THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

This document has been set up to assist students in preparing the text for their research proposal. It is NOT
intended as a document to guide you through your research proposal development, but to assist you in
setting out the proposal, in terms of text layout, section headings and sub-sections.

The Research Proposal is a complete description of the intended research. Through the full proposal, the
student needs to demonstrate convincingly that the study will make a contribution to a business and
management problem. The full research proposal must be between 5 and 10 pages and should present the
following:

 Title
 Statement of the problem
 Research question, aim and objectives
 Literature review
 Conceptual framework and hypothesis (if necessary)
 Research design
 Study population and sampling
 Data collection methods and instruments
 Data analysis methods – if applicable statistical planning must be fully addressed, or the candidate
should provide evidence that statistics are not required.
 Mechanisms to assure the quality of the study – e.g. control of bias, safe storage of data
 Study period - Timetable for completion of the project
 Participants in the study – all people involved in the study, and the role they play, should be identified.
 References
 Appendices (copy of questionnaire, consent forms, etc.)

How to use this template:

The template provides ALL the sections, headings and subheadings that you will require in your proposal, as
well as the line and paragraph spacing, page breaks, page numbering, referencing system and referencing
styles. You should simply edit the text where appropriate and insert your own text as per your proposal, i.e
simply type into the document. Do not attempt to change the styles for the headings or subheadings, and do
not attempt to use more than three level headings (i.e A main heading, a sub-heading and a sub-sub-
heading).

WHEN YOU ARE DONE, DELETE THIS FRONT INSTRUCTION PAGE FROM YOUR PROPOSAL

If you feel you are sufficiently computer literate, you could add this template to your Templates directory in
your Office system files. This will allow you to select this template at any time in the future when you prepare
proposals. To do this, go to the “Menu Bar”, select File > Save As…, when the dialog box appears, at the
bottom, under “save as type”, select “Document Template”. The MS Office Templates directory automatically
appears. You could name your file “Proposal Template” (which should appear as a default in the dialog box,
at the bottom, under “Save As”). Your template is now saved in the C:\Documents and
Settings\User\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates directory.

When you next wish to use this template, click on File > New, the “task pane” that appears on the right side
of your screen will prompt you to use a template, click on “on my computer…”, and from the dialog box that
appears, select your template “Proposal Template”. This brings up the template with all its saved fonts,
paragraph settings etc. Once again, simply insert your text, and this time, save your file normally, and NOT
as a template!

When you have finished typing, then return to the Contents Page, place your cursor on the greyed out
section, right click with the mouse, and select “Update entire table”
 TYPE THE TITLE OF YOUR PROJECT HERE

STUDENT NAME: Type your name here

COURSE NAME: International Business and Management
SUPERVISOR: Type your supervisor’s name here

DATE OF SUBMISSION: DD MMMM 20YY

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 CONTENTS

ABSTRACT.........................................................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................................................................5

USE HEADING 1 FROM THE SELECTION ABOVE FOR YOUR MAIN HEADING. USE ALL CAPS, DO
NOT USE ANYTHING ELSE AS THE TABLE OF CONTENTS HAS BEEN AUTOMATED TO USE THIS
SETTING............................................................................................................................................................................5

SUB HEADING...................................................................................................................................................................5
Sub-Sub-Heading........................................................................................................................................................5

1. PROBLEM STATEMENT.......................................................................................................................................6

RESEARCH BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................................................6
RESEARCH PROBLEM........................................................................................................................................................6
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY...........................................................................................................................................6
RESEARCH QUESTIONS/ HYPOTHESES / CENTRAL PHENOMENON/ SUB QUESTIONS........................................................6

2. LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................................................................7

3. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS................................................................................................................8

OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................................................................8
POPULATION AND STUDY SAMPLE...................................................................................................................................8
SAMPLE SIZE AND SELECTION OF SAMPLE......................................................................................................................8
SOURCES OF DATA...........................................................................................................................................................8
COLLECTION OF DATA......................................................................................................................................................9
MEASURES........................................................................................................................................................................9
CONDITIONS OF TESTING..................................................................................................................................................9
DATA ANALYSIS STRATEGIES........................................................................................................................................10

