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Practical Research 11th edition

Paul D. Leedy & Jeanne Ellis Ormrod

Chapter 5

Writing the Research Proposal

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

The Research Proposal

• Essential to successful research • Includes  Clearly stated problem and subproblems  Hypotheses and/or questions  Precise definitions of terms  Carefully spelled-out limitations and

delimitations  Explanation of the purpose of the study  Specific details about all aspects of data

collection and interpretation

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Characteristics of a Research Proposal

• Straightforward document containing only necessary information

• Conventional prose, economy of words, precision of expression

• Clearly organized • Usually follows convention

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Organization of a Quantitative Proposal

• The problem and its setting • Review of related literature • Data and its treatment • Qualifications of the researcher and

team • Study outline • References • Appendices

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Organization of a Qualitative Proposal

• Introduction • Methodology • Findings • Management plan, timeline, feasibility • References • Appendices

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Writing Your Proposal

• Use word processing software • Adhere to guidelines required by the

institution, organization, or funding agency to which you are submitting the proposal

• Focus the first draft on organization and logical thought sequences rather than on exact wording, grammatical correctness, and spelling

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Writing Your Proposal

• Present the research problem at the beginning

• Provide a context for the problem • Convince the reader of the importance of

the project • Assume that your reader(s) know nothing

about your project

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Writing Your Proposal

• Communicate that you have an open mind about what you will find

• Describe your proposed methodology with as much detail and precision as possible

• Describe where any pre-existing data are located and how you plan to obtain them

• Describe how you will use the data to answer your research problem

• Use appendices wisely

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Revising Your Proposal

• Set the proposal aside for a few days • Make sure that items in bulleted lists

are parallel in structure • Read a printed copy of your first draft • Carefully scrutinize what you have

written, looking for disorganized thoughts, illogical thinking, and inconsistencies in terminology

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Revising Your Proposal

• Look for text that might be clearer • Keep sentences simple and

straightforward • Choose words carefully • Check carefully for errors in grammar,

punctuation, and spelling

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Revising Your Proposal

• Make sure there is a one-to-one correspondence between citations in the text and references

• Consider the feasibility of the project once again

• Read a printed copy again • Seek the feedback of others

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Look For and Correct Weaknesses

• Weaknesses related to the research problem:  Research has unclear purpose  Problem is unimportant  Hypothesis is ill-defined or unsound  Problem is too complex  Problem has limited relevance to the

field

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Look For and Correct Weaknesses

• Weaknesses related to the research design & methodology:  Description of design and method is

vague and/or unfocused  Data inappropriate for the research

problem  Methodology/procedures inappropriate

for the research problem

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Look For and Correct Weaknesses

• Weaknesses related to the research design & methodology:  Appropriate controls lacking or

inadequate  Equipment outdated or inappropriate  Statistical analysis poorly considered

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Look For and Correct Weaknesses

• Weaknesses related to the investigator:  insufficient training or experience for

the proposed research  unfamiliar with the literature relevant

for the proposed research  insufficient time to devote to the project

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Look For and Correct Weaknesses

• Weaknesses related to resources:  institutional setting is unfavorable for

the proposed research  proposed use of equipment, support

staff, or other resources is unrealistic

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Detractions from Proposal Effectiveness

• Look for and correct  Vague statement of the problem  Incompletely described methodology  General and cursory treatment of each

subproblem  Phrasing of the proposal is not useful for

evaluation

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

Detractions from Proposal Effectiveness

• Look for and correct  Deviation of the format of the proposal

from institutional guidelines  Failure to include cited sources  Incompletely or incorrectly cited sources

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

For a Proposal to a Funding Agency

• Look for and correct if  The problem does not address the

research area outlined by the funding agency  The proposal is too ambitious for the

grant money available  Items included in the budget are

disallowed by the terms of the grant

Practical Research: Planning & Design, 11th Edition Leedy & Ormrod

For a Proposal to a Funding Agency

• Look for and correct if  A clear and explicit statement is lacking;

the summary of the estimated costs is ambiguous and indefinite.  There is an unclear explanation of the

relationship of the study to the purpose for which the grant is awarded

Slide Number 1
The Research Proposal
Characteristics of a Research Proposal
Organization of a Quantitative Proposal
Organization of a Qualitative Proposal
Writing Your Proposal
Writing Your Proposal
Writing Your Proposal
Revising Your Proposal
Revising Your Proposal
Revising Your Proposal
Look For and Correct Weaknesses
Look For and Correct Weaknesses
Look For and Correct Weaknesses
Look For and Correct Weaknesses
Look For and Correct Weaknesses
Detractions from Proposal Effectiveness
Detractions from Proposal Effectiveness
For a Proposal to a Funding Agency
For a Proposal to a Funding Agency