Chapter Two : Component of Complete Research Proposal

1. What is a Research Proposal?

2. Purposes of the Research proposal
3. Contents of a Research proposal
a) Description of a Research Problem
b) Importance of the Proposed Project
c) Literature Review
d) Methodology
e) Scheduling of a Research Activities
f) Budget of the Research Project
4. Ethics in writing of the project proposal
5. Submission of the research proposal

Ashu Fekadu (MSc.) 1

 What is a Research Proposal?
• It is a systematically and transparently compiled scientific ideas where it outlines the researcher plans to
carryout research activities and also to demonstrate the study’s viability and worth.

• Research Proposal is a document that outlines a proposed research study and provides a detailed description
of the objectives, methodology, and potential impact of the research.

• It serves as blueprint for the proposed study, providing a clear plan and rationale for conducting the research.

• It is a sort of an agreement between the person who authorizes the project (usually called the
sponsor/sponsoring agency) and the researcher (usually called the Principal Investigator).

• The proposal is a product of a planned, organized and careful efforts.

• A well written research proposal should maintain a formal tone, adhere to a specific structure, and use clear
and concise language to effectively communicate the significance and feasibility of the research.
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 Purposes of Research Proposal
A good research proposal is one which fulfills the following purposes;

a) To Convince Other People

• The main function of any research proposal is to convince other researchers/subject experts,
research funding agencies, and supervisors/advisors that your research is worth spending resources
on.

• Convince people of the value of your work by showing them how your research will make a
difference to the world, or by identifying the shortcomings/problems and gaps in the existing
knowledge which your research will help in resolving.

• Through your proposal you can convince people about the value of your proposed research work.

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 Cont…
b) To demonstrate one’s expertise c) To demonstrate one’s competency

• Research proposal helps to demonstrate one’s • Research proposal also helps to demonstrate
expertise in a particular field of study. fitness (competency) in a particular field of study.

• With your research proposal you convince • It is also important that your research proposal
people that you have enough understanding of convinces the reader that you have all the
the research topic and are able to carry out the necessary skills to carry out the proposed study.
proposed research project effectively.

• In a research proposal this is done by

intelligently summarizing, comparing and
integrating all the relevant theory and existing
research pertaining to the proposed research
project.
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 Cont…
d) To serve as a contract

• Research often involves contracts between different individuals or groups or people.

• The proposal states clearly what each individual party is expected to do, how
resources will be used and when the research will be completed.

• The contracts or agreements will be usually between:

• An individual and a sponsoring agency OR

• A group of individuals and the sponsoring agency OR

• Two collaborating institutions

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 Cont…
e) To Serve as a Planning Tool
• Many research projects fail because they are not properly planned.

• When there is a clear plan of action from the beginning, the research is
much more likely to proceed smoothly and will be successful.

• Finally, it may be concluded that because the main purpose of the research
proposal is to convince other people, it is important that the writing style
must be simple, clear and professional.

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 Contents of a Research Proposal
• What goes into a research proposal is the most crucial and important aspect of any
research proposal.
• As a fact there is no single format for a research proposal because every research
project is different.
• Different academic disciplines, funding organization and institutions all have
different formats and requirements.
• The major components of the research proposal are enlisted as introduction,
statement of the problem, objectives of the study, significance of the study, research
questions, literature review, methodology, expected outcomes of the study, research
activity timeline, budget plan, and references.
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 Cont…
However, there are several key components which must be included in every research
proposal. The key components for any research proposal are :
• A description of the research problem
• An argument as to why that problem is important.
• Objectives of the Study
• A review of literature relevant to the research problem.
• A description of the proposed research methodology.
• Priority and scheduling of various research activities.
• Detailed budget description for the proposed research study.
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 a) Description of the Research Problem Cont…
• The Research Problem is the driving force behind any
• Generally, well structured research problem not only
research study, providing a clear focus and purpose
enhances the overall coherence of the proposal but also
towards which the research objectives are directed.
demonstrates the technical fluency of the researcher. the
• It is essential to define and describe the research
research problem description should be grounded in a logical
problem with precision and clarity to establish a
and systematic approach.
strong foundation for the proposed study.
• Say for example if the title of the proposed research problem
When describing the research problem:
is “Impact of large reservoirs on seismicity with special
• The use of appropriate language and reference to the Koyna dam, Maharashtra, India”.
• Avoiding jargon and slang contributes to the • “By comparing the seismic data for the pre-dam and post-
credibility and professionalism of the proposal. dam construction periods, it has been noticed that that there

• Adopting a formal tone would establish a sense of is a significant increase in the number of seismic events after

seriousness and relevance regarding the issue at hand the construction of dam and this can be attributed to the
while also ensuring clarity in communication. phenomenon of reservoir-induced seismicity”
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 Cont…

• In the present research study it is intended to study why and how this increase
in seismic events has occurred.

• What are the various factors that have influenced this increase in seismic
events?

• It is also important to mention that by what means this research problem has
been identified.

