sinono1g \Wrting a Research Proposal - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at Unversity of Southern California USC Libraries Research Guides GERD > sacuerace USC Libraries / Research Guides / Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper / Writing a Research Proposal Organizing Your Social Sciences Research _ seschthiscuide Search Paper: Writing a Research Proposal This guide provides advice on how to develop and organize a research paper in the social and behavioral sciences. Purpose of Guide Types of Research Designs 1. Choosing a Research Problem 2. Preparing to Write 3. The Abstract 4. The Introduction 5. The Literature Review 6. The Methodology 7. The Results 8. The Discussion 9.The Conclusion 10. Proofreading Your Paper __11. Citing Sources Annotated Bibliography Giving an Oral Presentation Grading Someone Else's Paper How to Manage Group Projects Writing a Book Review Writing a Case Study Writing aField Report Writing a Policy Memo —_ Writing a Research Proposal Acknowledgements htpssibguides.usc.edutwitngguidelresearchpreposal 19snono1g \Wrting a Research Proposal - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at Unversity of Southern California Definition The goal of a research proposal is twofold: to present and justify the need to study a research problem and to present the practical ways in which the proposed study should be conducted, The design elements and procedures for conducting research are governed by standards of the predominant discipline in which the problem resides, therefore, the guidelines for research proposals are more exacting and less formal than a general project proposal. Research proposals contain extensive literature reviews. They must provide persuasive evidence that a need exists for the proposed study. In addition to providing a rationale, @ proposal describes detailed methodology for conducting the research consistent with requirements of the professional or academic field and a statement on anticipated outcomes and/or benefits derived from the study's completion Xeathwoh, David, How to Prepare a Dssertation Proporal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social end Behavioral Sciences. Syracuse, NY syracuse Univeriy Pres, 2005 How to Approach Writing a Research Proposal Your professor may assign the task of writing a research proposal for the following reasons: ‘+ Develop your skills in thinking about and designing @ comprehensive research study; + Learn how to conduct @ comprehensive review of the literature to determine that a research problem has not been adequately addressed or has been answered ineffectively and, in so doing, become better at locating pertinent scholarship related to your topic; + Improve your general research and writing skills; ‘+ Practice identifying the logical steps that must be taken to accomplish one’s research goals; * Critically review, examine, and consider the use of different methods for gathering and analyzing data related to the research problem; and, ‘* Nurture a sense of inquisitiveness within yourself and to help see yourself as an active participant in the process of doing scholarly research ‘A proposal should contain all the key elements involved in designing @ completed research study, with sufficient information that allows readers to assess the validity and usefulness of your proposed study. The only elements missing from a research proposal are the findings of the study and your analysis of those findings. Finally, an effective proposal is judged on the quality of your writing and, therefore, it is important that your proposal is coherent, clear, and compelling Regardless of the research problem you are investigating and the methodology you choose, all research proposals must address the following questions: htpssibguides.use.edutwitngguidelresearchpreposal 29sinono1g 1. What do you plan to accomplish? Be clear and succinct in defining the research problem and what it is you are proposing to research. 2. Why do you want to do the research? In addition to detailing your research design, you also must conduct a thorough review of the literature and provide convincing evidence that it is a topic worthy of In-depth investigation. Be sure to answer the "So What?" question 3. How are you going to conduct the research? Be sure that what you propose is doable. If you're having difficulty formulating @ research problem to propose investigating, go here for strategies in developing a problem to study. Common Mistakes to Avoid * Failure to be concise. A research proposal must be focused and not be "all over the map" or diverge into on unrelated tangents without a clear sense of purpose. * Failure to cite landmark works in your literature review. Proposals should be grounded in foundational research that lays a foundation for understanding the development and scope of the issue + Failure to delimit the contextual boundaries of your research (e.9., time, place, people, etc.]