Chapter – 3

Developing a Research Proposal

The purpose of Proposal
 The research proposal is a work plan and prospectus outline that a researcher offers to produce
a research result to a potential buyer or sponsor.
 The purpose of proposal is to help the researcher to focus and define his/her research plans.
 These plans in the proposal are not binding, in that they may be changed substantially as you
progress in the research. However, they are an indication to the researchers’ faculty of
direction and discipline as a research is in its final position to be started.
 Specially, a research proposal has a purpose to:
 Show that the researcher is engaging in genuine enquiry
 Link your proposal work with the work of others
 Establish a particular theoretical orientation
 Establish the researcher’s methodological approach
 Present the problem to be researched and its importance, clearly
 Provide a basis for the sponsor to evaluate the study
 Generally speaking, research proposal is essentially a road map, showing clearly the location
from which a journey begins, the destination to be reached, and the method of getting there.
Contents of research proposal:

1. Abstract/Executive Summary
2. Background of the Study
3. Statement of the Problem
4. Research Questions
5. Research Objectives
6. Literature Review
7. Significance of the Study
8. Scope of the Study
9. Limitation of the Study
10. Methodology
11. Organization of Paper

1
 12. Time table
13. Budget for the Study
14. Bibliography/ References
ELEMENTS OF A SOUND RESEARCH PROPOSAL
 A sound research proposal has writing style which enables the researcher to attract reader’s
(sponsors) attention because it has easily distinguishable subdivided sections which facilitate
easy retrieving and clear understanding.
 These sections/components of research proposal are:
1. Cover page:- identifies title, writer, institution (university), specific department of the
institution, degree, year of conduction, advisor.
2. Abstract:- is a brief summary of the research proposal
o It should include – the research question
- The rational for the study
- The hypothesis, if any
- The method
 Design
 Sample
 Instruments, etc
- Main findings that will be expected
o Even if abstracts’ length can vary from one research to the other, each abstract should
address/say something about each of the following topics:-
- Subject
- Purposes and significance
- Activities
- Target Population
- Location
- Expected outcomes
o In general, abstracts should not be long contented and are intended to provide a general
understanding of what the research is about, not detailed explanations.
3) Table of contents: - lists of sections or chapters of proposal and page references.
- Use a hierarchy for titles and sub-titles

2
 Introduction:-
 It is a section at the beginning of the research proposal
 Its main purpose is to provide the necessary background or context for the research
problem
 Introduction incorporates the following basic components:
4) Background:- provides historical, cultural, political, social or organizational information
about the context of the research
- May include policy (ies)
- Explain theories behind the problem
5) Statement of the problem: - this section includes a clear statement of the problem in
language understandable to a generally informed reader. (i.e. should not be
sophisticated).
 Effective problem statements answer the question “why does this research need to be
conducted?”
 Generally, problem statements;
 Define the problem that will be solved
 Define the audiences for the completed report
 Hypothesis or research questions
6) Objectives of the study:- is the purpose of the study
- are the means by which the researchers intends to achieve the aims
-Must be clear
-It includes general and specific objectives
-Generally, this section :-
 Explains what the researcher will create to solve the problem
 Outline your report: describes the proposed research outcome
 Show what you will produce during the period of your proposed project
7) Significance of the study:- describes the ways in which the study (research) may be
significant/important
- Its also states to whom the importance is
- Discusses what will be improved or changed as a result of the proposed research
- Tries to touch/predicts expected outcomes

3
 8) Scope of the Study

This section incorporates:

 Time limit
 Area coverage/area focus of your research
 Issues to be addressed
9) Limitation of the Study

This section incorporates any of the following or all of the them which constraints your study:

 Time constraints
 Financial constraints
 Researchers know how
 Unavailability of data
10) Methodology
Research methodology incorporates:

 Research design
 Techniques of data collection
 Sample size
 Sampling techniques
 Methods of data preparation and analysis
11) Organization of Paper

This refers to the chapters of the paper and their contents.

12) Time Table

- Indicates time schedule for performing each chapter of your paper.

13) Budget for Study

The budget should be presented in the form the sponsor requests.

14) Bibliography/ References

The material used for preparation of proposal and the materials intended to be used in the future
should be listed.

4
WHAT MAKES A GOOD PROPOSAL?
 Relevance, either to the work of the funding body or to the student’s course
 The research is unique, or offers new insight or development
 The title, aims and objectives are all clear and succinct
 Comprehensive and thorough background research and literature review has been
undertaken
 There is a good match between the issues to be addressed and the approach being adopted
 The researcher demonstrates relevant background knowledge and/or experience
 Timetable, resources and budget have all been worked out thoroughly, with most
eventualities covered
 Useful policy and practice implications

REASONS WHY RESEARCH PROPOSAL FAIL

 Aims and objectives are unclear or vague
 There is a mismatch between the approach being adopted and the issue to be addressed
 The overall plan is too ambitions and difficult to achieved in the timescale
 The research does not seem to have conducted enough in-depth background research
 Problem is of insufficient importance
 Information about the data collection method is insufficiently detailed
 Information about the data analysis method is insufficiently detailed
 Timescale is inappropriate or unrealistic
 Resources and budget have not bee carefully thought out
 This topic has been done too many times before indicates a lack in background research