Research Methodologies
&
Proposal writing for funding
Research Methodology
How to do research
Some tips for you, worth repeating.
Why do you want to do research?
• Every organization needs engineers/scientists
with problem solving abilities, communication
skills and applications.
• We have to run from where we stand, since
the base ( all round technology) is changing
fast.
Overview*
• Research Basics
– What research is and what is not Research
– Where research comes from
– Research deliverables
• Methodologies
– Research process
– Quantitative versus qualitative research
– Research converts money/science into
knowledge;
– Innovation converts knowledge into
applications/money.
* This
presentation is only an overview of research. The only
way to get better insight into research, is to do it.
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Research as Career
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Rewarding and satisfying career
Opportunities for life-long growth
Global career opportunities
Main reward is in doing.
Nature of Creativity
The ability of making something new
Originality
Utility
No correlation with intelligence
Nature and nurture, both are important
Creative personality
Who wants to do research
• Student
• Staff member
• Organization
• The environment must facilitate/encourage.
• Research needs thinking
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What It Takes To do research
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Creativity
Open mind
Curiosity
Patience
Persistence
Positive Attitude
Discipline and focus
Thinking outside of the box is difficult for some
people. Keep trying
How to do research
• No specific methodology is adopted:-Newton,
Ramanujan,…New thought is important. No body
can see electricity or magnetism—we have Maxwell
equations!!
• Research has no structure. Research is a process;
not a product. The PhD degree is in Philosophyability to think anew, beyond the existing.
Research generates problem(s).
• How sound in a room goes out when the window is
open ? How much sound goes out is a function of
frequency & window size.
At low frequencies—scattering
At high frequencies-little diffraction
• Listening in an auditorium— if you are sitting(more
intelligible, less reverberations-due to high
absorbing material);if standing(more
reverberations).
Research Definition
Signal Processing in Speech signal:-
I speak----you receive. You can know from the received signal, the speaker & the
condition of the speaker.
Humans mostly process Patterns (speech or vision). Computers process Data
(pixels).
What is Research!
• Search , Research, Achieve. Must have interest for innovation/
new methods/ new equipment/experiment : Traffic Light
timing, Multifilament bulb, Railway bogie indication etc.* to
Nano Technology (atoms & molecules)
• Research is a systematic/critical investigation in order to
establish facts and reach new results / conclusions.
• Research provides structure for logical thinking/arguments
• Research should be inspired, like seeds grow in a tilled land.
Ideas grow in a prepared mind ( out of box thinking).
• CV Raman did research while working in accounts office. Had
limited lab facilities.
• Ramanujam was born genius. No PhD.
• Interdisciplinary and socially oriented vs. fundamental blue sky
research .ex: CRM, Customer Analytics, network security.
-----------------* “Rome was not built in a day—otherwise, we
would have hired the contractors”---display at a Construction9
Site.
Research Basics
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What research is and isn’t
Research characteristics
Research projects and pitfalls
Sources of research projects
research ideas
Literature reviews
One should have “passion for research”—
otherwise do not do research. Research is a
process of building links(blocks).
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What Research Is Not
• Research isn’t information gathering:
– Gathering information from resources such as
books or magazines-- isn’t research.
– No contribution to new knowledge.
• Research isn’t the transportation of facts:
– Merely transporting facts from one resource to
another doesn’t constitute research.
– No contribution to new knowledge, although this
might make existing knowledge more accessible.
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What Research Is
• Research is:
“…the systematic process of collecting and
analyzing information ( from data) in order to
increase our understanding of the phenomenon
about which we are concerned or interested.”
We should have research students of Soul
(inner voice) and not of Body.
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Research Characteristics
1.
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Originates with a question or problem.
Requires clear articulation of a goal.
Follows a specific plan or procedure.
Often divides main problem into sub-problems.
Guided by specific problem, question, or
hypothesis.
6. Accepts certain critical assumptions.
7. Requires collection and interpretation of data.
8. Cyclical (helical) in nature.
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Research Areas
• Research begins with a problem.
– This problem need not be earth-shaking.
• Identifying this problem can actually be the hardest part of
research.
