Chapter 6 Writing the Research Proposal

Chapter 6 Writing the Research Proposal 3 characteristics of a research proposal - ANSWER a research proposal is a straightforward document, is NOT a literary production, and is clearly organized The research proposal includes: - ANSWER clearly stated problem and subproblem, articulated hypotheses and/or questions, precise definitions of terms, carefully spelled out delimitations, explanation of the purpose of the study, specific details about all aspects of data interpretation. The research proposal is the key that unlocks the door to: - ANSWER the research endeavor Organization of a quantitative proposal: - ANSWER The problem and its setting, The review of related literature, The data and treatment of the data, The qualifications of the researcher and any assistants, The outline of the proposed study, References, Appendixes Organization of a qualitative proposal: - ANSWER Introduction, Methodology, Findings, Management plan, timeline, feasibility, References, Appendixes Writing your proposal - ANSWER Use a computer or word processor, Adhere to guidelines required by funding agency to which you are submitting the proposal, Focus on the organization and logical thought sequences than on exact wording and spelling, Present the research problem at the beginning of the first chapter, Provide a context for your research problem, Convince the reader of the importance of your project, Assume that your readers know nothing about your proposal, Communicate that you have an open mind about what you will find, describe your proposed methodology with as much detail and precision, if using existing data describe where the data is located and how you will obtain it, describe how you will use the data to answer your research problem, use appendices to present informed consent letters and other detailed materials. revising your proposal - ANSWER set the proposal aside for a few days, read a paper copy of your first draft, carefully scrutinize what you have written look for disorganized thoughts, look for places where you are not as clear as you might be, keep sentences simple, choose words carefully, check for errors in grammar and punctuation, make sure items in bulleted list are parallel in structure,