Combating Economic Crimes in South Africa

A Critical Analysis of Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigative Techniques in Combating Economic Crimes in South Africa Guidelines for Submission of your Research Proposal Before submission, ensure that you have satisfied the following:

1. Title The title must be management related and contain the key concepts of the study. It must be specific. Avoid words like a study of an empirical investigation into and an investigation of Ideally the title should be around 8 words long.

2. Introduction Clear reference must be made to the research topic and the research problem must be introduced. You must specify what is to be expected in the proposal.

3. Background Information In this section information about the organisation under study must be discussed as well as the researcher?s role in the organisation. This discussion must occur in direct relation to the research problem.

4. Research Aim Ideally, it should be one major aim that directly relates to the research problem and be consistent with the research topic and objectives. 5. Research Objectives These must be linked to the research aim, topic, and questions  they must not be repeated study aims.

The objectives must be very specific and should be cross referenced with the research design/data collection method to ensure that relevant data is collected to address the objectives.

6. Problem Statement Use the problem background to explain the research problem in about 6 lines. The expected outcomes of the study must be emphasized.

7. Research Questions Each objective must be turned into a research question. Ensure the research questions, aims, and objectives are aligned.

9. Study Significance The value of the study should be made clear in terms of the benefits of the study in applying results through making recommendations, advancing theory, or particular research significance. 10. Literature Review A brief but comprehensive introduction must be provided explaining the research problem and what the literature review will cover. Ideally each section must be discussed in line with each objective.

This must then be linked to the research question. MBA related theory must be discussed. Students should broadly but briefly cover theories related to the research problem, but, students must select one theory.

This theory must be critically discussed and related to the organisation under study. Subsections should be linked to form a coherent argument that is related to the research question. Scan references cited and ensure that recent literature is used.

The literature should be specialist books and journal articles. Avoid reliance on the prescribed text book or course notes. Ensure that opinionated discussions are avoided. 11. Research Methodology You must clearly justify using the chosen research method using the relevant theory specific to the study. There must be clarity on the method used (qualitative vs quantitative).

The method must be aligned to the objectives and aims to ensure that the relevant data is collected. The sampling method must be clarified in terms of the sampling method, the sample characteristics, and the sampling process or procedure. It is imperative that the issue of a representative sample is addressed.

If students are using an interview schedule in qualitative research, they must show how the questions are created and provide this schedule in the appendix. If quantitative, you must show how the research instrument was created. This must then be linked to validity and reliability. You must also demonstrate that the data collected is valid and reliable. The data analytic process must be explained procedurally from the time of data entry.

The importance of the pilot study must also be clearly shown in terms of the study procedures and how the pilot study results will be used to make necessary adjustments. See previous section on what is required.

12. Ethical Considerations Ethics should be addressed from the perspective of Regent Business School as the educational institution, the organisation under study, and the participants.

13. Writing Style The following issues should be focused on: -Sentence construction, grammar, punctuation, lay versus scientific, argument coherency -All abbreviations must be introduced before they are used in the document -Quotations must be done in italics and should not form an extensive part of the review. Any quotation should be contextualized within the study.

References o Ensure that the Harvard procedure is strictly adhered to. o Cross check with bibliography and in text citations Scan the extensiveness of references and suitability ensure that reading occurs beyond the prescribed text book Presentation style 12 point font, times new roman or Arial at 1.5 line spacing, 1.25 inches margin, and justify right. Length: about 4500 words.