The document provides guidelines for formatting research proposals for different organizations. It discusses the typical sections included in a research proposal such as the title, introduction, objectives, methodology, and references. It also outlines specific proposal formats for DA-BAR, DOST, and thesis proposals. These include details on technical descriptions, basic information, cooperating agencies, objectives, activities, outputs, and preliminary pages. The document aims to help researchers properly structure their proposals according to the requirements of different institutions.

1. Recognizing the
process of research
proposal preparation
JEMMARIE G. SUETOS, M.S.
SUBJECT-IN-CHARGE
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2. Research proposal, scope and format
requirements
General Format
1. Title
2. Introduction
3. Objective
4. Methodology
5. References
6. Budget
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3. DA-BAR Proposal Format
II. Technical Description
1. Rationale
2. Objectives
3. Conceptual Framework
4. Review of Related Literature
5. Methodology
6. References
7. Work plan Schedule
8. Budgetary Summary
9. Logical Framework
10. Project Summary
I. Basic Information
1. Title
2. Proponent (s) and Contact Information
3. Implementing Agency
4. Project Duration
5. Project Site (s)
6. Total Budget Requirement
7. R & D Agenda to be Addressed
8. Expected Technology/Information
9. Description of Technology
10. Potential Impact of the Technology
11. Target Beneficiaries/Users
12. Type of Research
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4. DOST Proposal Format
16. Implementing schedule
17. Rationale
18. Work plan schedule
19. Budgetary requirements
1. Title
2. Cooperating Agency
3. Research and Development station
4. Classification
5. Mode of implementation
6. Priority Agenda
7. Sector commodity
8. Discipline
9. Significance
10. Brief Rationale
11. Objectives
12. Methodology
13. Major Activities
14. Expected output
15. Target Beneficiaries
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5. Thesis Proposal’s Format
Preliminary pages
Title Page
Approval Sheet
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
List of documentation, etc (if applicable)
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6. Thesis Proposal’s Format
Chapter I – The problems and its Background
Introduction
Statement of the problem
Objectives of the study
Significance of the study
Time and place of the study
Scope and limitations (or Delimitation) of the study
Definition of terms
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7. Thesis Proposal’s Format
Chapter II – Review of related Literature
Chapter III – Methodology
Chapter IV – Observations and Discussion of Results
◦ (Headings here will defend on the variables/parameters used in the study and how you will organize the presentation of your findings)
Chapter V – Summary, conclusion and Recommendations
Bibliograhy/Literature Cited
Appendices
Important:
Always discuss your thesis/dissertation proposal (analysis and write up) with your adviser.
He/she will always be able to help you develop and improve it.
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8. Differences between qualitative and
quantitative research
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9. Problem identification
❑ A research problem is a statement about an area of concern, a condition to be improved,
a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in scholarly literature, in
theory, or in practice that points to the need for meaningful understanding and deliberate
investigation.
❑ A research problem does not state how to do something, offer a vague or broad
proposition, or present a value question.
❑ The first and most important step of a research is formulation of research problems. It is
like the foundation of a building to be constructed.
Problem Identification consists of:
➢ Clearly identifying the root cause of a problem
➢ Developing a detailed problem statement that includes the problem’s effect on a
population’s health
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10. Problem identification
WHO SHOULD YOU INVOLVE IN PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION?
Talking to stakeholders about the problem will help you with:
❑ Identifying the true, underlying problem
❑ Framing the problem accurately
The purpose of a problem statement is to:
❑ Introduce the reader to the importance of the topic being studied. The reader is oriented to the
significance of the study and the research questions or hypotheses to follow.
❑ Places the problem into a particular context that defines the parameters of what is to be investigated
❑ Provides the framework for reporting the results and indicates what is probably necessary to conduct the
study and explain how the findings will present this information.
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11. Problem identification
TIPS FOR DEFINING THE PROBLEM:
1. Start strong. Decision-makers usually don’t allot much time to look over a proposal, so make sure that
the pain point is succinctly described and in a manner that resonates with them.
2. Use facts, not opinion. Although you want your audience to understand the severity of a problem,
you don’t want to exaggerate. Instead, use data from your research to back up your assertions.
TIPS FOR PRESENTING YOUR SOLUTION:
1. Anticipate questions and objections. Be prepared to defend your solution from all angles. Be ready to
explain why your more expensive solution is better than a less expensive one, for example.
2. Present the solution’s larger impact. Stakeholders generally get more excited about projects with
wide-ranging effects than those with limited impact.
3. Again, facts over opinion. Provide as many research-backed examples as you can.
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12. Problem identification
TIPS FOR DEFINING DELIVERABLES:
1. Include a delivery date. Define what your project will deliver and what users can expect from it, such as a
cloud-based phone system that’s accessible 24/7 from anywhere if it’s a customer service project you’re
proposing. Also, indicate when you plan to complete each deliverable.
2. Your solution must be SMART. Your success criteria will signal whether the project has been successful.
Remember to keep your solution SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.)
TIPS FOR PLANNING:
1. Introduce project strategies. Will you be using the traditional waterfall approach? Why? Will you be using
third-party contractors, in-house staff, or consultants? What will their objectives and responsibilities be? This
is your opportunity to discuss the "why" behind the decisions you're making to get the project completed.
2. Explain how problems will be addressed. This explains your project management plan's risk mitigation
strategies.