• In general, good research areas should:
– Address an important question.
– Advance knowledge.
• PhD students have a different “bar” than Masters students
owing to the requirement that their research be “original and
significant.”
• In my opinion, an M.Tech is ¼ of PhD--- time/ effort wise.
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High-Quality Research
(1 of 2)
• Good research requires:
– The scope and limitations of the work to be clearly
defined.
– The process to be clearly explained, so that it can be
reproduced and verified by other researchers.
– Theory guides, experimentation decides
– A thoroughly planned design ( as objective as possible).
– If other researchers can’t confirm your results, you may be
faced with having studied an anomaly.
– Similarly, without a solid plan, you might have
inadvertently introduced errors into the experimental
design, which immediately calls your results into question.
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High-Quality Research
(2 of 2)
• Good research requires:
– Highly ethical standards be applied.
– All limitations be documented.
– Data be adequately analyzed and explained.
– All findings be presented unambiguously and all
conclusions be justified by sufficient evidence.
– There are very few “perfect” research designs where some
flaws aren’t present. That’s normal. However, these flaws
must be documented as well as their possible impact on
the outcome. While this won’t stop reviewers from
criticizing the work, it makes it clear that you are aware of
the problems and their impact upon your work.
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Sources of Research Problems
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Observation.
Literature reviews.
Professional conferences.
Experts.
Many of us have professional experience which can lead to
possible research. Always be careful to differentiate between
research and self-enlightenment.
A lot of computer literature, particularly research journals
such as IEEE or ACM, show good research problems and
possible sources of future work. Such papers can provide a
good starting point for research projects.
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Stating the Research Problem
• Once you’ve identified a research problem:
– State that problem clearly and completely.
– Determine the feasibility of the research in it.
• Identify sub-problems:
– Completely researchable units.
– Small in number.
– Add up to the total problem.
– Must be clearly tied to the interpretation of the data.
When documenting the proposed research, you should be as
precise as you can. You’ll probably find yourself editing and
revising many times to attain the necessary level of precision and
clarity.
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What is Research Methodology?
• Is defined as a highly intellectual human activity
used in the investigation, and deals specifically
with the manner in which data is collected,
analyzed and interpreted.
Methods of doing research
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Identify gaps in knowledge.
Identify a problem of importance.
Ask yourself why the particular problem is taken.
what method will be adopted (Why that particular
method).
– what data to be collected.
– what will be the output/deliverables.
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Research Methodology
A systematic approach to find the solutions to the unsolved
problems
• It describes the steps necessary for the researcher to know
not only the research techniques but also the approach to
carry out the techniques.
• Social Science Research Methodology doesn’t directly apply
to computer science research.
Methods of doing research (contd.)
• Work towards the goal to find a solution through
scientific rigor and questioning.
• Develop new knowledge or new methods of
doing.
• Internet helps a lot.
• Systems approach: inputs, outputs, controls and
flowcharts.
• Modeling : descriptive, predictive, prescriptive,
deductive and inductive.
• Innovation in research
• Challenge the conventional wisdom.
• Innovation now a days, is becoming routine---to
do well in life.
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Logic & Reasoning
• Logic and reasoning is needed at every step.
• In mathematics:- we deduce (logic). If a thing
is true for n, then we show that it is true for
n+1 also.
• In physics:- we observe—generalize–
inductive logic. Not a proof, but only an
explanation from examples.
Typical reviewers of peer reviewed journals look for:
A general research framework
• Problem - broad area of interest
• Question - formulate the research question
• Hypothesis - converting the question into a
predictive form. (a proposed explanation for a
phenomenon - Greek meaning “ to suppose”)
• Design - Design of the experiment
• Data - identification of what data is needed
• Analysis - effectively turning data into useful
information.
• Conclusion - specific conclusions drawn that
relate to the original question and hypothesis.
What Constitutes a Research Topic?
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Unanswered question
Unsolved question
Concern
Query
Statement of inquiry
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How to Select a Research Topic?
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Personal interest
Social problem
Testing theory
Prior research
Program evaluation
Human service practice. Ex: effect of mobile
phones
An example for the topics in computer science - see
next slide.
