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    Research Proposal

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    ramesh
    This document provides guidance on writing an effective research proposal for postgraduate students. It discusses key elements such as defining the research problem, identifying gaps in existing research, developing research objectives and questions, conducting a thorough literature review, and determining an appropriate methodology. The literature review should synthesize available research on the topic and critically evaluate prior works. It is important to justify how the research problem will address gaps and be investigated within time and resource constraints. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies are explored, with their differing epistemological stances and approaches to data collection. Overall, the document offers a framework to structure a strong proposal that demonstrates understanding of the field and potential for independent research.

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    Research Proposal

    Uploaded by

    ramesh
    100 views27 pages
    This document provides guidance on writing an effective research proposal for postgraduate students. It discusses key elements such as defining the research problem, identifying gaps in existing research, developing research objectives and questions, conducting a thorough literature review, and determining an appropriate methodology. The literature review should synthesize available research on the topic and critically evaluate prior works. It is important to justify how the research problem will address gaps and be investigated within time and resource constraints. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies are explored, with their differing epistemological stances and approaches to data collection. Overall, the document offers a framework to structure a strong proposal that demonstrates understanding of the field and potential for independent research.

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    This document provides guidance on writing an effective research proposal for postgraduate students. It discusses key elements such as defining the research problem, identifying gaps in existing research, developing research objectives and questions, conducting a thorough literature review, and determining an appropriate methodology. The literature review should synthesize available research on the topic and critically evaluate prior works. It is important to justify how the research problem will address gaps and be investigated within time and resource constraints. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies are explored, with their differing epistemological stances and approaches to data collection. Overall, the document offers a framework to structure a strong proposal that demonstrates understanding of the field and potential for independent research.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    100 views27 pages

    Research Proposal

    Uploaded by

    ramesh
    This document provides guidance on writing an effective research proposal for postgraduate students. It discusses key elements such as defining the research problem, identifying gaps in existing research, developing research objectives and questions, conducting a thorough literature review, and determining an appropriate methodology. The literature review should synthesize available research on the topic and critically evaluate prior works. It is important to justify how the research problem will address gaps and be investigated within time and resource constraints. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies are explored, with their differing epistemological stances and approaches to data collection. Overall, the document offers a framework to structure a strong proposal that demonstrates understanding of the field and potential for independent research.

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    PROPOSAL

    DEFENSE MECHANISM FOR


    POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS:
    WRITING AN EFFECTIVE RESEARCH PROPOSAL
    DR. FARIZA KHALID
    FACULTY OF EDUCATION, UKM
    fariza.khalid@ukm.edu.my
    website: farizakhalid.com

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    RESEARCH PROBLEM

    ‘A well defined and a


    structured research
    problem is the heart of
    the research project’

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    RESEARCH GAP

    - Gaps in the research where you can


    suggest ways forward or theories of your
    own.
    - Areas where the research is incomplete.

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    RESEARCH GAP

    Identifying gaps in the


    literature shows that you
    understand the topic and
    suggesting new work, shows
    you have the potential for
    further study and
    independent research.

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    HOW TO BUILD RESEARCH PROBLEM & GAP?
    Identify a ‘Practical Problem’
    e.g.:

    ‘Let’s take the example of Safe Driving Habits in Sri Lanka. This is
    because, some drivers consume liquor before driving, they don’t
    know how to park even though a separate parking slot has
    been given, they use to throw trash out of the car window, some
    do not obey driving rules, traffic lights etc.’

    * Having a puzzle you can simply convert the scenario into a research problem

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    HOW TO BUILD RESEARCH PROBLEM & GAP?
    Form a ‘Research Gap’
    (now you need to have ‘practical problem’ and contradiction in
    literature’)

    e.g.: “Current global economic crisis seems to be especially hard for large
    companies. Therefore, SMEs are facing strong expectations for their role to be
    key players when economies will be recovering from the present global
    recession. Previous research has also widely investigated the firms’
    characteristics creating profitability. However, the results obtained are
    inconclusive or even contradictory. Consequently, many researchers have
    concluded that more research is needed in that area” (Soininen et al., 2012, p.
    614)
    * inconclusive or even contradictory with regard to the characteristics creating
    profitability in SMEs research support fk /2016 7
    Another example of problem statement
    One process, however, that has been neglected in second language
    research is that of vocabulary building (Carter, 1987; Levenston, 1979;
    Meara, 1980, 1983). It is true that a number of significant studies have
    recently been done on how second language learners infer word
    meanings from context (Faerch, Haastrup and Phillipson, 1984), but the
    question of how those inferences help towards building up a native-like
    vocabulary has rarely been considered. Consequently, we have little
    basis, other than our own experience of what works, from which to
    develop an approach to the teaching and learning of words.

