WritingAResearchProposal Title Thisshouldbeshort,sharp,anddescribewhatyourresearchisabout:itmayalsobea workingtitlethatyouwillreviseasyourprojectdevelops. Abstract Writea200250wordsummaryoftheproposedresearch,includingthekeypoints: what,why,howandwhen.Includeabriefdescriptionoftheaimsofthestudy,the researchpopulationorsubjectmatter,themethodstobeusedandthetimeframe. Indicatealsowhythisresearchisneeded,anditsuses.[Thiswill,ofcourse,bethelast thingyouwrite.] Aims&Objectives Thissectionanswersthequestionwhythisresearchisbeingdone.Outlinetheaims andobjectivesoftheresearch,and/ortheresearchquestions.Defineanyspecialised termsyoumayuseandindicatewhytheaimsandobjectivesareappropriate.

Timespan Prepareabriefbreakdownofhowlongthestudyisexpectedtotake,anditsvarious stages.Considersuchitemsas Anyfurtherplanningandapprovals Ethicalapproval Literaturesearchandreview Pretestsorpilottrials Collectionofdata Analysis/synthesisofdata Writingup:includingdraftsandrevisions Youmayalsowishtoindicatefurtherstagessuchasdisseminationofinformation, participationinpolicyformation,etc. Background Therearetwoaspectstothis oneishowtheprojectcameabout,andtheotherisits relationshiptootherresearchinthefield. 1. Whoisundertakingthisresearchandforwhom(whereapplicable)?Why choosethistopic?Whoisgoingtogainfromthisresearch? 2. Writeabriefhistoryoftheresearchquestion,indicatingotherworkinthe fieldandasummaryofpreviousconclusions.Includeabriefliterature reviewindicatingwhereyougainedyourinformationandanypersonal referencessuchasdiscussionswithpeople,conferencepapers,policy documents,memos,etc.Thissectionsetsyourproposalwithinthewider context. ResearchDesign Thissectionsetsoutthetheoreticalconceptsthathavebeenchosenfromtheliterature reviewasthebasisfordevelopingandcarryingouttheproject.Itanswersthe question,whyisitbeingdoneinthisparticularway?Indicatethegeneralstepsof theprojectandjustifythemusingtheliteraturetoarguefortheappropriatenessofthe particularmethodsyouhavechosen.Youmayalsowishtobrieflydescribetheideal approachandwhyyouhavechosentodeviatefromthis.

Methodology Thisiswhereyousetoutthedetailsofthespecificmethodologiesandtechniquesyou willuse.Considerthefollowing: Howisthestudytobedone? Whatareyoursourcesofdata? Whatdatawillbecollected? Whatkindsofmethods,proceduresandinstrumentswillbeusedfordata collection? Whoisincluded(excluded)fromyourresearchpopulationorsampleand why? Howtoyouintendtoensurereliabilityandvalidity? Inwhatcontextswillyourresultsbeinterpretedandunderstood? TheMethodologysectionisnotarepetitionoftheDesignsection.Thelattergivesa broadoverview,whiletheformerdealswiththepracticalspecifics,ofwhat,how, who,andwhere. Significance Thisiswhereyoustatetheanticipatedoutcomesoftheprojectinrelationtotheory, practice,socialpolicy,andpersonallearning. Costing Estimatetheactualcoststoyoufordoingtheresearch,suchas Photocopying Librarysearchesandinterloans Stationeryandpsotage Tapes Transport Reproductionandbindingofyourthesis Bibliography Listallthebooks,journalarticles,reports,Acts,memosandsubmissionsthatyou havereferredtoinyourproposal,inalphabeticalorder. EthicalStatement Studentsundertakinganyformofpostgraduateresearchusinganimalsorpeoplehave tosubmitaproposaltoeithertheanimalethicscommitteeorthehumanethics committeeforapprovalbeforethedatagatheringcanbegin.Youmustensurethatthe projectsfocusandmethodologyconformtotheethicalcodeofyourdisciplineand thattheyarenotlikelytobring,you,theSchooloruniversityintodisrepute.Your supervisorortheSchoolpostgraduatecoordinatorwillbeabletoadviseyouonthis process. NB:ifyoumakesubsequentmodificationstoyourresearchdesignthathaveethical implications,youwillneedtosubmitanewethicalstatementtotheappropriateethics committee.

