ZIMBABWE

RESEARCH METHODS
Research Proposal
 Research Proposal

A research proposal is a simply a structured, formal document

that explains what you plan to research (i.e. your research
topic), why it’s worth researching (i.e. your justification),
and how you plan to investigate it (i.e. your practical
approach).
 Broadly, a research proposal’s main function is to detail
the operational plan for obtaining answers to your research
questions.
 In doing so it ensures and reassures the readers of the
validity of the methodology to obtain answers accurately
and objectively.
 Purpose of the Research Proposal

 The purpose of the research proposal is to convince your

research supervisor, college, committee or university that your
research is suitable (for the requirements of the National
diploma program) and manageable (given the time and
resource constraints you will face).
 The main purpose of a research proposal is to show that the
problem you propose to investigate is significant enough to
warrant the investigation.
 The most important word here is “convince” – in other words,
your research proposal needs to sell your research idea (to
whoever is going to approve it). If it doesn’t convince them (of
its suitability and manageability), you’ll need to revise and
resubmit. This will cost you valuable time, which will either
delay the start of your research or eat into its time allowance
(which is bad news).
 the method you plan to use is suitable and feasible, and the
results are likely to prove fruitful and will make an original
contribution.
 Elements of a Research Proposal

 Introduction
 Background to the study
 Aim
 A statement of the problem
 Research questions
 objectives of the study
 a list of hypotheses
 Significance of the study
 Research methodology-instrument(s),sample size, sampling
design, data processing methods, etc
 Assumptions
 Definition of terms
 Delimitations
 Limitations
 Organisation of the study
 the proposed time-frame/ schedule
 Budget & Preliminary Bibliography
Introduction

 The introduction provides your reader with a quick overview of

what you will discuss in the proposal, and introduces them to

your research question. For purposes of this assessment,

introductions can be brief and pragmatic – one paragraph is fine.

 Outline the topic and the sections to be discussed in the proposal.

Background to the study (history of the

researched problem)
 The background of the study is a part of a research

provided in the introduction section of the paper.

 It is a compilation of adequate information that is based on

the analysis of the problem or proposed argument, the steps

and methods needed to arrive at the design, the

implementation of the results achieved, and feasible

 The background is important since it helps your reader determine if

you have a basic understanding of the research problem being

investigated and promotes confidence in the overall quality of your

analysis and findings.

 It is also important because it shows what previous researchers have

discovered related to your problem being researched.

 It is usually quite long and primarily depends upon how much

research was previously done in the area you are planning to

investigate.

 If you are planning to explore a relatively new area, the literature

 A statement of the problem
 The problem statement describes the context for the study and it
also identifies the general analysis approach (Wiersma, 2021, p.
404).
 A problem might be defined as the issue that exists in the
literature, theory, or practice that leads to a need for the study
(Creswell, 2018, p. 50).
 It is important in a proposal that the problem stand out—that
the reader can easily recognize it.
 Sometimes, obscure and poorly formulated problems are
masked in an extended discussion. In such cases, reviewers
and/or committee members will have difficulty recognizing
the problem.
 Effective problem statements answer the question “Why does
this research need to be conducted.”
 If a researcher is unable to answer this question clearly and
succinctly, and without resorting to hyper speaking (i.e.,
focusing on problems of macro or global proportions that
certainly will not be informed or alleviated by the study), then
the statement of the problem will come off as ambiguous and
diffuse.
 Purpose of the study

 The purpose statement should provide a specific and accurate

synopsis of the overall purpose of the study (Locke, Spirduso, &
Silverman, 2018, p. 5).
 If the purpose is not clear to the writer, it cannot be clear to the
reader.
 Key point to keep in mind when preparing a purpose statement.

