WHAT IS A RESEARCH PLAN?

A research plan, which sets

out initial thoughts is a short
document on a in a logical
and concise manner research
project
WHAT IS A RESEARCH PLAN?
A research plan is a short
document, which sets out
initial thoughts on a research
project in a logical and concise
manner.
ELEMENTS OF A
RESEARCH PLAN
1. Title
*Should be clear, accurate, concise and
unambiguous.
*If possible, try to make it short and
memorable but should not however be at the expense
of clarity.
2. Background, Context or Rationale
*Should describe why you wish to conduct the
project, and why it is relevant, important and
timely.
3. Aims and Objectives
*Objectives should be ‘SMART’ i.e. specific,
measurable, achievable, relevant (or realistic) and
time-bound.
*Should establish a clear connection between the
research question and the aims and objectives.
4. Hypothesis
*A hypothesis is a statement of anticipated
behavior, and it is usually expressed in a ‘null’
form.
5. Literature Review
*In this context literature may comprise not only
scholarly papers; but also national, local or
organizational policy documents; inhouse reports and
a range of other project-relevant documentation.
6. Research Design and Methods
*Should describe the methods, techniques and if
appropriate, tools that you intend to use to collect
and analyze the data.
7. Ethical Issues
*If you plan to involve either people or animals in
your research then you will almost certainly need to
seek ethical approval for your work.
*If human participation is involved in the study,
an informed consent and guaranteeing that all data
gathered from them will be held anonymously and
confidentially.
8. Risk Assessment
*When planning a research project therefore, the
researcher must ask themselves a number of
questions:
a.What risks might prevent a successful outcome to
the project?
b.What is the probability of each risk occurring?
c.What would be the impact on the project if a risk
occurred?
d.How will a risk be managed?
9. Resources
*Materials should be available in the locality.
*Identify the facilities to be used (laboratory,
clinical, animal, computer, office, other). If
appropriate, indicate their capacities, pertinent
capabilities, relative proximity and extent of
availability to the project.
10. References
*Any documents, websites, or other resources
referred to in the proposal must be correctly
referenced.
 Further Considerations
• Keep your language straightforward and direct.
• Try to be concise and to the point. Short sentences are
good. Avoid waffling.
• Develop your ideas clearly and logically. This will help the
reader understand not only what you wish to do, but why.
• Use ‘signposts’ such as headings and linking sentences
between sections to emphasize the flow through the plan.
• Make sure your facts are accurate and that you have covered
all necessary points.
• Emphasize key points, not details.
 Further Considerations
 Check for typographical errors and spelling mistakes – do not
rely on your computer’s spell-checker since it cannot
distinguish between words with different meanings (such as
‘there’ and ‘their’).
 Avoid jargon. Assume your audience are non-expert and may
not be familiar with your subject matter.
 Avoid the use of too many acronyms, but where unavoidable,
write them in full the first time you use them.
 Avoid repetition.
 Further Considerations
 Make use of figures and illustrations. A picture can
sometimes convey more information than a lengthy block of
text.
 Pay attention to the presentation of your plan. A clear and
tidy plan suggests a clear and tidy approach to work. A
messy plan will not only be more difficult for the reader to
follow, it may also be taken to indicate sloppiness and lack of
rigor in research.
 TEST
YOURSELF!
1.It describes why you wish to conduct the project, and
why it is relevant, important and timely.
2.It describes the methods, techniques and if
appropriate, tools that you intend to use to collect
and analyze the data.
3.It establishes a clear connection between the
research question and the aims and objectives.
4.It Should be clear, accurate, concise and
unambiguous.
5.This element describe why you wish to conduct the
project, and why it is relevant, important and timely.
6. It is an educated guess and statement of anticipated behavior,
and it is usually expressed in a ‘null’ form.
7. If you plan to involve either people or animals in your
research then you will almost certainly need to seek ethical
approval for your work.
8. Documents, websites, or other resources referred to in the
proposal must be correctly cited in the study.
9. Identify the facilities to be used (laboratory, clinical, animal,
computer, office, other). If appropriate, indicate their capacities,
pertinent capabilities, relative proximity and extent of
availability to the project.
10. In doing the study, the researcher must ask themselves the
risks that might prevent the successful outcome to the project
 CHARACTERISTICS
OF A
GOOD RESEARCH TITLE
1. The title of research usually omits
the verb and is only a label or a
phrase.
2. The title needs to be very specific.
It should identify the variables to
be investigated.
3. The title should be interestingly
stimulating.
4. The title should reflect the content
of the study
5. Good titles contain as few words
as possible, not to exceed 15 words.
6.The title should not be conclusive
or biased.
7. The title should avoid
abbreviations, formulas, and jargon.
8. Use appropriate terms in the title
Examples:
• Bactericides for the control of bacteria
• Fungicides for the control of fungi
• Herbicides for the control of weeds
• Nematicides for the control of nematodes
• Insecticides for the control insects – These can
be Larvicides (substances that kill larvae) or
adulticides (substances that kill adults)
9. Avoid using superfluous words
Examples:
• A Study of ……………………………………
• An Experimental Study of ….……………
• A Scientific Investigation of ……………..
• A Preliminary Study ………………………
• An Analysis of ………………………………

