Research Proposal - Guideline PDF
Research Proposal - Guideline PDF
Research Proposal - Guideline PDF
RESEARCH
PROPOSALS
Helpsheet
RESEARCH PROPOSALS
Limitations of the research (what the research is not intended to do, i.e., the
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Helpsheet
RESEARCH PROPOSALS
The introduction should be as brief as possible (a paragraph or two). Whatever you do,
dont ramble on for pages; you need to make this part of the proposal clear and crisp.
In the introduction, you need to give a sense of the general field of research of which
your area is a part. You then need to narrow to the specific area of your concern. This
should lead logically to the gap in the research that you intend to fill. When the gap is
identified, a research question can then be raised. The answer to this question is called
the thesis statement.
It may be helpful to think of these parts in the following way:
The general area is a particular conversation among academics in the field of study
The specific area is your focus on a particular part of the bigger conversation
The gap is what you notice needs to be said in the conversation that has not been
said before or that needs addressing in more detail
Outline any controversies that are in the literature briefly. Further details will be
covered in the literature review section
Use simple and jargon-free language as your supervisor may not be aware of all of
the language in your focus area
The introduction must narrow down, not get wider. You must demonstrate you have
command of the issues in the area and that you are focussing on a particular issue
The introduction generally forms Sections 1.1 to 1.3 of the final thesis
2. The research question
This forms Section 1.4 of the final thesis. Note that the research question may not be a
question as such, but rather a statement of a problem to be investigated.
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Helpsheet
RESEARCH PROPOSALS
Below is an example. Note the move from a general area, to a specific area, to the gap
in the research (the first italicised passage) and then to the proposed thesis statement
(the second italicised passage):
According to business marketing theory, businesses are more likely to succeed
if they utilise marketing management approaches or techniques. For example,
the marketing concept, a cornerstone of business marketing thought, stresses the
importance of determining the needs and wants of consumers and delivering
the desired satisfaction more effectively and efficiently than competitors (Kotler,
1986). Philosophies from marketing management have recently been applied to
almost every industry from insurance to travel and hospital services, but not often to
farming. Concerns have been raised about the distinction which appears to exist
between agricultural and business marketing theory (Bartels, 1983; Bateman, 1976;
Muelenberg, 1986).
In this research proposal, the role of marketing management in agricultural marketing
theory and practice is described. It is argued that the marketing strategies of farmers
are not adequately described by either the business or agricultural marketing
disciplines, and a methodology for analysing the farm business marketing strategy
process is outlined. (Adapted from McLeay and Zwart, 1993)
Lets look at this more closely:
The thesis statement is that neither agricultural marketing nor business marketing
concepts are appropriate in the farming sector and that a new methodology is
needed. This is what the research will provide. (Section 1.5 of the final thesis.)
The research question in this case is really a statement of what needs to be investigated.
This is a perfectly acceptable way of putting this part of the introduction. However, it
could also be phrased in the form of a question or formal hypothesis.
One page is usually sufficient for this. Perry (2003), suggests that writers need to tell the
reader that the research can justified along four main criteria:
The example provided above could clearly be justified along all criteria.
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Helpsheet
RESEARCH PROPOSALS
This is where you provide more detail about what others have done in the area, and
what you propose to do. You need to write around two pages in which you cover the
following:
Definitions of key terms, provided either when you introduce each idea, or in a
definition sub-section
Questions arising from the gaps that can be the focus of data collection or analysis
The preliminary literature review eventually becomes Chapter 2 of the thesis.
Perry suggests that potential candidates read a thesis in a similar area to get a feel for
what is required in this section. (See also helpsheet: Literature Reviews).
An example of a preliminary literature review:
An examination of textbook definitions of business and agricultural marketing
provides the most general guide to theoretical content. Although there is no
generally accepted definition of agricultural marketing, it is frequently viewed as
part of the economic system (Ritson, 1986; Bateman, 1976) and is widely recognised
as involving the exchange process. A typical definition is given by Shepard and
Futrell (1982) who state: . By this definition, agricultural marketing theory focuses
on the workings of the distribution system, and is typically viewed as a process that
begins after produce leaves the farm gate. Thus production planning is frequently
excluded from the marketing process.
