MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF BUSINESS SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND MARKETING SCIENCES

POST GRADUATE RESEARCH PROPOSAL WRITING GUIDE

Preamble
Masters or Doctoral graduates should be able to conduct excellent scientific research in various
scientific fields. The first step in this endeavour is the establishment of the research proposal. A
research proposal is the statement of conditions and principles for conducting a scientific inquiry.
It is in general a document of between 10-12 pages including the cover page, preliminary pages
and references, which allow the graduate to communicate his/her passion or interests in the
subject area and to make a persuasive argument about what the research can accomplish. It is
also a document that provides a work plan/road map for conducting a dissertation/thesis. A
research proposal shall show a very clearly stated research topic, problem, and question and
demonstrate a research gap in the existing literature. It must build a strong persuasive argument,
and convince the supervisor, panel and/or dissertations committee that there is a need for further
inquiry and that the theoretical or conceptual framework and methodology chosen will
accomplish this purpose. Thus, the candidate should demonstrate that he/she is informed about
recent work conducted in the area of study and has a clear and systematic conceptualisation of
the problem and the research process.

This document provides guidelines for writing an excellent and relevant research proposal at
MSc as well as at the PhD level. It should be noted that writing a meticulous proposal will help
Post Graduates establish the foundation for their research study and more importantly pre-empt
any problems they may experience during their research. Furthermore, it aims to harmonise the
conduct of research by graduates by providing a standard format for research proposal writing;
and serves as a checklist for both supervisees and supervisors in writing a research proposal.
Thus, both the supervisees and the supervisors should therefore carefully abide by this guideline.

A research proposal should be well structured; hence, the list below is a recommended guideline
for Post Graduate research proposal.

i
Research topic and title
A research topic is the broad subject matter being addressed in a study. The most successful
research topics are narrowly focused and carefully defined but are important parts of a broad-
ranging, complex problem. Thus, research should be derived from a broad research area. A
research title which in most cases is confused with research topic should have 3 elements - 1.
Research output [Factors, perceptions, determinants, model, framework, strategy, etc]; 2. The
object of inquiry [topic + your concern, so these 2 they form what is called the "object of
inquiry" which is the epicentre or the rail of the study- the purpose of the object of inquiry is to
ensure that candidates do not write anything about the topic. It ensures that the candidate stick to
their concern]; 3. The study context [who is affected by your study-localisation of the study….. it
can be a country, countries, communities, villages, towns, organisation, students, employees,
certain classes of people, etc]. These 3 elements should be kept close to each other to make the
topic clear, concise, and attractive to global readers. The research output can be located at the
beginning or at the centre of the title, the same applies to the object of inquiry. The context
should be presented last. Ideally, 8 to 15 words are appropriate for a research topic; a very long
topic may be confusing and distract the attention of readers. NOTE: The title should be located
within a dual phenomenon (global and local) because research depends on global drivers and
local exigencies.

When formulating a research topic, the research output and object of inquiry should be kept close
to each other. Redundant [waste] words like verbs (analysis, investigation, evaluation, etc.) and
articles (‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’) are best omitted at the beginning of the topic. These are ineffective
and unnecessary words, which when removed will not alter the meaning of the topic. Commonly
used waste words such as: “A study of ...”, “An investigation of ...”, “An evaluation of …”,
“Observations on ...”, “An assessment of ...” An analysis of ...” and Abbreviations or acronyms
should be avoided. NOTE: By default, research is an investigation or a study, so there is no need
to mention that you are investigating or studying a certain phenomenon in the title.

Examples of good research topics:

a. Smart mobile learning conceptual framework for professional development of United Arab Emirates in-
service teacher

ii
 b. Framework for cloud computing adoption: a roadmap for Small and Medium Enterprise to cloud migration
c. Factors influencing levels of technology uptake in low-income earning villages in South Africa
d. Multi-Perspective Framework for Modelling the determinants of cloud computing adoption among Small
and Medium Enterprises

NOTE: Gold colour-research output; Green colour- the object of inquiry; Blue colour-
scope/context of the study. In some cases, the object of inquiry may overlap with the scope/study
context, for example, research question (c) can include low-income earning villages. The
subtitle, for example, in item (b) “a roadmap for Small and Medium Enterprise to cloud migration” should
be carefully included. Actually, a subtitle should be included when enhancing the understanding
of the topic. Do not use the subtle to denote the context, for example, . “A case of telecoms
companies”, “A case of …”, etc. these are usually addressed by the delimitations section.

