Present a formal research proposal to our IRS client to include a written report and a presentation.  Recall that the issue throughout this semester has been with regard to how the VITA and TCE programs should be promoted via an advertising poster.  Your proposed research should investigate issues of how, what, when, and where of a promotional campaign that uses a poster. 

Your research proposal should include two phases of research (no more, no less).  For example, you might propose the conduct of an exploratory focus group study followed by a closed-ended mail survey, you might propose a content analysis of public product comments followed by a focus group study, you might propose an initial TDI followed by a larger IDI study, etc. 

Whatever pair of studies you propose, your proposal should make it clear to our client that these studies would be thorough in answering questions regarding the best way to run a poster campaign.  Given that our client is less familiar with the research process than example proposals have presumed, your proposal should provide enough details that anyone who is unfamiliar with with this project would be able to understand the problem and the proposed research methodology, analysis, and deliverables. 

Since this is a client that we can trust not to steal a research proposal without hiring us, submit proposed screeners, topic guides, survey forms, or other instruments that would be used in your study as appendices. 

Also submit your internal budget worksheet as an appendix with enough details that our client could understand it.  For your budget worksheet, use costs associated with our non-existent research facility and assume (pretend) that the facility exists; if you need a cost that we haven't discussed, then ask me to give you one.  A budget that is unrealistic, doesn't make sense, or doesn't match your price quote will have a heavy impact on your grade (an uncompetitively high price or a price that doesn't cover costs could get you fired from a real research firm).  Note that I do not need a Gantt table or chart; your proposed timeline should make sense by itself.

From past assignments, you are expected to now be familiar with how a research proposal for a practitioner project is formatted.  You will therefore not be provided with a template this time -- this project is designed in part to see if you can tie together insights, skills, and techniques that are needed to do real-world work.  Note that you will be quoting a single price to the client that is inclusive of a two-study project. 

If you are in class when this project is discussed, you may work in a team of two if you want (or as an individual if you prefer).  If you were not in class, then (A) be on warning that this project is worth thirty percent of your final grade and I won't have any sympathy if you don't know what you are expected to do for our real-world client, and (B) you will not be allowed to work as part of a team.