Research paper: AN ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF PRODUCTION SHARING AGREEMENTS/CONTRACTS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Project objectives

Objectives in any form of study play such a fundamental role in providing guidance. In that regard, this part will offer enough reason for conducting the study.

Methodology

This is to introduce the reader to the methods of data collection and analysis used in the collection and analysis of data. Since this is a study that is focused on filling some of the existing study gaps, giving a layout of the methodology is critical as it details the process used in collecting the information at hand.

Outline

This is the last part of the dissertation and it gives a quick overview of the entire chapter. It offers an explanation on each and every chapter and even the preceding chapters as entailed in the study. As part of the introduction, it gives the reader an overview of what to expect and how the study is structured.

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

This is another critical part of the study. Using existing literature and internet search, it will give details information of production sharing agreements in three selected sub-Saharan African countries. Based on the information retrieved from relevant journals, this part will give a view of different authors on why these countries have chosen to use PSA over other forms of agreements. Importantly, the literature review will give information on the other forms of agreements as they have been used by the specific countries, their advantages, and disadvantages.

In this particular part, the study will focus on the reasons as to why the developing nations, more so Sub-Saharan African countries tend to use Production sharing agreements. In that regard, the study will focus on the benefits PSA brings to the developing nations economies. On the other side, the study will focus on the gains IOCs get from such form of agreements, effects it has on their performance and how they manage to remain competitive and profitable.

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

This part of the study will purely explain why the study used qualitative methods of data collection over the quantitative methods. Due to the nature of the study and timeframe, the researcher has explained reasons for choosing qualitative methods. As a matter of fact, this part of the study has put into considerations all the matters related to the reliability of the study, ethics and applicability of the findings.

Research Philosophy

This will give an overview of the research beliefs and facts that are to be incorporated in the study. It will, therefore, define the approach taken by the study in collecting relevant data for the three selected sub-Saharan African countries.

Research Approach

Since the primary mode of data collection is qualitative, this part of the study will explain the reason for adopting the deductive approach. As a matter of fact, the deductive approach will help in creating a comparison between the existing literature and the findings.

Research strategy

This is the point where qualitative data collection will be discussed over quantitative, citing the reasons for choosing one over the other. In that regard, this part of methodology has explained why this study was purely qualitative and why it was the most preferred for this particular study.

Limitations of the research

This is the part of the study that will give limitations of the study based on the method of data collection and analysis used. It offers an inherent explanation on the issues limiting either validity or even the applicability of the study.

CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS

This chapter has made use of the qualitative analysis tools to infer to the literature review and deduce some of the relevant findings. This is the most critical part of the study as it will detail various benefits of Production Sharing Agreements to Sub-Saharan African countries, effects of the agreement on the economy.  This is the part of the study that will help the reader understand how the gaps in previous studies have been bridged.

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION

Introduction

This is the part that will remind the reader of the objectives of the study, aims and purpose of conducting this particular research. It is fundamental to have the reader's mind warmed before explaining the findings relating to the data collected and analysed.

Discussion

This chapter develops analytic and critical thinking on primary results and analysis with reference to theoretical arguments grounded in the literature review. In that regard, it is the part of a dissertation that shall highlight where there are major differences and similarities from the literature or between different countries.

CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

This is the last part of the study and it is divided into two major parts. The first part is having an overview of the findings, challenges, the gaps that have been covered by the study and those that have not been covered. The other part is the recommendation which provides a relevant issue that must be covered by a researcher if a similar study topic has to be used. In this regard, it will have to focus on production sharing agreements in Sub-Saharan African countries.

List of References

This contains all the context citation as having been used by the researcher in the study.