Chapter 5

Proposal and Report Writing

Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter students will be able to:
 Understand the importance of writing;
 Describe the contents of a research proposal
 Produce a complete research proposal
 Describe Outlines of a Research Report
 Describe the Presentation /Communicating skills
1
The Importance of Writing
 All researchers must be able to use language with a degree
of skill and accuracy to produce Research Report – clear and
coherent
 Clear thinking precedes clear writing.
 Must identify the specific ideas you do and do not know about

your topic.
 MUST clarify and organize thoughts sufficiently to
communicate them to your readers.
 May detect gaps and logical flaws in your thinking.

 Writing about a topic actually enhances the writers

understanding of that topic.
 If wait until all thoughts are clear before start writing, you
may NEVER begin.
 Begin with a TITLE and PURPOSE statement

2
Cont…
 Commit title to paper, keep it in plain sight as you focus your
ideas. Title can provide focus and direction
 Clear & concise statement, “The purpose of this study is….”.

Writing to Communicate
 Say what you mean to say – choose words and phrases
carefully so that you communicate the exact meaning, not
vague approximation.
 Keep your primary objective in writing your paper in mind at
all times, and focus discussion accordingly – everything you
say MUST relate directly or indirectly to your research
problem.
 Provide an overview of what you will be talking about – Your
readers can more effectively read your work when they know
what to expect as they read.
3
Cont…
 Organize your ideas into general and more specific
categories. Use headings and subheadings.
 Provide transitional phrases, sentences, or paragraphs that
help your readers follow train of thought.
 Use concrete examples to make abstract ideas more
understandable.
 Use appropriate punctuation – help communicate meanings.
 A comma kills a person

 Use figures and tables when such mechanisms can more

effectively present or organize your ideas and findings.
 At the conclusion of a chapter or major section, summarize
what have been said – things that are the most important.
 Anticipate that you will almost certainly have to write
multiple drafts – revise several times.
4
The Research Proposal
 Research involves many people and requires access to
and use of resources far beyond one’s own.
 For that reason, it must be carefully planned, inspected,
and, in nearly every instance, approved by others.
 A Research proposal is
 a short document designed to express your intentions

and future plans

 a reasoned, critical research plan that includes the

pitfalls of your approach and how you will handle them.

 similar in a number of ways to a project proposal;

 however, a research proposal addresses a particular

project: academic or scientific research.

5
Proposed Research Project:
 Show the viability and the plan in the research proposal
 The problem and its subproblems are clearly stated
 Hypotheses or questions are articulated
 All necessary terms are defined
 Delimitations are carefully spelled out
 The reason for conducting the study - why it’s important - is
explained
 Every anticipated detail of acquiring, organising, analysing,
and interpreting the data is specified; Nothing is overlooked
 All questions that may arise in the minds of those who
review the proposal are anticipated and answered
 Any unresolved matter is a weakness in the proposal and
may seriously affect its approval.

6
Cont…
 A Proposal is a Straightforward Document
 proposal = looking forward, to what the researcher plans to

do in the future (not history) and employs future tense.

 If a writer plans to make analytical comparison, s/he might begin,
 “This study will analyse the social and economic status of

certain minority groups today in comparison with their

similar status five decades ago for the purpose of …”
 A Proposal is Clearly Organised
 thoughts are outlined using headings and subheadings

 Formatting Headings and Subheadings

 The most important headings are in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

and centred on the page. Eg, the titles of the various chapters
in a proposal or research report
 The next important headings are in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

and left justified on the page

 The next headings are in Capital and Lowercase Letters.

7
Example of Structural Outline
4. THE REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE
4.1 UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF REVIEW
4.1.1 The Purpose of the Review
4.1.2 How to Begin
4.1.2.1 Go to the indexes and abstracts
4.1.2.2 Database access
4.1.2.3 Go to the library
4.1.3 How to Write the Section
4.1.3.1 Get the proper
4.1.3.2 Have a plan

4.2 POINTS OF DEPARTURE

4.2.1 Abstract
4.2.2 Indexes
4.3 FOR FURTHER READING
8
Elements of a proposal
I. Title
II. Introduction

III. Statement of the Problem

IV. Purpose/Objective of the study

V. Literature Review
VI. Approach /Methods and Procedures

VII. Significance of the Study / Expected Benefits

VIII. Scope/limitation

IX. Duration and Plan of Action

X. Cost
XI. References

XII. Appendixes

9
Elements of a proposal …
 Title
 important part of the process;

 You need to engage the reader with a short, relevant title

that clearly demonstrates what the problem is and why this

is important.
 Introduction
 Provides readers with the background information for the

research reported in the paper.

