Research Proposal [PDF]

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UNIVERSITY OF KARACHI SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT HOW TO WRITE A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

COURSE INCHARGE: SIR NASIR SULTAN COURSE NAME: SOCIAL RESEARCH (542) SUBMISSION: OCTOBER 22ND, 2019 GROUP MEMBERS: 1. 2. 3. 4.

KOMAL IBRAHIM KIRAN SHEHZADI SYEDA MAHEEN HASHMI YUMNA ANJUM

5. ZAINAB AHMED HUSSAIN 1|Page

CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION:...........................................................................................................................3

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DEFINITIONS OF RESEARCH: ..................................................................................................3

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APPROACHES OF RESEARCHES:.............................................................................................4

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NEED / IMPORTANCE FOR RESEARCH: ................................................................................5

RESEARCH PROPOSAL ...........................................................................................................................6 

DEFINITION: ..................................................................................................................................6

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IMPORTANCE OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL ........................................................................6

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THE SPECIFIC AIM.......................................................................................................................7

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THE STRUCTURE OF RESEARCH PROPOSALS: ..................................................................7

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TYPES OF RESEARCH PROPOSAL: .........................................................................................8

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PROPOSAL HEADINGS:...............................................................................................................9

CONCLUSION ...........................................................................................................................................14 CITATIONS ................................................................................................................................................15

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RESEARCH  INTRODUCTION: Research is defined as a careful consideration of study regarding a concern or a problem using scientific methods. According to the American sociologist Earl Robert Babbie, “Research is a systematic inquiry to describe, explain, predict and control the observed phenomenon. Research involves inductive and deductive methods.” Inductive research methods are used to analyze the observed phenomenon whereas, deductive methods are used to verify the observed phenomenon. Inductive approaches are associated with qualitative research and deductive methods are more commonly associated with quantitative research. Research is a process of investigation. An examination of a subject from different points of view. It’s not just a trip to the library to pick up a stack of materials or picking the first five hits from a computer search. Research is a hunt for the truth. It is getting to know a subject by reading up on it, reflecting, playing with the ideas, choosing the areas that interest you and following up on them. Research is the way you educate yourself. It can be dull if you make it that way. Or, it can be as exciting as ’Dancing with the Stars.’

 DEFINITIONS OF RESEARCH: 1. A broad definition of research is given by Martyn Shuttleworth – “In the broadest sense of the word, the definition of research includes any gathering of data, information and facts for the advancement of knowledge.” 2. Another definition of research is given by Creswell who states that – “Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue”. It consists of three steps: Pose a question, collect data to answer the question, and present an answer to the question.” 3. According to Waltz and Ban sell (1981) – ” Research is a systematic, formal, rigorous and precise process employed to gain solutions to problems or to discover and interpret new facts and relationships.” 4. According to Payton (1979) – “Research is the process of looking for a specific question in an organized, objective, reliable way.”

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 APPROACHES OF RESEARCHES: It is perfectly possible to carry out a worthwhile investigation without having detailed knowledge of the various approaches to or styles of research, but a study of different approaches will give insight into different ways of planning an investigation, and, incidentally will also enhance your understanding of the literature. One of the problems of reading about research reports and reading research reports is the terminology. Researchers use terms and occasionally jargon that may be incomprehensible to other people. It is the same in any field, where a specialized language develops to ease communication among professionals. So, before considering the various stages of planning and conducting investigations, it may be helpful to consider the main features of certain well-established and well-reported styles of research. Different styles, traditions or approaches use different methods of collecting data, but no approach prescribes nor automatically rejects any method. Quantitative researchers collect facts and study the relationship of one set of facts to another. They use techniques that are likely to produce quantified and, if possible, generalizable conclusions. Researchers adopting a qualitative perspective are more concerned to understand individuals’ perceptions of the world. They seek insights rather than statistical perceptions of the world. They doubt whether social ‘facts’ exist and question whether a ‘scientific’ approach can be used when dealing with human beings. Yet there are occasions when qualitative researchers draw on quantitative techniques, and vice versa. Classifying an approach as quantitative or qualitative, ethno-graphic, survey, action research or whatever, does not mean that once an approach has been selected, the researcher may not move from the methods normally associated with that style. Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses, and each is particularly suitable for a context. The approach adopted and the methods of data collection selected will depend on the nature of the inquiry and the type of information required. It is impossible in the space of a few pages to do justice to any of the well-established styles of research, but the following will at least provide a basis for further reading and may give your ideas about approaches you may wish to adopt in your own investigation.