Table of content of a research proposal

The table of content lists all section headings/subheadings including page number. It should be
auto-generated up to heading 3 using Ms Word.
 Table of content-Heading 1
 1.1 Introduction, 1.2 Background to the study, etc-Heading 2
 1.4.1 Research sub-questions, etc- Heading 3
Table of Contents
1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................1

1.2 Background to the study/the need for the research/research case..........................................1

1.3 Problem statement or statement of the problem.....................................................................3

1.4 Main research question..........................................................................................................4

1.4.1 Research sub-questions...................................................................................................6

1.5 Research objectives/Research hypotheses.............................................................................6

1.6 Expected contributions of the study.......................................................................................7

1.6.1 Theoretical contributions.................................................................................................7

1.6.2 Practical contributions.....................................................................................................7

iii
1.7 Assumptions of the study.......................................................................................................8

1.8 Delimitations of the study......................................................................................................8

1.9 Preliminary literature review.................................................................................................8

1.10 Theoretical or conceptual framework/model.......................................................................9

1.11 Research philosophy and methodology.............................................................................10

1.11.1 Mapping research questions, objectives/hypotheses and methodology......................10

1.2 Definition of key terms........................................................................................................12

References..................................................................................................................................12

iv
1.1 Introduction
The introduction section is essential for any research study for scene-setting. It generally
prepares the readers for the information they may gain from the research. Without an
introduction, you can leave your reader feeling disoriented and confused. Therefore, the
candidate should introduce the topic/object of inquiry on a single paragraph to demonstrate that
the research is topical and relevant to “hook the reader to the topic”. The candidate is expected to
answer some of the following questions:
 What is the interesting situation in the research area?
 What are the trends and progress in the area of study? Support with statistics or quotes.
 Why should the reader care about the object of inquiry?

1.2 Background to the study/the need for the research/research case

The need to uncover what is already known in the body of knowledge before initiating any
research study should not be under-estimated. The background to the study should place the
study within the larger context of the scholarly literature. This section may also deal with the
rationale providing evidence and conditions of the existing situation to make the reader feel the
urgency of the problem and the need to study it to solve it or contribute to its solution. It may be
an attempt to persuade, inform or indicate to the reader of the need for the research. The
background must masterly demonstrate the phenomenon (issue) to be investigated by the
candidate. This masterly is demonstrated among others by the up-to-dateness of the citations
made and the candidate’s eloquent understanding of empirical studies done in the area of study.

Major previous researches undertaken on the subject should be cited and this will enable the
candidate to indicate the gaps in the knowledge and justifies the need for the proposed study.
Thus, the candidate should convince the reader that we should not be (completely) satisfied with
the existing knowledge on the topic and that his/her research will fill some important or
interesting gap or address some important limitations or deficiencies.

1
Under this section, the candidate should write a paragraph but preferably two so that he/she does
not delay stating the research problem. The background to the study should also address the
following questions:
 What has been said about your topic or object of inquiry previously, or which studies of
interest have been done to UNDERSTAND the object of inquiry?
 What are the chief approaches to it?
 What has been overlooked by these studies? / What are the deficiencies of previous
research and the consequences of these deficiencies which your research seeks to
address?
 In what way(s) is the current state of knowledge lacking / limited / in need of extending?
 Why is there a need to do more in the area?

The candidate may indicate the gap by any of the following:

 Stating the knowledge gap(s) using positive assertion which gives direction for further
research;
 thesis statement or argument;
 disparities between what is known and what should be known;
 areas of concern;
 lines of arguments to advance current knowledge

Candidates should AVOID the following in indicating the knowledge gap:

 Negative assertions; statements that imply that little, few or not much has been done in
the area. Statements of this sort are usually taken as indications that the candidate is not
familiar with the literature.
 Asserting a lack of knowledge or research on the phenomenon without any justification
or grounding.