 Establishes a framework for the research, so that readers
can understand how it is related to other research
 In an introduction, you should

 create reader interest in the topic,

 lay the broad foundation for the problem that leads to the

study,

10
Cont…
 place the study within the larger context of the scholarly
literature, and
 reach out to a specific audience.
 Statement of the Problem
 A problem is the issue that exists in the literature, theory, or
practice that leads to a need for the study.
 It is important in a proposal that the problem stand out—
that the reader can easily recognize it.
 Sometimes, obscure and poorly formulated problems are
masked in an extended discussion.
 In such cases, reviewers and/or committee members will
have difficulty recognizing the problem.
 Effective problem statements answer the question
 “Why does this research need to be conducted.”

11
Cont…
 If a researcher is unable to answer this question clearly and
succinctly, then the statement of the problem will come off
as ambiguous and diffuse.
 Make sure to state the problem in terms intelligible to

someone who is generally sophisticated but who is relatively

uninformed in the area of your investigation.
 Purpose of the study
 “The purpose statement should provide a specific and

accurate synopsis of the overall purpose of the study”

 Briefly define and delimit the specific area of the research.

 Describe the hypotheses to be tested or the questions to be

raised
 Try to incorporate a sentence that begins with

 “The purpose of this study is . . .”

12
Cont…
 clearly identify and define the central concepts or ideas of the
study.  
 Literature review 
 provides the background and context for the research

problem.
 establishes the need for the research and indicate that the

writer is knowledgeable about the area

 demonstrate to the reader that you have a comprehensive

grasp of the field and are aware of important recent

substantive and methodological developments.
 should be generally brief and to the point.

  Methods and Procedures

 this is the heart of the research proposal.

 the activities should be described with as much detail as

possible
13
Cont…
 indicate the methodological steps you will take to answer
every question or to test every hypothesis illustrated in the
purpose of the study
 clearly describe
 The sampling techniques
 Data collection instruments
 Data collection plan
 Specify the procedures you will use to analyze the data 
 Significance of the study
 Indicate how your research will refine, revise, or extend
existing knowledge in the area under investigation
 Thinking about the significance of your study, ask yourself the
following questions.
 What will be improved or changed as a result of the

proposed research?
14
Cont…
 Will results influence programs, methods, and/or
interventions?
 Will results contribute to the solution of a problem facing

the society?
 Will results influence the decision making process?
 How will results of the study be implemented, and what

innovations will come about?

 Duration and plan of action
 Indicate the length of time required to complete the research
 The proposal must produce a reasonable plan of action for
the duration of the proposed research and an estimated
completion date
 The Plan of action
 gives a brief outline of the estimated time needed to

complete each section of the research.

15
Cont…
 A GANTT chart is a planning tool that depicts graphically the
order in which various tasks must be completed and the duration
of each activity. It shows
 the tasks to be performed;

 who is responsible for each task; and

 the time (days, weeks or months) each task is expected to

take.
 Financial cost
 Prepare a budget for your project that shows what you anticipate
the cost of conducting the research to be.
 Be honest and reasonable in preparing the budget
 References
 references cited in the research proposal should be included in
the reference list
 Follow a specific and consistent guideline regarding use of
references in text and in the reference list. Eg. IEEE, APA
16
Cont…
 References Rules
 Any work not your own should be clearly marked
 Any quotations within quotation marks
 Every reference in the text should be listed
 Every item in the list must have a reference in the text
 Every table, figure or photograph must have a reference in

the text
 Appendixes (optional)
 The need for complete documentation generally dictates the

inclusion of appropriate appendixes in proposals

 The following material are appropriate for an appendix

 Questionnaires
 Interview protocols
 Sample of informed consent forms
 Cover letters sent to appropriate stakeholders

17
Cont…
 Official letter of permission to conduct research
Assignment: Due date: ??/12/2017
 Write an essay not more than 5 pages on IEEE (Institute
of Elecrtrical and Electronics Engineers) referencing style.
 Your work should include:
 Introduction

 Body

 Explaining Intext citation and reference list with regard to

 Book (print and Electronic)

 Journal articles (print and Electronic (from DB & website))
 Conference paper and Conference proceedings
 Thesis/Dissertation and
 Website page contents
 Conclusion

 References

18
Writing Research Report
 A report is a communication of information, from a
person who has collected and studied the facts.
Outlines of a Research Report
 The following are suggested outlines of chapters and
sections of research report:
 Preliminary Pages
 Title Page

 Acknowledgement

 Abstract

 Table of contents

 List of Tables

 List of Figures

 List of Acronyms

 Declarations

19
Outlines of a Research Report
 CHAPTER I – Introduction
 Background

 Statement of the problem

 Research questions and/or hypotheses

 Purpose/objective

 Significance of the study

 Scope/limitation

 CHAPTER II – Literature Review and Related Works

 Introduction

 Review of related works

 CHAPTER III – Methodology

 General Approach

 Data Source – population and sampling

 Data Collection methods and processes

20
Cont…
 Instrumentation (include copy in appendix)
 Validity and reliability (results from pilot test)

 Analysis/ design procedures/settings

 Evaluation approaches and procedure if applicable

 CHAPTER IV – Design/Experimental Results and

Discussion
 Experimentation and Findings

 Discussion of Results

 CHAPTER V - Conclusions and Recommendations

 Summary (of what you did and found)

