CHAPTER FOUR

DEVELOPING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

1
 Chapter Objectives
At the end of this chapter students will be able to:
• Understand the meaning and significance of a
research proposal
• Investigate the need for and process of literature
review
• Review the essence and application of the
theoretical and/or conceptual framework in research
• Address the major components of a research
proposal
• Enable students prepare a standard research
proposal
2
 4.1. Meaning and Significance/Functions/ of a
Research Proposal
 A research proposal is a written statement of the
research design that includes a statement explaining the
purpose of the study and a detailed, systematic outline
of a particular research methodology (Zikmund, 2000).

According to Emory (1991), the purpose of a research

proposal is:
 To present the problem to be researched and its
importance
 To discuss the research efforts of others who have
worked on related problems.
 To set forth the data necessary for solving the problem
 To suggest how the data will be gathered, treated and
interpreted

3
 A proposal tells us:
What will be done
Why it will be done
How it will be done
Where it will be done
To whom it will be done, and
What is the benefit of doing it?

4
 Specific Values of Research Proposal
Value the Sponsor:
• Allows the sponsor to assess:
– the sincerity of your purpose,
– the clarity of your design,
– the extent of your background material, and
– your fitness for undertaking the project
• Provides a basis for the sponsor to evaluate
the results of a research
• The discipline or research ethics it brings to
the sponsor
5
 Value to the Researcher
• A tentative work plan that charts the logical
steps
• Allows the researcher to plan and review the
project’s steps
• To assess the various approaches to the
problem
• A guide for the researcher throughout the
investigation
• The proposal forces time and budget estimates
for young researcher

6
 Stages of the Research Proposal
1. General Questions/Research Topic
Sources:
• Personal experience
• Curiosity
• Existing literature

7
1.1. Entering the Conversation
• Good research questions help to be a good
conversationalist
• Characteristics of conversationalists
– Simple/free - Sincerity
– Open-minded - Listening
– Respect - Accommodative
– Sympathy - Expressive

8
1.2. Broad Problem area definition
Questions vs Topic
• Questions force you to close off some lines of
inquiry
• Topics invite discussion while questions force
you to think in terms of answers
• A focused question helps to know what data is
needed

9
Rules for Formulating Good research Questions
Be Sincere
• Choose something that you are genuinely curious
about and to which you really do not know the
answer
Be Focused
• Narrow and specific
• But your proposal should show connections how
your question is related to
– Broader context Historical trends
– Intellectual concerns Social patterns

10
• Can include one main/general/broad
questions and sub or specific questions
General research question
• Are training programs as effective as
anticipated?
Specific research question
• What changes has the training brought about
in enhancing productivity?
• What are the changes in reducing wastages?

11
Be Clear
• Precise, concrete, and jargon free
• Lucid and simple- write and rewrite to do so

Be Connected
• Be connected with established theory and
knowledge

12
Be Practical
• Ask yourself if your research is for example is
too expensive or expensive to be ‘do-able’
• Identify possible obstacles or constraints in
conducting your research
• Possible constraints
Fund time
distance Access to data
Work overload Response bias
Quantitative skills

13
Be Flexible
• A research question can change, shift, evolve
and develop based on literature, rethinking,
etc

Five W’s and H – A Heuristic

What Who
Where Why
When How

14
WHAT do you plan to investigate?
Problem Event
People Circumstances
Relationship Mystery

WHERE WILL YOU MAKE THE INVESTIGATION?

Country Region Neighborhood
Organization Department etc

15
WHEN – time/period
WHO – Target Population
• Individuals
• Groups
• Organizations
WHY – reason, importance,
significance

16
HOW ?
• To find out
• To gain access
• To analyze
• To finance
• Find an answer in a given time

17
 Exercise
• Apply the Heuristic of the questions stated
earlier to your proposed research

18
 Possible General Questions
• Does BPR seem to be successful in the public
sector?
• Can we say there is equal employment
opportunity in the private sector?
• The sales volume of a product is not picking up
• The daily balancing of accounting ledgers is
becoming a continuous concern
• The introduction of BPR has created more
problems than it has solved in many companies

19
Possible Specific Questions for the first question
• What changes has BPR brought in the attitudes of
employees in relation to commitment to work and
the resulting reward system?
• Has BPR resulted in efficiency?
• What is the contribution of BPR in enhancing
productivity?
• What is the status and trend of team spirit after the
implementation of BPR?
• What are the trends of improvement in BPR
implementation?

