RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A Research Proposal
• A written plan identifying the major elements of a
study, including the research problem, the purpose
of the research, the intended framework to be
used, and an outline of the proposed research
methods and procedures to be used
• It provides a detailed description of the proposed
program. The presentation of an idea that you wish
to pursue
 Content to be considered in a proposal are:

Chapter One: The Problem

i. Tittle
ii. Introduction
iii. background
iv. Problem statement
v. Research questions
vi. Objectives
vii. Hypothesis (Optional)
viii. Significance of the study
vii. Justification/ rationale
viii. Theoretical/ conceptual Framework
ix. Scope & limitations
x. Definition of operational terms/ concepts
Chapter Two: Review of Related Literature &
Studies
Chapter Three: Research Methodology
• Research design
• Population & Sampling techniques
• Research instruments
• Data collecting/ gathering procedures
• Method of data analysis
• Ethical considerations
• Bibliography & References
• Appendices
 IDENTIFICATION OF RESEARCH TOPIC
• This is the first step in developing a research
• It provides the focus of the study
• It becomes the tittle of your report
The characteristics of a good research topic are:
 It should be clear and concise.
 Should be appealing i.e. attracting to the reader
 It should not contain more than 20 words (including full
stops and comas)
 You can have a title that contains two parts. However, in
this case the two parts have to be separated by a colon (:)
 Chapter One:The problem
a. Introduction
• Identifies the research topic & the problem
• It should briefly summarize the most important
points that will be covered in the document/ a
brief overview of the contents of your research
proposal
• Should give the reader a general sense of what
the document is about
• Entices the reader to continue reading
b. Background of the problem
• Describes how the problem was identified & historical links
to the problem.
• It is a summary of whatever you are investigating
• Is more specific than the introduction since it answers
questions like:
• What is the study about?
• Who is conducting the study?
• Where is the study being conducted and why?
• Why is the study being conducted? etc...
• Sets the stage for the next part of the document where
further details & specifics of the study are revealed, (i.e.
quantitative and qualitative data, observations, etc.
ii. Problem Statement
• A problem statement points out the precise gap that exist in the
literature, theory, or practice which the particular researcher will address
(other gaps would be pointed out in the literature review chapter).
• The problem must be clearly and conspicuously stated in just one
paragraph.
• It should be clearly focused without unnecessary preamble and
ambiguity.
• It should stand out—that the reader can easily recognize it
• Answers the question “Why does this research need to be conducted?”
• Helps in understanding research procedure
• Helps in determining the research objective
• Helps to design the research process
• Lays the foundation for research
Objective of the study:
• Objective is a way of detailing the purpose of a
study.
• Objectives are set by the researcher to explain
in detail what the study is expected to achieve
• It contributes to the justification of why
research on the problem is required
• When formulating good research objectives
the objectives should be SMART-
specific ,measurable ,achievable,realistic,
timebound
 Purpose of the study
• To discover new knowledge,new facts,their correct
interpretation and practical applicabity {Basic
research}.
• To describe a phenomenon to enable its accurate
identification/ understanding.
• To enable prediction of one phenomenon given
another phenomenon(predictive research).
• To control or regulate phenomenon under study
(experimental research),involves manipulating A to
estimate its impact on B.
• iii. Research Question
• Specific queries researchers want to answer in addressing the research problem
• Guide the types of data to be collected in the study
Good research questions are:
• Relevant: Arising from issues raised in literature &/or practice, the question will be
of academic and intellectual interest
• Manageable: Must be able to access sources of data (documents/ people), & give a
full & meaningful answer to the question
• Substantial & original: The question should showcase your imaginative abilities
• Fit for assessment: You must satisfy the learning outcomes of your course. Your
question must be open to assessment, as well as interesting.
• Clear & simple: A clear and simple research question will become more complex as
your research progresses
• Interesting: Make your question interesting, but try to avoid questions which are
convenient or flashy
• vi. Significance of the study
• Addresses importance of the problem in
nursing practice & the expected
generalizability of the findings
• Answers;
• Why your research is important & what
contributions it will give to the field
• State how your findings can make the
difference & why it is important that the
research be carried out
viii. Theoretical/ Conceptual Framework
• Theoretical frameworks provide a broad and general view of the research
problem, rooted in established theories.
• Conceptual frameworks, on the other hand, offer a more focused view of
the specific research problem. They explicitly outline the concrete
concepts and variables involved in the study and the relationships between
them.
• While both frameworks guide the research process, they do so in different
ways. Theoretical frameworks guide the overall approach to understanding
the research problem by indicating the broader conversation the
researcher is contributing to and shaping the research questions.
• Conceptual frameworks provide a map for the study, guiding the data
collection and interpretation process, including what variables or concepts
to explore and how to analyze them.