10.The title is written as much as

possible in one line; when more than
one line, it follows the inverted
pyramid form.
SAFETY INSIDE
THE
LABORATORY
 Hazard or danger is everywhere. It
can be on the streets, in offices, in
vehicles, and even at home. In a
laboratory, safety symbols and rules
keep instruments safe from breakage
and most especially to avoid health
and physical harm to the person
working in the laboratory.
 To be safe in the laboratory while
working on your research
experiments, some rules must be
followed at all times. Always
remember these rules to avoid injury,
save money, property, time, and most
importantly your life.
 RULES INSIDE THE
LABORATORY
1.Study first the procedures and
materials for your experiments before
conducting them in the laboratory.
2. List down chemicals, hazardous
instruments, possible risks, and safety
measures to be done to avoid
accidents.
 RULES INSIDE THE
LABORATORY
3. Always wear proper personal
protective equipment (PPE) like
goggles, face masks, hand gloves, and
laboratory gowns.
4. Do not work in the laboratory
without the supervision of your teacher
 RULES INSIDE THE
LABORATORY
5. Proper precautions to be taken with
animals include never letting students
handle animals without direct supervision.
Students should wear gloves when
handling animals and the students should
be given clear guidelines to help protect
not only themselves but the animals as
well.
RULES INSIDE THE LABORATORY
6. Proper precautions to be taken with plants
include never using poisonous or allergy-
causing plants within the classroom.
Additionally, students should be notified of
the distinction between edible and non-
edible plants, and should never eat plants
unless specifically directed to do so. Finally,
students should wear gloves when handling
plants and should wash their hands after
completing their work with plants
 Research Objective
A research objective refers to the statement
of purpose for which the investigation is to
be conducted. It describes the aims or goals
which are expected to be attained at the end
of the research process, the research
problem is the initiating reason for the
study, and the research objective should be
anchored or based on it.
Types of Research
Objective
1. General Objective
• A broad statement of purpose that uses
abstract and nonmeasureable concepts
• More often than not, the general objective
is the rephrasing of their search title and
usually starts with infinitive verbs like to
find out, to determine, to describe, to
compare, to produce, etc
2.Specific Objective
• Statement of purpose which uses well-
defined and measurable concepts
• The formulation of which should be
based on and logically flow from the
general objective
Characteristics of Good Research
Objectives (SMART)
1. They should be stated in simple
language.
2. They are measurable concepts.
3. They are attainable.
4. They are result-oriented.
5. They are time-bound.
 Pass the Message!
1. The class will be grouped into three
groups.
2. Each group will fall in one line.
3. They will select one representative from
each group to come to the front and read
the message.
4. The representatives will relay the message
to the next student after them.
 Pass the Message!
5. The next student will relay the message to
the next group mate and so on.
6. The last student in the line will go to the
front will say the message out loud.
TRY ME!
Given the specific research objective below,
formulate the null and the alternative
hypothesis.
Is there a significant difference on the
growth of Pechay plant in terms of weight,
height and number of leaves when applied
with Humus, Vermicast, Chicken manure
and Commercial fertilizer?
TRY ME!
Is there a significant difference on the
growth of Pechay plant in terms of weight,
height and number of leaves when applied
with Humus, Vermicast, Chicken manure
and Commercial fertilizer?
-
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
TRY ME!
Is there a significant difference on the
growth of Pechay plant in terms of weight,
height and number of leaves when applied
with Humus, Vermicast, Chicken manure
and Commercial fertilizer?
-
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
 RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
 A hypothesis is an ‘educated guess.’
It is a tentative answer to a research
question or problem.
It may be based on factual
knowledge, experiences and
observations.
A hypothesis can be defined as a
possible answer to a problem based on
gathered information.
 A hypothesis is based on the
objectives of the study.
It is described as an educated or
intelligent guess because its formulation
involves critical thinking and decision
based on well-thought of objectives,
research paradigm, and review of related
literature.
MAJOR TYPE OF
RESEARCH
HYPOTHESES
1. Null Hypothesis
A statement of denial of relationship,
difference, or an effect. As such, it is
expressed in the negative form of a
statement.