20
Possible Specific Questions for the second question
• How do managers understand the concept of equal
employment opportunity?
• Is there real and similar understanding of managers
about EEOs in the private sector
• Do men and women have equal access to information
about employment?
• What is the extent of implementation of affirmative
action?
• What is the extent of ‘glass ceiling’?
• What is the extent of ‘glass walls’ or ‘glass elevators’?
• Are there jobs reserved for males in the mind of both
men and women?
21
 Aims and Objectives
• Also called general and specific objectives
Aims or General Objectives
• Broader terms of desired outcomes
Objectives or Specific Objectives
• More Specific
• Achievable/doable
• Relevant to the general objective
• More closely related or interlinked
• Show how aims are achieved
• Show more immediate outcomes

22
Review Prove
Assess Predict
Evaluate Estimate
Determine
Test

Identify Compare
Examine Analyze
Explore Describe
Investigate

23
 Don’ts of Aims and Objectives
• Too vague, ambitious or broad
• Repeat each other in different words
• Just a list of things related to your topic
• Go into details of the research
• Contradict methods and techniques
• Just interrogative forms of research objectives

24
 Exercise
• Re-read and revise the general or main
questions and the specific research questions

25
 2. Reviewing the Literature

• This topic will advise students on how to go

about searching the literature and engaging
critically with the ideas of other writers.

• It will also help you to understand some of the

expectations of the literature review and give
you some ideas about how to assess the
quality of existing research.

26
 Searching the Literature Should Answer These
Questions:
What is already known about this area?
What concepts and theories are relevant?
What research methods and strategies have
been used in this area?
Are there any controversies?
Are there any inconsistencies in findings?
Are there unanswered questions?

27
 What is a literature review?
• Literature work is an evolving and ongoing task that is
updated and revised throughout the process of writing the
thesis/dissertation.

• The researcher is positioned as agent who uses and

evaluates the research of others in order to make a place
for her/his own work.

• Metaphor: The dinner party - Why this topic and why

now?

28
 What is a literature review?

• A research literature review is a systematic, explicit, and

reproducible method for identifying, evaluating and
synthesizing the existing body of completed and recorded
work produced by researchers, scholars, and
practitioners.

(Fink, 2010:3)

29
 What is a literature review?
• Initially we can say that a review of the literature is
important because without it you will not acquire an
understanding of your topic, of what has already been done
on it, how it has been researched, and what the key issues
are.
• In your written project you will be expected to show that you
understand previous research on your topic. This amounts
to showing that you have understood the main theories in
the subject area and how they have been applied and
developed, as well as the main criticisms that have been
made of work on the topic.
• The review is therefore a part of your academic
development - of becoming an expert in the field.
(Hart, 1998: 1).
30
 What is a literature review?

• The purpose of the literature review is to situate your

research in the context of what is already known about a
topic. It does not have to be exhaustive, it needs to show
how your work will benefit the whole.

• It should provide the theoretical basis for your work, show

what has been done in the area by others, and set the
stage for your work.

31
 Why should you do a literature review?
• You need to understand what is currently known about
your topic
• Cannot do a study ‘on your own’
• Provides a conceptual/theoretical framework for the
research
• Provides an integrated overview of the field of study
• Helps establish a need for the research
• May help clarify the research problem
• Helps to demonstrate researcher’s familiarity with the
area under consideration (theory and /or methods)
• Relates your study to ongoing dialogue in the literature

32
 Why should you do a literature review?
• Find out who else has looked at my research question
and how can I move my research forward? – think of the
dinner party
• Positioning of topic/problem in broader scholarly literature
• Historical context of the field
• What questions were asked?
• Which design and methodologies were used?
• Are there consistent findings?
• What is the literature silent about? – or where are the
gaps in the literature?