• Justification/ rationale
• The reason why the research is being conducted, including an explanation
for the design and methods employed in the research
ix. Limitations
• research limitations are the practical or theoretical shortcomings of a
study that are often outside of the researcher’s control. While these
weaknesses limit the generalizability of a study’s conclusions, they also
present a foundation for future research.
• Sometimes limitations arise from tangible circumstances like time and
funding constraints, or equipment and participant availability.

• Common types of limitations and their ramifications include:

• Theoretical: limits the scope, depth, or applicability of a study.
• Methodological: limits the quality, quantity, or diversity of the data.
• Empirical: limits the representativeness, validity, or reliability of the
data.
• Analytical: limits the accuracy, completeness, or significance of the
findings.
• Ethical: limits the access, consent, or confidentiality of the data.
x. Definition of operational terms
• Key concepts in the research title, objectives,
questions etc. must be defined
• Purpose of Research
• Generated from the research problem and
question
• Identifies the specific aim or goal of the
research
• Determines why the research will be conducted.
• May be to: Identify, describe, explain, predict,
evaluate, and the like
 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

• Provides an overview of the essential information

that will guide development of the study
• Includes related literature & related studies
• Includes a synthesis of the theoretical literature &
finding from previous research that describe the
current knowledge base
• Provides important concepts & or theories to
support a chosen framework & or methodology
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design
• A framework or guide used for the planning, implementation, and analysis
of a study
• The plan for answering the research question or hypothesis
• Different types of questions or hypotheses demand different types of
research designs
• Commonly used designs include descriptive, correlational, quasi-
experimental & experimental
• Descriptive & correlational studies examine variables in natural
environments & do not include treatments imposed by researcher
• Quasi –experimental & experimental are designed to examine the cause &
effect
• These studies are conducted to examine differences in dependent variables
that are thought to be caused by independent variables (treatments)
ii. Population & Sampling Techniques
• All elements (individuals, objects, events or substances)
that meet the sample criteria for inclusion in a study
(sometimes referred to as Target Population)
• Sampling – the process of selecting subjects that are
representative of the population being studied
• A sample -“a smaller (but hopefully representative)
collection of units from a population used to determine
truths about that population” (Field, 2005)
• Why sample?
– Resources (time, money) and workload
– Gives results with known accuracy that can be calculated
mathematically
• Sampling frame is the list from which the
potential respondents are drawn
– Registrar’s office
– Class rosters
– Must assess sampling frame errors
• Factors influencing sample representative-
ness
• Sampling procedure
• Sample size
• Participation (response)
• When might you sample the entire
population?
• When your population is very small
• When you have extensive resources
• When you don’t expect a very high response
Sampling bias
• The systematic overrepresentation or underrepresentation
of some segment of the population in terms of a
characteristic relevant to the research question
• Sampling bias is affected by many things, including the
homogeneity of the population
• If the elements in a population were all identical on the
critical attribute, any sample would be as good as any
other
• Indeed, if the population were completely homogeneous
(i.e., exhibited no variability at all), a single element would
be a sufficient sample for drawing conclusions about the
population.
• Time schedule
• Choose a suitable schedule for your research
 Budget

• The budget should list all cost details for the

stipulated period of time. It should include any
applicable salaries & wages, fringe benefits,
services, supplies, equipment, publications,
travel, other direct expenses, and any facility
and administrative costs
 REFERENCES
• A reference or citation is a description of any document
from which you have taken information, e.g. a complete
book, a chapter from it, a journal article, a newspaper
article, a web page, or DVD etc
IMPORTANCE OF REFERENCING
• It is both a legal requirement and academic practice to
provide references to guide your reader to the sources you
have used
• To support the arguments you are making
• To demonstrate the breadth of your research,
• To credit the established work of others.
A good research proposal typically includes:
• a clear research question,
• well-defined objectives,
• a comprehensive literature review,
• a robust methodology, and
• a realistic timeline.
• Has a clearly stated and relevant purpose. For
example, if the research focuses on community
health, then it must address health areas relevant to
the target community and population
• Conducting Preliminary Research
• Another way writers may focus a topic is to
conduct preliminary research. Like freewriting,
exploratory reading can help you identify
interesting angles.
• Surfing the web and browsing through
newspaper and magazine articles are good ways
to start. Find out what people are saying about
your topic on blogs and online discussion
groups. Discussing your topic with others can
also inspire you.