Research Proposal (Research Protocol)

reasons for writing a research proposal

• Organizes & describes the process for planned research

• Based on the research problem or the gap in the literature, the relevant research queston, & the research aims

• Justify why research is needed

elements of a research proposal

• Background & signifcance

• Methodological approach

• Data analysis approach

• Timeline

• Key personnel

• Budget

background and significance

‒ Demonstrate knowledge of the topic area

• Demonstrate ability to synthesize published informaton

‒ Focused, comprehensive, up-to-date literature review

‒ Importance of the topic

‒ Impact of topic & necessary research (knowledge &/or outcomes)

‒ Answers the ‘so what’ queston

‒ Identfy & describe a theory underlying the proposal

‒ Statement of need

methodological approach

• Conceptual framework

  • For example: MOHO: core concepts of voliton, habituaton, environmental cues, & performance skills should be present & clearly artculated

• Design

• Qualitatve, Quanttatve: more specifcally, what?

• Sample, populaton, sampling approach, assessments, procedures

• Inclusion/exclusion criteria

• Recruitment strategies, retenton plan,...

• Sample size determinaton

data analysis plan

• How the data will be organized & analyzed to test whether the original aims or hypotheses were accomplished

• Qualitatve

  • Coding procedures

  • Inductve

  • Statstcal methods?

  • Approach

• Grounded theory: grounded theory-based analytcal process

• Phenomenology: hermeneutc approach

• Quanttatve

descripitive statistics

describe the social & demographic characteristcs of the study sample & are also used in descriptve studies to summarize the data

• Frequency, proporton, percentage data, measures of central tendency

inferential statistics

used in hypothesis testng; test whether two groups diferent in terms of an important characteristc

• Pair statstical test with hypothesis

key personnel

• Name

• Credentals

• Qualifcaton(s)

• Role(s)

• Level of contributon

budget (costs, sources of funding)

• Identify an appropriate funder

  • Necessary resources for the conduct of the project

    • Does the insttuton/sponsor have adequate resources/infrastructure

• Affects design, methodology, & scope of the project

  • Human capital & methodological expertse

  • Time & space

  • Materials, equipment, technology

  • Human subject payments

  • Travel

  • Disseminaton

internal funding

• Faculty resources

• Program development funds

• Scholarships

• Foundatons

external funding

• Grants sponsored by funding organizatons

• Government funding agencies

• Foundatons

• Community development/partnership funds