33
 Small beginnings

• An initial scan:

– Identify five articles that speak to your particular

research topic

– Compose a short, descriptive summary of each article

(purpose, method, findings, significance)

– Discuss briefly how this collection of five articles (as a

set) might aid your particular study

34
 How to conduct a literature review
• Start by reading the title and the blurb on the cover before
glancing at the contents list and references
– Read the abstract of the article; look at the key concepts
– Do not start reading sentence by sentence
– Detail can be looked at later
– Arguments; events; motives; standpoint; concepts;
evidence; perspective; styles; conclusions; hypothesis;
politics; techniques; definitions; interpretations; problem;
theory; ethics; justification; questions; ways of thinking.
– Skim read through the book, noting structure, topic, style,
general reasoning, data and biographical detail
• Glance quickly through all the chapters to get a general
ideas of the contents and identity key chapters
• Read preface and introduction; look for signposts the author
provides for the logic of the work;
35
 How to conduct a literature review
• What kind of a publication is this?
• Is the information a primary source (original materials on
which other research is based; speeches, diaries etc or a
secondary source (describe, interpret, analyze and
evaluate the primary sources; journals, theses etc)
• What are the credentials of the authors: expert in the
field? Affiliation?
• Date of publication; first or updated edition?
• What is the purpose of the publication?
• Who is the intended audience for the publication?
• Who is the publisher? Reputation?
• Title: scholarly or popular?

36
 How to conduct a literature review
Some criteria:
• Exhaustive (complete) - cover the main points
• Fair treatment of authors (do not overuse one author)
• Topical and not dated
• Do not only access internet sources
• Well organised; do not summarise one source after other:
• Structure the results of your readings according to
– Chronology: by date of study;
– School of thought;
– Theme or construct;
– Hypothesis;
– Case study
– Method
• Number of references: +/- PhD: 350-400; Masters:160-200;
37
Some questions to help in compiling a literature review
• What are the broad bodies of literature that have
relevance for your research topic (local and
international)?
• What theoretical model/s relate to your research topic?
• What theories, methods & results have previous
researchers in your field produced?
• What is the history of your area of study?
• What are the most recent findings in your area of study?
• What gaps or contradictions exist among these findings?
• What new research questions do these findings suggest?
• What structure suits my literature review best?
• What should I leave out?

38
 A Literature Review can be...
 a list of relevant theories;
 a search for relevant information;
 a survey of writing on the subject;
 a way of learning about the subject;
 a help in finding dissertation topics and
research methods;
 an important component of a dissertation or
report.

39
 So, you write a Literature Review because
 you need to know what is already known about your
research area;
 you can learn from the mistakes of others;
 you can learn about different theoretical and
methodological approaches to your research area;
 it may help you to develop an analytic framework;
 it may lead you to consider including variables in
your research of which you might not have thought;
 it may suggest further research questions;
 it is required!

40
 Getting the Most from Your Reading

o Take lots of notes (including references);

o Ask yourself questions about what you read (its value
to your topic, methods used, conclusions);
o Find research questions (perhaps because what you
read indicates contention);
o Identify sources to which you will want to return
later on;
o Be selective (read for relevance);
o Don’t stop reading!!

41
 How to Search the Literature 1

• Read books and articles you know, or are

recommended by your supervisor;
• Keep notes based on your reading;
• Note the keywords used;
• Note other literature which might be interesting
later;
• Generate your own keywords

42
 How to Search the Literature 2
• Search your institution’s library;
• Search online (using an appropriate
database);
• Examine titles and abstracts for relevance;
• Retrieve selected items, read, take notes;
• Check regularly for new material.

43
 Searching for Books and Articles
• Start with module reading-lists;
• Consult the references and bibliographies of recommended
textbooks;
• Use the library of your institution,
- to find out what is available
- to find out your institution’s subscriptions to on-line
databases;
• Use: APA Citation Index
or
Harvard referencing Guide
BUT MAKE SURE TO BE CONSISTENT!!!!