. As with any research paper, your proposed study must inform the reader how and in what ways the study will examine the problem. + Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research. This is critical. In many workplace settings, the research proposal is intended to argue for why a study should be funded. ‘+ Sloppy or imprecise writing, or poor grammar. Although a research proposal does not represent a completed research study, there is still an expectation that it is well-written and follows the style and rules of good academic writing ‘* Too much detail on jor issues, but not enough detail on major ssues. Your proposal should focus on only a few key research questions in order to support the argument that the research needs to be conducted. Minor issues, even if valid, can be mentioned but they should not dominate the overall narrative ‘The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Sanford, Keith students: Writing a nesearch write » nesearch Baylor Univers: Wong, Paul. ®. How posal Internationa Network on Personal Meaning. rity Western University: Writing Aeademle Proposal: Conferences, Articles, and Books. the Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue Unversity: Weiting a Research Proposal University Library. University of lings a Urbana-Champaign. Structure and Writing Stvle htpssibguides.usc.edutwitngguidelresearchpreposal \Wrting a Research Proposal - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at Unversity of Southern California a9\Wrking a Research Proposal - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at Unversity of Southern California Beginning the Proposal Process ‘As with writing most college-level academic papers, research proposals are generally organized the same way throughout most social science disciplines. The text of proposals generally vary in length between ten and thirty-five pages, followed by the list of references. However, before you begin, read the assignment carefully and, if anything seems unclear, ask your professor whether there are any specific requirements for organizing and writing the proposal. A good place to begin is to ask yourself a series of questions: What do I want to study? Why is the topic important? How is it significant within the subject areas covered in my class? What problems will it help solve? How does it build upon [end hopefully go beyond] research already conducted on the topic? What exactly should I plan to do, and can I get it done in the time available? In general, a compelling research proposal should document your knowledge of the topic and demonstrate your enthusiasm for conducting the study, Approach it with the intention of leaving your readers feeling like, "Wow, that's an exciting idea and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!" In general your proposal should include the following sections: I. Introduction In the real world of higher education, a research proposal is most often written by scholars seeking grant funding for a research project or it's the first step in getting approval to write a doctoral dissertation. Even if this is just a course assignment, treat your introduction as the initial pitch of an idea or a thorough examination of the significance of @ research problem. After reading the introduction, your readers should not only have an understanding of what you want to do, but they should also be able to gain a sense of your passion for the topic and to be excited about the study's possible outcomes. Note that most proposals do not include an abstract [summary] before the introduction. Think about your introduction as a narrative written in two to four paragraphs that succinctly answers the following four questions: 1% 2 3 4 What Is the central research problem? What is the topic of study related to that research problem? What methods should be used to analyze the research problem? Why is this important research, what is its significance, and why should someone reading the proposal htpssibguides.use.edutwitngguidelresearchpreposal 49sinono1g care about the outcomes of the proposed study? II. Background and Significance This is where you explain the context of your proposal and describe in detail why it's important, It can be melded into your introduction or you can create @ separate section to help with the organization and narrative flow of your proposal. Approach writing this section with the thought that you can’t assume your readers will know as much about the research problem as you do. Note that this section is not an essay going over everything you have learned about the topic; instead, you must choose what is most relevant in explaining the aims of your research. To that end, while there are no prescribed rules for establishing the significance of your proposed study, you should attempt to address some or all of the following: ‘© State the research problem and give a more detailed explanation about the purpose of the study than what you stated in the introduction. This is particularly important if the problem is complex or multifaceted. ‘* Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing; be sure to answer the "So What? question [i.e., why should anyone care] ‘© Describe the major issues or problems to be addressed by your research. This can be in the form of questions to be addressed. Be sure to note how your proposed study builds on previous assumptions about the research problem. ‘+ Explain the methods you plan to use for conducting your research. Clearly identify the key sources you intend to use and explain how they will contribute to your analysis of the topic. ‘© Describe the boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a clear focus. Where appropriate, state not only what you plan to study, but what aspects of the research problem will be excluded from the study. ‘If necessary, provide definitions of key concepts or terms, III. Literature Review Connected to the background and jcance of your study is a section of your proposal devoted to a more deliberate review and synthesi of prior studies related to the research problem under investigation. The purpose here is to place your project within the larger whole of what is currently being explored, while demonstrating to your readers that your work Is original and innovative Think