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 NEED / IMPORTANCE FOR RESEARCH: The main importance is to produce knowledge that can be applied outside a research setting. Research also forms the foundation of program development and policies everywhere around the universe. It also solves existing problems of concern. Research is important because we can learn more about things, people, and events. In doing research, we can make smart decisions. he main purpose of research is to inform action, to prove a theory, and contribute to developing knowledge in a field or study. Marketing research is an important part of any business because it allows consumers and producers to become more familiar with the products, goods, and services around them. It is important to society because it allows us to discover more and more that might make our lives easier, more comfortable and safer. Research entails both reading and writing. These two literacy functions help enable computation and comprehension. Without these skills, it is less likely for anyone to appreciate and get involved in research. Reading opens the mind to a vast horizon of knowledge, while writing helps a reader use her/his own perspective and transform this into a more concrete idea that s/he understands. Apart from reading and writing, listening and speaking are also integral in conducting research. Interviews, attending knowledgegenerating events, and casual talks with anyone certainly aid in formulating research topics. They can also facilitate the critical thinking process. Listening to experts discuss the merits of their studies helps the listener to analyze a certain issue and write about such analysis. With the wide array of ideas available, scholars and non-scholars involved in research can share information with a larger audience. Some view this process as ego-boosting, while others see it to stimulate interest and encourage further studies about certain issues or situations. As literacy is integral in improving a person's social and economic mobility and in increasing awareness, research then hones necessary basic life skills and makes learning a life-long endeavor. It presents more information for the investigation. This allows for improvements based on greater information and study. It is very important. It encourages interdisciplinary approaches to find a solution to problems and to make new discoveries. It is a basic ingredient for development and therefore serves as a means for rapid economic development. The main importance is as follows: 

It provides the basis for government policies

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It Helps in solving various operational and planning problems of business and industry

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Research helps in problem-solving

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It is useful to students, professionals, philosophers, literary men, analysts, and intellectuals

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RESEARCH PROPOSAL A research proposal is a relatively brief document that contains an outline plan for a research project. It is produced at the beginning of the research process in advance of any data collection. A well-constructed research proposal offers a blueprint for the research that shows what the part looks like and how they will fit together. It describes what will be done, explains how it will be done, and justifies why the research should be undertaken. A research proposal is an important part of the research process because the success of any project depends on forward planning and organization. A good proposal is based on careful thoughts about the project will be conducted and involves the kind of advance planning that is required if a project is to run smoothly. There is a useful analogy here with house building. No one would seriously consider started working on a house without first having drawn up plans for the building. Without such plans it would be virtually impossible to work out exactly what materials will be required, when they are to be delivered, and hoe they will fit together. The same applies with a research project. Before embarking on a research project, the researcher needs to prepare the groundwork and give careful thought to the practical issues involved at the implementation stage of the research.  DEFINITION: The goal of a research proposal is to present and justify the need to study a research problem and to present the practical ways in which the proposed study should be conducted. The design elements and procedures for conducting the research are governed by standards within the predominant discipline in which the problem resides, so guidelines for research proposals are more exacting and less formal than a general project proposal. Research proposals contain extensive literature reviews. They must provide persuasive evidence that a need exists for the proposed study. In addition to providing a rationale, a proposal describes detailed methodology for conducting the research consistent with requirements of the professional or academic field and a statement on anticipated outcomes and/or benefits derived from the study's completion.

