Learning Objectives

 Explain the function, purpose, and components of a research proposal.

 Describe methods of writing a research proposal.
 

A research proposal is really a request for support that attempts to convince others that you have a worthy project and a well-designed plan to carry
out that project. There are many types of proposals and reasons that researchers need to submit a proposal.  For example, a graduate student may
need to submit a proposal to their faculty mentor to have his or her research approved.  A researcher may need to submit a proposal in order to seek
funding or support for a project.  Regardless of the type of proposal, the area of research, or the methodology, all research proposals should
describe what you want to do, whyyou want to do it, and how you plan to do it.

A high quality proposal is critical to gaining support for the project and getting it started.  Great research projects may never receive support and run
the risk of rejection due to a poorly written proposal. The following list provides an overview of the basic components of a research proposal.  The
resource links on this page provide in-depth information about each component of the proposal as well as tips for preparing high quality proposals.

Components of a Research Proposal

 Title:   Should be clear and concise and the most important words should be first. The title should also be descriptive and may even
contain information about the variables/relationships that will be studied.  The title should catch the reader's interest.  Example:  The impact
of problem-based learning strategies on test scores in a physics classroom.
 Abstract:  Is an effective summary of the project that should include the research question, the rationale for the project, the objectives of
the project and a short description of the overall research design and methodology.  Proposals are often pre-screened using the abstract,
therefore, it is an important piece. Abstracts are often limited in length to approximately 300 words, therefore, it is important to be clear and
concise.
 Introduction:  Should include a statement of the research problem and should frame the research question, providing the necessary
context or background for the question.  This section should address the significance of the project and it is often helpful to provide historical
background information to accomplish this goal.  The introduction also includes major issues or sub-issues and any hypotheses that have
been formed.  The introduction sets the stage for the reader in terms of understanding the importance of the project.
 Literature Review:  This section should be an organized, focused review of the work that has been previously done the research topic. 
The literature review will demonstrate to readers that the researcher is not repeating previous research, but rather is asking a new question
that will expand the knowledge base of this topic in a meaningful way.  The review should demonstrate to the reader that the researcher is
knowledgeable about the topic has critically evaluated previous work.  The literature review will also give credits to those have done the
groundwork on this particular topic.
 Methods:  This should be a comprehensive explanation of the research design.  The Methods section needs to provide enough detail for a
reviewer to evaluate whether or not it is sound methodology.  It should demonstrate that the researcher understands the problem and has
developed a procedure that is focused and will meet the research objectives.
 Results:  Obviously, there are no results to present with the proposal.  However, the researcher should discuss the type of data that will
be collected and how it analyzed.
 Discussion/Conclusion:  This section should communicate to the reader the importance or significance of the research and how it will
contribute to the field.  If the proposal is a request for funding, this section may important in convincing the reader of the value of the
project.
 References:  Should be formatted correctly and follow the guidelines for the style chosen.
 Personnel and Budget:  These sections are only necessary if the proposal is a request for funding.  Funding agencies and sponsors often
have guidelines regarding how to present this information.

https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/tutorials/researchproposal

20. Objective data gathered through observation

Empirical Data

22. The usefulness of an instrument in measuring a particular circumstance

Validity

23. Name two types of research designs

- Descriptive
- Experimental
- Quasi Experimental 
- Correlational

24.  type of research in which researcher controls the independent variables and the subjects are
randomly assigned to different conditions
Experimental Research

25.  The degree in which an instrument obtains consistent responses

Reliability

 The null hypothesis represents which of the following statements?

o A. 
No relationship between the variables under study
o B. 
A positive relationship between the independent and dependent variables
o C. 
A negative relationship between the independent and dependent variables
o D. 
A difference between the variables under study

  

1. Narrowing the topic for a research essay should be done

 a) before you begin any research
 b) after you have finished your research
 c) before you begin research or as you conduct preliminary research
 d) at any time before your first draft
Which of the following is true of the scientific method of inquiry?
o A. 
Complete once the hypothesis has been tested
o B. 
Will vary depending on the specific research question
o C. 
 Systematic process that is used to answer questions
o D. 
Different in basic research than in applied research

Identify and select the correct order of steps in scientific inquiry (note:  these are not
ALL of the steps in the process)
o A. 
Formulating a hypothesis, collecting relevant information, testing the
hypothesis, working with the hypothesis
o B. 
Reconsidering the theory, asking new questions, identifying the important
factors, collecting relevant information
o C. 
Asking the question, identifying the important factors, asking new questions,
testing the hypothesis
o D. 
Asking new questions, reconsidering the theory, working with the hypothesis,
testing the hypothesis
Question 1:
Which of the following statements best describes a summary? 
 a) It includes all of the selected passage put in your own words.
 b) It includes the main idea(s) of a source put in your own words.
 c) It includes the main idea(s) of a source using primarily the language of the source.
 d) It includes both main and supporting points but must be shorter than the original.

