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RESEARCH PROPOSAL

(TITLE)
Research title, Font: 18, Times New Roman, centered, bold

Student’s name:
Student’s code :
Supervisor’s name

HO CHI MINH CITY, month /year

 SUPERVISOR’S COMMENT

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HCMC, ... …/ … …/ … … …

Supervisor’s Signature

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TABLE OF CONTENT

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I. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
1.2 Statement of the problem
1.3 Aims and objectives of the study
1.4 Research questions
1.5 Scope of the study
1.6 Significance of the study
1.7 Definitions of key terms

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1
2.2
2.3
…
2.x Previous studies
2.y Conceptual framework

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3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research design
3.2 Research site
3.3 Sample and sampling procedures
3.4 Research instruments
3.5 Data collection procedures
3.6 Data analysis procedures

4. WORKPLAN

5. LIST OF REFERENCES

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 GUIDELINES FOR THESIS PROPOSAL

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background to the study
This section is to provide readers with the background information for the research
reported in the paper and to establish a framework for the research, so that readers
can understand how it is related to other research. It should include the following
ideas:
 Create an interest in the topic
 Lay the broad foundation for the problem that leads to the study
 Place the study within
1.2. Statement of the problem
This section provides a clear and concise description of the issues which need to
be addressed. To put it simply, it aims at transforming a generalized problem into a
targeted, well-defined problem and helping to identify the purpose of the research.
1.3. Aims and objectives of the study
The aims of the work, i.e. the overall purposes of the study, should be clearly and
concisely defined
 Aims should be the broad statement of desired outcomes, or the general
intentions of the research, which ‘paint a picture’ of your research
 Aims should be emphasize what is to be accomplished (not how it is to be
accomplished).
Once aims have been established, the next task is to formulate the objectives
Objectives are subsidiary to aims and they are usually headed by infinitive verbs.
e.g.,
 To investigate

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  To explore
 To find out
 …
1.4. Research question(s)
 This research question narrows the purpose statement to specific questions
that researchers seek to answer
 The research questions should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic,
and time bound
1.5. Scope of the study
This section addresses how a study will be narrowed and explains the things that
you are NOT doing and why you have chosen not to do them:
 the literature you not review (and why not)
 the population you are not studying (and why not),
 the methodological procedures you will not use (and why you will not use
them).
1.6. Significance of the study
Indicate how your research will refine, revise, or extend the existing knowledge in
the are under investigation. Such refinements, revisions, or extensions may have
either substantive, theoretical, or methodological significance
1.7. Definitions of key terms

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 ...
…
2.x Previous studies
 Summarize and evaluate past research

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  Show similarities and differences in previous research
 Give an overview of controversies in the past research
 Place your own research into context
 Show a gap in research
 Generate new research hypotheses
2.y Conceptual framework (see hand-outs)

3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research design
A research design is the set of methods and procedures used in collecting and
analyzing measures of the variables specified in the problem research. It is a
framework that has been created to find answer to research question
 Define the study type (qualitative, quantitative, …).
 Indicate the methodological steps you will take to answer every question or
to test every hypothesis.
3.2 Research site
Provide brief information of the research site where the research will be conducted,
especially details relating to the topic of the study.

3.3 Sample and sampling procedures

 Define the population and indicate the sampling plan in detail
 Provide rationale and limitation of sampling
 Outline the characteristics of the sample (if available)
3.4 Research instruments
 Outline the instruments you propose to use

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  If instruments have previously been used, identify previous studies and
finings related to reliability and validity; if instruments have not previously
been used, outline procedures you will follow to develop and test their
reliability and validity.
 Provide a well though-out rationale for using the selected research
instruments
3.5 Data collection procedures
 Outline the general plan for collecting the data
 Provide data collection procedures explicitly
3.6 Data analysis procedures
 Indicate any analytic tools you will use
 Provide a well though-out rationale for using the selected analytic tools.

Note that, in a proposal, the steps of your research that have yet to be completed
should be written in future tense.
The research design or methodology section of your completed paper, i.e. the
thesis, on the other hand, describes the research steps in past tense.

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4. WORKPLAN
Tasks / Date (month) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th

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LIST OF REFERENCES

APPEDIX (if any)

NOTES
- The main test should be in Times New Roman, font size: 13, spacing: 1.5 lines,
and the margins should be: top:3.5cm, bottom: 3cm, right: 2cm, and left: 3.5 cm
(for binding)
- The proposal should be from 20 pages (minimum) to 25 pages (maximum) in
length, not including the Work plan and References.

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