THE ELEMENTARY OF A PROPOSAL

1. Introduction The introduction is the part of the paper that provides readers with the bac !round infor"ation for the research reported in the paper# $ts purpose is to estab%ish a fra"ewor for the research& so that readers can understand how it is re%ated to other research# $n an introduction& the writer shou%d create reader interest in the topic& %a' the board foundation for the prob%e" that %eads to the stud'& p%ace the stud' within the %ar!er conte(t of the scho%ar%' %iterature& and reach out to a specific audience# 2. Statement of the Problem State the prob%e" in ter"s inte%%i!ib%e to so"eone who is !enera%%' sophisticated but who is re%ative%' uninfor"ed in the area of 'our investi!ation# A prob%e" state"ent shou%d be presented within a conte(t& and that conte(t shou%d be provided and brief%' e(p%ained& inc%udin! a discussion of the conceptua% or theoretica% fra"ewor in which it is e"bedded# )%ear%' and succinct%' identif' and e(p%ain the theoretica% fra"ewor that !uides 'our stud'# This is of "a*or i"portance in near%' a%% proposa%s and re+uires carefu% attention# 3. Purpose of the Study The purpose state"ent shou%d provide a specific and accurate s'nopsis of the overa%% purpose of the stud'# $f the purpose is not c%ear to the writer& it cannot be c%ear to the reader# ,rief%' define and de%i"it the specific area of the research# Foreshadow the h'potheses to be tested or the +uestions to be raised& as we%% as the si!nificance of the stud'# The purpose state"ent shou%d a%so incorporate the rationa%e for the stud'# -e' points to eep in "ind when preparin! a purpose state"ent# Tr' to incorporate a sentence that be!ins with .the purpose of this stud' is/#0 This wi%% c%arif' 'our own "ind as to purpose and it wi%% infor" the reader direct%' and e(p%icit%'# )%ear%' identif' and define the centra% concepts or ideas of the stud'# $dentif' the specific "ethod of in+uir' to be used# $dentif' the unit of ana%'sis in the stud'#

4. Review of Literature The review of %iterature provides the bac !round and conte(t for the research prob%e"# $t shou%d estab%ish the need for the research and indicated that the writer is now%ed!eab%e about the area# 1e"onstrate to the reader that 'ou have a co"prehensive !rasp of the fie%d and are aware of i"portant recent substantive

The E%e"entar' of a Proposa%

and "ethodo%o!ica% deve%op"ents# Avoid state"ents that i"p%' that %itt%e has been done in the area or that what has been done is too e(tensive to per"it eas' su""ar'# State"ents of this sort are usua%%' ta en as indications that the writer is not rea%%' fa"i%iar with the %iterature# The %iterature review acco"p%ishes severa% purposes# 2. $t shares with the reader the resu%ts of other studies that are c%ear%' re%ated to the stud' bein! reported# $t re%ates a stud' to the %ar!er& on!oin! dia%o!ue in the %iterature about a topic& fi%%in! in !aps and e(tendin! prior studies# $t provides a fra"ewor for estab%ishin! the i"portance of the stud'& as we%% as a bench"ar for co"parin! the resu%ts of a stud' with other findin!s# $t .fra"es0 the prob%e" ear%ier identified# uestions and !ypotheses 3uestions are re%evant to nor"ative or census t'pe research 4how "an' of the" are there5 $s there an' re%ationship between the"56# The' are "ost used in +uantitative in+uir'# 7hen a writer states h'potheses& the reader is entit%ed to have an e(position of the theor' that %ead to the" 4and of the assu"ptions under%'in! the theor'6# 8ust as conc%usions "ust be !rounded in the data& h'potheses "ust be !rounded in theoretica% fra"ewor # A research +uestion poses a re%ationship between two or "ore variab%es but phrases the re%ationship as a +uestion9 a h'pothesis represents a dec%arative state"ent of the re%ations between two or "ore variab%es# 3uestions and h'potheses are testab%e propositions deduced and direct%' derived fro" theor'# Ma e a c%ear and carefu% distinction between the dependent and independent variab%es and be certain the' are c%ear to the reader# ,e e(cruciatin!%' consistent in 'our use of ter"s# $f appropriate& use the sa"e pattern of wordin! and word order in a%% h'potheses# ". #he Research $esi%n & 'ethods and Procedures The "ethods or procedures section is rea%%' the heart of the research proposa%# The activities shou%d be described with as "uch detai% as possib%e& and the continuit' between the" shou%d be apparent# $ndicate the "ethodo%o!ica% steps 'ou wi%% ta e to answer ever' +uestion or to test ever' h'pothesis i%%ustrated in the +uestions:h'potheses section# ,e aware of possib%e sources of error to which 'our desi!n e(poses 'ou# You wi%% not produce a perfect& error free desi!n 4no one can6# However& 'ou shou%d

