Developing a research plan

Prof Veruscha Fester

9 September 2020
Purpose for research proposal
• Like any engineering project, a research project should be structured
and costed before commencement.
• Many researchers have to write research funding proposals.
• Again, like any engineering project, the funding organization needs to
be reassured that the research team has the necessary knowledge
and skills to deliver results on time and on budget.
• Incomplete and inadequate research planning can lead to failure to
achieve required outcomes.
• This section will provide guidelines for the development of research
plan that is clear and comprehensive.
Elements of a research proposal
• Project title
• Research team
• Project summary
• Project description
• Problem statement
• Research question
• Background
• Aim and objectives
• Methods
• Data Analysis
• Research outcomes /deliverables
• Time lines
Project title
• The title should be clear and specific , between 10 and 15 words
• Acronyms should not be used in title
• It should indirectly indicate the engineering discipline
Research team
• Most research projects involves more than one researcher
• Evidence for this is very few single authored research articles
• At university, the research team comprises mainly of a student and
academic advisor/supervisor
• Personnel that may be required to assist with specialised test, IT personnel
for software installation
• The project leader (chief or principal investigator) must identify suitable
people that can make a substantial contribution to the project.
• Project leader manages the project and is responsible for expenditure of
the budget, and ensuring that project outcomes are delivered.
• In University research, as in this case, the student is the project leader.
Project summary
• Provides an overview of the benefit of the work
• And how it fits into the goals and objectives of the research field
• List the keywords so that literature in the field can be thoroughly
surveyed for competing technologies and research outcomes
• A statement about who owns the intellectual property (IP) is required
before research starts
• If a 3rd party is involved, a contract must be signed between the
funding organization, the university and the research student. (See
CPUT IP Policy). IP belongs CPUT but the student and supervisors will
be listed as inventors
Project outline (1): Research question, aims,
literature review
• The research question is introduced early in the first section
• Followed by aims and objectives
• The background should include
• a review of the literature
• An argument that the proposed research will create new important and
relevant knowledge
• Theoretical understanding and appropriate equations should be included
where relevant
• References to basic theory are usually sufficient
Project outline (2): Research Methods
• Research Methods
• Must be appropriate to the research question and research aims in
a clear and logical way
• Must include
• Type of measurements to be made
• Potential difficulties with the measurements
• Calibration procedures and use of standard measurement techniques
• Description of the research methods to be used
• Tools/equipment required
• Statistical support must be considered as part of the experimental
methods
Project outline (3): Data Analysis
• Data analysis
• Researcher should carefully consider how results might be presented
• In engineering research the constraining variables (temperature, humidity,
etc) often exceeds the parameters varied that influence the measurements
• The presentation of multi-parameter analysis requires some thought.
• Data analysis
• Outline the data processing required to remove interfering effects such as
calibration methods
• Statistical analysis that will be used to prove that the outcomes are valid and
‘beyond reasonable doubt’
Project outline (4): Deliverables
• Project deliverables (outcomes)
• Deliverables are things which can be accessed by others
• Reports, software code, presentations, images
• Reports, presentations, patents, designs can be delivered to funders as
indication of progress of the research project
• Your own understanding of existing knowledge is not a project deliverable
• New knowledge is only created when it is publically available – is published in
a journal or at a conference
• In some cases you may specify the conference and journals where results will
be disseminated
• If commercially funded, the deliverables should be determined in
consultation with granting company.
Project outline (5): Timelines
• Timelines are important
• Commercially funded projects monthly or quarterly meetings may be
required
• Government funded projects may require annual reports.
• Complex Gannt charts are not always necessary for the proposal
• Simple spreadsheet will suffice
• Timelines should indicate that a number of activities will be done
concurrently.
• Literature review and ordering of materials
• Most research takes longer than anticipated so it is good to ensure that you
do some preliminary work or learn as much from the literature to support
your own work.
Project outline (6): Budget
• You need to have good estimates of the cost of the project
• Even if you will not pay for services, you must list it as in-kind
contribution
• For example the university might allow you to conduct test work in
the labs for free
• If you are doing specialised test elsewhere the cost should be
included.
Project outline (7):Conflict of interest
• When a research team receives funding from commercial partner, ethical
issues may arise:
• Researchers must ensure that results are presented without bias
• Conflict of interest must be clearly stated.
• Research into health effects of tobacco smoke may be seen as biased if funded by
tobacco corporation
• Investigation into bridge collapse is seen as biased when conducted by company that
constructed the bridge
• Health effect of medical implant devices sponsored by the manufacturer of the
devices.
• If funding is received from an interested party, the source of funding must
be stated on all the reports and articles that arise from the research.