2. Alternative Hypothesis
A formal affirmative statement predicting a
single research outcome. It is the very
opposite of what the null hypothesis
predicts.
Sample Null Hypotheses
In view of specific objectives, the following hypotheses are
advanced:
a. There is no significant difference among the varying
ratio of squash seeds and commercial feeds on the weight
gain of broiler chicken.
b. There is no significant difference among the varying
ratio of squash seeds and commercial feeds on the
performance index of broiler chicken.
c. There is no significant relationship between the number
of squash seeds and the weight gain of broiler chicken.
Sample Alternative Hypotheses
In view of specific objectives, the following hypotheses are
advanced:
1. There is a significant difference among the varying ratio of
squash seeds and commercial feeds on the weight gain of
broiler chicken.
2. There is a significant difference among the varying ratio of
squash seeds and commercial feeds on the performance index
of broiler chicken.
3. There is a significant relationship between the number of
squash seeds and the weight gain of broiler chicken.
GENERALIZATION
1. What is hypothesis?
2. What is a null hypothesis?
3. How about alternative hypothesis?
Formulate the null and alternative
hypothesis of the given research
objectives.
1. To determine the efficacy of Kakawate
leaves (Gliricidiasepium L.) extract in
killing American cockroaches
(Periplanetaamericana L.).
2. To determine the effectiveness of garlic
extract as an alternative fertilizer in the
growth and yield of tomato plant.
CITATION
 Citation is a reference to a published or
unpublished source that you consulted and
obtained information from while writing your
research paper. The way in which you
document your sources depends on the
writing style manual your professor wants you
to use for the class [e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago,
Turabian, etc.].
 Properly citing the works of others is important
because:
1. Proper citation allows others to locate the materials you
used. Citations to other sources helps readers expand
their knowledge on a topic.
2. Citing other people's words and ideas indicates that
you have conducted thorough review of the literature on
your topic and, therefore, you are operating from an
informed perspective.
3. Other researcher's ideas can be used to reinforce your
arguments, or, if you disagree with them, can act as
positions from which to argue an alternative viewpoint.
 Properly citing the works of others is important
because:
4. Just as other researcher's ideas can bolster your
arguments and act as evidence for your ideas, they can
also detract from your credibility if they are found to be
mistaken or fabricated.
5. Outside academe, ideas are considered intellectual
property and there can serious repercussions if you fail to
cite where you got an idea from.
 General Guidelines
1.Should I avoid referencing other people's work?
No! Referencing other people's work is never an
indication that your work is poor or lacks
originality if placed in the proper context. In fact,
the opposite is true. If you write your paper with no
references to previous research, you are indicating
to the reader that you are not familiar with the
research that has already been done, thereby
undermining your credibility as an author and the
validity of your research.
 General Guidelines
2. What should I do if I find that my idea has
already been published by another researcher?
Acknowledge the other researcher's work by writing
in your reference something like this: [see also
Smith, 2002]. Do not ignore another author's work
because doing so will lead your readers to believe
that you have either taken the idea or information
without properly referencing it [this is plagiarism]
or that you have failed to conduct a thorough
review of the literature in your field.
 General Guidelines
3. What should I do if I want to use an adapted
version of someone else's work?
You still must cite the original work. For example,
maybe you are using a table of statistics from a
journal article published in 1996 by author Smith,
but you have altered or added new data to it.
Reference the revised chart as: [adapted from Smith,
1996]. You can also use other terms in order to
specify the exact relationship between the source
and the version you have presented, such as, based
on Smith [1996], summarized from Smith [1996],
etc.
 General Guidelines
4. What should I do if several authors have
published very similar information or ideas?
You can indicate that the idea or information can
be found in the work of more than one author, by
stating something like: "Though in fact many
authors have applied this theory to understanding
economic relations among nations [for example,
Smith, 1989; Jones, 19991; Johnson, 1994], little
work has been done on applying it to understand
the actions of non-governmental organizations."
 General Guidelines

