What is a Research Proposal?
- A logical presentation of a research idea
- Illustrates the idea’s significance
- List research activities
- Describes resources needed
How does a proposal develop?
Basic Components
- Title page
- Abstract
- Introduction (Problem statement)
- Justification
- Objectives
- Literature review
- Methodology
- Budget explanation
- Action plan
- Appendices
Title Page
Title:
- Clear
- Concise
- One sentence
- Avoid
•Jargon
•Words with multiple interpretations
•Controversial terms
Abstract
- Other names:
•Executive summary
•Summary
- Purpose:
•Summarizes key information
•Research significance
•Potential contribution
Abstract Content
- Problem
- Research objectives
- Procedure and method
- Likely outcomes and benefits
- At least 1 sentence per topic
Introduction
- Purpose
•General introductory
•Magnitude of the problem
•Significance of your research idea
•How research relates to the priorities of organization?
Problem Statement
- Purpose
•Reason behind your proposal
•What you hope your research will change?
- State problem generally
•Project’s contribution to theory and knowledge of the phenomenon
•Describe the value of some concrete applications of the knowledge
Problem Statement: Checklist
- Establish the importance and significance of the problem
- Justify why it is important
- Feasible to solve the problem
- Arouse the reader’s interest and encourage him/her to read further
- Arouse the reader’s interest and encourage him/her to read further
- State the outcome in terms of human need and societal benefits
Literature Review
- Purpose
•Builds further understanding of the problem
•It indicates:
one’s grasp of the field
one’s methodological critiquing other’s research
the breadth and depth of one’s reading
Literature Review Content
- Review of literature
•Discuss studies in sufficient detail
Summarize information
Describe how study contributes to this research
Indicate how this study moves beyond the past study
•Most recent literature in content and method
Review original work (primary sources)
»Do not use outdate sources
Select only relevant literature
Use literature from other disciplines
Mention current research
- Discuss theoretical basis
Don’t include too many references and do too little with them
It is what you do with the references that is the basis for judging this section.
Objectives
Purpose
- What you plan to accomplish
- Show the reviewer that you have a clear picture
- Assess the appropriateness of the study’s methods
Objectives Content
- Specify the measurable outcomes
- Identify key study variables
- Identify interrelationships of variables
- State the expected Outcomes
Objectives as Hypotheses
- State as hypotheses
•Testable
•Translated into the research operations
•Don’t state as a null hypothesis
Objectives Format
- Are specific, concrete and achievable
- 1-2 sentences for each objective
- Ordered by importance or contribution
- Follow each major objective with its specific sub-objectives
- Avoid unnecessary wording
- Neatly flow
Methodology
- Purpose
•To describe project activities
•How objectives will be accomplished
•Describe the sequences, flow and interrelationship of activities
- Population and sample
- Design
- Data and instrumentation
- Analysis
- Work Plan
- Expected end products
Population and Sample
- Sampling plan:
•Nature of the plan
•If stratified, describe nature and rational
•If random sampling is not feasible
Provide all information about the sample
Design
- A description of the structure of the study
•Protects against alternative explanations
•Shows how the situation will be structured
Least contamination
•Control variables
What are they?
How to control them?
•Design that efficiently uses available resources
•Give priority to the most serious alternative cause of the effect
Instrumentation and Data Collection
- Data collection
•Details
- Establish validity, reliability and objectivity
- Appearing to be congruent with the constructed definition
- Validity:
Types of Validity
•Content validity
•Predictive and concurrent validity
•Construct validity
- Reliability
Types of Reliability
•Stability reliability
•Internal consistency reliability
•Equivalence reliability
Instrumentation and Data Collection :
Objectivity
- Observation scales require that all observers use them the same way so that they agree when rating the same phenomenon
Questionnaire Preparation
- Use a participatory approach
- Pre-test the questionnaire for logical flow and best method of asking questions
- Train for data collection
- Supervision of data collection
•Surprise Visits
•Recall the questionnaire during the supervision
- Data cleaning
Analysis
- Consistency of methods with the objectives
- Statistical assumptions and the data
- New statistical techniques, computer programming or other analytical tools
Procedure Section :
Limits
- Restrain Procedure and Design to Realistic Limits
•Level of resources
•Ethical considerations
•Access and cooperation to other institutions
•Time available
Work Plan
- Also known as a time schedule
- Gives a perspective of the project
- Format
•Flow charts or diagrams
•Statements of the operations
•Shows interrelationship between activities
- Demonstrates relative length of each activity
Dissemination of Results
- State anticipated journal articles, conference, and workshop presentations
•Give targeted dates
- Why important?
- Consider how the results will be used Cost of specific modes of dissemination
- Policy communication strategy
Personnel
- Director of Project
•Competence
•Relevant experience
•If lacking, highlight training that might substitute
- Other key staff members
•Qualifications
•Place 1 page CV in appendix
•Responsibilities
•Mix of expertise fits this project
Curriculum Vita
- Purpose
•To tell your education and professional experiences
•To highlight unique background and qualification
Curriculum Vitea Content
- Education
•Recent degrees first
Year conferred
Specialty
- Work history
•Relevant
•Chronologically
- Teaching experience
- Research experience
- Graduate advising experience
- Projects
- Awards
- Travel experience
- Publications
- Focused on your research capabilities
Budget
- Purpose
•Statement of proposed support and expenditure
- What it should do?
•Mirror research plan
•Credible
•Realistic
- Types of costs :
- Direct cost
Personnel
Subcontracts and services
Materials and supplies
Communications
Reports and publications
Travel
Equipment rental and purchase
- Indirect costs (overhead costs)
Cost of space
Heat/ air conditioning
Institutional administration
Accounting
Library
Basic phone service/ fax/ email
- Calculated as a percentage of direct cost
Direct Cost :
- Personnel
•Largest expense category
•Each key staff member is shown the % of time he/she will work on project over a year
- Materials and supplies
- Expendable
Stationary supplies
Duplication supplies
Audiotapes
Videotapes
Surveys
Computer supplies
- If high cost, then break into separate categories
- Communications
•Long-distance calls
•Postage
•Internet/ email connection
- Reports and publications
- Cost of producing final report
- Cost of producing reports during the project
- Include estimated page charges from journals
- Find number of copies that can be duplicated
- Travel
•In town and out of town
•Airfare
•Accommodations
•Ground transportation
•Professional conventions
•Justify foreign travel
- Equipment rental and purchase
- If unable to buy, can probably rent
Appendix
- Purpose
•To attach additional relevant information but is peripheral and not absolutely required
- Content
Why Proposals Fail?
- Procedure Section (Most common)
•Insufficient, vague or unclear description
•Discrepancies between the objectives and procedures
•Design flaws
•
- Problem Section
•Limited Significance
•Statement is unclear
•Insufficiently limited studies
•Lack of theoretical base
- Personnel
•Lack of training or experience
•Unfamiliarity with the literature or methods
•Low investment of researchers’ time
•Insufficient information on personnel and their duties
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