ARTICLE REVIEW ON RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROPOSAL WRITING

From the article The Art of Writin Pro!o"al"#

All researchers need to plan in advance of an investigation. You already started this
process when you selected your research problem, and continued it when you investigated your
sources in the literature review . A proposal writing is a document that proposes a research
project. A research project addresses a research problem. This problem is framed as a research
question for which the proposal will offer an answer or solution. The importance of writing a
proposal is clearly defined research problem (or question) is central to the success of a
research project. t helps you to determine that your project is doable before you begin writing
the proposal. n addition, if you ta!e the time to clearly describe your project in your proposal,
you will be able to write your study faster and more easily because you will have solidified !ey
elements. Also, the proposal writing can be used as a guide to help you stay on trac! while
writing your topic.
To write a good proposal ta!es a long time. "tart early. #egin thin!ing about your
topic well in advance and ma!e it a habit to collect references while you wor! on other tas!s.
$rite a first draft at least three months in advance, revise it, show it to colleagues. %et it gather
a little dust, collect colleagues& comments, revise it again. f you have a chance, share it with a
seminar or similar group' the debate should help you anticipate what reviewers will eventually
thin!. (evise the te)t again for substance. *o over the language, style, and form. (esharpen
your opening paragraph or first page so that it drives home e)actly what you mean as effectively
as possible.
The first part of writing your own research proposal is dealing with the introductory
material. +se the planning guide document that you have saved to your computer to help you
to trac! your ideas and decisions as you move through each section of the
paper. n completing this sequence of activities, not only will your research proposal be well,
prepared and thought out, you will have the opportunity to apply your newly acquired !nowledge
of research methodology and the underlying structure of a research proposal. According to this
article, a proposal&s overt function is to persuade a committee of scholars that the project shines
with the three !inds of merit all disciplines value, namely, conceptual innovation, methodological
rigor, and rich, substantive content. #ut to ma!e these points stic!, a proposal writer needs a
feel for the unspo!en customs, norms, and needs that govern the selection process itself. These
are not really as arcane or ritualistic as one might suspect. -or the most part, these customs
arise from the committee&s efforts to deal in good faith with its own problems. incomprehension
among disciplines, wor! overload, and the problem of equitably judging proposals that reflect
unli!e social and academic circumstances.( Pr$e%or"&i an' Fran& Salomon()**+
(emember that most proposals are reviewed by multidisciplinary committees. A
reviewer studying a proposal from another field e)pects the proposer to meet her halfway. After
all, the reader probably accepted the committee appointment because of the e)citement of
surveying other people&s ideas. /er only reward is the chance that proposals will provide a
lucidly,guided tour of various disciplines& research frontiers. 0on&t cheat the reviewer of this by
inflicting a tiresome tre! through the duller idiosyncrasies of your discipline. 1any disciplines
have parochial traditions of writing in pretentious jargon. You should avoid jargon as much as
you can, and when technical language is really needed, restrict yourself to those new words and
technical terms that truly lac! equivalents in common language. Also, !eep the spotlight on
ideas. An archeologist should argue the concepts latent in the ceramic typology more than the
typology itself, a historian the tendency latent in the mass of events, and so forth. $hen
additional technical material is needed, or when the argument refers to comple) ancillary
material, putting it into appendices decongests the main te)t. 1eaning , Your proposal should
tell the committee not only what will be learned as a result of your project, but what will be
learned that somebody else does not already !now. t is essential that the proposal summari2e
the current state of !nowledge and provide an up,to,date, comprehensive bibliography. #oth
should be precise and succinct.
