Relevant Course Objectives:
• Can be found in the Instructions word document
Assignment Description and Instructions
Research Proposal Guidelines
You are required to prepare an individual, precise and full research proposal for the Research Paper.
A research proposal is a statement which describes, as clearly as possible, what the researcher intends to accomplish in a given research project and the best way of doing so. The research proposals would include the following elements:
1. Introduction and Specific Aims of the Study
Under this subheading, you should attempt to answer the following questions:
• What exactly do you want to study?
• Why is it worth studying? What knowledge gap or need does it seek to fill?
• Does the study have practical significance?
• Does it contribute to theory or to the solution of a development (political, socio-economic, health, environmental or other) problem?
2. Literature Review
Under this subheading, you should attempt to answer the following questions:
• What have other researchers written on your topic? (Do not merely offer a verbatim account of each author’s work, seek to create analytical categories across the discussions and debates)
• What theories and approaches have been utilized to inform previous research?
• Can be found in the Instructions word document
3. Summary of Research Parameters
• Problem Statement: reiterate in a succinct form the problem you have identified from your review of literature.
• Purpose Statement: in a succinct form summarise the specific objective of your study (drawing on the specific aims outlined in the introduction).
• Research Question(s) and/or Hypotheses: What questions will your study seek to answer? You may have an overarching question, with sub-questions or a single question. You may also develop hypotheses. This will depend on your topic, area of focus and methodological preferences.
4. Overview of Intended Methodological Approach (10 marks)
In this section you should give details of the research design, which provides the rationale for and overview of the philosophical framework and methods selected -including a discussion of the ethical considerations. In providing an explanation of your methodological approach you must also state the criterion used for participant, case or sample selection, for the sample of the population to be studied, and a description of the methods of data collection to be employed.
In thinking about sampling procedure, you should consider the following questions:
• Whom/What do you intend to collect data on?
• Do you intend to study the whole population or part of it?
• If the latter, how do you intend to select your sample?
• How will you ensure that your sample is representative of the entire population ( if relevant for your methodology adopted)?
In thinking about methods of data collection, you should consider the following questions:
• What specific methods, tools and instruments of data collection do you intend to use? Why? What do you expect to gain from these methods?
• If you intend to conduct focus groups, interviews or administer a questionnaire, what topics will be covered? Please provide a sample of questions.
It may be helpful to use more than one method of data collection in order to make the study more comprehensive, e.g. focus groups supplemented by secondary quantitative data or a field observation study supplemented by in-depth interviews.
5. Planned Operationalization (5 marks)
• What are the key concepts or variables in your study? Define them.
• How will they be measured or constructed? Are there levels of measurement?
• Can be found in the Instructions word document
6. Schedule of Work (5 marks)
This is very important. Given the limited amount of time allotted for the project (6 weeks), you will have to be very clear about what you plan to do and when. Relevant questions to ask yourselves include:
Can be found in the Instructions word document