*Notes are intended for POS 311 google classroom (1st semester, AY 2022-2023) purposes only.

Module 3: Designing a research proposal

Learning outcomes: At the end of this module, the student must be able to:
1. identify a theoretical and/or a conceptual framework relative to his/her research question.
2. use the appropriate research approach and design relative to his/her research question 3.design a
viable research proposal

Engage: reviewing the reviewed literature

“One component of reviewing the literature is to determine what theories might be used to explore the
questions in a scholarly study. In quantitative research, researchers often test theories as an explanation
for answers to their questions. In a quantitative dissertation, an entire section of a research proposal
might be devoted to presenting the theory for the study. In qualitative research, the use of theory is much
more varied. The inquirer may generate a theory as the final outcome of a study and place it at the end of
a project, such as in grounded theory. In other qualitative studies, it comes at the beginning and provides
a lens that shapes what is looked at and the questions asked, such as in ethnographies or in advocacy
research. In mixed methods research, researchers may both test theories and generate them. Moreover,
mixed methods research may contain a theoretical lens, such as a focus on feminist, racial, or class
issues, that guides the entire study (Creswell, 2014).

M3 formative assessment: review the pieces of literatures you have identified in module 2, and make a list
of the theories/frameworks used in each study.

Explore: understanding theories and conceptual frameworks

Theories are a set of logically related symbols that represent what we think happens in the world. They
make facts useful by providing us with a context for interpreting and seeing their relationships with one
another. It helps simplify reality and provides a logical basis for propositions and hypotheses. Another
definition states that its creation is through the accumulation of detailed explanations. It is a body of
statements that systematize knowledge and explain phenomena (Johnson and Reynolds 2012).

Theories have different explanatory ranges. It refers to the scope of the phenomena it claims to explain.
Broad range theories or grand level theories claim to account for an entire body of human behavior. Its
subject matter is all encompassing and highly conceptual. Aristotle’s claim that man by nature is a
political animal is an example of a grand level theory. A medium level theory is limited by a topic or a
subject matter. It is limited to classes of events of behavior, for instance, voting behavior. Its propositions
and concepts are testable. It is strongly suggested that we use medium level theories.

A conceptual framework explains how the variables in your study are defined and related. Concept
specification refers to the process by which a researcher determines and clarifies the concepts by
connecting it to the real world. For instance, the theory says a democratic environment facilitates
economic development. The concept of democracy is measured in various ways. It could refer to the
presence of laws that safeguard the civil rights of people, the number of political parties, or even just the

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*Notes are intended for POS 311 google classroom (1st semester, AY 2022-2023) purposes only.

presence of elections. In the same manner, economic development could be measured by a country’s
wealth or level of industrialization or even both. The conceptual framework of the study provides these
clarifications and indicators. The terms used in your research need to be clear and free from ambiguity.

The following are guidelines for concept specification as suggested by Wonka (2007);

1. Search the literature for the specifications of concepts you will use in your research project.
2. Explain clearly and exhaustively the attributes you ascribe to the concept/s as used in your theoretical
framework.
3. Think hard about how the characteristics of the concept relate to each other and the concepts' overall
meaning
4. Try to keep your concept’s level of abstraction low.
5. Relate the concepts attributes to the unit of analysis you want to investigate.
6. Concepts need to be operationalized and measured

Overall, a theoretical and a conceptual framework created in the proposal stage summarizes what your
study is about, how your variables are defined and related, and how you plan to measure and analyze
them.

Explain: measuring concepts

“Measuring concepts involves moving from a broad notion of a “background concept” to the provisions
of ‘scores or units” (Adcock and Collier, 2001). Through careful theorizing, scholars provide a set of
systematized concepts which give further definition to the concepts and may outline its different
dimensions or components. The move is then followed by the operationalization of the systematized
concepts into a set of meaningful, valid, and reliable indicators. Finally, using these indicators, scores
are assigned to the units of observations” ( Landmann, 2000).

**clarifying the concepts and indicators of the study is more important than the illustration/paradigm**

Examples:

Background Systematized concept Operational definition (how

concept (theories) will these terms be used
(as used/conceptualized in studies) and measured in your
study)
democracy *Procedural democracy
R. Dahl’s polyarchy (1971)
Contestation (peaceful competition, elections) and
participation (exercise of popular sovereignty,
voting)

*Democracy index report (Economist Intelligence

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*Notes are intended for POS 311 google classroom (1st semester, AY 2022-2023) purposes only.

Unit, 2021)
Indicators: electoral process and pluralism, civil
liberties, the functioning of government, political
participation, and political culture
Rankings: "full democracy," "flawed democracy,"
"hybrid regime," or "authoritarian regime."

 As a form of government
 Sources
 purpose
Economic *Lipset (1959)
development Economic indicators:
Industrialization, wealth, education,
urbanization
Effective Levels
governance

Elaborate: narrowing down concepts

M3: Summative assessment:

1. Identify the relevant concepts of your study. Use the table below to present the concepts and how
they were measured/operationalized/ indicators in your reviewed literature. (30 pts.)

APA/source concepts How it was

measured/operational
definition
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

References:

Creswell, J. 2014. Research Design. SAGE publications.

Johnson, J. and Reynolds, R. 2012. Political Science Research Methods. SAGE publications
Wonka, A. (2007) Concept Specification in Political Science Research. In the book: Research Design in
Political Science, Gschwend and Schimmelfennig, eds.

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*Notes are intended for POS 311 google classroom (1st semester, AY 2022-2023) purposes only.