Research Proposal

How to Write Research Proposal

Each of you (students) will have to prepare a Proposal giving details of the proposed topic
/study you want to work on.
A written statement (document)/work plan, prospectus, outline, draft plan of the research
design that includes:
 a statement explaining the purpose of the study,
 a definition of the problem
 detailed outline of procedures associated with a particular methodology.
A research proposal is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed research.
A research proposal
 is used as a planning tool and as a contract between consultant (outside research
supplier) and the management.
 is just like a research report, but it is written before the research project begins.
The proposal is, in effect, an intellectual scholastic (not legal) contract between you and
School of Business.
Why You Prepare the Research Proposal
 To convince the supervisor and others that your are capable of successfully
conducting the proposed research project. So, make sure that the project proposal is
well written and organized, and carefully planned.
The Research Proposal
A proposal for quantitative research usually contains:
 Brief introduction of the topic
 Statement of the problems
 Literature review
 Objectives of the study
 Methodology of the study
 Scope of the study
 Limitations of the study
 Plan of the study
 Bibliography/references
It lacks results, discussion, and conclusions section.

Brief Introduction of the Topic/Study

1.1 Title of the Study
1.2Background/Rationale/Importance/Justification of the Study
This section creates a perspective for looking at the problem. It points out how your study
relates to the larger issues and uses a persuasive rationale to justify the reason for your
study. It makes the purpose worth pursuing. The significance of the study answers the
questions:
  Why is your study important?
 To whom is it important?
 What benefit(s) will occur if your study is done?
1.3 Profile of the Organization or Business Establishment
 Brief description of the organization where the study is based or where you are
conducting your study. What type of business the organization is engaged in? Try to
highlight briefly the points/issues/profiles which are relevant for your study.
Statement of the Problems
 The focal point of your research. It is just one sentence (with several paragraphs of
elaboration).
 You are looking for something wrong.
....or something that needs close attention
....or existing methods that no longer seem to be working.

Statement of the Problems

 Example of a problem statement:
"The frequency of job layoffs is creating fear, anxiety, and a loss of productivity in middle
management workers."
 While the problem statement itself is just one sentence, it is always accompanied by
several paragraphs that elaborate on the problem.
Guidelines for Problem Statements
 Present persuasive arguments why the problem is important enough to study.
 Include the opinions of others (politicians, futurists, other professionals).
 Explain how the problem relates to business, social or political trends by presenting
data that demonstrates the scope and depth of the problem.
 Try to give dramatic and concrete illustrations of the problem. After writing this
section, make sure you can easily identify the single sentence that is the problem
statement.
Literature Review
 A literature (text) review is the process of reading, analyzing, evaluating, and
summarizing scholarly materials found in the literature (article, text book, etc.)
related to your topic.
Goals of Literature Review
 To demonstrate a familiarity with a body of knowledge and establish credibility.
 To know the path of prior research and how a current research project is linked to it.
 To outline flaws/gaps in previous research.
 To help refine, refocus or even change the topic.
  To identify the variables.
 To help in developing theoretical framework.
 To formulate hypothesis.
Objectives of the Study
These are the purposes or aims of your study which you expect to achieve or attain at the
end of your study.
 Broad/General/Main/Prime/Primary Objective (1 or 2 statements only)
 Specific/Secondary Objectives (should harmonize or consistent with the statement of
the problems/main objective)
Methodology of the Study
 Research design (type of research to be carried out; e.g. exploratory or descriptive
 Sources of data (primary or secondary)
 Sampling: design and procedures (if descriptive or survey based research) including
the definition of target population, sampling frame, sampling techniques, sample
size, sampling process
 Techniques of data collection (observation, mail questionnaire, interview schedule,
telephone interview, FGD, etc.)
 Data processing (editing, coding etc.)
 Data analysis with statistical tools (descriptive and or inferential), use of tables,
graphs, etc.
Scope of the Study
Write a paragraph on the coverage of the study in terms of :
 location/area
 organization
 respondents
 duration/time frame
 data/information to be gathered, variables, etc.
Limitations of the Study
State which are not to be included in the study in order to clarify and pre-empt expectations
because of time, resource or other constraints.
Plan (Chapter/Structure) of the Study
 To highlight the main issues, divide the whole research work to be carried out into
the convenient but standard chapters.
 The lists of activities to be undertaken at the start and completion of the report with
their corresponding dates/duration and budget may be mentioned.
Bibliography/References
 List the references at the end of a text, whether cited or not in alphabetical order.
 Include texts you made use of, not only texts you referred to in your paper, but your
own additional background reading, and any other articles you think the reader
might need as background reading.
Budget and Time Schedule
 A schedule or statement of how long the research will take to conduct each stage
and how much will the study cost for each item.
Cover Page of Proposal
The cover page should show:
 the title
 the student’s name and student ID number
 the name of the University
 the name of the degree sought
 the name of the project guide/supervisor
 the date of submission.