They need not constitute a review of the literature but a sharply focused view of the
specific body or bodies of !nowledge to which you will add. 3ommittees often treat
bibliographies as a sign of seriousness on the part of the applicant, and some members will put
considerable effort into evaluating them. A good bibliography testifies that the author did enough
preparatory wor! to ma!e sure the project will complement and not duplicate other people&s
efforts. 1any proposals fail because the references are incomplete or outdated. 1issing even a
single reference can be very costly if it shows failure to connect with research directly relevant
to one&s own. 4roposal writers with limited library resources are urged to correspond with
colleagues and libraries elsewhere in the early stages of research planning. (esource guides
such as 0issertation Abstracts nternational and "ocial "cience 4eriodical nde) are highly
recommended. -or many disciplines, annual reviews (e.g., Annual (eview of Anthropology)
offer state,of,the,art discussions and rich bibliographies. "ome disciplines have
bibliographically,oriented journals, for e)ample (eview of 5conomic %iterature and
3ontemporary "ociology.
"pecify Your 6bjectives
A well,composed proposal, li!e a sonata, usually ends by alluding to the original theme.
/ow will research procedures and their products finally connect with the central question7 /ow
will you !now if your idea was wrong or right7 n some disciplines this imperative traditionally
means holding to the strict canon of the falsifiable hypothesis. $hile respecting this canon,
committee members are also open to less formal approaches. $hat matters is to convince
readers that something is genuinely at sta!e in the inquiry, that it is not tendentiously moving
toward a preconceived end, and that this leaven of the un!nown will yield interesting, orderly
propositions.
4roposals should normally describe the final product of the project. an article, boo!,
chapter, dissertation, etc. f you have specific plans, it often helps to spell them out, because
specifying the !ind of journal in which you hope to publish, or the !ind of people you hope to
address, will help readers understand what might otherwise loo! li!e merely odd features of the
proposal. $hile planning and drafting your proposal, you should !eep in mind the program
guidelines and application procedures outlined in the brochure specific to the 3ouncil program
to which you are applying. f you have specific questions about the program, you may wish to
consult with a staff member. Your final proposal should include all requested enclosures and
appendices.
A research proposal is intended to convince others that you have a worthwhile research
project and that you have the competence and the wor!,plan to complete it. #roadly the
research proposal must address the following questions regardless of your research area and
the methodology you choose. $hat you plan to accomplish, why do you want to do it and how
are you going to do it.
0escribe Your 1ethodology
1ethodological canons are largely discipline,specific and vary widely even within some
disciplines. #ut two things can safely be said about methodological appeal. -irst, the proposal
must specify the research operations you will underta!e and the way you will interpret the
results of these operations in terms of your central problem. 0o not just tell what you mean to
achieve, tell how you will spend your time while doing it. "econd, a methodology is not just a list
of research tas!s but an argument as to why these tas!s add up to the best attac! on the
problem. An agenda by itself will normally not suffice because the mere listing of tas!s to
perform does not prove that they add up to the best feasible approach. Thi" "ection m,"t -e
%ell.%ritten an' loicall/ orani$e' -eca,"e /o, are not act,all/ 'oin the re"earch. As
a consequence, the reader will never have a study outcome from which to evaluate whether
your methodological choices were the correct ones. The objective here is to ensure that the
reader is convinced that your overall research design and methods of analysis will correctly
address the research problem. Your design and methods should be absolutely and
unmista!ably tied to the specific aims of your study. 0escribe the overall research design by
building upon and drawing e)amples from your review of the literature. #e specific about the
methodological approaches you plan to underta!e to collect information, about the techniques
you would use to analy2e it, and about the tests of e)ternal validity to which you commit yourself
8i.e., the trustworthiness by which you can generali2e from your study to other people, places or
times9.
When 'e"cri-in the metho'" /o, %ill ,"e( -e ",re to co0er the"e i"",e"1
"pecify the research operations you will underta!e and the way you will interpret the
results of these operations in relation to your research problem. 0on&t just describe what you
intend to achieve from applying the methods you choose, but state how you will spend your
time while doing it.
:eep in mind that a methodology is not just a list of research tas!s' it is an argument as
to why these tas!s add up to the best way to investigate the research problem. This is an
important point because the mere listing of tas!s to perform does not demonstrate that they
add up to the best feasible approach.
