Proposal Tips for Students

Anil Hira

SFU, Fall 2005

Beginning Research

• Conceptualization• Know the theories & the history: step 1

• Don’t try to be cute or overestimate your skill/knowl level, but still be innovative

• Avoid theorizing

• Find a niche/outlet/audience & a hook

• Be true to your own instincts

• Set yourself up for the future

Ideas on External Funding• Select source BEFORE writing• Sine qua non of funding for area studies projects• Depth vs. spread problem- which outlets• Importance of mentors-trailblazers• Fit of proposal/your bcgkrd. with organization’s

current goals; chic vs. dependable• Time investment and deadlines pressures intense• Benefits of independence; clear proof of importance of

prob; knowl. of lit; clear fwork of analysis; clear methodology; “deliverables;” unique contribution

• Why should we give you free money?• SFU dbase: http://fas.sfu.ca/projects/GradAwards

Preparing a Proposal• Know your topic inside and out

• How does it fit w/I your own overall l-t objectives?

• Choosing a committee• What are the gaps/edges of the literature, and how can you

add to it? What is missing/contradictory in the lit?• What would be a logical progression of steps for answering

the questions you’ve identified?• Is the data available- can you answer the question?

• Do you have the lang/contacts/guidance?

• What is your end goal for what will be produced? How will it help academics/devt. professionals/society at large?

Overview of Proposal• Have a very clear thesis/proposal that is specific, matches

what you can clearly accomplish, and• abs. need for field res. funding; outputs; what acad.s/socy will get

out of the proposal

• Lit. review comprehensive- schools of thought• examples, contradictions, etc

• Conceptual Framework- what are key issues, variables/actors and their interrelationships?• Have v. clear hypos.; variables/data; proxy var.s

• Methodology- must match rest of proposal; be widely known, and clearly can yield a.s to q.s

• All must mesh together v. coherently

Elements of a good proposal• Objective

• clear statement of purpose, problem involved, relevance

• Lit. Review• mega-citation; demonstrate knowledge specialization• Lit-review: short-cut: review articles; edited vol.s• tailoring lit-reviews for outlet• how the lit. review works with your conceptual fwork

• Conceptualization• definitions (differences in); main issues; main actors• what is known and what isn’t• hypothesized causes/effects• hypothesized relationships

Elements of a good proposal• Outline

• creates the logical str. of your argument, thus ensuring linkages and coherence

• serves as a segmented work-plan• Forces translation of overall framework to conceptual, empirical

application

• Methodology• How exactly I will marry theory to empirical reality• Why my method is best (combo) fr. poss. alternatives• How I will conduct my research• How I will operationalize my concepts, and test my hypotheses• I have permission/cooperation from parties or data

Proposals, Other Considerations

• Peer Review• Know who knows what• Get enough but not too much• Leave space in b/t: The Project cycle

• Ethics• Budget

• What is a reasonable expense?• Using line-item budgets• Ways to work in contingencies

Proposals and the Thesis

• A good proposal will serve as the basic lit review and planning doc for a thesis

• The proposal will lay out your methodology and thus justify the ultimate findings

• In this sense, the proposal is more impt. than the thesis itself

**It takes a combo of time and hard work.

Persistence and segmentation are keys