Research Proposal

Chapter-III

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 3.1 What is Research Proposal?
 Research proposal is a document that describes the
essential features of a study to be conducted in the
future, as well as the strategy whereby the inquiry may
be logically and successfully accomplished
 It is a plan which lays out the problem for research,
describes exactly how the research will be conducted,
and outlines in precise detail the resources (i.e. both
factual and instrumental) the researcher will use to
achieve the desired Compiled
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 Cont’d
 A research proposal, in general, is your plan which describes in
detail your study
 Decisions about your study (related with Research funding and Approvals)
are based on the quality of the proposal
 It is like a blue print of a building plan before the construction
starts
• Writing a research proposal is both science and art as a good
research proposal is based on scientific facts and on the art of clear
communication
• Writing a formal research proposal should be started by the time
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one has decided on the topic for the study
 Cont’d….
 Your business research proposal should be detailed in a manner that
tells about the methods you are going to use for achieving the
results and justifies why these exact methods are suitable for that
aim
 As a researcher, do not forget that it is extremely important here to
sound confident and give the reasonable arguments that will support
your every point of view in the research
 On average, a proposal should be prepared using between 1500 and
2000 words though there is no hard and fast rule here
 Why I need a research proposal?
 It is prerequisite for degree

 Needs approval from the committee to start a work

 It conceives the project in advance

 It impresses the senior (guide) as a potential researcher

 It serves as a contract between the researcher and

funder
 Personal interest

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 Be prepared
• To make mistakes and to learn from it.
• To write and rewrite many times.
• To spend many hours looking for information.
• To have your writing criticized.
• To feel confused and hopeless some times.

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 When should the research proposal be written?
 Preparation with the flying mind question “Why”?

 In the first few months of the year (e.g. for degree purpose).

 A substantial amount of work has to be done before a

proposal can be written (going long distance before we start
writing the proposal)
 Seek advice on your draft from supervisors and peers before
the writing of the final research proposal.

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 Before starting the writing ……..
• Do I have the clear research question?
• Have I read broadly and deeply in that area?
• Have I discussed the topic with peers?
• Have I enough time and fund to start?
• Do I feel support from faculty and friends?

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 What it should contain? Is it based on your
research question?

• What do you want to do?

• Why do you want to do it?
• Why is it important?
• Who has done similar work?
• How are you going to do it?
• How long will it take?

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 Common pitfalls to be avoided in Research
• Missing aims or purpose
• Not enough detail about protocol- write your proposal in detail so anyone
reading it can understand your plan
• Is your study significant?
– Does it answer the larger “So what” question? Why should
researchers care about this work?
• Underpowered sample size
– Describe why you are using the sample size and justify it
• Invalid or unreliable instrumentation
– Has your instrument been tested with the population you
are studying? If not, will you test it within your study?
• Improper statistics
– Are you using the appropriate statistical analysis?

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 3.2 Functions of Research Proposal
 The PRIMARY FUNCTION of your proposal is to SELL your
research idea, and to prepare yourself to do the research in a
systematic way.

 Introduces your topic and your focus

 Presents the rhetorical stance and thesis that you will develop

 Explains the significance/importance of the research

 Explains your research methods—how you will approach the project

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 Cont’d……
Lists preliminary sources for investigation, including a
bibliography with annotation/explanation

Gives a detailed timeline for this investigation

Suggests anticipated difficulties or obstacles and possible

solutions

Gives a biography of your credentials and your relationship

to this project.

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 3.3 General format of Research Proposal & its
Components

• Title of the proposal

• Background of the problem/study
• Statement of the problem
• Research objectives, questions, hypotheses
• Significance of the study
• Review of related literature
• Definition of terms
• Delimitations and limitations
• Research methods and procedures
• Expected results
• Preliminary working bibliography
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 Cont’d…..
Title of the proposal
A researcher should choose a concise title that gives reviewer a general
sense of what you are investigating. Because,
 Too long and technical of a title will not gain the reviewer’s attention or interest.
 Too short and broad a title will make the reviewer too critical of grant.
 Background of the problem/study
.
 Give the reviewer the needed information to understand the objectives and
approaches in this proposal.
 Structure the background to go from broad information to specific information
 Build up the background towards answering a specific question that is unknown.
NB:
 Do not expand background to unnecessary information that does not support the
hypothesis.
 Background should not exceed one third to one half of a proposal.
 No preliminary data generally negatively impacts the proposal in two ways.
i. No indication that the proposal will be feasible.
06/07/2024 ii. No indication the applicant canbydo
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 Cont’d……

