Writing an Excellent and

Successful Research
Proposal
Prof. Didin Nuruddin Hidayat, MA TESOL, PhD.
PPBA UIN JAKARTA
Workshop Objectives
1 2 3

Demonstrate Display Demonstrate

• Demonstrate • Display an enlarged • Demonstrate a good
knowledge and comprehension of understanding of the
understanding of research gap(s), relevant elements to be
what research is all problem or question(s), considered in the
aim, objectives, as well constituent sections of
about and its as their distinguishing a good research
challenging nature; characteristics; proposal;
The Research Proposal
 1. Why your work is worthy to be
conducted;
2. Articulate what you want to
research and why;
Research Proposal:
3. Convey your understanding of
Why so important? existing literature
4. Clearly define at least one
original question and your
approach to answering it.
 Desktop Research

Forms of • Any research conducted where the source of data is

solely published and unpublished materials; that is,
academic the research relies heavily on secondary data.
• Examples will include information from books, journal

research: articles, published and unpublished dissertations and

theses, reports, databases, newspapers, and
magazines.
based on Empirical Research
the sources • This type of research, therefore, uses mainly primary
data
of data • Data are gathered via direct experience, observation,
experimentation, interviews, and questionnaires
Essential Elements of a Good Research Proposal
Research topic
Research background and gap(s)
Research aim and objectives
Research methodology
Research significance
Research plan
References
Research
Topics
Might seem interesting

Meet the career aspirations of

the student
Research Topics:
Helpful to confer with
Self-Offer
colleagues and lecturers

Takes a lot of time.

 Research • A shorter period of time
• Have better expert advice from the
Topics: SPV

Offered by • Ultimately contributes in enhancing

student satisfaction and experience.

provisional • Limited allocation

• Tend to use this pathway as an alibi
supervisor for their problems.
Finding the • Check out old resources during our Master’s
studies.
‘right’ • Choose a topic that WE are passionate about
for around four years of our PhD Program.
research • Seek advice from experts and/or colleagues
• Investigate from the last part of reputable
topics international journals

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 • Choose a topic that YOU
are passionate about for
around four years of your
PhD Program.
Finding the ‘right’ • Seek advice from experts
BEFORE deciding

research topics • Follow your professor’s

advice, but make your
own choices.
• Make regular contact with
your PhD advisor

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 An investigation into the
Registration of real estate
performance of UK Real
Sample of Estate Investment Trusts
(REITs) from 2007 to 2014
ownership: A comparative
study of Zambia and the UK.

good-bad • Well and appropriately

phrased variously and
• Well phrased and specific
regarding the countries of

research title
specific—scope defined comparison.
regarding geographical
location and time period.
Sample of good-bad research title

Assessing the re-

Examining the
development of Liverpool
performance of REITs.
Central Docks.

(Badly phrased research

(Badly phrased research title
title—it is phrased like a
— it is rather too broad and
research aim or
unclear.)
objective)
Research
Background
 • The heartbeat of a research proposal
• Demonstrate our knowledge of the
relevant literature both past and present
• Articulate what other researchers have
Research done in relation to the topic to be
investigated
Background • What have been found
• What haven’t been found
• What needs to be found
• What aspects warrant further research, i.e.,
research gap
 Provides a theoretical background for
the research;

Literature Broadens the researcher’s knowledge

Review, Kumar base;

(2011) and
Booth et al. Brings clarity and focus to the research
problem;
(2012)
helps to establish the nexus between
what is proposed to be researched and
what has already been studied;
 Improves research methodology;

Literature
Review, Kumar Enables the researcher to show
(2011) and how his findings contribute to the
existing body of knowledge, and;
Booth et al.
(2012)
Helps to contextualize the research
findings.
“Good” Understanding on
Your Literature Review
• Find relevant articles, make a note, summarize
them
• Discuss your topics, not a description to the
keywords/ terms
• Clarify your position, where you are standing
• Summarize discussion with your
understanding
• Elaborate how you find the gap that you want
to fill
 This project is concerned with computer mediated
communication (CMC) between individuals via the social
networking platform, Facebook. Created by Mark
Zuckerberg in 2004, Facebook is a social networking forum
wherein individuals can share photographs, personal
Brief information, conversations and friends (Buckman, 2005).
Although other online sites such as MySpace, Friendster and
introduction Bebo are also designed to carry out such functions,
Facebook is generally considered to be the leading site of its
and literature kind, currently consisting of over a billion users worldwide
(Facebook, 2013). Facebook has increasingly become deeply