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Thrust areas in Computer Science
Areas of research support, normally include (non exhaustive):
• Networking: Computer & social networks
• Grid/Cloud computing
• Green computing
• Image Processing
• Pattern Recognition
• Natural Language Processing
• Speech Processing
• Information Retrieval
• Document Analysis
• Optimization Techniques
• Soft Computing
• Software Testing
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• Cognitive Science/Artificial Intelligence
Problems of interest( IT application) to
Banking
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Financial networks & applications
Electronic payments & settlement systems
Security technologies for financial sector
Financial information systems & Business Intelligence
Problems interconnecting these
Digital banking/currency
Risk management, fraud detection(using fractals), data
theft.
• Mobile banking-time to believe.
• Customer service-- new marketing mantra in the social
media.
Mapping disaster sites with cyborg insects(Spectrum Feb 2014)
Cockroach is adept at searching out
nooks and crannies.
The team at North Carolina State
University(NCSU) developing software
that can create maps of collapsed
buildings using data gathered by
tiny circuit boards that have been
attached to cockroaches before
they’re released into the buildings.
Exploit
their
natural
behavior,
random motion that tells them to
move randomly most of the time.
Their antennas are clipped and
electrodes are attached, which
tells them that there is nothing (to
worry) in the environment
NCSU is coming up with what the
environment looks like, pinpoint
where
somebody
may
be
trapped(how to get from location A
to location B by following the
narrow passage)
Bouncing droplets(Everyman’s Science ,Aug-Sep 2013)
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Journal of physics of fluids –on line Aug 2013 presents equations for
how liquid droplets can bounce and walk over pools of the same
fluid without falling in.
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Droplets are guided by waves they themselves make in the pool of
sub atomic particles ,which behaves both as particles and waves.
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When a droplet of the same fluid was placed on the surface, a
cushion of air between the drop and the bath prevented the drop
from merging. The droplet then bounced on the surface. The
bouncing caused waves, which in turn propelled the droplet along—
Pilot wave theory.
Early-bird researcher (Current Science 25/3/15 p1027)
• As children, we are all curious about everything in our
surroundings. Unfortunately, this curiosity fades with time.
• Those who retain this child-like sense of wonder, often become
researcher.
• There is nothing like a stupid question. In fact, some amount of
stupidity is necessary. It is a part of the training process. It is
important that I ask questions independent of what is already
known and find answers-my way—excitement in finding the answer.
• While teaching, you have to make the students realize how to
generate new knowledge. How to think through concepts and not
just remember things.
• Feynman, famous theoretical physicist did some simple
experiments on ants’ behavior, which lead to many research papers
by many people. So experimenting is not always about
equipment.
• One can either keep up with the literature Or contribute to it.
Read history OR create History.
Research Process
• Research is an extremely cyclic process.
– Later stages might necessitate a review of earlier
work.
• This isn’t a weakness of the process, but is part of the
built-in error correction machinery.
• Because of the cyclic nature of research, it can be difficult
to determine where to start and when to stop.
• Motivation:-is the process by which you have gone
through the selection of the problem.
• Some publications do not last long, while some are
referred even now: ex Ramanujan (no PhD), Shannon,
Einstein etc. Shaeksphere dramas, Milton’s poetry,
Thyagaraju’s music etc.
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Literature Review
• A literature review is a necessity.
– Without this step, you won’t know if your problem has
been solved or what related research is already underway.
– Distinguish between Abstract & Conclusions.
• When performing the review:
– Start searching professional journals.
– Begin with the most recent articles you can find.
– Keep track of relevant articles in a bibliography.
– Don’t be discouraged if work on the topic is already
underway.
• Some journals include IEEE and ACM. Be careful of trade
journals; they’re often not peer reviewed which can call the
content into question in terms of its reliability and quality.
• The Internet can be a good source of information. It is also
full of pseudo-science and poor research.
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Research Methodologies - some questions
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What is research methodology?
What constitutes a research topic?
How to select a research topic?
What are some of the limitations encountered when doing or
thinking of doing a research project?
What is a literature review?
Where do I find sources of information for my literature review?
How to select an appropriate methodology?
