The Research Process Chapter 4

The Process Explore Propose Prepare Execute Analyse Publish

Research proposal The research proposal is your opportunity to persuade the powers that be that you know what you are talking about. That you have thought through the issues involved and are going to deliver. That it is worthwhile to take the risk and give you license to get on with it [Robson, 1999]

Criteria of a good project proposal It must: be direct and straightforward communicate well be well organized reference enough, current, relevant sources It must NOT: be longer than eight A4 typed pages.

Purpose of a proposal You write a research proposal in order to: organize your thinking clarify the path to your goals lessen the possibility of failure show that your research is worthwhile solicit funding prevent conflict with your supervisor

Contents of a proposal Your proposal will: explain the type of problem you want to investigate state how you plan to do this indicate the significance of your research help assess your ability to do research (to understand, summarise, generate and organise knowledge) compel you to formulate clear goals

Layout of the research proposal The title and author The introduction The description of the problem area The problem statement The research objectives The methods to be used Project schedule Outline of final report The references

The title and author Purpose: To capture the essence of the research project To indicate what the topic of the research is To provide essential keywords for the purposes of retrieving the title through abstracting services, etc

Checklist for Title CriterionYesNo Does the title accurately describe the exact nature of the main elements of the study? Is the title free of technical terms or jargon? Does the title communicate a concise, unambiguous picture of the contents? Does the title serve as a good identification of the study for retrieval purposes?

The introduction Purpose: To indicate the general importance of the field To indicate the nature or present understanding of the field To convince reader of relevancy of project

The introduction: continued Description of area of study (Background) –Establishment of the area of study Description of focus area –Identification of the particular focus of the topic within the area of study Description of specific issues of interest –Identification of the more specific issues of interest

The description of the problem area (literature survey) Conceptual framework of study –To establish the conceptual framework for the study –Moving from general to specific Identification of problem area –To indicate where the study fits into the framework –identifying a gap in the previous literature or –identifying an inadequacy in the previous literature Rationale –To thus justify the value / need of conducting this study against the backdrop of the previous research

“Knowledge does not exist in a vacuum. Your research only has value in relation to other people’s research, that is, in relation to existing knowledge”. [Jancowicz, 1991:116]

The problem statement / statement of purpose To state the exact research problem in brief, concise terms must be related to your research aims shows validity of research proposed is followed by sub-problems (questions) From your research problem you need to develop your argument

Example: Problem statement Modern science materials are not effectively used by primary school teachers

Research question Example: Research questions –Do teachers use and value modern science materials? –How are the materials used in different classroom contexts? –Why do teachers use the materials differently in different classroom contexts?

The research objectives To present the main objective(s) of the research –Primary research objectives Statement of the main, conceptual objectives To present more specific objectives of the research –Secondary research objectives Statements of more specific, measurable objectives

Example: Research objectives Primary objective –To develop guidelines for effective use of modern science materials by primary school teachers Secondary objectives –To determine the modern science materials available to primary school teachers –To investigate the use of modern science materials by primary school teachers –To investigate the benefits of using modern science materials in the class room environment

To develop guidelines for effective use of modern science materials by primary school teachers Do teachers use and value modern science materials? To identify the modern science materials available to primary school teachers How are the materials used in different classroom contexts? Why do teachers use the materials differently in different classroom contexts? To establish the benefits of using modern science materials in the class room environment To determine the use of modern science materials by primary school teachers Modern science materials are not effectively used by primary school teachers

The methods to be used / research methodology Indicate the means by which the research objectives will be achieved –Research methods Outline a procedure which can be repeated by others Indicate the sources of data to be used

To develop guidelines for effective use of modern science materials by primary school teachers Do teachers use and value modern science materials? To determine the modern science materials available to primary school teachers How are the materials used in different classroom contexts? Why do teachers use the materials differently in different classroom contexts? To investigate the benefits of using modern science materials in the class room environment To investigate the use of modern science materials by primary school teachers Modern science materials are not effectively used by primary school teachers Literature Survey Survey Interviews Content Analysis Argumentation

Project schedule / Project plan To indicate the proposed dates by which each stage of the research should be completed

Example of Project Plan Year 1 TaskPlanned start Time in weeks Planned completed JFMAMJJASOND 1Advanced literature study 20/01608/ Finalizing research problem / question 08/03225/03- 3Planning research design 25/03208/04-- 4Preparation of project proposal 08/04301/05-- 5Further literature studies 01/05215/05- 6Write chapter 215/05308/06-- 7Write chapter 308/06325/06- 8Analyze literature work 25/06208/07-- 9Write chapter 408/07330/07- 10Design solution to research problem 30/07214/08- 11Write chapter 514/08303/ Write chapter 603/09325/09 13Write academic paper 25/09315/ Write chapter 715/10230/10 15Write chapter 130/10107/11- 16Review and edit draft chapters 07/11221/11- 17Finalize thesis21/11128/11- 18Proof reading28/11207/12- 19Correct mistakes07/12114/12- 20Handing thesis in for examination 15/12 -

Outline of final report Preliminary list of chapters with a short description on the contents of each chapter

The references / bibliography To list all references used in the research proposal document To list (and perhaps annotate) those references seen as central to the research To list references which are expected to be documented in the final thesis

“The formulation of a problem is far more often essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science”. [Albert Einstein & Leopold Infield]