Post on 20-Dec-2015
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 1
Writing the Research Proposal Research is never a solo flight, an individual excursion It is not a “do-it-in-a-corner” activity It involves many people and requires access to and use of resources
far beyond one’s own For that reason, it must be carefully planned, laid out, inspected, and,
in nearly every instance, approved by others The graduate student conducting research for a thesis or dissertation
must get the approval of an academic committee A researcher seeking grant funding must get approval from the
university or the organisation for which he or she works, and the project must be deemed worthy of funding by the grant-awarding agency, for example, MOSTI, IGS, etc.
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 2
Researcher and Architect: Planners in Common
A proposal is as essential to successful research as an architect’s plans are to the construction of a building
Planning is the essence of their art - same orientation An architect plans the structural concepts of buildings,
whereas a researcher plans the structural concepts of the solutions to problems
Proposal ~ architect’s drawing No one would start building a structure by rushing out to
dig a hole for the foundation without knowing in detail how the building will look when it is finished
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 3
Researcher and Architect: Planners in Common
Before one turns a shovelful of earth, many questions must be addressed, many decisions made
What kind of building is desired? Is it a personal residence? If so, how many storey? Split-level?
Piping? Electrical wire? Phone line? Computer cable? Before start digging, further planning is necessary such as seek
permission, get a building permit, follow building restrictions and codes, etc.
A permit provides a means of ensuring that new buildings meet these codes
The point is this: Permission is essential to the plan This principle holds true both in planning a building and in proposing
research
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 4
Proposed Research Project Show the viability and the plan in the research proposal The problem and its subproblems are clearly stated Hypotheses or questions are articulated All necessary terms are defined Delimitations are carefully spelled out The reason for conducting the study - why it’s important -
is explained Every anticipated detail of acquiring, organising,
analysing, and interpreting the data is specified
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 5
The Proposal The researcher sets forth the resources at hand for carrying out the research: his
or her qualifications (and those of any assistants), the availability of the data, the means by which the data will be secured, any needed equipment and facilities, and any other aspects of the total research process that merit explanation
Nothing is overlooked All questions that may arise in the minds of those who review the proposal are
anticipated and answered Any unresolved matter is a weakness in the proposal and may seriously affect its
approval Sometimes young researchers think the proposal is merely a necessary formality
and thus do not give it the serious consideration it deserves No matter whether you are seeking funding for a project from a grant foundation
or seeking approval for a thesis or dissertation from a university faculty committee, a clear, well-written proposal is essential
Nothing is a substitute for an explicit setting forth of both problem and procedure
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 6
Characteristics of a Proposal Research demands that those who undertake it be
able to think clearly, without confusion The mind that produces confusion can never be
disciplined to regard facts objectively and construe (interpret) them logically
The perceived qualifications as a researcher, more often than not, rest squarely upon the quality of the proposal submitted
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 7
A Proposal is a Straightforward Document
A proposal should not be cluttered with extraneous and irrelevant material
It opens with a straightforward statement of the problem to be researched
It needs no explanatory props – no introduction, prologue (introduction to a play, poem,etc.), or statement telling why the researcher became interested in the problem or feels a burning desire to research it
Such information may be interesting, but none of it is necessary or appropriate
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 8
A Proposal is a Straightforward Document
Those who will review your proposal are not interested in such autobiographical excursions
These, indeed, suggest that you cannot separate essentials from irrelevancies and so will neither enhance your stature as a researcher nor recommend you as one who can think in a clear and focused manner
Whatever does not contribute directly to the delineation of the problem and its solution must be eliminated
Anything else is a distraction Journalists are taught – or if not taught, soon learn – that the
first words they write are the most important ones You capture or lose your reader with the first sentence
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 9
A Proposal is a Straightforward Document
Keep in mind the meaning of proposal The word suggests looking forward, to what the researcher
plans to do in the future – not history If a writer intends to make an analytical comparison of the past
and present social and economic conditions of minority groups, he or she might begin, “This study will analyse the social and economic status of certain minority groups today in comparison with their similar status five decades ago for the purpose of …”
This is a no-nonsense beginning, and it indicates that the writer knows what a proposal should be
Employ future tense, for example, “The study will analyse …”
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 10
A Proposal is Not a Literary Production
The purpose of a proposal is simply to communicate clearly, not a work of art in an architect’s drawing or a creative, “literary” production in a proposal
Just as an architect’s drawings present a plan for construction with an economy of line and precision of measurement, a proposal describes a future research project with an economy of words and precision of expression
The language must be clear, sharp, and precise The proposal provides a chance to show with what ultimate clarity
and detail the researcher can state a problem, delineate the treatment of the data, and establish the logical validity of a conclusion
