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Developing Effective Research Proposal
Khalid Mahmood, PhDProfessorUniversity of the Punjab
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Professor of Information Management at University of the Punjab, Pakistan
Post-doctoral research fellow at University of California, Loss Angeles, USA
150+ publications Supervised many doctoral, M.Phil. and master
theses Worked for many research journals as editor,
reviewer and editorial board member Conducted many trainings on research writing and
publishing
About me
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Acknowledgment I have prepared this presentation
with the help of many books, presentations and Websites.
I pay my sincere gratitude to all authors, professors and experts for their efforts and contributions.
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Effective ? Adjective Producing a decided, decisive (very
clear or obvious), or desired effect (Merriam-Webster dictionary)
Successful in producing desired or intended result (Oxford English dictionary)
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Purpose of a research proposal
Proposal in the university context
Proposal for research grant or funding
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Components of a research proposal Preliminary pages Introduction Statement of the
problem Research objectives Research questions Hypotheses/Theses Literature review Rationale and
significance
Delimitations and limitations
Research design and methods
Availability of resources Work schedule Proposed contents References and
bibliography
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Preliminary pages Title page
Title, name of researcher, student number, supervisor, degree type, department, university, date of submission
Table of contents Headings and sub-headings with page
numbers Abstract
One or two paragraphs
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Introduction Area and topic Background and context Brief literature review
How the current research is related to other research
Do not review single, isolated studies-introduce larger groups of studies to present broader picture of the literature
Statement of the problem What to do and why Problem as a knowledge void or
theoretical conflict Structure of the problem statement:
Principal proposition Interactive proposition Speculative proposition
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Research objectives Specify the outcome of your study, the end
product Keep your objectives SMART
Specific: Indicate precisely what you intend to achieve through this objective
Measurable: What you accept as proof of project success
Attainable: Given the resources available Relevant: Related to the overall goal of the project Time bound: Can be achieved in the given time
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Research objectives Importance
Focus the study Give direction to the research design,
method to be adopted Prevent collection of irrelevant, redundant
data not necessary to achieve the objective Organize the study in clearly defined parts
or phases Provide criteria by which to evaluate the
outcome to the research11
Research objectives – Examples from market researchSample verbs Sample findingsIdentify Problems, opportunities, criteria Define Concepts, requirements Describe Processes, usage, environments Explore Perceptions, reactions Generate Ideas, hypotheses, alternatives, explanations Evaluate Feasibility, attractiveness, support Select Theme, service, product, concept, ad Test Assumptions, preferences Measure Size, growth, frequency Prioritize Market segments, needs, opportunities Monitor Trends, competition Track Awareness, satisfaction 12
Research objectives Examples
To find out methods used for water treatment
To determine the feeding habits of the under fives
To assess the perception of the community regarding care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS
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Research questions Premised on the problem statement
identified, list possible research questions that could be asked in order to achieve the research objectives of the study
Main question and sub-questions
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Research questions Examples
Is there a correlation between metacognitive and cognitive strategy use and writing performance?
Are the more strategies used, the higher the written text scores are?
Is there a correlation between metacognitive strategies and the ‘task’ completion, between cognitive strategies and the ‘language’ achievement?
Which of the metacognitive and cognitive strategies used lead to more successful writing performance?
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Hypotheses/Theses Hypotheses are research questions
that could be statistically tested
Research hypothesis Null hypothesis
Thesis statement
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Hypotheses Examples
There is a positive correlation between the availability of hours for work and the productivity of employees
Worker satisfaction increases worker productivity
Amount of sun exposure will increase the growth of a tomato plant
Childhood obesity is tied to the amount of sugary drinks ingested daily
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Literature review Theoretical framework Address the independent and dependent
variable(s) proposed by the study Address studies conducted on the independent
and dependent variable(s) A summary that highlight the key research
studies relevant to the proposed study, their general findings that relate to the proposed study and support for the need of additional research on the proposed topic
Definition of terms – conceptual and operational definitions
Rationale and significance Rationale
Reasons or justification for conducting the study
Significance Addition in existing knowledge Implications for policy and practice Likely benefits for society at large
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Delimitations Characteristics selected by the researcher
to define the boundaries of the study. The researcher makes conscious
exclusionary and inclusionary decisions regarding the sample (including such information as geographic location), the variables studied, the theoretical perspectives, the instruments, the generalizability, etc.
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Delimitations Participants
Participation in this study is delimited to teachers who (a) teach third grade in a private school, (b) in the state of California, and (c) have taught more than five years.
Teachers who meet all other qualifications but have previously taught in a public school environment will be excluded from the study.
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Delimitations Variables
The study will be delimited to examination of teachers' self-efficacy when teaching mathematics.
Instrumentation Self-efficacy will be measured on a Likert-type scale
with an instrument designed specifically for the proposed study.
Generalizability The results of the proposed study will be
generalizable to teachers who (a) teach third grade in a private school, (b) in the state of California, and (c) have taught more than five years.
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Limitations Factors, usually beyond the researcher’s
control, that may affect the results of the study or how the results are interpreted.
Examples Due to the small sample available for the study,
results may not be generalizable to the population. Due to the length of the study, a significant number
of respondents available in the preliminary testing may be unavailable or unwilling to participate in the final stage of testing.
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Research design and methods Research design Specific methods to be employed Population and sample Data collection instruments Validity and reliability of instruments Data collection procedure Dealing with ethical issues Data analysis plan Plan to disseminate the findings
Availability of resources Equipment Materials Literature Human resources Budget Additional resources needed and
methods to acquire
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Work schedule – Gantt chart
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Proposed contents Outline of chapters1. Introduction2. Literature review3. Design of the study4. Data analysis and discussion5. Summary, conclusions and
recommendations
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References and bibliography References to studies cited in the
proposal Up-to-date and relevant bibliography of
literature on the topic How many entries ?? Use publication manual suitable for your
field You may use a citation management
software28
An effective proposal should be… Straight forward document Easy to read; simple language; no jargon Precise; not wordy Not a literary production Clearly organized; proper use of
headings and sub-headings Complete; give all necessary information
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Best of luck for your research endeavors!
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