ELEMENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Module 1

Week 2

Supplement 3

Elements of a Research Proposal

Guidelines for Writing a Research ProposalSee McMillan pages 234-242

Week 2 Pre-Class Assignment (see Moodle)

Adapted by P. Soneral from T. DeGolier, Bethel University

Goals and Objectives

On completion of this exercise you will be able to:

1. List and describe the structure of a research proposal

2. Analyze the elements of a research proposal

Writing a Research Proposal

• Title• Background and Significance (the question, why this

question)• Experimental Design and Methods

• Experimental Logic• Proposed Statistical Treatment

• Itemized Budget• Literature Cited

Title

• Informative• Specific: focus• Concise• Considers audience

Examples of good and bad titles

Good

Negative Impact of Alcohol on Cardiovascular Neurobiology

DNA Replication Control and Its Application to Selective Killing of Cancer Cells

Bad

Will Public Health Authorities Be Ready When and If the Horrors of Bioterrorism Unfold in Their Cities?

Public Health and Bioterrorism

Background and Significance: The question and why this question?• Orient the reader by summarizing pertinent literature in

your field• General to specific• Know your audience• Citations

• Explain the rationale for your study• What contribution to the field does your own study

make?

• State your objectives and experimental logic

Experimental Logic

• H0 (null hypothesis)• A hypothesis formulated to be rejected

Clearly state your hypothesis and predictions

Experimental Design and Methods

Include enough information that your study can be executed by the reader

• Specimen and specimen acquisition• Equipment/sampling devices• Chemicals

Experimental Design and Methods

• Describe procedures• consider audience

• Cite methods • Field studies

• where and when the work will be carried out

• Organize your methods logically• subheadings are okay!

• Use specific, informative language• Use future voice• Omit unnecessary information

• use only what is practical to understanding results

Experimental Design and Methods

Proposed Statistical Treatment

Choose the correct test

Itemized Budget• Include salary of all personnel• Identify suppliers and quantities• Give a breakdown of exactly what you will need (use a table)• Quantity• Vendor• Item #• Description• Cost per unit• Total cost

Literature Cited

• ~15 references minimum• CSE (LSE) Style: name-year

• McMillan Ch. 6• Alphabetically• Electronic sources

Length

• 5-10 page minimum• Well articulated

• Subject-verb agreement• Spell check• Cohesive paragraphs

Meet deadlines and requirements

Failure to do so often suggests to the funding agency that you are incapable of adequate planning and a professional approach = automatic rejection of funds.

Results• A research proposal is missing a results section. There is

no analysis and interpretation of results.

• Instead: propose and justify your research plans