Chapter 5

THE RESEARCH (THESIS) PROPOSAL

A research proposal is a written plan of a research activity to be undertaken

which involves the identification of a particular researchable problem considering its
importance and benefits to a specific sector of society as well as the results of previous
similar studies, and the planning of the research design, methods and procedures and
statistical analysis. More often than not, an economic analysis is now always included
to show that a new technology or practice under study is more economical than the
conventional or traditional practice.

PARTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

The contents of the different parts of a research proposal are discussed in the
following sections.

The Research Title

A good Research Title –

a. should contain as many key words as possible that will indicate the contents
of the paper.
b. includes the subject matter (major variables or theoretical issues) of the
study, locale of the study, and population involved in the study.
c. summarizes the scope of the study;
d. is brief and concise;
e. should not contain any abbreviation/s, symbols or expressions requiring
superscripts, subscripts or other special notations; and
f. should not use the terms “An Analysis of”, “A Study of”, “An
Investigation of” and the like because they are superfluous.

37
 Sample Title No. 1

SEEPAGE RATE OF CANAL SECTIONS MADE FROM CONCRETE WITH DIFFERENT

LEVELS OF PARTIAL SUBSTITUTION OF SAWDUST
FOR THE CONCRETE AGGREGATES

NOTE:
Sample title 1 clearly encompasses the scope of the study, as
follows:
SUBJECT MATTER - Seepage Rate
POPULATION - Canal Sections Made Concrete with
Different Levels of Partial Substitution
of Sawdust for the Concrete
Aggregates
LOCALE - Experimental Place

Sample Title No. 2

INVENTORY AND UTILIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINERIES

IN MONDRAGON, NORTHERN SAMAR

NOTE:
Sample title 2 encompasses the scope of the study, as follows:
SUBJECT MATTER - Inventory and Utilization of Agricultural
Machineries
POPULATION - Farmers (Tenants & Land-owners)
LOCALE - Mondragon, Northern Samar

Sample Title No. 3

THE EFFECT OF SAWDUST PARTIAL SUBSTITUTION ON THE

COMPRESSIVE AND FLEXURAL STRENGTH
OF CONCRETE BEAMS

may be changed to:

THE COMPRESSIVE AND FLEXURAL STRENGTH OF CONCRETE

BEAMS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PARTIAL
SUBSTITUTION OF SAWDUST FOR THE
CONCRETE AGGREGATES

The preparation of a research (thesis) proposal starts formally with the

submission of a proposed research title to the Dean, College of Engineering, through
the Research (Thesis) Adviser, the College Research Coordinator and the Department
Chairman, for approval. The Thesis Adviser is chosen by the thesis student/s and

38
confirmed by the Department Chairman, considering his/her educational qualifications
and research experiences. The College Research Coordinator sees to it that the
proposed thesis title is within the Research Thrusts and Priorities of the college. On
the other hand, the Department Chairman sees to it that the thesis student/s shall have
already taken and passed at least 80% of all academic subjects in his/her/their
curriculum.

The submission of a proposed thesis title to the Dean for approval is done by
filling out the College Research Form No. 1 (Approval Sheet for Thesis Title and
Nomination of Thesis Adviser) A copy of the importance and objectives of the proposed
thesis study, and a copy of the scholastic evaluation of the thesis student/s duly certified
by the University Registrar should be attached to the aforementioned form as references
for its approval.

It is the policy of the college that the maximum number of student researchers
per thesis study is 5. Actually, the policy prioritizes thesis studies requiring one (1)
researcher only.

Chapter I: INTRODUCTION

The introduction is always the first chapter of any written research

proposal/manuscript. This chapter presents to the readers the background information
which enabled them to fully understand the need to undertake the research study as
well as the purposes for which this is to be conducted.

This chapter includes the following sections:

1. Background of the Study

This is a brief statement of how the problem originated. It is an account

describing the circumstances or events which suggested the research. In this
section, the following are presented and discussed/described:
a. the existing and prevailing problematic situation that prompted the
researcher to conduct the study;
b. a strong justification for having selected or chosen this particular
problem;
c. evidences and questionable principles or practices on the subject as the
rationale of the study; and
d. recommendations of previous studies to conduct the study that is
presently proposed.