The E%e"entar' of a Proposa%

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anticipate possib%e sources of error and atte"pt to overco"e the" or ta e the" into account in 'our ana%'sis# Moreover& 'our shou%d disc%ose to the reader the sources 'ou have identified and what efforts 'ou have "ade to account for the"#

Samplin%

The e' reason for bein! concerned with sa"p%in! is that of va%idit' < the e(tent to which the interpretations of the resu%ts of the stud' fo%%ow fro" the stud' itse%f and the e(tent to which resu%ts "a' be !enera%i=ed to other situations with other peop%e# Sa"p%in! is critica% to e(terna% va%idit' < the e(tent to which findin!s of a stud' can be !enera%i=ed to peop%e or situation other than those observed in the stud'# To !enera%i=e va%idit' the findin!s fro" a sa"p%e to so"e defined popu%ation re+uires that the sa"p%e has been drawn fro" that popu%ation accordin! to one of severa% probabi%it' sa"p%in! p%ans# ,' a probabi%it' sa"p%e is "eant that the probabi%it' of inc%usion in the sa"p%e of an' e%e"ent in the popu%ation "ust be !iven a priori# A%% probabi%it' sa"p%es invo%ve the idea of rando" sa"p%in! at so"e sta!e# Another reason for bein! concerned with sa"p%e is that of interna% va%idit' < the e(tent to which the outco"es of a stud' resu%t fro" the variab%es that were "anipu%ated& "easured& or se%ected rather than fro" other variab%es not s'ste"atica%%' treated# 7ithout probabi%it' sa"p%in!& error esti"ate cannot be constructed#

Instruments

Out%ine the instru"ents 'ou propose to use# $f instru"ents have previous%' been used& identif' previous studies and findin!s re%ated to re%iabi%it' and va%idit'# $f instru"ents have not previous%' been used& out%ine procedures 'ou wi%% fo%%ow to deve%op and test their re%iabi%it' and va%idit'# $nc%ude an appendi( with a cop' of the instru"ents to be used or the interview protoco% to be fo%%owed# A%so inc%ude sa"p%e ite"s in the description of the instru"ent# For a "ai% surve'& identif' steps to be ta en in ad"inisterin! and fo%%owin! up the surve' to obtain a hi!h response rate#

$ata (ollection

Out%ine the !enera% p%an for co%%ectin! the data# This "a' inc%ude surve' ad"inistration procedures& interview or observation procedures#

The E%e"entar' of a Proposa%

Provide a !enera% out%ine of the ti"e schedu%e 'ou e(pect to fo%%ow#

$ata )nalysis

Specif' the procedures 'ou wi%% use& and %abe% the" accurate%' 4e#!# ANO?A& MANO?A& MAN)O?A& Re!ression& case stud'& !rounded theor'6# $f codin! procedures are to be used& describe in reasonab%e detai%# This %abe%in! is he%pfu% in co""unicatin! 'our precise intentions to the reader& and it he%ps 'ou and the reader to eva%uate these intentions# Provide a we%% thou!h@out rationa%e for 'our decision to use the desi!n& "ethodo%o!'& and ana%'ses 'ou have se%ected#

*. Limitations A %i"itation identifies potentia% wea nesses of the stud'# Thin about 'our ana%'sis& the nature of se%f@report& 'our instru"ents& and the sa"p%e# Thin about threats to interna% va%idit' that "a' have been i"possib%e to avoid or "ini"i=e < e(p%ain# +. Si%nificance of the Study $ndicate how 'our research wi%% refine& revise& or e(tend e(istin! now%ed!e in the area under investi!ation# Note that such refine"ents& revisions& or e(tensions "a' have either substantive& theoretica%& or "ethodo%o!ica% si!nificance# Thin about i"p%ications < how resu%ts of the stud' "a' affect scho%ar%' research& theor'& practice& educationa% interventions& curricu%a& counse%in! and po%ic'# ,. References Fo%%ow APA !uide%ine re!ardin! use of references in te(t and in the reference %ist# On%' references cited in the te(t are inc%uded in the reference %ist9 however if 'ou consu%ted a nu"ber of te(ts& *ourna%s& newspapers but did not use the" direct%' but %isted in 'our %ist of reference# $n such instances& the reference %ist "a' be ca%%ed a bib%io!raph'# The reference:bib%io!raph' %ist shou%d be annotated# 1-. )ppendi.es The need for co"p%ete docu"entation !enera%%' dictates the inc%usion of appropriate appendi(es in proposa%s# The fo%%owin! "ateria%s are appropriate for an appendi(#

The E%e"entar' of a Proposa%

$nstructions to participants# Ori!ina% sca%es or +uestionnaires# $f an instru"ent is cop'ri!hted& per"ission in writin! to reproduce the instru"ent fro" the cop'ri!ht ho%der or proof of purchase of the instru"ent# $nterview protoco%s# Sa"p%e of infor"ed consent for"s# )over %etters sent to appropriate sta eho%ders# Officia% %etters of per"ission to conduct research#