44
45
A Word (or two) of Warning about the Internet
• Search engines find sites but do not evaluate them
• Dictionaries and encyclopaedias are fine for basic
definitions, but little else
• Many Internet sites serve a commercial purpose, so
don’t be taken in by propaganda
• Rely on academic sites (usually .ac or .edu), government
sites ( .gov), not-for-profit institutions (.org), in that
order.
• Download and save all material found on the Internet.
• Sites are dynamic and you may not find the data a
second time. Your institution may also require proof
when defending your thesis.

46
 Referencing Your Work 1
• A source is, usually, referenced in two parts:
- the citation, in your text at the point of use;
- full publication details, in a reference list, or
bibliography, at the end of your dissertation or
report.

• There are two main referencing conventions:

- the author-date system, of which the Harvard
system is most used;
- the footnote system.

47
 Referencing Your Work 2

• Follow your institution’s guidelines for

referencing protocols and terminology;
• If no clear guidelines are offered, use the
Harvard system;
• Always include a list of references at the
end, in any event.

48
 Plagiarism: Crime and Punishment 1
• Plagiarism means pretending that we, ourselves, wrote
what others actually wrote;
• Plagiarism might be accidental:
- not using quotation marks for direct quotes
might
be careless rather than deceitful;
- or forgetting to cite a source in the text;
• Plagiarism might not be seen for what it is:
- recycling our own material from previously
submitted work;
- not referencing ourselves as the author of our
own older work. 49
 Plagiarism: Crime and Punishment 2
 Plagiarism is always a crime, since it destroys
the foundations of the research edifice;
 Institutions vary in terms of the seriousness with
which they view the offence:
- punishment can range from resubmission to
expulsion,
- but reputation is always lost.

50
 Questions to Ask When Doing a
Literature Review 1
• Is your reading list up-to-date?
• Are there any new areas of interest?
• What have you read recently?
• How much time do you allocate to reading?
• What have you learned from your reading?

51
 Questions to Ask When Doing a
Literature Review 2
• Has this changed your understanding of your
subject area?
• Has your reading influenced your research design?
• Has it given you ideas about your hypotheses and
research tools?
• Have you been taking notes from your reading?

52
 Key Points
 Writing a literature review is a means of reviewing the main
ideas and research relating to your chosen area of interest;
 A competent literature review confirms you as someone who is
competent in the subject area;
 A great deal of the work of writing a literature review is based
upon reading the work of other researchers in your subject
area; key skills can be acquired to help you get the most from
your reading;
 Systematic review is a method that is gaining in popularity in
business research as a way of enhancing the reliability of
literature searching and review;
 Narrative review is a more traditional approach which has
advantages of flexibility that can make it more appropriate for
inductive research and qualitative research designs.

53
 3. Theoretical
and
Conceptual Framework

54
 Conceptualisation
• Most research starts with conceptualisation or the formal
definition of what our major terms and concepts will
mean in the context of our study.
• Conceptual definitions provide specific working
definitions of key ideas as they are used for the given
study.
• Put differently, we identify key concepts and clearly
explain both what we mean by those terms and what we
do not mean.
• The conceptualisation stage helps us to distinguish the
formal assumptions that we are making about our
concepts from other ideas that might be out there.
• In so doing conceptualisation helps us define the scope
of our research.
55
What is a conceptual or theoretical framework?

• A conceptual or theoretical framework is a

facility with which to make sense of data.

• Creating conceptual frameworks in advance

assists to focus the data collection, even though
it is possible to search for such explanatory
frameworks after the data are collected (Jansen,
2003)

56
 How is a conceptual framework different from a
theoretical framework?
• Some writers use the terms interchangeably,
and in such cases it clearly does not matter
what term is used.

• Others see a conceptual framework as a lower

level of conceptual organisation in which one or
more concepts are stringed together in order to
explain a particular event

57
 How is a conceptual framework different from a
theoretical framework?
• A theoretical framework would constitute a higher
level of conceptual organisation in which a full-blown
“theory” would be invoked to explain a particular set
of events
• Freuds’s theory of Psychosexual Development
• Maslow’s theory of motivation
• Other “grand-theories” include Marx’s theory of the
state or Vygotsky’s theory of learning or Piaget’s
theory of child development.