 Try to incorporate a sentence that begins with “The purpose of

this study is . . .” This will clarify your own mind as to the
purpose and it will inform the reader directly and explicitly
 Review of literature
 The review of the literature provides the background and
context for the research problem.
 It should establish the need for the research and indicate that
the writer is knowledgeable about the area” (Wiersma, 2021,
p. 406).
 The literature review accomplishes several important things:
 It shares with the reader the results of other studies that are
closely related to the study being reported (Fraenkel & Wallen,
2017).
 It relates a study to the larger, ongoing dialogue in the
literature about a topic, filling in gaps and extending prior
studies (Marshall & Rossman, 2019).
 It provides a framework for establishing the importance of the
study, as well as a benchmark for comparing the results of a
study.
 In a proposal, the literature review is generally brief and to the
point. Be judicious in your choice of exemplars—the literature
selected should be pertinent and relevant (APA, 2001).
 Select and reference only the more appropriate citations. Make
key points clearly and succinctly.
Research questions
 Questions are relevant to normative or census type research.

 They are most often used in qualitative inquiry, although their

use in quantitative inquiry is becoming more prominent.

 A research question poses a relationship between two or more

variables but phrases the relationship as a question.

A list of hypotheses
 A hypothesis (plural hypotheses) is a precise, testable statement of

what the researcher(s) predict will be the outcome of the study. It is

stated at the start of the study.

 This usually involves proposing a possible relationship between two

variables: the independent variable (what the researcher changes)

and the dependent variable (what the research measures).

 The alternative hypothesis states that there is a relationship between

the two variables being studied (one variable has an effect on the

other).
 An experimental hypothesis predicts what change(s) will take place

in the dependent variable when the independent variable is

manipulated.

 It states that the results are not due to chance and that they are

significant in terms of supporting the theory being investigated

 Null The null hypothesis states that there is no relationship between

the two variables being studied (one variable does not affect the

other). There will be no changes in the dependent variable due to

the manipulation of the independent variable.

 Examples

 The alternative hypothesis states that students will recall

significantly more information on a Monday morning than on
a Friday afternoon.
 The null hypothesis states that there will be no significant
difference in the amount recalled on a Monday morning
compared to a Friday afternoon. Any difference will be due to
chance or confounding factors.
 It states results are due to chance and are not significant in

terms of supporting the idea being investigated.

 Your hypothesis is your proposed explanation that you will

test to determine whether it is true or false.

 It will contain measurable variables (those that change or

can be manipulated)

with results that can be compared with each other.

 Avoid over-generalizing, and reference the Research

Findings of others to support why you think this will work

 The design-methods and procedures
 The methods or procedures section is really the heart of the
research proposal.
 The activities should be described with as much detail as
possible, and the continuity between them should be apparent
(Wiersma, 2021p. 409).
 Indicate the methodological steps you will take to answer
every question or to test every hypothesis illustrated in the
Questions/Hypotheses section.
 The methodology section describes your basic research plan.
 It usually begins with a few short introductory paragraphs that
restate purpose and research questions.
 The phraseology should be identical to that used in Chapter I.
Keep the wording of your research questions consistent
throughout the document.
Population and sampling
 Define the population
 Draw a representative sample from the population
 Do the research on the sample
 Infer your results from the sample back to the population
 Sampling
 The key reason for being concerned with sampling is that of
validity—the extent to which the interpretations of the results
of the study follow from the study itself and the extent to
which results may be generalized to other situations with other
people (Shavelson, 1988).
 Data Collection

