For the aim above an example of suitable objectives might include:  To review the literature regarding the Grocery Order in Ireland  To analyse the viewpoint of grocery retailers in relation to the abolition of the Grocery Order.  To choose a methodology for this.  To present and discuss the results from the chosen methodology  To form conclusions based on the results and discussion.

5. Section 2.1 Please complete the following for your own proposed dissertation topic. In order to achieve the dissertation aim outlined in Section 1.1 the following objectives have been set: 1._________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 2._______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 4. _______________________________________________________________ Number of objectives can vary depending on the aim _______

6. Section 3Reasons for your topic choice Section 3.1 State the reasons why you have chosen your particular dissertation topic Section 3.2 Which areas of real estate does your topic relate to? Example planning & valuation

7. Section 4Proposed Research Methodology Section 4.1What type of empirical research do you think is best suited to your chosen topic? Please explain the reasons for your choice. You need to explain why you have chosen the methodology that you have and often also the reasons why you have not used other methods. Please note that students may choose more than one method (if they feel it is appropriate to do so) however, this may increase the amount of time required to undertake the empirical stage of the dissertation process.

8. Research Methodology UsingReason for Choice QuestionnaireYes/No Structured InterviewsYes/No Case StudiesYes/No OtherYes/No

9. Section 4.2 Please give a brief outline of contents of each chapter of your dissertation. Chapter One Typically this chapter sets out the background to the topic, the reasons why it is being investigated and the structure of the dissertation.

10. Chapter Two Typically this chapter is the literature review. It reviews in a comprehensive fashion, using academic literature as well as books and ‘popular’ sources the knowledge that has already been generated on the topic of the dissertation. Often the literature covers two main areas. The first is the results of other studies and the second is the methodology that has been used. This is normally a large and detailed chapter.

11. Chapter Three Typically this chapter describes the methodology or methodologies that are used in the dissertation to investigate the chosen subject. It is important to explain why you have chosen the methodology that you intend to use and why you do not propose to use others.

12. Chapter Four This chapter is normally the ‘results’ chapter. It contains the results of applying the chosen methodologies to the information or data concerning the topic being studied. Often this chapter will contain many tables and figures, (graphs and the like). The results from the literature may be included here. They may also be included in the literature review itself in Chapter 2.

13. Chapter Five This chapter is the ‘discussion’ chapter. The results are discussed in the light of the introduction, hypothesis and objectives that have already been outlined. It is important that only the results contained in the investigation are discussed here. Students often make the mistake of discussing material that has not been introduced before. Sometimes this chapter is merged with the ‘results’ chapter to make a ‘results and Discussion’ chapter. It can sometimes be more ‘natural’ to present a dissertation in this way.

14. Chapter Six This is the ‘conclusions’ chapter. It will set out the conclusions that are reached from the results and discussion. ‘Sudden’ conclusions that are not based on the results of the investigation should not be introduced here.

15. Section 5Review of Relevant Real Estate Literature Section 5.1Which areas of real estate literature will you be reviewing for the purposes of completing the dissertation exercise?

16. Section 5.2 Where have you read about this topic? Please detail exact references. Example: References may include textbooks, journal papers and property magazines. This section of the Dissertation Proposal has frequently been ‘underdone’ to the extent that students have had the proposal returned for further work with a score of less than 40 per cent.

17. It is most important to properly cite a good selection of about ten or twelve relevant references, with a very brief, (eg one sentence) summary of each. The references MUST be cited using the Harvard System. A note on the Harvard System appears in Appendix 1 of this proposal form.

18. Dissertation Proposal Form End