review integrated into user’s daily routines (Debatin, 2009). Indeed,

a recent study found that students spend an average of 38
minutes a day ‘Face-booking’ (Muise et al, 2009). This
equates to almost 9 days every year being dedicated to
communication activities via the medium. With the internet
increasingly being accessed via mobile devices, anytime,
anyplace, it is likely that this figure will increase over time.
 With these ideas in mind, it is interesting to consider
sites such as Facebook as capable of revealing
important information about how young adults interact
with one another in the information age. Platform
functions such as wall posts, comments, statuses,
Brief private messages and so on provide a vast space for a
number of different text based interactions to take
introduction place. To be sure, some believe computer mediums
such as social networking to be impoverished and
and literature unsuitable arenas for social interaction (Baron, 1984).
And yet, due to the time people dedicate to these sites,
review their inherent social nature and the variety of
interaction functions available, Facebook is perhaps
better understood as a breeding ground for rich social
interaction. It is therefore imperative that such
mediums are considered when it comes to computer
mediated communication and interaction research.
Finding Gaps:
Brainstorming

• Identify problems in your

research context
• Find relevant and recent
articles
• Make a summary of the
articles
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 Where a topic has been

Historical researched from the

perspective of a particular
discipline

Pathways to
Find the Where a topic has been
researched in relation to a Comparing
Research Gaps particular geographical
location issues

Where a topic has two or

more dimensions, but
research has only been
conducted in relation to
one or some of them.
Finding Gaps: Processing
the Brainstorming

Identify Formulate Elaborate

Identify what Formulate Elaborate how
has and has not questions based the research
been done on the gap you will contribute
found to your context
Analyse how A frequent topic of research on social networking sites
and interaction is that of the creation and
the gap is maintenance of online identities. Here, attention is
often given to an individual’s active role when it comes
built to impression management and self presentation
(Kramer & Winter 2008; Grasmuck, Martin & Zhao,
2009; Hancock et al 2007; Gonzales & Hancock, 2008
& Bargh, Mckenna & Fitzsimmons 2002). One
interesting notion is that social networking users
strategically use language, tone and editing behaviours
to form and create a certain identity and impression
(Walther, 2007). It is this area of study that this project
wishes to extend and develop in new ways.
Research Aims
and Objectives
 Defines the trajectory or route and destination of
research.

A catchy re-statement of the research topic

Research Aim Is meant to address the research problem or

question(s)

Must be clearly stated in one to three sentences

Only one research aim

 How you will achieve your aim

Research Translation of the aim into

operational statements and tell the

Objectives reader how the overall research aim

will be realized or achieved.

Realistic, feasible, possible,

measurable
 • Registration of RE ownership and accessibility to formal capital for
SMEs: A comparative study of Botswana and the Netherlands.
(Research topic)
• The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of RE ownership
registration on SMEs’ accessibility to formal capital on a comparative
basis between Botswana and the Netherlands. (Research aim)
• The achievement of the above research aim will require the pursuit
of the following objectives: (Research objectives)

Example: • To examine the nature of capital constraints among SMEs;

• To assess the impact of RE ownership registration on SMEs’
access to capital;
• To evaluate the factors responsible for rejecting SMEs’ capital
demand by banks and other financial institutions and the
importance of RE ownership registration relative to other
factors; and
• To investigate the differences (if any), which exist between
the two countries regarding the effects of RE ownership
registration on SMEs’ access to capital.
Find the topic, aim, and objective

• Does this vary depending on participant demographics? (i.e.

