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Guide questions for writing scientifically and

ethically sound research proposals
Bryan B. Echanique (2021)
bechanique@spup.edu.ph

To establish high quality of scholarship in your research proposal, make sure that all its
parts contain the essential details or information. Thus, each part should address the
following key questions.

RESEARCH TITLE
1. Does it exhibit the following characteristics?
1.1 Timely. It captures a topic related to a contemporary issue or problem.
1.2 Relevant. The topic fits within your field of specialization.
1.3 Interesting. It arrests reader’s attention.
1.4 Researchable. Data can be collected to address the issue or problem.
1.5 Concise. It is direct and does not exceed 15 words.
1.6 Clear. It uses simple language.
1.7 Concrete. It identifies the key variables to be explored, including the target
participants.
2. Is it presented in an inverted pyramid form?

Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM AND REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Introduction
1. Does it clearly state the research problem?
2. Does it briefly review contemporary studies that have addressed the problem?
(Are sources properly cited using the 7th edition of the APA Style?)
3. Does it indicate the research gaps or deficiencies which the study seeks to fill?
4. Does it clarify the significance of the study for a particular context or audience?
(i.e., Does it express how the study will advance the researcher’s field?)
5. Does it articulate the overarching goal or purpose of the study?

Review of Related Literature and Studies

1. Does it review a broad range of literature related to the problem?
2. Does it discuss what contemporary studies have done and found on the problem?
3. Does it provide sound interpretation and implications of the literature and
studies reviewed?
4. Does it identify the gaps or deficiencies in these contemporary studies reviewed?
5. Does it present the body of related literature and studies coherently, that is,
according to a logical order (e.g., chronological, thematic, global-local, general-
specific)?
6. Does it use the 7th edition of the APA Style to cite (in text) and document (in
references) the literature and studies reviewed?
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7. Does it provide structural variety of composition through the alternate use of

direct quotations and paraphrases, long sentences and short sentences?

Synthesis
1. Does it synthesize the salient ideas of the body of literature and studies reviewed?
2. Does it reiterate and underscore the research gaps or deficiencies identified?
3. Does it articulate how the proposed study will fill the research gaps or
deficiencies?

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
1. Does it identify a theory or concept that will serve as the basis for the proposed
study?
2. Does it explain how the theory or concept provides a sound basis or anchor for
the study?
3. Does it use the 7th edition of the APA Style to cite (in text) and document (in
references) the source of the theory or concept?
4. Does it use the future tense of verb (except when discussing the history of the
theory or concept)?

Paradigm of the Study

1. Does it clearly illustrate through a diagram the relationship of variables that will
be considered in the study?
2. Does it use the future tense of verb?

Statement of the Problem

1. Does it express the general objective of the study?
2. Does it break the general objective down to specific objectives in the form of
research questions?
3. Does it include corresponding inferential questions for relevant descriptive
questions?

Research Hypothesis/es
1. Does it correspond to the inferential question/s?

Scope and Limitations

1. Does it explain the parameters of the study in terms of objectives, design,
participants, instrument, variables, locale/setting, time/period?
2. Does it identify any limitations, i.e., restrictions to the study which are beyond
the researcher’s control?
3. Does it use the future tense of verb?

Significance of the Study

1. Does it identify the individuals or groups that will benefit from the results of the
study?
2. Does it explain concisely how these individuals or groups will benefit from the
results?
3. Does it use the future tense of verb?
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Definition of Terms
1. Does it list alphabetically all the crucial terms used?
2. Does it define each of the crucial terms operationally?

Chapter 2
METHODOLOGY

Research Design
1. Does it identify the approach that the proposed study will use?
2. Based on the approach, does it identify the research design/s to be used?
3. Does it explain how the research design/s will be used in the study?
4. Does it use the future tense of verb?

Participants of the Study

1. Does it identify the prospective participants of the study?
2. Does it indicate the appropriate sampling design/technique to be used?
3. If non-probability sampling will be used, does it specify the inclusion and
exclusion criteria for selecting the participants?
4. Does it use the future tense of verb?

Instrumentation
1. Does it indicate the data-gathering instrument or tool to be used?
2. Does it explain in detail the parts of the instrument?
3. If an adopted instrument will be used (i.e., a standardized tool borrowed in its
entirety, without any of its parts subjected to modification), does it identify such
instrument and acknowledge the source?
4. If a modified instrument will be used (i.e., a standardized tool whose certain
part/s is/are changed for tailor-fitting purposes), does it identify such
instrument, acknowledge the source, identify the part/s to be modified, and
explain the measures that the researcher will take to ensure the scientific
soundness (e.g., validity, reliability, and usability) of the modified instrument?
5. If a self-made instrument will be used, does it explain the measures that the
researcher will take to ensure the scientific soundness (e.g., validity, reliability,
and usability) of the self-made instrument?
6. Does it use the future tense of verb?

Data-Gathering Procedure
1. Does it detail the steps that the researcher will take to gather the data?
1.1 Data collector. Does it identify who will collect the data? If several persons
will be involved, does it identify the primary and the secondary collectors?
1.2 Gatekeepers. Does it explain how authorization or approval will be secured
from gatekeepers?
1.3 Informed consent process. Does it explain how the informed consent process
will be observed?
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1.4 Data collection. Does it explain how the data will be collected (e.g., face to
face or technology mediated)?
1.5 Data organization. Does it explain how the collected data will be organized?
Does it identify any device or software that will be used to treat the data?
1.6 Data privacy. Does it explain how measures on anonymity and
confidentiality, data access and security, and data disposal will be observed?
2. Does it explain how any potential risk or danger during data collection could be
avoided?
3. Does it use the future tense of verb?

Data Analysis
1. Does it identify the analytic tools that will be used to analyze the quantitative or
qualitative data to be collected?
2. Does it concisely explain how each analytic tool will be used to analyze the
quantitative or qualitative data?
3. Does it use the future tense of verb?

References
1. Does it list alphabetically and using hanging indention all the sources cited in the
text/body of the research proposal?
2. Does it accurately follow the 7th edition of the APA Style (2020) in formatting the
different types of sources listed?

Appendices
Does it include the following attachments?
1. Data-gathering instrument/s (e.g., survey questionnaire, interview/FGD guide,
test, checklist, rubric, among others)
2. Informed consent form
3. Letters to gatekeepers
4. Curriculum vitae of researcher/s

Notes.
1. “It” in this document refers to each section of the research proposal.
2. The sections included here are based on the SPUP format.
3. “Gatekeepers” refers to concerned authorities whose approval or permission
needs to be sought/secured before collecting data from participants who are
immediately under their authority. Examples are school heads (e.g., principal,
university/college president), district supervisors, superintendents, barangay
captains, mayors, business owners, among others.
4. Use, dissemination, and reproduction of this checklist (in any form or by any
means) are allowed for educational purposes only, with permission from the
author.

Last updated: 10 May 2022