Researching and writing your

research proposal

You and your research

Doing a research project in the CEMBA/PA Programme
• The CEMBA/PA programme consist of a course work and a
project
• The project work requires the writing of a dissertation/thesis
• A project means all the activities that go towards completing a
dissertation
• A dissertation is a report of major piece of primary research
which gives an account of students’ investigation into a
managerial, organisational or business issue, provides an
analysis of the research and presents conclusions that are
drawn from it
• A dissertation is normally between 15,000 and 20,000 words
long
• Another requirement in EMBA/PA is the writing of a research
proposal which is a document that defines what a project is
about, explains why it is important and describes how it is
important
 Why Do a Research Project?
• To plan, research and write-up a project that improves
understanding of a significant managerial, business or
organisational matter and if appropriate, provides
recommendations or findings which action can be
determined
• To learn how to undertake a major project that requires
you to:
 Be focused on a complex and important issue
 Undertake effective and competent primary research
 Integrate theory and practise
 Base your dissertation on sound analysis and arguments
 Writing your Research PROPOSAL

• A student of CEMBA/PA has to present a proposal to his/her

supervisor before going ahead with his/her research project
• A proposal is a document that defines what a project is about,
explains why it is important and describes how it is important
• A good proposal should consist of the first three chapters of the
dissertation
 Introduction (Chapter I)
 Review of the literature (Chapter 2)
 Research methodology (Chapter 3).
• Write in the future tense since it is a proposal.
• Turn a good proposal into the first three chapters of the
dissertation by changing the tense from future tense to past tense
 Sections of a Research Proposal
0. Topic/Title: (Your title should be of interest to your advisor as well)
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study: (Provide background information to the problem under
investigation)
1.2 Statement of the Problem: (Define problem in concise and precise form)
1.3 Purpose of the Study (Refers to what will be accomplished in the study)
1.4 Significance of the Problem: (Refers to rational/importance of the study)
1.5 Research Questions and/or Hypotheses: (Refers to the major questions to which
the researcher seeks to provide answers in the course of the research)
1.6 Scope (Delimitation) (It involves defining properly the boundaries of your
research)
1.7 Definition of Terms: (Providing operational definitions of concepts or terms used)

2.0 Review of Literature: (embodies the review of all literature pertinent to the
research theme usually organised under relevant subheadings)
 Sections of a Research Proposal
3. Research Methodology: The chapter comprises the following sub-sections:
3.1 Design: (relates to the type of research design you will adopt in executing
the study)
3.2 Area of Study: (refers to the geographical location covered by the study-
usually stated in terms of Country, Region, Local Gov’t area)
3.3. Population: (Specifies all the members of a group to which the research
relates)
3.4. Sample and Sampling Procedure: (that portion of the population from
which data is collected as well as how it is obtained)
3.5. Instrument for Data Collection (A description of the instruments used in
collecting data)
3.6. Method of Data Collection (Reporting the steps taken to collect pertinent
data)
3.7. Method of Data Analysis (Reporting the statistical techniques or tools
employed in analysing the data)
 Ideas to help you to write your research proposal
• Read through someone else's research proposal.
• Make sure your proposal has a comprehensive review of the literature included
 The rationale behind the literature review consists of an argument with two lines of analysis:
1) this research is needed, and 2) the methodology I have chosen is most appropriate for the
question that is being asked.
• Photocopy the relevant article or section.
• Focus your research very specifically
 Don't try to solve all of the problems in this one research project.
• Prepare a good title on your proposal
 have the most important words appear toward the beginning of your title
 limit the use of ambiguous or confusing words
 break your title up into a title and subtitle when you have too many words
 include key words that will help researchers in the future find your work.
• Organize your research proposal around a set of questions that will guide your research.
• Choose your methodology wisely.
 Don't be too quick in running away from using a quantitative methodology because you fear
the use of statistics
 Decide on where you will conduct the research. If you are from another area of the country
or a different country there is often an expectation that you will return to your "home" to
conduct the research.
 Principles Guiding Choosing of a Topic/Title
• Interest and Relevance
- Choose a topic/title that interest and excite you
- Choose a dissertation title relevant to your career path/disciplined-based and addressing issues in the discipline
- (If your goal is an academic career, pick a topic that you can easily modify into journal articles or a book and that will lend
itself well to future research. If you are going into industry, choose a topic that will make you more marketable)
- Your title should be of interest to your advisor as well
• Durability
- Pick a manageable topic to last the length of the program period
- A good supervisor will help you narrow down your topic so that you don't remain in graduate school for many long years
• Topic adequacy
- Your topic should have enough substance
- Choose one which is important/beneficial to society
- Link theory to practise
- Include dependent and independent variables
• Resources
- Is there enough literature written about your topic?
- Find a topic that fits into existing bodies of literature, but that builds upon theory and expands it
- Topics that have many resources available will make it easy for you to create a reliable research paper that will cover a
broad spectrum
• Micro-Politics
- Will you be caught up in management debates and politics that surround it
- Will a controversial topic might restrict your employment, tenure, or publishing opportunities
- The topic should not be too sensitive or touchy to make the collection of the data impossible
- Avoid overused or over-researched titles
 Some considerations when structuring and stating your title
• Component title structure:
– Example 1 one-component
– Example 2 two-component (a Title: subtitle) or (a topic: focused area)
• Objective/task/problem-solving oriented: identify a problem in your work place or environment
or area of interest.,
– Example 1 “Evaluating of social-cultural practices influencing productivity of small scale
farmers: Selected communities in the Nandom Irrigation Project, Northern Ghana”
– Example 2 “Social-cultural practices influencing productivity of small scale farmers: Case
studying selected communities in the Nandom Irrigation project, Northern Ghana”
– Example 3 “Creating quality in learning materials using distance education esoteric
influences in the KNUST, Ghana”
• Contain measurable parameters (dependent and independent variables)
– Example 1 “the influence of Adult Learner perceptions on learner participation in
functional literacy programs in Kumasi City, Ghana
– Example 2 “ An assessment of knowledge of the position, attitude toward residential
policies, and ability to handle conflicts as predictors for commitment to the position.“
– An independent variable is the presumed cause, whereas the dependent variable is the
presumed effect.
• Reflect a Theory or concept in a field of interest or program of study
– Example 1