Nursing Research Module

Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio

INTRODUCTION

Developing your research proposal requires critical thinking and skills. A good research
proposal has to be convincing and carefully planned. The main objective of a research proposal is to
you’re your research plans compelling that draws attention to await your study’s the final results. In this
Module, you will be given the fundamental lessons of writing a research proposal. This is patterned from
the CCHAMS research manual. However, whether you plan to make a research proposal for your thesis
or for future purposes (e.g. Master’s thesis or Clinical research to support evidence-based practice), the
basics of writing a research proposal is pretty much the same.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Understand the structure of the research proposal.

2. Integrate the discussions of the introduction contents and research methods in creating your
research proposals.
3. Develop a draft of your research proposal.
4. Create a template of your presentation slides to be used in presenting your proposal orally.

MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 1
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences
 Nursing Research Module

LESSON 1 :
WRITING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A well-conceived plan will take you through the completion of your

research. Your research study is as good as your plan. Your TAKE NOTE!
plan in conducting a research consitutes your research
Other institutions and research
proposal. In this lesson, you will learn the contents of your journals may have different
research proposal as well as the prescribed format and style. format and content guidelines.
You will be taught with some tips on how to make your When you will be doing your
writing style academic and scholarly – the style expected research for your institution or
when writing you’re writing an academic paper such as a publishing research articles, you
research paper. The content and format presented in this should refer to these guidelines.
module is based on the University and College Research
Guidelines.

CONTENTS OF THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A side from the preliminaries and appendix

sections, the main body of your research proposal

should have two chapters. Chapter 1 is introduction
and Chapter 2 is methodology.

The contents of these may vary depending

on whether you are planning to do a technical
research or social research (see Figure 1). Technical
research includes experimental or quasi-
experimental studies. Social Research includes those
which are descriptive in nature such as correlational
studies which use survey methods.

Important also to note is when you do a

qualitative research, some parts are ommitted
because these are not applicable in the qualitative
research designs.

Figure 1. Arrangement of Contents of Undergraduate Thesis*

* ICHAMS Research Manual, 2014. p.11

Since this module is focused on making the research proposal, we will be discussing about contents of
Chapters 1 and 2. Chapters 3 and 4 will be discussed by your professor in another course.

MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 2
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences
 Nursing Research Module

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

The introduction section or Chapter 1 will bring forth to the readers what research are you are proposing. Sections
of the Introduction are discussed individually.

SITUATION ANALYSIS

This part describes the problem situation which should be macro to micro analysis or vice versa; that is
considering statistical data on global, national and local scenarios pertaining to the study based on authoritative
sources. This part discusses the what and why and significance of the study.

Figure 2. The three essential segments of the Situation analysis

The situation analysis should baiscally include these three general parts (see inverted pyramid firgure on
the left). First, the situation must be presented. You should provide discussions about what is known about the topic.
In here you can provide information such as statistics. You also provide what studies have already been conducted
in your topic of concern. You can provide any study which are similar to the one you are proposing.

Next, you discuss the gaps. You tell the reader what is unknown about the topic. You can provide
explanations of any areas missing in the current literature. You emphasize perceived weaknesses of prior research.
Examples of statements you can provide in this section include “Prior research has put emphasis on X (The topic
presented in research studies you have read). However, considering changing conditions related to Y (Your topic),
there is a need to examine Y..” or “Consequently, the factors need to be examined in more detail…”

Lastly, your situation analysis should include the connecting statement/s. This should answer how your
study will contribute to answering the gaps you presented. This should tell the reader (and convince the panel
members) that your study has the potential to provide answers to the gaps presented. This is the part of the situation
analysis where you answer the “so what?” question.

MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 3
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences
 Nursing Research Module

FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY

The study should be linked with existing theories particularly

nursing theories like Environmental theory of Nightingale, Orem’s Self-
Care Theory, etc. which will serve as the guide of the study. You may, TAKE NOTE!
however, use non-nursing theories. This part should also present specific Remember to use the past
constructs and assumptions that supports the study. tense when writing your
proposal. Your proposal is
Moreover, it should present the research paradigm that will the plan of your research
serve as a guide in the conduct of the study. The research paradigm which is still to be conducted.
should illustrate the relationship of the variables that are used and this
may be in the form of input-process-output (IPO), flow chart system, true
system approach and many more. See example in the next page.

Þ This is an
example of a
research paradigm
taken from the
study:
Implementation of
Expanded Newborn
Screening among
Healthcare
Facilities in La
Union.

MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 4
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences
 Nursing Research Module

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM/STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

The general problem should present a situation or phenomenon that challenges a solution or a felt need
which will also contribute to existing knowledge. The specific problems should be presented in a logical way from
factual to analytical and should be expressed in interrogative form. Statement of objectives both general and
specific shall be stated in declarative sentence.

TIME AND PLACE OF THE STUDY

You should present the period of which the research will be done as well as the locale of the study.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The important terms used in the study should be defined in combination of lexical and operational way.
The terms which are defined must be arranged alphabetically and proper citation of lexical definition is necessary.
Format for the Definition of Terms: The term should be Indented; italicized; followed by a period then definition.

CHAPTER 2. METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH DESIGN

You describe the appropriate research method appropriate to the study (experimental, descriptive, qualitative
etc.)

SOURCES OF DATA

You describe the characteristics of the respondents or participants of the study. Tabular presentation may be used.
Furthermore, if applicable, there should be a description of the specific sampling frame and sampling techniques.

MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES

The tools utilized in gathering the data should be described and the researcher should explain logically how the
data will gathered.

INSTRUMENTATION AND DATA COLLECTION

This part describes the instrument (questionnaire) that will be used in the study. It should present how the
instrument will be formulated. Cite sources if applicable. The parts of the questionnaire should also be discussed.
The researcher/s should also present the test of validity and reliability of the tool. Furthermore, this area describes
and explains logically how the data will be gathered. It describes in sequence how the tool will be administered.

ANALYSIS OF DATA/ DATA ANALYSIS

Identify the statistical tools that will be used per specific problem. You should also present the scales of values that
will be used and the descriptive equivalent rating if applicable. For qualitative studies, this area presents the
method as to how the data will be analyzed.

MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 5
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences
 Nursing Research Module

CHECKPOINT

Let us see how much you have learned so far.

I. PUT A CHECK ON THE BOX BEFORE EACH NUMBER IF THE STATEMENT IS

CORRECT.

1. A research proposal must include important information in the existing literature about your topic.
2. Doing a literature review will help you develop credible information to write your situation analysis.
3. When you found out that there is limited information about your research topic, you know that this is
research gap.
4. In writing the situation, you may consider providing discussions about meanings and definitons of your
research topic.
5. If you are stating that your study’s results may contribute to knowledge about your topic, you are
stating a significance of your study.
6. Your situation analysis introduces the reader to what topic your study is about.
7. Doing a nursing research nessecitates the use of only nursing theories in your framework.
8. Your statement of the problem should be writen in declarative sentence.
9. A description of your sampling plan must be included in the Instrumentation and Data Collection
section
10. The statistical tools are presented in the Analysis of Data/Data Analysis section of a quantitative
research.

II. GROUP WORK: THIS IS A GROUP WORK FOLLOWING YOUR RESEARCH TOPIC
GROUPING.

1. Write three-paragraph situation analysis of your research topic. incorporating the three segments in your
output.

2. Make an outline of your Chapter 2. You may include introductory sentences in your outline. Follow the
subheading presented in this module.

MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 6
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences
 Nursing Research Module

FORMAT AND STYLE

In here, the general format as to how the proposal would appear, is presented. For samples, you can read
the CCHAMS research manual which has been provided to you.

MANUSCRIPT PAPER

White in
Color

Substance
20

Letter Size
(8.5 x 11
in)

PREPARATION OF THE MANUSCRIPT

1. Margin:
Top-1.3 inches, Right– 1 inch, Left side is 1.5 inches , Bottom-1 inch
2. Font: size 12, Times New Roman
3. Spacing: In general, it must be double spaced, except for titles, table texts and bibliography which are
single spaced.
4. Set an automatic TAB stop of 0.5” for paragraph indenta- tion.
5. Set four spaces between Chapter Title and First entry heading.
6. Place four spaces between main side headings (Parts of Research).

TITLE PAGE

• Title– All capital letters, centered, inverted pyramid, not to exceed three (3) lines
• Author(s)- For group research, the name of the lead researcher will appear first then the names of the
other members will follow to be arranged alphabetically (Maximum of 5 students in a group).
• All capital letters, centered.
• First Name, Middle Initial, Family Name
• Name of the University, Campus, College, Address– -All capital letters, centered
• Degree– All Capital Letters, Centered
MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 7
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences
 Nursing Research Module

• Date of Completion– Month and Year

PAGINATION

• Title page– no page

• Preliminary pages are numbered in the lower center part of the page in Roman numerals (i,ii,iii,…)
• The rest of the pages are numbered in upper right part of the page in Hindu Arabic numbers.
• Start of chapter– included in the pagination but page number is hidden/omitted

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

• Use formal language, narrative format, use the third person, no picture, no graphics
• Initials of Author(s); no punctuation mark shall be placed at the end.
• No limit as to the number of pages, no boldface fonts in the body

DEDICATION

• This must be brief, centered on one page with no heading.

