31 what is the purpose of writing a research proposal
Writing the proposal of a research work in the present era is a challenging task due to the constantly evolving trends in the qualitative research design and the need to incorporate medical advances into the methodology. Even today, many of the proposals at post-graduate evaluation committees and application proposals for funding are substandard. A search was conducted with keywords such as research proposal, writing proposal and qualitative using search engines, namely, PubMed and Google Scholar, and an attempt has been made to provide broad guidelines for writing a scientifically appropriate research proposal. A clean, well-thought-out proposal forms the backbone for the research itself and hence becomes the most important step in the process of conduct of research. However, there are very few universally accepted guidelines for preparation of a good quality research proposal.
The Qualitative Research Proposal
Writing the proposal of a research work in the present era is a challenging task due to the constantly evolving trends in the qualitative research design and the need to incorporate medical advances into the methodology. Even today, many of the proposals at post-graduate evaluation committees and application proposals for funding are substandard.
A search was conducted with keywords such as research proposal, writing proposal and qualitative using search engines, namely, PubMed and Google Scholar, and an attempt has been made to provide broad guidelines for writing a scientifically appropriate research proposal.
A clean, well-thought-out proposal forms the backbone for the research itself and hence becomes the most important step in the process of conduct of research. However, there are very few universally accepted guidelines for preparation of a good quality research proposal.
A search was performed with keywords such as research proposal, funding, qualitative and writing proposals using search engines, namely, PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus. A proposal needs to show how your work fits into what is already known about the topic and what new paradigm will it add to the literature, while specifying the question that the research will answer, establishing its significance, and the implications of the answer.
A researcher must be balanced, with a realistic understanding of what can be achieved. Being persuasive implies that researcher must be able to convince other researchers, research funding agencies, educational institutions and supervisors that the research is worth getting approval.
The aim of the researcher should be clearly stated in simple language that describes the research in a way that non-specialists can comprehend, without use of jargons. The proposal must not only demonstrate that it is based on an intelligent understanding of the existing literature but also show that the writer has thought about the time needed to conduct each stage of the research.
The contents or formats of a research proposal vary depending on the requirements of evaluation committee and are generally provided by the evaluation committee or the institution. In general, a cover page should contain the i title of the proposal, ii name and affiliation of the researcher principal investigator and co-investigators, iii institutional affiliation degree of the investigator and the name of institution where the study will be performed , details of contact such as phone numbers, E-mail id's and lines for signatures of investigators.
The main contents of the proposal may be presented under the following headings: i introduction, ii review of literature, iii aims and objectives, iv research design and methods, v ethical considerations, vi budget, vii appendices and viii citations.
Introduction is an initial pitch of an idea; it sets the scene and puts the research in context. It should convey to the reader, what you want to do, what necessitates the study and your passion for the topic. If hypothesis cannot be constructed, the line of inquiry to be used in the research must be indicated.
It refers to all sources of scientific evidence pertaining to the topic in interest. It is preferable to summarise each article in a paragraph, highlighting the details pertinent to the topic of interest. The progression of review can move from the more general to the more focused studies, or a historical progression can be used to develop the story, without making it exhaustive.
The research purpose or goal or aim gives a broad indication of what the researcher wishes to achieve in the research. The hypothesis to be tested can be the aim of the study. The objectives related to parameters or tools used to achieve the aim are generally categorised as primary and secondary objectives. It should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study. In this section, the methods and sources used to conduct the research must be discussed, including specific references to sites, databases, key texts or authors that will be indispensable to the project.
There should be specific mention about the methodological approaches to be undertaken to gather information, about the techniques to be used to analyse it and about the tests of external validity to which researcher is committed.
The components of this section include the following:[ 4 ]. Population refers to all the elements individuals, objects or substances that meet certain criteria for inclusion in a given universe,[ 12 ] and sample refers to subset of population which meets the inclusion criteria for enrolment into the study. The inclusion and exclusion criteria should be clearly defined. The researcher is expected to give a detailed account of the methodology adopted for collection of data, which include the time frame required for the research.
The methodology should be tested for its validity and ensure that, in pursuit of achieving the results, the participant's life is not jeopardised. The author should anticipate and acknowledge any potential barrier and pitfall in carrying out the research design and explain plans to address them, thereby avoiding lacunae due to incomplete data collection.
If the researcher is planning to acquire data through interviews or questionnaires, copy of the questions used for the same should be attached as an annexure with the proposal. This addresses the strength of the research with respect to its neutrality, consistency and applicability. Rigor must be reflected throughout the proposal. It refers to the robustness of a research method against bias. The author should convey the measures taken to avoid bias, viz.