Research Project Proposal

on
Women’s Empowerment through Rural Development Scheme of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited
Prepared by:
Nazmul Alam
ID # 071-71-812-096
Commonwealth Executive MBA/MPA Programme
School of Business
Bangladesh Open University
Contact Number: 01012 000000

Supervised by:
Dr. Md. Serazul Islam
Associate Professor
School of Business, BOU, Gazipur
Contact Number: 01712 937189
Submitted through:

Dr. Md. Serazul Islam

Coordinator, CEMBA/CEMPA Programme
Dhaka Study Center, BOU
General Considerations
 The Proposal should not be of more than 10 pages. The proposal is written in the
present or future tense, whereas the final study normally uses past tense because it
describes completed research.
 In the proposal, you might say something like "the researcher will secure the sample
from ...", while in the final paper, it would be changed to "the researcher secured the
sample from ...". Once again, with the exception of tense, the proposal becomes the
first three chapters of the final research paper.
 Avoid the use of first person pronouns. Refer to yourself in third person.
Instead of saying "I will ..." or "We will ...", say something like "The researcher will ..."
Basic Points Addressed by Research Proposal
Research Proposal
 A written statement of the research design that includes a statement explaining the
purpose of the study
 Detailed outline of procedures associated with a particular methodology
Basic Questions - Problem Definition
 What is the purpose of the study?
 How much is already known?
 Is additional background information necessary?
 What is to be measured? How?
 Can the data be made available?
 Should research be conducted?
 Can a hypothesis be formulated?
Basic Questions - Basic Research Design
 What types of questions need to be answered?
 Are descriptive or causal findings required?
 What is the source of the data?
 Can objective answers be obtained by asking people?
 How quickly is the information needed?
 How should survey questions be worded?
 How should experimental manipulations be made?

Basic Questions -Selection of Sample

 Who or what is the source of the data?
 Can the target population be identified?
 Is a sample necessary?
 How accurate must the sample be?
 Is a probability sample necessary?
 Is a national sample necessary?
 How large a sample is necessary?
 How will the sample be selected?
Basic Questions - Data Gathering
 Who will gather the data?
 How long will data gathering take?
 How much supervision is needed?
 What operational procedures need to be followed?

Basic Questions - Data Analysis

 Will standardized editing and coding procedures be used?
 How will the data be categorized?
 What statistical software will be used?
 What is the nature of the data?
 What questions need to be answered?
 How many variables are to be investigated simultaneously?
 Performance criteria for evaluation?

Basic Questions - Type of Report

 Who will read the report?
 Are managerial recommendations requested?
 How many presentations are required?
 What will be the format of the written report?

Basic Questions - Overall Evaluation

 How much will the study cost?
 Is the time frame acceptable?
 Is outside help needed?
 Will this research design attain the stated research objectives?
 When should the research be scheduled to begin?

Anticipating Outcomes
 Dummy tables
 Representations of the actual tables that will be in the findings section of the final
report; used to gain a better understanding of what the actual outcomes of the
research will be.