CRITERIAFORASSESSINGARESEARCHPROJECTORTHESIS 1. Istheresearchtopic,questionorintentionclear? 2. Whatistheextentoftheresearchersstatementabouttheirinvolvementinthe project? 3. Whatisthescopeoftheliteraturereview? 4. Howistheliteraturereviewrelatedto: a. Theresearchtopic? b. Theresearchmethods? c. Theresearchdata? d. Theresearchoutcome/recommendations/conclusion? 5. Whatresearchmethodsareused? 6. Whatdifferentresearchmethodsareused? 7. Howaretheresearchmethodshandles? 8. Howappropriatearetheresearchmethodstotheresearchtopic? 9. Howdoestheresearcherdemonstrateanawarenessofthelimitationsofthe researchmethods? 10. Whatistherelationshipbetweentheresearchmethodsusedandtheformatof thereport? 11. Howistheinformationgathered/organisedinthereport? 12. Whatistherelationshipbetweenpresentingtherawdata,uneditedtexts,the peoplesvoicesandtheresearchersinterpretations? 13. Whatarethemainthemesaddressedinthereport? 14. Whatisthebasisforanyinterpretations? a. Whatistherelationshipbetweenthephilosophical/theoreticalbasis andtheinterpretations? b. Howdotheinterpretationsclarifythedata? 15. Whatnewinformationorwaysoflookingatthetopicdoestheresearcher present? 16. Forwhichaudiencewasthisreportwritten? 17. Whatimplications/recommendations/conclusionsaredrawnfromthe research? 18. Howconsistentaretheimplicationswith a. Theresearchquestion? b. Thephilosophyunderpinningtheresearch? c. Themethodstocollectthedata? 19. Whatarethepracticalandpolicyimplicationsdescribed? 20. Howdoestheresearcherdemonstrateanawarenessofthepolitical implicationsandpowerrelationshipssurroundingtoproject? 21. Howdoestheprojectread/present? a. Howarethecontents,references,tables,diagrams,presented? b. Whatiscontainedintheappendicesandbibliography? 22. Whatistheoverallimpressionoftheresearchreport? 23. Doestheresearcheridentifyrelatedareasthatarenotincludedintheresearch report? 24. Whatarethereasonsfornotincludingthoseareas? 25. Whathastheresearcherlearntfrombeinginvolvedinthisresearchprocess?

GUIDELINESFOREVALUATINGEMPIRICAL/EXPERIMENTALSTUDIES A.PROBLEM 1. Istheproblemclearlystated? 2. Istheproblemsignificant willtheresultscontributetothesolutionof somepracticalortheoreticalproblem? 3. Istherelationshiptopreviousresearchmadeclear? B.DESIGN 4. Aretheassumptionsofthestudyclearlystated? 5. Arethelimitationsofthestudyclearlystated? 6. Areimportanttermsinthestudydefined? 7. Istheresearchdesignfully described? 8. Istheresearchdesignappropriate? 9. Arethepopulationandsampledescribed? 10. Isthemethodofsamplingappropriate? C.PROCEDURE 11. Arethedatagatheringmethodsdescribed? 12. Arethedatagatheringmethodsappropriate? 13. Arethevalidityandreliabilityoftheevidenceestablished? D.ANALYSIS 14. Aretheanalysismethodsappropriateandaretheyproperlyapplied? 15. Aretheresultsoftheanalysisclearlypresented? E.CONCLUSIONS 16. Aretheconclusionsclearlystated? 17. Doestheevidencesubstantiatetheconclusions? 18. Arethegeneralisationsconfinedtothepopulationfromwhichthesample wasdrawn? 19. Isthereportlogicallyandclearlywritten?