Statement of the problem

A problem for a research can be formulated and defined looking at different
sources and materials
Potential Sources of Research Problems
 Scanning and reading published and unpublished researches
 Disagreeing with some previous researches and developing a new study
to test its findings
 Gaps in explanations or in accepted principle/s
 Questioning the validity of a generally accepted procedure/s
 Replication – Redoing the same thing with an expectation of the same
result

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 Cont’d…..
 Designing and developing of new research tools and
techniques so that checking former researches using them
 Developing new models
 Studying areas where knowledge or information is scarce,
out-of-date, or indefinite
 Attempting to deal with actual problems
 Networking or sharing ideas and information with
colleagues
 Interdisciplinary research – Cross fertilization
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 Cont’d…..
 Research objectives, questions, hypotheses
 Emerge from the Statement of the Problem
 How the research problem is to be prepared to be approached
methodologically
 A precise and formal statement
 Wording of considerable importance
 Significance of the study
 Why this study is significant?
 Why do it now?
 What will it contribute to the existing research literature?
 What implications your findings may have?
 Who will benefit from it?

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 Review of related literature
 Information concerning theory
 Information concerning methods
 Information concerning data analysis
 Strengths and weaknesses
Purposes of Literature Review
 Familiarity with the field of inquiry
 Provides a context for the proposed study
 Generation of research questions or hypotheses for further studies
 Knowledge of the methodologies common to the field
 Can reveal sources of data that you may not have known existed
 Demonstrates why it is important and timely
 To avoid or solve problems others have encountered in their research
(Limitations)
 Increase your confidence in your topic because others have invested
considerable time, effort, and resources in studying it

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 Steps in Conducting Literature Review
1. Identify a research topic
2. Identify keywords/descriptors that are useful in locating relevant
information material
3. Develop an overall search strategy for the literature review
4. Search preliminary sources
5. Select relevant primary and secondary sources
6. Search the library for identified primary and secondary sources
7. Establish a computer and paper trail including research summaries in
your own words that will be used in the literature review

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 Cont’d……
8. Repeat step 4–7 as needed to refine search
9. Develop themes/concepts that synthesize the literature
10. Relate the themes/concepts to one another through an outline
of the literature review, or a literature map
11. Produce a final literature review that structures or organizes
the literature thematically or by important concepts
12. Use the literature review to develop or refine the research
objectives, questions, and hypothesis

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 Cont’d…….
• Definition of Terms- Variety and location
 Operational definition of all the major concepts to be employed in the
study
 Should cover all the essential terms in the Statement of the Problem
and the Research Objectives, Questions, Hypotheses
 These definitions will establish the basis for the objective
• Delimitations and Limitations
 Establish the boundaries, exceptions, qualifications, and reservations
 Delimitations - Before
 How the study will be narrowed in scope
 Controlled by the researcher
 Limitations – Before and After
 Factors that will affect the study
 Not controlled by the researcher
 Should appear when imposed by the nature of the problem

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 Cont’d……
 Research Methods and Procedures
 Method (design, approach ….)
 Population /Sample to be studied
 Data collection procedures
 Data analysis

 Expected Results
 Mention the possible results of your findings

 Preliminary Working Bibliography

 Materials cited in the proposal
 Focus on quality, not quantity
 Full bibliographical details
 Style of citation/referencing
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 Factors to be Considered in Research
Factors to be Considered in Research

1
PRACTICAL 2
CONSIDERATIONS HUMAN CONSIDERATIONS

4
QUALITY
3
COMPREHENSION

5
COMPETITIVE EDGE

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 Cont’d…….

Avoid Plagiarism
 Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s ideas
or words as though they were your own.

DANGEROUS!!!
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 ! !
O U
K Y
A N
T H
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