Consistency considers whether the findings will be consistent if the inquiry was replicated with the same participants and in a similar context. This can be achieved by adopting standard and universally accepted methods and scales. Applicability refers to the degree to which the findings can be applied to different contexts and groups. This section deals with the reduction and reconstruction of data and its analysis including sample size calculation.
The researcher is expected to explain the steps adopted for coding and sorting the data obtained. Various tests to be used to analyse the data for its robustness, significance should be clearly stated.
Author should also mention the names of statistician and suitable software which will be used in due course of data analysis and their contribution to data analysis and sample calculation. Medical research introduces special moral and ethical problems that are not usually encountered by other researchers during data collection, and hence, the researcher should take special care in ensuring that ethical standards are met.
Ethical considerations refer to the protection of the participants' rights right to self-determination, right to privacy, right to autonomy and confidentiality, right to fair treatment and right to protection from discomfort and harm , obtaining informed consent and the institutional review process ethical approval.
The researcher needs to provide adequate information on each of these aspects. Informed consent needs to be obtained from the participants details discussed in further chapters , as well as the research site and the relevant authorities.
All items in the budget should be justified. Appendices are documents that support the proposal and application. The appendices will be specific for each proposal but documents that are usually required include informed consent form, supporting documents, questionnaires, measurement tools and patient information of the study in layman's language.
As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used in composing your proposal. It refers to all references cited in the research proposal. Successful, qualitative research proposals should communicate the researcher's knowledge of the field and method and convey the emergent nature of the qualitative design.
The proposal should follow a discernible logic from the introduction to presentation of the appendices. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Journal List Indian J Anaesth v. Indian J Anaesth. Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer.
Address for correspondence: Dr. E-mail: moc. Abstract Writing the proposal of a research work in the present era is a challenging task due to the constantly evolving trends in the qualitative research design and the need to incorporate medical advances into the methodology.
Key words: Guidelines, proposal, qualitative, research. Open in a separate window. Review of literature It refers to all sources of scientific evidence pertaining to the topic in interest.
Aims and objectives The research purpose or goal or aim gives a broad indication of what the researcher wishes to achieve in the research. Data collection The researcher is expected to give a detailed account of the methodology adopted for collection of data, which include the time frame required for the research. Rigor soundness of the research This addresses the strength of the research with respect to its neutrality, consistency and applicability.
Neutrality It refers to the robustness of a research method against bias. Consistency Consistency considers whether the findings will be consistent if the inquiry was replicated with the same participants and in a similar context. Applicability Applicability refers to the degree to which the findings can be applied to different contexts and groups. Data analysis This section deals with the reduction and reconstruction of data and its analysis including sample size calculation.
Ethical considerations Medical research introduces special moral and ethical problems that are not usually encountered by other researchers during data collection, and hence, the researcher should take special care in ensuring that ethical standards are met. Appendices Appendices are documents that support the proposal and application. Citations As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used in composing your proposal. SUMMARY Successful, qualitative research proposals should communicate the researcher's knowledge of the field and method and convey the emergent nature of the qualitative design.
Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest. McGranaghan M. Guidelines on Writing a Research Proposal. Research proposal writing: Breaking the myth. Niger J Med. Saunderlin G. Writing a research proposal: The critical first step for successful clinical research.
Gastroenterol Nurs. Klopper H. The qualitative research proposal. Writing proposals for research funds. Burns N, Grove SK. Louis: Elsevier Saunders; Sandelowski M, Barroso J. Writing the proposal for a qualitative research methodology project.
Qual Health Res. Krathwohl DR. J Pharmacol Pharmacother. Labaree RV. Research Proposal. Support Center Support Center. External link.
of proposal writing. Thursday, October 31, Page 2. Class Proposal Requirements. • Develop a research proposal related to planetary astrophysics. Good ideas have to be clearly connected to the program's purpose. Aims and objectives. The research purpose (or goal or aim) gives a broad indication of what the researcher wishes to achieve in the research. The hypothesis to.
Preparing to make your Research proposal and wondering what steps to take? Your research proposal is an integral part of the Research Degree application process, and as such, it is worth investing time and energy to ensure that your proposal is strong, clear and effective. Your proposal needs to outline the nature of your proposed research project, identify your knowledge of existing literature and provide an indication of how you will conduct your research project. If you are interested in the work of a specific potential supervisor, and especially if you have already discussed your proposed project with this person, be sure to make reference to this in your proposal. Back to the top.
Qualitative research in the health sciences has had to overcome many prejudices and a number of misunderstandings, but today qualitative research is as acceptable as quantitative research designs and is widely funded and published. Writing the proposal of a qualitative study, however, can be a challenging feat, due to the emergent nature of the qualitative research design and the description of the methodology as a process.
In all sectors academe, government, and the private sector , research scientists typically seek and obtain competitive funding for their research projects by writing and submitting research proposals for consideration by the funding source. There are two kinds of research proposals:.