What are some of the common types of qualitative methodology?
What are some of the common types of quantitative methodology?
What type of data to collect?
How to collect data?
How to analyze data?
What are some of the tests used on categorical data?
What are some of the tests used on continuous data?
How to draw conclusions from data?
How to present research findings?
How to present your paper.
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Originality & plagiarism
• Think original
• If you are extending/ modifying some one’s
work, give the reference.
• Plagiarism is a crime. Software packages are
available to detect such copying. You will be
Black marked.
Evolution vs Revolution(contd)
• Knowledge comes from regular training. It is a
function of student/ staff capability. It also
depends on the available infrastructure, and
volume.
• It is not enough if we have a nail and a
hammer/screw driver. We must identify the
spot where to make a hole(pin point the nail).
Then decide to use a hammer or a
screwdriver.
How Extraordinary Creative
Ideas Occur?
• Sudden spontaneous visions
• Dreams
• Cross-pollination from different fields
Stories of Extraordinary Inventors
Sudden Vision Discoveries
• Tesla's idea of the rotating
magnetic field came to him
instantly while he was
walking in a park.
• He drew a picture of the
rotating magnetic field in
the ground of the park.
Stories of Extraordinary Inventors
Sudden Vision Discoveries
• The great mathematician Gauss
proved in an instant a theorem on
which he had worked unsuccessfully
for four years. "As a sudden flash of
light, the enigma was solved. . . .“
• Similar accounts given by extraordinary
creative people such as Poincare, Shannon,
Norbert wiener etc.
Stories of Extraordinary Inventors
Discoveries
• Frederick Kekule fell asleep and
dreamed of the benzene molecule
as a snake biting its tail.
• Otto Loewi had a dream that led to
his discovery of the chemical transmission
of nerve impulses.
• Viterbi’s algorithm – dynamic programming
in computer science
Dream
A Neural Basis of Creativity
• A human brain is
a self-organizing system
• Brain centers specialized
for individual functions
• The cortex contains neurons
• Communications between
centers occurs via neural links
• Creative activities occur
in the associative cortex
• Creative people have rich
neural links in the associative
cortex
Creating New Solutions
• Ordinary creativity consists of conscious activities,
represented as linear processes
• Extraordinary creativity involves unconscious mental
processes consisting in interactions between various
regions in the associative cortex bypassing
consciousness
Out of the box thinking
Nurturing Creativity
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Exploring in depth a new area
Think creatively on a regular basis
Know when to work more deeply or to move on
Daily meditation
Practicing observation and describing
Practicing imagination
Unable to do research because :Incorrect Problem Identification
Lack of extensive Literature Survey
Lack of Domain Knowledge
Lack of Knowledge of Allied subjects
Pre-requisite subjects not properly identified
References
• Kumar, Ranjit (1999). Research methodology :
a step by step guide for beginners, 2nd. ed.,
Sage, London
• Kothari, C.R. (1990). Research methodology :
methods and techniques, 2nd. Ed., Wishwa
Prakashan, New Delhi
References
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http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~ebrown/infobr3.htm#worksheets
http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/7126/7356.aspx
http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~johnson/teaching/research_skills/research.html
Pattron, D. 2000. Fundamentals of Scientific Research. New York: Scientific Publishers
http://owl.english.purdue.edu
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed.
http://www.apastyle.org
Chris Jones, Dr. Xiaoping Jia, Research Concepts for
Masters & Ph.D SE-690
Leedy P. D. and Ormrod J. E., Practical Research: Planning and Design, 7th Edition. 2001.
http://computer.org
http://www.acm.org
Leung Yee Hong, Research methods in Engineering and Science, Curtin university of technology, Australia,
26th Aug 2005.
N. Sundararajan (retd.), EEE/NTU. Singapore, Lecture notes to Amrita University, Jan 24-25, 2013
'You and Your Research' given by Richard W. Hamming (Ex. Bell Labs) at MRE on March 7, 1986.
Received inputs/ suggestions from Prof N.Viswanatham & Dr VVS Sarma
You and Your Research ,Dr. Richard W. Hamming, http://www.nd.edu/resources/Hamming.html/
Books:
46
WRITING A RESEARCH PROPORSAL
for a grant
OR
How to get a proposal Rejected.