• This is an optional part of the Preliminary.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Preliminaries, Contents/Text, Literature Cited, Appendices

• Preliminaries and Chapter Title shall be CAPITALIZED.
• Items in every chapter shall be in Title Case.
• Chapter Title shall be numbered using the Hindu-Arabic Numeral.
• List of Tables, List of Figures, and List of Plates shall only reflect those that appear in the text. (Screen
Prints shall be included in the List of Plates)
• Paging for the preliminaries shall use the Roman Numeral small case. Flush right for the page numbers.
• Paging for the main parts shall use the Hindu-Arabic Nu- merals. Flush right for the page numbers.
• Dots shall be used as leaders. (no space between dots ……….)
• The item “Table of Contents” shall not be included in the Table of Contents.

MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 8
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences
 Nursing Research Module

CHECKPOINT

Time to work with your groupmates.

I. GROUP WORK: THIS IS A GROUP WORK FOLLOWING YOUR RESEARCH TOPIC

GROUPING.

Draft the preliminary sections of your research proposal using the format and styles presented in this lesson. You
are expected to draft at least the following:

a. Title page
b. Acknowledgment
c. Dedication
d. Table of Contents

MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 9
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences
 Nursing Research Module

LESSON 2 :
PRESENTING THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL

O rally presenting your research proposal demands skill. Your proposal will be presented to a panel

of experts to not only to evaluate or provide scrutiny but to give you proper guidance for the successful
implementation of your research. This lesson will teach you several strategies to prepare appropriate visual aids and
to effectively present your proposal orally.

PREPARING YOUR VISUAL AIDS

A s a general rule, your visual aids must only include important information to guide and complement the

flow of your presentation. Simplicity is a key. You will probably be time-limited during presentation and so you have
to make the most of the alloted time to provide to your panel members the main points and essential information
in a persuasive and effective manner.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

You should take note of these guidelines.

GUIDELINE #1: YOUR PROPOSAL OUTLINE IS A BLUEPRINT OF YOUR PRESENTATION

Create the titles of your slides using the proposal outline. This is important in two ways. First, this ensures that you
do not miss any part of your proposal. Second, this will make it easier for the panel members (audience) to follow
through your presentation.

Example of a presentation outline

• Title Slide
o Title of your proposal, Names of authors - including your
adviser
• Introduction
o Situation Analysis: Provide briefly highlights in along the
three essential structures. Highlight the significance of your
study
o Statements of the problem/Research Objectives
• Methods
o Research Design
o Sources of Data
o Materials and Procedures
o Instrumentation and Data Collection
o Analysis of Data/Data Analysis

MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 10
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences
 Nursing Research Module

GUIDELINE #2: BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR TIME

The time of your presentation depends on the guidelines of

the institution. Common presentation time is set at 15 minutes. A key
TAKE NOTE!
in the allocation of your presentation time is proper distribution of the
alloted time to each part of your presentation. A common mistake is to
spend too much time in
Be sure to provide enough time in the presentation of your study explaining the literature or
the situation analysis.
methods. Your pannel would most likely concentrate in this section
since they have to ensure your plan of work is feasible and scientifically
sound.

Example of a breakdown of the time in case you are given 15 minutes:

TIME
TOPIC
5
Introduction
10
Methods
15
TOTAL

You can breakdown further the topics. For example, in the Methods, you may be concerned at providing
more time with discussion your Instrumentation and Data Collection compared to presenting the research design. It
is common that presenters are advised to have 1-2 slides per minute.

GUIDELINE #3: FOR FIGURES AND TABLES, TOO MUCH IS OK

Figures and table are not oly pleasing to the eyes but also gives an impression that you have a good grasp
of the topic you are presenting. Resorting to making figures or tables in your slide instead of text can will also be
easier for the audience to digest the information you are presenting. Below is an example of a slide to present a
study’s rationale.