#e sure to anticipate and ac!nowledge any potential barriers and pitfalls in carrying out
your research design and e)plain how you plan to get around them.
The author also signifies that a research design proposing comparison between cases often has
special appeal. n a certain sense all research is comparative because it must use, implicitly or
e)plicitly, some point of reference. 1a!ing the comparison e)plicit raises its value as scientific
inquiry. n evaluating a comparative proposal, readers as! whether the cases are chosen in
such a way that their similarities and differences illuminate the central question. And is the
proposer in a position to e)ecute both legs of the comparison7 $hen both answers are positive,
the proposal may fare particularly well.
The proposal should prove that the researcher either possesses, or cooperates with people who
possess, mastery of all the technical matters the project entails. -or e)ample, if a predominantly
literary project includes an inquiry into the influence of the Tupian language on rural #ra2ilian
4ortuguese, the proposal will be chec!ed for the author&s bac!ground in linguistics and;or ndian
languages, or the author&s arrangements to collaborate with appropriate e)perts.
n addition to the authors idea, they clearly stated that we have to consider the elements
in writing our proposal and selecting our research design. -irst is the 23 Title1 t should be
concise and descriptive. t must be informative and catchy. An effective title not only pric!<s the
readers interest, but also predisposes him;her favorably towards the proposal. 6ften titles are
stated in terms of a functional relationship, because such titles clearly indicate the independent
and dependent variables. The title may need to be revised after completion of writing of the
protocol to reflect more closely the sense of the study. "econd is the A-"tract1 t is a brief
summary of appro)imately =>> words. t should include the main research question, the
rationale for the study, the hypothesis (if any) and the method. 0escriptions of the method may
include the design, procedures, the sample and any instruments that will be used. t should
stand on its own, and not refer the reader to points in the project description. Third is
Intro',ction1 The introduction provides the readers with the bac!ground information. ts
purpose is to establish a framewor! for the research, so that readers can understand how it
relates to other research. t should answer the question of why the research needs to be done
and what will be its relevance. t puts the proposal in conte)t. 6f course the introduction
typically begins with a statement of the research problem in precise and clear terms The
importance of the statement of the research problem. The statement of the problem is the
essential basis for the construction of a research proposal (research objectives, hypotheses,
methodology, wor! plan and budget etc). t is an integral part of selecting a research topic. t will
guide and put into sharper focus the research design being considered for solving the problem.
t allows the investigator to describe the problem systematically, to reflect on its importance, its
priority in the country and region and to point out why the proposed research on the problem
should be underta!en. t also facilitates peer review of the research proposal by the funding
agencies. 6ne of the article which is closely related to the authors< idea is that supports the idea
that Then it is necessary to provide the conte)t and set the stage for the research question in
such a way as to show its necessity and importance. This step is necessary for the investigators
to familiari2e themselves with e)isting !nowledge about the research problem and to find out
whether or not others have investigated the same or similar problems. This step is
accomplished by a thorough and critical review of the literature and by personal communication
with e)perts. t helps further understanding of the problem proposed for research and may lead
to refining the statement of the problem, to identify the study variables and conceptuali2e their
relationships, and in formulation and selection of a research hypothesis. t ensures that you are
not ?re,inventing the wheel? and demonstrates your understanding of the research problem. t
gives due credit to those who have laid the groundwor! for your proposed research. n a
proposal, the literature review is generally brief and to the point. The literature selected should
be pertinent and relevant. -ourth is O-4ecti0e"1 (esearch objectives are the goals to be
achieved by conducting the research. They may be stated as @general< and @specific<.
