The document outlines the steps for developing a research proposal, including identifying a broad topic and narrowing it down, formulating objectives and questions, developing a problem tree, and determining the key sections of a proposal such as an introduction, objectives, literature review, methodology, references, timeline, and budget. The methodology section should provide enough detail for the reader to understand what will be done, include supporting literature, and describe specific designs, materials, and techniques for each objective.

1. THE RESEARH PROCESS

2. 3/9/2023 Research Proposal Development 2
Steps
1. Identify a broad topic
2. Identify a narrow topic within the
broad topic
3. Raise questions
4. Formulate objectives
 Use action-oriented words - To
demonstrate; To evaluate; To measure…

3. 3/9/2023 Research Proposal Development 3
Problem Tree
Food Insecurity
Low Labor
Productivity
Low Land
Productivity
Unskilled Labor
Water Scarcity
Unsuitable Crops
Poor Soil
Inefficient Irrigation
Lack of crop varieties
adapted to climate
Inefficient Water harvesting
Unsuitable Climate
Farming Patterns do not
Return nutrients
Farmers can’t afford fertilizers
Farmers unaware of
best practices

4. Proposal Writing

5. Research Proposal Development 5
Sections
 Title
 Summary/Synopsis
 Introduction
 Objectives
 Hypothesis (optional)
 Expected outputs (optional)
 Literature Review
 Materials & Methods
 A tentative time table
 A budget
 List of references

6. Research Proposal Development 6
Title
 Specific & Short
 This forms the first impression
about your research
 If vague – Reader will be cynical

7. Research Proposal Development 7
Introduction
 Convince the reader that you have identified a
research problem, worthy of investigating.
 Start very general – Broad Topic
 Highlight
 the concept
 Practical significance
 Reduce it to a narrow topic by
 Raising questions, and
 Stating answers from literature for most.
 Establish Rationale:
 Raise necessary questions for which there is no
answer yet.

8. Research Proposal Development 8
Objectives
 Provide a clear statement of the
overall question- General objective
 Follow it with action oriented tasks -
Specific objectives.
 If more than one specific objective
state them sequentially

9. Research Proposal Development 9
 Hypothesis (optional):
 Expected outputs (optional):
 Expected project achievements
 beneficiaries and how they will access
the outputs

10. Research Proposal Development 10
Review of literature
 Collect only previous studies very relevant to your
research.
 Sources – books, magazines, journas, webs, etc.
 Write the what the study is about and the reported
findings in short.
 E.g.
Abebe and Ayele (2009) have studied …. to see the
effect of ….on ….. They found that ……
In the study made by Kebede et al. (2005) ….
A study on …. Showed that …. (Seleshi, 2006).

11. Research Proposal Development 11
Methodology
 State it explicitly
 Enough detail for the reader to follow
 First give an overall summary of your study design and
methodological approach.
 Then provide the methodology for each specific
objective.
 Describe
 the specific design (what will you do and how, number of
replicates, etc.),
 the materials and techniques that will be used, and
 the feasibility of these techniques.
 Use literature to support design, materials & techniques
 Need not repeat standard procedures – but give a
reference.

12. Research Proposal Development 12
References
 List all references (never list what is not cited inside the
document)
 In alphabetical order
Eg.
Abebe T. 2009 . [Title]. [name of journal]. [Vol. no.].pp. 154-159.
Abebe T. and B. Bogale. 2008. [Title]. [name of journal]. [Vol.
no.].pp. 54-60.
_______________.2009. [Title]. [name of journal]. [Vol.
no.].pp. 25-30.
Bekele S., T. Debebe and R.S. Reddy. 2000. Title]. [name of
journal]. [Vol. no.].pp. 25-30.
Chow V.T. 1980. Open Channel Hydraulics. MacGraw Hill publishers
Ltd. 2nd ed. Newyork.

13. Research Proposal Development 13
GANTT Chart (Time line)
Task Quarter
1
Quarter
2
Quarter
3
Quarter
4
Survey
Test GWT
Analyze data
Write Thesis

14. Research Proposal Development 14
Budget
Should be activity based & costed realistically.
Contents: equipment, labour, travel, training
overheads, direct and indirect costs
Rationale for items explained in budgetary
notes.

15. Research Proposal Development 15
Budget
SUMMARY OF FUNDS REQUESTED
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 TOTAL
Capital Equipment 7500 7500
Recurrent Items 8000 6000 16000 30000
Use of University Facilities 1000 1000 1000 3000
Local Travel Costs 1000 1000 1000 3000
Publication Costs 500 500 2500 2600
Miscellaneous 2000 2000 2000 6000
TOTAL 12500 18000 22500 53000