2. Importance of the Study

It states why the problem being investigated is important and what

significance will its results have. It explains the relevance of the study to the felt
needs of a certain locality or community, the potential contribution of the research to
new knowledge, and the policy implications and other possible uses for its results.

Specifically, this section should state and explain the following:

a. a convincing justification for the problem;
b. the practical importance of the study;

39
 c. a pressing need of a specific group of people that could be answered by
the results of the study;
d. the concerns or priorities of funding institutions like increased income,
improved living conditions, enhanced interpersonal relationships, and the
like, that the study will directly or indirectly meet.

3. Objectives of the Study

This section enumerates the specific purposes for which the study is being
conducted. Every specific sub-problem in the statement of the problem should be
addressed to by a particular specific objective. The objectives are expressed in the
future tense in the research proposal and restated in the past tense in the research
manuscript.

Sample:

Objectives of the Study

This study will be conducted to find out how the seepage rate through

canal sections will be affected by the partial substitution of sawdust for the fine

and coarse aggregates of concrete.

Specifically, this study has the following specific objectives:

1. To quantify the seepage rate in canal sections made from concrete with

different levels of sawdust partial substitution for the fine aggregates;

2. To quantify the seepage rate in canal sections made from concrete with

different levels of sawdust partial substitution for the coarse aggregates;

3. To identify the treatment combination/s (level of sawdust partial substitution

+ aggregate being substituted) having average seepage rate/s which is/are

not significantly different from the average seepage rate of the control

treatment; and

4. To know if the partial substitution of sawdust for the concrete aggregates is

economically beneficial.

40
5. Scope and Limitation of the Study

The scope of the study sets the precise boundaries of the study. In this
section:
a. specify what consists the subject of experimentation or who are the
respondents of the study; and
b. the issues or concerns to which the investigation is focused.

On the other hand, the limitation of the study presents the constraints which
cannot be controlled such as the resources, sources of data imposed by the
sampling technique and the research method employed which have direct bearings
on the results of the study.

More importantly, this section should include a paragraph which discusses the
variables included in the study and the exclusion of other variables which may be
expected to be included.

This section is written in the future tense in the research proposal and
rewritten in the past tense in the research manuscript.

6. Time and Place of the Study

In this final section of the introductory chapter, the duration (inclusive dates)
and the exact location of the experimental area or of the respondents of the study
are specified. A map of the locale of the study may be included in this section if
deemed very important.

7. Definition of Terms

This section is particularly required for research studies involving survey and
other qualitative statistical techniques wherein the use of some terms may connote
different meanings from the conceptual or dictionary definitions; hence they should
be operationally defined.

The terms to be operationally defined are those that will be used throughout
the study, which maybe words or phrases usually taken from the title, the statement
of the problem, or hypothesis.

The terms should be arranged in alphabetical order and the definitions should
be stated in complete sentences.

Chapter II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter basically tells the readers what research studies has been and has
not been done yet on the present research topic.

Reviewing related literature involves well thought-out identification, easy locating

of and critical analysis of documents bearing information related to the research topic or
problem. This requires good knowledge of techniques and tools as well as skills in
using library resources. Furthermore, with the advent of information websites, the

41
researcher, in order to gather literature at the shortest possible time, should be familiar
how to use Internet facilities.

Related literature includes research findings (published or unpublished),

theories and principles formulated by experts or authorities, and ideas or opinions of
experts contained in books, journals, pamphlets, magazines, periodicals, bulletins and
other forms of publication which are directly linked or associated with the research
problem.

A good review of related literature should:

a. provide the researcher knowledge and background on the subject under

study;
b. enable the researcher to avoid duplicating or repeating the same study that
was already done before;
c. provide the researcher information about the aspects of the problem which
have not been investigated or studied before;
d. help the researcher develop the different parts of his study;
e. present to the researcher ways to avoid the weaknesses and problems of
previous studies;
f. guide the researcher on how to undertake his investigation;
g. present insights into the relationship between variables, the types of
relationships, and how these relationships can be measured and analyzed;
h. present findings and conclusions of past studies which are related to the
researcher’s findings and conclusions; and
i. motivate and encourage the researcher to complete his study.