Content
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What is a proposal?
Preparation
Structure of a proposal
Why a research proposal is unsuccessful?
Purpose of research proposal
• To make the reader to understand :– What you are going to do
– Rational of the research
– Objectives of the research
– Methodology
– Expected output/deliverables
– Manpower
– Budget
– Time line of activities
– CV of Investigator(s)
Purpose of research proposal
• To make the reader to understand :– What you are going to do
– Objectives of the research
– Rational of the research
– Methodology
– Expected output
Literature Review
• Selecting Sources
√ Select literature that is relevant or closely related
to the proposal and purpose
√ Emphasize the primary sources
√ Use secondary sources selectively
√ Concentrate on scholarly research articles
√ Discuss your view points
Methodology
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Must related to the research objectives
Highlight the breadth and depth of research
Identify variables
Research design – it would be good to put it
into a flow chart
• Data collection plan
• Give a detailed sampling plan – the target
population characteristics, specific sampling
plan, target sample size
Instrument
• Describe the instruments that will be used to
gather data (tests, techniques, surveys, etc)
• Provide reliability and validity information to
show that the techniques are valid for the
study
• Describe how the variables will be measured
Procedure
• Describe how the study will be conducted
• When, how, where and by whom the data will
be collected
• Describe the design of the test that will be
conducted or statistical test that will be
selected in this section.
Reasons Why Research Proposals Are
Unsuccessful
• The problem is of insufficient importance
• Purpose or demonstrated need is vague
• Problem is more complex than the propose
realizes
• Research is based on hypothesis that is
doubtful or unsound
• Proposed research based on conclusions that
may be unwarranted
Reasons Why Research Proposals Are
Unsuccessful
• Assumptions are questionable; evidence for
procedures is questionable
• Approach is not rigorous enough, too naïve,
too uncritical.
• Approach is not objective enough
• Validity is questionable, criterion for
evaluation are weak or missing
• Approach is poorly thought out; methods
poorly demonstrated
Reasons Why a Research Proposal is
Unsuccessful
• The design is too ambitious or otherwise
inappropriate
• Some administrative or practical problems are
unsolved
• Unethical or hazardous procedure will be used
• The procedure is not well enough organized,
coordinated or planned
Title of Research Project
• Good
– Concise title that gives reviewer a general sense of
what you are investigating.
– For example:
• Understanding the role anti-cell death protein BNIP3
plays in brain cancers.
Title of Research Project
• Reject
– Too long and technical of a title will not gain the
reviewer’s attention or interest.
– Too short and broad a title will also make the
reviewer too critical of grant.
– Example: long title
• Determining the mechanism of action of Bcl-2 family
members in regulating apoptotic signaling complexes
within the mitochondria leading to a cure in cancers.
Referees:
• Good
– Choose referees in your field of research
– Choose a scientist/colleague that will be objective
but not too critical of the science.
• Reject
– Do not choose close collaborators
– Do not choose competitors in your field with
divergent views.
– Do not choose the top scientists in your field since
they will not respond and will be too critical in
general.
• Good
Co-investigators
– This could be a strength if you have a investigator
with track record.
– If the investigator lacks specific skills, a coapplicant can bring these skills to the project.
• Reject
– It is a weakness to add a co-investigator, if he/she
just gives you a suggestion and not participate.
– Co-investigator will do most of the project in
his/her laboratories.
Budget:
• Good
– Give a detailed account of where you will be
spending the money.
– Approximately one third of the budget should go
to equipment/consumables.
• Reject
– Do not justify spending all the budget on
personnel.
Summary of Research Proposal
• Good
– give a short but informative background to justify the
research hypothesis and objectives.
– Clearly state the hypothesis.
– State the objectives and/or aims of this proposal.
– State the impact, significance and innovation in this
proposal.
– Define acronyms as much as possible.
• Reject
– Technical and condensed phrasing of the project.
– No clear statement of what is the purpose of this study.
