How to Write the Research Proposal

(4th Quarter Requirement for Practical Research 2)

The Research Proposal is a proposal document submitted to a panel of experts before the actual research starts.
Once the proposal is approved, the researcher can then proceed to the execution of the study. It helps the researcher
plan ahead and manage his resources.

The research proposal is not the entire research project. You are NOT expected to perform actual sample selection,
data gathering, or experiments at this time. What is being evaluated is the idea and plausibility of the research.

Research Proposal

The research proposal is composed of the Chapters I to III of the research manuscript.
The research proposal aims to answer the following (Ebonite, 2017):
1. Why is study being done?
2. What is being studied?
3. On what works is the study being built?
4. How will it be conducted?
5. Who will be involved?
6. When will it be conducted?

The Title (see PR2 3rd Quarter Module 8)

1. The title should adequately describe the subject matter of your study.
2. If you are going to perform descriptive research, you may have to include the population, locale, and time
frame of your study in the title.
3. Make sure that your title is no longer than 20 substantial words.
4. Avoid terms like “A Study of…”, “An Analysis of…”, and “An Investigation of…” in your title.

Chapter I – Introduction/The Problem and Its Background/The Problem and Its Setting

1. Introduction – a short (typically not more than two pages) orientation on the reality of the problem from the
macro to the micro perspective.

2. Background of the Study – the orientation on the problem’s setting, the people involved, and time frame
where the problem is observed.

3. Statement of the Problem – the purpose of the research. This indicates the research problem and specific
research questions elaborating each variables involved in the study.
Research Objectives – used in place of the Statement of the Problem for experimental research. The specific
goals and targets of the research are indicated in this part.

Sample Format – Statement of the Problem Opening

Example 1: Paragraph
This study seeks to determine whether the real-life driving proficiency of non-
professional car drivers in Caniogan, Pasig City translates to proficiency in a racing Independent
simulator. Specifically, this study aims to answer the following questions: Variable (IV)
1. How proficient were the drivers in real life, in terms of:
1.1 Finishing time in a real life slalom course, Indicators of
the IV
1.2 Number of times they got involved in a collision incident, and
1.3 Number of traffic violations incurred during their driving history?
Dependent
2. How proficient were the drivers in a racing simulator, in terms of: Variable (DV)
2.1. Finishing time in a simulated slalom course,
2.2. Number of bumps or crashes against other players in a Indicators of
racing lap, and the DV
2.3. Number of times the driver went off-track in a racing lap?
3. Is there a significant relationship between the real-life proficiency and the Research
racing simulator proficiency of the drivers? Problem
 Example 2:
This study aims to compare the nutritive content of soy-based meat substitutes to the nutritive content of
regular market-bought chicken. Specifically, this study aims to answer the following questions:
1. What are the nutritive contents of chicken in terms of the following:
1.1 Total carbohydrate content,
1.2 Protein content,
1.3 Fat content,
1.4 Vitamins, and
1.5 Minerals?
2. What is the nutritive content of the meat substitute in terms of the following?
2.1 Total carbohydrate content,
2.2 Protein content,
2.3 Fat content,
2.4 Vitamins, and
2.5 Minerals?
3. Is there a significant difference between the nutritive contents of the soy-based meat substitute
and the regular market-bought chicken?

Sample Format – Research Objectives

Example 3:
This study aims to develop a meat substitute based on soya, carrots, potatoes, and coconut meat.
Specifically, this study have the following specific aims:
1. To create a coagulated solid mass from the said ingredients that have the consistency, firmness
and taste of meat,
2. To be able to perform basic food preparation techniques on the meat substitute, such as frying,
stewing, and barbecuing,
3. To develop a meat substitute that is very satisfactory to the consumers’ palette.

4. Scope and Limitation – this presents the bounds and limits set in the study. This also tells which people, places,
or time periods are excluded from the study. The researcher also identifies the constraints or difficulties the
study may encounter at this part.
Scope and Delimitation – if the topic has a broad scope, the researcher may choose to focus to specific
aspects of the topic, choosing to disregard other aspects irrelevant to the study at hand.