 IMPORTANCE OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL A research proposal describes in detail the research you will do. It describes the problem (or the area of unknown knowledge) you aim to address, why it is important, what others have done in the area, and how you plan to do something unique. In other words, the proposal describes your plan for creating new knowledge. The proposal also describes the activities you will do to earn a graduate degree. Research proposals vary considerably in their length and level of detail. The level of detail can be simplifying a rough sketch of your ideas, a simple and detailed outline of your dissertation, detailed description of your exact experiment, or even preliminary results from a pilot study.

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Proposals are informative and persuasive writing because they attempt to convince the reader to do something. The goal of the student is not only to persuade the reader to do what is being requested, but also to make the reader believe that the solution is practical and appropriate. The proposal must assist with the identification of the following: • 1. The student’s proposed area of research and the originality of that research • 2. Adequate resources for the project (for example, library materials and research expertise) • 3. An appropriate supervisor for the project • 4. The student’s ability to construct and communicate a reasoned piece of writing.

 THE SPECIFIC AIM Preparation of the research should start with the specific aim. The rest of the proposal merely amplifies what is presented there. After reading a well specific aims an experienced reviewer will understand the problem addressed the hypothesis being tested and the feasibility and power of the experimental approach and will have a feeling about their importance. If the specific aim fails to communicate these ideas the reviewer is left frustrated and depressed by the realization that this essential information will have to be forcefully extracted from the depth of the proposal. Failure of the specific aims has a devastating and cascading effect on the review. After struggling with it the reviewer goes to the background and significance section. The review of the literature and discussion here may be pertinent but lost on a reviewer who does not understand what the proposal is about. As reviewers at this point, we usually abandon any attempts to follow a line of logic and turn to the experimental design and methods section to see if we can at least figure out what will be done. The proposal with a poorly written specific aims will surely not receive the priority score it might merit based on its science. The PHS 398 guideline say,” list the broad long-term objectives and what the specific research proposal in this application is intended to accomplish e.g. to test a stated hypothesis create a novel design, solve problems, or develop new technology. One page is recommended.” In fact, the research proposal is the conceptual structure within which research is conducted; it constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement and analysis of data. As such the proposal includes an outline of what the researcher will do from writing the hypothesis and its operational implications to the final analysis of data.  THE STRUCTURE The heading listed below: 

Title

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Keywords

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OF RESEARCH PROPOSALS:

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Aims

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Background

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Literature review

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Research questions

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Methods

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Panning and resources

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Ethnics

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Outcomes

It can be used as the basis for writing a research proposal. They will be recognizable to readers from a wide range of research backgrounds and they provide a sound, generic framework for organizing all the relevant material. However, we need to be a little cautious about treating them like a” one-size fits all” form that can be pulled off the shelf and used in connection with any research proposal in any context. One reason for this is that the kind of detail that is required in a proposal can vary according to the nature of the subject area of research. It is easy to understand that proposals might look slightly different if they are written to suit the nature of research in particular areas especially when those areas are as diverse as business, engineering, medicine, sociology, education, history, languages and so on. Another reason is that various agencies and organization that receive research proposals often produce bespoke forms with their own headings to suit their own purposes. They are at liberty to do so and there is no single body with the authority to enforce the use of one single model of a standard research proposal form. This means that when it comes to writing a research proposal the first thing that a researcher must do is check whether his or her proposal needs to be submitted using a particular form or needs to adhere to specific guidelines provided by the body to which the proposal will be submitted. If so then there is no option but to use the headings and sections as supplied

 TYPES OF RESEARCH PROPOSAL: In all sectors (academe, government, and the private sector), research scientists typically seek and obtain competitive funding for their research projects by writing and submitting research proposals for consideration by the funding source. There are different kinds of research proposals. Each type of proposal, outlined below, may have its own requirements or qualifications. NEW PROPOSAL: A proposal submitted to a sponsor for the first time, or a proposal being resubmitted after having been declined by a potential sponsor. 8|Page

