Research proposal

Research proposal aims:

Relevance Convince the reader that your project is interesting, original and important

Context Shows how familiar you are with the field, understand the current state of research he topic,

and your ideas have a strong academic basis

Approach Make a case for your methodology, showing that you have carefully thought about the data,

tools and procedures you will need to conduct the research.

Feasibility Confirm that the project is possible within the practical constraints of the program, institution or

funding

I. Title
II. Introduction to the research (AIM: convince the reader/ assessor /evaluator that this research is worth
pursuing).
• Introduce your topic.
• Give necessary background and context.
• Outline your problem statement (problem formulation) and research questions?
III. Literature review
Review, critique, and synthesize the applicable literature to identify key issues/debates/theoretical
frameworks to clarify barriers, knowledge gaps, or practical needs.
How the research topic relates to the existing theory?
IV. Research Questions(s) and research objectives.
V. Method (proposed methodology and rationale for the selected method).
Research type Qualitative – what are the advantages and what are the limitations?

Will you collect original data or work with primary or secondary sources?

Population and How will you select subjects ?

sample
What are the limitations of the chosen selection method?

When and where will you collect the data?

Research methods What tools and procedures will you use (e.g. interviews, observations) to collect and analyze

data?

Why are these the best methods to answer your research questions (interview techniques and its

advantages and limitations)?

Ethics Which ethical considerations are relevant for your research project (based on the Netherlands
considerations
Code of Conduct [see Brightspace])?

How you are protecting your respondents privacy?

If your research involves topics that may cause emotional harm (talking about mental health,

loneliness), what is your ethical strategy?

Practicalities How much time will you need to collect the data?

How will you gain access to participants or sources?

 Do you foresee any potential obstacles, and how will you address them?

How are you going to distribute the one-page information sheet and obtain and store the

consent forms?

VI. Research timeline.

VII. Appendices (e.g.interview protocol, reflexivity statement).

Appendix/Appendices

The appendix (plural appendices) is placed at the end of a piece of academic work after the reference list and
contains additional material which supports the body of the work, but which would be distracting or inappropriate to
include within the text itself. The appendix can include text, tables, figures, or a c ombination of these.

Begin each appendix on a new page. Each appendix requires a label which is followed on the next line by a title which
describes the subject of the appendix. The label should be Appendix or, if there is more than one, label each
appendix with a capital letter, e.g. Appendix A, Appendix B, etc. in the order in which they are mentioned in the text.

The label and the title should be in bold and centered and written in title case (i.e. capitalise all major words).

Each appendix should be mentioned at least once in the text and should be referred to in text by the specific label -
e.g. (see Appendix A).

Resources

Textbook Chapter 8 Writing and presenting research proposal

How to write Research proposal (Research How it will be graded
Proposal Guide) GO / NO GO
Components Resources Above expectations Meets expectations Borderline completion Needs improvement

GO GO GO NO GO
I. Title Previous Research Title is clear and Title is clear and Title is clear and Title vague and does
modules concise. Reflects concise. Reflects somehow reflects the not reflect the content
Textbook accurately the content accurately the content content of the of the proposal.
of the proposal. of the proposal. proposal.
II. Introduction to Previous Research Contains clear Contains mostly clear Contains some but Contains vague
the research modules explanation of the explanation of the rather limited explanation of the
Textbook reasons for conducting reasons for conducting explanation of the reasons for conducting
the research. the research. reasons for conducting the research.
the research.
III. Literature Previous Research Includes clearly and Includes mostly clearly Includes satisfactory Lacking clear and
review modules concisely written and concisely written literature review concise literature
Textbook literature review literature review demonstrating some review that shows very
demonstrating demonstrating relevance to the little or none relevance
relevance to the relevance to the research objective. to the research
research objectives. research objective. objective.
IV. Research Previous Research Research question(s) is Research question(s) is Research question(s) is Research question(s) is
Question(s) modules highly relevant to the relevant to the relevant to the not relevant to the
and research Textbook argument, is presented argument and is mostly argument and is mostly argument or is vague
objectives. accurately and accurate and complete. accurate and complete and incomplete –
completely. Research objectives are – there are some components are
Research objectives are specific, achievable. unclear components or missing or inaccurate
specific, achievable. Reference to a some minor errors. or unclear.
Reference to a methodology Research objectives are Research objectives are
methodology textbook/other high mostly specific and lacking or not
textbook/other high quality resource is achievable. achievable.
included.
 quality resource is Reference to a Reference to a
included. methodology methodology
textbook/other high textbook/other high
quality resource is quality resource is
poor. missing.
V. Method Previous Research Selected methodology Selected methodology Methodology is Selected methodology
(proposed modules is highly relevant to the is relevant to the relevant to the is not relevant to the
methodology) Textbook argument, is presented argument, is presented argument and is mostly argument or is vague
accurately and accurately and accurate and complete and incomplete –
completely completely. – there are some components are
All relevant constraints Most constraints are unclear components or missing, inaccurate or
are identified and identified and some minor errors. unclear.
accurately analysed. accurately analysed. Most constraints are Few or no constraints
identified; some are are identified or some
not adequately constraints are
addressed or identified but not
accurately analysed. accurately analysed.
VI. Research Textbook Submitted, clear and Submitted, clear and Submitted, mostly Submitted but not
timeline. realistic. realistic. realistic but requires realistic, or not
adjustment. submitted.
VII. Writing style Citing correctly Proposal is coherently Proposal is generally Proposal is generally Proposal lacks
and Bias-free language organized and the logic well organized and well organized and structure and the
Referencing guidelines is easy to follow. There most of the argument most of the argument argument is not easy to
Principles for reducing are no spelling or is easy to follow. There is easy to follow. There follow. There are
bias grammatical errors and are only a few minor are some spelling or spelling or grammatical
terminology is clearly spelling or grammatical grammatical errors, or errors, or terms are not
defined. Writing is clear errors. Writing is terms are not clearly clearly defined. Writing
and concise and mostly clear and defined. Writing is lacks conciseness.
persuasive. concise. Some minor mostly clear but may Referencing incorrect
Referencing in referencing errors. lack conciseness. and does not comply
compliance with APA Referencing mostly with APA style.
style. comply with APA style.
VIII. Appendices Yes Yes Yes No
(e.g. research
protocol).