Question 2:
Which of the following examples is not an example of a summary?
 a) An abstract
 b) A paraphrase
 c) An annotated bibliography
 d) All of the above are examples of summaries.

Question 3:
Being concise in summaries is crucial because
 a) it helps you to be more concise in other writing tasks
 b) concise writing enables you to include more points in your summary
 c) concise writing will make it easier for your reader to understand your summary
 d) All of the above are important factors in summaries.

Question 4:
Which of the following statements is true of a précis summary? 
 a) It begins with a generalization about the source.
 b) The points are in a different order from those of the source.
 c) It includes some analysis of the source.
 d) Details, such as examples, are not included.

Question 5:
Which of the following actions would not be considered a good strategy for précis writing?
 a) Start by placing parentheses around unimportant details and examples.
 b) Ensure that you include one main point per paragraph. 
 c) Identify any summaries within the source text. 
 d) After identifying the thesis, find other points you can directly connect to it.

Question 6:
Narrowing the topic for a research essay should be done
 a) before you begin any research
 b) after you have finished your research
 c) before you begin research or as you conduct preliminary research
 d) at any time before your first draft

Question 7:
Good starting places for research include
 a) indexes and subject guides
 b) encyclopedias and dictionaries
 c) textbooks
 d) all of the above

Question 8:
One of the main purposes of writing a research proposal is to
 a) convince the reader that the project you propose is worth doing and that you will do it
well
 b) convince the reader that you have acquired all the knowledge required to complete the
task
 c) inform the reader about the subject and/or what has been written about the subject
 d) All of the above are functions of research proposals.

Question 9:
The two parts of a research proposal should include, at a minimum,
 a) the kinds of sources you will use and specific sources you have found to date
 b) a description of the project itself, including a tentative thesis
 c) both of the above
 d) none of the above

Question 10:
A full-text database
 a) should always be preferred over one containing only abstracts
 b) usually has a wider variety of titles to choose from
 c) should be considered as a source of potential material, along with other sources
 d) includes complete texts of books and journal articles

Question 11:
The Boolean operator AND can be used to 
 a) expand your search results to include at least two terms
 b) eliminate concepts from your search results
 c) include variants of a search term
 d) narrow your search results

Question 12:
Using truncation as a search strategy
 a) will let you search for alternate spellings or other variants of a word
 b) often reduces your chances of getting "hits"
 c) cannot be used with wildcard searches
 d) all of the above

Question 13:
Advance search limiters can include
 a) date range 
 b) results from peer-reviewed sources only
 c) publication format
 d) all of the above

Question 14:
Determining the credibility of websites in your research
 a) is becoming less of a concern as website monitoring has become more widespread
 b) is crucial to a writer’s credibility because online information is easily accessible and can
be posted by almost anyone
 c) is no more a problem for researchers than determining the credibility of non-electronic
sources
 d) can be minimized if you use only Google Scholar for your research

Question 15:
The first step in assessing how or if to use a website in your research is to
 a) consider your purpose for using it
 b) determine how recently it has been updated
 c) look at the amount of space allotted to graphics and the quality of the graphics
 d) determine the number of “hits,” if this information is available

Question 16:
In general, paraphrase is used
 a) if all the content is unimportant, but it is easy to put it in your own words
 b) if all the content is unimportant, and it is difficult to put it in your own words
 c) if all the content is important, but it is easy to put it in your own words
 d) if all the content is important, and it is difficult to put it in your own words

Question 17:
When you use the mixed format method of integrating source material, 
 a) you combine direct quotation with summary or paraphrase
 b) you combine summary with paraphrase
 c) you combine two documentation formats in one reference
 d) Mixed format could involve any of the above.

Question 18:
To omit one or more words from a direct quotation, you must
 a) inform the reader in a note or parenthetical reference that words have been omitted,
ensuring that you include the precise number of words
 b) use three or four spaced dots to show where the word or words have been omitted
 c) use square brackets with dots in between to show that words have been omitted
 d) Under no circumstances should you omit words from a direct quotation.
Question 19:
In which of the following instances would you not use square brackets?
 a) to indicate a grammatical change to a direct quotation
 b) to indicate non-essential information that can be left out of a direct quotation
 c) to indicate a word or words added to a direct quotation to clarify or specify something
 d) to indicate a stylistic change to a direct quotation, such as changing an upper case letter to
a lower case letter

Question 20:
Plagiarism can occur 
 a) if you fail to cite a direct quotation taken from a source
 b) if you fail to cite paraphrased material
 c) if you fail to cite a fact or an idea that you take from a source
 d) All of the above situations provide examples of plagiarism.