REVISED PROPOSAL: This modifies a proposal that is pending or is otherwise unfunded, but not official declined by the sponsor. If a proposal has been declined, a new proposal must be prepared. SUPPLEMENTAL PROPOSAL: A supplemental asks for an increase in support for a proposal that has already been funded. The requested increase would occur in the current budget period and may involve a broadening of the project's approved scope. Since additional funding is requested, a new budget is required. CONTINUATION PROPOSAL: A continuation applies to a multi-year award. The continuation proposal requests the already approved funds for the next phase (or next year) of the project. Typically, sponsors require a progress report and budget before releasing additional funds. These proposals only apply to project and budget years that were approved by the sponsor in the original award. PRE-PROPOSAL/NOTICE OF INTENT: The purpose of the pre-proposal is to pique the interest of a potential sponsor. It typically does not include a cost estimate and is not expected to result in an award. Interested sponsors will ask for a full proposal. Pre-proposals are usually in the form of a letter of intent or brief abstract. After the preproposal is reviewed, the sponsor notifies the investigator if a full proposal is warranted. SOLICITED: Solicited proposals are those that are written and submitted in response to the issuance of a ‘Request for Proposals’ (RFP), a document that identifies a specific research problem of interest to the funding agency for which they are specifically seeking a solution. Interested investigator then submits a ‘concept’ or ‘white paper’ briefly outlining their proposed solution to the problem. If the funding agency or company is interested, they may then request that the investigator submit a full proposal for consideration of funding. UNSOLICITED: Unsolicited proposals are those proposals that are submitted by an investigator in response to a ‘general call’ for proposals that is issued by a funding agency or company in a field or area of study. RENEWAL OR COMPETING PROPOSALS: Are requests for continued support for an existing project that is about to terminate, and, from the sponsor’s viewpoint, generally have the same status as an unsolicited proposal.  PROPOSAL HEADINGS: To make the proposal clear and easy for the reader to follow, it will need an organizing framework or structure. This section gives a suggested set of headings for writing and presenting the research proposal. As indicated there, a table of contents, following the title page, is important in showing the structure, and in helping readers navigate the proposal. 1. Introduction 2. Background and significance 9|Page

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Literature Review Research design and Methodology Preliminary suppositions and implications Conclusions Citations

1. INTRODUCTION In the real world of higher education, a research proposal is most often written by scholars seeking grant funding for a research project or it's the first step in getting approval to write a doctoral dissertation. Even if this is just a course assignment, treat your introduction as the initial pitch of an idea or a thorough examination of the significance of a research problem. After reading the introduction, your readers should not only understand 1what you want to do, but they should also be able to gain a sense of your passion for the topic and be excited about the study's possible outcomes. Note that most proposals do not include an abstract [summary] before the introduction. Think about your introduction as a narrative written in one to three paragraphs that succinctly answers the following four questions: 

What is the central research problem?

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What is the topic of study related to that problem?

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What methods should be used to analyze the research problem?

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Why is this important research, what is its significance, and why should someone be reading the proposal care about the outcomes of the proposed study?

2. BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE This section can be melded into your introduction or you can create a separate section to help with the organization and narrative flow of your proposal. This is where you explain the context of your proposal and describe in detail why it's important. Approach writing this section with the thought that you can’t assume your readers will know as much about the research problem as you do. Note that this section is not an essay going over everything you have learned about the topic; instead, you must choose what is relevant to help explain the goals for your study. To that end, while there are no hard and fast rules, you should attempt to address some or all of the following key points: 

State the research problem and give a more detailed explanation about the purpose of the study than what you stated in the introduction. This is particularly important if the problem is complex or multifaceted.

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Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing. Answer the "So What? question [i.e., why should anyone care].

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Describe the major issues or problems to be addressed by your research. Be sure to note how your proposed study builds on previous assumptions about the research problem.

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Explain how you plan to go about conducting your research. Clearly identify the key sources you intend to use and explain how they will contribute to your analysis of the topic. Set the boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a clear focus. Where appropriate, state not only what you will study, but what is excluded from the study.

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If necessary, provide definitions of key concepts or terms.