58
 Why do I need a conceptual (or theoretical)
framework?
• A framework elevates the level of sophistication of your
study in that it moves beyond description of what
happened to explanations for why it happened.
• A (theoretical or conceptual) framework provides an
organising tool that focuses the data collection i.e., it is
useful in researching how teachers make assessment
decisions to have a “theory” of how you expect teachers
to make decisions, and then to test the validity of that
theory through empirical evidence.
• Knowing, therefore, what theory you wish to ‘test,’
sensitises the data collection.
• A framework gives your study broader comparative and
theoretical significance, and therefore holds value
beyond the specific context within which you work. 59
How do I find a conceptual or theoretical framework?

• The best way is through the research literature

and scholarship on, for example, strategic
leadership.
• This means that the more you read, the more you
become aware of the different ways in which
scholars try to explain strategic leadership.
• The best means for developing a repertoire of
theories of strategic leadership is by reading the
literature on it.

60
 Analysing the literature critically
• In research terms, however, critical reading,
critical thinking and critical assessment refer to a
considered and justified examination of what
others have written or said regarding the subject
in question.
• An important skill at the heart of these processes
is the ability to recognise, analyse and evaluate
the reasoning and forms of argumentation in the
texts and articles that you will read. This skill is
called critical reasoning.
• Developing a systematic approach to the analysis
of the arguments of others is an essential
research skill.
61
 Analysing the literature critically

• Ideally, readers should learn to engage with a

text in a way which enables them to assess its
worth - being critical is learning to assess the
logic and rationale of arguments and the quality
of the substantiating data ... it is being able to ask
how important the flaws are, and so to weigh the
worth of evidence.

• This means being able to ask questions of the

text beyond what it means, what it is saying.
(Peelo, 1994: 59)
62
 Analysing the literature critically
• Critical reasoning is centrally concerned with giving
reasons for one's beliefs and actions, analysing and
evaluating one's own and other people's reasoning, and
constructing better reasoning.

• Common to these activities are certain distinct skills, for

example, recognising reasons and conclusions, unstated
assumptions, drawing conclusions, appraising evidence
and evaluating statements, judging whether conclusions
are warranted; and underlying all of these skills is the
ability to use language with clarity and discrimination.
(Thomson, 1996: 2)

63
 Reading the literature critically
• One that goes beyond mere description by offering opinions,
and making a personal response, to what has been written;
• One that relates different writings to each other, indicating
their differences and contradictions, and highlighting what
they are lacking;
• One that does not take what is written at face value;
• One that strives to be explicit about the values and theories
which inform and colour reading and writing;
• One that views research writing as a contested terrain, within
which alternative views and positions may be taken up;
• One that shows an awareness of the power relations involved
in research, and of where writers are coming from;
One that uses a particular language (authors assert, argue,
state, conclude) 64
 READING ASISGNMENT
Theory in research

• Research is an empirical quest for knowledge.

• Theory guides both our questions and our interpretations
of any data we find.
• Our theories about the world suggest ideas that need to
be investigated, and our findings raise questions and
suggest modifications in our theoretical models.
• Theory and research are thus partners in the
development of knowledge, in constant dialogue with
each other.

65
 Theory in research
• Model or a map of why the world is the way and works
• It is a story about what you think is happening and why.
• A useful theory gives you insights and broadens your
understanding of that phenomenon.
• Theory as a coat closet – you can hang anything in it –
place to ‘hang’ data, showing their relationship to other
data.
• Theory as a spotlight – a useful theory illuminates what you
see. It draws attention to particular events or phenomena
and sheds light on relationships otherwise go unnoticed or
misunderstood.
• Example: Maslow’s theory of motivation (1954); Festinger’s
theory of cognitive dissonance (1957)

66
 Theory in research
• Theories in social sciences exist at a variety of levels.
• Individual theories: focus on individual development,
cognitive behaviour, personality, learning, etc
• Organisational theories: focus on bureaucracies,
institutions, organisational structures, effectiveness or
excellence in organisational performance etc.
• Group theories: focus on family issues, works teams,
employer-employee relations, interpersonal networks
etc.
• Social theories: focus on group behaviour, cultural
practices, urban development etc.
• Theories in social sciences draw from various
disciplines: political science, economics, anthropology,
sociology, and psychology.
• “how you study the world determines what you learn
about the world” (Patton 1990)
67
 Theory in research
• Grand theories are those comprehensive ideas often
proposed by major thinkers such as Sigmund Freud, Erik
Erikson, and Jean Piaget.

