A Practical Guidance for

Developing a Research Proposal

(For a Postgraduate Degree)
Once you decide to do
postgraduate studies ……

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 You meet the supervisor…. and he asks
For 6 months this man
you to develop a project proposal
wrote only this …!!!!!
When is he going to finish
my proposal

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There are few things that you got to know before you start
writing your research proposal

What type of research

project that I am
going to do?

4
Dr. Ahmed and his team conduct research to find the following properties
of fibers extracted from Palm trees

1. Variation of length and diameter

2. Thermal conductivity
3. Self ignition temperature at 1atm
4. Individual and collective fiber densities BASIC
5.
6.
Acoustic damping constant
Morphographic structure
RESEARCH
7. Hydrophobicity

5
Engineers suspected a micro-leakage in the Karun dam in Iran may
lead to a dangerous crack development within a few year period

A team of local experts studied various aspects of the case;

* measurements of the variation of dimensions of the leakage

* Pressure variation at the location
* Mohopgraphy of the concrete around the leakage
* Rate of flow of water in the leakage
* Reassessment of soil stability APPLIED
RESEARCH

On their observations, they made

suitable calculations and prepared
a report on the threat level and
Suggested the rectifications to
be done 6
Applied research has immediate applications but basic
research may not have

Applied research should be streamlined more stringently

than basic research.

Therefore, in your research proposal pay extra attention on

time frame, availability of required equipment and facilities
and expected outputs, if you do an applied research
project.

In an applied research project the output may be more

important than your postgraduate degree.

In a basic research project you have more freedom to

explore peripheral matters and to deviate from original
path. 7
Engineers tend to select projects towards applied
research, basically due to the job demand

However, it is not a must

8
If you really want to know what applied science is

Then watch
What are the components of a research project ?

There are FIVE basic and essential components (or steps)

1. Problem Identification Compulsory items to be

2. Reviewing Information detailed in a research Proposal

3. Method and Data Collection

4. Analysis, Results and Conclusions
5. Dissemination of knowledge

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3
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1
 Approach for writing the Project Proposal

Step -1: Discuss with your supervisor and decide on a vague

theme of research – (it need not be very specific)

Eg. Issues of ester-oil based MV transformers

Step -2: Search for the keywords of the theme in google search
and download few very recent papers.

Better check for review papers in high impact journals

Step -3: Read the papers that you have downloaded trying to
understand what has been done & not done in the field .

Take your time. You cannot rush this phase of work

 Approach for writing the Project Proposal

Step -4: Identify three or four broad research problems & questions which
have some sequential links.

Eg.

1. No information available on the change of viscosity of ester oils in

a transformer in operation for a long period of time.

2. No studies done on finding a relationship between the viscosity of

transformer oil and the electrical performance of a transformer.

3. There are reports on unusual hot spots in ester oil based

transformers with long periods of time, but there are no reasoning
given/found.

4. Is the above problem due to the change of viscosity of the ester oil
or are there any other reasons?
 Approach for writing the Project Proposal

Step -5: Download more papers using any available databases (SCOPUS,
IEEE Exp. Web of Science etc.) on the selected RPs & RQs.

Try to stick to good journal papers, but SCOPUS cited very recent
conference papers will also give you a good insight as they provide
“hot” information.

Step -6: With the new information collected, confirm that your research
problems are valid (they are non trivial and not successfully
addressed before.

Re-write the RPs or RQs (now without mixing them) refining the
previously defined statements, making them more specific and up to
point.
 Approach for writing the Project Proposal

Step -6 Continued: In the RP format we mention what is lacking. In the RQ

format we ask a self-question that whether something can be done or
something be the reason for the research issues

Eg:
 RP - Information is not available on the change of viscosity of
canola oil with temperature, used in medium voltage
transformers.

 RQ – Is change of viscosity with temperature, of canola oil used

in medium voltage transformers responsible for the unusual hot
spots in the windings?

