How to write a research proposal
Editing - REQUESTS
1. Define the overall reason or purpose for your project using a question, such as: What is the impact of increasing population size in a suburban housing setting on [a local endangered species]?2. Define your goal using one succinct sentence, preferably not so long it could be broken up into multiple sentences. for example: 'The goal of this study is to document changes in land use development and human population size and measure the impacts of this change on [a local endangered species] cohabitation and ecological practices.3. Define any objectives related to that goal. What is it that you want to study or measure? And how will you know if your observations/measurements are successfully made and completed? For example: who/what do you expect to measure (numbers of members of that species, temperature changes, areal land use pattern changes, changes in number of people/homes; during what time frames; how many times will this be performed/repeated?).4. Define your methodology. A. What is being measured? how often? using what? What types of notes will be kept (observations, measures of ...,), and on what tool or instrument (handscribed notebooks, laptop, etc.). List specifically what you'll start with but leave open the possibility of adding other measures if need be. B. What types of measurements are being performed--are control groups/measures needed? parametric or non-parametric? qualitative and/or quantitative? descriptive stats are typical avg, max, min, etc.)--what else could be applied? t-Test? Chi Square? ANOVA? multivariate or logarithmic analysis? text analysis of documents used to publicize this important issue with the goal of defining how people view this problem? (Try to include both quantitative and qualitative analyses, unless the topic is pure basic science. The more variety the better). And what the levels of confidence do you plan to use? (e.g. p = .05, CI =95% is typical, as well as >75-90% correlation, >50% public awareness of issue). And try to find sources, to be cited at the end of you grant proposal--are there others who researched the same and used a particular set of methods for measuring outcomes?5. Define your ways of measuring outcome. Counts of number of people familiar with issue and what that count means--is it low? high? Is there something else like another study done elsewhere that you can relate it to? Percents of change or amounts found to be the case. Number of people familiar with the issue before your study and publication of the problem begins, versus once the project is finished as well as 3 months later. Numbers of endangered species, or their signs of presence, recorded for time 1 (before development growth) versus time 2 (after). Speed of change before versus after? Amount of measure expected versus amounts actually measured on the spot.6. [Most important--and so the longest discussed here--always incomplete or missing from grants/research proposals.] Do you expect your results or outcomes to be middle of the road, average, or neutral, or leaning in a particular direction? (Exploratory or "ecologic" studies have no expectations really.) What are the biases of others engaged in your project (if you use a team) and how do you correct for this? [See interrater reliability issues for example if interview processes are engaged in qualitatively.] What are the various types of biasedness you may have to deal with? (Presumably little to none.) In a sociologic study for example, reporters' bias deals with the limits one places on people as a reporter by surveying/interviewing according to a calendar, limiting who you might see. Or choosing to record certain aspects of a response while ignoring others because they seem to not be related (Reporting or Data Entry/Selection bias).What types of error could creep in? With measures of blood pressure, people tend to go towards round numbers; with measurements of traffic flow, one may miss some data input for scheduling or repair reasons related to the instrument used; with measurements of fish population densities, errors may creep in due to not finding the best locale or missing certain sections of a wateredge or wetland. In certain natural settings, you may totally miss some observations simply due to the biological or behavioral schedule of what you are researching.[The most missed.] What are the strengths and limitations of your research method? What about its internal validity--Can it be repeated easily by others in your field or vicinity? Does it have applicabilities that are very important locally to other places/people? What is it's external validity?--may these results be useful to other groups, other academicians, other students, living elsewhere in the state/country/etc.? and if so how and to what extent?7. Define your scientific and social Purpose--the importance of your study. Has this work ever been done before? (Be sure to mention the most recent and especially most pertinent studies, even if they are somehow in opposition with what you are trying to do.) Is your work especially important locally? is it a study/analysis essential for something else or further to happen? Does your study have applications to further studies that will be needed in the future--does it provide the tidbits of information needed for other social causes/groups to initiate or make change? What if any outcomes might you expect to see related to these measures as you reach your goal and objectives (changes, reduced losses in annual endangered species population size, modified human behaviors, increased attention to the need for policy changes, increased interactions between . . . , reduced numbers of eggs/small animals, etc.)8. How might meeting these expectations influence other important local issues or study outcomes (will outcomes of your study provide you with the info needed to start a program? determine where and how much has to be done? make other important changes? provide you with the background needed to go on with this study but in more detail?).9. In most grants you need to provide a cost estimate and schedule--be sure to include a calendar with goals/proof you have to share demonstrating your completion of the tasks at each phase of the study. be sure to think through the proofs needed to show that these are done (for example: take pictures/initial notes before or by week 2 of research, develop tools and record test entries by week 3, test them/improve methodology and continue by week 5, record half of my entries in 6 months, all entries in 9 months, perform initial analysis by end of month 10, review and perform second analysis in detail by end of month 11, produce draft by end of month 12, get approval/feedback by reviewers/colleagues by end of month 13, rewrite month 14, submit to grantor on month 15). Try to keep an accurate record of these.