• Grand theories of development include psychoanalytic

theory, learning theory, and cognitive theory.

• These theories seek to explain much of human behaviour,

but are often considered outdated and incomplete in the
face of modern research.

• Psychologists and researchers often use grand theories

as a basis for exploration, but consider smaller theories
and recent research as well.
68
 Theory in research
• Examples:
– Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive development
– Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development
– Freud’s Theory of Psychosexual Development
– Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
• Macro theory: address great historical narratives, like
causes of war or revolutions.
• Meso theories: look at middle ground ideas such as how
patterns of traffic, or crime or popular culture within some
social circumstances
• Micro theories tend to favour small events like
interpersonal exchanges and the use of gestures and
expressions.
69
 Theory in research
• No consistent definitions of theoretical frameworks.
• Theory is also defined as an analytical and interpretive
framework that helps the researcher to make sense of what
is going on in the social setting being studied.
• Grand theories, mid-range theories and explanatory theories
can be applied to understand a phenomenon.
• As qualitative researchers we need to be aware of theoretical
frameworks in economics, sociology, political science,
psychology, anthropology etc.
• This diversity and richness of theoretical frameworks allows
us to see in new and different ways what seems to be
ordinary and familiar.
• However, NO one theory provides a perfect explanation of
what is being studied
70
 Theory in research
• The role of theory in qualitative research extends beyond
the confines of a particular study.
• Remember: simple questions > complex answers
• Finding a theory: read, converse, ask, find headings in
journal articles…needs to resonate with your thinking
• A theoretical framework has the ability to
– Focus a study
– Reveal and conceal meaning and understanding
– Situate research in a scholarly conversation and
provide appropriate language
– Reveal its strengths and weaknesses

71
 References
• Fink, A. 2010. Conducting research literature reviews. From the Internet to
paper. 3rd Edition. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
• Hart, C. 1998. Doing a literature review. Releasing the social science research
imagination. London: Sage Publications.
• Henning, E. Gravett, S. van Rensburg, W. 2005. Finding your way in academic
writing. Second Edition. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.
• Jansen, J.D. 2003. Workshop notes. University of Pretoria.
• Kamler, B & Thomson, P. 2006. Helping doctoral students write. London:
Routledge.
• Locke, L.F., Spirduso, W.W., Silverman, S.J. 2007. Proposals that work. A guide
for planning dissertations and grant proposals. 5th Edition. Thousand Oaks:
Sage Publications.
• Maimon, E.P., Peritz, J.H., Yancey, K.B. 2007. The new McGraw-Hill Handbook.
Boston: McGraw-Hill.
• Meloy, J.M. 2002. Writing the Qualitative dissertation. Understanding by doing.
Second Edition. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
• Mouton, J. 2001. How to succeed in Master’s & Doctoral Studies. A South
African Guide and Resource book. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.
• Punch, K.F. 2001. Developing effective research proposals. London: Sage
Publications.
• Thomas, G. 1997. What’s the use of theory? Harvard Educational Review,
Vol.67, No.1, pp.75-104.