Sample background to the study based on the topic: Factors influencing levels of technology
uptake in low-income earning villages in South Africa
Clark, Bosanac and Sivamani (2018) estimate that about 6 billion people have access to mobile phone worldwide
and that out of this figure about a third of the population is based in local areas. Leng, Talib and Gunardi (2018) on
the other hand notes high levels of uptake of technology is experienced with big businesses operating in large towns

2
and cities across the world while the local areas are lagging. Research has been undertaken by various scholars
(Kumar, Ferdous, Luque-Ayala, 2019; You, et.al., 2019) on technology use in South African villages but none was
specific on what contributes to the low levels of technological uptake. [In this case, it is recommended that studies
on technology use in South African villages be presented to show that studies on what contributes to the low levels
of technological uptake are non-existence].

1.3 Problem statement or statement of the problem

A problem statement is a short, clear explanation of the issue to be researched. It is the heart of
the research and must show the urgency why the study has to be conducted. A problem is used in
research work as a claim that outlines the problem addressed by a study in a single paragraph.
The problem statement is the most central tool researchers have invented to understand the
practicalities of the object of inquiry. This section is about the real problem that the research
wants to focus on and the specific area of problem location and localisation. The candidate
should avoid giving the ‘SYMPTOMS’ of the problem but must give the REAL PROBLEM(s)
of the research.

Reference should be made to the problem that has been detected and needs a theoretical and
practical solution, the nature of the problem and it is known or estimated magnitude or extent
should be clearly stated where practically possible. The candidate should tell the reader about the
problem itself and the potential consequences of the problem and not impose the problem.
Candidates should rely on the use of facts like statistical information or citations and quotations
from known authors in the author’s field of research in a brief, specific and concise manner.
Such facts may be used to highlight the magnitude or extent of the problem. Thus, this section
should bring out verifiable evidence that a problem exists and if it is not addressed then a certain
population or community will suffer.

In analysing problem statements, most research proposal evaluators (the supervisors included)
pay close attention to this section by asking the simple question: “what and where the problem
is?” and what is the consequences of not solving the problem? (In case the problem is not solved,
who is most affected?). This section should therefore bring out what the problem is and provide
verifiable evidence of its existence in a given context.

3
NOTE: The PROBLEM STATEMENT begins with the problem itself followed by statements
pointing to the existence of the problem while the STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM begins
with statements pointing to the existence of the problem or practical realities and defines the
problem afterwards.

Example of a statement of the problem:

South African local-based businesses do not have immediate access to the physical money banking system as they
have located kilometers away (PRACTICAL REALITIES) and Porter (2011) suggests that for businesses including
these local South African businesses to achieve and sustain superior performance, they must be able to implement
competitively superior systems. Budree and Williams (2013) and Namada (2018) further concluded in their studies
that South African villages with low-income earners experienced low uptake of technological advancement and
businesses in these locations are not keen on leveraging on technology. If the low levels of technology uptake
remain unchanged within the low-income earners in South African villages, Fombad (2018) while studying
knowledge management of poverty eradication, a South African perspective, concludes that there will be a stagnant
growth in the quality of life and more so on the development index of areas which in turn is reflected on the overall
performance of the country’s GDP. This research, therefore, investigates the factors influencing levels of technology
uptake in low-income earning villages in South Africa.

NOTE: It is clear where the problem is and what the problem is as depicted by the above paragraph. From the
statements, the problem is “low uptake of technological advancements” (WHAT THE PROBLEM IS?) and this is
localised or experienced in “South African low income earning villages” (WHERE THE PROBLEM IS?). The
CONSEQUENCE of this problem is “stagnant growth in the quality of life”. The last sentence in the statement of
the problem (which is easily forgotten by most researchers/candidates) depicts what the research intends to achieve
when the whole research process is completed. Thus, it can be concluded that the problem statement or statement of
the problem should constitute the following five (5) elements:
 Practical realities
 What the problem is?
 Where the problem is?

 What is the consequence of this problem?

 What is the intended output of the research?

