The Purpose of Proposals

General:
To present the problem to be researched and its
importance.
To discuss the research efforts of others who
have worked on related problems.
To suggest the data necessary for solving the
problem and how the data will be gathered,
treated, and interpreted.

Proposal for sponsor Vs researcher???

For the sponsor:
it allows to assess the legitimacy of the purpose
the clarity of the design
the extent of the background material
fitness of the researcher to undertake the project

For the researcher:

Provides a tentative work plan (logical
procedures)
serves as a guide for the researcher throughout
the investigation
 The first step in conducting research is
developing a model (
or what we commonly call a proposal) that
will present a summary of the main
elements of the research:
◦ What will be studied , how, when and where it will
take place
◦ How it will be executed
◦ Finally how the data will be analyzed and
published
Content of the research model
 It varies according the nature and purpose
of the project and type of methods used.
◦ E.g. model employed by exploratory studies
differ from that of surveys, experiments and
causal studies.
 However, the common points to be
considered and decided before conducting
research:
◦ Which topic? Which methodology ?
◦ Sampling procedure
◦ How to collect data
◦ Method of analysis
◦ How the research to be administered
Structure/Outline of a research Proposal
 usually depends upon the outline of the specific orgn the proposal is
submitted.
1.Cover page
2. Abstract
3. Introduction/ background info/Statement of the
research problems
4. Research objectives/hypothesis/justification/key
concepts
5. Literature review
6. Research methods/ preliminary survey of
literature
7. References
8. Timetable/time schedule or research plan; and
Budget
9. Appendix
1. Cover page includes,

 The title of the proposed project or research

 The name of the researcher /author of the
proposal/ and the name of the supervisor
 The name of the department/ institution;
 Presentation date

Title…. Should be written in the fewest possible

terminologies.
…. Should be as self explanatory as possible … to attract
readers
2. Abstract

-A short summary of the research proposal

- to provide busy readers a clue about the content of the
proposal
-It should be as informative as possible to enable readers to
know the most important points of the proposal without
having to read the whole document
Your abstract should include the ff points…
1.A brief statement of the problem
2.Objectives
3.Type and sources of data
4.Research design (data collection, analysis tools)
 3. Introduction/background information/

-Why the research is important?

-What has been done so far?
-What is the theoretical background of the researcher?

 statement of the problem

-Attract the attention of the reader by stating the problem and
its consequences
-How it is different from other related problems
- literature based arguments about the issue
-Each word of the statement must be expressive, sharp, and
crucial… avoid idioms and clichés
Statement of the problem should include:

The problem area and major research gaps in terms of policy

and development issues related to the research
The social, scientific and development relevance of the
problem to be investigated both institutionally, locally, regionally
and/ or nationally
A brief and preliminary overview of the literature and/or
research done in the field related to the problem, and
The statement as to how the research project will contribute to
the solution of the problem identified
 Objectives are the goals you set out to
attain in your study.
 They inform a reader what you want to

attain through the study.

 It is extremely important to word them

clearly and specifically.

 Objectives should be listed under two

headings:
◦ main objectives ( aims);
◦ Specific objectives.
 The main objective is an overall statement
of the thrust of your study.
 It is also a statement of the main

associations and relationships that you seek

to discover or establish.
 It is often re-wording of you research topic

to objective form
 Ex. If research topic is ‘ Determinants of

collective action for sustainable natural

resource management in Haramaya District
of Ethiopia’
 Main objective ‘ to assess determinants of

…..’
 are the specific aspects of the topic that
you want to investigate within the main
framework of your study.
 They should be (numerically) listed.
 Wording should clearly, completely and

specifically communicate to your readers

 Each objective should contain only one

aspect of the study.

 Use action oriented words or verbs when

writing objectives.
 The objectives should start with words such
as
◦ ‘to determine’,
◦ ‘to find out’,
◦ ‘to ascertain’,
◦ ‘to measure’,
◦ ‘to explore’ etc.
 The wording of objectives determines the
type of research (descriptive, correlational
and experimental) and the type of research
design you need to adopt to achieve them.
4.1 Research hypothesis

-Important to determine the nature of data needed.

- To limit the scope of the research and prevent it from being too
broad.
-To set a framework to report the results and conclusions.

4.2 significance of the study

-shows the explicit benefits and the beneficiaries of the

results of the research being conducted.
-the importance or contribution the study to certain bodies
-Few paragraphs (usually one)
4.3 Delimitations (Scope) of the study

-Indicates the scope (coverage) of the study in terms of

variables included and area covered

4.4 limitation of the study

-Constraints or difficulties you think that they have

influence on the results of your study
-This could be difficulties faced with respect to data
Availability, methodological limitations, lack of recent
literature in the area, sample selection, faulty
measurements
5. Literature review

-explains, interprets and discusses what has been

researched and documented.
-examines recent research studies, company data, or
industry reports
- start from a comprehensive perspective, moving to more
specific studies that are associated with your problem.