 Conclusion (What you conclude from your findings)

 Recommendations (based on your findings)

 REFERENCES
 APPENDIX

21
Writing Tips
 Reading will help you write.
 examine structure,
 writing style,
 overall organization, such as use of subheads.
 Once you are already familiar with the process of research,
writing is a similar process.
 Write your abstract first for the first draft
 Abstract is a few short paragraphs that identifies
 the key questions
 importance of your research question
 the approaches you have employed
 findings
 The Title and Abstract should reflect the focus of your work.

22
Cont…
 Edit for Clarity
 Define abbreviations
 Use proper transitions from paragraph to paragraph and section
to section.
 Don’t bury your point underneath long introductory clauses.
 Vary sentence length.
 Rewrite ambiguous sentences.
 Correct Grammar, spelling and punctuation
 Edit for Appearance
 Consistent font and line spacing
 Breakup text with bullets
 Use subheads
 Use drawings and figures when possible

23
Cont…
 Strive for perfection
 No one can sit down and write the perfect paper in one draft.
 A paper goes through several revisions, each one improving on
the previous version
 You will never prepare a proposal or a report that’s free of any
errors or ambiguities. Try anyway.

 Be ready for comments

 Have a colleague/expert read your writing
 Take substantive feedback
 Edit your report
 Produce final report

24
Presentation /Communicating your work
 Most Presentation are based on a written work.
 Main benefit of presenting the work orally or in written form is that
you get immediate feedback on your work from other people in your
chosen field.
 A paper goes through several revisions, each one improving on the
previous version
 Presentation Skills 1
 Practice your Presentation to make sure it runs to time
 Have notes (legible and you’re totally familiar with the order you
want to say) handy in case you dry up.
 Presentation Skills 2
 Always start by introducing your self and the topic you are going to
talk about
 Tell your audience exactly how the talk will be structured
 Sum-up what you have said on a concluding side
 Try not to cover too much ground.
25
Cont…
 Presentation Skills 3
 Try not to read from a script
 Maintain an eye contact with your audience
 Make sure your audience can hear you – don’t talk too quickly,
take a pause now and then
 Presentation Skills 4
 Don’t put too much on each slide; Use a large font
 Ensure slides are relevant; Make sure any animation or sound
does not cause an unwanted distraction.
 Ensure slides are free of spelling/grammatical errors
 Presentation Skills 5
 Leave time for questions, they’re a good way of getting feedback
 Consider your answer and Make sure you understand the
question – if not ask for clarification

26
Cont…
 If you don’t know the answer, be honest and say so.
 Don’t forget to thank your audience.
Miscellaneous issues
Things to avoid
 Report order ≠investigate order
 arguments should appear in order that best support the claim
 Unsubstantiated claims, hopes and assumptions
 XXX will make it easy/fast/better/integrate with other tools…
 Do you actually demonstrate these claims in your paper?

 We believe, We hope,…. For we’re doing science, not religion..

 XXX is valuable…, XXX can help…, XXX is an excellent….,
 A favorite reviewing sentence: “Are these opinions, hypotheses?

Proven facts? Please add references.”

 Tackling a non-problem, a problem which you cannot solve
 A software engineering example- Paper citing – “software crisis”
27
Final Project Results Talk
 Convince or ……
 Review the problem description and proposed approach –
give “the theme”
 Give details (e.g., of implementation) to support “the
theme”
 Give key results to support “the theme”
 Summarize “the Once again : a view of your research
theme”

28
Task of reviewer/ referee

29
Find an Advisor and a Project
 Start early
 Get info about profs’ research
 home pages, research papers, word of mouth, …
 Schedule meetings with several professors
 email, appointments
 Choose a professor
 Know how to “manage”
 Decide on a project
 Students come up with their own
 Profs suggest choices
 A combination
 Mutual agreement, interest, enthusiasm
 Write brief description of project and get Advisor’s email
commitment to advise you

30
Cont…
 More Topics/areas that may be possible research areas;
 Education aids
 Language recognition/translation
 Wireless
 Web mining
 Big data
 Sentiment /Opinion Analysis
 Social networking
Checkpoints and Talks
 Arrange talks (3 to 4) about your work, at different stages of
the work.
 Purpose is not to give you “busy work”
 Main purpose: to provide opportunities to re-evaluate and re-
formulate your project and plan (Trust me, you’ll need to.)
 Secondary purpose: To get practice presenting your work.
31