3. LITERATURE REVIEW Connected to the background and significance of your study is a section of your proposal devoted to a more deliberate review and synthesis of prior studies related to the research problem under investigation. The purpose here is to place your project within the larger whole of what is currently being explored, while demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. Think about what questions other researchers have asked, what methods they have used, and what is your understanding of their findings and, where stated, their recommendations. Do not be afraid to challenge the conclusions of prior research. Assess what you believe is missing and state how previous research has failed to adequately examine the issue that your study addresses Since a literature review is information dense, it is crucial that this section is intelligently structured to enable a reader to grasp the key arguments underpinning your study in relation to that of other researchers. A good strategy is to break the literature into "conceptual categories" [themes] rather than systematically describing groups of materials one at a time. Note that conceptual categories generally reveal themselves after you have read most of the pertinent literature on your topic so adding new categories is an on-going process of discovery as you read more studies. How do you know you've covered the key conceptual categories underlying the research literature? Generally, you can have confidence that all of the significant conceptual categories have been identified if you start to see repetition in the conclusions or recommendations that are being made. To help frame your proposal's literature review, here are the "five C’s" of writing a literature review: 

Cite, to keep the primary focus on the literature pertinent to your research problem.

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Compare the various arguments, theories, methodologies, and findings expressed in the literature: what do the authors agree on? Who applies similar approaches to analyzing the research problem?

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Contrast the various arguments, themes, methodologies, approaches, and controversies expressed in the literature: what are the major areas of disagreement, controversy, or debate? Critique the literature: Which arguments are more persuasive, and why? Which approaches, findings, methodologies seem most reliable, valid, or appropriate, and why? Pay attention to the verbs you use to describe what an author says/does [e.g., asserts, demonstrates, argues, etc.]. Connect the literature to your own area of research and investigation: how does your own work draw upon, depart from, synthesize, or add a new perspective to what has been said in the literature?

4. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This section must be well-written and logically organized because you are not actually doing the research, yet, your reader must have confidence that it is worth pursuing. The reader will never have a study outcome from which to evaluate whether your methodological choices were the correct ones. Thus, the objective here is to convince the reader that your overall research design and methods of analysis will correctly address the problem and that the methods will provide the means to effectively interpret the potential results. Your design and methods should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study. Describe the overall research design by building upon and drawing examples from your review of the literature. Consider not only methods that other researchers have used but methods of data gathering that have not been used but perhaps could be. Be specific about the methodological approaches you plan to undertake to obtain information, the techniques you would use to analyze the data, and the tests of external validity to which you commit yourself [i.e., the trustworthiness by which you can generalize from your study to other people, places, events, and/or periods of time]. When describing the methods, you will use, be sure to cover the following: 

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Specify the research operations you will undertake and the way you will interpret the results of these operations in relation to the research problem. Don't just describe what you intend to achieve from applying the methods you choose, but state how you will spend your time while applying these methods [e.g., coding text from interviews to find statements about the need to change school curriculum; running a regression to determine if there is a relationship between campaign advertising on social media sites and election outcomes in Europe]. Keep in mind that a methodology is not just a list of tasks; it is an argument as to why these tasks add up to the best way to investigate the research problem. This is an important point because the mere listing of tasks to be performed does not

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demonstrate that, collectively, they effectively address the research problem. Be sure you explain this. Anticipate and acknowledge any potential barriers and pitfalls in carrying out your research design and explain how you plan to address them. No method is perfect so you need to describe where you believe challenges may exist in obtaining data or accessing information. It's always better to acknowledge this than to have it brought up by your reader.

5. PRELIMINARY SUPPOSITIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Just because you don't have to conduct the study and analyze the results, doesn't mean you can skip talking about the analytical process and potential implications. The purpose of this section is to argue how and in what ways you believe your research will refine, revise, or extend existing knowledge in the subject area under investigation. Depending on the aims and objectives of your study, describe how the anticipated results will impact future scholarly research, theory, practice, forms of interventions, or policymaking. Note that such discussions may have either substantive [a potential new policy], theoretical [a potential new understanding], or methodological [a potential new way of analyzing] significance. When thinking about the potential implications of your study, ask the following questions: 

What might the results mean regarding the theoretical framework that underpins the study?

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What suggestions for subsequent research could arise from the potential outcomes of the study?

