A guide to writing research proposals

1. Hand Research Proposal
Title
Concise title that gives reviewer a general sense of what you are investigating
Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery Service,
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, KTPH

2. Details of Research Proposal
Order of Proposal
1. Goals or objectives of proposal
2. Background
3. Rationale and hypothesis.
4. Specific Aims
1. Rationale
2. Hypothesis (optional)
3. Approach/Methodology
4. Expected Results
5. Pitfalls or Alternative approaches.
5. Significance and/or Impact of this proposal.
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3. Goals / Objectives of Research
• One paragraph everything reader needs to know.
• Create interest and excitement
• Background - importance, hypothesis, research question and
objectives.
• State the innovation of this proposal.
• Clear statement demonstrating significance and impact
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4. Specific Aims
• Limit specific aims to 2-3.
• Make sure controls are added to approaches taken.
• Always give what your expected results will be.
• Always give alternative approaches since pitfalls happen.
• Address feasibility if you have not demonstrated that you can do the experiments
proposed.
• Address innovation wherever possible.
• Justify the use of specific instruments or models
• Confirm results with multiple approaches.
• Make aim 1 less risky compared to other aims.
4

5. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE
• Briefly sketch the background
• Critically evaluating the existing knowledge
• Identify the gaps in body of knowledge the research intended to fill.
• Extensive critical review of literature ( use lit review synthesis matrix )
• What is already known and not known about the topic
• Coherent, relevant and easily readable knowledge
• Gain good current knowledge – < 10 years
• Insight on different methodologies
• Define your problem.

6. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 6
Main Idea 1
Main Idea 2
Main Idea 3
Main Idea 4
Main Idea 5
6
Literature Review Synthesis Matrix
Research question

7. HYPOTHESIS AND OBJECTIVES
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1. Study objectives are concise statements
2. Primary and secondary clinical and statistical questions
3. Study hypothesis must relate to the hypothesis in the rationale
4. Consistent with the objectives described.
5. Number objectives in order of priority.

8. Background
• Information to understand the objectives and approaches in proposal
• Structure background from broad information to specific information
• Build up towards answering a specific question that is unknown
• Discuss preliminary data from literature or from pilot/real world problem
• Connect preliminary data to background.
• Use problem statement
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9. Rationale and Hypothesis/Research question
•Clearly state the hypothesis or
•Research questions (RQ)
•Rationale why hypothesis/RQ is important
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10. Research methodology
Systematic process
• Study design
protocol for conducting the study,
translate the conceptual hypothesis into an operational one
appropriate for achieving the objective (qualitative/quantitative/mixed)
Retrospective/prospective/audit/experiment
• Study population / Sampling specifications
• Inclusion criteria
• Exclusion criteria
• Randomization process etc
• Sample size needed
• Sample size, power calculation
• Instruments – Quick DASH, DN4 etc
• Specific procedures – focus group etc

11. Description of process
Details of all process in data acquisition
Describe
Intervention (if any) (independent variable)
Outcome variables (dependent variables)
How to measure and instrument
Data processing
Statistical tests of significance

12. Significance and Impact
• Impress the importance of proposal.
• Future directions for this research.
• Why is this proposal innovative?
• Impact on the field and/or on the disease being studied
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13. Summary of Proposal
Research Matrix
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Objective
Hypothesis/Research
Questions Methodology Method Variables Techniques analysis Conclusions
Objective 1 RQ1 Qualitative/Quantitative/Mixed Survey/experiment/RCT
DASH, ROM,Pain,
etc
Descriptive vs. Inferential
Statistics Conclusions 1
Objective 2 RQ2 Qualitative/Quantitative/Mixed Survey/experiment/RCT
Descriptive vs. Inferential
Statistics Conclusion 2

14. THANK YOU