Although there is no universally accepted definition of business marketing, it is
generally accepted that business marketing, like agricultural marketing, involves the
exchange process. For example, Kotler (1972, p. 12) defines marketing as:
(adapted from McLeay and Zwart, 1993)
Note how the writer refers to definitions of key terms and makes distinctions to eventually
arrive at the contribution of their own research to the debate.
5. Theoretical framework
The theoretical framework usually forms the final part of the literature review section.
It describes the model that you are using in the thesis to demonstrate your point. See
Sekaran, 1992, Chapter 3 for a useful account of theoretical frameworks.
This forms Section 1.6 of the final thesis. In this section, you outline how your research
will make a change to an area of study. This is different from the justification of your
research. The justification explains why the research should be done. The contribution
section explains how what you will do will lead to certain outcomes. You need to
outline:
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Helpsheet
RESEARCH PROPOSALS
The outcome could be the extension of a theoretical model to a new area, or it could
be something practical such as the development of a checklist for managers.
The limitations of research section, if you have one, can go in this section. This will
become Section 1.7 of the final thesis.
This section should be about 1-2 pages. It forms Chapter 3 of the final thesis.
You do not have to describe the methodology to be used in great detail, but you
should justify its use over other methodologies. For example, you could explain the
reasons for using:
8. Research plan
The research plan or outline can be discussed in conjunction with a research timetable.
However, be aware that they have a different function.
The research plan or outline lists what will be covered in each chapter or section of the
proposed thesis. This helps you as well as the reader as:
it gives you a framework for the direction your proposed thesis will take
it shows the reader the project is well-organised and achievable in the time
available
You need only provide one or two lines for each. This becomes Section 1.7 of the final
thesis.
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Helpsheet
RESEARCH PROPOSALS
9. Research timetable
The timetable should indicate the weighting of each part of the proposed thesis in
percentage terms, the topics covered, approximate word limit and, importantly, the
approximate length of time it will take to complete them. You might consider providing
a graph for convenience.
Chapter
Topic
Words
Months
Introduction
3,500
Literature Review
30
21,000
Methodology
20
14,000
Data analysis
25
17,500
20
14,000
100
70,000
24
Conclusions and
Implications
TOTAL
The timetable is approximate only, and things always take longer than you think!
Extra time needs to be allowed for the start and finish of the project
The timetable does not commit you to anything (though obviously it helps if you can
follow it).
This must be provided in the usual scholarly fashion. It helps to convince your reader that
your proposal is worth pursuing if you can identify literature in the field and demonstrate
that you understand it. It makes a very strong impact if you can identify where there is a
research gap in the literature that your proposal hopes to fill. This is your contribution to
the scholarly conversation.
In-text references should be provided for all sections of the proposal with the exception
of the research plan and timetable.
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Helpsheet
RESEARCH PROPOSALS
Proposal
Thesis/Final Project
1. Introduction
1. Introduction
- General area
- General area
- Specific topic
- Specific topic
- Gap
- Gap
- Research Question
- Research Question
- Thesis Statement
- Thesis Statement
2. Literature Review
- Contribution
3. Theoretical Framework
- Thesis outline/Limitations
4. Methodology
2. Literature Review
5. Contribution
3. Methodology
4. Data Analysis
7. References
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Helpsheet
RESEARCH PROPOSALS
Answers
5 minute self test
1. b
2. c
3. d
4. c
References
McLeay, F. J. and Zwart, A.C. (1993), Agricultural marketing and Farm marketing
Strategies Australian Agribusiness Review Volume 1 No 1
Perry, C. (2003). Research Proposal Structure Keyed into the Thesis Structure, Accessed
Phillips, E. M. and Pugh, D. S. (1987). How to get a PhD. Milton Keynes, U.K: Open
University Press
Sekaran, U. (1992). Research Methods for Business: A Skills Building Approach. New York:
Wiley.
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