5.

6 Writing a proposal

You will be required to submit a proposal detailing the nature of your topic and the
motivation behind it before you begin your research. This proposal normally has two
important purposes. First, it forces you, the researcher, to clarify your own thinking. Second,
a proposal allows the department to assess if the project is feasible and whether you, as a
researcher, have adequately thought it through and are capable of seeing it through. The
format of a proposal are :

1 Title and subject

the department needs to see a working title of the project, one that is concise and gives a clear
indication of its focus

2 The context of the project

In this part you can provide some information on what motivated your research idea and how
it fits into the field and current thinking

3 Statement of aims and objectives

This section should explain what your research is designed to achieve, what problem it seeks
to address, and the nature of the key constructs relevant to solving that problem

4 Formulating your hypotheses

Next, in light of your objectives, you will need to formulate a set of hypotheses

An indication of your methodology: having contextualized your study and established your
aims and objectives, you will need to explain how you plan to achieve those aims and
objectives; in other words, what methods you plan to use.

What is important at this stage is the need to show yourself and your department/supervisor
that you have a viable project, along with the tools and know-how to conduct it effectively
and bring it to a successful conclusion.
5.7 Adopting the correct mindset

By adopting a critical mindset, you may keep control of what you're doing by learning from
other people's mistakes and anticipating, diagnosing, and avoiding difficulties before they
substantially impair your research and draw examiners' and peers' criticism. Finally, when it
comes to summarizing your findings, you must always keep the reader in mind. Try to
envision your work through their eyes, and keep asking yourself if what you're writing is
clear and well-reasoned (raizend)

5.8 Studying independently

This means that you will need to be organized, systematic and disciplined; in other words,
efficient. In order to maximize the time you have available, there are recommend the
following:

1. Organize your study area

most people feel calmer and more positive and in control working in a tidy environment

2. Careful time

decide which days or parts of your days you are going to devote to your research, and try
your best to stick to your timetable.

3. Take a library tour

In particular, it will help you identify where the books, journals, dissertations and theses
relevant to your own discipline and projects are located.

4. Try to set clear and manageable goals or milestones

having something to aim at helps to maintain momentum and ensure progress. It also gives
you a sense of achievement, which in turn will help keep you motivated.

5. Record information methodically

It’s a good idea to develop a personal filing system, either electronic or consisting of index
cards.
6. Don’t get bogged down in detail

Too much attention to detail can also act as a distraction, causing you to stray from more
central and important issues.

7. Discuss ideas with colleagues (where appropriate)

this can be a good way of getting you to think further about your ideas and can sometimes
help you decide whether to pursue them or discard them

8. Develop your professional vocabulary

try to become so familiar with the language and vocabulary of your field that its use becomes
second nature to you.

5.9 Attending research seminars, conferences etc.

Attending research seminars and conferences is one way of generating ideas for possible
research projects; in fact, just as journal articles will often suggest proposals for further
research, it is common for presenters to highlight the need for a certain kind of research or to
simply trigger ideas in their audiences. However, attending these events may also provide
ideas of ways you can develop and refine a research project you already have underway

5.10 Understanding disciplinary differences

It is important that you become familiar with these as soon as possible. Being familiar with it,
on the other hand, is not the same as detecting it, comprehending its relevance, and truly. It
can be helpful, therefore, to refer to style guides that are frequently produced by individual
academic departments or university Information Services. And, of course, you can always
take advice from your supervisor and other lecturers and students in the department.