Proposal Writing

 Objectives in writing a proposal

 It is to describe:
 What you want to do
 Why it should be done
 How you will do it
 What you will expect will result
 Writing a good
research proposal
 What is this research trying to find
out, what questions is it trying to
answer?
 How will the proposal research
answer these questions?
 Why is this research worth doing?
 What are your expected outputs?
 Proposal Writing
 Vague, weak proposal can lead to
 Long
 Painful
 Often unsuccessful thesis writing exercise
 A clean, well thought-out proposal
forms the backbone for the thesis
 Proposal Writing
 A good thesis proposal hinges on a good
idea

Once you have idea

You can draft a proposal
 Getting good idea hinges on familiarities
with topic
 This requires:

Longer preparatory period of ….

Reading

Observation

Discussion

Incubation
 Proposal Writing

Read every thing in your area of interest

Figure out what are the important and
missing parts of our
understanding/research gap

Figure out how to build/discover those
pieces

Feel the topic

Talk about it with every one who is
interested

Then write the important parts as proposal

Filling the things that we do not know and
that will help us know more: that is what
research is all about
 What are the elements
of the Proposal
 Summary (Abstract)
 Introduction (Background)
 Problem Statement
 Objectives of the Study (Project Description )
 Hypotheses or Research Questions
 Review of the Literature
 Methodology (Design, Method and Procedures,)
 Limitation
 Significance of the Study
 Timetable/workplan
 Budget
 References
 Elements of Proposal:
Abstract
 Abstract needs to be
 best-worded,
 most concise and focused
 most appealing part of the entire
proposal .
 Should be comprehensive, giving
reviewers what is in the proposal
 Purpose of the Abstract
 Abstract should provide the reader with an
encapsulation of what is to be found in the
rest of the proposal.
 It should summarize all of the key
information
 Convince the reader of the significance and
potential contribution of the proposed
research.
 It is strongly recommended that you do not
write the summary until you have completed
writing the rest of your document.
 Abstract: Suggestion for
contents
 The problem you wish to address
 The research objectives
 The procedures and methods that will be used
 The resource needs of the project
 The likely outcomes and benefits to be derived
from the research
 You can use the subheadings of the overall
research proposal as a guide to writing the
abstract
 Introduction
 It provides readers with the
background information for the
research reported in the Proposal.
 Introduction: Purpose
 Purpose
 Establishment of credibility

and the significance of

research ideas.
 Introduction will set the tone

for the rest of the proposal.

 The introduction should flow
 Introduction: Purpose
 Its purpose is to establish a framework for the
research,
 So that readers can understand how it is
related to other research
 In an introduction, 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 larger context of the
scholarly literature, and

Reach out to a specific audience
 Statement of the
Problem
 Effective problem statement answer the
question:

Why does this research need to be conducted?
 A detailed statement of the issue to be
researched, including reference to other
work and perceived gaps in knowledge
 It describe the problem that is to be
investigated
 It describe the questions that will guide
research process
 Problem must be standout so that the
reader can easily recognize the problem
 Statement of the Problem
 Points to be discussed to show the
importance of the study
 How the research relates to development
priorities of the country
 The scientific importance of the study
 The magnitude of the problem and how the
research results will contributes its solution
 The special importance of the project for the
vulnerable groups
 The need to build up research capacity in the
proposed area of a research
 Statement of the Problem
 Even if the problem and research need
is obvious, reviewers will want to know
how clearly you can state it yourself.
 Demonstrate a precise understanding of the
problem or need that you wish to address.
 Clearly convey the focus of your project
 Show the relationship of your project to a
larger set of problems or issues and justify
why you have chosen your emphasis.
 Establish the importance and significance of
the problem
 Statement of the
Problem
 Justify why this problem is of particular
interest to the sponsor
 Demonstrate that it is feasible to solve
the problem
 Arouse the reader’s interest and
encourage him to read further
 Show how the problem relates to the
goals
 State the outcome of the research in
terms of human needs and societal
 Problem Statement
 Avoid presentation of the problem
in grand or general terms.
 Avoid such terms as
 little is known about…,
 There is a general lack of information
about…..”,
 or no research has dealt with……”.
 Objectives of the Study

 Need for Specificity, Conciseness, and

Focus
 Signal the project’s objectives without
being buried in unnecessary narrative
 limited to one or two sentences (It is half
page at most)
 It indicate both general and specific
objectives
 If the objective is not clear to the writer,
it cannot be clear to the reader
 Objectives of the Study

 General Objective
 Provide a short statement of the main
goal being pursued by research
 Specific Objectives are operational in
nature they may indicate

