This document outlines an agenda for a 4-day proposal writing workshop. Day 1 introduces the workshop and discusses what a proposal is. Day 2 covers components of proposals like the theoretical framework, literature review, research questions, and methodology. Day 3 has participants share draft proposals. Day 4 allows revising proposals and planning next steps. The workshop aims to provide guidance on writing successful thesis and grant proposals through presentations, examples, and peer feedback.

1. Proposal Writing Workshop
by awad ibrahim
University of Ottawa
aibrahim@uottawa.ca
Awadmibrahim.blogspot.com

2. By way of introduction (Day I)
 Who are we?
 Why this workshop and what to expect out of it?
 In groups - KWL

3. Pedagogy of KWL
 KNOW – WANTS TO KNOW - LEARNED

4. K
 What is proposal?
 How does it look like?
 What are its different components?
 What is its purpose?
 What institutional process do you go through to approve a proposal?
University policty?
 What are the steps that follow a proposal?

5. W
 What are you expectations over the next four days?

6. An overview of the workshop
 We have two types of proposal we will be working with:
 1) Thesis proposal
 2) Grant proposal

7. Workshop objectives
 To discuss the idea of the proposal (thesis and grant)
 To get a model of how a proposal might look like
 To discuss existing proposals and get feedback
 To contact a funding agency
 To read grant proposal guidelines
 To look at the question of language

8. Online search of funding agencies
 Begin in class and continue at home (homework)
 Also do a google search for “thesis proposal sample” and “grant proposal
sample”

9. Proposal Conventions
 There is no one formulae for a proposal – there are conventions
 Before you begin anything, you have to be absolutely clear about what you
want to do or write about. The BEST strategy to be clear about a proposal is
to diagram it.
 Let us take a concrete example: Take an example from the class – take about
10 minutes to make sure you can think about and diagram your project.
 The determining factor in all proposals is the audience –
academics, company, specialized audience, non-specialized, etc. the
audience determines both objectives and aims of the proposal.

10. The audience - continue
 The audience determines whether you state your purpose overtly, covertly
or combined. How detailed do you want to be in your proposal.
 The play of ethics here.

11. Now …
 You determine your topic, your audience, how you intend to proceed
(overtly or covertly) … you will then have to determine your style of writing
and your tone …

12. Conventionally: Every proposal will have
the following
 Twenty five (25) pages maximum (tables and references not
included), spaced at 1.5, paginated, in 12 point font, and printed on one side
only.
 This proposal document contains:
 1) A theoretical framework and/or a conceptual framework, a
 2) Review of literature,
 3) A description of the problem,
 4) Research questions,

13. Continues
 5) A methodological framework
(e.g., design, participants, instruments, procedure, and analyses),
 6) The contribution of the research to the field (whatever it might be),
 7) An appropriate and exhaustive reference section.

14. Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
 Let us begin with the premise that research problems do not exist in nature but in people’s minds. To
express and understand these problems, we need a grand narrative, a theory that is formulated to
explain, predict, and understand phenomena and, in many cases, to challenge and extend existing
knowledge, within the limits of the critical bounding assumptions. The theoretical framework is the
structure that can hold or support a theory of a research study. The theoretical framework introduces and
describes the theory which explains why the research problem under study exists.
 Theoretical framework also includes definitions of terms.
 Theory is not the assumptions of the research. These are two separate things.
 Problems cannot be articulated except within a conceptual system. No researcher can investigate a
problem from all perspectives simultaneously. And that is what a logical structure or theoretical framework
is all about. It establishes a vantage point, a perspective, a set of lenses through which the researcher
views the problem. In this sense, a theoretical framework is both a clarifying and exclusionary step in the
research process. By this clarifying and exclusionary is done in explicit recognition of those perspective and
the rationale for their rejection. You should add your own touch to the theory.

15. Literature Review
 The mass of reading that one does to understand fully
 1) The problem of the research
 2) What others have done (theory and methodology) to answer or study your
research question
 3) That no one else has done the research and if they did, how different is your
study
 4) State of the art
 5) The contribution of the study and the new things it is bringing into existence

16. Description of the Problem
 Clearly state what you intend to do, why this study, what’s new about it, why
are you qualified to answer the research question, what’s your investment
in conducting this research, how did it come about and why should we care!