1.4 Main research question

This is a single and broad research question of the study. The main research question is drawn to
reflect the nature of the research problem under study; hence, it should be presented immediately

4
after the problem statement/statement of the problem section. A good main research question
forms the backbone of good research, which in turn is vital in giving insight into a problem. It
should be as complete as possible. Furthermore, good research needs a thorough literature search
and deep insight into the specific area/problem to be investigated. The following are the major
characteristics of a good main research question:
 Distinctive: A question that approaches an old problem in a refreshingly new way, or
proposes a surprising angle of analysis on a dilemma is likely to hold the interest of the
supervisor or proposal evaluator.
 Framed as a paradox: The research question should show that the research will fill in a
provocative piece of the puzzle and make clear a much-needed broader understanding.

The purpose of the main research question is as follows:

 To keep the study focused by tying together the topic, background to the study and
statement of the problem; thus there should be a link between these four (4) elements:
Topic, Background to the study, Problem statement/statement of the problem and Main
research question. These elements should be tightly aligned and intricately interwoven.
 To answer or address the problem of the study.
 To explore an existing uncertainty in an area of concern and points to a need for
deliberate investigation.
 Help support a focused arguable dissertation and construction of a logical argument.
 Define the nature of research [descriptive, exploratory and explanatory], research
philosophy [Positivism, interpretivism, critical realism, pragmatism and critical theory]
and methodology [Quantitative, qualitative, mixed method] to be adopted.
 Guides data collection and analysis.
 Sets the context of the study.

NOTE: The main research question should cover the object of inquiry and the scope/context of
the study and it must be philosophical; that is, it must have the WHAT, HOW or WHY
question.

Sample main research question:

5
Why does low income earning villages in South Africa experience low uptake of technological
advancements?

1.4.1 Research sub-questions

Research sub-questions are narrower questions meant to provide the ‘frame’ around which data
to answer the main research question can be discovered. They make theoretical assumptions
more explicitly and tell the researcher what to know most [what to look]. Good research sub-
questions should be 'open' questions; they cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer.
Candidates should keep research questions close to the research topic or research context. In
qualitative research, candidates should make use of the ‘what and how” since these words
specify whether the study: discovers, seeks to understand, explores or describes the experiences.
In addition, candidates should use non-directional wording in the question.
NOTE: Research sub-questions should be asked in a logical sequence and the study should have
a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 questions.

1.5 Research objectives/Research hypotheses

Research objectives are statements of what the researcher intends to do to find the answer to the
research question. They spell out what the candidate hopes to achieve by carrying out the
proposed study. It should include words to indicate the intent of the study. Therefore, research
objectives should be aligned to the research sub-questions of the study. Research objectives
should be worded using action-words (VERBS) that are oriented towards an OUTCOME; be
presented briefly and concisely; be presented in logical sequence; be realistic (e.g., achieved
within the expected timeframe, achieved within the available resources); be phrased in
operational terms (i.e., in a way that brings the scientific world closer to its knowledge
improvement objectives); use action verbs that are specific enough to be evaluated or measured
(e.g., assess, determine, design, develop, establish, compare, review, identify, consolidate, verify,
calculate, describe, formulate); and be static once the study work begins (i.e., objectives should
not be moving targets)
NOTE: Research objectives are MANDATORY in qualitative research.

6
The hypothesis is a formal statement that presents the expected relationship between an
independent and dependent variable. It can be defined as a tentative explanation of the research
problem, a possible outcome of the research, or an educated guess about the research outcome. It
is a statement or explanation that is suggested by knowledge or observation but has not, yet, been
proved or disproved. Three basic aspects important in the hypothesis are the difference that we
are trying to find out, the relationship, and the interactions. In a relationship, we are trying to
understand a statistically significant relationship that means the difference in result did not occur
by chance but due to statistical reasons. It means the results are statistically significant.
NOTE: Research hypotheses are MANDATORY for Quantitative research while mixed methods
research can use either research objectives or research hypotheses.

1.6 Expected contributions of the study

Generally, any scientific research is expected to accomplish two purposes: contributing to
scientific knowledge (theory) and solving everyday problems (practice). These two purposes
define the originality of research. A research proposal with no meaningful contributions to theory
and practice may be rejected.