4. RESULTS.................................................................................................................................................................11

FINDINGS RELATIVE TO PROBLEM..................................................................................................................................11

SUMMARY OF DATA.......................................................................................................................................................11
TESTS OF SIGNIFICANCE.................................................................................................................................................11

5. DISCUSSION...........................................................................................................................................................12

REFERENCES.................................................................................................................................................................13

APPENDICES...................................................................................................................................................................14

APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE........................................................................................................................................14
Appendix 2:....................................................................................................................................................................15

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 ABSTRACT

Background

Methods

Results

Discussion and Conclusion

Do not use abbreviations or insert tables, figures or references into your abstract. You abstract
generally should not exceed about 300 words.

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INTRODUCTION

USE HEADING 1 FROM THE SELECTION ABOVE FOR YOUR

MAIN HEADING. USE ALL CAPS, DO NOT USE ANYTHING
ELSE AS THE TABLE OF CONTENTS HAS BEEN AUTOMATED
TO USE THIS SETTING

Sub Heading
Use Heading 2 from the selection of styles on the menu bar above. Do NOT use all capitals, but
write as is shown above. Do not use anything else as the Table of Contents has been automated
to include this style for a subheading.

Sub-Sub-Heading
Use Heading 3 from the selection of styles on the menu bar above. Do NOT use all capitals, but
write as is shown above. Do not use anything else as the Table of Contents has been automated
to include this style for a sub-subheading.

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 1. PROBLEM STATEMENT

Research background
 Provide reader with necessary background and setting to put the problem in proper context.
 Lets the reader see the basis for the study.
 Justifies and convinces the reader that the study is needed.
 Be factual--statements, opinions and points of view should be documented.
 Provide a logical lead-in to a clear and concise statement of the problem.
 Your "sales pitch.”
 In a proposal for funding, address capabilities and capacity of individuals and
agency/institution in this section.

Research problem

Significance of the Study

- Knowledge relating to the theory that .......
- New products, e.g., instrument, instructional material, etc.
- Who (what individuals or groups) can use this new knowledge or information yielded by
the research to change or improve the present situation? How will the study contribute to
the improvement of the profession?
- Indicate how the results can be generalized beyond the bounds of study
- Can use the arguments of others (expert opinion) who call for an investigation of the
problem (properly documented, of course).
- Can use conflict in findings of related research as justification for the study. Be sure it is
documented in Review of Literature.
- Use if, then (hypothetical-deductive) logic

Research Questions/ Hypotheses / Central Phenomenon/ Sub Questions

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 2. LITERATURE REVIEW

Use Headings 2 and 3 to provide sub headings in your review

A. Provides tentative solutions to the problem or tentative answers to the questions. (Could
be publishable)
B. Indicates the theory on which the study is based; critique and weigh studies as theory is
built. (Teeter-totter example)
C. Provides the rationale for the hypotheses and variables therein
D. Organized and written in reference to the specific objectives of the study
E. Proposals generally do not include as a complete review as does the report.

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 3. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Researchers must provide accurate, detailed descriptions of how the research will do so it could be
replicated (redone) by others. You should provide explanations that will enable the reader to
reproduce the exact conditions of the original study. A rather extensive explanation should be
provided so that readers understand why and how you are going to do the research (in a final
report). Your procedures should answer questions or test hypotheses as efficiently, economically
and validly as possible.

Overview
Use headings 2 and 3 as appropriate, and use these headings if appropriate.

Describe the type of research to be conducted, i.e., survey, ex post facto, quasi-experimental, etc.
This section is utilized to describe how you will set up your study to observe the hypothesized
relationship. Describe the steps you will take to address the hypotheses in operational terms.