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    RESEARCH OBJECTIVES/QUESTIONS

    1.  Is the research question something I/others care


    about? Is it arguable?
    2.  Is the research question a new spin on an old
    idea, or does it solve a problem?
    3.  Is it too broad or too narrow?
    4.  Is the research question researchable within the
    given time frame and location?

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    LITERATURE REVIEW

    - Extensive reference to related research and


    theory in your field

    -  It is where you identify the theories and


    previous research (which have influenced
    your choice of research topic and the
    methodology your are choosing to adopt)

    - 

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    PURPOSES OF DOING LR

    -  Identify the field and context of your research

    -  identify the approach to the research and the methodology

    -  identify types of data needed

    -  gain a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the field

    -  avoid duplicating previous work (ensure the originality of your work – an


    essential prerequisite for PhD research!)

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    Developing Specifying title
    categories & and section
    themes for the headings for the
    Identifying theories, Writing and
    reading LR
    terminology, revisiting drafts
    concepts, policy and of your review
    methodology

    Exploring ideas
    around the
    THE LITERATURE Developing argument:
    Idenitfying source texts to
    support each step in you
    topic REVIEW PROCESS argument

    Locating
    Justifying research
    previous
    problem or issue to
    research in the
    Formulating Note taking, be investigated
    area
    research summaries,
    questions informal writing

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    A ‘good’ literature review….. A ‘poor’ literature review is…..
    ….. is a synthesis of available research …..an annotated bibliography
    ….. is a critical evaluation ….. confined to description
    ….. has appropriate breadth and depth ….. narrow and shallow
    ….. has clarity and conciseness ….. confusing and longwinded
    ….. uses rigorous and consistent methods ….. constructed in an arbitrary way

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    METHODOLOGY

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    METHODOLOGY
    Considerations prior to identifying research methodology:

    Your epistemological Type of data to answer


    stance your research questions

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    EPISTIMOLOGICAL STANCE
    An epistemological issue concerns the question of what is (or
    should be) regarded as acceptable knowledge in a discipline.

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    Positivism
    Epistemology
    Interpretivism

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    POSITIVISM
    •  Advocates the application of the
    methods of the natural sciences
    to the study of social sciences
    •  The purpose of theory is to
    generate hyphotheses that can
    be tested and that will allow
    explanations of laws to be
    assessed (deductivism)

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    INTERPRETIVISM

    !  Emphasize on the distinctiveness of humans


    as against the natural order (respect the
    differences between people and the
    objects of the natural sciences and
    therefore requires the social scientist to
    grasp the subjective meaning of social
    action)
    !  Multiple realities – what true for you might
    not be true to others

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    COMMON CONTRASTS BETWEEN QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE
    RESEARCH (Bryman, 2004)
    Quantitative Qualitative
    Numbers Words
    Points of view of researcher Points of view of participants
    Researcher distant Researcher close
    Theory testing Theory emergent
    Static Process
    Structured Unstructured
    Generalization Contextual understanding
    Hard, reliable data Rich, deep data
    Macro Micro
    Behaviour Meaning
    Artificial settings Natural settings
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    CHARACTERISTICS OF QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
    (Merriam, 1998)

    Point of comparison Qualitative Quantitative


    Focus of research Quality (nature, essence) Quantity (how much, how many)
    Philosophical roots Phenomenology, interpretivism Positivism, objectivism
    Associated phrases Fieldwork, ethnographic, naturalistic, grounded, Experimental, empirical, statistical
    constructivist
    Goal of investigation Understanding, description, discovery, meaning Prediction, control, description, hypothesis
    testing
    Design characteristics Flexible, emergent, evolving Predetermined, structured
    Sample Small, non-random, purposeful Large, random, representative
    Data collection Researcher as primary instrument, interviews, Inanimate instruments (scales, tests,
    observations, documents surveys, questionnaires)
    Mode of analysis Inductive (by researcher) Deductive (by statistical methods)
    Findings Comprehensive, holistic, expansive , richly descriptive Precise, numerical
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    RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

    -  Participants are determined by you research


    method.

    -  In quantitative research – you need certain


    number of sample that are representative of
    the population

    -  In qualitative research – no certain number


    of participants are required
    * saturation of data

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    RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS

    - Questionnaire

    - Interview

    - Observation

    - Documents

    - Etc

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    QUESTIONS TO GUIDE PROPOSAL DEFENSE:

    1. What is the problem you are studying?


    2. Why is it important?
    3. What results have you achieved so far and why to they
    matter?
    4. How is this substantially different from prior work?
    5. What do you need to do to complete your work?

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    REMEMBER SMART

    S pecific
    M easurable
    A chievable
    R ealistic
    T ime-Bound

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