Dr. Imtithal AL-ThumairiWebpage:http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~iaat100/

Guide to the Research Proposal

Elements of the Research Proposal

Title

Abstract

Study problem

Relevance of the Project

Literature Review

Specific Study Objectives

Research Methods

Keys To Success To Writing A Good Proposal

Overall Quality of the Study

Good research question

Appropriate research design

Rigorous and feasible methods

Quality of the Proposal

Informative title

Self-sufficient and convincing abstract

Clear research questions

Scholarly and pertinent background and rationale

Relevant previous work

Appropriate population and sample

Quality control

Adequate sample size

Sound analysis plan

Ethical issues well addressed

Tight budget

Realistic timetableAppropriate measurement and intervention methods

Quality of the Presentation

Clear, concise, well-organized

Helpful table of contents and subheadings

Good schematic diagrams and tables

Neat and free of errors

Literature Review

A critical summary of research on a topic of interest, generally prepared to put a research problem in context or to identify gaps and weaknesses in prior studies so as to justify a new investigation.

Keys to Success

Thorough and complete Logical Recent Original research Primary sources Critical appraisal Building case for new study

Objectives/Research Questions/Hypotheses

Identifying the research problem and developing a question to be answered are the first steps in the research process. The research question will guide the remainder of the design process.

Research ObjectivesA clear statement of the specific purposes of the study, which identifies the key study variables and their possible interrelationships and the nature of the population of interest.

Research QuestionThe specific purpose stated in the form of a question.

HypothesesA tentative prediction or explanation of the relationship between two or more variables. A prediction of the answer to the research question.

How not to write a research proposal

Why research proposals?

Spot the difference:What to do in the final year of your postgraduate study?

Imperative for both:A carefully thought out, well presented plan that is very likely to end in success

A contribution to knowledge

What is research?

Discovering something that nobody knew before, AND

Telling the world about it!

It is incremental, not revolutionary

What is science?

A process of knowledge discovery

Based on:Observation

Hypothesis formation

Hypothesis testing

Where does technology fit?It doesn’t always…

Like many things in life…

Much is learned from looking at bad examplesMuch less from looking at good examples!

The key points are obviousSo the majority overlook them

Obvious but overlooked:You are making a case to do something in return for something else

The structure of this doesn’t vary much with the topic

Key points

WhatYou want to do; in research, what are you aiming to discover?

HowMethodology; how will you discover the it?

Why youWhy is it better for you to do it, rather than someone else?

Proposal 1

There is all this new technology in the worldWe will build something new

That hasn’t been built beforeMaybe using itMaybe like it

A wee bit different

The end

Proposal 2

Last time, we did a thing (X)

This time, we will make some amendments to X

Which will make it better

Proposal 3

There is intense commercial pressure to produce X

It so far doesn’t exist

We will build something like itand then become fabulously rich

Proposal 4

Company Y wants Z to exist

They would like us to develop Z

They will collaborate with us to do soAnd even give us some money

So – how to write one?

What is it?Contribution to knowledge

Otherwise, it’s not research…

What are the research questions?What are the proposed solution domains?

What do we already know?

How will we do itMETHODOLOGY

Who are we, anyway?!Why us, not someone else?

The what

Unfailing, rigorous format:

AbstractPara 1: context

Para 2: problem

Para 3: proposed solution

Wrt the scientific method, the above represents the observation only

The real what: questions

For us to believe the para 3 solution may be effective, what do we need to know?

A list ofThings that are required for the solution to work

Things that are currently unknown

Proposed solution domains

We do not invent new thingsWe incrementally improve and reapply old things

A list ofThings that are required for the solution to work

Things that are currently known

The How

This is researchWe don’t know what will happen during the investigation

And everyone knows it

However…!We do need an overall plan

Ideally, hypothesis-testing, ie an experiment

(And what happens if it fails, by the way?)

Why us?

Because we know the domain well

Because we are the first to have this significant new insight

ie thorough knowledge of the relevant literature and community

May also include previous stuff we have done

The competition

Not other researchers!If noone else is doing the same thing, it probably isn’t worth doingThere is lots of space for everyone

The industryDon’t try to do something that has significant short-term commercial benefit

That would be completely unconvincing as research

Those beneficiaries…Often regarded as the toughest competition, but…… if it’s worth doing, they exist!