Writing a superb proposal calls for skills of expression just as demanding as those needed for forging an unforgettable sentence
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 11
A Proposal is Clearly Organised Proposals are written in conventional prose style, and
thoughts are expressed in simple paragraph form The organisation of the thoughts is outlined by the proper
use of headings and subheadings Organisation and outline are essential They hint at an orderly and disciplined mind – one of the
highest tributes to a researcher’s qualifications No indented outline – it is not conventional - hint a
brevity (shortness) hint a superficiality (on the surface only, not thorough or deep) suggest undesirable quality of researchers
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 12
A Proposal is Clearly Organised In professional writing, headings and subheadings
are the single most commonly used strategy to express the writer’s overall organisational scheme
You should communicate the outline of your thoughts to your own readers in the same fashion
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 13
Formatting Headings and Subheadings
You must use different formats to indicate the different levels of headings you use
The most important headings are in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS and centred on the page. These are headings of the largest units of writing; for instance, they may be the titles of the various chapters in a proposal or research report
The next important headings are in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS and left justified on the page
The next headings are in Capital and Lowercase Letters Paragraph Seldom encountered least important headings, numbered
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 14
Example of Structural Outline4. THE REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE
4.1 UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF REVIEW4.1.1 The Purpose of the Review4.1.2 How to Begin
4.1.2.1 Go to the indexes and abstracts4.1.2.2 Database access4.1.2.3 Go to the library
4.1.3 How to Write the Section4.1.3.1 Get the proper4.1.3.2 Have a plan
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 15
Example of Structural Outline
4.2 POINTS OF DEPARTURE
4.2.1 Abstract
4.2.2 Indexes
4.3 FOR FURTHER READING
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 16
Content and Organisation of a Research Proposal
Proposals follow a simple, logical train of thought Although there are conceivably many ways to arrange the
various topics within a proposal, most proposals use similar formats, especially in quantitative studies
Refer to handout One rule governs the writing of proposals and final documents:
The arrangement of the material should be presented in such a manner that it forms for the reader a clear, progressive presentation
It keeps items together that belong together – for example, the problem and its resultant subproblems, the subproblems and their corresponding hypotheses
Refer to handout on ways to write a convincing proposal
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 17
Success Begins with Initial Proposal Frustrating experience if proposal rejected by graduate
committee Success begins long before activity begins – the planning How data will be interpreted – will determine success or
failure Example: “ … to analyse the attitudes of professional
employees towards certain aspects of management policy and to evaluate the relationship between these attitudes and the responsibility of management to articulate such policy for its employees.”
Refer to handout
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 18
Guidelines – Interpretation of Data
1. Be systematic in describing the treatment of the data
- logical sequence to solve each subproblem
2. State clearly the data you need to resolve the subproblem
3. State precisely where the data are located
4. State fully and unequivocally (having a completely clear meaning) how you intend to interpret the data – any other person can do the research without your presence and every contingency (event that may or may not occur) should be anticipated
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 19
Guidelines – Interpretation of Data
5. Every step in the interpretation of the data should be fully spelled out- Don’t cut corners, don’t assume others know
what they mean- It is a time–consuming process a. Ask yourself continually just what it is
that you are doing – Make clear distinction between ARRAYING (large impressive series of things) and INTERPRETING the data
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 20
Guidelines – Interpretation of Data
b. Insist that your statistics have a defensible rationale – Why mean, sd, %, what do they mean?
c. At what specific point does the manipulation of the data cease and your own thinking begin?
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 21
Guidelines – Interpretation of Data
6. Be sure that the data support conclusions
- unfounded enthusiasm (great interest or
admiration)
- extravagant (unreasonable, unnecessary) claim or enthusiastic conclusion
- much research contains unfounded conclusions
unsupported by the data
- based on shaky statistical procedures or
exploitation of facts
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 22
Greatest Weaknesses in Funding Proposal
Refer to handout Fundamental shortcoming in individual who wrote the
proposal- in ability to think analytically and clearly- insufficient knowledge of the existing research- lack of competence to carry out study- inability to see the global concept of the research- in terms of ramification (result or consequence (of sth.)
that makes it more complicated) and requirement
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 23
Greatest Weaknesses in Funding Proposal
Demonstration of outstanding qualification – scholarship (knowledge of an academic subject)- think clearly and logically- express thought concisely and cogently
(convincing)- discriminate between what is significant and what is
consequential (following as a result)- handle abstract thought- analyse data objectively and accurately- interpret result confidently and conservatively (cautious;
moderate)
SAK 5090 MOHD HASAN SELAMAT- chapter 6 Slide 24
Shortcomings of Many Proposals Judith Margolin “Most of the applicants simply had not done their
homework properly. All too often their proposals were not worthy, inadequately prepared, or thoughtlessly submitted to inappropriate funders”.