17. Research Questions
 Usually, you will have a BIG or LARGE research question which has
subquestions you intend to answer.
 The question(s) has to be clear, concise, well-formulate and researchable
(Universal Generative Grammar??).

18. Research Methodology
 First, you would need to distinguish between ‘methodology’ and ‘method.’
Methodology is the theory behind the techniques you use for data
collection: Ethnography is ‘methodology’ while observation is ‘method.’
 Second, why is everybody that I know in Sudan is doing ‘survey’? There are
other methodologies that people can use.
 Methodology is the design of the study: who your participants are, what
instruments you will use for data collection, what procedure you will
implement, and what analyses you will make at the end.

19. The contribution of the research to the
field
 Why this study? What is its contribution? What’s new here? Why should we
care?

20. An appropriate and exhaustive reference section.
 Exhaustive and updated references (it should not exceed 5 years) –we
usually expect around 100 references (books, journal articles, book
chapters, websites, etc.)
 Where do you usually go to check updated references? How do you organize
your references? What style do you use?

21. Quantitative vs Qualitative Data
 I will focus on the qualitative data, which is intended to:
 1) Convey the reader to the research site: allow the reader to ‘see’ the site
and the people in it
 2) Produce a rich picture of reality, detailed, extensive and reliable
 3) Communicate atmosphere, emotion and attitudes of both the subjects
and the researcher
 4) Transmit the direct experiences of the research respondents and of the
researcher in interacting with the respondents, the literature or the history

22. Continues
 5) Make the mass of data comprehensible through particular presentation
of data
 6) Respect the sensitivities of respondents. Qualitative data reporting
should avoid being intrusive and personal
 7) Be creative and artistically pleasing
 8) Create impact. It should affect readers emotionally and intellectually

23. Qualitative Data
 Polyvocality: quantitative research reduces many voices to one; qual does
the opposite
 The play of subjectivity: personal voice is crucial
 Narrative as poetry (the following three are known as Narrative Data)
 Narrative as drama
 Narrative as diaries

24. Continues
 Fictional fact and factual fiction: All research (quan or qual) writing and
presenting can be regarded as ‘fiction’ in that it is removed from the original
situation. This will be ‘fictional fact.’ ‘Factual fiction’ is fiction based on a
true story.

25. Continues
 Observations
 Interviews
 Focus group data
 Historical, literary and legal data

26. Plagiarism (Ethics – be very careful)
Be very afraid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

27. Beginnings and Ends
 Beginnings and ends matter. Why?
 They include: Title/Title page, Introduction, Content
listings, Glossaries, Abstract, Acknowledgement and
forewords, Keywords/Conclusion, Summary, Recommendations, Limitations,
Appendices, Author notes, Bibliography,

28. Citations:
Bibliographies, Referencing, Quotations, No
tes
 How do you cite?
 Style of references: citationmachine.net

29. Concrete example
 Shenin Yazdanian!

30. Thesis proposal vs. Grant proposal
 1) Both are about a research project that is yet to be done
 2) Thesis proposal is larger than grant proposal, narrower more determined and
has clear guideline, objectives and audience.
 3) First thing: you would need to determine where you will apply, second: read
their guidelines, third: see sample of successful grants, four: be very precise and
think about every single word you write, five: every concept should build into
the one preceding it, six: never say what you want to say twice, seven: ask
successful colleagues for feedback, eight: try to collaborate with these successful
colleagues for first grant, nine: don’t over exaggerate, ten: know what you are
talking about and how to articulate it, involve students, indicate how: managing
the grant and future plan, do not use jargon, use the correct FORMAT.

31. Six steps need to develop grant proposal
 1) Create or revisit a mission statement
 2) Assessing funding needs
 3) Setting funding goals
 4) Determining funding objectives
 5) Creating the action plan
 6) Monitoring and evaluating funding objectives

32. Day III
 Sharing your present or future proposal: thesis or grant: It’s your turn my
friends!
 In 7 minutes present your project proposal
 Aymen + My proposal

33. Day IV
 Revisiting your proposals
 Think future
 Distribute books (online)