How to write a Research Proposal

1. How to write a Research Proposal Dr. Areefa Albahri

2. What is a Proposal? • A plan of action • A prerequisite for Research investigation

3. A research proposal sets out the broad topic you would like to research (substance), what the research would set out to achieve (aims and objectives), how you would go about researching it (methodology), how you would undertake it within the time available (outline plan) and what the results might be in relation to knowledge and understanding in the subject (potential outcomes).

4. Purpose of a Research Proposal • Research proposal is intended to convince others that you have a worthwhile research project and that you have the competence and the work-plan to complete it. • The purpose of a proposal is to sell your idea to the funding agency. This means that the investigator must convince the funding agency that: • The problem is significant and worthy of study • The technical approach is novel and likely to yield results • The investigator and his/her research team is/are the right group of individuals to carry out and accomplish the work described in the research proposal.

5. Steps in Developing Research Proposal Title page & table of contents Introduction Statement of the problem Scope of the study Objectives of the study Hypothesis or research questions Literature Review Methodology Ethical/ Legal Consideration Limitation and delimitation of the study Time Schedule Bibliography

6. Introduction of the Research Proposal the introduction to a research paper can be the most challenging part of the paper to write. The length of the introduction will vary depending on the type of research paper you are writing. An introduction should announce your topic, provide context and a rationale for your work, before stating your research questions and hypothesis. Well-written introductions set the tone for the paper, catch the reader's interest, and communicate the hypothesis or thesis statement. Introduction should provide the background of the research study. • Introduction may include a few subsections. • Introduction should be clear.

7. Introduction should include four basic components. (A) Meaningful presentation of the study.(B) Background of the study.(C) Statement of the main issue of the study.(D) Importance of the study. Introduction of the Research Proposal

8. example

9. Controversies still exist regarding gestational diabetes mellitus GDM, and its prevalence, screening, clinical management and impact on maternal and infant outcomes 15. There is also increasing debate on the benefit of the current universal screening of GDM 13. GDM is not a disease per se, but an abnormal laboratory plasma glucose value 2. The increase in prevalence of GDM is recently reported to be an artifact caused by universal screening, with no evidence of benefit of the universal screening to pregnancy out- comes 3. In order to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of GDM and its impact on maternal and infant outcomes in the population where the universal screening of GDM is applied, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of 111 419 pregnancies delivered between 1991 and 1997 in 39 hospitals in northern and central Alberta

10. Research background It addresses why the proposed work is important in the field, and answers the question, “so what?” In this section, provide the status quo of the relevant work field and identify a gap in knowledge or activities that must be filled to move the field forward. Sufficient details should be given in this discussion to make clear what the research problem is and exactly what has been accomplished; to give evidence of your own competence in the field; and to show why the previous work needs to be continued.

11. Purpose of the Study • The purpose states what the researcher proposes to investigate. • The purpose should be a concise statement, providing a framework to which details are added later.

13. Justification for the Study • Key questions to ask yourself at This point: • Have I identified the specific research problem I wish to investigate? • Have I indicated what I intend to do about this problem? • Have I put forth an argument as to why this problem is worthy of investigation? • Have I made my assumption explicit?

14. Problem to be Investigated Definition of Terms Statement of The problem Research questions or Hypothesis Significance Of the study

15. Statement of the Problem “A problem might be defined as the issue that exists in the literature, theory, or practice that leads to a need for the study” (Creswell, 1994, p. 50). Effective problem statements answer the question “Why does this research need to be conducted.”

16. Statement of the Problem • Normally a research statement should satisfy the following criteria: (i) state the key variables included in the study, (ii) state relationship between variables, (iii) state population to which results would be applicable, (iv) avoid redundant words, and (v) use only acceptable scientific terms.

18. Scope of the Study (significant ) Significance of the study contains three paragraphs based on three questions: • Why the study is important? • How the study is important? • For whom the study is important?

19. Scope of the Study Significance of the study contains three paragraphs based on three questions: • Why the study is important? • How the study is important? • For whom the study is important?

20. Objectives of the Study Objectives should be clearly stated and specific in nature. Each sub objective should delineate only one issue. Action oriented words such as, “to determine”, “to find out”, “to ascertain” in formulating sub objectives, which should be numerically stated. Objectives should be attainable, measurable, achievable and testable.

21. Research Questions or Hypotheses • Questions are relevant to normative or census type of research. • Questions are most often used in qualitative inquiry. • Hypotheses are relevant to theoretical research and are typically used in quantitative inquiry.

22. Definitions All key terms should be defined. In a hypothesis testing study, these are primarily the terms that describe the variables of the study. The researcher’s task is to make his/her definitions as clear as possible.

23. References How To Design And Evaluate Research IN Education,2006,The McGraw Hill Companies. New York. Research Methodology, Sage publications Educational Research, Allama Iqbal open University WWW.des.emory.ed/.mpf/proposal.html

24. THANK YOU 24

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