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Unit 7 Research Proposal

This document outlines the objectives and components of writing a research proposal, emphasizing the importance of clarity in defining research objectives, methodology, and significance. It details the structure of a proposal, including sections such as the title, introduction, literature review, methods, and budget. Additionally, it highlights common mistakes to avoid in proposal writing and the necessity of adhering to citation styles.

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2 views

Unit 7 Research Proposal

This document outlines the objectives and components of writing a research proposal, emphasizing the importance of clarity in defining research objectives, methodology, and significance. It details the structure of a proposal, including sections such as the title, introduction, literature review, methods, and budget. Additionally, it highlights common mistakes to avoid in proposal writing and the necessity of adhering to citation styles.

Uploaded by

mcdanwelb
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Unit 8: Research

Proposal
Objective
By the end of the unit, you will be able to
write a research proposal for your study.
Recall from previous
lecture

Research Methods
Research Method Scientific/ Interpretivist/Anti-
Positivist positivist

Laboratory Experiments √
Field Experiments √
Surveys √
Case Studies √ √
Reviews √
Action Research √
Mixed Methods √ √
Recall from previous
lecture
Types of mixed methods design
 Triangulation (concurrent) Design
 Convergent Parallel design
 Embedded Design
 Explanatory Design
 Exploratory Design
Recall from previous lecture
Types of
Samples Samples

Non-Probability Probability Samples


Samples

Simple Stratified
Judgment Random

Systematic Cluster
Quota Convenience
Research proposal
a research
What is
proposal?
 Various terminologies are used to mean a research proposal
depending on why the research is carried out?
 Research outline
 Synopsis of research
 Plan of research
 Research/project proposal
 Thesis plan
 Etc
 .. ..a blue print of future activities of a research project
 …..some sort of preconceived framework for starting the
activities
 …..deals with ideas of researcher about what research he/she
wants to do, what objectives and methodology he/she has set,
how much time and resources are required to complete it,
how the research finding are to be reported, and so on.
How to write research
proposal?

 Regardless of your research area and the methodology you


choose, all research proposals must address the following
questions:
 What you plan to accomplish
 why you want to do it and
 how you are going to do it.
Components/elements of
research proposal
 Title
 Introduction
 Statement of the problem
 Rationale/justification/significance of the research
 Scope and limitations of the study
 Review of literature
 Objectives of the research
 Operational definitions of terms used
 Hypothesis
 Methodology Used
 Time schedule/work plan
 Budget/estimated cost built up
 Organization of the report/chapter outline
 Bibliography/References
 Conclusions
 Appendix
How to write research
proposal?
 The proposal should have sufficient information to convince your
readers that you have an important research idea, that you have
a good grasp of the relevant literature and the major issues, and
that your methodology is sound.

Title
It should be concise and descriptive. Often titles are stated in terms
of a functional relationship, because such titles clearly indicate
the independent and dependent variables. However, if possible,
think of an informative but catchy title. An effective title not only
pricks the reader's interest, but also predisposes him/her
favourably towards the proposal.

Abstract
It is a brief summary of approximately 300 words. It should include
the research question, the rationale for the study, the hypothesis
(if any), the method and the main findings.
How to write research
proposal?
Introduction
The main purpose of the introduction is to provide the necessary
background or context for your research problem. How to frame
the research problem is perhaps the biggest problem in
proposal writing.

However, try to place your research question in the context of


either a current "hot" area, or an older area that remains viable.
Secondly, you need to provide a brief but appropriate historical
backdrop. Thirdly, provide the contemporary context in which
your proposed research question occupies the central stage.
Finally, identify "key players" and refer to the most relevant and
representative publications. In short, try to paint your research
question in broad brushes and at the same time bring out its
significance.

