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
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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
interest–a
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 programs offered by individual
you 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
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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
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Translate the research problem or and sub-problems into step-like
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 regionGhana
• 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.