This is the second of two presentations delivered at Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata (IDSK) to participants of an ICSSR sponsored research methodology course for early career MPhil/PhD scholars on 1st April 2019. This lecture on research proposal draws upon related write-up put up by Trinity Western University (Paul TP Wong's How to write a research proposal), University of Southern California (Writing a Research Proposal), University of Toronto (Margaret Procter's The Academic Proposal), and University of Westminster (How to write your research proposal). It also touches upon Alan Bryman's "Getting Started: Reviewing the Literature" from his Social Research Methods (Oxford University Press, New York), as contextualizing with literature is one of the important aspects of a research proposal. If I have to sum up a message from the talk, then "a research proposal outlines a journey to be taken to unravel unanswered questions."

1. Research Proposal
Srijit Mishra
Lecture at IDSK, Kolkata, 1 April 2019

2. Organization of Presentation
• Purpose of a research proposal?
• The what, why and how questions.
– Rationale, review and outline
• Sections of a research proposal
• Mistakes to avoid
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3. Purpose of the Research Proposal
• To assess expertise in the subject
• Part of the application
• A starting point and likely to evolve
• What has your supervisor in mind?
– Develop your skills in thinking in designing a study
– To prepare a comprehensive review to ensure that the
problem being taken up is not already addressed
– To inculcate in you a logical approach towards your
research goals
– To improve your research and writing skills
– Nurture a sense of inquisitiveness
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4. What? Why? How? (WWH)
Ask yourself questions
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5. Rationale, Review, Outline
• What is it that you plan to achieve?
– Be clear and succinct
– Build a rationale
• Why do you want to do it?
– Contextualize with a literature review
– Be prepared to answer the “So, what?” question
• How do you want to go about it?
– Is it feasible/doable?
– Develop an outline
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6. Sections of a Research Proposal
• Title
• Abstract
• Introduction/Background/Statement of the Problem
• Literature Review
• Research Questions/Objectives
• Research Design and Methods
• Preliminary Suppositions and Implications
• Plan of Work with Time Schedule and Budget
• Conclusion
• References/Bibliography (which style)
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7. Title
• Start with it, but rewrite in the end
• Brief and descriptive
• Catchy – pulls the reader
• Provides clear indication of proposed study
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8. Abstract
• Brief summary
• One approach (50 to 100 words)
– Statement of the problem
• Another approach (300 words)
– Could include the research questions, the
rationale and the proposed design/methods
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9. Introduction/Background
• The final version is re-written before the Title
• The central research problem
• Relating the proposed study to the research
problem (the rationale)
• The proposed design and methods
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10. Literature Review: The 5C approach
• This is the most important part
• Should not be in the form of listing/algorithmic
• Develop a narrative pertinent to your study through the 5C
approach
– Cite
– Compare
– Contrast
– Critique
– Connect
• The so called research gap is more a contextualization,
building on existing studies and not their absence
• Research Questions/Objectives should follow
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11. Design and Methods
• Build an argument why the design and
methods are appropriate for your study
• It should not be a listing of tools and
techniques
• Identify possible limitations
• It should have an organic link to the questions
and objectives raised, which are also linked to
the central research problem
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12. Preliminary Suppositions/Implications
• Should be based on logic
• Should be based on extension of argument
contextualizing existing literature
• This also should not be based on mere listing
• Will it have implications on
– People
– Policy
– Research
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13. Conclusion
• Note that this is a proposal and not a
completed study
• The conclusion is about the proposed study
• In short, this is meant to reiterate
– The rationale
– The issues/review, and
– The outline
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14. Mistakes to avoid
• Not being concise – conveys absence of clarity
• Missing out on important literature in your review
• Inability to limit the scope (time/place/ people)
• Absence of a coherent and persuasive argument
• Failure to be focused - going off on unrelated tangents
• Sloppy or imprecise writing, or poor grammar
• Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail
on major issues.
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15. Concluding Remark
A research proposal outlines a journey to be
taken to unravel unanswered questions.
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16. References
• Bryman, Alan (2012) Getting Started: Reviewing the Literature (pp. 97-
128) in Social research methods, 4th ed. Oxford University Press, New
York, https://media.public.gr/Books-PDF/9780199588053-0661671.pdf
(accessed 1 Apr 2019)
• Procter, Margaret (Undated), The Academic Proposal,
http://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/types-of-writing/academic-proposal/
(accessed 1 Apr 2019)
• University of Southern California Libraries (2019), Writing a Research
Proposal, http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/researchproposal
(accessed 1 Apr 2019)
• University of Westminster (Undated), How to Write your Research
Proposal, https://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-
degrees/how-to-apply/entry-requirements/how-to-write-your-research-
proposal (accessed 1 Apr 2019).
• Wong, Paul TP (Undated), How to Write a Research Proposal,
http://www.meaning.ca/archives/archive/art_how_to_write_P_Wong.htm
(accessed 1 Apr 2019)
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