about what questions other researchers have asked, what methods they have used, and what is your understanding of their findings and, when stated, their recommendations, Since a literature review is information dense, it is crucial that this section is intelligently structured to htpsibguides.usc.eduwritngguidelresearchproposal \Wrting a Research Proposal - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at Unversity of Southern California 59sinono1g \Wrting a Research Proposal - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at Unversity of Southern California enable a reader to grasp the key arguments underpinning your proposed study in relation to that of other researchers. A good strategy is to break the literature into “conceptual categories" [themes] rather than systematically or chronologically describing groups of materials one at a time, Note that conceptual categories generally reveal themselves after you have read most of the pertinent literature on your topic 0 adding new categories is an on-going process of discovery as you review more studies. How do you know you've covered the key conceptual categories underlying the research literature? Generally, you can have confidence that all of the significant conceptual categories have been identified if you start to see repetition in the conclusions or recommendations that are being made. NOTE: Do not shy away from challenging the conclusions made in prior research as a basis for supporting the need for your proposal. Assess what you believe is missing and state how previous research has failed to adequately examine the issue that your study addresses. For more information on writing literature reviews, GO HERE. To help frame your proposal's review of prior research, consider the ive C's" of writing a literature review: 1. Cite, so as to keep the primary focus on the literature pertinent to your research problem. 2. Compare the various arguments, theories, methodologies, and findings expressed in the literature: what do the authors agree on? Who applies similar approaches to analyzing the research problem? 3. Contrast the various arguments, themes, methodologies, approaches, and controversies expressed in the literature: describe what are the major areas of disagreement, controversy, or debate among scholars? 4. Cri ique the liter: re: Which arguments are more persuasive, and why? Which approaches, findings, and methodologies seem most reliable, valid, or appropriate, and why? Pay attention to the verbs you use to describe what an author says/does [e.g., asserts, demonstrates, argues, etc.) 5. Connect the literature to your own area of research and investigation: how does your own work draw upon, depart from, synthesize, or add a new perspective to what has been said in the literature? IV. Research Design and Methods This section must be well-written and logically organized because you are not actually doing the research, yet, your reader must have confidence that it Is worth pursuing. The reader will never have a study outcome from which to evaluate whether your methodological choices were the correct ones. Thus, the objective here is to convince the reader that your overall research design and proposed methods of analysis will correctly address the problem and that the methods will provide the means to effectively interpret the potential results. Your design and methods should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study. htpssibguides.use.edutwitngguidelresearchpreposal 69‘2012019 \Witing @ Research Proposal - Organizing Your Socal Scences Research Paper - Research Guides at Univers of Southern Calfomia Describe the overall research design by building upon and drawing examples from your review of the literature. Consider not only methods that other researchers have used but methods of data gathering that have not been used but perhaps could be. Be specific about the methodological approaches you plan to undertake to obtain information, the techniques you would use to analyze the data, and the tests of external validity to which you commit yourself [J.e., the trustworthiness by which you can generalize from your study to other people, places, events, and/or periods of time]. When describing the methods you will use, be sure to cover the following: ‘© Specify the research process you will undertake and the way you will interpret the results obtained in relation to the research problem, Don't just describe what you intend to achieve from applying the methods you choose, but state how you will spend your time while applying these methods [e.9., coding text from interviews to find statements about the need to change school curriculum; running a regression to determine if there is a relationship between campaign advertising on social media sites and election outcomes in Europe] © Keep in mind that the methodology is not just a list of tasks; it is an argument as to why these tasks add up to the best way to investigate the research problem. This is an important point because the mere listing of tasks to be performed does not demonstrate that, collectively, they effectively address the research problem. Be sure you clearly explain this. ‘© Anticipate and acknowledge any potential barriers and pitfalls in carrying out your research design and explain how you plan to address them. No method is perfect so you need to describe where you believe challenges may exist in obtaining data or accessing information. It's always better to acknowledge this than to have it brought up by your professor. V. Preliminary Suppositions and Implications Just because you don’t have to actually