Research

Proposal
By: M. Saeed Mujahid
Lecture # 4
Different purposes/reasons

Academic Manageri
al
Non Academic Research Proposal
 Benefits of the
RFP
Formalize
research procurement
process
Provide
Provide
Provide
Provide evaluation
evaluation
control
control opportunity
opportunity
function
function
RFPs
RFPs
Provide
Provide Establish
monitoring
monitoring performance
device
device expectations
 RFP Components
Proposal
Proposal administration
administration
information
information

Summary
Summary statement
statement of
of
problem
problem

Technical
Technical section
section

Management
Management section
section

Contracts
Contracts and
and license
license
section
section

Pricing
Pricing section
section
 The Research Proposal
Present
management question

Suggest data Purpo Discuss

collection research
se
and analysis efforts

Propose
necessary data
 Writing Academic Research Proposal

Introduction
Back ground / Preamble
The Problem
Objectives of the study / Purpose of the study
Justification
Limitations
Scope
Assumptions
Definitions of key terms
 Research Proposal
Back ground / Preamble
Opening about your topic
The overview of the area under study
Historical development
Major theories (if any) / few selected theories if
the topic is broad / related theories
Main issues / advances in the area / Important
practical issues
Major findings related to the core issues
 Research Proposal
The Problem

Identify the issues that are the basis of the current study.

Specify the various aspects or perspectives on these

Issues.

Raise some of the main research questions .

Identify what knowledge is available concerning your

questions.

Develop a rationale for your study .

 Research Proposal
Objectives of the study / Purpose of the
study

Provide the main objective(s) of your study.

Provide the sub-objectives of your study.
Use action oriented word like: To determine, To
identify, To ascertain etc.
May be written in paragraph form or bullets for
different objectives.
This will basically answer what this study would
accomplish not why?
 Research Proposal

Justification

Specify the reasons of your study

Identify stake holders (direct and related) and their
benefits.

Scope

To what extent this study will be conducted.

To what conditions / settings the results can be
generalized / applicable.
 Research Proposal
Limitations
What this study will not accomplish
Under what circumstances / conditions /
Settings the results will be applicable.
Reasons of these limitations.

Assumptions
State all the assumption you have taken to
conduct this study
 Research Proposal
Definitions of key terms
Define key terms / special terms / specific terms .
Explain acronyms used in your study
 Research Proposal

Research Methodology

Research Design
Procedure
Population
Sample and Sampling method
Measurement / Instrument selection
Variables
Hypotheses
Plan of Analysis / Statistical Tools
Software employed
Research Schedule
 Research Proposal
Research Design
It indicates what type of study will you use
(qualitative / quantitative etc.)
Procedure
How will you accomplish this study?
Your specific steps / method

Population
Frame of reference / entire population
Under consideration (homogeneous /
heterogeneous)
Specific characteristic(s) related to your study
 Research Proposal
Sample and Sampling method

Sampling method and its justification to Use

Sample size and why this specific size

Measurement / Instrument

Selection Data collection (primary / secondary)

Methods of data collection (focus group, survey
experiments etc survey, etc.)
Any specific scale / questionnaire to be used and
why it is chosen for this study.
 Research Proposal
Variables
Define different variables used in this study
How these variable will be measured

Hypotheses
State specific hypotheses included in your study
or you wish to test during your Research
Hypotheses should be stated clearly, delineating
the relationships to the objectives to be tested.
 Research Proposal
Software employed
Spreadsheet / SPSS / SAS / Minitab etc.

References
Provide all consulted references.
This may include books / magazines /journals /
reports / websites
 Research Methods -
Timeframe
Day 1 Day
344

Research Project

Develop Research Proposal

and obtain approval
Develop and test questions
Develop and test tool
Obtain participants
Administer instrument(s)

Ongoing data collection and analysis

Final collection of data

Research Report
25 August, 2003 Lynda Bourne - 3024113 19
 Exhibit 4-4
Proposal Complexity
 Reference
Cooper &Schindler, Chapter #4