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��Tips for Successful Proposal Writing��Prepared by�Ruth A. Ortega-Dela Cruz, PhD

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Writing a Proposal: �Developing a Focused Study

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TIP #1: START EARLY

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Criteria for a good research topic

    • Feasible (can be done)
    • Interesting (up-to-date, wider audience, etc.)
    • Novel
    • Ethical
    • Relevant (has an implication)

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These criteria have been collectively called the FINER formula (Hulley et al., 2001)

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How to assess the novelty of your research?

  • Do systematic literature review
    • To obtain the state of the art
    • See the position of your work among others
    • Is your work just repeating other researcher’s work?

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Degree

Completion

Persistence Factors

Retention Factors etc.

Student Withdrawal Drop out

The Need for BSA Graduates

Issues & Opportunities on HAE

Changing Role of Ag Ed

Existing literature

Persistence & Retention

My work

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Persistence and Retention towards Degree Completion of BS Agriculture Students in LSPU�

Persistence and Retention towards Degree Completion of BS Agriculture Students in Selected State Universities and Colleges in the Philippines�

Persistence of Agro-Fisheries Students towards Degree Completion

Persistence and Retention towards Degree Completion of BS Agriculture Students in Selected State Universities in Region IV-A, Philippines

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TIP #2: CREATE A VISION WITH THE HELP OF A MENTOR

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Committee Concerns: Your Chair

  • With whom do you work best? Under what circumstances have you worked with this person in the past?

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  • Is s/he good at meeting deadlines and responding to questions and submitted work? Will s/he read each chapter in a timely manner and offer feedback on higher order concerns?

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Committee Concerns: Your Chair

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  • Does this faculty member understand and appreciate your research question and your methodology?

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  • Will s/he work well with the rest of the committee?

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  • Will s/he agree to let you seek guidance from members of the committee before your proposal defense?

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Committee Concerns: Your Chair

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  • Is s/he in a position to be both your coach and your buffer, as needed?

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  • Will s/he provide you a model from which to follow?

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Committee Concerns: Members

  • Do potential members know you, your work, and your chair?
  • Will each potential committee member’s expertise complement your study?
  • Can those you select work well with and defer to your chair?
  • Will they meet with you to offer guidance before you draft the proposal?

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TIP #3: SPEND HALF OF YOUR TIME ON THE ABSTRACT & SPECIFIC AIMS

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What are the essential ingredients?

The Issue

What problem does your research address?

Research Design

How will the research achieve its objective?

Benefit

What will the research contribute?

Figure adapted from MIT OCW

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TIP #4: SEEK EXTERNAL REVIEW PRIOR TO SUBMISSION

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TIP #5: REVISE & EDIT

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  • Back-up proposal everyday!
  • Always print on paper and edit
  • Use standard font
  • Number your pages
  • Read out loud

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    • Forgetting to include table of content
    • Not connecting the proposed research to the literature review
    • Not enough detail about methods
    • Jargon & sweeping generalities
    • Relying solely on your mentor(s)

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Common pitfalls to avoid

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Improving Your Odds

  • Know what the evaluation criteria will be and CHECK that you meet these
  • Start with an outline
  • Read approved proposals
  • Once “finished” ask others to proofread
  • Make sure your mentor approves it before you submit

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