Writing a research proposal

• A research proposal is a document proposing a

research project, generally in the sciences or
academia, and generally constitutes a request for
sponsorship of that research.
• Proposals are evaluated on the cost and potential
impact of the proposed research, and on the soundness
of the proposed plan for carrying it out.

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• A research proposal describes what you will
investigate, why it’s important, and how you will
conduct your research.
• The format of a research proposal varies between fields,
but most proposals will contain at least these elements:
title page, introduction, literature review, research
design, reference list…

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• While the sections may vary, the overall objective is
always the same. A research proposal serves as a
blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you
get organized and feel confident in the path forward you
choose to take.

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• A clean, well-thought-out proposal forms the backbone for the
research itself and hence becomes the most important step in the
process of conduct of research.

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BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

• A proposal needs to show how your work fits into what is already
known about the topic and what new paradigm will it add to the
literature, while specifying the question that the research will
answer, establishing its significance, and the implications of the
answer.
• The proposal must be capable of convincing the evaluation
committee about the credibility, achievability, practicality and
reproducibility (repeatability) of the research design.

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• Four categories of audience with different expectations may be
present in the evaluation committees, namely academic
colleagues, policy-makers, practitioners and lay audiences who
evaluate the research proposal.
• Tips for preparation of a good research proposal include; ‘be
practical, be persuasive, make broader links, aim for crystal clarity
and plan before you write’.

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• A researcher must be balanced, with a realistic understanding of
what can be achieved.
• Being persuasive implies that researcher must be able to convince
other researchers, research funding agencies, educational
institutions and supervisors that the research is worth getting
approval.

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• The aim of the researcher should be clearly stated in simple
language that describes the research in a way that non-specialists
can comprehend, without use of jargons.
• The proposal must not only demonstrate that it is based on an
intelligent understanding of the existing literature but also show
that the writer has thought about the time needed to conduct each
stage of the research.

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CONTENTS OF A RESEARCH
PROPOSAL
• During the proposal stage, students should discuss their research
interests with School members, identify a research topic, conduct
preliminary literature review and develop a project proposal.
• The contents or formats of a research proposal vary depending on
the requirements of evaluation committee and are generally
provided by the evaluation committee of the school or the
institution.

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• The main contents of the proposal may be presented under the
following headings: (i) introduction, (ii) review of literature, (iii)
aims and objectives, (iv) research design and methods, (v) ethical
considerations, (vi) budget, (vii) appendices and (viii) citations.

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How to write your research proposal

• What is your research proposal used for and why

is it important?
• It is used to establish whether there is expertise to
support your proposed area of research
• It forms part of the assessment of your application
• The research proposal you submit as part of your
application is just the starting point, as your ideas
evolve your proposed research is likely to change.

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• How long should my research proposal be?
• The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit.
• A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few
pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research
funding are usually much longer and more detailed.
• Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for
your work.
• One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s
structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation,
only without the results, conclusion and discussion sections.

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LEGAL RESEARCH FORMAT-UOK
• What should be included in my research
proposal?
• Your proposal should include the following:
• 1. TITLE
• Your title should give a clear indication of your proposed
research approach or key question.

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• 2. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE
• Background or introduction section provides a description of the basic facts
and importance of the research area
• What is your research area, the motivation of research, and how important
is it for the industry practice/knowledge advancement?
• You should include:
• the background and issues of your proposed research
• identify your discipline
• a short literature review
• a summary of key debates and developments in the field
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• As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar
with the most important research on your topic.
• A strong background of the study shows your reader that your project
has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory.
• It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have
already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off
point for your own.
• In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing
conversations in the field by:
• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesize prior
scholarship
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• 3. JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
• It should illustrate why the researcher is conducting the research and
whom it shall benefit.

