1. DEVELOPING YOUR PROPOSAL
RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT SKILLS
DEVELOPING YOUR PROPOSAL
Associate Professor Dr. GholamReza

2. 1. Develop a clear statement of purpose
Define clearly the purpose of your research proposal
The purpose should capture what is important and interesting about your planned research

3. 1. Develop a clear statement of purpose
EXERCISE 1
1. Develop a clear statement of purpose
Identify your broad problem area
the debate/controversy
What is known
What is not known
Why it is essential to find out
Brainstorm the significance
who will benefit?
The research is necessary and useful because….
Understanding the problem will help me to…
Understanding the area will help others to…
Mindmap & sharpen the problem area
Rewrite

4. 1. Develop a clear statement of purpose
OUTCOME 1
1. Develop a clear statement of purpose
A logical piece of writing one or two pages in length that describes:
WHAT you want to do
WHY …

5. 1. Develop a clear statement of purpose
PITFALL 1
1. Develop a clear statement of purpose
Stating that the study will be carried out because:
It has never been done before….
There are no data on …

6. 2. Identify the current state of knowledge
Search databases using keywords and key phrases
Identify reoccurring themes
Identify authors who are mentioned repeatedly
Identifying the gap and contradictions in the literature
* need to develop references in a systematic way

7. 2. Identify the current state of knowledge
EXERCISE 2
2. Identify the current state of knowledge
Structure and organise your information in terms of ideas/themes
Try to identify each of the main ideas
State your own previous contributions (if any)
Group similar ideas together and summarise each group
Organise the summaries into a logical order
Identify the gap and contradictions
Highlight the need for another (your) study

8. 2. Identify the current state of knowledge
OUTCOME 2
2. Identify the current state of knowledge
You now have a certain amount of information, structured in the form of themes or ideas and arranged in a logical order Well done! This part is one of the hardest

9. 2. Identify the current state of knowledge
PITFALL 2
2. Identify the current state of knowledge
Your proposed study is:
Not significant nor exciting
Replicating what others have done
Lack of compelling rationale
Incremental and low impact research

10. 3. Define the research question/s
At this stage your proposal is still very general; you need to narrow it down by:
Identifying the specific context you are studying
Identifying the period of time you are interested in

11. 3. Define the research question/s
EXERCISE 3a
3. Define the research question/s
Define the space parameters
Where is my question located? Kuala lumpur, Malaysia, developing countries, the world?
Which institution, organisation or group of people? Housing developers, contractors, consulting firms, public agencies, house buyers, house owners, tenants, residents
What aspect of the institution, organisation or people am I interested in? effective managers, leadership practices
Frame your question….

12. 3. Define the research question/s
OUTCOME 3a
3. Define the research question/s
Example:
How do ………(which/who) responded to the introduction of the leadership practices (what)
Why are some…….(who) effective managers (what)
How are leadership practices (what) being encouraged in (which)

13. 3. Define the research question/s
EXERCISE 3b
3. Define the research question/s
Define the time parameters
What period am I interested in?
Redefine your previous question and focus to specific time period

14. 3. Define the research question/s
OUTCOME 3b
3. Define the research question/s
Example:
How do residents/home owners/school children (who) in Kuala lumpur responded to the introduction of the recycling program (what)?
How do housing developers (who/which) in Malaysia responded to the introduction of the NEW housing delivery system (what)?

15. 3. Define the research question/s
PITFALL 3
3. Define the research question/s
Your research questions are too general nor interesting

16. 4. Set aim and objectives Aim - what you want to achieve
Objectives – how you want to achieve it
EXERCISE Write your aim and objectives
OUTCOME You now have a clear research aim and objectives

17. PITFALL 4 4. Set aim and objectives
Too ambitious, too much work proposed
Unfocused aims, unclear goals
Limited aims and uncertain future directions

18. 5. Review the Literature Purpose:
To proof that you have sufficient knowledge (aware of the wider literature and debate) of the field to be able to carry out the project successfully
Gives idea on aspects of the literature that still need to be investigated in greater detail