• Is it your observation and does it have a practical concern, mention clearly

while describing the research problem.
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 b) Importance of the Proposed Project
Cont…

• Significance or the usefulness of the proposed study is the key paragraph in any
research proposal.
• Only through this paragraph a researcher attempts to convince the other researchers
or the funding institutions that in what way this research is unique.
• Some key points that can be mentioned in this paragraph are :
i) How the results & findings of the proposed study will be used for the betterment
of scientific concepts or how they may be utilized for the welfare of the society
(societal benefits/socio-economic benefits).
ii) The results and findings may overcome the short comings or gaps in the existing
theoretical and practical knowledge. 11
 c) Literature Review
Cont…

• This presents one of the greatest challenges of the research proposal to both the
experienced and inexperienced researchers.
• It provides a conceptual framework for the reader so that the research problem and
methodology of the proposed research is better understood.
• The literature review demonstrates to the expert reader that the researcher is aware of
the breadth and diversity of literature related to the research problem.
• The researcher has to show that how these are related to the proposed study and how
these works are similar to and/or different from the proposed research.
• The literature review is not simply a list of books and articles that the researcher has
read….. 12
 Cont…
• Instead, it has to be combined and synthesized in an integrated description of the
field of study. A good literature review shows how the text compiled from various
books and articles relate to the broad topic.
• It also demonstrates to the expert reader that a researcher has surveyed much of the
appropriate literature.
• A good literature review also demonstrates that for the proposed study different
approaches will be used and in combination will produce an original study.
• Literature review is a systematic study and needs a thorough study of the relevant
study material.
• Literature review must include the latest publications from reputed referred
international journals. 13
 Cont…
The literature review has to be structured as per the following points;

• Identification of relevant books, journals, reports related to your proposed research topic.

• What are results the previous researchers have produced.

• What are theoretical and practical knowledge related to the proposed study. Describe these in detail.

• What methodologies were used by the previous researchers. If you are going to adopt one of these
methodology for the proposed research explain it in detail.

• What is the most recent finding related to the proposed study ?

• What gaps and contradictions exist among these findings. What new research problem do these findings
suggest.

• It is important to structure your literature review for the better understanding and the continuity of concepts.
Do not start writing your literature review until you have developed a broad and deep understanding of the
proposed research topic. 14
 D) Methodology
Cont…

• The methodology section of the research proposal is a component which often causes
great difficulty.
• As such there is no standard methodology to perform research in sciences. For each
discipline and specific research problem, these methodologies will differ.
• The methodology section of the research proposal is designed to explain the expert
readers precisely that how you intend to find the solution for the proposed objectives
of the research study.
• In this section a researcher has to put enough details so that the reader will
understand precisely that how actually you are going to perform the research.

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 Cont…
• Though the methodologies to be followed for the proposed research in geology
are study specific but, broadly it comprises three basic components;

i) Data collection

• Primary data collection from field/laboratory

• Secondary data collection

ii) Data Analysis and synthesis

iii) Results and Interpretations

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 e) Scheduling of various Research activities Cont…

• Another important component of a research proposal is to describe scheduling

of the various activities of the proposed research.

• For any research project it is important to schedule all the activities in such a
way that the research project is completed within the allotted time.

• Therefore, it is important to present an activity schedule chart in the research

proposal.

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 f) Budget Plan Cont…

• A research proposal must include a detailed project budget. Amounts budgeted must be realistic and up to
date.

• It is good to check before submitting that what kinds of costs are acceptable to the funding institution.

• For a good project budget it is essential to give full breakup of each individual activity to be covered in a
proposed research study.

• The detailed budget must be presented in a tabular format in which the various activities may be kept in rows
and the budget component in columns.

• For each activity subtotal must be presented.

• Amount to be mentioned should be in round figures.

• Always keep 10 – 15% extra budget for unforeseen expenses.

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 Ethics in Proposal Writing
• Writing and style makes a research proposal impressive and convincing. Writing is a
difficult skill to master and it comes through practice and dedication.

• While writing a proposal we need to be very specific and precise. We need

to follow however, some important tips for better writing are mentioned below;

i) Always structure the work in advance.

ii) Know what you want to say before trying to write it.

iii) Every sentence must contain one idea only.

iv) There must be a continuity in sentences. A well written text is a “chain of ideas”.

v) While writing keep the reader’s need in mind. 19

 Cont…
Besides a researcher must concentrate on the style of
proposal presentation. Some important tips on style of
presentation are given hereunder;
• Construct clear arguments.
• Proposal must be professional looking.
• There should not be any spelling and grammatical mistakes
• It must be interesting and informative.
in the proposal.
• Writing style must be simple with small sentences and
• Reference your work fully using an acceptable format.
simple vocabulary.
• Do not use such words for which you are not sure for their
• A content page must be included in a proposal.
meaning.
• Use clear headings and sub-headings.
• Do not use difficult words to impress your readers.
• While writing proposal be concise and precise.
• Do not use overly simplistic language.
• Use simple language.
• Do not make unnecessary repetitions in the text.

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 Submitting the Proposal
• Fatigue and impatience can ruin the research proposal. Therefore, It is expected that a
researcher must spent a little more time making sure that the proposal is perfect before
submitting it.

• Also make sure that before submission the following steps are completed;
• Proof read the proposal carefully.
• Ask a friend or relative to read your proposal.
• Ask an experienced researcher or your supervisor/advisor to read the proposal.
• Ensure that your proposal meet all the requirements laid down for the research proposal by the funding
organization/ submitted.
• Submit the proposal with a covering letter to the contact person and address before the last date of
submission fixed by the funding organization/ institution.
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THANK YOU 22