1.6.1 Theoretical contributions

A research proposal with poor theoretical contributions or no theoretical contributions at all lacks
originality. The most asked question in the scholarly community is “What is your theoretical
contribution and will your study make a significant contribution to the existing body of
knowledge?” In this subsection, it is important to specify which particular literature the
dissertation contributes to and how; how will the study expand or modify the existing theory.
What new knowledge will be gained by the research area from your study? Which theory or
theories exactly are impacted by this research?

NOTE: Theoretical contributions should emanate from research gaps identified from the
literature they should be supported by literature to make them realistic.

1.6.2 Practical contributions

7
Regarding practice, researchers should be precise in specifying which particular targets/
populations/ institutions/ communities will benefit from their findings. The most asked question
is “What improvements are we likely to see from the introduction of your solution”; will the
findings of the study likely change the practice of organisations/institutions/communities in this
area?

NOTE: Practical contributions address practice gaps identified in the statement of the problem/
problem statement section.

1.7 Assumptions of the study

Every scientific inquiry inevitably takes many things for granted; this makes what is commonly
referred to as assumptions (Siddiqui, 2019). Although the need to prove that the assumptions are
true might be of minimum value, assumptions must be supported to make them valid. Hansen
and Kræmmergard (2014) suggested that the chain of assumptions in a study should include the
following: general methodological assumptions; theoretical assumptions; topic-specific
assumptions; and assumptions about measures (research instruments) to be used in the study.

1.8 Delimitations of the study

Delimitations are in essence the limitations consciously set by the researchers themselves. They
are concerned with the definitions that the researchers decided to set as the boundaries or limits
of their research so that the study’s aims and objectives do not become impossible to achieve. In
this respect, it can be argued that delimitations are in the researcher’s control. Thus, delimitations
are mainly concerned with the study’s theoretical/conceptual elements, objectives, research
questions, variables under study, geographical location/setting in which the study will be
conducted, population characteristics and study sample.

NOTE: Do not mistake delimitations to limitations; the latter (limitations) will be covered in the
dissertation guide.

8
1.9 Preliminary literature review
In a proposal, the literature review is generally brief and to the point. The literature selected
should be relevant. The preliminary literature review provides a summary of previous related
research on the research problem and their strength and weakness and a justification of your
research in one or one and a half pages. It should show where the research fits into the existing
body of knowledge and demonstrates the originality of the proposed research. The preliminary
literature should answer the following questions:
 What is known/what has been done by others in the area/s under investigation?
 And, why your research is still necessary?

1.10 Theoretical or conceptual framework/model

The theoretical or conceptual framework is the foundation from which all knowledge is
constructed (metaphorically and literally) for a research study. The theoretical or conceptual
framework/model is the ‘blueprint’ for the entire dissertation inquiry. It must be identified at the
inception of dissertation work so that it aligns with the research sub-questions of the study.
Without a theoretical or conceptual framework/model, the structure and vision for a study are
unclear, much like a house that cannot be constructed without a blueprint. The explicit
identification and inclusion of a theoretical or conceptual framework/model is a necessity of
sound research. Therefore, a research study must be grounded in either a theoretical or
conceptual framework/model.

Theoretical framework/model
A theoretical framework is adopted/ adapted from a pre-existing theory or theoretical
perspective. According to Imenda (2014),
“A theoretical framework refers to the theory that a researcher chooses to guide him/her in his/her research.
Thus, a theoretical framework is the application of a theory or a set of concepts drawn from the same
theory, to offer an explanation of an event, or shed some light on a particular phenomenon or research
problem” (p.5).
It has a wider application; beyond the current research problem and context. It can be applied as
a whole or in part to help the researcher see the main variables and concepts/constructs in a given
study. Also, it guides the researcher in the collection, interpretation and explanation of the data.

