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HOW TO WRITE A RESEARCH PROPOSAL?

Online

Certificate Course on "Research Methodology and GIS“

Organised by Dept of Geography, Malda College, Malda

Prabir Das

Assistant Professor

Department of Geography

Gour Mahavidyalaya, Malda

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What is Research Proposal?

A research proposal is an overall plan, scheme, structure and strategy designed to obtain answers to the research questions or problems that constitute your research project.
A research proposal should outline the various tasks you plan to undertake to fulfill your research objectives, test hypotheses (if any) or obtain answers to your research questions.
It should also state your reasons for undertaking the study.
Broadly, a research proposal’s main function is to detail the operational plan for obtaining answers to your research questions.
All research proposal must address the following questions: a) What you plan to accomplish? b) why you plan to do it? and c) how you are going to do it?

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Importance of Research Proposal

It informs your academic supervisor or potential research contract provider about your conceptualization of the total research process that you propose to undertake so that they can examine its validity and appropriateness.
In any academic field, your research proposal will go through a number of committees for approval.
Unless it is approved by all of them, you will not be able to start your research.
Hence, it is important for you to study closely what constitutes a research proposal.
A good research project my fall into rejection due to poorly written of research proposal.

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Contents of a research proposal

Title of the Research
Brief Introduction/Background of the study
Statement of Problem
Review of existing Literatures
Objectives of the Research
Research Hypotheses
Methodologies
Implication/relevance of the study
References
Others

A research proposal should contain the following information about your study:

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1. Title of the Research�

The title of the Research Proposal should be clear and concise (with sub-title, if any) reflecting the scope of the investigation.
It has to connection to the text.
First impression last long
Should be adopt 3 Cs
a) Clarity- easy to understand
b) Conciseness- to the point
c) Catching- attractive
Ideally 12-15 words
Title are often stated in terms of functional relationship, because such title clearly indicated dependent and independent variables.

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2. Brief Introduction/Background of the study/Context�

The main purpose of the introduction is to provide necessary background or context of your research problem/topic.
The broad aim of the project emphasizing the overall thrust of the proposed investigation should be clearly mentioned.
Debate/issue/controversy of current issue related to research topic.
Debate on any issue in the country or abroad.
Link your topic to the current issue
It should start from general to specific in the topic.
Followed by rational or justification of the proposed study

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Suppose that you are conducting a study to investigate the impact of immigration on the family. The introduction should include a brief description of the following:

The origins of migratory movements in the world.
General theories developed to explain migratory behaviour.
The reasons for migration.
Current trends in migration (national and state).
The impact of immigration on family roles and relationships (e.g. on husband and wife, on children and parents, on parental expectations of children, etc.).
Occupational mobility.

etc.

Example:

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3. Statement of the problem

After broad introduction to the area under study, now focus on issues relating to its central theme, identifying some of the gaps in the existing body of knowledge. How to frame the research problem perhaps a biggest problem in the proposal writing.

The statement of the problem in research is a concise and clear description of the issue or challenge that the researcher intends to investigate or address.
It outlines the specific problem that the research aims to solve, provides context for why the problem is important or relevant, and highlights the gap or limitation in existing knowledge, theory, or practice that the research seeks to fill.
It should be formulated in a way that is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART), making it clear and focused.
A strong statement of the problem provides a solid foundation for the research and serves as a guide for the entire research process,

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In writing of the statement of problem, you have to-

Identify the issues that are the basis of your study;
State the research problem , which is often a referred to as a purpose of study.
Specify the various aspects of/perspectives on these issues;
Identify the main gaps in the existing body of knowledge;
Raise some of the main research questions that you want to answer through your study;
Identify what knowledge is available concerning your questions, specifying the differences of opinion in the literature regarding these questions if differences exist;
It presents the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing.

