Purposive Communication

Research Proposal

COL005
Module on
16 Research Proposal

A research proposal is a brief document written to present and validate your interest and
necessity of conducting a study on a particular topic. A research proposal highlights the
questions and problems you are to address in your study, as well as the benefits and outcomes
of the proposed study that must be supported by persuasive evidence. It will justify your
success in conducting research by presenting your clear and concise ideas.

This module gives an insight into the elements required in a research proposal and how to write
your research paper.

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. write and present academic papers by using appropriate tone, style, conventions, and
reference styles; and
2. adopt an awareness of audience and context in presenting ideas.

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Write! Write! Write!
Write about research for 5 minutes nonstop. Continue writing even if you run out the words to write;
say “I ran out of words to write...” and keep writing. Do not worry about grammar, spelling, or
punctuation. Write as much as you can in a short amount of time.

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Research Proposal Format

Your proposal serves to persuade your readers about the significance of your research. Hence,
your research proposal must be supported by adequate data and information. The format of
research proposal varies among fields, but most proposals should contain at least the following
elements:

I. Title
A catchy yet informative title attracts readers. The title communicates what to expect in your
study and indicates your research question. Thus, the research title should be concise.

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Avoid writing titles in a general perspective or phrases such as “an investigation of…,” “a review
of…,” etc. Make the title concise and well-defined.

II. Abstract
The abstract is a summary of your research that is approximately 100–250-word long and
includes the research question, hypothesis of your research (if there is any), the research
methodology, and findings.

III. Introduction
The introduction is the part of the paper that provides readers with background information for the
research. The purpose of the introduction is “to establish a framework for the research, so that readers
can understand how it is related to other research” (Wilkinson, 1991, p. 96).

The writer should create reader interest in the topic, lay the broad foundation for the problem that
leads to the study, place the study within the large context of the scholarly literature, and reach out to
a specific audience. (Creswell, 1994, p. 42).

In addition, this section discusses the following four relevant ideas of the research study:
• Topic or subject matter. Define your topic before discussing it. Elaborate by using other paragraph
developments, such as classification, description, giving examples, process, comparison, contrast,
and a combination of these methods.
• Importance of the topic. You may cite the role the issue plays in one’s life and the benefits derived
from it. You may cite legal bases, such as laws, decrees, and constitutional provisions, that are
related to the topic or highlight its historical background.
• Reason for choosing the topic. Emphasize what motivated you to choose the topic; for example, a
problem or an unsatisfactory condition that you experienced or observed in the environment, and
you feel the need to improve this present situation. Your strong curiosity on a common or
uncommon circumstance may also be one of it or something about to prove an expert’s theory or
opinion.
• Purpose of the study. You must be guided by your goal or objective. What do you want to find out,
investigate, look into, determine, or probe? It may also incorporate the rationale for the study.
Include a sentence that begins with “The purpose of this study is...” It will give your clarity about the
purpose and inform the reader directly and explicitly.

□ Statement of the Problem

“A problem might be defined as the issue that exists in the literature, theory, or practice that leads
to a need for the study” (Creswell, 1994, p. 50).

“The problem statement describes the context for the study, and it also identifies the general
analysis approach” (Wiersma, 1995, p. 404). The statement of the problem should be presented within
a context, and that context should be provided and briefly explained, including a discussion of the
conceptual or theoretical framework in which it is embedded. Identify and explain the problem within
the framework of the theory or line of inquiry that supports the study.

You may also state the research purpose and enumerate the research questions or subproblems
that the study intends to answer. However, the general problem contained in the research title cannot
be a subproblem.

□ Significance of the Research

You must highlight how your research is beneficial to the development of science and society in general.
Think about implications, that is, how the study results may affect scholarly research, theory, practice,

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educational interventions, curricula, counseling, and policy. Most studies have two potential audiences,
that is, practitioners and professional peers.

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. What will results mean to the theoretical framework that framed the study?
2. What suggestions for subsequent research arise from the findings?
3. What will the results mean to the practicing educator?
4. Will results influence programs, methods, and/or interventions?
5. Will results contribute to the solution of educational problems?
6. Will results influence educational policy decisions?
7. What will be improved or changed as a result of the proposed research?
8. How will the results of the study be implemented and what innovations will come about?

III. Literature Review

“The review of the literature provides the background and context of the research problem. It
should establish the need for the research and indicate that the writer is knowledgeable about the area”
(Wiersma, 1995, p. 406). It allows you to conduct extensive background research and support your
research question with abundant proof from credible sources.