Population and Study Sample

The population to be studied is first identified and how a sampling fame (list of elements in the
population) will be developed. Is there frame error? Explain why this population is appropriate for
this study. Note any discrepancies between e experimentally accessible population and the target
population.
The sampling procedure is described. Relate how the sample was selected and your reasons for
selecting any stratifying variables, if they were employed. Describe the sampling plan.

Sample Size and Selection of Sample

Describe the size of the sample, and how it was determined and the rationale for the size.
Sampling units should be identified.

Data describing the characteristics of the subjects that are relevant to the study should be
provided; and, if available, data from the population to enable the reader to judge the
representativeness of the sample.

Sources of Data

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Collection of Data
Describe what will be done with subjects that decline to participate, drop out, or do not
participate in all parts of the study. What will be done about non-respondents? What will be
done about non-residents? What will be done about incomplete questionnaires or ones with
obvious response sets, lying, cheating or unanswered items? All affect the population to
whom one can generalize the results, i.e., the external validity of the study.

Measures
Measurement of the dependent variable(s) is one key to your study. Instruments are
operational definitive for variables. Techniques or instruments used to measure the dependent
variable(s), outcome, must be carefully described in terms of:
1. Validity - Does the instrument or technique measure what it purports to measure with this
group?
2. Reliability - Whatever the instrument or technique measures does it do so consistently with
this group?
3. Suitability - Utility must be high for subjects to whom administered.
If well-known instruments are used, one can generally briefly describe them, and their
reliability and validity, and refer the reader through citation to references where more thorough
detailed discussions can be found.
If the researcher is developing the instrumentation, then validity and reliability must be
established. The instrument should be pilot and/or field tested. The researcher should
describe how this was done. A field test can locate potential suitability problem areas.
Appendix copies of the instruments to the proposal.
The Review of Literature can be utilized to verify the concepts/theory under study and the
scope of the measurement methods to assess the concepts. This section should establish the
operational link between these concepts/theory and the measurement.
If you use interviewers or observers, how were they trained? What were their inter-rater
and intra-rater reliabilities?

Conditions of Testing
Describe when, where and under what conditions the data will be gathered, the number of
times and order in which instruments will be used, and the time allotted for the data collection.
Describe the verbal and written directions provided to the subjects. Will incentives be used to
encourage response?
Be specific! When you describe when, taking a test after lunch, after another test, etc., may
explain variance more than the quarter or date.

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 During the actual data gathering, testing, monitor events so they can be explained to the
reader.
If instruments are potentially reactive, what precautions will be taken to minimize this threat.

Data Analysis Strategies

Statistical techniques are tools selected because of your design, not vice versa.
Descriptive and inferential analyses are provided to address each facet of the hypothesis,
null hypothesis, objective or problem. Have foresight! What is the easiest way to collect, code
and analyze your data?
Why were these methods of analysis employed? Why was this level of significance
selected?
For each statistical method used, present evidence indicating that the basic assumption
underlying its use have been met. For example, a Pearson Product Moment Correlation (r)
assumes both linearity and homoscedasticity, so you would always need to construct a
scatterplot whenever you use r to show these assumptions are met. Statistics courses provide
you with these skills and understandings.
Remember, select statistics that answer the question(s) involved with the study. They
serve research, not dominate it. Nothing is gained in using complicated statistics that happen
to be in "vogue” if simple ones will do just as well. Specify what analysis will be used for each
objective.
The proposer may find it beneficial to provide, as an appendix, sample skeletons of the
tables and figures that will appear in Chapter 4 as a result of the analysis. Proposal readers,
committee members, etc., often find this beneficial in conceptualizing what will be produced by
these analysis techniques.

Proposals submitted for Agr Educ 885 do not have to have the Data Analysis section
complete. Agr Educ 887 will approach this topic in more detail.

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 4. RESULTS

Findings Relative to problem

Summary of Data

Tests of Significance

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5. DISCUSSION

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REFERENCES
Use the Harvard Style of referencing.

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APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Questionnaire

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Appendix 2:

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