PREPARATION OF RESEARCH

PROPOSAL
Defination
• A research proposal: is a logical and systematic plan of procedure
prepared for directing a research study.
• It is “the plan, structure and strategy of investigation planned so as to
obtain answer to research question.
• A research proposal is the program that guides the investigator in the
process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting observations.
The main purposes of writing a research proposal are:

To present the problem to be researched and its importance.

 To discuss the research efforts of others who have worked on related
problems.
 To suggest the data necessary for solving the problem and how the data
will be gathered, treated, and interpreted.
To serve as a planning tool for the researcher.
 Format/Outline Research Proposal
• The proposal formats of different institutions may vary. But there are basic
components that are common to all well constructed proposals.

• A Research Proposal must contain the following aspects:

 Title Page
Acronyms Preliminaries
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
 1.1 Introduction to background of Research Area and
background of the Research
 1.2 Statement of the problem
 1.3 Objectives of the study
 1.4 Research questions
 1.5 Definitionofconcepts Body

 1.6. Hypothesis (Need not to elaborate)

 1.7 Limitations of the study
Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature
 2.1 Review of Literature on the Research Problem
 2.2 Review of Literature on the Research Objectives
Chapter 3 Materials and Methodology
 3.1 Description of the study (Statements on the existing ground
realities of the Study Area) and target population Body
 3.2. Research Design and Rationale
 3.3. Data collection methods(required Data and the Data Collection Tools)
 3.4. Data analysis Method/procedures

Chapter 4 Logistics
4.1 Budget Backup
4.2 Time Schedule/ Work plan /Phases:
Chapter 6 Reference
 Title of Proposal
• The title identifies the proposed research project. It tells what the proposal is about.
• It must concisely and clearly indicate: the key variables in the study; the types of
relationship between the variables; and, the population to which the results may be
applied.
• The length of the title matters a lot. So avoid nonessential information.
Example: Impact assessment of physical soil and water conservation practices in
Bedele, Oromia
• The title should include key terms that readily identify the scope and nature of the
study.
• It should be in formative, specific and concise and is relevant to the intended contents
of the proposal.
 Introduction
• It should introduce the subject/problem to be addressed and relevant information relating to
the topic of research( Background of the Research);
• It should describe the nature and purpose of the study; presents the guiding research
questions, and explain the significance of and justification for the conduct of the study;
• In developing this chapter consider the following guidelines:

Briefly discuss the historical developments of events regarding the specific topic you are
interested to study.
- Describe your basic assumptions/concerns that led you to study the topic.
- Justify why you think there is still a need to further study the topic.
- Briefly describe how you intend to go about conducting the study.
- Provide the structure to be followed in conducting the study
 Statement of the problem
• The problem that has been chosen for research may have many facets. A problem can
be analyzed from various angles.
• The focus of attention of the researcher towards the problem chosen must be
pinpointed. The researcher must also point out the reason for choosing this particular
problem for the research study.
• Hence, a researcher must analyze the following aspects in the statement of the problem:

(i) The need to study the problem of research.

(ii) What connotation does the problem contain?
(iii) Why the researcher has chosen this particular topic? or what type of interest has
evinced the researcher to undertake this study?
 Objectives of the study
• While framing the objectives, it is better to limit the number of objectives
(maximum 3) to suit the needs of the topic.
• The objective must be framed bearing in mind the topic of research.
• there must be a close and intimate relationship between the topics of research,
objectives framed, research questions asked, chapter scheme (work plan) and
analysis of research.
• Objectives are also important to choose the relevant methods of research and tools
to be followed.
• Framing of clear objectives can help the preparation of schedules (work plan)
immensely.
• The language must be clear, precise and meaningful.
• The contents of the objective must be expressed in a few sentences.
 Review of the Literature

• Summarize what existing literature has to say about your problem and the existing
solutions: What has been tried, what solutions or interventions that worked, what
has not worked, why.
• After you present what is already known, make your case for your research either
answering a new question, getting a new answer to an old question, answering a
question about a new population, etc.
• After you have made your case that your research is going to give new
information, you will summarize the major points.
• Finally, you will formulate (in the last sentence) your research question or your
hypothesis.
• Remember that the Introduction discusses the problem. The review of literature
should concentrate on solutions (those that exist, those that are still required).
• Research Questions:
• Here the researcher may include a few questions whose answers are the
expected outcome of the research,
• In other words, research questions are directly related to the objectives.

Hypothesis:
• A researcher can include hypothesis in the proposal or he can omit.
• The researcher has to make his own judgment, based on the nature of the study
about the desirability of the inclusion of hypothesis.
• But once hypothesis is included, it must be tested. Through this test, it can be
proved or disproved.
 Materials and Methodology :

• This is the most important part of your proposal.

It precisely describes:
• The study area with respect to Location and physiography, Climate,
Geology and soils, Production systems and Target population.
• Sapling procedure, sources, types and methods of data collection, methods
of data analysis including statistical procedures to be used in analyzing the
data .
• Variable defination: includes list of your variables, which ones are
independent or dependent?
 Reference:
• If the researcher had borrowed the views and ideas of various authors/experts
or quoting from other books and materials and shown them in his proposal
especially in review of relates literature part, he/she should acknowledged all
of them under the reference in the order that they occurred in the research
proposal: that is used first acknowledged first and so on.