Most students and beginning researchers do not fully understand what a researchproposal means, nor do they understand its importance. To put it bluntly, one'sresearch is only as a good as one's proposal. An ill-conceived proposal dooms theproject even if it somehow gets through the Thesis Supervisory Committee. Ahigh quality proposal, on the other hand, not only promises success for theproject, but also impresses your Thesis Committee about your potential as aresearcher.A research proposal is intended to convince others that you have a worthwhileresearch project and that you have the competence and the work-plan tocomplete it. Generally, a research proposal should contain all the key elementsinvolved in the research process and include sufficient information for the readersto evaluate the proposed study.Regardless of your research area and the methodology you choose, all researchproposals must address the following questions: What you plan to accomplish,why you want to do it and how you are going to do it.The proposal should have sufficient information to convince your readers that youhave an important research idea, that you have a good grasp of the relevantliterature and the major issues, and that your methodology is sound.The quality of your research proposal depends not only on the quality of yourproposed project, but also on the quality of your proposal writing. A goodresearch project may run the risk of rejection simply because the proposal ispoorly written. Therefore, it pays if your writing is coherent, clear and compelling.This paper focuses on proposal writing rather than on the development ofresearch ideas.Title:
It should be concise and descriptive. For example, the phrase, "An investigationof . . ." could be omitted. Often titles are stated in terms of a functionalrelationship, because such titles clearly indicate the independent and dependentvariables. However, if possible, think of an informative but catchy title. Aneffective title not only pricks the reader's interest, but also predisposes him/herfavourably towards the proposal.
Abstract:
It is a brief summary of approximately 300 words. It should include the researchquestion, the rationale for the study, the hypothesis (if any), the method and themain findings. Descriptions of the method may include the design, procedures,the sample and any instruments that will be used.
Introduction:
The main purpose of the introduction is to provide the necessary background orcontext for your research problem. How to frame the research problem is perhapsthe biggest problem in proposal writing.
If the research problem is framed in the context of a general, rambling literaturereview, then the research question may appear trivial and uninteresting.However, if the same question is placed in the context of a very focused andcurrent research area, its significance will become evident.
Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules on how to frame your researchquestion just as there is no prescription on how to write an interesting andinformative opening paragraph. A lot depends on your creativity, your ability tothink clearly and the depth of your understanding of problem areas.
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 abrief but appropriate historical backdrop. Thirdly, provide the contemporarycontext in which your proposed research question occupies the central stage.Finally, identify "key players" and refer to the most relevant and representativepublications. In short, try to paint your research question in broad brushes and atthe same time bring out its significance.
The introduction typically begins with a general statement of the problem area,with a focus on a specific research problem, to be followed by the rational orjustification for the proposed study. The introduction generally covers thefollowing elements:
1. State the research problem, which is often referred to as the purpose of
the study.
2. Provide the context and set the stage for your research question in such a
way as to show its necessity and importance.
3. Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is
worth doing.
4. Briefly describe the major issues and sub-problems to be addressed by
your research.
5. Identify the key independent and dependent variables of your experiment.
Alternatively, specify the phenomenon you want to study.
6. 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.)
7. Set the delimitation or boundaries of your proposed research in order to
provide a clear focus.
8. Provide definitions of key concepts. (This is optional.)
the study.
2. Provide the context and set the stage for your research question in such a
way as to show its necessity and importance.
3. Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is
worth doing.
4. Briefly describe the major issues and sub-problems to be addressed by
your research.
5. Identify the key independent and dependent variables of your experiment.
Alternatively, specify the phenomenon you want to study.
6. 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.)
7. Set the delimitation or boundaries of your proposed research in order to
provide a clear focus.
8. Provide definitions of key concepts. (This is optional.)
Literature Review:
Sometimes the literature review is incorporated into the introduction section.However, most professors prefer a separate section, which allows a morethorough review of the literature.The literature review serves several important functions:
1. Ensures that you are not "reinventing the wheel".
2. Gives credits to those who have laid the groundwork for your research.
3. Demonstrates your knowledge of the research problem.
4. Demonstrates your understanding of the theoretical and research issuesrelated to your research question.
5. Shows your ability to critically evaluate relevant literature information.
6. Indicates your ability to integrate and synthesize the existing literature.
7. Provides new theoretical insights or develops a new model as theconceptual framework for your research.
8. Convinces your reader that your proposed research will make a significantand substantial contribution to the literature (i.e., resolving an importanttheoretical issue or filling a major gap in the literature).
Most students' literature reviews suffer from the following problems:
• Lacking organization and structure
• Lacking focus, unity and coherence
• Being repetitive and verbose
• Failing to cite influential papers
• Failing to keep up with recent developments
• Failing to critically evaluate cited papers
• Citing irrelevant or trivial references
• Depending too much on secondary sources
Your scholarship and research competence will be questioned if any of the aboveapplies to your proposal.There are different ways to organize your literature review. Make use ofsubheadings to bring order and coherence to your review. For example, havingestablished the importance of your research area and its current state ofdevelopment, you may devote several subsections on related issues as:theoretical models, measuring instruments, cross-cultural and gender differences,etc.It is also helpful to keep in mind that you are telling a story to an audience. Tryto tell it in a stimulating and engaging manner. Do not bore them, because it maylead to rejection of your worthy proposal. (Remember: Professors and scientistsare human beings too.)
Method
The Method section is very important because it tells your Research Committeehow you plan to tackle your research problem. It will provide your work plan anddescribe the activities necessary for the completion of your project.The guiding principle for writing the Method section is that it should containsufficient information for the reader to determine whether methodology is sound.Some even argue that a good proposal should contain sufficient details foranother qualified researcher to implement the study.You need to demonstrate your knowledge of alternative methods and make thecase that your approach is the most appropriate and most valid way to addressyour research question.
For quantitative studies, the method section typically consists of the followingsections:
1. Design -Is it a questionnaire study or a laboratory experiment? What kindof design do you choose?
2. Subjects or participants - Who will take part in your study ? What kind ofsampling procedure do you use?
3. Instruments - What kind of measuring instruments or questionnaires doyou use? Why do you choose them? Are they valid and reliable?
4. Procedure - How do you plan to carry out your study? What activities areinvolved? How long does it take?
Results:
Obviously you do not have results at the proposal stage. However, you need tohave some idea about what kind of data you will be collecting, and whatstatistical procedures will be used in order to answer your research question ortest you hypothesis.
Discussion:
It is important to convince your reader of the potential impact of your proposedresearch. You need to communicate a sense of enthusiasm and confidencewithout exaggerating the merits of your proposal. That is why you also need tomention the limitations and weaknesses of the proposed research, which may bejustified by time and financial constraints as well as by the early developmentalstage of your research area.
Common Mistakes in Proposal Writing
1. Failure to provide the proper context to frame the research question.
2. Failure to delimit the boundary conditions for your research.
3. Failure to cite landmark studies.
4. Failure to accurately present the theoretical and empirical contributions by
other researchers.
5. Failure to stay focused on the research question.
6. Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed
research.
7. Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues.
8. 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.)
9. Too many citation lapses and incorrect references.
10. Too long or too short.
11. Sloppy writing.
2. Failure to delimit the boundary conditions for your research.
3. Failure to cite landmark studies.
4. Failure to accurately present the theoretical and empirical contributions by
other researchers.
5. Failure to stay focused on the research question.
6. Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed
research.
7. Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues.
8. 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.)
9. Too many citation lapses and incorrect references.
10. Too long or too short.
11. Sloppy writing.
