HU 164, Lecture 4

Research Proposal

Fall 2012/13

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New Questions Arise

Results Interpreted

Data Collected

Question Identified

Hypotheses Formed

Research Plan

Closed-loop conceptualization of the research process

(Drew, Hardman, and Hart, 1996)

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Generic Research Proposal

• Title Page

• Abstract

• Table of Contents

• Introduction

• Background

• Proposed Research

• Description of Relevant Resources

• References

• Personnel

• Budget

• Appendices

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Useful Resource• Colorado State University, Writing Guide: Engineering Proposals

http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/proposal/• University of Michigan, Proposal Writing Guide

http://www.drda.umich.edu/proposals/PWG/pwgcontents.html• Literature Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2d7y_r65HU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU2uqFY-l4s&feature=related

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Budget

• The budget section may require not only the tabular budget but also a budget summary and explanation or "budget justification" if the budget is complicated or if all its details are not made completely clear by the text of the proposal.

• Typical divisions of a research budget are:

– personnel, – equipment, – supplies, – travel, and – indirect costs.

Other categories, of course, can be added as needed.

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Title

• A good title is usually a compromise between conciseness and explicitness.

• One good way to cut the length of titles is to avoid words that add nothing to a reader's understanding, such as– "Studies on...," "Investigations...," or– "Research on Some Problems in...."

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Abstract

• Though it appears first, the abstract should be written last, as a concise summary of the proposal.

• The abstract speaks for the proposal when it is separated from it, provides the reader with his first impression of the request. Thus it is the most important single element in the proposal.

• It includes – the major objectives of the proposed research and– the procedures to be followed in meeting these

objectives.

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Introduction

• It starts with what is being proposed and then proceeds to introduce the subject to a stranger. You should not assume that your reader is familiar with your subject.

• In introducing the research problem, it is sometimes helpful to say what it is not, especially, if it could easily be confused with related work.

• You may also need to explain the underlying assumption of your research and the hypotheses you will be using.

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Background

• This section may not be necessary if the proposal is relatively simple and if the introduction can present the relevant background in a few sentences.

• If previous or related work must be discussed in some detail, however, or if the literature of the subject must be reviewed, a background or literature review section is desirable.

• Discussions of work done by others should therefore lead the reader to a clear impression of how you will be building upon what has already been done and how your work differs from theirs.

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Proposed Research• This section, which may need several

subsections, is, of course, the heart of the proposal and is the primary concern of the technical reviewers. Suggestions:– Be realistic.– If your first year must be spent developing an

analytical method or laying groundwork, spell that out as Phase 1. Then at the end of the year you will be able to report that you have accomplished something and are ready to undertake Phase 2.

– Be as detailed as possible about the schedule of the proposed work. (Milestones)

– Be specific about the means of gathering and evaluating the data.

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