1. Writing a Research Proposal
What is a research proposal?
Identify a problem/ Defining your topic
Organization of a research proposal
Writing a good research proposal

2. What is a Research Proposal?
A statement of intent
Supplies a rationale
Reason why research is necessary
Required for
MS Thesis
PhD Dissertation
Professionals
Every scientist must get funding from somewhere!

3. What is a Research Proposal? Contribution to the Scientific Dialectic
A discourse, debate or discussion
Contains a question requiring an answer
Showcases research skills
Mastery of field of specialization
Capability to do independent scholarly work
Ability to formulate conclusions
Modifying or adding to knowledge previously/already known
Answers a research problem/question based on previous literature
Significant original contribution

4. What is a Research Proposal? The Steps Involved
Identify problem and review scientific literature
Generate objectives, hypothesis, and predictions
Determine appropriate methods of data gathering
Develop an analysis plan
Predict potential uses for research

5. Indentify a Problem: Define your Topic
Find your passion
Define the scope
Narrow Focus
Begin Literature Review
Find Knowledge Gap
Critically Examine Literature

6. Define your Topic: Step 1) Find your Passion
Find your passion and topic of interest
What are you interested in?
What question do you want to answer?
What can you be passionate about?
Are you willing to study this for years?

7. Define your Topic: Step 2) Define Scope
Choose a general topic of interest to you
Read generally about the topic
Take notes
The problems with the research
Related topics that interest you
Key-words or constructs related to the general topic
Try to be more specific
Narrow your focus to a particular issue, theme or Problem
This becomes the question
Generation of testable hypotheses
Prove your thesis

8. Define your Topic: Step 3) Narrow Focus
Narrow the topic to a particular aspect
Allows you to write
Clearly and
Completely
How to get from
“Environmental health”
…to…
“The effects of oil spills on Brown Pelicans”

9. Define your Topic: Step 3) Narrow Focus
Environmental Health
Pollution
Marine Pollution
Oil Spills
Effects on Marine Life
Effects on Waterfowl
Effects on Brown Pelicans

10. Indentify a Problem: 4) Begin Literature Review
Note down potential search terms
Key-words and
Synonyms
All related constructs
Components
Issues
Journal identification
Specific articles
Google Scholar
Science Direct

11. Indentify a Problem: 5) Find the Knowledge Gap
GENERAL TOPIC
SPECIFIC TOPIC KNOWLEDGE ‘GAP’
GENERATE HYPOTHESES
Find the KNOWLEDGE GAP
Where is vital information missing?
Are current methods appropriate?
Are there more modern techniques
Look with a different lens
Go from
“The Effects of Oils spills on Brown Pelicans”
…to…
“The Effects of Oils spills on the fecundity of Brown Pelicans in the Gulf of Mexico”

12. Indentify a Problem: 5) Critically Evaluate Literature
Critical thinking– acknowledge the strengths
How did the researcher conceptualize the problem?
What were the assumptions and limitations
ASK
How is this research relevant to my study?
How constructs were measured?
How is it different to my study?
How can I improve or extend this research? and weaknesses of an idea

13. Organizing Your Proposal
Title of Study
Abstract (200 words or less)
Introduction
Funnel Paragraph
Literature Review
Your Study: objectives & hypothesis
Methodology
Research design
Data analysis plan
Expected results
Timeframe/Plan & Budget
Primary references 1 2

14. Organizing Your Proposal
Title
Gives reader a sense of what you are examining
Do not make it too general
Needs to encapsulate what you are doing

15. Organizing Your Proposal
Abstract
All abstracts include
Summary of research (200 words or less)
Key words and phrases that quickly identify the content and focus
Clear, concise, and powerful language
The thesis of the work in the first sentence
Background information
Same chronological structure
How not to write a abstract
Do not refer extensively to other works
Do not add information not in the original work
Do not define terms

16. Organizing Your Proposal
Introduction- Funnel
First paragraph after abstract should be an accounting of the funnel process…from broad to specific
Introduction of main question & interest in the study
Introduces the reader to the topic in question

17. Organizing Your Proposal Introduction- Literature Review
Identifies your study’s contribution to the field of knowledge
Discusses the relationship of your proposed research to other local and international researches in the field
Points out improvements in the field
Tell a good story
Must be well structured
Specific to subject area
Will vary based on what you have and have not read

18. Organizing Your Proposal Introduction- Objectives & Hypothesis
Summarize your Study
Significance of Research
Indicate contribution your study makes to the field of knowledge, wider implications or uses
Objective(s)
Overall aim
Our primary objective is to establish the quantity of oil required, to negatively effect the fecundity of Brown Pelicans
Hypothesis
Specific question(s) (hypotheses)
We hypothesize that a lower concentration of oil (vs. the EPA standard) can still cause decreases in Brown Pelican clutch size and chick mortality

19. Organizing Your Proposal
Relevant Tables
Table 1. Effects of oil on two measures of Brown Pelican fecundity (Car, 2010)
Oil concentration
Mean clutch size (n=25)
Mean chick mortality (n=25)
25mg/kg*
55%
15mg/kg 1
50%
10mg/kg 4 5%
5mg/kg 0%
*EPA standard
Double border top, single border bottom
No interior lines
Clean
Left justified
Caption below (10pt)

20. Organizing Your Proposal
Relevant Figures
Source (Jacobs, 2011)
Figure 1. Seasonal distribution of Brown Pelicans
Maps
Study site photos
Research design plans
Capitalize first letter only
Single border
Left justified
Caption below (10pt)

21. Organizing Your Proposal
Style & Formatting
Journal specific
Font, size, indents
Margins, spacing
In-text citations
References
Headings
You all can decide which to use
Look up some journals’ “Guidelines for Authors”
Bring up your selection next week
Feel free to discuss!

22. How To Write A Good Proposal
(Handout)