The general objective of the research is what is to be accomplished by the research project, for
e)ample, to determine whether or not a new vaccine should be incorporated in a public health
program. "i)th is Varia-le"1 0uring the planning stage, it is necessary to identify the !ey
variables of the study and their method of measurement and unit of measurement must be
clearly indicated. -our types of variables are important in research.
a. ndependent variables. variables that are manipulated or treated in a study in order to see
what effect differences in them will have on those variables proposed as being dependent on
them. The different synonyms for the term @independent variable< which are used in literature
are. cause, input, predisposing factor, ris! factor, determinant, antecedent, characteristic and
attribute.
b. 0ependent variables. variables in which changes are results of the level or amount of the
independent variable or variables.
"ynonyms. effect, outcome, consequence, result, condition, disease.
c. 3onfounding or intervening variables. variables that should be studied because they may
influence or @mi)< the effect of the independent variables. -or instance, in a study of the effect of
measles (independent variable) on child mortality (dependent variable), the nutritional status of
the child may play an intervening (confounding) role.
d. #ac!ground variables. variables that are so often of relevance in investigations of groups or
populations that they should be considered for possible inclusion in the study. -or e)ample se),
age, ethnic origin, education, marital status, social status etc. "even, 5,e"tion" an'6 or
h/!othe"e"1 f you as a researcher !now enough to ma!e prediction concerning what you are
studying, then the hypothesis may be formulated. A hypothesis can be defined as a tentative
prediction or e)planation of the relationship between two or more variables. n other words, the
hypothesis translates the problem statement into a precise, unambiguous prediction of e)pected
outcomes. /ypotheses are not meant to be hapha2ard guesses, but should reflect the depth of
!nowledge, imagination and e)perience of the investigator. n the process of formulating the
hypotheses, all variables relevant to the study must be identified. The hypothesis guides us on
the selection of a certain design, observations and methods of researching over others.
H/!othe"e" can -e create' a" fo,r &in'" of "tatement"3
A. Literar/ n,llBa Cno differenceD form in terms of theoretical constructs.
-or e)ample, CThere is no relationship between support services and academic
persistence of nontraditional,aged college women.D 6r, CThere is no difference in
school achievement for high and low self,regulated students.D
E. O!erational n,llBa Cno differenceD form in terms of the operation required to
test the hypothesis.
-or e)ample, CThere is no relationship between the number of hours
nontraditional,aged college women use the student union and their persistence
at the college after their freshman year.D 6r, CThere is no difference between the
mean grade point averages achieved by students in the upper and lower
quartiles of the distribution of the "elf,regulated nventory.D
The operational null is the most used form for hypothesis,writing.
=. Literar/ alternati0eBa form that states the hypothesis you will accept if the null
hypothesis is rejected, stated in terms of theoretical constructs. n other words,
this is usually what you hope the results will show.
-or e)ample, CThe more that nontraditional,aged women use support services,
the more they will persist academically.D 6r, C/igh self,regulated students will
achieve more in their classes than low self,regulated students.D
F. O!erational alternati0eB"imilar to the literary alternative e)cept that the
operations are specified.
-or e)ample, CThe more that nontraditional,aged college women use the student
union, the more they will persist at the college after their freshman year.D 6r,
C"tudents in the upper quartile of the "elf,regulated nventory distribution achieve
significantly higher grade point averages than do students in the lower quartile.D
(egardless of which is selected, questions or hypotheses, this element of the research
proposal needs to be as specific as possible in whatever field of study you are
investigating. t should be realistic and feasible, and be formulated with time and
resource constraints in mind.
#ased on previous theory and research, research questions are formulated, which are
CtranslatedD into hypothesis, which, by turn, are tested using a sample in order to ma!e
inferences for the whole population. %ast is the 7etho'olo/ ( the method section is very
important because it tells your research 3ommittee how you plan to tac!le your research
problem. The guiding principle for writing the 1ethods section is that it should contain sufficient
information for the reader to determine whether the methodology is sound. "ome even argue
that a good proposal should contain sufficient details for another qualified researcher to
implement the study. ndicate the methodological steps you will ta!e to answer every question
or to test every hypothesis illustrated in the Guestions;hypotheses section. t is vital that you
consult a biostatistician during the planning stage of your study, to resolve the methodological
issues before submitting the proposal.
