Research Proposal

What is a Proposal?

A proposal is a request for financial assistance to implement a project.

OR

A research proposal is a plan, written by the student, that outlines intended research activities, for approval of a research supervisor or committee.

A research proposal: 

Defines what is to be studied, how, and when it Summarizes the work that has to be done for the report, thesis, or dissertation.

Clarifies why this research is important.

Purpose of Research Proposal

1. A research proposal should reflect that you have given some serious thought to the chosen subject, and made a real attempt to show how you intend to study it.
2. A good proposal indicates thorough preparation at an early stage and saves a great deal of time later on and always pays dividends.
3. Good proposals mostly lead to good dissertations.
4. Forces the student to focus attention on a research topic early in his/her studies.
5. Helps organised the research in a logical  manner, and in a way that models the final report.
6. Ensures that the research is doable.
7. Sometimes the best decision that can come from writing a proposal is a decision not to proceed.
8. Forms the basis for funding, if required.

Length and Size

25-point research report proposal:

1. Small, perhaps only two pages or even a form
2.  Due very early in the semester
3. General; emphasis on purpose and scope to determine “doability” .

100-point masters thesis proposal:

1.  Larger, perhaps 7-15 pages.
2. Due early in the semester, or even before acceptance into masters study.
3.  Shows some evidence of literature review.

PhD Dissertation Proposal:

300-400 point PhD dissertation proposal:

1. Large, perhaps 20-30 pages
2.  Due at end of provisional registration: 6 months full-time study.
3. A fairly complete research plan with well-defined conceptual framework and methodology.
4. Increasingly, must be approved by a committee and may be subject to external examination.

Content of Research Proposal: Outlines:

1. Provisional title
2. Purpose of the study.
3. Importance of the study.
4. Relationship to previous work.
5.  Methodology and data collection.
6. Timetable.
7.  Resource requirements.
8. Additional considerations (ethics, publication)

Title:

1. Nothing focuses attention on the topic like writing a title.
2. A title is a concise description of your research topic, usually no more than 15 words.
3. If possible, the title should include 

(a) key variables in the study, 

(b) the relationship between the variables and 

(c) the population to which the results apply.

 “Provisional” indicates it can be changed. 

Purpose of Study:

1. Every research proposal should have a sentence that begins: “The purpose of this study is to….”
2. Then, one of the following with brief explanations:
3. Research questions: to be answered
4. Research objectives: specific products to be produced
5. Hypotheses: one or more hypotheses to be tested.

Importance of Study:

1. Why is this a topic worth researching?
2. Who will benefit from this research?
3. Why/How will they benefit?
4.  What new knowledge is likely to be discovered? How is this original work?
5.  How will the student benefit?
6.  How will the research contribute to the literature? ( for sure, at Masters and PhD)

Budget:

1. Good – Give a detailed account of where you will be spending the money.
2. Approximately one third of the budget should go to supplies.

Relationship to Previous Work:

1.  All research proposals must show some evidence of a literature review, and almost always in the academic literature.
2. A comparative study: research done in a different context or country is replicated here, with an emphasis on why the results might be different.
3. A workplace application: an idea, theory, or conceptual model is applied in practice.
4. Rarely, original theoretical work.
5.  Grounded theory: development of theory based on observations
6.  Extensions of existing theory: extending or disproving theory.
7.  Include all cited work in a References section at the end of the proposal.

Methodology:

1. What methodology -- experiment, case study, action research, etc. -- will be used? Why?
2. What data collection methods -- survey, observation, interview, etc. -- will be used?
3. What sampling procedures will be used?
4.  How will results be analysed and interpreted, including statistical analysis.
5.  What problems or limitations can be expected?

Timetable:

• All research work can be viewed as a project, or a series of projects.
• Principles of project management apply.
• Work to a deadline: start at the end and work backwards.
•  Build in delays: most stages will take longer than planned.
• At a minimum, provide a list of activities and a week-by-week plan for carrying out the activities.
•  Project management software, such as Microsoft Project Manager, can be very useful.

Resources:

1. What resources will you need?
2. Clarify use of department-managed office space, computers, tape recorders, photocopiers, printers, staff, stationery, etc.
3. Computer software: quantitative analysis software, statistical software.
4.  Inter-library loan – Postage, photocopy, data entry for surveys.
5. Travel, transcription services for interviews.