In this chapter, the researcher should –

a. discuss the principles and facts which are linked to his study;
b. describe and analyze the findings of previous studies related to his problem;
c. present an analysis of the relationships and differences among related reports
and studies, not just an enumeration of abstracts or annotations;
d. cite works from both primary and secondary sources like books of well-known
authors, theorists, experts, etc., speeches and lectures, official documents
and scholarly publications;
e. include research findings that are as recent as possible; and
f. use the author-and-year format to cite related literature (see a sample first
page of Review of Related Literature in the Appendices).

Chapter III: MATERIALS AND METHODS

This chapter presents and describes the complete details of the materials used
and the methods and procedures employed in conducting the study so as to permit the
repetition of the study by interested parties. In this section, the full specifications and
exact quantities are given; chemical and physical properties are specified; experimental
materials are clearly identified; statistical and economic analyses are precisely
described; and so on. This chapter is written in the research proposal using the future
tense and is rewritten in the past tense in the manuscript.

42
 Generally, for research studies involving the design, fabrication and testing of
machineries and structures as well as those involving true experiments, this chapter
consists of the following sections:

1. Materials

In the research proposal, this section lists all the materials that will be needed
for the successful conduct of the study, together with their complete specifications
and the required quantities as estimated by the researcher. In the manuscript, this
subsection lists all the materials used in the conduct of the study, including those
which were not listed in the research proposal, their full specifications and the actual
quantities used. All measurements included in the specifications of materials should
be expressed in metric units.

2. Research Design

This section presents a brief description of the research method to be

employed (experimental, quasi-experimental) and a clear explanation of why this has
been chosen as well as its appropriateness to the study. This should include, among
other things, a clear statement of the scheme or plan of action in the conduct of the
study in chronological order and in sufficient detail to allow the study to be repeated
by another researcher.

If an experimental design is to be employed, a more detailed description

should be written. The following guidelines should be kept in mind when selecting
an experimental research design, as follows:

a. Whenever possible try to create experimental and control groups by assigning

treatments randomly.

b. When random assignment is not possible, use a comparison group that is nearly
equivalent as possible to the experimental group.

c. When neither a randomly assigned control group nor a similar comparison group
is available, a time series design that can provide information on the trends
before and after the experiments may be employed.

d. If a time series design cannot be used, a baseline (pre-experimental) data should

be gathered and compared with the post-experimental results.

e. Make sure that the research design selected will provide the most reliable and
valid results.

3. Research Methods and Procedures

This section lists all the major activities to be undertaken and enumerates the
different steps in each activity. The complete specifications of the instruments,
apparatuses and equipment used as well as the data to be gathered, if any, in each
activity, should be mentioned.

43
 This section may be divided into to two subsections: construction and
experimental procedures. The construction procedures present in full details the
sequential steps of fabricating a device, equipment, machine or structure that is
needed during the experimental phase of the study. The experimental procedures
explains in sufficient details how the different experiments of the research study,
including the data gathering, are to be undertaken.

4. Data Analysis Procedure

In this section, all the statistical tools to be used in analyzing experimental

data should be listed. The researcher should see to it that the statistical tools
chosen are the most appropriate for the type of data gathered and considering the
objectives of the study. If a new or unfamiliar statistical parameter is to be employed
in the study, its formula should be written in this subsection. Furthermore, if
inferential statistics are to be used to test the significance of relationships or
differences, the significance level/s should be clearly stated.

5. Economic Analysis Procedure

An economic analysis is needed to justify that a new technology or practice

developed through research is much better than the existing technology or practice.
This is usually done by comparing the benefits versus the costs of using a new
material or equipment, or of employing a new practice. The researcher should see
to it that the benefits and costs involved in his/her study are quantifiable.

On the other hand, for social research studies, this chapter traditionally consist of
the following sections:

1. Research Design

This section presents a brief description of the research method to be

employed (survey, descriptive) and a clear explanation of why this has been chosen
as well as its appropriateness to the study. This should include, among other things,
a clear statement of the scheme or plan of action in the conduct of the study in
chronological order and in sufficient detail to allow the study to be repeated by
another researcher.

2. The Respondents/Samples

This section presents and describes the profile of respondents or samples,

the number of respondents or samples included in the study, and the procedure for
sampling.

