DEVELOPING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

PRESENTED TO: SIR IQBAL BUTT PRESENTED BY: MUQADDAS ZAKA. PROGRAM: M.PHIL SEMESTER: ONE NCBA&E

OVERVIEW:

INTRODUCTION DEFINE RESEARCH DEFINE RESEARCH PROPOSAL GOALS FOR WRITING RESEARCH PROPOSAL ELEMENTS OF RESAERCH PROPOSAL APA FORMAT SOME FLAWS

INTRODUCTION:

RESEARCH PROPOSAL is very important step in the research process.

It is like a blueprint of the building before the construction starts.

It is very important for the researchers to write an effective research proposal, writing a good research proposal is both science and art .an effective research proposal is based on the scientific facts and on the art of clear communication. A researcher should start writing the research proposal by the time one has decided the topic for the study.

DEFINE RESEARCH:

“The systematic study of material and resources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.”

(Oxford English Dictionary ,2002)

“A systematic process of collecting and analyzing information for some purpose.”

(McMillan and Schumacher,1997)

DEFINE 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.” (wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_proposal)

GOALS :

the main purpose of research proposal is to ensure : significance feasibility suitability of your research problem

Steps for writing research proposal:

While there are no hard and fast rules governing the structure of a proposal, a typical one would include the following elements:

The title The abstract Aims and objectives Background Methodology Schedule n timing Ethnic approval

Steps for writing research proposal:

Resources budget

The title:

Naming your research is very important task as it will tell the reader about your research .

It is the title of your research that will help the reader in deciding whether he/she will read it or not.

Good title

A good title has the following qualities: Short Sharp Relevant Condenses the paper s contents in a few words Captures reader’s attention Differentiate from other papers of the same area

The title:

Note :

A good title for a research paper is typically around 10 to 12 words long. A lengthy title may seem unfocused and take the readers’ attention away from an important point.

APA and title page:

For your research proposal, your title page should include your paper’s title, your name and your university’s name.

Other information that may appear on the title page includes submission date, budget period, total funds requested or advisor’s name, depending on your proposal’s audience.

APA style recommends that your title is no more than 12 words in length.

The abstract:

“An abstract is a concise summary of a larger project (a thesis, research report, performance, service project, etc.) that concisely describes the content and scope of the project and identifies the project's objective, its methodology and its findings, conclusions, or intended results.”

The abstract is a 200 -250 words summary of the proposed research, including the key points: what, why, how and when.

Qualities of a good abstract:

Following are the qualities of a good abstract:

Coherent Concise Readable

TYPES OF ABSTRACT:

Informative abstract/complete abstract (for sciences). Descriptive abstract/limited abstract (for social sciences). Structured abstract (for medical literature).

Note: It is recommended to write the abstract last, after the rest of the research proposal has been written and thought out. If the abstract is written before the rest of the research proposal , there are the chances of missing many important points .So it would be wise to wait and write the abstract last.

APA format and abstract:

In APA format, your abstract is the second page of your paper. Despite appearing at the beginning of your paper, plan to write your research proposal last. This is a brief summary of your entire paper. In a 150- to 250-word paragraph, state your problem, and propose a solution for it

Aims and objectives:

This section answers the question why this research is being done. Outline the aims and objectives of the research, and/or the research questions. Define any specialized terms you may use and indicate why the aims and objectives are appropriate.

Aims vs Objectives

Aims are what you hope to achieve by the end of your dissertation. They should be clear and concise statements, but expressed in general terms.

Objectives are how you intend to achieve those aims. They will include the specific means of answering the research question that you have posed and details of the key issues involved.

How to develop objectives:

Use these S.M.A.R.T. guidelines to try and develop your objectives:

Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time constrained

Background:

There are two aspects to this æ one is how the project came about, and the other is itS relationship to other research in the field.

1: Who is undertaking this research and for whom (where applicable)? Why choose this topic?

Who is going to gain from this research?

2: Write a brief history of the research question, indicating other work in the field and a summary of previous conclusions. Include a brief literature review indicating where you gained your information and any personal references such as discussions with people, conference papers, policy documents, memos, etc. This section sets your proposal within the wider context.

Methodology:

“ The methodology generally refers to the theory to be used to justify the use of particular research method that you are choosing to use.”

The “Methodology” section is the most important section in the entire proposal, as it explains each step the experimenter will take in order to conduct his or her research. This section discusses what measures the researcher will take in order to test the study’s hypothesis. In this section, it is vital to include the following subheadings while expanding on them in as much detail as possible

Note:

You may use more than one methodology to inform your method of research.

Schedule n timing:

Many projects fail because they could not be carried out within the set time limit. Hence, working out a time schedule is essential. In most cases, you can use a table for the time schedule as in the example table (Table 1). Your table may contain more or fewer points. Plan backwards form the date your paper is due and allow for enough time

SCHEDULE N TIMING:

ACTIVITY TIME PERIOD DATE 1: Finding and reading previous material

3 WEEKS From X until Y2: Designing material 2 WEEKS From X until Y

3: Learning how to use method 1 WEEK From X until Y

4: Designing questionnaire 2 WEEKS From X until Y

5: finding participants 3 WEEKS From X until Y

Ethnic approval:

Some institutions require that any research involving interaction with human participants get approval from ethical advisory committees or boards. This ethical approval is sought to ensure that the researcher conducts research in a manner that is respectful to the participants and other human beings that may be influenced by the research process. It is important that you seek out what ethical approval is required within your area of research. You may need to seek approval from more than one advisory committee depending on the institutional, financial and disciplinary context. Applications for ethical approval are obtained directly from the ethical committees themselves.

Resources:

This section demonstrates to the reader that you are both suitable and capable of carrying out the proposed research. You will need to discuss what resources you have at your disposal that makes it possible for you to carry out this research. For example, physical resources (such as research instruments), personal resources (such as knowledge of the discipline, area or community under study), as well as any other resources that you have as a researcher (or research team) that will enable you to carry out the research from beginning through to completion.

Budget:

Not all research proposal require a budget (such as thesis proposals for academic institutions), however if you intend to apply for funding for research it is important that you are able to show how much money you require, and justify the amount asked for. The way to justify the amount you are asking for is to provide a detailed budget outlining what expenses you predict you will incur in conducting the research. Exactly where and how money will be spent will differ from project to project, and the size of the budget should reflect the size of the research project. Some of the main expenses that may be included in any budget could be researcher’s time, human resources (such as other research assistants, transcribers, advisory board members), technical equipment (Dictaphones, transcribers, computer hardware and software etc), stationary, koha and others.

APA format and research proposal:

APA format recommends that you type your proposal with a highly legible 12-point font, such as Times New Roman.

It needs to be double-spaced. When you write a new paragraph, indent fives spaces or use the Tab key. Your paper should have a 1-inch margin on all sides. At the top of each page, insert a running head in the header. To format this correctly, write the title of your proposal in the upper left hand

side and the page number in the upper right hand side. Your running head is limited to 50 characters, including spaces. If you must

shorten your title, select the keywords.

Flaws:

Failure to provide proper context to frame the research question .Failure to stay focused on the topic.Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research.Too many citation lapses and incorrect references.Too long or too short.Failing to follow APA style.Sloppy writing

Thank you