Details of Research Proposal
---Goals or objectives of proposal
– Background
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Rationale
Hypothesis (optional)
Approach
Expected Results
Pitfalls or Alternative approaches.
Manpower
Budget
Time line
– Significance and/or Impact of this proposal.
Details of Research Proposal
• Goals and/or Objectives of Research
– Good
• This is usually one paragraph telling the reviewer
everything they need to know about this research
proposal.
• This provides the opportunity to gain the reviewers
interest and excitement about this proposal.
• It should contain the background on why this research is
important, hypothesis, and objectives.
• Should state the innovation of this proposal.
• Finally it should in a clear statement demonstrate why
this project is significant and what impact it will have.
Details of Research Proposal
• Reject
– No goal or objective statement at the start of the
proposal.
– Too technical and condensed will make it hard to
read and understand.
– Too short will not give the reviewer the needed
information to understand the proposal.
– Too long will make the reviewer skip to the
background and makes the reviewer search for
what is important.
Details of Research Proposal
• Background:
– Good
• Give the reviewer the needed information to
understand the objectives and approaches in this
proposal.
• Structure the background to go from broad
information such as cancer kills Canadians to
specific information such as my protein is
increased in solid tumors.
• Build up the background towards answering a
specific question that is unknown.
Details of Research Proposal
• Background:
– Good
• There should be section within the background to
discuss preliminary data.
• Connect preliminary data to background.
• If limited preliminary data, spend time on the
innovation needed.
Details of Research Proposal
• Background
– Reject
• Do not expand background to unnecessary information
that does not support the hypothesis.
• Background should not exceed one third to one half of
proposal.
• No preliminary data generally negatively impacts the
proposal in two ways.
– No indication that the proposal is feasible.
– No indication the applicant can do the proposed work.
Details of Research Proposal
• Rationale and Hypothesis.
– Good
• Clearly state the hypothesis or number of hypotheses
that will be addressed in the proposal.
• Give a rationale why this hypothesis is important to
investigate.
– Reject
• Avoid combining the two together. It could be confusing
to the reviewer.
• Too long of a hypothesis makes it hard to understand
the aim of the research.
Details of Research Proposal
• Specific Aims
– Good
• Limit specific aims to 2-3.
• Make sure controls are added to approaches
taken.
• Always give what your expected results will be.
• Always give alternative approaches since pitfalls
happen.
• Address feasibility if you have not demonstrated
that you can do the experiments proposed.
Details of Research Proposal
• Specific Aims:
– Address innovation wherever possible.
– Justify the use of specific techniques/ models.
• For example:
– If you use a method, why that method
– If you use an animal model why that animal model.
– Confirm results with multiple approaches.
Details of Research Proposal
• Specific Aims
– Reject
• Many specific aims is bad. This is a two year proposal
and if it is too ambitious, will negatively impact on
reviewers.
• Avoid to many specifics on experiments.
• Structure aims so that aim 2 is not dependent on aim 1.
• Do not avoid issues within the field of research, if any.
Details of Research Proposal
• Significance and Impact:
– Good
• Last chance to impress the reviewer on the importance of
what you are proposing.
• Give a sense of future directions for this research.
• Why is this proposal innovative?
• Impact on the field and/or on the disease being studied
should be stated.
– Reject
• No significance statement.
• Superficial such as this will cure cancer.
Applicant’s CV details:
• Good
– List all awards especially awards directly related to
your research.
– List all publications in the last five years.
• Abstracts are an easy why to show productivity.
• Give impact factors for publications and citations if any.
• Give ranking of journal in your field of research ,if possible.
• Reject
– No evidence of research activity or track record.
– All middle authors for publications.
General Thoughts
• Reviewers will not be experts in your field of
research. Make the proposal accessible to
them.
• Get your proposal read by a colleague or
someone in your area of research. They
might find problems that reviewers will find.
• Assumptions are questionable; procedure is
questionable
• Approach is not rigorous enough, too naïve, too
uncritical; poorly thought out
• Approach is not objective enough
• Application is poorly prepared or poorly formulated
• Proposal is not explicit enough, lack of details, too
vague or too general
• Methods or procedures unsuited to stated objectives
Type of Research study
• To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to
achieve new insights into it (Exploratory or
formulative research studies
• To describe accurately the characteristics of a
particular individual, situation or a group
(Descriptive research studies)
• To determine the frequency with which
something occurs or with which it is associated
with something else (Diagnostic research studies)
• To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship
between variables (Hypothesis-testing research
studies).