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What will the results mean to practitioners in the natural settings of their workplace?

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Will the results influence programs, methods, and/or forms of intervention?

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How might the results contribute to the solution of social, economic, or other types of problems?

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Will the results influence policy decisions?

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In what way do individuals or groups benefit should your study be pursued?

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What will be improved or changed as a result of the proposed research?

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How will the results of the study be implemented, and what innovations will come about?

6. CONCLUSION The conclusion reiterates the importance or significance of your proposal and provides a brief summary of the entire study. This section should be only one or two paragraphs long, emphasizing why the research problem is worth investigating, why your research study is unique, and how it should advance existing knowledge.

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Someone reading this section should come away with an understanding of: 

Why the study should be done,

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The specific purpose of the study and the research questions it attempts to answer,

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The decision to why the research design and methods used where chosen over other options,

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The potential implications emerging from your proposed study of the research problem, and

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A sense of how your study fits within the broader scholarship about the research problem.

7. CITATIONS As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used. In a standard research proposal, this section can take two forms, so consult with your professor about which one is preferred. 

References -- lists only the literature that you actually used or cited in your proposal.

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Bibliography -- lists everything you used or cited in your proposal, with additional citations to any key sources relevant to understanding the research problem.

CONCLUSION The research proposal is a summary of the plan you are contemplating for carrying out in the form of a dissertation - by making you put it down into a standard format and requiring you to discuss it with your supervisor, it is intended that this will –  Help you to order your thoughts;

 Present your preparatory material in a logical way;  Highlight the way in which each section interrelates with the others;  Assist you in defining the boundaries of your study and the concepts to be included. A research proposal is a document written by a researcher that provides a detailed description of the proposed program. It is like an outline of the entire research process that gives a reader a summary of the information discussed in a project. Preparation of research proposal is needed because it facilitates the smooth sailing of the various research operations, thereby making research as efficient as possible yielding maximal information with minimal expenditure of effort, time and money.

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CITATIONS 1. Denscombe. M, (2012), Research Proposals: Practical Guide (Edition: Illustrated), McGraw-Hill Education (UK). https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=LjlFBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA3&source=gbs_toc_ r&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false 2. Kumar. R, (2014), Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners, SAGE. https://books.google.com.pk/books/about/Research_Methodology.html?id=a3PwLuko FlMC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f =false 3. Punch. F. K, (2016), Developing Effective Research Proposals, Edition 3rd, SAGE. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/developing-effective-research-proposals/book245416 4. Sajjad Kabir. S. M, (2016), Research Proposal, Edition 1st, Book Zone Publication. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325545912_RESEARCH_PROPOSAL 5. Bell. J, (2005), Doing your Research Project, Edition 4th, Open University Press. http://elearning.ufl.udn.vn/home/esp/pluginfile.php/3274/mod_resource/content/1/Jud ith%20Bell%20-%20Doing_Your_Research_Project.pdf 6. Wentz. A. E, (2013), How to Design, Write, and Present a Successful Dissertation Proposal, SAGE Publications, Arizona State University, USA. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/how-to-design-write-and-present-a-successfuldissertation-proposal/book239567 7. Ogden. E. T, (2002), Research Proposal: A Guide to Success, Edition 3rd, Academic Press, California USA. https://300writers.com/media/pdffiles/THE%20FORMULATION%20OF%20A%20RESEARCH%20PROPOSAL%20 IS%20A%20PROCESS.pdf 8. https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/researchproposal Cited: September 29, 2019 9. http://www.scholarpol.com/research/ Cited: September 26, 2019 10. http://readingcraze.com/index.php/definitions-research-famous-writers/ 11. http://learningtz.blogspot.com/2017/03/meaning-of-research-according-to.html 12. https://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit01/infoage01_03.phtml Cited: September 26th 13. https://owlcation.com/academia/Why-Research-is-Important-Within-and-Beyond-theAcademe September 29, 2019 14. https://kingessays.com/images/samples/research-proposal-outline.jpg 15. https://kingessays.com/images/samples/research-proposal-format.jpg Cited: September 24-25, 2019

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