Writing the Research Proposal

Planning an Applied Research Project Chapter 14 – Writing the Research Proposal© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Learning ObjectivesExplain the reasons for preparing a comprehensive proposalIdentify the elements of a proposalDescribe the voice that should be used in a proposalDistinguish between an abstract and an executive summaryRead a proposal for research and determine its meritsEvaluate a proposal using specific criteriaWrite a coherent and focused proposal© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Key TermsAbstractAppendicesAudienceClarityCoherenceComprehensivenessCreativityContributionCredibilityExecutive SummaryFeasibilityPoint of viewResearch questionsVoice© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Reasons for ProposalObtain support from a funder or your professorClarify what it is that you want to do and how you will do itObtain approval to conduct the research from the appropriate governing bodies Improve your chances of being successfulProvide information to colleaguesFind partners for the research© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Complete Proposals ContainInformation about access to sourcesSample of documents to be usedPlan for conducting the researchDocuments indicating support for the researchValue or significance of the research to be conductedApproval – or plan for it – to interview, observe or survey respondents© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Elements of a ProposalExecutive summaryIntroductionPurpose, research questions, and significanceLiterature review and insightsResearch design (data collection method, sampling, plan for analysis of the data)Expected findingsPossible limitationsApplications and next stepsConclusionAppendices of supporting documents© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Elements of a Proposal for FundingCover sheetExecutive summaryIntroductionPurpose, research questions, and significanceLiterature review and insightsResearch design (data collection method, sampling, plan for analysis of the data)Expected findingsStrategy for disseminating findingsPossible limitations and next stepsConclusionAppendices of supporting documents© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Audience and PerspectivePersons who may approve itPersons who need to approve research with human subjectsColleagues and scholars interested in your researchColleagues who can help you Potential partners in the researchPersons who you need to participateOther persons interested in your research© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Prefatory DocumentsAbstract One to two paragraphsBrief and succinctExplanation of the proposalPrepared for scholars and their colleaguesExecutive SummaryOne to two page documentClear and comprehensiveInformation about contents of the proposalPrepared for managers and decision makers© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Executive Summary AnswersWhat is the proposal about?How will the research be conducted?What is the researcher likely to find?How useful will the study results be?Why should the study be undertaken?What is the significance of this study?© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Characteristics of an Executive SummaryWell-writtenComprehensiveTightly organizedCarefully focusedPositive toneEnthusiasticBrief – not detailed© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Useful AppendicesBudget for the projectTravel plansPublication or dissemination of results plansTimelineCurriculum vita of the principal investigatorPermission to conduct research on human subjectsLetters of support from organizations and companies involvedReview of deliverables© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Useful Appendices (cont’d)Plan for disseminating the findingsSample formsInformation about statistical methods to be usedInformation about staff to be involved in the researchList of approvalsAnnotated bibliography (sometimes included in an appendix and sometimes a separate document)© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.IntroductionPrepares reader for the proposalOrients reader to the topic and its value or significanceReviews the contents of the proposalAlludes to the purpose statement© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.ConclusionRestates purpose and research questionsExplains need for this researchReviews key elements of the literature reviewDescribes the research designSummarizes expected findingsStates significance and usefulness of the research © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Seven Criteria for a Research ProposalClarityCoherenceComprehensivenessCreativityContributionCredibilityFeasibility© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.Review of Class SessionAnything unclear?One thing that delighted me to learn from this class is © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights reserved.