The Art and Craft of Writing a Research

Proposal

Nelson Ndala MBA(UKZN) PhD

The “Proposal”
 MCA Research Proposal Guide
• A working title.
• Background of the study.
• Problem statement – The purpose of the
study
- Research questions
• The scope of the study.
• The relevance of the study.
 Cont.
• The research design offering details on;
- Type of study e.g. exploratory, descriptive
and/or causal.
- Data collection methods.
- The sampling design.
- Data analysis.
 Cont.
• Timeframe of the study, including
information on when the written report will
be submitted to sponsors/supervisor.
• The budget, detailing the costs with reference
to specific items of expenditure.
• Selected bibliography.

Ref. Sekaran, U. & Bougie, R. 2013. Research Methods for Business. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester.
 Alternative Contents of a Research
Proposal
• Working Title
• Background of the Study
• Research Questions & Objectives
• Methodology
• Timescale
• Budget/Resources
• References
Saunders, M. Lewis, P & Thornhill, A. (2012) Research Methods for Business Students. New York: Pearson
The Contents of a Research
Proposal
 Working Title
• This may be your first attempt at the title.
• It may change as your work progresses.
• At this stage it should closely mirror the
content of your proposal.
 Background to the Study
• This is an important part of the proposal.
• It should tell the reader why you feel the
research that you are planning is worth the
effort.
• This may be expressed in the form of a
problem that needs solving or something that
you find exciting and has aroused your
curiosity.
 Cont.
• This is also the section where you will
demonstrate your knowledge of the relevant
literature.
• It will clarify where your proposal fits into the
debate in the literature.
• You will be expected to show a clear link between
the previous work that has been done in your
field of research interest and the content of your
proposal.
• The literature should be your point of departure.
 Research Questions & Objectives
• The background section should lead smoothly
into a statement of your research question(s)
and objectives.
• These should leave the reader in no doubt as
to precisely what it is that your research seeks
to achieve.
 Research Methodology
• It will detail precisely how you intend to go
about achieving your research objectives.
• It will also justify your choice of method in
the light of those objectives.
• These two aims may be met by dividing your
method section into two parts: research
design and data collection.
 Cont.
• In the part on research design you will explain
where you intend to carry out the research.
• If your research topic is more generic you will
wish to explain, e.g. which sector(s)of the
economy you have chosen to research and why
you chose these sectors.
• You will also need to explain the identity of your
research population (e.g. managers or trade
union officials) and why you chose this
population.
 Cont.
• This section should also include an explanation
of the general way in which you intend to
carry out the research. Will it be based, for
example, on a questionnaire, interviews,
examination of secondary data or use a
combination of data collection techniques?
• Here again it is essential to explain why you
have chosen your approach.
 Cont.
• The research design section gives an overall
view of the method chosen and the reason for
that choice.
• The data collection section goes into much
more detail about how specifically the data are
to be collected.
• You should also clarify how the survey
instrument such as a questionnaire will be
distributed and how the data will be analysed.
 Cont.
• If you are using interviews, you should explain
how many interviews will be conducted, their
intended duration, whether they will be
audio-recorded, and how they will be
analyzed.
• You will also need to include a statement
about how you are going to adhere to any
ethical guidelines.
 Timescale
• This will help you and your reader to decide on
the viability of your research proposal.
• It will be helpful if you divide your research
plan into stages.
• This will give you a clear idea as to what is
possible in the given timescale.
• Many researchers find it useful to produce a
schedule for their research using a Gantt chart.
 Budget/Resources
• It will allow you and the reader to assess whether
what you are proposing can be resourced.
• Resource considerations may be categorised as
finance, data access and equipment.
• Conducting research costs money. This may be for
travel, subsistence, help with data analysis, or
postage for questionnaires. Think through the
expenses involved and ensure that you can meet
these expenses.
Proposal Writing
What makes for a successful
proposal writer?
 Writing a Research Proposal is like
Playing a Game

• You have to play by the Rules

• Get the (most recent) guidelines
• Read the guidelines
• Follow the guidelines
 Clear Writing
• Avoid fuzzy or inappropriate use of
words: The intrinsic labyrinth of wires must
be first disentangled. The liquid contents of
the container should then be disgorged via
the spout by the operator.

What is the writer really saying?

