Developing Effective Research Proposal

Khalid Mahmood, PhDProfessorUniversity of the Punjab

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Professor of Information Management at University of the Punjab, Pakistan

Post-doctoral research fellow at University of California, Loss Angeles, USA

150+ publications Supervised many doctoral, M.Phil. and master

theses Worked for many research journals as editor,

reviewer and editorial board member Conducted many trainings on research writing and

publishing

About me

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Acknowledgment I have prepared this presentation

with the help of many books, presentations and Websites.

I pay my sincere gratitude to all authors, professors and experts for their efforts and contributions.

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Effective ? Adjective Producing a decided, decisive (very

clear or obvious), or desired effect (Merriam-Webster dictionary)

Successful in producing desired or intended result (Oxford English dictionary)

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Purpose of a research proposal

Proposal in the university context

Proposal for research grant or funding

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Components of a research proposal Preliminary pages Introduction Statement of the

problem Research objectives Research questions Hypotheses/Theses Literature review Rationale and

significance

Delimitations and limitations

Research design and methods

Availability of resources Work schedule Proposed contents References and

bibliography

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Preliminary pages Title page

Title, name of researcher, student number, supervisor, degree type, department, university, date of submission

Table of contents Headings and sub-headings with page

numbers Abstract

One or two paragraphs

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Introduction Area and topic Background and context Brief literature review

How the current research is related to other research

Do not review single, isolated studies-introduce larger groups of studies to present broader picture of the literature

Statement of the problem What to do and why Problem as a knowledge void or

theoretical conflict Structure of the problem statement:

Principal proposition Interactive proposition Speculative proposition

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Research objectives Specify the outcome of your study, the end

product Keep your objectives SMART

Specific: Indicate precisely what you intend to achieve through this objective

Measurable: What you accept as proof of project success

Attainable: Given the resources available Relevant: Related to the overall goal of the project Time bound: Can be achieved in the given time

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Research objectives Importance

Focus the study Give direction to the research design,

method to be adopted Prevent collection of irrelevant, redundant

data not necessary to achieve the objective Organize the study in clearly defined parts

or phases Provide criteria by which to evaluate the

outcome to the research11

Research objectives – Examples from market researchSample verbs Sample findingsIdentify Problems, opportunities, criteria Define Concepts, requirements Describe Processes, usage, environments Explore Perceptions, reactions Generate Ideas, hypotheses, alternatives, explanations Evaluate Feasibility, attractiveness, support Select Theme, service, product, concept, ad Test Assumptions, preferences Measure Size, growth, frequency Prioritize Market segments, needs, opportunities Monitor Trends, competition Track Awareness, satisfaction 12

Research objectives Examples

To find out methods used for water treatment

To determine the feeding habits of the under fives

To assess the perception of the community regarding care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS

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Research questions Premised on the problem statement

identified, list possible research questions that could be asked in order to achieve the research objectives of the study

Main question and sub-questions

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Research questions Examples

Is there a correlation between metacognitive and cognitive strategy use and writing performance?

Are the more strategies used, the higher the written text scores are?

Is there a correlation between metacognitive strategies and the ‘task’ completion, between cognitive strategies and the ‘language’ achievement?

Which of the metacognitive and cognitive strategies used lead to more successful writing performance?

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Hypotheses/Theses Hypotheses are research questions

that could be statistically tested

Research hypothesis Null hypothesis

Thesis statement

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Hypotheses Examples

There is a positive correlation between the availability of hours for work and the productivity of employees

Worker satisfaction increases worker productivity

Amount of sun exposure will increase the growth of a tomato plant

Childhood obesity is tied to the amount of sugary drinks ingested daily

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Literature review Theoretical framework Address the independent and dependent

variable(s) proposed by the study Address studies conducted on the independent

and dependent variable(s) A summary that highlight the key research

studies relevant to the proposed study, their general findings that relate to the proposed study and support for the need of additional research on the proposed topic

Definition of terms – conceptual and operational definitions

Rationale and significance Rationale

Reasons or justification for conducting the study

Significance Addition in existing knowledge Implications for policy and practice Likely benefits for society at large

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Delimitations Characteristics selected by the researcher

to define the boundaries of the study. The researcher makes conscious

exclusionary and inclusionary decisions regarding the sample (including such information as geographic location), the variables studied, the theoretical perspectives, the instruments, the generalizability, etc.

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Delimitations Participants

Participation in this study is delimited to teachers who (a) teach third grade in a private school, (b) in the state of California, and (c) have taught more than five years.

Teachers who meet all other qualifications but have previously taught in a public school environment will be excluded from the study.

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Delimitations Variables

The study will be delimited to examination of teachers' self-efficacy when teaching mathematics.

Instrumentation Self-efficacy will be measured on a Likert-type scale

with an instrument designed specifically for the proposed study.

Generalizability The results of the proposed study will be

generalizable to teachers who (a) teach third grade in a private school, (b) in the state of California, and (c) have taught more than five years.

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Limitations Factors, usually beyond the researcher’s

control, that may affect the results of the study or how the results are interpreted.

Examples Due to the small sample available for the study,

results may not be generalizable to the population. Due to the length of the study, a significant number

of respondents available in the preliminary testing may be unavailable or unwilling to participate in the final stage of testing.

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Research design and methods Research design Specific methods to be employed Population and sample Data collection instruments Validity and reliability of instruments Data collection procedure Dealing with ethical issues Data analysis plan Plan to disseminate the findings

Availability of resources Equipment Materials Literature Human resources Budget Additional resources needed and

methods to acquire

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Work schedule – Gantt chart

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Proposed contents Outline of chapters1. Introduction2. Literature review3. Design of the study4. Data analysis and discussion5. Summary, conclusions and

recommendations

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References and bibliography References to studies cited in the

proposal Up-to-date and relevant bibliography of

literature on the topic How many entries ?? Use publication manual suitable for your

field You may use a citation management

software28

An effective proposal should be… Straight forward document Easy to read; simple language; no jargon Precise; not wordy Not a literary production Clearly organized; proper use of

headings and sub-headings Complete; give all necessary information

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Best of luck for your research endeavors!