Specific knowledge to be produced

Certain audience to be reached

Certain form of capacity to be reinforced
 Objectives of the Study
 The objectives section should specify the
measurable outcomes of your research
project,
 The objectives will also define your
research methodology and the way you will
evaluate what will be achieved.
 Objectives should precisely indicate what
you intend to change through your
research
 What you accept as proof of project
success.
 Hypotheses (Research
Questions)
 Hypotheses, or research questions
must be clearly described .
 It can be Tested (Answerable)
 Hypothesis for each operational
objective
 Example of Hypotheses
(Research Questions)
 H0: Climatic factors are not causing
deforestation in Tana Catchment
 `What are main factors that lead to
deforestation in the Tana
catchment?
 What are the main causes of land
degradation in Kenya?
 Methodology
 It is to show how the research
questions will be answered in the
most rigorous way possible.
 It must be well organized to explain
how each specific objective will be
achieved.
 It can be named :Design, Method
and Procedures, Material and
Methods, experimental design,
 Methodology
 It is impossible to define the
budgetary needs of the project in the
absence of a solid methodology
section.

 Methodology section should begin by

defining the conceptual framework
and theoretical frame of references
that will guide the research
 Methodology
 It is useful to consider the three
questions of “how”, “when?”, and
“why?” when describing your
methods
 To answer “how?”,
 you will provide a detailed description
of what will occur from the time the
project starts until it ends, i.e., how you
will do the research.
 Methodology
 To answer “when?”,
 you will present the methods in a logical
sequence of activities in a time frame.
 To answer “why?”,
 you will justify your chosen methods,
especially if they are new or unique
 Methodology
 Data collection:
 Approaches and methods will be used to
collect primary and secondary data and
information.
 Provide details on available sources of
secondary data
 The methods to be used to collect primary
data, such as questionnaires and group
discussions.
 Outline the procedures for the development,
pre-testing, and administration of any
research instruments.
 Data collection:
 If survey work is involved,

give detailed information on the study area.
 If the research is related to human
populations,

information on the study population should
also be provided.

Include a description of the procedures for
selecting the population sample

sample size.

The survey sample should reflect ethical
considerations to protect confidentiality and
an appropriate gender balance among
surveyors or those surveyed.
 Data analysis
 The scientific method involves
testing a hypothesis or answering
Research Question
 It describes
 What types of data analysis or modeling
exercises will be carried out.
 The procedures for processing and
analyzing the data.
 Dissemination of Results
 Purpose:
 This section will make it clear to the
sponsor and reviewer that you
consider it highly important to let
other know about the……
 Project and its
 purpose,
 methods, and
 accomplishments.
 Dissemination of
Results
 Suggestions for content:
 In the environment of stiff competition
for limited research funds, it is not
sufficient to simply mention that
results will be published in an
appropriate scientific journal.
 You should be specific as anticipated titles
of journal articles, monographs, or
presentations at conferences or workshops,
 Dissemination of Results
 It indicates why dissemination of the results is
important as part of the project.
 Estimate the needed budget for dissemination.
 Specify modes of disseminations: such as

Journal articles,

conference papers,

lectures,

Seminars & workshops,

poster presentations,

newsletters, site visits,

interim working papers,

books or manuals,

audio visual materials,

internet web pages or other types of computer network
postings.
 Dissemination of
Results
 Some funding organization will
require a report on the finding of
the research upon completion of the
project.
 Literature review
 Purpose:
 To demonstrate that you have reviewed
literature and you are………..

Aware of the relevant and pertinent
information that is currently available.
 Literature Review
 Be current and complete,
 be accurate and consistent in the way you
list literature citations
 don't overdo the citations so they become
redundant and boring.
 The completeness of the view should
consider the "political" aspect as well as the
scientific.
 Make sure you don't fail to include citations
of possible reviewer or panel members if at
all relevant to your research.
 Literature Review
 When you discuss specific citations
 be as objective as possible and
 not overly critical of existing literature
 Use complete citations and spell out
author's' name
 Citing the sources without having seen the
original

can lead to embarrassment and loss of
the credibility

If the secondary source from which
you gained the information is in
 Budget
 budget should closely mirror
your proposed research plan
 It Should be credible and

realistic
 A poorly presented budget

probably reflects a poorly

development research project
 Budget Key Questions
 Will your budget:
 provide sufficient resources to carry
out the project?
 Include a budget narrative that
justifies the major items of the
budget?
 Be in the format required by the
sponsor and your organization?
 Budget Key Questions
 Will your budget:
 Provide enough detail that the reviewer
can easily see the way items were
calculated?
 Show a clear relationship between the
budget items and the research activities?
 Include any attachments or appendices
to justify unusual requests?
 Identify evaluation and dissemination
costs?
 Budget Categories
 Budget categories as –direct costs:
 Personnel,
 Materials and supplies,
 Equipment,
 Travel ,
 Support services,
 Computer use, and
 Publications
 Indirect costs- category that is
calculated as a percentage of the
direct cost