Research Proposal writing

Geog 366
Lecture 3
J.A Yaro

Purpose of a research proposal

A research proposal describes the design, schedule and
budget for conducting a research project.
It is like a blue print of a building plan before the
construction starts
The main purpose of a research proposal is to show that:
the problem you propose to investigate is significant enough to
warrant the investigation,
the method you plan to use is suitable and feasible, and
the results are likely to prove fruitful and will make an original
contribution.

In short, what you are answering is 'will it work?

Elements of a research proposal

A title
A short introduction
A problem statement/question
Objectives of Study/Specific research questions
Hypotheses statement
Definition of terminology
Indication of the importance/significance of the study
Review of related literature
A careful and detailed analysis of the proposed research procedures
A reference lists
A time schedule
A Budget

The Title
The title is usually only formulated after the
research problem and sub-problems have
been stated in a more or less final format
So use a general topic initially
The research project title should demarcate:
The WHO or/and WHAT is researched
The WHERE; the WHEN
The HOW

Introduction
The introduction is an abridged or shortened
version of a problem statement or a background
Provide a general statement about the issue at stake
Include a geographical analysis of the problem
showing the situation in the area, Ghana and rest of
the world
Demonstrate the major arguments/theories
State the purpose of the study
1 page

Problem Statement
The problem is the aspect the researcher worries about, thinks about, and
wants to find a solution for. It explains in short the aim of the research
A research problem is the demarcation of a knowledge area
within a certain context involving the WHO or WHAT, the WHERE,
the WHEN and the WHY of the situation.
Are there questions about this problem to which answers have
not been found up to the present?
Search within your subject field for suitable problems
What caused the need to do the research
Are there questions about this problem to which answers have not been
found up to the present?
State in such a way that it would lead to analytical thinking with the aim
of possibly concluding solutions to the stated problem.
2 pages

Your Problem should contain:

Outline the general context of the problem area.
Highlight key theories, concepts and ideas current in this area.
What appear to be some of the underlying assumptions of this
area?
Why are these issues identified important?
What is known about this problem?
What do you think needs clarification or not yet know called
the gaps in research about the problem issues that your study
will cover.
What needs to be solved?

The problem statement

should answer the following
questions:
What is the problem?
Who has it? (Demographics, attributes,
characteristics of the population.)
To what degree?
Why? (This analysis provides the rationale for
the methodologies you will propose.)
For how long?
How did you come to know about the problem? (You
can address this through a personal experience,
local trend data, or school experience.)
What else has been tried?
What happens if the problem is not resolved?

Three sources usually contribute to

problem identification
Own experience or the experience of
others may be a source of problem
supply.
Scientific literature: Look for gaps in the
literature
Theories:
Shortcomings in theories
could be researched.

An example of topic and problem identification

STEPS

EXAMPLE

Select a broad Costs of education

area
of
interesta
research topic

To move from
topic
to
a
manageable
research
problem,
ask
questions
about the topic
such as "who /
what / where /
when/ why /
how?"

STRATEGIES/SO
URCES
Personal
interest
Professional
significance
Readings
Conversations with
faculty and peers

What are the issues in the costs of Read abstracts of

higher education?
literature
for
What is Ghana doing to control overview
the costs of higher education?
What are the factors responsible
for tuition increases?
How effective are cost sharing
programs in controlling costs of
higher education?

Select one narrowly Are government subsidies

defined problem
effective for holding down
the costs of university
Ask
relevant
education?
questions that will Which regions offer
help
answer
the scholarship/loan
problem
programs?
What are potential savings
realized by participating in
a program?
What are the risks to
individuals?
What is the cost to
government to support
such programs?

Read
several
articles on the
narrower
focus;
note
possible
methodologies
that might be
used in your
project

Write
a
problem The costs of higher education are
statement consisting of escalating X times faster than the
several sentences
rate of growth of the economy.
Students are graduating with
that briefly frame the SSNIT debt far surpassing earlier
issues
to
be generations. Various sectors have
investigated,
indicate proposed plans to minimize
the significance of the university costs. Among the
question, and includes a potential
solutions
are
loan
declaration of what you programs offered by individual
will do
regions.
Yet
questions
exist
regarding the stability of tuition
savings programs. "In this project
I will..." or "This study will..."

Incorporate
readings-todate to
Determine
this working
statement.
Of course, as
your
work
progresses,
you
may
need
to
modify this
problem
statement.

CHECKLIST FOR TESTING THE FEASIBILITY OF THE

RESEARCH PROBLEM

Is the problem of current interest? Will the research results have social, educational
or scientific value?
Will it be possible to apply the results in practice?
Will the research opt new problems and lead to further research?
Is the research problem important? Will you be proud of the result?
Is there enough scope left within the area of research (field of research)?
Can you find an answer to the problem through research? Will you be able to
handle the research problem?
Will it be possible for another researcher to repeat the research?
Do you have the necessary knowledge and skills to do the research? Are you
qualified to undertake the research?
Is the problem important to you and are you motivated to undertake the research?
Is the research viable in your situation? Do you have enough time, money and
energy to complete the project?
Will you be able to complete the project within the time available?