Hust because you don&t have to actually conduct the study and analy2e the results, it
doesn&t mean that you can s!ip tal!ing about the process and potential implications. The
purpose of this section is to argue how and in what ways you believe your research will refine,
revise, or e)tend e)isting !nowledge in the subject area under investigation. 0epending on the
aims and objectives of your study, describe how the anticipated results of your study will impact
future scholarly research, theory, practice, forms of interventions, or policy. Iote that such
discussions may have either substantive 8a potential new policy9, theoretical 8a potential new
understanding9, or methodological 8a potential new way of analy2ing9 significance.
The conclusion reiterates the importance or significance of your proposal and provides a
brief recap of the entire study. This section should be only one or two paragraphs long,
emphasi2ing why your research study is unique, why it advances !nowledge, and why the
research problem is worth investigating.
As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used in composing
your proposal. n a standard research proposal, this section can ta!e two forms, so consult with
your professor about which one is preferred.
A. Reference" .. lists only the literature that you actually used or cited in your proposal.
E. 8i-liora!h/ .. lists everything you used or cited in your proposal with additional
citations of any !ey sources relevant to understanding the research problem. (:rathwohl,
0avid (, E>>J)
:eep a running list of all references as you wor! through the proposal. You will need to
have this list to avoid plagiarism and chances are you will need to go bac! to certain
references throughout the entire research e)perience. This includes all te)tboo!s,
reference boo!s, journal articles, nternet sources, etc. +se the appropriate form of
citations for your field.
t is also important to note that connecte' to the -ac&ro,n' an' "inificance of /o,r
"t,'/ i" a more 'eli-erate re0ie% an' "/nthe"i" of !rior "t,'ie" relate' to the re"earch
!ro-lem ,n'er in0e"tiation3 The purpose here is to place your project within the larger whole
of what is currently being e)plored, while demonstrating to your readers that your wor! is
original and innovative. Thin! about what questions other researchers have as!ed, what
methods they&ve used, and what is your understanding of their findings. Assess what you
believe is still missing, and state how previous research has failed to e)amine the issue that
your study addresses.
"ince a literature review is information dense, it is crucial that this section is intelligently
structured to enable a reader to grasp the !ey arguments underpinning your study in relation to
that of other researchers. A good strategy is to brea! the literature into ?conceptual categories?
8themes9 rather than systematically describing materials one at a time. Your literature review
is already completed ("tep =) and can be included here. The literature review develops
broad ideas of what is already !nown in a field, and what questions are still
unanswered. This process will assist you in furthering narrowing the problem for
investigation, and will highlight any theories that may e)ist to support developing
hypotheses. You must show that you have loo!ed through the literature and have found
the latest updates in your field of study in order for a proposal to be convincing to an
audience. This process also helps you to be sure that your investigation is not just
Creinventing the wheel.D A discussion of the present understanding and;or state of
!nowledge concerning the problem or issue sets the conte)t for your investigation.
REFERENCES
-athalla 1-, -athalla 11. A practical guide for health researchers. $/6 (egional 4ublications,
5astern 1editerranean. "eries =>. n. $/6 E>>F.
:rathwohl, 0avid (. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in
Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences. "yracuse, IY. "yracuse +niversity 4ress,
E>>J.
42rewors!i, Adam and "alomon, -ran!, On the Art of Writing Proposals ("ocial "cience
(esearch 3ouncil, AKKJ rev., AKLL).
Traen!el H(, $allen I5. /ow to design and evaluate research in education. 6n line learning
center with power web. Available at www.highered.mcgraw,
hill.com;sites;>>MEKLA=NK;studentOview>;chapterEF;!eyOterms.htmlAccessed Hune AL, E>>L.
$ong 4. /ow to write research proposal. nternational networ! on 4ersonal meaning. Available
atwww.meaning.ca;archivesAccessed Hune AL, E>>L.