conduct the study and analyze the results, doesn't mean you can skip talking about the analytical 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 extend existing knowledge in the subject area under investigation. Depending on the aims and objectives of your study, describe how the anticipated results will impact future scholarly research, theory, practice, forms of interventions, or policymaking. Note that such discussions may have either substantive [a potential new policy], theoretical [a potential new understanding], or methodological [a potential new way of analyzing] significance. When thinking about the potential implications of your study, ask the following questions: ‘* What might the results mean in regards to challenging the theoretical framework and underlying assumptions that support the study? htpsibguides.usc.edutwritngguidelresearchproposal 719sinono1g \Wrting a Research Proposal - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at Unversity of Southern California ‘+ What suggestions for subsequent research could arise from the potential outcomes of the study? ‘+ What will the results mean to practitioners in the natural settings of their workplace? ‘+ Will the results influence programs, methods, and/or forms of intervention? ‘+ How might the results contribute to the solution of social, economic, or other types of problems? ‘+ Will the results influence policy decisions? ‘+ In what way do individuals or groups benefit should your study be pursued? ‘= What will be improved or changed as a result of the proposed research? ‘+ How will the results of the study be implemented and what innovations or transformative insights could emerge from the process of implementation? NOTE: This section should not delve into idle speculation, opinion, or be formulated on the basis of unclear evidence. The purpose is to reflect upon gaps or understudied areas of the current literature and describe how your proposed research contributes to @ new understanding of the research problem should the study be implemented as designed VI. Conclusion The conclusion reiterates the importance or significance of your proposal and provides a brief summary of the entire study. This section should be only one or two paragraphs long, emphasizing why the research problem is worth investigating, why your research study is unique, and how it should advance existing knowledge. ‘Someone reading this section should come away with an understanding oft ‘+ Why the study should be done, ‘The specific purpose of the study and the research questions it attempts to answer, ‘© The decision to why the research design and methods used where chosen over other options, ‘+ The potential implications emerging from your proposed study of the research problem, and © Asense of how your study fits within the broader scholarship about the research problem, VII. Citations ‘As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used. In a standard research proposal, this section can take two forms, so consult with your professor about which one is preferred. 1. References -- lists only the literature that you actually used or cited in your proposal. 2. Bibliography -- lists everything you used or cited in your proposal, with additional citations to any key sources relevant to understanding the research problem. In either case, this section should testify t the fact that you did enough preparatory work to ensure the htpssibguides usc edulwritngguidelresearchproposal 89sinono1g \Wrting a Research Proposal - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper - Research Guides at Unversity of Southern California project will complement ang not just aupiicate tne errorts or otner researcners. start a new page ang use the heading "References" or "Bibliography" centered at the top of the page. Cited works should always use a standard format that follows the writing style advised by the discipline of your course e.g., education=APA; history=Chicago] or that is preferred by your professor. This section normally does not count towards the total page length of your research proposal Develops Research proposal: Writing the Proposal office of brary Information Services, Bltimare County Public Soh Caroling Typan, “Crafting & Research Propeta” The Marketing Review v0 (Summer 20:0}: 47-68; Jones, Mark “Whiting & Research ro Masterclass in Geography Education: Transforming Teaching and Learning. Graham Butt editor. (New York: Bloomsbury Academic 2615) pp. 1-127; Jun, Munamag Hanaiah. "Writing a Research Propesal International Jounal of Public Health and clinieal Sciences 1 (September/Octber 2014): 29-240; ‘rathwoh, David 8. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proporal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social end Behavioral Seiences. Syracuse, NY syracuse University Press, 2005; Proctor, Margaret, The Academie Prapasal. the Lab Roper Univorsiy Callege Writing Centre, Unversity of Torente: Punch, Keith and Wayne McGowan “Developing and Whiting a Research Proposal." In From Postgraduate to Socal Scents: A Guide to Kay Sl, NigeL. Gibert, od. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2008), 59-2; Wong, Pal TP. How ich Proposal, international Network on Personal Meaning. Trinsy Western Unversity Conferences, articles, and Books. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue Universly: Weting a Last Updated: Nov 12, 2019 1:25 PM | URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide Subjects: General neference 8 Research Help Tags: citation, writing. su © 2019 University of Southern California htpssibguides.usc.edutwitngguidelresearchpreposal 99