5. Significance of the Study – this tells which will benefit from the study and how will they benefit.

Chapter II – Conceptual Framework

1. Review of Related Literature and Studies – shows scholarly articles and studies that support, explain, or even
go against the investigated problem and its variables.
- You are required to gather at least ten (10) articles and studies, with a mix of local and foreign literature.
- Articles are NOT TO BE COPIED VERBATIM. They are to be studied, and incorporated to other articles in
your own words. Authors must be cited properly.
- Authors must be cited using the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition (see PR2 3rd Quarter Module 13)
- This part must be written in narrative form, comparing the studies to each other.

2. Research Paradigm - This part is the graphical depiction of the relationship between the independent and
dependent variables of the research.

Sample Format of IV-DV Paradigm Format (for significant relationship, use a line; for significant effect, use
an arrow):
 Independent Variable Dependent Variable
Real-life Driving Racing Simulator
Proficiency Proficiency
1. Slalom Course Time 1. Slalom Course Time
2. Number of times 2. Number of bumps
involved in a collision and/or crashes against
incident other players in a race
3. Number of traffic 3. Number of times they
violations incurred in went off-track in a race
driving history

Sample of Venn Diagram Paradigm Format (for comparisons)

Nutritive Content
1. Carbohydrates
2. Proteins Meat
Chicken
3. Fat Substitute
4. Vitamins
5. Minerals
Sample of the Input-Process-Output Paradigm (for experimental research)

Input Process Output

Ingredients Binding Process
Carrots Mixing
Soya Addition of Binder
Potatoes Freezing
Coconut Meat Vegetable-based Meat
Cooking Substitute
Materials/Equipment Frying
Knife/Cutting Stewing
implements Barbecuing
Mixing Bowl
Food Mixer/Blender
3. Hypothesis (for Quantitative Research) – the tentative answer to the research problem. Observe the following
guidelines:
- Only the research problem shall be given a hypothesis. A hypothesis is given to as many research
problems are given.
- The hypothesis should be stated in null form.

4. Definition of Terms – a list of terms essential in understanding the title, the variables, and the indicators and
their operational definitions.
- Operational definitions are definitions based on what the terms mean for your study. You do not have to
use a dictionary to find their definitions.
- Do not list down ‘difficult’ words or jargon. Only include the words and definitions of variables and
indicators.
- Arrange the terms alphabetically.

Chapter III – Research Methodology

1. Research Design – identifies the design upon which the problem is to be solved. This part also explains why
did the researchers chose the said design.

Suggested Research Designs for Quantitative Research

a. Descriptive Research (survey, correlational research)
b. Experimental Research
c. Prototype Development/Exploratory Research (evaluation research)

Suggested Research Designs for Qualitative Research

a. Case Study
b. Observation
c. Grounded Theory Method

2. Respondents of the Study – This part describes the population involved in the study, such as their age range,
occupation, educational attainment, etc.

3. Sampling Procedure (for Quantitative Research) – this part tells how the sample used for data gathering is
determined.
 - Select whether you would use a non-probability or probability sampling method.
- If the population is less than 500, it is recommended that all persons in the population become part of
the study.
- If the population is more than 500, the use of Slovin’s sampling formula (Prieto, Naval, & Carey, 2017) is
required:
1
𝑛=
1 + 𝑁𝑒 2
- For qualitative research, this selection explains why the people involved are included, regardless of their
number.

4. Data Gathering Procedure – this part tells how data is to be collected from the sample. This part tells the
steps to be done by researcher to collect data.

5. Research Instrument – this explains what instrument is used to collect the data, its features, and whether this
is a standardized test, an instrument adopted from another study, or a researcher-made instrument.

6. Statistical Treatment of Data (Quantitative Research) – describes the methods used to process the data
collected.
- The respondents’ profile is treated with frequency percent distribution.
- Descriptive questions (levels of…, status of…,) are treated with the mean (𝑥̅ ) and standard deviation (𝜎
or SD)
- Relationships between the independent variable and the dependent variable are determined by
Spearman rho (𝜌), Pearson’s r (r), and chi-square (𝑥 2 ).
- Significant differences are treated with the z-test and the t-test.
- Regression analysis measures how much change occurs between the independent and dependent
variables.

References:

Ebonite, R. (2017). Writing a research proposal. Manila: Technological University of the Philippines

Prieto, N., Naval, V., & Carey, T. (2017). Practical research for senior high school 2: Quantitative. Quezon City: Lorimar
Publishing