the guidelines to follow while writing research proposal...plz follow those guidelines if u r writing or going to do a research.... Template of Research Proposal Design 1. Title The title of the proposal: As short and as informative as possible 2. Abstract This should be short, around 200 words, and should provide a summary of the entire proposal. It is important because it is the only part of the proposal some decision-makers will ever see. It should outline the problem and its importance, the objectives of the project, the method of evaluation, and the potential impact of the project. It does not normally mention cost. 3. Table of contents 4. Introduction This should orient all readers, especially non-specialist, as to the subject and purpose of the document. It should treat: a. The problem being addressed Before your proposal can make sense to a reader, s/he must understand clearly what the proposed research will be about. (You should not assume that your reader is familiar with your subject: write as if to a stranger). Therefore, you would do well to begin this section with a clear and simple (re) formulation of your research question. b. The objectives of the project Once the topic is established, come right to the point. What are you going to do? What specific issue (s) or research question (s) will your work address? What will we learn from your work? c. The significance of the proposed project This section, often referred to as the ‘rationale’ is crucial, because it is one place in which the researcher tries to convince the reviewer that the research is worth doing. What contribution will your research make to advancing science and solving a real and pressing problem? For example, think about how your research: - May resolve theoretical questions in your area - May develop better theoretical models in your area - May influence public policy - May change the way people do their jobs in a particular field, or - May change the way people live. Are there other contributions your research will make? If so, describe them in detail. Detail regarding each of these three points (a, b & c) should be added to produce a convincing argument as to the usefulness of the research. 5. Background/Literature Review As a separate section, this allows you to fill in important technical details not yet mentioned in the abstract and introduction. It should discuss the history of the problem and provide a survey of previous work on the topic, leading up to the gap which your project hopes to fill. You need to demonstrate your awareness of previous research and its limitation by carefully selecting and evaluating the works you cite, thus establishing yourself as expert enough to deal with the project proposed. 6. Methodology/Description of proposed activity This is the most important section in the whole proposal. It should contain: - The plan for reaching the stated objectives - The plan for evaluating the results These plans will be carefully reviewed by a knowledgeable, hostile audience, whose task is to eliminate all inadequate proposals. Therefore, you need to provide the reviewer with the details s/he needs for assessment: - Any assumptions or hypotheses the research is based upon - The specific problem (s) or question (s) you are trying to address - The particular work and evaluation methods you are using - The appropriateness of your methods for the proposed problem Of these, the last is particularly important, if the appropriateness of your method(s) is not clearly demonstrated, the rest will not mean much. 7. Resources If your project requires special equipment already available in your institution, it is important to list it, since it means that the funding organisation will not have to pay for it. All the requirements for successful completion of your study have to be listed in detail. 8. Time Frame: The schedule for completing the work Be as detailed as possible about the schedule of the proposed work. When will the first step be completed? When can subsequent steps be started? What must be done before what else, and what can be done at the same time? For complex projects a calendar, detailing the projected sequence and interrelationship of events often gives the viewer/sponsor assurance that the investigator is capable of careful step-by-step planning. 9. Budget This section has two purposes: to explain how much things will cost and to justify those items of expenditure whose value may not be obvious. Typical headings are Personnel, Equipment, Supplies, Travel, Computer time, and Indirect costs. It is usually presented in tabular form, with accompanying explanation. 10. References If you refer to some other studies, articles, research, etc you should include a list of references, listed alphabetically at the end of your proposal. 11. Appendixes These are reserved for necessary supporting documents that would disturb the flow of the proposal: they include biography sheets, letters of endorsement or promises of participation. Only include those items which are really necessary to establish the importance of your topic. Note: Try to arrange the write up in logical order so that it is easy to follow by the reviewers. For example first part of all the topics under template (excluding title and abstract) should be related to your first objective followed by second objective and so on. Start a paragraph with a topic sentence followed by facts and figures supporting the topic sentence. Maintain connection between two paragraphs This was given to us (three of us who were doing honours in sherubtse college, 2012) by my dissertation mentor Mr. Kuenzang Tshering (currently there in Katmandu, Nepal)
Posted on: Fri, 27 Sep 2013 07:50:02 +0000
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