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VictoriaUniversityofWellington|www.vuw.ac.nz/st_services/slss|+6444635999
WritingaResearchProposal
Reasonsforwritingaresearchproposal
Yourresearchproposal:
givesyouanopportunitytothinkthroughyourprojectcarefully,andclarifyanddefinewhatyou
wanttoresearch
providesyouwithanoutlineandguideyouthroughtheresearchprocess
letsyoursupervisoranddepartmentorfacultyknowwhatyouwouldliketoresearchandhowyou
plantogoaboutit
helpsthedepartmentchooseanappropriatesupervisor
givesyouanopportunitytoreceivefeedbackfromyoursupervisorandothersintheacademic
communityaswellaspossiblefunders
servesasacontractbetweenyouandyoursupervisorandtheuniversity
canbesubmittedtoanethicscommitteetogainethicalapproval
canbesubmittedtoascholarshipcommitteeorotherfundingagency
Developingyourproposal
Theprocessincludes:
choosingatopic
narrowingandfocusingyourtopic
formulatingresearchobjectivesorquestionsandideasforanalysis
outliningthekeyliteratureinthetopicarea
decidingonresearchmethodology,researchdesignandmethods
proposinganapproachtodataanalysis
proposingaformate.g.howmanychaptersandsuggestedchapterheadings
developingatimeline
developingabudgetandresourcesyouwillneed
developingabibliography
Writingaresearchproposalcanbeademanding,frustrating,challengingandtimeconsumingprocessbut
itcanalsobeexciting!
Yourproposaldoesnotpermanentlysetwhatyouwilldo.Itisastartingpointandthroughoutyour
researchyouwillprobablyadjustandchangeyourposition.Youwillbeabletotracethe
developmentofyourideasandmeasuretheprogressyouhavemadebyreferringbacktoyour
proposal.
Suggestedformatofyourresearchproposal
Titlepage:Thisincludesyourname,departmentandsupervisor/s,title:ProposalforThesis,andthesistitle
TableofContents
Abstract:Thisincludesanoutlineofyourproposal,whatyourresearchwillinvolve,researchquestionsor
hypothesis,researchmethodsandhowyouwillanalysethedata.
Background:Thissetsoutwhyyouchoseyourtopicwhatpromptedyourinterestinthetopicthelinks
withpreviousresearchwaysyourthesisisdifferentoruniqueandstatestheresearchobjectives,
questionsorhypothesis.
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VictoriaUniversityofWellington|www.vuw.ac.nz/st_services/slss|+6444635999
Theoreticalframework:Areviewoftherelevantliteratureyouhavereadsofarsetsyourresearchin
context.Itidentifiesthedirectionyouwilltakefromamongthepossibletheoreticaldirections.Includea
bibliographyattheendofyourproposal.
Researchmethodology:Inthissectionidentifythemethodologythatunderpinsyourresearchandgivea
rationaleforyourapproach.Youmayneedtoidentifytheresearchparadigmandepistemologiesthat
underpinyourresearch.Showhowyouhaveusedyourreviewoftheliteraturetoconstructyourown
researchmethodology.
Researchdesignandmethods:Thissectionoutlineshowyouaregoingtogetyourdata.Byreading
widelyyouwillbefamiliarwithmethodologiesfollowedbypreviousresearchersandwillhaveexplored
possibleresearchmethods.Youwillbeawareofproblemsothershaveencounteredandwillbeableto
designyourresearchandadaptmethodsforyourresearch.Outlinethemethodsyouwilluseandproblems
youanticipate.Outlinewhetheryourresearchisqualitativeorquantitative,whetheryouareusing
triangulation,statistics,interviewing,questionnaires,experiments,observationsetc.Ifhumansoranimals
aretobeused,outlinetheethicalconsiderationsandyourapplicationtotheuniversityethicscommittee.
Analysisanddiscussion:Thissectionsuggestswhatyouaregoingtodowiththedata.Outlinetheaims
ofyourresearchagainandideasyouhaveonhowyouaregoingtoanalysethedata.Includeanytoolsfor
analysisyouintendusingortryingout.
Format:Outlinetheformatofyourthesis.Suggesthowmanychaptersyouwillhave,chapterheadingsand
theorderofpresentation.
Timeline:Includeatimelinetoguideyouandkeepyouontrack.Forexample,estimatethetimeneededfor
tasksandassigntasksforeachmonth.
Budgetandresources:Outlinetheresourcesyouneedandproposeabudget.
Bibliography
KatieNimmo,postgraduatestudentatVictoriaUniversity,borrowedananalogy
fromE.R.Doctorowwhocomparedwritinganoveltodrivingacaratnight.
"Youcanonlyseeasfarasyourheadlights,butyoucanmakethewholetripthat
way".Writingaresearchproposal,suggestsKatie,isturningontheheadlights.
References
Morris,Mathews,K.&Nimmo,K.(2001).Writingaresearchproposal.
Postgraduateseminars2001.CopyoftapeavailablefromStudentLearningSupportServices,14Kelburn
Parade
Roundtree,K.&Laing,T.(1996).Writingbydegrees:Apracticalguideto
writingthesesandresearchpapers.Auckland:Longman.