19. EXERCISE 5 5. Review the Literature
Identify the literature informed-problem
Identify literature that agrees or provides evidence to your problem
Identify literature that disagrees or provides counter-evidence to your problem
put forward your argument (a critical perspective on a problem in the literature)
* Establish your research context and from which perspective you want to see your data (vantage point)

20. OUTCOME 5 5. Review the Literature Identification of : key theorists
key concepts
dimensions, variables
Theoretical framework

21. 6. Develop Appropriate Methodology
Derives from :
the kind of research question/s you have developed
the methodologies already adopted by others in your research field (discerned from literature review process)
Depends on the kind of DATA you hope to obtain

22. 6. Develop Appropriate Methodology
References
Bell, J. (2005) Doing your research project: a guide for first time researchers in education, health and social science. Maidenhead: Open University Press
Denscombe, M. (2003) The good research guide: for small scale social research projects. Maidenhead: Open University Press
SAGE series on Research Methodology

23. 6. Develop Appropriate Methodology
EXERCISE 6
6. Develop Appropriate Methodology
Develop your research design
Identify your method
Population and sampling
Data collection methods
Data analysis

24. 6. Develop Appropriate Methodology
OUTCOME 6
6. Develop Appropriate Methodology
Write up of research methodology
Flow chart of research process
Theoretical framework

25. 6. Develop Appropriate Methodology
PITFALL 6
6. Develop Appropriate Methodology
Too much unnecessary experimental detail
Not enough detail on approaches
Feasibility of each aim not shown
Lack of appropriate controls
Not directly testing hypothesis
Correlative or descriptive analysis

26. 7. Timetable & Milestones
Identify stages and activities
Show start-ups and completions for each activity
Include milestone

27. 7. Timetable & Milestones
EXERCISE 7
7. Timetable & Milestones
Use Table or Excel :
build your timetable or project plan
Identify all activities and stages

28. 7. Timetable & Milestones
OUTCOME 7
7. Timetable & Milestones
Gantt chart of project plan/timetable
Key milestones
Theoretical framework

29. 7. Timetable & Milestones
PITFALL 7
7. Timetable & Milestones
Timetable is unrealistic
lifetime’s work and too ambitious
Unclear what can be accomplished during the term of the study
Theoretical framework

30. 8. Experience & publications
Display your knowledge and experience in the area
Cite your supervisor/s work and how you extend the work

31. 8. Experience & publications
EXERCISE 8
8. Experience & publications
write up your recent work and submit it to appropriate peer-reviewed journal/conference
Identify all related publications of your supervisor/s

32. 8. Experience & publications
OUTCOME 8
8. Experience & publications
In your Proposal, your work can appear as ‘published’, ‘in press’ or at least ‘a submitted manuscript’
In your Proposal, your supervisor/s work is cited in the research gap and current state of knowledge
Theoretical framework

33. 8. Experience & publications
PITFALL 8
8. Experience & publications
No demonstration of expertise or publications
Low productivity, no recent papers
Theoretical framework

34. 9. Expected Outcome Identify the expected outcome
Who would benefit from the findings and how
Can be direct or indirect
Make sure you are able to fulfill examiners’ expectation

35. EXERCISE 9 9. Expected Outcome
Describe who will benefit from your findings
Elaborate what are the outcomes and how will they be achieved
Ensure you fulfill examiners’ expectation

36. PITFALL 9 9. Expected Outcome Unable to fulfil examiners’ expectation
Expected outcome has no connection with your aim, objectives, method etc
Theoretical framework

37. 10. Budget
The cost estimates depends on your understanding of the research activities required
A good budget will allow you to achieve ALL objectives and intended outcomes

38. EXERCISE 10
10. Budget
Open an Excel file and estimates the cost of your research project
allocated your budget into the correct categories
spread out your budget over the period of research allowed under the study
Transfer the cost estimates to the Study Form

39. 11. Title set the first impression of your project
Should describe your entire project, specific and concise