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13. Problem identification
Tips for defining a schedule and budget:
Provide as much detail as possible. Break your budget down into categories, such as supplies,
tools, salary, etc. Include all overhead and indirect costs. A detailed financial breakdown will
signal to stakeholders that you’ve done your research and don’t intend to waste their money.
Note that certain projects may require financial statements and funding sources.
Be concrete. Don’t guess. Provide project start and end times, and if certain sections of the
project can be done simultaneously.
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14. Problem identification
HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION?
You collected information about the problem by combining existing research and information from
your stakeholders, and you collected new data from the community if necessary
You involved all relevant stakeholders when defining the problem
The data you collected identifies the root cause of the problem and provides a complete picture of it
Your problem statement includes:
◦ Who is affected
◦ How big the problem is
◦ What contributes to the problem
◦ When and where the problem is most likely to occur
You framed the problem in a way that helps illuminate possible policy solutions
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15. Problem identification
EXAMPLE: IDENTIFYING THE UNDERLYING PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM
The public health example below is for illustration and demonstrates the concept of identifying
the underlying public health problem. It can be used for a variety of health topics.
In a city, women in Neighborhood A were getting adequate prenatal care, but women in
Neighborhood B were not. However, the neighborhoods had the same risk factors for not getting
adequate prenatal care.
To learn more about this issue, researchers asked stakeholders to provide data on why
Neighborhood B had such low rates of prenatal care. Local clinicians said there was an increase
in the number of missed appointments in that neighborhood over the past few years.
After interviewing health care providers and community members, the team learned that bus
services in the neighborhood had been drastically cut in the last two years.
In this situation, stakeholder interviews helped the researchers understand the true, underlying cause of the lack of prenatal care in
the city. They originally thought it was a health care problem, but in reality, it was a transportation problem.
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16. Problem identification
HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM?
1. Identify the root cause of the problem by collecting information and
then talking with stakeholders.
Combining existing research and information from your stakeholders can
offer some insight into the problem and its causes. Consider data sources
that could help you more clearly define the problem. Start by doing
an environmental scan, a literature review, and if necessary, surveys in
the community.
Be specific! - For example, search for “lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables”
instead of “obesity.” Doing this can help you better understand what is contributing to
the issue and identify possible policy solutions.
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17. Problem identification
2. Develop your problem statement.
Describe how the problem occurs, how serious it is, and its outcomes and
impacts. Doing this can also help you identify any gaps in the data you have
gathered. The problem statement you develop might include:
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18. Problem identification
EXAMPLE: DEVELOPING PROBLEM STATEMENTS
The public health example below is for illustration and demonstrates the concept of developing a problem
statement and can be used for a variety of health topics.
Although fewer teens are drinking and driving, this risky behavior is still a major public health problem in
this community. Drinking and driving among U.S. teens decreased by 50% from 1991-2012. However, high
school teens often still drive after drinking—about 2.4 million times per month. In 2010, 1 in 5 teen drivers
involved in fatal crashes had some alcohol in their systems. Of those drivers, most of them—about 4 in 5—
had blood alcohol concentrations higher than the legal limit for adults. National, state, and local data show
that risk factors for teen drinking and driving include lower socioeconomic status (which is associated with
not having access to a car), lower driver education levels, and less access to alcohol.
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19. Writing the Problem Statement
❑After determining the research problem and deciding the research approach to
use, it is time to begin writing about the “problem” in a statement of the
problem section that introduces your research study.
❑Bryman (2007) defined a problem as “a statement about an area of concern, a
condition to be improved upon, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling
question that exists in theory or in practice that points to the need for
meaningful understanding and deliberate investigation.”
❑A problem statement concisely overviews the issues or problems existing in the
concerned area selected for the research.
❑It explains the issues predominant in a particular area which drives the
researcher to do in-depth study and analysis in order to understand the issues
and/or solve the problem.
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20. Writing the Problem Statement
❑Written in one or more concise paragraph (but not exceeds one page), a
problem statement usually includes five aspects:
(1) the actual research problem,
(2) justification of the importance of the problem as found in current studies and
practice,
(3) deficiency (gap) in present literature about the problem,
(4) method (timeframe, participants, location and trend), and;
(5) the organization, and/or the individuals that will benefit from a better
understanding or solution to the problem. By including these aspects the
problem statement clearly identifies
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21. Research questions and hypothesis
❑Research questions are
questions derived from the
purpose that a researcher is
trying to answer in a study.
❑A research question should be
as specific as possible.
❑If the purpose is quite complex,
the researcher can make two or
more research questions to
cover it.
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22. Review
of
related
literature
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23. Review
of
related
literature
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24. Analysis and interpretation of data
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25. Methodology
❑The methodology is where you can clearly outline how you
will use the requested funds to accomplish your project’s
objectives.
❑It is the component in the proposal narrative where you
bridge the gap between the objectives and the eventual
outcome.
❑It is also where you demonstrate your project’s feasibility by
detailing your experiences and resources that will be drawn
upon to carry out the project.
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26. Methodology
❑The methodology should be justifiable or have some form of expert
approval to support the viability of the project.
❑This could be documented through studies related to feasibility, market
analyses, site control, surveys, data collection, and other forms of
justification.
❑The methodology should also demonstrate the resources that you have
available to achieve your project objectives, such as a description of
personnel needed and how they will be selected.
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27. Methodology
❑You can use this section of the narrative to detail any financial and/or in-
kind resources and the clientele to be served.
❑Clearly documenting any and all resources available to a project will validate
your ability to carry out and accomplish a project.
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