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Chapter Objectives
At the end of this chapter students will be able to:
Understand the meaning and significance of a research
proposal
Review the need for and process of literature review (chap-2)
Review the essence and application of the theoretical and/or
conceptual framework in research (chap.-2)
Address the major components of a research proposal
Enable students prepare a standard research proposal
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4.1 What is a Research Proposal?
The Research Proposal is a step-by-step plan of action, which
guides the research process.
It is a written document that is submitted to spell out logically
the nature of the design, the means and strategies that are
going to be used.
Writing the research proposal is the most crucial task in the
research process.
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Con…
A proposal tells us:
What will be done
Why it will be done
How it will be done
Where it will be done
To whom it will be done, and
What is the benefit of doing it?
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4.2 Functions of Research Proposal
►To present the problem to be researched and its importance
►To discuss the research efforts of others who have worked on
related problems.
►To set forth the data necessary for solving the problem
►To suggest how the data will be gathered, treated and
interpreted
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4.3 Major Components of Research Proposal
A research proposal usually consists of the following elements:
Prefatory parts
Introduction
►Background of the study
►Statement of the problem
►Research Questions
►Research Objectives
►Significance of the study
►Scope and Limitations of the study
► Review of related literature
►Definition of terms/concepts
►Theoretical/Conceptual Discussion
►Empirical Literature
►Theoretical/conceptual framework
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Con..
Research Design, Strategy and Methodology
• Site Description and Selection
• Research Design and Strategy
• Data source
• Target population
• Sampling Technique and Sample Size Determination
• Data Collection Methods and Instruments
• Data Analysis and Discussion
• Budget and Budget Schedule
Reference/Bibliogrpahy
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4.3.1 Prefatory parts
i. Title page
• Title of the Research
• (A Survey/Case Study of ……..)
• Purpose (why the Research is conducted )
• Name and Address of the investigator
• Advisor/Reader
• Month and Place where the proposal is written
ii. Contents
iii. List of Tables, if any
iv. List of Figures, if any
v. Acronyms/abbreviations (if any, alphabetically arranged)
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…Components of Research Proposal
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…Components of Research Proposal
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…Components of Research Proposal
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4.3.2.3 (1.3) Research Questions
• After problem definition, researchers should prepare a written
statement that clarifies any ambiguity about what they hope the
research will accomplish
• Relates logically to research objective
• Clear, as concise as possible, with place (and time)
• Points to specific data
• Can be answered
• Incorporates concepts from the theoretical framework
• Do not repeat research objective with a question mark
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ii. Possible Specific Questions for the second question
How do managers understand the concept of equal employment
opportunity?
Is there real and similar understanding of managers about
EEOs in the private sector
Do men and women have equal access to information about
employment?
What is the extent of implementation of affirmative action?
Are there jobs reserved for males in the mind of both men and
women?
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4.3.2.4 (1.4) Research Objectives, (and Research Hypothesis
-optional)
a. (1.4.1) Research Objectives
• Ends to be met in conducting the research
• What the investigator will analyze and how;
• what comparisons to make and at what level
General objective
• Often one statement directly related to the topic
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Don’ts of Objectives
Too vague, ambitious or broad
Repeat each other in different words
Go into details of the research
Contradict methods and techniques
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4.3.2.5 (1.5) Scope and Limitation of the study
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No proposed research project is without limitations;
there is no such thing as a perfectly designed study.
As Patton (1990:162; cited in Marshall and Rossman,
1999) notes, "There are no perfect research designs.
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Components continued
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4.3.3 (2) Reviewing the Literature
(Refer Chapter II)
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4.3.4 (3) Research Design, Strategy and method
4.3.4.1 (3.1) Site Selection and Description
a. Site selection: revolves around why the study area is
selected, and should be supported by evidence.
b. Description of the Study Area/Organization: Tell the
readers briefly what the study area/organization looks like.
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4.3.4.2 (3.2 ) Research Strategies and Designs
a. Research design
• Cross-sectional
• Longitudinal
• Experimentation
• Case Study
• Comparative
(Refer chapter-3)
b. Research Strategy and Data Type
Quantitative
Qualitative
Mixed methods
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4.3.4.3 (3.3) Data Sources
Sources of Data (Primary data vs secondary data Sources)
• Data closest to the truth are the primary data – in the
literature this is what a research reports directly.
• Primary Sources (Specify exactly the sources for your data)
Respondents ,administrators, key informants, users, etc
• Secondary data are further away from the truth – in the
literature this is what other researchers report about the
original researcher’s work.
• Secondary sources (Exactly specify the documents to be used
as secondary sources)
Reports, manuals, Internal publications, data base systems,
Journals, websites, etc
N.B. You are not required to put the instruments of data
collection here
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4.3.4.4. (3.4) Target Population
• Number/size
• Homogeneity, heterogeneity, and other population characteristics
4.3.4.5 (3.5) Sampling Size and Sampling Design
• Sample Size
( Use the sample size determination formula as a base and make
adjustments with due regard to the target population and the
homogeneity or heterogeneity of the population characteristics
Sample size commonly used in the area of the research topic
• Sampling Design
Show how and why you are going to use the different techniques of
probability and/or nonprobability sampling techniques
• Sampling Frame and Procedure
clearly state the steps in sampling and show how each respondent or
subject of the study will be selected from the target population
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4.3.5 (3.6) Data collection Methods and Instruments
4.3.5.1 Quantitative data collection methods and instruments
• State the data collection tool or tools to be used with
necessary Justifications.
• Methods
Interview,
Questionnaire,
Observation,
• instruments
Semi-structured
Structured
Questionnaire pretesting if necessary
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4.3.5.2 Qualitative data collection Methods, instruments and
procedures
• Methods
Observations
Interviews
Focus groups
Delphi and Nominal Group Technique etc.
• Instruments
Unstructured or Semi-structured questionnaire
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4.3.5.3 (3.7) Data collection Procedures ( show in detail)
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How other methods will be applied in combination (Triangulation)
• Focus Group discussions
Number of focus group discussions to be carried out
Size of focus groups
Composition of participants in each group
Selection of participants
Details of the moderator
Timing in relation to other instruments
• Interviews
With whom, how many, and why?
Selection criteria and procedure
• Observation
How will it be conducted and by whom?
When will it be conducted and why?
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4.3.6 (3.8) Data Processing, Analysis and Interpreting
3.7.1 Data Processing
• Manual Vs Mechanical
• Editing: Field Vs in-house editing ( include reasons)
• Coding: Post coding
• Recording /Data entry/ or keyboarding
3.7.2 Data Analysis
• Quantitative tools
Descriptive
Inferential
Econometric models
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• Qualitative tools
Content analysis (study of recorded human Communications-
example gender and books)
Discourse analysis (applied to forms of communication-
conversations, text )
Narrative analysis (story analysis)
Grounded theory analysis (inductive research)
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4.3.7 (3.9) Reliability and Validity of the research
3.8.1 Reliability
The reliability is about consistency in result, which can be
found from homogeneous measurement
Reliability measurements:
split-half and
test-retest methods
3.8.2 Validity
Validity is “The accuracy of a measure or the extent to
which a score truthfully represents a concept.” (Zikmund
et. al. 2009)
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4.3.8 (3.10) Research Ethics
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3.10.2 (3.11) BUDGET
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3.11 References/ Bibliography
• APA or Harvard style consistent with the citation used in the
text
• Alphabetically arranged
• Strictly following the rules for different sources
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