Age? Gender?)
• Does the nature of interaction vary depending on the Facebook
function? (i.e. a status, a comment, a private message)
• The project aims to consider what interaction on Facebook looks
like in terms of talk, language and discursive situation.
• How does an individual’s discursive management aid identity
and impression management?
 Research
Methodology
 Quantitative

Methodology: Qualitative
Approaches

Sequential Explanatory
Mixed Sequential Exploratory
Concurrent
 Surveys

Experiments

Ethnography
Familiar with Case Study
these?
Grounded Theory

Action Research

Narrative Research
Methodology: Ethical
Clearance
Ensure that research
participants are
protected;
Voluntary informed
consent
 How to collect data?

What instruments?

Methodology: How to utilise the instruments?

Data
Who will perform the instruments?
Collection
How many participants needed?

How to contact them?

Sample of Data Collection

• In order to examine discourse in this way and answer the research questions
above, data collection for this project will use a computer screen recording
software called Litecam.
• Litecam will record participant’s exact actions on Facebook allowing us to see
interaction in the making, capturing all online actions on a variety of Facebook
functions. This innovative form of data collection will reveal to us the ‘hidden
moments’ of social networking, moments of identity construction,
management and repair that have previously remained unseen.
• As the project is primarily concerned with interaction and language use, rather
than particular social groups per se, the study will recruit participants from
varying demographics. The project will aim to capture interactions from both
male and female participants that are from both younger and older
generations.
 What are the overall stages?

Methodology: How to process the raw data?

Data Analysis
How to analyse the raw data?

What instruments are used to analyse

the data?
 • In order to study this language effectively,
the chosen form of analysis for this study
is that of discourse analysis.
• Discourse analysis is concerned with how
Sample of talk is used to perform social actions.
Data Analysis • It is interested in how certain phenomena
are described, portrayed, complained
about, exaggerated, ignored or in any
other form of vernacular category that
may apply.
 Research
Significances
 Filling the present research gap

Research Contribute to the body of knowledge

Significanc
e
Benefits to the relevant stakeholders
(Academics, Future researchers,
Government, Policy makers, Research
communities)
• This project furthers knowledge in the areas discussed above in three ways.
• Firstly, it cannot be ignored that a wide range of interesting academic literature has
been published in relation to social networking, identity and impression
management.
• Secondly, the project takes ideas and concepts developed within the CMD field and
investigates if, and how, they are applicable to the more contemporary media
landscape of social networking, allowing for insight to be given into computer
mediated discourse on this popular interaction platform.
• The third, and arguably the most exciting contribution to knowledge this project will
make, is through its innovative data collection methodology.
• Not only will the study fill a gap in academic knowledge, but it will also addresses
issues outside of academia, for instance marketing and advertising.

Sample of Research Significances

Research Plan
Let’s make it real!
 Your 2021
Months Activities

January — June • Establishing the learning plan

• Making supervision agreement
• Literature reading
• Developing the research proposal
June • Presenting in the introductory seminar
July – September • Refining research proposal
October – December • Drafting Literature Review and Research
• Methodology Chapter

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 Your 2022
Months Activities

January – May • Refining Literature Review and Research

Methodology chapter
• Developing research instruments
April • Presenting in the confirmation seminar

May – June • Preparing ethics application

July – November • Collecting data

November – December • Transcribing data

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 Your 2023
Months Activities

January — March Analyzing and writing result chapters

April Presenting at the Work-In-Progress Seminar

May – July Revising the results chapters

August – November Writing introduction, discussion and

conclusion chapters
November – December Preparing all chapters of the whole draft
thesis

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 Your 2024
Months Activities

January — March Preparing all chapters of the whole draft

thesis (continued)
April Submit draft of all chapters to the supervisors
May — June Revising the whole thesis draft, editing and
polishing
June Presenting in the final seminar
June — July Thesis revision based on examiners’ feedback
August Thesis submission

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References
 Relevant

• To the research topics, to your field of expertise

Updated

• No more than five years old for journal articles

References Trustworthy

• Avoid untrusted/ unreliable sources of reading

materials

Authoritative

• Read masterpieces from the experts in the

targeted fields
Summarise all!
 Final Reflection

Has the introduction Is there a good

Has a research gap
set the context and understanding of the
been established?
problems? relevant literature?

Will the overall Will the proposal

Is there a realistic
research can be contribute to existing
understanding of
predicted to finish research and provide
research method?
on time? significance?

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Thank you!