As RQs are more specific and focused, researchers in the

engineering fields sometimes prefer RQ format. However, it is up to
the students to select what format they prefer.

In RQ format you need only one or two statements.

 Approach for writing the Project Proposal

Step -7: Now write the objectives of your research.

 Objectives are what specific tasks that you are going to do in your
project.

 If you have followed RP format it is easier to formulate the objectives.

For each RP write what you do to address that RP.

Eg. To find the change of viscosity of canola oil with temperature,

used in medium voltage transformers.

 If you have followed RQ format there are no direct way of developing

the objectives as one RQ may need more than one objective.

 Note that Objectives are started with “To”.

 Approach for writing the Project Proposal

Step -8: Meet your supervisor with the RPs or RQs and the objectives and discuss
the feasibility of conducting the project.

 Even if the supervisor approves your project, make clarifications on the following;

1. Can I finish it within the stipulated time frame?

2. Are the equipment needed already available or readily accessible?
3. Are the data to be borrowed available or accessible?
4. Are the permission to access sites, facilities etc. obtainable?
5. Is ethical clearance needed for the project?
6. Are there any other formalities to be fulfilled?

 It is strongly advised to discuss with the supervisor regarding the meeting

arrangement during the project.
 Approach for writing the Project Proposal

To end up this section I would like to give you a small tip

which may save your time and efforts a lot ………………

 If you have a good research network (LinkedIn, ResearchGate etc.),

check with your peers regarding the suitability of your research theme,
without giving them detailed information.

 There are many people who work in similar fields would be ready to
help you with their experience.

 These research acquaintances will help you a lot even in the long run.

 Thus, start building a research network as soon as you step into your
research career.
Key ingredients of a research proposal

Title/Name/Supervisors

Introduction or Background
Optional
Problem Statement (RP or RQ)
Hypothesis
Research Objectives
Research Scopes &
Limitations
Literature Review

Methodology
Expected Results &
Deliverables
Time Frame
 Introduction
 Introduction could be started from a broad perspective, yet not too general.
 It should end paving the way for the examiners to fully understand the
problem statement.

Introduction

Problem Statement
If your topic is “Influence of the change of viscosity of Canola Oil as a
transformer fluid on hotspot formation with age”;

 Start your Introduction from specifying the factors that affecting the health of
transformers in operation.

 Then explain how the viscosity of the coolant is going to affect the thermal
behavior of different types of transformers.

 Then discuss the lack of information in this regard with respect to ester oil based
transformers giving few examples of mishaps due to the lack of information, if you
have.

 Also give some reasoning on why you are focusing on Canola Oil in this study.

 Don’t start the Introduction on the types of transformers, what is the purpose of a
transformer fluid, physics of viscosity, the history of using ester oils in transformers,
where Canola plant is grown, its annual production and other usages etc.

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Problem identification and writing the RP or RQ statements

This marks the beginning of a research study and is the most difficult
and important step. This involves :

 Identifying and stating the problem in specific terms;

 Identifying the variables in the problem situation and defining them

adequately;

 Generating tentative guesses (hypotheses) about the relation of the

variables or in other words the solution of the problem, or writing explicitly
the questions (research questions) for which answers are sought

 Evaluating the problem for its research ability.

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 Clearly distinguish the Scientific Problem
and the Research Problem

Hotspot formation in the aging Relationship between viscosity

transformers may be your variation of canola oil and hotspots
scientific problem may be your research problem
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A scientific problem becomes a research problem ONLY if

 there are still some issues to be resolved.

 the issues to be resolved have scientific interest within a

reasonable spacio-temporal boundary (non-trivial)

 the issue can be researched with accessible facilities

 the issue can be resolved within a stipulated timeframe

acceptable to your purpose.

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 Scientific problem is more general and should be the root
of your problem statement.

 It may be discussed in detail in the Introduction

(background) and literature survey.