Important points!!!
-Review of information .. NOT a comprehensive report
-Emphasis the important results and conclusions of other
studies.
-relevant data and trends from previous research
Cont…
-particular methods or designs that could be duplicated or
should be avoided.
-Discuss how the literature applies to the study you are
proposing.
- show the weaknesses and faults in the design, discussing
how you would avoid similar problems.
-Always refer to the original source!!!!!!!
-Closing??? Summarize the important points that are related
to your case!!
A framework is simply the structure of the
idea or concept and how it is put together. For
example, theoretical, conceptual and
contextual
 A theoretical framework, then, is an essay that
interrelate the theories involved in the research. It
includes all theories on the topic of interest
 the theoretical framework is supposed to help the
reader make logical sense of the relationships of
the variables and factors that have been deemed
relevant/important to the problem.
 It provides definition of relationships between all
the variables so the reader can understand the
theorized relationships
 Often research problems and general research
questions contain theoretical concepts.
 Literature about the theoretical concepts will give
indications for the specific research questions you
could ask
 A conceptual Framework is a basic structure that
consists of certain abstract blocks which
represent the observational, the experiential and
the analytical/ synthetical aspects of a process or
system being conceived. The interconnection of
these blocks completes the framework for
certain expected outcomes
 Plotting the conceptual 'space' of your research

or mapping is important
 A concept map is a kind of diagram that lays out

key ideas related to your area and indicates

relationships between these areas
 the set of facts or circumstances that surround
the situation or events in which the research
will be conducted
 Interactive Exercise
◦ Turn to your friend and define the context of your
study
 Scope
 Geographical location
 Population
 Type of variables to investigate
 Operationalization: turning abstract concepts into observable
and measurable terms that enable data collection. Is the
process of converting concepts into empirical measurements,
or of quantifying variables for the purpose measuring their
occurrence, strength and frequency. It is employed when
the concepts are vague, unclear, or abstract, thus involving a
process of translating abstract concepts into synonymous
empirical referents.
 Concept (or construct): a theoretical idea (a word, a term),
e.g., a characteristic, a function, a behavior, an attitude or a
cognition
 Indicator: A set of aspects/elements reflective of the concept
 Variable (or item): the actual measurement limited in time and
place
 Research instrument: the tool used to obtain information about

the empirical world

Major elements of
operationalization:
a)Selection of indicators which
reflects the presence or absence of
the element the research has set out
to measure
b)Quantification of the indicators
◦ identification of the continuum of values
the indicators can assume, and
assigning score that represent the
degree of presence or absence of the
concept or variable.
Rules of operationalization:
 The rule of empirical
relevance
◦ It suggests that indicators should
adequately reflect the concept
they set out to measure
◦ Empirical referents should
measure one concept, the whole
concept and only this concept
 The rule of correspondence
◦ Indicator should correspond fully
to the concepts
 The rule of empirical
adequacy
◦ Indicators should have the
capacity to measure all aspect of
the concept adequately
 The rule of quantification
◦ Uniform quantification procedures
should be employed when
indicators and the variables are
quantified
6. Research Methodology

-details of the research design to be followed to achieve

each research objective.
-Should include…
- brief statement describing the general research methods
-A description and explanation variables
-A description of the subjects of the study (study
population, sample design, type of data etc)
-A description of the types and sources of data (procedures
used in collecting and analyzing data).
7. References/Bibliography
-list of books, journals, and other documents that we have
used in selecting the problem and which we may use while
we conduct the study
-For all projects that require literature review, a bibliography
is necessary.
-List of publications he/she actually read and cited in the
text-arranged in alphabetical order
-Use the bibliographic format required by the sponsor
 Examples: citation

Hence, efforts for soil conservation need to address the

underlying causes primarily, as focusing on the proximate
causes would mean addressing the symptoms of the
problem rather than the real causes (Gebremedhin, 2004).
or

According to Hurni (1988), both environmental and socio-

political factors have contributed to the poor performance
of Ethiopian agriculture.
 What if you want to quote the author without
committing plagiarism???

……… “use quotation marks”!!!!!! Cite the author and

the exact page number!!!! And keep them very few in
your paper!!!!

NB: If two or more references to the same work follow one

another without a reference to a different source between
them, even if separated by several pages, use “ibid.” rather
than the usual author and title subsequent notes system
 8. Budget, logistics and work plan
-Budget breakdown has to be prepared for all activities
and it should include:

Type Examples
Personal Costs salary/per-diems
Support Services Data entry
Fieldwork costs Transport
Overheads photocopy/ printing
Books/journal costs Books and journals
Equipments Equipment to be bought
Other relevant costs

Researcher should know how much money is budgeted for

each task
Work plan (Time Schedule)

-a realistic time schedule.

-Assign time requirement for each phase of the research
work.
- the phases could include:
. Questioner preparation
. pre-testing
. field interviews
. Data editing and coding
. data analysis
. Report generation
9. Appendix

Includes..
- sample questioner
-CV of the researcher
-Any other relevant information
 Clarity
 Specificity
 simplicity