STUDY SKILLS - WRITING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
This information is taken from McWillan and Weyers (2011): 3: Writing a proposal.
This is a useful exercise which should be done AFTER PRELIMINARY READING INTO YOUR RESEARCH SUBJECT.
This is a useful exercise which should be done AFTER PRELIMINARY READING INTO YOUR RESEARCH SUBJECT.
1. THE BENEFITS OF WRITING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
2. THE HYPOTHESIS
This is the main idea underlying your dissertation or project report, ...
Essentially this involves framing a question or topic that you will be seeking to address. ... a clear-cut answer or conclusion is rarely possible, and, in fact, you will gain credit by considering the evidence from all sides of an argument or case, arriving at a clearly stated viewpoint, and giving reasons for adopting this position.
3. RESEARCH PROPOSAL STRUCTURE
Proposed title
This should be relatively short; a two-part title style can be useful
Statement of the problem or issue to be addressed
A brief outline that provides context ...
THIS SHOULD BE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM YOUR PRELIMINARY READING AND CAN REFER TO KEY TEXTS.
Aims of research
General description of the overall purpose; a statement of intent
Objectives
Listing of specific outcomes you expect to fulfil in order to achieve the aim
Literature to be examined
Sources you intend to consult during your researches
Research methods or critical approach
How you propose to carry out your investigation THIS INCLUDES YOUR IDEAS FOR ORIGINAL RESEARCH (INTERVIEWS, QUESTIONNAIRES) AND/OR THE THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE YOU ARE APPROACHING YOUR SUBJECT FROM.
Bibliography
Details ... of the key sources you have already consulted
Outline plan of the dissertation or project report
... the likely section or chapter headings and subheadings
Timetable/plan
A realistic breakdown of the stages of your dissertation ...
4. CHOOSING A TITLE
Consider adopting a two-part title - an attention-grabbing statement, followed by a colon or a dash and a secondary title that defines the content more closely. ... the title given at the proposal stage should be seen as provisional ...
5. REMEMBER!
Carry out an appropriate amount of background reading beforehand ... You don't need to read all of the papers at the start, as this will take up too much of your study time, but you do need to gain an up-to-date appreciation of key topics and trends in your chosen field. ...
Try to formulate a key hypothesis or idea to investigate. Your dissertation needs a focus and this will come from trying to answer a specific question; investigate a key issue or highlight a specific topic. ...
Remember that your proposal is only a proposal. You do not need to write the complete work at this stage. You merely need to establish ... that you have chosen a reasonable topic and are likely to succeed in producing a dissertation or project report that meets the regulations or fulfils the learning outcomes of your course. (McMillan and Weyers, 2011, pp.22-26)
- ensuring your research has aims and objectives that are achievable in the time allocated;
- compelling you to read and review some of the relevant background material to orientate your thoughts;
- checking you that have a realistic notion of the research methods you could and should use; ...
- assisting you to create an outline structure for your dissertation or report; ...
2. THE HYPOTHESIS
This is the main idea underlying your dissertation or project report, ...
Essentially this involves framing a question or topic that you will be seeking to address. ... a clear-cut answer or conclusion is rarely possible, and, in fact, you will gain credit by considering the evidence from all sides of an argument or case, arriving at a clearly stated viewpoint, and giving reasons for adopting this position.
3. RESEARCH PROPOSAL STRUCTURE
Proposed title
This should be relatively short; a two-part title style can be useful
Statement of the problem or issue to be addressed
A brief outline that provides context ...
THIS SHOULD BE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM YOUR PRELIMINARY READING AND CAN REFER TO KEY TEXTS.
Aims of research
General description of the overall purpose; a statement of intent
Objectives
Listing of specific outcomes you expect to fulfil in order to achieve the aim
Literature to be examined
Sources you intend to consult during your researches
Research methods or critical approach
How you propose to carry out your investigation THIS INCLUDES YOUR IDEAS FOR ORIGINAL RESEARCH (INTERVIEWS, QUESTIONNAIRES) AND/OR THE THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE YOU ARE APPROACHING YOUR SUBJECT FROM.
Bibliography
Details ... of the key sources you have already consulted
Outline plan of the dissertation or project report
... the likely section or chapter headings and subheadings
Timetable/plan
A realistic breakdown of the stages of your dissertation ...
4. CHOOSING A TITLE
Consider adopting a two-part title - an attention-grabbing statement, followed by a colon or a dash and a secondary title that defines the content more closely. ... the title given at the proposal stage should be seen as provisional ...
5. REMEMBER!
Carry out an appropriate amount of background reading beforehand ... You don't need to read all of the papers at the start, as this will take up too much of your study time, but you do need to gain an up-to-date appreciation of key topics and trends in your chosen field. ...
Try to formulate a key hypothesis or idea to investigate. Your dissertation needs a focus and this will come from trying to answer a specific question; investigate a key issue or highlight a specific topic. ...
Remember that your proposal is only a proposal. You do not need to write the complete work at this stage. You merely need to establish ... that you have chosen a reasonable topic and are likely to succeed in producing a dissertation or project report that meets the regulations or fulfils the learning outcomes of your course. (McMillan and Weyers, 2011, pp.22-26)
REFERENCE
McMillan, K. and Weyers, J. (2011) How to write dissertations and project reports. Harlow: Pearson.
McMillan, K. and Weyers, J. (2011) How to write dissertations and project reports. Harlow: Pearson.