Objectives of Study
State the Main problem as the Aim of the research
Then translate Sub-problems into measurable objectives
of the study which are a Means to reach the set Aim/goal

Translate the research problem or and sub-problems into steplike aims that enable you provide answers to the problems.
Concretise your research problems by expressing them in clear
objectives that the study systematically resolves.
Restate the main aim of the research and then break it down to
sub-objectives which will form the activities in the research.
Definition of the objectives is simply the operationalization of
the answers

Example of objective
formulation
Topic: Mining concessions and socio-economic
exclusion: a case study of Azumah Resources
Limited in the Upper West Region
Main objective: The study seeks to examine the
effects of mining concessions on social exclusion
and livelihoods of local people.
Sub-objectives:
To assess the level of farmland shortages caused to
different categories of people by the concession.
To examine the processes that lead to losers and winners.
To describe the lives of the socially excluded and
explain how their livelihoods have been affected by the
concession.

Example of objective
formulation
Topic: CHANGING FOOD CONSUMPTION PATTERNS IN OSU,
GREATER ACCRA REGION, GHANA
Main objective: The main objective of this study is
to assess the changing food consumption pattern in
OSU, Greater Accra region-Ghana
Sub-objectives:
To describe changes in food consumption patterns
over the last two decades.
To examine the perceived effects of the changing
food consumption patterns.
To examine the drivers in food industry that has
led to the change in food consumption.

Specific research questions

Research questions translate the objectives
into questions and should include what, where,
how and why questions.
These should not be mirror images of
objectives
Rather they should provide answers that lead
to achievement of objectives

Theoretical and Conceptual frameworks

This is the argumentation and demonstration that the "question" has a
basis (grounds) for probable answer(s) and/or working hypotheses.
The theoretical framework states the investigator's reasoning and
arguments for the attempt to find the evidence that will offer an answer
to the question
Establishment of relationships between the independent variable and
the response variables: What is known, and how has it been explained?
Are the results conclusive? What are the bases of the question?
How are the possible answers to the question explained and defended?
What are the assumptions? What are the relationships?
Between 1 and 2 pages
A diagram showing the linkages in explanation is good

Hypotheses
What are the working hypotheses?
Your hypothesis is an educated guess to your testable
research question based on the research you have done
so far
Its often an If then because statement
If the temperature of a gas is increased then, the volume will increase
If the length of the pendulum increases, then the period of swing will
increase
If fees are increased then, student enrolment will decrease because parents
incomes are inadequate and eroded by inflation.
If students spend many hours in traffic then, their level of concentration in
class diminishes

Definition of terminology
Indicate how you interpreted and are going
to use terminology/concepts
This is very important, because some
concepts/terms are often used in different
meanings
Identify key terms and concepts and provide
the definitions and interpretations
Half a page or between 3 and 6 key terms

Literature Survey
Show that you have obtained sound knowledge with regard to the
research topic
Show what theoretical and empirical knowledge you possess about
the prospective research
The aim of a literature study is to:
Give all-round perspectives on the latest
research findings regarding the topic
Indicate the best method, scale of measurements
and statistics that can be used
Interpret the research findings in a better
way; and
Determine the relevancy of the prospective
research

2 pages

Literature
Selecting Sources
Select literature that is relevant or closely
related to the problem and purpose
Emphasize the primary sources
Use secondary sources selectively
Concentrate on scholarly research articles

The literature should have an introduction,

body and conclusion
The introduction defines the framework of
the review, the body that evaluates the
literature and the conclusion summarizes the
current state of knowledge on the problem

Research Procedures: Methods of Data Collection

The methodology explains the procedures that will be used
to achieve the objectives.
Provide a detailed operational definition for the variables
used, along with the type of variables and the ways to
measure them. In addition, the methodology should
consider the study design and the techniques and
procedures used to achieve the proposed objectives.
Research design
Methods of data collection
Data analysis

Budget and Time schedule

Budget: present a detailed break down of all
expenses
Time schedule: Show the major activities and
when they will be completed. Must be within
the given time for project

Time schedule & Budget

Time schedule
A tentative timetable for
executing the research
project
Systematic and realistic
conceptualisation from
literature review to
presenting report

Budget
List items you would
spend money on
Expenditure on books,
articles, travel,
accommodation or
living, renting
instruments interpreters,
printing, etc

References
List all cited literature in the proposal in
alphabetical order
Check for Departmental recommended styles
If you are using a computer reference manager
then choose author-date style

Justification/Importance/Significance of the
Research
Indicate and defend why it is necessary to undertake
the research
What is the geographical content of the research?
How does it contribute to theory, empirical
knowledge and policy
Indicate the benefits that will result from the research
and to whom it will be beneficial
Maximum of half a page or less

Significance of
research
From the literature review, gap analysis can
be conducted in order to see how the propose
research would fill in the gap in the area
of research.
How does the proposed research relate to the
existing knowledge in the area.
Explicitly state the significance of your
purpose or the rationale for your study. A
significant research is one that:

Develops knowledge of an existing practise

Develops theory
Expands the current knowledge or theory base
Advances current research methodology
Related to a current technological issue
Exploratory research on an unexamined issue

Tips for successful

proposal writing
Make it simple
Avoid pretentious language, unnecessary
jargon, and double speak by cutting down
every unnecessary word.

Read your work

loud

A sentence that is difficult to say will

be difficult to read.

Revise , revise, revise.

Put an end to it
The faster you finish the proposal and
submit it the less time you have wasted
thinking about writing it.