 Research Problem is more specific and should be in line

with your objectives and final conclusions

 It is given in point form in the Problem Statement in RP or

RQ formats

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Identifying research problem and Explaining research
problem (at the defense) are equally import

 The key effort is to make the reviewers/readers understand

 What is the problem
 Why is the problem important

 Problem statement answers one primary question: ‘‘Why do this

project need to be conducted?’’
 The emphasis is on the ‘‘why’’

 To answer this question, proposal writers must

 define the problem clearly and concisely and
 Ready to prove its existence (in the Introduction / Literature Survey)
 Your problem statement should quickly
 Summarize the problem from the vantage point of the readers,
 Document its frequency and severity,
 Show your familiarity with prior research or work on the
problem
 Justify why this problem should be investigated

 Do not assume that everyone sees the problem as clearly as

you do
 Even if the problem is obvious, your readers want to know how
clearly you can state it
 Note that your examiners may not always be from the core
areas of your research. They may be from peripheral fields…
They are the ones that always make your life difficult….
Get your self prepared for their questions!
 Your whole research project depends on the
significance of your research problem

• Thus, make sure that you are not going to re-invent the wheel

Buddy, I thought it was

invented 543 years ago by
our great grad pa
 Hypothesis

 By definition; A research hypothesis is a specific, clear, and testable proposition

or predictive statement about the possible outcome of a scientific research
study based on a particular property of a population, such as presumed
differences between groups on a particular variable or relationships between
variables.

 In simple words it is an educated guess on what you expect (or not expect) as a
relationship between two variables or among many variables, out of your
research.

 For an example “The hotspots in an ester oil based aging transformer is due to
the change of viscosity of the oil with temperature”.

 You start working on this project with this assumption in your mind.

 Sometimes the hypothesis has to be changed as you progress with the project.
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 Objectives
Objectives should directly be related to your problem statement.

 If you follow the RP format, each RP statement should have an

objective;
i.e. The objective should highlight that you address the
issue described in the problem statement

 When you write the final thesis at the end of your project you
have to brief the outcomes of each objective.

 Therefore, make sure that your objectives are doable within the
stipulated time frame and available resources
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 Example of objectives

If you have defined a problem statement such as

• There are no information at present on the change of temperature and
viscosity with time of canola oil after a centimeter scale discharges due to
impulse voltage

Then you should have an objective such as

• To determine the temporal variation of temperature and viscosity of canola
oil after the application of centimeter scale impulse discharge between
various electrode configurations immersed in oil.

Objectives usually start from “To do” form

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 Research Scopes & Limitations
 Research in a project proposal (for a degree) is one or two short paragraphs
that summarizes what to be done within the projects and the boundaries (up to
what extent the work is done and assumptions that will be made)

 An example is below

• This study will focus on finding the variation of density and viscosity of canola
oil used as the insulation fluid in a test MV transformer subjected to artificial
thermal aging. The study will investigate whether there is a positive
correlation between the change of density and viscosity of the transformer
fluid and the formation of hotspots in the winding. The desity and viscosity
measurements are taken from a SVM 3001 Stabinger Viscometer, and the
hotspots are detected by a Fluke TiX501 Thermal Camera. Several other
background parameters are measured that will be used in the analysis. A
predictive maintenance method will be modeled based on the outcomes of
this project.

• Due to time constraints and issues of accessibility the testing could not be
done in real transformers in operation in a MV network. 31
 Literature Survey
Refer the two presentations, Writing a Scientific Paper for
Publishing Part-1 & Part-2 that we cover under Lesson -4

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 Methodology

 Methodology is one of the key sections that will determine

whether your proposal is approved or not.

 Therefore, pay special attention to the Methodology.

 Unlike in the Methodology chapter of a Thesis, in a Proposal, you

need to put lots of efforts in convincing the examiners that the
project is doable within your capacity.

 Try to fill up as much as possible information in this section,

including diagrams, figures, photographs, spec sheets, permission
letters etc.

