WELNS 670: Wellness Research Design

Session 14

Writing the Research Proposal

Purpose of a Research Proposal

Similar to an Architect’s Building Plan or a Entrepreneur's Business Plan

Detailed guidelines for carrying out a project (once you have received permission)

Request for Proposals (RFPs)/Request for Applications (RFAs)

Characteristics of a Proposal

Straight forward Captures the attention of reviewers with the

first sentence Communicates clearly – language must be

clear, sharp and precise Clearly organized Supports the logic used to develop the

proposed outcomes

Formatting a Research Proposal

Follow a simple, logical form of presentation Use different heading styles to indicate

different levels of headings APA Select the number of headings to be used

and determine which levels # of Levels

Writing the First Draft

Adhere to the guidelines required by the institution, organization, or funding agency to which you are submitting the proposal

Focus on the organization and logical sequencing rather than wording/grammar/spelling

Present the research problem at the beginning of the first chapter Convince the reader of the importance of your project Describe your with as much detail and precision as possible Assume that your readers know nothing whatsoever about your

project Use appendices to present informed consent letters, specific

measurement instruments, and other detailed materials Describe how you will analyze the data to answer your research

problem

Revising

Set the proposal aside for a few days Carefully scrutinize your work, looking for

disorganized thoughts and illogical thinking Look for places where you are not as clear as you

might be Seek feedback from others Check carefully for errors in grammar, punctuation,

and spelling Consider the feasibility of your project once again

The Data and Treatment of the Data

Next several weeks will deal with this section…

A research proposal addresses the nature of the data to be collected, how that data will be processed, and how the data will be interpreted.

Common Weaknesses in Research Proposals

Resources

Web Site: A Guide for Writing Research Papers – APA Style:

– http://www.apastyle.org/  – http://webster.commnet.edu/apa/apa_intro.htm

A number of Web sites on the Internet can help you in your writing. Here are a few:

– Strunk and White – The grammar bible for many an author. http://www.bartleby.com/141/

– Miscellaneous reference works: http://scholes.alfred.edu/ref_desk/ref.html

APA Levels of Heading

LEVEL 5: CENTERED AND UPPERCASE

Level 1: Centered Uppercase and Lowercase

Level 2: Centered, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase

Level 3: Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase

Level 4: Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period.

Selecting the Levels of Heading

One level (short articles, only): Use Level 1. Two levels: Use Level 1 and Level 3 Three levels: Use Level 1, Level 3, and

Level 4. Four levels: Use Levels 1-4 Five levels: Use Levels 1-5

3 Heading Levels (APA)

The Problem and Its Setting (Level 1)Statement of the Problem and Subproblems (Level 3)

Problem. (Level 4)Subproblem 1. (Level 4)Subproblem 2. (Level 4)

Research Questions/Hypotheses (Level 3)Delimitations (Level 3)Definitions of Terms (Level 3)Assumptions (Level 3)Importance of the Study (Level 3)

Review of Related Literature (Level 1)