The following are the basic purposes of the literature review:

• to give references to researchers whose study has been a part of your research
• to help construct a precise and clear research question
• to evaluate previous literature information related to your research critically
• to understand research issues relevant to the topic of your research
• to convince the reader that your research is an important contribution to the relevant niche

The literature review accomplishes several important things:

• “It shares with the reader the results of other studies that are closely related to the study being
reported” (Fraenkel & Wallen, 1990).
• “It relates a study to the larger, ongoing dialogue in the literature about a topic, filling in gaps and
extending prior studies” (Marshall & Rossman, 1989).
• It provides a framework for establishing the importance of the study and a standard for comparing
the results of a study with other findings.

A strong literature review persuades the reader that your work has a solid foundation in existing
philosophy or concept and that you are not merely reiterating what other people have already
completed.

IV. Research Methodology

This section explains the method you choose for your research question and how you will execute it.
Explain why the specific process is suitable for your research and how it will help you attain your
research goals. “The methods or procedures section is the heart of the research proposal. The activities
should be described with as much detail as possible, and the continuity between them should be
apparent” (Wiersma, 1995, p. 409).

Choose the type of research methodology that is suitable for your research. Quantitative research is
ideal for projects involving collecting and analyzing statistical data, such as social sciences, medicine,
and psychology. This method section should contain answers to the following elements:

✓ Design – Is it a laboratory experiment or a survey?

✓ What are the sample size and subject of your study?
✓ What is your study’s procedure and how will you carry out the activities involved in it?
✓ Describe your questionnaire or the instruments you will be using in the experiment.

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✓ Have detailed knowledge of all the research methodologies to justify your approach toward the
research problem.
Meanwhile, the qualitative type is for a theoretical research type in literature, which needs to be
detailed and elaborated. However, several studies involve methodologies.

V. Data Gathering
Outline the general plan for collecting the data and the general outline of the schedule you expect to
follow. The quality and quantity of the data gathered will determine the validity of the research results.

In writing this part of the research paper, the discussion should cover the following information:

o Source data. Where will the data or information come from? Will they come from students,
teachers, communities, youth, athletes, coaches, or records?
o Process of data collection. If the instrument is a questionnaire, then how will the copies be
distributed and retrieved? If the research instrument is used in an interview schedule/list, then how
will the interview be conducted?

VI. Data Analysis

Data analysis is the most crucial part of any research because it summarizes the collected data. Data
analysis involves the interpretation of data gathered by using analytical and logical reasoning to
determine patterns, relationships, or trends. Researchers generally analyze patterns in observations
through the entire data collection phase (Savenye, Robinson, 2004). Hence, your data analysis should
be done responsibly.

An essential component of ensuring data integrity is the accurate and appropriate analysis of research
findings. Improper statistical analyses distort scientific findings, mislead casual readers (Shepard, 2002),
and can negatively influence the public perception of research. Integrity issues are only as relevant to
nonstatistical data analysis.

Few Tips:
• Statistically analyze the survey data.
• Conduct a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts.
• Draft the results and discussion chapters.

You will not be having any results of your experiment while you are writing the proposal. In this section,
you can describe how you will analyze your research question; present a hypothesis based on the data
you have collected in the research.

□ Limitations and Delimitations

Limitations and delimitations show various considerations or “qualifiers” that characterize your ability
to carry out your study and the parameters of what can or cannot be included in the study.
• A limitation identifies the potential weaknesses of the study. These weaknesses include
shortcomings, conditions, and influences that the researcher cannot control, thereby restricting
your methodology and conclusions. Thus, limitations that might influence the results should be
mentioned.
• Delimitations are boundaries set for your study. It explains how a study is narrowed in scope, what
are the things that you are not doing, and why you have chosen not to do it. Deliminitations include
the literature you will not review, the population you are not studying, and the methodological
procedures you will not use.

VII. Citation
The citation gives credit to the source of information used in one’s work and relates your work to
previous work. It acknowledges the use of other people’s opinions, ideas, theories, and inventions.

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Your sources can be cited in the following two ways:
1. Reference – List the literature that you have used in your proposal.
2. Bibliography – List everything that you have studied, cited or not, while doing your study or writing.

Follow a specific format for the citation section as instructed by your supervisor. A citation can be
written in either APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard style. References and bibliography are included in it.

In any academic writing, you are required to identify which ideas, facts, thoughts, and concepts are
yours and which are not. The source must be cited if it is not your original idea/concept regardless if you
summarize, paraphrase, or use direct quotes, unless this information is considered to be a commonly
known fact.