• Descriptive research includes surveys and fact-finding
enquiries. The main characteristic of this method is that
the researcher has no control over the variables; he can
only report what has happened or what is happening
• In analytical research, on the other hand, the researcher has to
use facts or information already available, and analyze these to make
a critical evaluation of the material.
• Applied research aims at finding a solution for an
immediate problem facing a society or an industrial/business
organisation
• “Gathering knowledge for knowledge’s sake is termed ‘pure’ or
‘basic’ research.”
RESEARCH project PROPOSAL
• Any research study should have a proper
proposal in written form before it is actually
carried out
• It is like a blue print of a building plan
before the construction starts
• Writing a research proposal is both
science and art
• A good research proposal is based on
scientific facts and on the art of clear
communication.
• Writing a formal research proposal should
be started by the time one has decided on
the topic for the study
It is essential to discuss procedures clearly
and completely with considerable amount
of details
Study design
Definition: A study design is a specific plan
or protocol for conducting the study, which
allows the investigator to translate the
conceptual hypothesis into an operational
one.
• The study design should be clearly
stated
• The study design to be used should be
appropriate for achieving the objective
of the study
Sample size
It is important to mention in the protocol what
would be the minimum sample required and how
it is arrived.
Determination of sample size is a
bargain between precision and the
price (Resources & expenses involved)
Description of process
• Proposal should include the details of all process
to be adopted in the study
• How exposures, outcome variables and other
variables are going to be measured should be described in
detail
• A brief description of how the data will be processed
and use of statistical package if any should be given
• What statistical tests of significance would be used?
Time Frame & Work Schedule
The proposal should include the sequence of
tasks to be performed, the anticipated length
of time required for its completion and the
personnel required.
• It can be presented in tabular or graphic form
(Gantt chart)
• Flow charts and other diagrams are often
useful for highlighting the sequencing and
interrelationship of different activities in the
study
Facilities
The proposal should also include the
important facilities required / available
for the study namely computers, laboratories,
special equipment etc
Personnel
• Proposal should include who are the
primary investigators and co- investigators,
their qualifications, research experience etc
• The proposal may also include the Major
roles to be taken up by different investigators
Budget
• The budget translates project activities
into monetary terms
• It is a statement of how much money will
be required to accomplish the various tasks
Budget
Major items
• Salary for staff
• Travel
• Purchase of equipment
• Printing / Xeroxing
• Consultancy charges
• Institutional overheads
THANK YOU
Types of Research (1)
Theoretical, applied, descriptive, Inferential, Evaluative.
The most commonly used methodology for research.
Descriptive: The basic intent of descriptive research is to
identify the cause of something that is happening.
For example:
A. What age group is buying a particular brand of cola?
B Does a company’s market share differ between
geographical regions?
Descriptive research, also known as statistical research,
describes data and characteristics about the population or
phenomenon being studied. Descriptive research answers
the questions who, what, where, when, and how...
The description is used for frequencies, averages and other
statistical calculations. Often the best approach, prior to
writing descriptive research, is to conduct a survey
investigation.
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Types of Research (2)
Inferential: Inferential observational variables
require the researcher to make inferences about
what is observed and the underlying reason.
For example:
A. Is there a significant relationship between these
two variables?
B . Is there a significant difference between these
two groups?
Inferential Research evaluates and then describes
the data from a research study, whereas
Descriptive Research allows for rational
deductions made from the data.
Types of Research (3)
Evaluative: Evaluate the observational variables
required for the researcher to make an inference
and a judgment from the behavior.
Summative (total effect) evaluation: Summative evaluation
seeks to understand the outcomes or effects of something,
– Finance: Effect in terms of cost, savings, profit and so on.
– Impact: Broad effect, both positive and negative, including
depth, spread and time effects.
– Outcomes: Whether desired or unwanted effects are
achieved.