If you only reference one author, then your readers

may assume that only one author has published on
this topic, or, conclude that you have not read the
literature thoroughly knowing that others have
published research in this area. Referencing
multiple authors indicates to your readers a clear
idea of the breadth of analysis you conducted
about the research problem, not a distorted or
incomplete one.
 General Guidelines
4. What should I do if several authors have
published very similar information or ideas?
You can indicate that the idea or information can
be found in the work of more than one author, by
stating something like: "Though in fact many
authors have applied this theory to understanding
economic relations among nations [for example,
Smith, 1989; Jones, 19991; Johnson, 1994], little
work has been done on applying it to understand
the actions of non-governmental organizations."
 General Guidelines
If you only reference one author, then your readers
may assume that only one author has published on
this topic, or, conclude that you have not read the
literature thoroughly knowing that others have
published research in this area. Referencing
multiple authors indicates to your readers a clear
idea of the breadth of analysis you conducted
about the research problem, not a distorted or
incomplete one.
 General Guidelines
5. What if I find exactly what I want to say in the writing of
another researcher?
It depends on what it is; if someone else has investigated
precisely the same research problem as you, then you
likely will have to change your topic, or at the very least,
find something new to say about what you're researching.
However, if it is someone else's particularly succinct
expression, but it fits perfectly with what you are trying to
say, then you can quote directly, citing the page reference
as well as the author and year of publication. Finding
someone else who has stated or made the same point that
you have is an opportunity to reinforce your own
interpretation of the research problem.
 APA Citation Format
Basic Format for a Book:
Reference List: Authors' Last name, First Initial.
(Year). Book title: Subtitle. (Edition) [if other than
the 1st]. Publisher.
In-text: (Author, Year)
 Basic Format for a Book
Book with One Author:
Reference List: Brader, T. (2006). Campaigning for Hearts
and Minds: How emotional appeals in political ads work.
University of Chicago Press.
In-text: (Brader, 2006)
​Book with Two Authors:
Reference List: Miller, T. E., & Schuh, J. H.
(2005). Promoting Reasonable Expectations: Aligning student
and institutional views of the college experience. Jossey- Bass.
In-text: (Miller & Schuh, 2005)
 APA Citation Format
Basic Format for a Print Article:
Last name, First Initial. (Year, Month Day).
Article title. Magazine/Journal/Newspaper
Title, Volume number (Issue number), Page
numbers of the entire article.
Basic Format for a Print Article
Magazine Article:
White, C. (2006, April). The spirit of Disobedience: An
invitation to resistance. Harper's Magazine, 312(1871),
31-40.
Journal Article:
Newman, J. L., Fuqua, D. R., Gray, E. A., & Simpson, D.
B. (2006). Gender Differences in the Relationship of Anger
and Depression in a Clinical Sample. Journal of
Counseling & Development, 84, 157-161.
Basic Format for a Print Article
Newspaper Article:
Zernike, K. (2015, October 25). White House Moves
to Limit School Testing. New York Times, p. A1.