• Cite when you are using words or ideas from the following:
✓ books and journal articles
✓ newspapers and magazines
✓ pamphlets or brochures
✓ films, documentaries, television programs, or advertisements
✓ websites or electronic resources
✓ letters, emails, and online discussion forums
✓ personal interviews
✓ lecturers or tutors.
✓ You also need to reference when you reprint any diagrams, illustrations, charts, or pictures.

• No need to reference when you are:

✓ writing your observations or experiment results, such as a report on a field trip
✓ writing about your experiences, such as a reflective journal
✓ writing your thoughts, comments, or conclusions in an assignment
✓ evaluating or offering your analysis
✓ using “common knowledge”(facts that can be found in numerous places and are likely to be known
by many people) or folklore
✓ using generally accepted facts or information. This information will vary in different disciplines of
the study. If in doubt, then ask your tutor.

Articles
Last name(s) and initial(s) of the author(s) NB! in the same order as the article. Publication year. Article
title. Journal title (abbreviated) Volume: pages.

• Arendt, J. D. 1997. Adaptive intrinsic growth rates: an integration across taxa. Q. Rev. Biol. 72: 149–
177.

Several articles may not contain all the “traditional” information needed for writing a correct reference.
For references, the example of such articles are as follows:

Last name(s), initial(s) of the author(s). Year of publication. Article title. Journal title. DOI number. DOI
stands for Digital Object Identifier and is a unique ID for the electronic document. Finally, DOI may be
standard information added to the reference.

• Oxtoby, L. E., Mathis, J. T., Juranek, L. W., and Wooller, M. J. 2015. Estimating stable carbon isotope
values of microphytobenthos in the Arctic for application to food web studies. Polar Biol. DOI
10.1007/s00300-015-1800-2.

Last name(s), initial(s) of the author(s). Year of publication. Article title. Journal title. Article number.

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• Carpalia, C.A., Dopko, R., L. & Zelenski, J.M. 2014. The relationship between nature connectedness
and happiness: a meta-analysis. Front. Psychol. 5. Article 976.

Books, theses, and reports

Last name(s), initial(s) of the author(s) NB! in the same order as in the book. Publication year. Book title:
subtitle. Publisher, place of publication. The total number of pages (pp).

Examples:
• Beletsky, L. 1996. The red-winged blackbird: the biology of a strongly polygynous songbird.
Academic Press, London. 314 pp.

• Corral López, A. 2017. The link between brain size, cognitive ability, mate choice, and sexual
behavior in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Department of Zoology, Stockholm University,
Stockholm. 116 pp.

Chapters from edited books

Last name(s) and initial(s) of the chapter author(s) NB! in the same order as in the chapter. Publication
year. Chapter title. In: editor name(s) (ed[s]). Book title: subtitle. Publisher, place of publication, chapter
pages.

Example:
• Bergström, S., Noppa, L., Gylfe, Å., and Östberg, Y. 2002. Molecular and cellular biology of Borrelia
burgdorferi sensu lato. In: Gray, J., Kahl, O., Lane, R.S., and Stanek, G. (eds.). Lyme borreliosis:
biology, epidemiology, and control. CABI, Wallingford, pp. 47–90.

Appendixes
The need for complete documentation generally dictates the inclusion of appropriate appendices in
proposals.

Helpful Rules
In their article entitled, “Ten simple rules for structuring papers,” in PLOS Computational Biology,
authors Mensh and Kording provided 10 helpful tips, as follows:

1. Focus on a central contribution.

2. Write for those who do not know your work.
3. Use the “context–content–conclusion” approach.
4. Avoid superfluous information and use parallel structures.
5. Summarize your research in the Abstract.
6. Explain the importance of your research in the Introduction.
7. Explain your results in a logical sequence and support them with figures and tables.
8. Discuss any data gap and limitation.
9. Allocate your time for the most important sections.
10. Get feedback from colleagues.

https://www.enago.com/academy/tips-effectively-structure-research-paper/

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ACTIVITY

Name: _______________________________________ Year & Section: __________________

How much have you learned from this module? Answer the following:
1. How can laws, decrees, or ordinances give importance to a topic?
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3. Is it important to know the reason/s for choosing the research topic?

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4. How does determining the limitations and delimitations of the study help you focus on your research
topic?
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5. What is the first step in organizing the data gathered?

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6. How are the findings, conclusions, and recommendations related to one another?
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7. How do the findings differ from the conclusion? Use the Venn diagram below.