72
4. Research Strategies and Designs
Research Strategy
Quantitative
Qualitative
What is research design?
• Research design is the strategy of how to
address your research problem
• Provides the overall structure for the procedures that
researcher conducts
• Research design is planning

73
 The data, their nature, and role in Research

• What are data

• Data are not an absolute reality!
• Data are manifestations of a reality
• Research tries to discover underlying truths
• Data are a link between Absolute Truth and
the researchers’ inquiring mind

74
 Primary data vs secondary data

• Data closest to the truth are the primary data –

in the literature this is what a research reports
directly

• Secondary data are further away from the truth

– in the literature this is what other
researchers report about the original
researcher’s work

75
 Data and methodology
• To get meaning from the data we use research
methodology
• Different questions yield different types of
information
• Different research problems leads to different
research designs and methods leads to collection
of different types of data and different
interpretation of those data
• Sometimes data dictate the research method

76
4 fundamental questions for research
design
• What data are needed?
• Where are the data located?
• How will the data be obtained?
• How will the data be interpreted?
• These questions need to be answered in the
section of the research design in your
proposal.
Leedy and Ormrod

77
Basic research designs
• Survey
• Observation
• Experimentation
• Secondary sources
• Correlational

78
 5. Research Methods
• Data types and sources
• Population and sampling
• Data collection and instruments
• Data Analysis
• Scope and limitation of the study
• Time and budget schedule
• Tentative outline of the study
• References

79
 4.4. MAJOR COMPONENTS Of
A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Preliminaries/Prefatories
i) Title page
Title of the Research
(A Case Study of ……..)
Purpose why the Research is conducted
Name and Address of the investigator
Advisor/Reader
Month and Place where the proposal is written
ii) Acronyms (if any, abbreviations alphabetically
arranged))
iii) Table of Contents
iv) List of Tables, if any
v) List of Figures, if any

80
 Components continued

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the study –Deductive order
 Definitions and Concepts Related to the topic
 Global issues and trends about the topic
 Situations in Less Developed Countries or in an
industry
 National level/basic facts
 Firm/Regional level/basic facts
 Background of the organization (not more than
one page)

81
81
 Components continued
1.2 . Statement of the Problem or (Justification for the study)
 Facts that motivated the investigator to conduct the research
 Exactly specifying and measuring the gap
 Gap in the theories
 Gap in researches made by others
 Gaps between theory and practice
 Hard facts or quantitative data about the topic for some previous
years, for example three years
 Research Questions - Questions to be answered to bring
about solutions to the problem or implications for the
hypothesis
1.3. Conceptual and/or Theoretical Framework
See Previous slides
1.4 Research Objectives, and Research Hypothesis (optional)
1.4.1. Research Objectives – Ends to be met in conducting the
research
 What the investigator will analyze and how;
 what comparisons to make and at what level
General objective
 often one statement directly related to the topic

82
 Specific Objectives- often 4-7

what the researcher wants to achieve

about s/he wants to collect data;
what to analyze and compare

1.4.2. Research Hypothesis

( Optional) - tentative propositions to be
tested in the research

83
 Components continued

 1.5 Significance of the study- Benefit of the

study (Who may use the findings)
User organizations
The society/the community/the country
Other researchers
1.6 Definition of key Terminologies and
Concepts (Optional)
 Conceptual definitions – general and related to
their contextual meaning
 Operational – in the context of the research
paper and in measurable terms

84
 1.7. Scope and Limitation of the study

 Scope provides the boundary or framework

 Limitation is the implication or effect of the
scope- does not mean weakness or problems
to be faced

85
 CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE.

Deductive Order (General to specific)

Concepts and definitions of terminologies
directly related to the topic.
Global issue and trends
Regional or continental or industrial facts
Best experiences, if relevant
Problems and challenges related to the topic

86
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Important points in the literature

Adequacy- Sufficient to address the statement
of the problem and the specific objectives in
detail
Logical flow and organization of the contents
Adequate citations
The variety of issues and ideas gathered from
many authors

87
4. Research Methods and Data Collection

4.1. Data Type and Source (Decide one of them or

both by giving justifications)
 Qualitative V/s Quantitative ( Give reasons)
 Primary Sources (Decide on which method or
methods to use by stating justifiable reasons
Questionnaires
Interviews
Observations
Focus group discussions, etc.

88
 Components continued

Secondary Sources (Decide which method or

methods to use by stating justifiable reasons)
and exactly state the sources from which you
will get the data
 Reports, manuals, Internal publications, data base
systems
 Journals and Publications for assessing existing
findings and
 Internet
 Books for assessing theories and principles related to
the topic etc.