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What settlement process does a family go through after immigration?
What adjustments do immigrants have to make?
What types of change can occur in family members’ attitudes? (Theory of acculturation etc.)
What is the possible impact of settlement on family roles and relationships?
What do you think will be the relevance of the findings of your study to the existing body of knowledge and to your profession?
How will the findings add to the body of knowledge and be useful to professionals in your field?

Example

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4. Review of Existing literature

literature review is an integral part of the research process and makes a valuable contribution to almost every operational step.
In the initial stages of research it helps you to establish the theoretical roots of your study, clarify your ideas and develop your research methodology.
It provides a theoretical background to your study.
It helps you establish the links between what you are proposing to examine and what has already been studied.
It enables you to show how your findings have contributed to the existing body of knowledge in your profession.
It helps you to integrate your research findings into the existing body of knowledge.

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Literature Review Cont........

In relation to your own study, the literature review can help in four ways. It can:
1. bring clarity and focus to your research problem;
2. improve your research methodology;
3. broaden your knowledge base in your research area; and
4. contextualize your findings.

In Literature review we do 3 things:

Who has done What?
What are the research gap?
How you plan to overcome this problem?

The problem identified should be logically linked to other studies on the theme in the literature delineating the need for the present investigation.

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5. Research Objectives

What specifically must be accomplished to achieve the purpose (research questions, or hypotheses may be used).
It says What you exactly want?

Example A

Main objective:

To ascertain the impact of immigration on the family.

Sub objectives:

1. To determine the impact of immigration on husband/wife roles as perceived by immigrants.

2. To find out the impact of immigration on marital relations.

3. To ascertain perceived changes in parental expectations of children’s academic and

professional achievement.

4. To determine perceived changes of attitude towards marriage in the study population.

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6. Research Question or Hypothesis

Research hypothesis can be defined as solution based tentative research assumption, which can be proved, disapproved or nullified by way of your research.
R Question: Is there and effect of exercise on body fat reduction?
H₀= There is no effect of exercise on body fat reduction.
H₁= The exercise effects to reduce the body fat.

Example A

H1 = In most cases there will be a change in husband/wife roles after immigration.

H2 = In a majority of cases there will be a change in parents’ expectations of their children.

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7. Research Methodology

It is the combination of 3 thins:
1. Where you will get what?
In evidence based research if implies Data source and Data collection ( Primary and Secondary data)
2. How you will get it?
It says about Tools and Techniques, Process of data collection, sampling techniques.
3. How you will analyse and applied these?
It implies the methods that to be use to analyse the data in the research. Like statistical model, mathematical tools, statistical package like: SPSS, Stata, Python, R, etc.
Different variable of the study also be noted here.

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Research methodology Cont....�As per ICSSR:

a) Coverage: the proposal should clearly indicate the universe of the study, sampling frame, sampling methods, sampling size, units of observation, etc.
b) Data Collection: The proposal should indicate sources of data types of data, tools and techniques for collection of various categories of proposed data.
c) Data Analysis: It should indicate the statistical techniques, if any, proposed to be used in data processing, specific packages for data analysis, content analysis, indices/scaling techniques proposed to be used etc.

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8. Relevance of the study

Theoretical relevance
Methodological
Conceptual
Policy making relevance

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9. References

The proposal should include a list of references mentioned in the text along with other important recent additions to the literature on the theme.
The references should indicate the author, title, publisher and year of publication.
There are many referencing style like. APA, MLA, Chicago etc.

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Chicago

Robson, James P., and Prateep K. Nayak. "Rural out-migration and resource-dependent communities in Mexico and India." Population and Environment 32 (2010): 263-284.

Harvard

Robson, J.P. and Nayak, P.K., 2010. Rural out-migration and resource-dependent communities in Mexico and India. Population and Environment, 32, pp.263-284.

APA

Robson, J. P., & Nayak, P. K. (2010). Rural out-migration and resource-dependent communities in Mexico and India. Population and Environment, 32, 263-284.

MLA