How to write research
proposal?
The introduction generally covers the following elements:
 State the research problem, which is often referred to as the purpose of
the study
 Provide the context and set the stage for your research question in such a
way as to show its necessity and importance
 Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is
worth doing
 Briefly describe the major issues and sub-problems to be addressed by
your research.
 Identify the key independent and dependent variables of your experiment.
Alternatively, specify the phenomenon you want to study
 State your hypothesis or theory, if any. For exploratory or
phenomenological research, you may not have any hypotheses. (Please do
not confuse the hypothesis with the statistical null hypothesis.)
 Set the delimitation or boundaries of your proposed research in order to
provide a clear focus.
 Provide definitions of key concepts. (This is optional.)
How to write research
proposal?
Literature Review
 most professors prefer a separate section, which allows a more thorough
review of the literature
The literature review serves several important functions:
 Ensures that you are not "reinventing the wheel“
 Gives credits to those who have laid the groundwork for your research
 Demonstrates your knowledge of the research problem
 Demonstrates your understanding of the theoretical and research issues
related to your research question
 Shows your ability to critically evaluate relevant literature information
 Indicates your ability to integrate and synthesize the existing literature
 Provides new theoretical insights or develops a new model as the
conceptual framework for your research
 Convinces your reader that your proposed research will make a
significant and substantial contribution to the literature (i.e., resolving an
important theoretical issue or filling a major gap in the literature).
How to write research
proposal?

Methods
The Method section is very important because it tells your Research
Committee how you plan to tackle your research problem. It will
provide your work plan and describe the activities necessary for
the completion of your project
 The guiding principle for writing the Method section is that it
should contain sufficient information for the reader to determine
whether methodology is sound
 Furthermore, since there are no well-established and widely
accepted canons in qualitative analysis, your method section
needs to be more elaborate than what is required for traditional
quantitative research
 More importantly, the data collection process in qualitative
research has a far greater impact on the results as compared to
quantitative research.
How to write research
proposal?
For quantitative studies, the method section typically consists of the
following sections:
 Design -Is it a questionnaire study or a laboratory experiment?
What kind of design do you choose?
 Subjects or participants - Who will take part in your study ? What
kind of sampling procedure do you use?
 Instruments - What kind of measuring instruments or
questionnaires do you use? Why do you choose them? Are they
valid and reliable?
 Procedure - How do you plan to carry out your study? What
activities are involved? How long does it take?
How to write research
proposal?
Results
Obviously you do not have results at the proposal stage. However,
you need to have some idea about what kind of data you will be
collecting, and what statistical procedures will be used in order
to answer your research question or test you hypothesis.

Discussion
It is important to convince your reader of the potential impact of
your proposed research. You need to communicate a sense of
enthusiasm and confidence without exaggerating the merits of
your proposal. That is why you also need to mention the
limitations and weaknesses of the proposed research, which may
be justified by time and financial constraints as well as by the
early developmental stage of your research area.
How to write research proposal
Time schedule/work plan
 Time line of the assigned tasks
 Time line of the resource flow – 3Ms
 Time management

Budget/estimated cost built up


 Cost built up – resource personnel, support staff, stationery,
transport, utilities, house rents, miscellaneous, etc
Organization of the report/chapter outline
 Outline of the dissertation/report
 Four major parts of the report: introductory, findings and
discussion, summary, and
conclusion
Part Desired share (%) Acceptable share
(%)
Introductory 10 15
Findings and 80 70
Discussion
Summary and 10 15
How to write research
proposal?
Common Mistakes in Proposal Writing
 Failure to provide the proper context to frame the research question
 Failure to delimit the boundary conditions for your research
 Failure to cite landmark studies
 Failure to accurately present the theoretical and empirical
contributions by other researchers
 Failure to stay focused on the research question
 Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the
proposed research
 Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major
issues
 Too much rambling -- going "all over the map" without a clear sense
of direction. (The best proposals move forward with ease and grace
like a seamless river.)
 Too many citation lapses and incorrect references
 Too long or too short.
How to write research
proposal?
Reference
Make a reference list of all the authors you cited your text.
Follow the recommended citation and reference style
 Modern Languages Association (MLA)
 American Psychological Association (APA)
 Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA)
 the Harvard system
In UCC, we use APA style

Click here to learn the APA style

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