 Academic Research Proposal
Academic writing
• Scholarly pursuit:
– Individual passion
• Past oriented:
– Work that has been done
• Theme-centered:
– Theory and thesis
• Expository rhetoric:
– Explaining to reader

From: Porter, R. (2007). Why academics have a hard time writing good grant
proposals. The Journal of Research Administration, 38, 161-167.
 Academic Research Proposal
Academic writing
• Impersonal tone:
– Objective, dispassionate
• Individualistic:
– Primarily a solo activity
• Few length constraints
– Verbosity rewarded
• Specialized terminology
– “insider jargon”

From: Porter, R. (2007). Why academics have a hard time writing good grant
proposals. The Journal of Research Administration, 38, 161-167.
What Makes a Good Proposal?
 Guidelines usually include:

• Institutional priorities/themes—what
areas they are interested in researching.
• Format issues: page limits, word count
limits, margin & font size limitations.
• Budget information.
• Deadlines for submission.
Narrative, Project Description
• Read the guidelines!
• Length: # pages, single/double spaced?
– Determines how much space to use for the literature review,
description of need/problem, explanation of methodology
– 3 pages, 6 pages, 1800 words.
• Need/Significance, Literature Review, Objectives, Activities,
Evaluation.
• Description of researcher/credentials.
• Meet review criteria.
• Write clearly.
• Address institutional priorities!
 Goal
• Overall concept,
more abstract.
• Broad statement of
what you want to
accomplish.
 Objectives

• S – Specific.
• M – Measurable outcomes.
• A – Achievable, attainable.
• R – Realistic.
• T – Time-bound,
achievable
in a specified time period.
 Activities, Action Steps
• Should be mapped to the research objectives.
• Explain how research project will accomplish
the research objectives.
• Discuss only those actions that support a
research objective.
• Fully describe the work to be done in the
research project.
 Activities or Action steps, cont.
• One or more activities for each research
objective.
• Specify:
– Who will do them.
– When they will be done.
– How they will be accomplished.
– Why you chose this approach.
– What other methods were available.
– How long each activity will take.
 Evaluation
• Clear Objectives and Activities leads to an Evaluation
Plan—how are you going to know you accomplished
what you set out to do?
• Funders want to be able to determine if their money
has been well spent.
• How well did the program achieve its goal?
• Did the research project meet its objectives?
• Were research project activities implemented as
planned?
• How effective were the research activities in achieving
the research objectives?
 Writing Issues
• Disturb/Irritate
– Spelling errors.
– Overusing technical terms.
– Using acronyms.
• Confuse
– Writing overly complex sentences.
– Failing to attend to paragraph coherence issues.
– Excessive use of the passive voice.
– Including non-parallel lists.
• Diminish Credibility
– Failing to address criteria.
– Abstract, problem statement, budget disconnect.
– Failing to address assessment and administration.
– Including extraneous information.
 Successful Writers
• Research skills
• Sales capabilities
• Written and oral communication skills
• Ingenuity and flexibility
• Administrative capabilities (from leadership to accounting)
• Human relations skills
• Persistence, dedication, patience, and the capacity for hard
work
• Political acumen
• Integrity
 Letters: (If allowed by the
institution)
Letters of Support
• Letter writer advocates for
your research project
• Referred to in the text, put in
appendix
• How does the research
project fit with the
mission/goals of the
organization
• Presents type of support
Letters of Commitment
• Evidence of interest in the
research project from
participants
• If the research project is
funded, they are ready with
their contribution
• What they will contribute
• They will participate at the
time you need them
 You have an Idea or Research
Topic
• If you have an idea for a research project, contact
MCA Research Coordinator to discuss your idea
and for help in locating a funding opportunity.
It’s best if you can prepare a 1 – 2 page
description of your idea or research project. The
beginning of your Needs/Significance section,
Goal, Objective, or ideas for activities. These will
change! This is just for some discussion points!
• If you have a Request for Proposal (RFP), contact
Research Coordinator to go over the RFP and
help with the process.
 Create a template
• Copy/paste the institution’s heading into your
Word document to guide your work.
• Start with describing your need, the
significance of the problem, issue, project
– A research project is significant if it, for example,:
• Solves a problem
• Creates new and important knowledge
• Creates a model
• Improves the human condition
• Improves a scientific technique
 Beginning the writing process
• Begin with an outline (either the institutions
steps or an outline of your research project)
• Name your research project
• Keep language clear and simple
• Use action words
• Avoid jargon and acronyms
• Revise and edit
Research Budget
 Budget
• It’s not how much money you want,
it’s how much the research project
costs.
 Budget Strategy
• Ask for what you need to do the work
• Justify requests that are significant or out of
the ordinary
• Reviewers emphasize project quality over
budget
• Follow sponsor and institutional guidelines
and policies
• When in doubt, ask!
 Budget
• Can be as simple as a one-page statement of projected
expenses or quite complex on agency forms
• Can be overwhelming, group work & Research
Coordinator help!