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8. Why do you have to separate the conclusion from the findings?
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A research proposal is a written requirement in college wherein you need to present and justify the
necessity to study a research problem and questions formulated. Its format varies across fields, but
most proposals should contain at least the following elements: Title, Abstract, Introduction,
Literature Review, Methodology, Data Gathering, Data Analysis, Citation, and Appendices.

Name: ______________________________________ Year & Section: __________________

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(This assignment will be submitted on ________________.) This will be used in the activities of the
succeeding module.

Investigating Food Preference

Several theories explain the food preference of humans, some of which are biological, and others are
environmental influences. For instance, increased people prefer vegetarian diets than ever before.

Task: Carry out a study to record whether additional males or females are vegetarians and
how long the males and female participants have been vegetarian (to identify which gender has been a
vegetarian the longest).

Sampling: The participants in this study must be over 16 years of age. Explain why. Design your study to
gain participants using volunteer sampling. How will you achieve this? Outline the main methodological
problems arising from using a volunteer sampling method for this investigation. Outline and justify a
good way of sampling in this study, which can contribute to additional valid results.

Procedure: Decide whether this will take the form of written responses to a simple questionnaire or a
verbal survey of participants. Design and justify your materials accordingly. Whichever method you
choose, you should plan and produce an appropriate set of procedures for your investigation. This way,
you will know exactly what you intend to do and/or say to participants and what they have to do/say
during the investigation.

A Procedures section, when written, would generally:

• be written in past tense
• include all steps and verbatim instructions
• be written in third person.

Results: Identify and justify the type of data you will collect in each part of the study. Produce a summary
of your findings by using appropriate descriptive statistics. Include a written conclusion of your findings.

Ethical issues. Eating behavior can be a sensitive topic for various people. Perhaps, the diet of this
people is governed by illness or other personal factors. Outline at least two ways in which you will ensure
that your participants are not placed in a position of psychological discomfort by taking part in your
study.

Source: https://www.aqa.org.uk/resources/psychology/as-and-a-level/psychology/teach/practical-
activities-for-research-methods

Research Proposal. Retrieved from: https://owll.massey.ac.nz/main/sample-assignments.php on 22 August 2020.

Research Guides. Retrieved from: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/citingsources on 22 August 2020.
Sources, citing and referencing at Biology Department, Lund University: How to write correct references. Retrieved from:
https://libguides.lub.lu.se/c.php?g=297505&p=1984175 on 22 August 2020.

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Why is Referencing Important? Retrieved from: https://student.unsw.edu.au/why-referencing-important on 22 August 2020.
Writing a Research Proposal – Outline, Format, and Examples. Retrieved from: https://www.5staressays.com/blog/writing-research-proposal
on 22 August 2020.

Module on
Research Proposal

Name: _______________________________________ Year & Section: __________________

True or False. Choose the letter that corresponds to your answer.

A. True B. False

1. A research proposal must highlight the benefits and outcomes of the proposed study as
supported by persuasive evidence.
2. The research title should be general and distinct.

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3. The abstract is a summary of your research with approximately 500 words that includes the
research question, hypothesis of your research (if there is any), the research methodology,
and findings.
4. The problem statement describes the context for the study and identifies the general analysis
approach.
5. You must highlight how your research is beneficial to the development of science and society
in general.
6. The review of the literature provides the background and context of the research problem. It
should establish the need for the research and indicate that the writer is knowledgeable
about the field of study.
7. Previous literature information that is related to your research should be evaluated critically.
8. A strong literature review does not persuade the reader that your work has a solid
foundation in existing philosophy or concept.
9. The methods or procedures section is the heart of the research proposal.
10. Qualitative research is ideal for projects involving collecting and analyzing statistical data,
whereas the qualitative type is ideal for theoretical research.
11. The methodology is the most crucial part of any research because it summarizes the collected
data.
12. Improper statistical analyses distort scientific findings, mislead casual readers, and may
negatively influence the public perception of research.
13. Delimitations identify the potential weaknesses of the study.
14. Citation allows for the acknowledgment of the use of other people’s opinions, ideas, theories,
and inventions.
15. In any academic writing, you are required to identify which ideas, facts, thoughts, and
concepts are yours and those that are not.
16. A reference is needed when the information is a commonly known fact.
17. Avoid superfluous information and use parallel structures.
18. Explain your results in a logical sequence and support them with figures and tables.
19. Discuss any data gap and limitation.
20. In structuring papers, get feedback from colleagues.

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