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• 4. PROBLEM STATEMENT
• Problem statement provides a clear and concise description of the issues that
need to be addressed
• What is the specific problem in that research area that you will address (e.g.
lack of understanding of a subject, low performance …)
• Must indicate exactly what the problem is.
• Indicate why and how it is a problem.
• Give information to support this e.g. by use of statistics
• This should be derived from background information to illustrate connectivity.
• Length: Maximum … paragraphs.
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• 5. RESEARCH QUESTION(S)
• You should formulate these clearly, giving an explanation as to what
problems and issues are to be explored and why they are worth exploring.
• They should be in line with the specific objectives and equal in number.
• Have to be numbered (1, 2, 3…..) and should be questions and not statements. .
• Note:
• Paragraphing should be consistent.
• Either leave space or indent between paragraphs.
• Spacing and indenting should not be used together.
• One sentence paragraphs are unacceptable.
• A paragraph should have a minimum of five sentences.

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• 6. HYPOTHESIS
• A hypothesis is a tentative statement that proposes a possible
explanation for a research question.
• It is a key part of the scientific method and is used to help design
studies and add to scientific knowledge.
• How to write a hypothesis in law:
1.Ask a question
2.Conduct preliminary research
3.Define your variables
4.Phrase it as an if-then statement
5.Collect data to support your hypothesis
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• What is a hypothesis used for?
• Focus research: A hypothesis helps to focus research
on a specific problem or issue
• Design studies: A hypothesis helps to design studies
that are purposeful and valuable to the scientific
community
• Test ideas: A hypothesis is tested to see if it might be
true.

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• 7. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
• Objectives provide a list of goals that will be achieved through the
proposed research.
• For example:
• What are the benefits/impact (e.g. better understanding, improved
productivity …) that will be generated if the research problem is
answered?

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• General Objective
• One general objective which should be in line with the title.
• Specific objectives
• Have to be in line with the variables the candidates hypothesize to
influence the phenomenon being investigated.
• Should be related to the general objective.
• Should be “SMART’’

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• 8. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
• Research methodology defines the research methods and logic steps
• What to do and how to solve the problem and achieve proposed objectives?
• Which research methods (e.g. survey, modeling, case study …) will be used?
• You should provide an outline of:
• the theoretical resources to be drawn on
• the research approach (theoretical framework)
• the research methods appropriate for the proposed research
• a discussion of advantages as well as limits of particular
approaches and methods
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• 9. CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE
• To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential
implications of your research for your field.
• Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.
• For example, your results might have implications for:
• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research
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• 10. PLAN OF WORK & TIME SCHEDULE
• You should include an outline of the various stages and
corresponding time lines for developing and
implementing the research, including writing up your
thesis.

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STUDY/RESEARCH
DEVELOPMENT
• GENERAL INTRODUCTION
• CHAPTER 1 PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW
• Provide a summary of previous related research on the research
problem and their strength and weakness and a justification of your
research
• What is known/what have been done by others?
• And, why your research is still necessary?
• CHAPTER II ANALYSIS
• CHAPTER III MECHANISMS/REMEDIES OR MEASURES TO BE TAKEN
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• GENERAL CONCLUSION
• RESULTS are presented and discussed by comparing them with data from
other studies.
• State whether the results agree or they differ.
• Where your results differ provide possible explanations for the differences
• Must be derived from the data in the results and in line with the specific
objectives
• RECOMMENDATIONS Should be derived from the conclusions
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• APPENDICES/LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES/ANNEXES.
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KEY NOTE ON BIBLIOGRAPHY
• All factual material that is not original with you must be accompanied
by a reference to its source.
• You should include:
• A list of references to key articles and texts discussed
within your research proposal
• A selection of sources appropriate to the proposed
research
• Your research proposal must include correct citations for
every source you have used, compiled in a reference
list.
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RESEARCH BUDGET
• If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will
have to include a detailed budget.
• This shows your estimates of how much each part of your
project will cost.
• Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will
agree to cover.
• For each item, include:
• Cost: exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification: why is this cost necessary to complete the
research?
• Source: how did you calculate the amount?
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• To determine your budget, think about:
• Travel costs:
• Do you need to go somewhere to collect your data?
• How will you get there, and how much time will you need?
• What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials:
• Do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help:
• Do you need to hire any research assistants for the project?
• What will they do, and how much will you pay them?
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