Budget Costs
• Envision what your project needs to make it a reality
• A cost must be reasonable
 Beginning Your Budget
 Read the Guidelines!
 Consider the overall project budget before you begin to
develop individual budgets for each year.
 Consider agency limits:
◦ items they will fund—items they will not fund.
◦ level they will fund—don’t propose a budget over
the level (it will most likely be rejected).
◦ number of years they will fund.
 Outline the budget in the format the agency requests.
 Remember that the grant will not start for probably
several months and submit costs accordingly.
 Budget tips
• If the project is over several years, build
in cost increases.
• Develop a budget explanation to
delineate clearly how budget figures
were computed.
• Ensure that the budget coincides with
the narrative and falls within the time-
frame allowed.
 Read the Guidelines!
• Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation: “And if
you submit a budget that contradicts any of
these carefully described guidelines, we will
have reason to think of you as a careless
reader and thoughtless applicant. This will
inevitably be reflected in our estimation of the
potential of your scholarship.”
Submitting a Proposal and the
“Reviewers”
- Internal review process.
- Who will review your proposal?
- What if it’s rejected?
 Institutional Review Process
• Except in very rare cases, proposals must
normally be reviewed internally before
submission to the funding agency.
– When a proposal is submitted to a funding agency,
a legal agreement is created between the agency
and the submitting institution.
– Consequently, institutional review is required to
ensure that the proposed research activity is in
line with the institution’s mission and abilities.
 Institutional Review Process cont.
• Funding agencies normally require proposals to be
endorsed by someone who has the legal authority
to commit the institution to carry out the proposed
work.
– They also normally require the individual approving the
proposal to make a number of representations and/or
certifications as part of the submission process.
– Authorizing signatory: MCA Research Coordinator/Head
of Research and other upper administration (including
the Principal on rare occasions when the agency
specifies).
 External Review Process:
Know Who Your Reviewers Are
• Institutional guidelines contain Review Criteria
• Peer reviewed
• Panel reviewed
• Staff review
• Board review
• It is OK to ask them not to send a proposal to a
particular person (must be carefully justified).
• It’s okay to recommend reviewers.
• Be aware of points assigned to proposal sections.
 Keep Your Reviewer In Mind
• Don’t assume readers/reviewers know the
subject as well as you do, but don’t go
overboard.
• Use the agencies Subject Headings for review
criteria! Don’t make them hunt for the
“Significance.”
• The most important rule to keep in mind:
– Don’t annoy the reviewers!
 Avoid Automatic Rejection
Examples include:
• Formatting issues (going over page, word, or
line limits)
• Submitting a proposal over the budget ceiling
• Deadline issues (Online? Do time zones
matter? Postmark/receipt?)
• Submitting a proposal outside agency
interests (for example, a financial research -
related proposal to MEET)
 Some Characteristics of Well-written, Fundable
Proposals

• Innovation
• Relevance
• Demonstrated Competence/expertise of PI
• Feasibility Study
• Time Schedule
• Enthusiasm
• Simple Straightforward Language
• Complete Literature Search
 Top 10 Reasons for an Unsuccessful
Proposal

1. Research Project doesn’t address institutional priorities

2. Guidelines not followed
3. Not a compelling idea
4. Ideas not clearly presented
5. Methodology appears to be flawed
6. Overuse of jargon
7. Overly ambitious
8. Narrative and budget don’t correspond
9. Sloppy presentation
10.The work has already been done
 If Your Research Proposal Is
Rejected.

• Don’t give up!

• Get reviews
• Talk to institutional contact
• Re-evaluate, revise and
resubmit.