What Constitutes A Quality Research Proposal - Assignment Example

What Constitutes A Quality Research Proposal? Submitted by: XXXXXXX Number: XXXXXX of XXXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX Subject Code: XXXXXX Date of Submission: XX – XX – 2009 Introduction: Conducting a research involves a lot of work and requires good planning before executing the research. There are four main steps that need to be followed for a research. These include: a) Defining the research, b) Designing the research, c) Doing the research and d) Describing the research (Jobber, 2004). This paper aims at understanding the importance of one of these steps, i.e. ‘Designing the research’. The paper will consist of a brief overview of the research cycle followed by a clear list of reasons for developing a research proposal. This will further be followed by the essential elements that form a complete and quality research proposal. The Research Cycle: ‘Research is a process of enquiry and investigation that is conducted in a systematic and methodical way with a view to increasing knowledge’ (Collis and Hussey, 2009) As discussed earlier, the research cycle includes four main steps that are required to be followed: a) Defining the research: A research is a very complex process and it requires the ideas to be clear and well defined. The first step of conducting any research deals with defining the ideas in mind and making notes of all ideas. b) Designing the research: The second essential step for the success of any research is the designing of the research. Here in this step the researcher plans out the exact methodology that they intend to utilise for the research and the literature review that they intend to use for the research (Berry, 2004). In most cases, a formal research proposal is made at this stage. More about the research proposal will be discussed further in the paper. c) Doing the research: Once the researcher is sure about the style and methodology they plan to use for a research, the researcher can then put the proposal plan into action. In this step the various types of research may be conducted, like qualitative research and quantitative research. d) Describing the research: The last step of a research is to formally present all the findings of the research and to provide a complete document which includes the theoretical background, the research methodology, research findings and the an analysis of the findings. All these information together form a complete and well rounded research (Black, 1999). Purpose of a Research Proposal: As discussed earlier, the main reason to write out a research proposal is to bring out the ideas and plans that one has for a research along with a chance to portray their grasp on the subject as well. There are several purposes and advantages of writing a research proposal. a) It acts as a support for the researcher while conducting the research. This simply means that the research proposal can be used as a reference while conducting the research. This is to ensure that the researcher has completed all that has been planned for the research (Denzin & Lincoln, 2000). In short it can be used as a ‘To – Do List’ for a research. b) A research proposal is like the face of the research. Before any research is convened, the research proposal acts as the face for the research. This allows the others (thesis supervisory board, or other boards) to see what the researcher plans to do and also allows the check for the worthiness and usefulness of the research. c) The research proposal in some manners portrays the quality of the project that can be expected. It provides the readers, committees to get a clear idea of the planned research by the researcher. d) A research proposal which is well planned and presented portrays clear thinking and good understanding of the subject by the researcher. This is therefore an essential element for any research. Essential Elements of a Research Proposal: Writing a research proposal is a meticulous job and there are several factors that need to be taken into account before writing a proposal. A researcher requires being very clear with their plan and having good knowledge of the topic that they plan to research. For a research proposal to be effective, it needs to have the following sections. a) Title: The title of the research proposal should be concise yet descriptive and should provide the readers with a chance to get a brief overview of the research based on the title. It would be inappropriate to name a research proposal on a comparative study of two stock exchanges as - ‘A comparative study’! This does not in any manner serve the purpose of the title, does not provide any information to the readers and is equal to not being present at all. It would be more appropriate to name the research proposal as – ‘A comparative study of the stock exchange markets of Country X and Country Y’. This provides a clear idea of what the research is all about (Redman, 2006). b) Abstract: The abstract is an overview of the research and it provides a brief synopsis of the entire research. The abstract is generally 300 – 500 words long and generally should posses the details of methodology used, the main findings and the recommendations provided (if any) (Kotler & Armstrong, 2007). This should be a brief of the entire research and should provide the readers with an overview of the research. c) Introduction: The main idea of providing an introduction is to give the readers a background of the research and also present various other elements like (Waters, 2001): i. Aims and objectives of the research: This will allow readers to gain an insight on what the researcher aims at achieving at the end of the research and the main objectives will provide a clear view of the direction that the researcher intends to take. ii. Research Statement: A research statement provides the readers with the main purpose of the study. iii. Main issues: A brief introduction to the main problems are also provided in the introduction of the research proposal iv. Rationale: A strong rational for the study is essential to highlight why the research is worth conducting v. Variables of research: The researcher should also provide clearly the key independent and dependent variables of the research in the introduction, or the phenomenon that will be studied Once these have been covered the next step of the research proposal includes the literature review. d) Literature review: this part of the proposal includes the major theories, or topics that will be discussed or used for the main research. This forms the groundwork for the research (Sekaran, 2000). Students need to show the readers that they can integrate the literature reviewed and develop a research of their own without copying or imitating others ideas and findings. e) Research Methodology: This section is extremely essential as it highlights the steps undertaken by the researcher to complete the research. Here it is essential to explain the type of research used and the main reasons for choosing the method for the research. Also in case the research used primary data, details like the design, participants, instruments, and procedures must also be clearly stated (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2000). However, before explaining the research methodology used for the paper, it is essential to also include the meaning of terms like ‘Research Paradigm’. For example, the research methodology could begin with the following: ‘A paradigm can have various meanings. It refers to “your basic beliefs” and your approach to the world which affects the way you define your research and how you collect and analyse data (Collis & Hussey, 2003, p. 47). The research approaches used in the study comprises a mixture of both the “phenomenological paradigm” which is also referred to as a “qualitative” approach, and the “positivistic paradigm” also known as the “quantitative” approach (Collis & Hussey, 2003, p. 47)’. f) Findings: At the stage of proposal, the researchers very evidently do not have the findings of the research. However a clear image of what the researcher aims at concentrating on should be expressed. g) Discussion of findings: Again this will only be possible to complete once the research is conducted. However a brief plan can be chalked out to decide the format to be used for the discussions and to decide if the discussions will be based on the objectives of the research or if the discussions will be presented in any other manner (Silverman, 2005). Conclusions: As seen in the above discussion, it is clear that the research proposal plays a very essential role in any research. It is hence important that the proposal is well structured and presented. As seen in the previous section, the various topics that have been included assist the researchers create a well formed and rounded research proposal with a complete insight into the research. Hence the above mentioned steps constitute to a quality research proposal. Bibliography Berry, R. (2004) The Research Project. 5th edn. New York: Routledge. Black, T. R (1999) Doing Quantitative Research in the Social Sciences: An Integrated Approach to Research Design, Measurement and Statistics. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Collis, J. & Hussey, R. (2003) Business Research: A practical guide for undergraduate and postgraduate students. 2nd edn. London: Macmillan Press Ltd. Denzin, N. K. & Lincoln, Y. S. (eds.) (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research. 2nd edn. London: Sage Publications, Inc. Jobber, D., (2004), Principles and Practice of Marketing, 4th Edition, McGraw – Hill, Berkshire Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G., (2007), Principles of Marketing, 12th edition, 9 March 2007, Prentice Hall Redman, P. (2006) Good Essay Writing. 3rd edn. London: Sage Publications. Saunders, M. & Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2000) Research Methods for Business Students. 2nd edn. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Sekaran, U. (2000) Research Methods for Business, A Skill-Building Approach. 3rd edn. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc. Silverman, D. (2005) Doing Qualitative Research. 2nd edn. London: Sage Publications. Waters, D. (2001) 3rd edn. Quantitative Methods for Business. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Read More