Resources and budget

It is important to know what resources you have, in order to determine what should be

acquired. According to Carvajal L. (2013) states that “when we propose the production of

scientific knowledge we require: People, documents, equipment, laboratories; information

retrieval and processing techniques. “These are essential assets that should be considered as

Research Resources, in any of the existing types of research.”

The role of Research Resources in the process of acquiring new social knowledge, such as

research and development activities, is of utmost importance. Its purpose is to obtain

information about the object of research and the research problem .

When carrying out research, the budget is a particularly important element, since ignoring

some expenses, or thinking that they will be resolved, can generate significant delays in the

research, which would result in the degree being delayed or, in the worst case, the thesis is

not completed. Many of the expenses will not have to be covered by the student, but can be

managed through various means, but they must be included in the budget, since this will

allow better organization of the times and procedures to follow.

The role of Research Resources in A common way to create a budget is to present the

different types of expenditure (cost categories) and income (funds available or to be raised)

in a simple spreadsheet (for example in Microsoft Excel). The use of more complex

presentations, such as several linked spreadsheets, may be necessary due to the magnitude

of the campaign or the specific requirements of donors according to muños H.

(2004) states that:

 It is important to do a thorough analysis of everything that will

be needed for the research, and then classify it into three items:

the available resources (including those of the institution), what

must be managed through external support, and the item that

will have to cover the researcher directly.

What a budget should contain

1. Expected expenses

 Staff: All people who receive a salary for working on the project. Direct costs (salaries) and

indirect costs (taxes and personnel insurance) can be indicated separately.

 Investments: This is the equipment acquired for long-term use in the project, for example

electronic devices, such as cameras and cell phones. For effective accountability, an

inventory should be taken and updated periodically, i.e. a list of all equipment, where it is

stored and what it can be used for. Written agreements should be made regarding which

organizations will receive the equipment after completion of the project.

 Operational costs: These are the costs directly related to the execution of the project that are

not personnel costs or investments. The printing costs of project materials,

 Administration: These are the day-to-day management costs of the In addition, a separate

item may be required for subcontracts, for example if a company is hired to design some

materials.
 2. Projected income

 Grants from institutional donors (per donor)

 Corporate donations

 Donations from individuals

 Other income

 3. Actual income and expenses

Many times the planned expenses may be more or less than anticipated or the projected

income may be less than what is necessary to execute the campaign strategy. It is useful for

a budget to also track the actual amounts that are raised and spent, and use them to compare

them to the projected amounts. The budget is also a means of determining whether

adjustments to resource mobilization and allocation are needed as the campaign progresses.

A well-prepared budget will allow us to have better administration of resources and will

even give peace of mind to the researcher.

Below are some of the items that can be included in the development of a research project,

depending on its characteristics:

 Infrastructure

o Equipment

 Resources for operation

o Information and document obtaining services

o Purchase of books
 o Field work expenses

o Reagents, materials and consumables

o Equipment maintenance

o External services (packaging, photography, equipment rental)

o Per diem for research stays

o Editing or printing

o Publication expenses (books or scientific journals)

REFERENCES

Carvajal, L. (2013). El objeto de investigacion. colombia: poemia.

- Muñoz, H. (2004). The budget in a research protocol . Public Health and Nutrition Magazine .
Special issue. Retrieved from: http://www.respyn.uanl.mx/especiales/ee-8-2004/05.pdf