Excerpt from presentation: Licuben C, Agdasiw C, Bangilan A, Bero D, Polito G, & Estacio J. Unseasoned Blossoms in the
Cordillera: A Phenomenology of Teenage Motherhood. 2017

MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 11
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences
 Nursing Research Module

GUIDELINE #4: YOUR TEXT SLIDES SHOULD BE USER-FRIENDLY

It is common that some slides may need to have texts. In creating

TAKE NOTE! your text slides, you should be brief and it should save elaboration for your
speech. Your slides and your speech should not be repetitive of each other.
Your audience should not both
This means then that neither your slides nor your speech should be able to
read and listen to what you are
saying. stand alone.

You may want to ask yourself if the audience is spending more time
reading than listening. A typical slide may have 9 lines of text, with approximately 30–50 words. Use no more than
3–4 points under one heading.

GUIDELINE #5: BE CAREFUL IN APPLYING AESTHETICS

Avoid 3-4 colors on a slide. Slides typically have a dark background while posters have light background. Refrain from
using overly detailed figures. Use no more than 3 curves. Avoid orange and yellow for figures because those colors
may be difficult for the audience to see.

If you have a complicated figure or table, you can start with a slide with a simple framework and then gradually build
by adding more components.

PRESENTING YOUR PROPOSAL ORALLY

GUIDELINES FOR YOUR SPEECH

CONSIDER HOW YOUR WORDS WILL SUPPLEMENT YOUR SLIDES

Ther are two important things to avoid. Do not read from a script and Do not read your slides verbatim. You can
use cheat notes but speaking without notes will always be more impressive. Tip: you can use the notes section in
microsoft powerpoint. When transitioning from slide to slide, use transition phrases.

HOW TO DISCUSS TABLES/FIGURES

You are familiar with your tables and figures but your audience are not. You should explain your slides step-by-step.

Discuss the
main finding.
Define an
example
Read the data point.
title of the x-
Read the and y-axes.
title of the
slide.

MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 12
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences
 Nursing Research Module

REHEARSE YOUR SPEECH

Just like any other speech preparations, you need to rehearse your speech out loud to yourself. In doing so, you also
estimate the time you spend for the presentation. You would also know if you can explain effectively every slide.

CONNECT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE

Your goal during your speech is to make sure you are relating to your audience 100% of the time. By all means, you
must avoid facing the screen behind you and talking to it. Place your laptop in front of you and glance at your slides
flashed in your laptop from time to time and only when necessary. Look at your audience but do not fixate your gaze
to only one individual.

DO NOT SAY PHRASES THAT UNDERMINE YOUR CREDIBILITY

Avoid saying phrases that threatens your credibility as the speaker and might lower the confidence of the audience
in you. Examples of these are “I know this is a boring topic”. “I am not good at presenting”. “I feel so nervous”. “I am
not prepared for this”.

NO TO TALKING QUICKLY

Speaking quickly may be a sign of nervousness. Try your best to relax and take time to present one slide after
another. Your slides may be unfamiliar to your audience. Therefore, you can pause for a few seconds before starting
your speech in each slide.

SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON EACH SLIDE IS BORING

Try not to spend more than 5 mins on each slide. Typically, 1 minute per slide is enough. If you have a complicated
concept, consider several slides. You can also build up several items entering your slide through animation to present
a complicated concept.

TAKE NOTE HOW YOUR PRESENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED

It is always useful to know how you will be evaluated. This way, you would know the expectations of the evaluators.
Obtain the evaluation form or guidelines.

CHECKPOINT

Time to work with your groupmates.

GROUP WORK: THIS IS A GROUP WORK FOLLOWING YOUR RESEARCH TOPIC GROPING

Develop a template of your slides for presentation.

MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 13
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences
 Nursing Research Module

REFERENCES

Chasan-taber, L. (2014). Writing Dissertation and Grant Proposals: Epidemiology, Preventive

Medicine and Biostatistics. Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Institute of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences (2014). DMMMSU ICHAMS
Research Manual.

Offredy, M., & Vickers, P. (2010). Developing a Healthcare Research Proposal: An Interactive
Student Guide. Wiley Blackwell.

Terrel, S. R. (2016). Writing a Proposal for Your Dissertation. The Guilford Press.

Wood, M. J., & Ross-Kerr, J. C. (2011). Basic Steps in Planning Nursing Research: From
Question to Proposal (7th Editio). Jones and Bartlett Publishers, LLC.
https://doi.org/10.2307/3462174

MODULE: The Research Proposal Prepared By: Joel C. Estacio, MA, RN, RM
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University 14
College of Community Health and Allied Medical Sciences