Submitting a well thought out research proposal is not just the basic starting block to ensure that the research methodology is practical and feasible, but it structures the introduction, literature review, research methodology/ instrument, data analysis, and conclusion. Here are some ideas on acing that proposal. What is a Research Proposal? The University of Queensland in Australia comments under their FAQs section on their website that a research proposal is meant to demonstrate that the problem (research problem) proposed by the researcher is important enough to require investigation. Furthermore, that “the method you plan to use is suitable and feasible, and the results are likely to prove fruitful and will make an original contribution.” Taking the above comment into account, at the most basic level, the researcher should think of a topic, any subject that is of interest, before getting wrapped into the subject matter. Where to Begin with a Research Proposal? The researcher could write the main concept, for example, alcohol, on a piece of paper, circle it, and like a mind map, write phrases or sentences or related words (connotations) that the researcher associates with that concept or word, all around it. From those words, the researcher should link the main concept (in the center) with one of the phrases or words and come up with a research problem. For example, if one of the sentences was abuse among college students, the research problem could be alcohol abuse among college students. However, a research problem needs to zone in on a specific problem, so “alcohol abuse among college students” would be too broad. A better research problem would be, for example, alcohol abuse among first year college students at University X. Where to Find the Information for the Proposal? Reading is the only way. This takes the researcher back to the feasibility of the study and if it will contribute to the academic or scientific edifice of that field of study. Although, there are cases where researchers have looked at a topic that has not been investigated, it would be myopic to suggest that their work was totally original. Previous studies that are similar or related to the research topic help to shape or make sense of the research problem. Once the researcher has an overview of the research topic, how other researchers have approached the topic, and what the mainstay of sources has to say about the research topic, this is when the proposal starts writing itself. With that said, the researcher has to source as much literature as possible about the topic. Libraries, journal articles (that can also be purchased online) and other electronic resources are readily available. Writing a Research Proposal The first section will be the proposed title; in the case of the example above, this would be "Alcohol abuse among first year college students at University X." This is followed by the statement of the problem, which generally states the focus of the thesis, how the research problem will be approached and what contribution it will make to the field of study. The research question would be the next section, which poses the research problem into a question. In the case of the example provided above, "What is the impact of alcohol abuse on the dropout rate of first year students at University X?" could be a possible question. The literature review would follow as a discussion of the body of literature related to the research problem, showing how this literature is relevant to the research study. The research and methodology that refers to how data will be collected would also be discussed after the literature review. Perhaps the researcher will conduct a qualitative study and have focus group interviews with a number of first year students at University X. Managing the Research Project It makes sense that linked to the research proposal, the researcher should have a chapter outline that delineates all the chapters as they will appear in the thesis. The chapter outline is followed by a section that lists the timeframes of when each chapter will be handed in. This provides everyone involved in the study with a clearer picture of the practicalities of the research study. This helps both the researcher and supervisor to set targets and to adhere to deadlines. Finally, all sources referred to and cited in the research proposal should be listed in the reference section, according to the applicable reference style used by the institution. A research proposal informs the cycle of the study in terms of the what, when, and how of data collection, and eventually the entire research project. Getting it right and finding a suitable topic makes it a sure winner.
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