3. The Instruments

This section basically expounds on the tests, questionnaires, interview

guidelines and/or schedules, and the like, employed by the researcher in gathering
data from the respondents as well as the apparatuses, devices and laboratory
equipment used by the researcher in measuring characteristic data of samples.
This should include also a description of the adoption, construction, and
administration of the instruments.

44
4. Data Collection Procedure

This section explains in sufficient details the entire data collection process.
Techniques, devices, and procedures followed should be clearly described.

5. Data Analysis Procedure

This section discusses entirely how the raw data collected will be processed
as well as the different statistical procedures to be employed in order to derive
answers to the statement/s of the problem.

The researcher should see to it that the statistical tools chosen are the most
appropriate for the type of data gathered and considering the objectives of the study.
If a new or unfamiliar statistical parameter is to be employed in the study, its formula
should be written in this subsection. Furthermore, if inferential statistics are to be
used to test the significance of relationships or differences, the significance level/s
should be clearly stated.

Bibliography

A bibliography is a list of books, journals, periodicals, electronic materials,

electronic publications and other documents used in the preparation of a research
paper.

In this section, all the books, journals, bulletins, thesis manuscripts and other
sources of ideas and information used in the preparation of the research
proposal/manuscript are listed in the alphabetical order by the authors’ last names. The
style and format in writing the bibliography for the different types of documents is
presented in the next chapter of this manual. A sample bibliography is given in the
Appendices of this manual for reference purposes.

Appendices

In this section, documents, information and data pertinent to the study but which
are either not so important enough to be included in the main body of the proposal or
manuscript or are too lengthy are placed.

In the research proposal, this section usually contains the working drawings of an
equipment, machine or structure to be fabricated/constructed, experimental layout,
communications, flow diagram of activities and survey questionnaires.

In the research manuscript, the tabulation of raw data, computation sheets,

ANOVA tables, pictures, and biographical sketch of the researcher/s are added to this
section.

Finally, this section is commonly divided into the following subsections:

Appendix Tables (Appendix A), Appendix Figures (Appendix B), Research Data
(Appendix C), Interview Schedules/Survey Questionnaires or Test Reports
(Appendix D), Communication Documents (Appendix E), and Curriculum Vitae
(Appendix F).

45
 PREPARATION AND DEFENSE OF THESIS PROPOSAL

Upon approval of the thesis title, a thesis proposal is prepared following the forms
and styles described in this manual. The proposal should be written in close
consultation with the thesis adviser.

When the thesis proposal shall have been finalized, this is to be

presented/defended orally by the thesis student/s before a Thesis Examination
Committee (TEC) consisting of the Thesis Examination Panel (TEP), the College
Research Coordinator, the Department Chairman, and the College Dean. The Thesis
Examination Panel consists of at least three (3) faculty members, with one (1)
chairman and two (2) members chosen by the Department Chairman and approved by
the College Dean.

The thesis student/s shall fix the schedule of the thesis proposal defense by filling
up the College Research Form No. 2 (Application for Thesis Proposal/Manuscript
Defense) and submitting this to the College Dean for his/her approval. Furthermore, it is
the obligation of the thesis student/s to provide each member of the TEC a copy of the
examination draft of the thesis proposal at least three (3) working days before the
approved defense date.
After the thesis proposal defense, the thesis adviser shall report the results of the
thesis proposal defense to the College Dean by accomplishing the College Research
Form No. 3 (Report of Thesis Proposal/Manuscript Defense) with the List of Suggested
Revisions/Recommendations and this is to be submitted at least three (3) working
days after the defense date.

SUBMISSION OF CORRECTED THESIS PROPOSAL

After the defense of the thesis proposal, the thesis student/s should do the
corrections suggested by the members of the TEC on his/her/their thesis proposal.
When the corrected copy of the research proposal shall have been finalized and
approved by the Thesis Adviser, the thesis student/s prepare/s two (2) copies of this;
one (1) copy is submitted to the College Research Coordinator and one (1) copy is kept
by the thesis student/s for their guidance during the conduct of his/her/their study.

It is the policy of the institute not to allow thesis student/s to start the conduct of
the data gathering phase of his/her/their thesis study (construction/fabrication,
experiments, survey, and the like) unless he/she/they have already submitted to the
College Research Coordinator his/her/their approved corrected thesis proposal.

46