Note: For newspaper articles, p. or pp. precedes

page numbers for a newspaper reference in APA
style. Single pages take p., e.g., p. B2; multiple
pages take pp., e.g., pp. B2, B4 or pp. C1, C3-C4.
 APA Citation Format
Basic Format for an Online Article:
Author’s Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Article
title. Magazine/Journal/Newspaper Title, Volume
number (Issue number), Page numbers. doi or URL
of publication home page
 Basic Format for an Online
Article
Online Journal Article with DOI Assigned:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of
Journal, volume number (issue number), page range.
https://doi.org/10.0000/0000
Example:
Denhart, H. (2008). Deconstructing Barriers: Perceptions of
students labeled with learning disabilities in higher
education. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 41(6), 483-497.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219408321151
 Basic Format for an Online
Article
Online Journal Article with no DOI Assigned:
Basic Format:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of
Journal, volume number (issue
number). http://www.journalhomepage.com/full/url/
Example:
Von Busch, O., & Palmas, K. (2016). Designing consent: Can
design thinking manufacture democratic
capitalism? Organizational Aesthetics, 5(2), 10-24.
http://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/oa/.
 Basic Format for an Online
Article
Newspaper Article Found on a Newspaper's Website
Basic Format:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of
Newspaper. http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Example:
Zernike, K. (2016, February 29). Testing for joy and grit?
Schools nationwide push to measure students’ emotional
skills. The New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/01/us/testing-for-joy-
and-grit-schools-nationwide-push-to-measure-students-
emotional-skills.html?_r=0
Try this!
• Simpson, R.L. (1974)
• Sociology of Education
• Sex stereotypes of secondary school
teaching subjects: Male and female
status gains and losses
• 47(3)
• 388-398
Try this!
• Retrieved from
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subjec
t/philosophy/work s/
fr/foucault.htm
• Foucault, M. (1972)
• New York: Routledge
• The Archæology of Knowledge
Try this!
Masculinities in the English Classroom:
Fracturing the stereotypes
English in in the Cultural Politics of
Education
25(2)
145-169
Grumet, M. R. (1988)
Try this!

Simpson, R.L. (1974). Sex stereotypes

of secondary school teaching subjects:
Male and female status gains and
losses. Sociology of Education, 47(3),
388-398.
Try this!

Foucault, M. (1972). The Archæology

of Knowledge. New York: Routledge.
Retrieved from
http://www.marxists.org/reference/s
ubject/philosophy/work
s/fr/foucault.htm
Try this!

Grumet, M. R. (1988). Masculinities in the

English classroom: Fracturing the
stereotypes. English in in the Cultural
Politics of Education, 25(2), 145-169.
SCIENTIFIC
METHOD
 The scientific method is a series of
processes that people can use to gather
knowledge about the world around them,
improve that knowledge, and attempt to
explain why and/or how things occur.
This method involves making
observations, forming questions, making
hypotheses, doing an experiment,
analyzing the data, and forming a
conclusion.
 Steps in
Conducting Actual Experiment
1. Identify the problem.
The first step in planning an experiment is
to identify the problem. This includes
identifying the general purpose of the
experiment, the response variable of interest,
and the population. The identified problem is
often referred to as a claim about the
population of interest.
2. Determine the factors.
The second step in planning an experiment is
to determine the factors to be studied. Factors
can be identified by experts in the field, by the
overall purpose of the experiment, or by using
results from previous studies. Factors must be
identified as either fixed at some
predetermined level, controlled (those that will
be manipulated in the experiment), or
uncontrolled.
3. Determine the number of
experimental units (i.e., the sample
size).
In general, the more the experiment units,
the more effective the experiment.
However, the number of experimental
units could have to be limited by time or
money. You will learn some techniques on
how to calculate an appropriate number
of experimental units as you move on to
the next grade level.
4. Determine the level of each factor.
There are three ways to deal with the factors:
o Control – Fix the levels at a constant level (for
factors not of interest) 2
o Manipulate – Set the levels at predetermined
levels (for factors of interest)
o Randomize – Randomize the experimental
units (for uncontrolled factors not of interest).
Randomization decreases (or averages out)
the effects of uncontrolled factors, even ones
not identified or thought about in advance.
5. Conduct the experiment.
There are different good methods for
assigning treatments to experimental units:
completely random, matched pairs, and
randomized blocks. If a treatment is applied to
more than one experimental unit, this is
called replication,which can be useful for
experimental accuracy and to further decrease
the effects of uncontrolled factors. In this step,
the experimenter then collects and processes
the data.