89
 4.2. Research Strategy and Design
 Qualitative vs Quantitative (reasons)
 Census Vs Survey( Decide which one to use and
why)
 Survey design ( Decide on the survey designs to be
used by clearly stating the reasons for your decision
 Sample Size( Use the sample size determination
formula as a base and make adjustments with due
regard to the target population and the homogeneity
or heterogeneity of the population characteristics
 Sample size commonly used in the area of the
research topic
 Sampling Design( Show how and why you are going
to use the different techniques of probability and/or
nonprobability sampling techniques
 Sampling Procedure( clearly state the steps in
sampling)
90
 Steps in Sampling Design
 Determine the universe/target population
 Sampling unit
 Source list/Sampling frame
 Size of sample ( Use the sample size
determination formula as a base and make
adjustments with due regard to the target
population and the homogeneity or
heterogeneity of the population characteristics)
 Sampling procedure ( Show how and why you
are going to use the different techniques of
probability and/or nonprobability sampling
techniques)

91
 Components continued

4.3. Data collection and

Instruments
 State the data collection tool or tools to be
used with necessary Justifications.
– Interview,
– Questionnaire,
– Observation,
– Focus group discussion
 Questionnaire design
Unstructured
Semi-structured
Structured
 Questionnaire testing or pretesting if necessary
92
Data collection Procedures ( show in detail)
 How the Questionnaire will be administered
 Who will be involved?
 How many people will be involved?
 When will data be collected?
 Where will data be collected?
 How Data collection will be administered?
 How other methods will be applied in
combination (Triangulation)
Focus Group discussions
Interviews
Observation

93
 4.4. Data Processing and Analysis
 Manual Vs Mechanical
 Editing: Field Vs in-house editing ( include
reasons)
 Coding: Post coding
 Recording /Data entry/ or keyboarding
 Methods of Analysis
Qualitative – Ethnography, Observation
Quantitative
Descriptive (tools to be used)
Explanatory
Co relational
Experimental
94
 Time and Budget Schedule
TIME SCHEDULE
 Try to put reasonable and realistic time on the basis
of
The scope of the study
The research objectives to be achieved
The methods and techniques to be used
Description or Activity
Duration
Final Date
Remark

95
 BUDGET

Realistic and detailed to reflect the activity schedule

and convincing for the reader or possibly the
financier;
 reflect real budget
 Must be realistic ,may be based on pilot study or
pretesting
 Description or Activity
 Unit
 Unit Price
 Computations
 Total Cost
 Remark
96
•?

Basic Questions- Problem definition

• What is the purpose of the study?
• How much is already known?
• Is additional background information
necessary?
• What is to be measured? How?
• Can the data be made available?
• Should research be conducted?
• Can a hypothesis be formulated

97
 Basic Questions- Research Design

• What types of questions need to be answered?

• Are descriptive or causal findings required?
• What is the source of the data?
• Can objective answers be obtained by asking
people?
• How quickly is the information needed?
• How should survey questions be worded?
• How should experimental manipulations be
made?
•
98
 Basic Questions- Sample selection
• Who or what is the source of the data?
• Can the target population be identified?
• Is a sample necessary?
• How accurate must the sample be?
• Is a probability sample necessary?
• Is a national sample necessary?
• How large a sample is necessary?
• How will the sample be selected?

99
 Basic Questions- Data Collection

• Who will gather the data?

• How long will data gathering take?
• How much supervision is needed?
• What operational procedures need to be
followed?

100
 Basic Questions- Data Analysis & Evaluation

• Will standardized editing and coding. procedures be

utilized? How will the data be categorized?
• Will computer or hand tabulation be utilized?
• What questions need to be answered?
• How many variables are to be investigated
simultaneously?
• What are the criteria for evaluation of performance?

101
 Basic Questions- Type of report

• Who will read the report?

• Are managerial recommendations requested?
• How many presentations are required?
• What will be the format of the written report?

102
 Basic Questions- Overall Evaluation

• When should the research be scheduled to

begin?
• How much will the study cost?
• Is the time frame acceptable?
• Do we need outside help?
• Will this research design attain the stated
research objectives?

103