GOALS AND ELEMENTS OF A

RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Goals of a research proposal:

 to present a research idea

 to justify the need for it
 to describe how it should be implemented
Elements of a research proposal:
 Topic or tentative title
 Background
 Problem, objectives, research questions and/or hypothesis
 Conceptual framework
 Significance
 Design and methods
 References
 Expected output and dissemination
 Workplan and schedule of activities
 Line item budget
 Curriculum vitae
GOALS vis-à-vis CORRESPONDING ELEMENTS IN A PROPOSAL:

1. to present a research idea

 Topic or tentative title
 Background
 Problem, objectives, research questions and/or hypothesis
 Conceptual framework (optional)

2. to justify the need for it

 Significance
3. to describe how it should be implemented

 Design and methods

 References
 Expected output and dissemination
 Workplan and schedule of activities
 Line item budget
 Curriculum vitae
Background
 the intellectual/practical context of the topic

Problem
what is wrong, amiss, or imperfect in the current state of
knowledge:
 a gap in the literature?
 conflicting claims?
 inadequate results or findings?
 deficient method, etc.
Objective/s
 what you want to accomplish in order to address, answer or
illuminate the problem

Research questions/hypothesis
 What specific questions are you going to pose and answer in
order to achieve your objective/s?
 The research questions may also be stated in terms of
hypothesis/es.
Research framework

 How are the important elements of your proposal interrelated:

problem and objectives, literature review, methodology, data
gathering, and data analysis? [LOGIC OF THE PROPOSAL]

 When the research problem, objectives, literature background,

methodology are all aligned and centered, the research
process is clear and easier to undertake.
Significance

 Why is this study important?

 What is its relevance or contribution – in terms of theory?
method? practical application?
 How this will respond to the gap of knowledge, issues of
theory or method, and social action or policy-making.
Design and methods - the research process:

 research design
 activities and procedures
 materials
 methods
 population,
 sampling plan,
 instrumentation,
 statistical tools,
 treatment/analysis of data
References

Expected outputs
 a conference paper, a journal manuscript, a book/monograph,
a mechanical model, a policy paper, a program for action,
etc.?

Workplan and schedule of activities

 the workloads that are expected to be accomplished
 the specific activities under each workload
 the target dates for the completion of these activities.
Budget:

 maintenance and other operating expenses

- supplies, travel, communications, etc.
 professional services
- salaries, honoraria
 others

Curriculum Vitae: to convince the readers/grantors that you

are the right person/s to conduct the study
WORKSHOP II
Dissecting a sample proposal
Proposal: Effect of Infant’s Perceived Gender on
Adolescents’ Rating of the Infant

Look for the following:

 Problem

 Objective

 Hypotheses
Topic:
sex stereotyping of infants

Background:
survey of all studies done on sex stereotyping

WHAT IS KNOWN WHAT IS NOT KNOWN

- sex stereotyping of infants by sex stereotyping of infants by
adults and young children adolescents
- sex stereotyping of older

individuals by adolescents

Problem:
a knowledge GAP identified:
sex stereotyping of infants by adolescents
Objective:
to systematically examine the effects of gender of adolescents
and infants’ perceived gender, and their interaction, on
adolescents’ ratings toward the infant

Note: Instead of merely examining sex stereotyping of infants

by adolescents, the study decided to further add other
variables, namely:

- gender of the adolescent observer

(Why? Studies show that observer’s gender affect rating)
- gender of the infant
(Why? Studies show that infant’s gender elicits sex-
stereotyped responses from other groups (adults, children)
Hypotheses (or research questions stated declaratively):

1. That the gender of the infant will elicit gendered responses from
the adolescents (VARIABLE: gender of infant)
2. That males and females will rate the perceived infant differently
regardless of the name assigned to the infant (VARIABLE:
gender of the adolescent observer)
3. That the effect of the infants’ perceived gender will depend on
the adolescents’ gender (interaction effect between 2 variables)
How to test hypotheses/or answer question? (METHOD)

Experimental design:
Material: color image of an infant + 6 pairs of sex-typed
adjectives
1: first name is changed: LAURIE – LARRY – ‘INFANT’ (1ST
hypothesis)
2: gender of observer: MALE & FEMALE (2nd hypothesis)

Analysis:
- Descriptive statistics: mean and standard deviation
- Inferential statistics: two-way, between-subjects ANOVA and
Tukey’s HSD
Result

Discussion

References

Annex
Assessment:

Is the proposal able to meet its goals –

 to present a research idea?
 to justify the need for it?
 to describe how it should be implemented?

Research framework:
 Are the research background, problem, objectives,

methodology all aligned?