Research Proposal: Template for both Linguistics and Literature students Dr Muhammad Asif For comments and feedback: masifshafee@yahoo.com Sr No 1 Component For you to work on Guidelines Title This should do more than just convey the key words associated with the proposed research 2 Abstract 3 Introduction/General overview of the area An abstract is a concise summary of research thesis that concisely describes the content and scope of the project and identifies the research’s objectives, its methodology and its findings, conclusions, or intended results. Give a relatively brief introduction of the general idea of study and also signify the discipline(s) within which it falls 4 Thesis Statement A thesis statement is a short statement that summarizes the claim of research. "An effective thesis statement suggests your research’s direction, emphasis, and scope 5 Key Research Questions A research question is simply a hypothesis stated in question form, RQs should be about the ‘research gap’ identified in literature review, should be about key issues that your research intends to address or the specific debates you are going to focus on. RQs should be between 3 -7 6 Significance and purpose of research Describe briefly the significance/purpose of your research in not more than one paragraph of 10 to 15 sentences 7 Limitations/Delimitation 8 Literature Review Linguistics: Give the limitations of your research i.e. what your research does not cover Literature: Give delimitation i.e. what your research covers Demonstrate that you are aware of the debates and critical issues raised in relevant bodies of literature, demonstrate familiarity with major lines of argument which have been developed in your area, demonstrate an of the ideas and findings of key researchers working on your topic, refer to key articles and texts to establish that you appreciate their relevance to your research area, demonstrate that there is a ‘research gap’ 9 Theoretical Framework (Must for research in literature) 10 Methodology (Must for research in linguistics) 11 Research Design 12 Conclusion 13 Bibliography Demonstrate an awareness of the theory that you are going to apply to the selected text, show how this theoretical framework is related to your research questions. Clear state the paradigm of research that underpins your work Demonstrate an awareness of the methodological tools available to you and show how they are suitable for your research. Research can involve quantitative, qualitative or mixed method research tools, describe methodology and tools in detail, justify your choices Give brief detail of what you are going to do in different chapters, demonstrate your awareness of the main content of each chapter, write 15 to 20 sentences about each chapter Show the contribution that your research will make to the debates and discussions in your particular subject area, how it may fill the existing gaps Include a short list of references to key articles and texts, annotate at least two articles and two books showing how they discuss your topic Note: The research proposal is not only judged on content, it is also judged on form. Your research proposal must look professional. In terms of length, a research proposal should typically be between 3,000- 4000 words. For referencing follow APA style. Font Size Times New Roman is the standard choice. Font size should be 12 points. Margins Margins should be one inch on all sides of your paper (top, bottom, left and right). Indent the first line of each paragraph ½ inch (the tab is usually set to ½ inch by default). Indent block quotes (a quotation of 40 or more words) ½ inch from the left margin. Page Numbers Number all pages of your paper consecutively in the upper right corner, starting with page 1(the title page). The page number should be ½ inch from the top of the page and flush with the right margin. Note: Content of this template is borrowed/ adapted from various sources. Template, however, is original.