 Outline the general plan for collecting the data. This may
include survey administration procedures, interview or
observation procedures. Include an explicit statement covering
the field controls to be employed.
 Provide a general outline of the time schedule you expect to
follow.
 Data Analysis
 Specify the procedures you will use, and label them accurately (e.g.,
ANOVA, MANCOVA, HLM, ethnography, case study, grounded theory)
or relevant software in your area of specialization
 If coding procedures are to be used, describe in reasonable detail.
 If you triangulated, carefully explain how you went about it.
 Communicate your precise intentions and reasons for these intentions to
the reader. This helps you and the reader evaluate the choices you made
and procedures you followed.
Significance of the study
 This section creates a perspective for looking at the problem.
 It points out how your study relates to the larger issues and
uses a persuasive rationale to justify the reason for your study.
It makes the purpose worth pursuing.
 The significance of the study answers the questions: Why is
your study important? To whom is it important? What
benefit(s) will occur if your study is done?
When thinking about the significance of your study, ask yourself the
following questions.
 What will results mean to the theoretical framework that framed
the study?
 What suggestions for subsequent research arise from the findings?
 What will the results mean to the practicing educator?
 Will results influence programs, methods, and/or interventions?
 Will results contribute to the solution of educational problems?
 Will results influence educational policy decisions? 7. What will
be improved or changed as a result of the proposed research?
 How will results of the study be implemented, and what
innovations will come about?
Assumptions
 All research studies make assumptions. The most obvious is
that the sample represents the population.
 Another common assumptions are that an instrument has
validity and is measuring the desired constructs.
 Still another is that respondents will answer a survey
truthfully. The important point is for the researcher to state
specifically what assumptions are being made.
Validity and reliability
 If the survey you're using was designed by someone else, then
describe the previous validity and reliability assessments.
 When using an existing instrument, you'll want to perform the
same reliability measurement as the author of the instrument.
 If you’ve developed your own survey, then you must describe
the steps you took to assess its validity and a description of
how you will measure its reliability
Limitations
 A limitation identifies potential weaknesses of the study. Think
about your analysis, the nature of self-report, your instruments, the
sample. Think about threats to internal validity that may have been
impossible to avoid or minimize explain.
 All research studies also have limitations and a finite scope.
Limitations are often imposed by time and budget constraints.
 Describe the extent to which you believe the limitations degrade the
quality of the research
 Delimitation
 A delimitation addresses how a study will be narrowed in scope,
that is, how it is bounded (boundary).
 This is the place to explain the things that you are not doing and
why you have chosen not to do them—the literature you will not
review (and why not), the population you are not studying (and
why not), the methodological procedures you will not use (and
why you will not use them).
 Limit your delimitations to the things that a reader might
reasonably expect you to do but that you, for clearly explained
reasons, have decided not to do.
The proposed time-frame/ schedule
 State exactly when the research will begin and when it will

end.

 Describe any special procedures that will be followed (e.g.,

instructions that will be read to participants, presentation of an

informed consent form, etc.

Budget & Preliminary Bibliography
 The budget is the financial expression of the project and must

include a reasonable estimate of the resources necessary to

conduct the project.

 Most sponsors require a detailed breakdown of the budget

into certain defined budget categories and a detailed budget

justification.
Referencing Style: American Psychological
Association

 The American Psychological Association (APA) style is a

widely used author-date system of referencing or bibliographic
citation.
 This guide is based on the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association(APA) (7th ed)
 It covers basic explanations and examples for the most
common types of citations used in academic writing.
 Overview of In-Text Citations
 The essence of referencing is to acknowledge the sources that you
use to dissertation, research paper, essay or assignment paper.
 In-text citations are used throughout your writing to acknowledge
the sources of your information. The full references for the
citations are then listed at the end of your assignment paper in the
References list.
 According to Manhuru (2022) research is defined
as……………….
 Manhuru(2022) notes that research methods……..
 APA format requires that you include the author's last name and the
year of publication for any source that you reference in-text.
 If your paper is referring to a work as a whole or an idea from a
work without directly quoting that work, only the author’s last
name and year of publication are required in the in-text reference
e.g. (Charumbira, 2022).
 If you are directly quoting material from a source, the in-text
reference should include a page number, if available, in addition to
the author’s last name and publication year. (Mukaro, 2022, p. 234)
 Anything you reference within your work must also be included in
the reference list at the end of your paper or dissertation.
 THE END

RESEARCH METHODS