9
Conceptual framework/model
On the other hand, “a researcher may opine that his/her research problem cannot meaningfully be
researched about only one theory or concepts resident within one theory. In such cases, the
researcher may have to ‘synthesise’ the existing views in the literature concerning a given
situation –both theoretical and from empirical findings” (Imenda, 2014, p.5). It is developed by
the researcher from a variety of conceptual or theoretical perspectives. The sources of a
conceptual framework/model are as follows: experience, literature and theory. A conceptual
framework or model should be presented graphically with accompanying narratives to enhance
conceptualisation. Thus, a conceptual framework is derived from concepts, in so far as a
theoretical framework is derived from a theory.

1.11 Research philosophy and methodology

This section should consist of several paragraphs each justifying the choice of the following
items in the order listed:
 Research philosophy (Positivism, Interpretivism, Critical Realism, Pragmatism and
Critical theory)
 Research Methodology (Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed methods)
 Research strategy/design (case study, survey, experimental, action research,
histories/archival analysis)
 Target population (sampling frame), sampling techniques (probability or non-probability)
 Research methods (interviews, questionnaires, document analysis, observations and
Focus Group Discussions (FGDs))
 Data collection procedure (describe a step-by-step procedure to be followed in collecting
data)
 Data analysis procedure (quantitative: descriptive and inferential statistics; qualitative
analysis: pattern matching and explanation building; data display and analysis; template
analysis; analytic induction; grounded theory; discourse analysis; and narrative analysis,
etc.)

10
NOTE: Candidates who intend to develop models, frameworks and strategies should justify the
validation technique (Delphi technique-Qualitative/quantitative validation; Expert review-
Qualitative/quantitative validation; Focus Groups Discussion-Qualitative validation; and

Structural Equation Modelling (SEM)-Quantitative validation)

1.11.1 Mapping research questions, objectives/hypotheses and methodology

The candidate is expected to complete the following table.

11
Table 1: Mapping research questions, research objectives and methodology [this table serves as a work plan]
Main research question:
Research sub-question Strategies/Methods Participants/unit of analysis Research objectives/hypotheses Data analysis technique
Research question 1 
Research question 2
Research question 3
Research question 4
Research question 5

12
1.2 Definition of key terms
The candidate should provide comprehensive definitions of key terms to be used in the study.
Use consistent terms with consistent meanings throughout your dissertation, so it is easy for the
reader to see the connections. Avoid using several different terms for the same thing or the
reader may become confused, thinking you are writing about different things. It is also crucial to
avoid changing the meaning of a term part-way through your dissertation/thesis.

References
List papers and publications you have already cited in your proposal using APA citation and
referencing style (for more details see “A guide to APA referencing – 6th edition, 2015”).
NOTE: Insert all in-text citations and references using Mendeley for tracking purposes. Practical
guidance on how to manage references using the software Mendeley is provided as a separate
document.

Document formatting
Supervisors and supervisees should pay attention to the following formatting:
 Font type: Times New Roman throughout the document
 Font size: 14-point for Heading 1 and Heading 2; 12-point for Heading 3 and the rest of
Headings and the text; 10-point for text in Tables and Table names, Figures and Figure
names
 Section headings: Sections headings should be left-aligned, bold and numbered. The
numbering should be the same as given on your contents page. Make sure you are
consistent in your numbering of headings and subheadings.
 Paragraphs alignment: align all paragraphs to justify
 Saving the document: Save the document with the following format;
name_surname_registration number, for example, John_Smith_Rxxxxxxxx. NB: The
document should be in .rtf or .doc format.
 Spacing: set spacing to 1.5 between the Heading/subheading and the first line of the
paragraph; 1.5 line spacing (within the paragraph); ‘cursor’ spacing between paragraphs.

13
 Margins: Top-2.54 cm, Bottom-2.54 cm, Right-2.54 cm, Left-2.54 cm, Gutter -0 cm,
Gutter position-Left.
 Page numbering: No numbering of the cover page; preliminary pages should be
numbered in Roman numerals, the bottom of page plain number 2.

14
Research proposal cover page

[Insert research title using sentence case]

Name (Reg Number)

15
[Insert research title using sentence case]

By
Name (Reg Number)
Research proposal

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of

Mcomm Information Systems Management

Department of Information and Marketing Sciences

in the

Faculty of Busuness Sciences

at the

Midlands State University

Gweru

[Insert Month and year]

Supervisor: [Insert the title and name of the supervisor]

16