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Eight-point approach to Methodology in a Research Proposal

 There are several key points that you have to include in the
methodology if they are pertinent to your project;

1. Basic procedures adopted to achieve project targets.

2. Major equipment required and their specifications
3. Software to be used
4. Data and information to be collected/accessed
5. Laboratory and field test facilities required
6. Availability of equipment/software
7. Accessibility of facilities, sites and data/information
8. Permissions & ethics clearance required

 Note that you need to give solid reasons for the selection of particular
methods, equipment and software for given purposes during the
proposal defense
 Expected Results and Deliverables

 This is an optional section which is not required by many other universities.

 However, at Wits EIE, you better give a good account on the predicted
results (not the actual results but what you expect to get).

 Don’t give indications to the examiners that you expect unrealistic or

groundbreaking results.

 It is also recommended that you conduct at least some preliminary

experimental / simulation / computational work and present the outputs at
the defense.

 Deliverables are the number of journal & conference papers, IPs, internal
reports, software, prototypes etc. that you anticipate to produce out of the
project. Don’t be overambitious when you give the numbers.
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 Time Frame

 It is important to give a clear outline of your work plan to the

examiners.

 The typical method is to give a Gantt Chart (example in the

next slide).

 It is advantageous (but not essential) to incorporate milestones

to your time frame.

 Be realistic on the periods that you specify.

 Consider seasonal readings/measurements, periodic

availability of equipment, queuing for lab facilities and access
of software, requirement of ethics clearance, limitation of the
accessibility of sites, minimum period of
readings/measurements etc. when you prepare the time frame.
 Research Activity 2020 2021 2022
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
Literature survey on LP and
basics of civil engineering

Mastering MatLab or similar

computational software

Analaysis of LP data to
investigate civil eng.
concerns
Development of computer
codes for design software

Familiarize with AutoCAD

and VB

Aquiring of expert
knowledge on AutoCAD
and VB
Writing of theses and
finalizing of Software

Key Milestones:
Completion of MatLab part X
of software
Completion of integration of X
AutoCAD and VB segments
Completion of Conference X X
Papers
Completion of Journal X X
Papers
Completion of Thesis and X
filling of Patent
The proposal is written for others

It’s the rational sequence of

Professor, What is scrutinizing materialistic
ideologies through scrupulous
Research Methodology
and moralistic efforts to make
socio-ethical betterment……..

Did all of you understand..?

Following few slides are the textbook type description
on what is a research proposal

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 What is a research proposal?
• A research proposal is
• a document that contains details about a
scientific investigation to be carried out (i.e.,
not started yet)
– It contains details about:
• The problem to be studied
• How the investigation will be conducted
• Expected results and contribution
• Work schedule / Time frame
• Budget (for those seeking funds)
 Why do we need a research proposal?

• A blueprint (plan) of the research program

• It forces us to contemplate in detail about
– What we want to research
– Why we want to do the research
– How to do the research
– What do we need to do the research
– Are we able to do the research
 Main purpose of a research proposal

• It is to show that
– the problem you propose to investigate is significant
enough to warrant the investigation,
– the method you plan to use is suitable and feasible, and
– the results are likely to prove fruitful and will make an
original [or significant] contribution.
• Research is extending the knowledge frontier
– That is, building upon other researchers’ work
– Cite other people’s work (not only yours)
• Explain
– The current limits and gaps in knowledge
– Your study’s contribution to fill in current gaps in
knowledge or to extend the knowledge frontier
– The broader impact or benefit to the society,
country, or the world
• A good statement to have in your proposal: “If
successful, the benefits of this research would be …”
 Key questions to be answered in a proposal

Does your proposal:

1. Specify the conditions you wish to change?
2. Define the gaps in existing programs, services, or
knowledge?
3. Include appropriate statistical data about the frequency
and severity of the problem?
4. Clarify what will happen if nothing is done about this
problem?
5. State the problem in terms of human needs, not your
opportunities?
6. Cite pertinent theoretical literature, research findings, or
ongoing studies?
7. Convey the focus of your project early in the narrative?
8. Point out the relationship of your project to a larger set
of problems or issues?