Developing your research proposal Bal Chandra Luitel and Indra Yamphu

Developing an MPhil proposal What is your research problem? What would you like to study? … How are you planning to investigate the problem? …. Why is your research significant? In what ways can it contribute to the community of practice? How can you relate to the existing knowledge and/or practice?.... Who is going to benefit from your research? Who are your participants? Who are you …? …

Few tips A lengthy proposal is not necessarily a good proposal. The proposed structure is a tentative one. You can choose your own structure, thereby incorporating the components in it. Your proposal CANNOT be a part of your thesis chapter. It is a proposal. The format is more appropriate for non-positivistic (i.e. qualitative traditions)

Components of a research proposal Title Abstract Background Problem Statement Purpose and Research Question/s Rationale Theoretical Framework/Perspective(s) Research Methodology Ethical Issues Timeline

Title: Examples An Ethnographic Study of Students' Perceptions about Mathematics during Transition from Primary to Secondary School Identity Constructions of Urban English Teachers via Their Lived Experiences : A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study Being Here, Being There: An Auto/Ethnography of Educational Leaders Developing and Implementing School Improvement Plan Teacher Dilemmas in Developing Appropriate Strategies in Teaching Geometry/Grammar: A Narrative Inquiry

Title Generally speaking It would be better to keep the title in less than 15 words Less than 10 words may not offer a complete sense of what you are trying to demonstrate Abbreviated words/terms are not kept in title unless they are well established Better to incorporate thematic and methodological orientations in the title

Abstract Summary of your study Written in not more than 150 words Should incorporate all the constituents of your study

Background Misunderstood section and often written as a ‘general’ background The background section of your research proposal is not: a general introduction of the discipline a general introduction of your country a general overview of a profession/trade/ business/organisation Etc.

Background This section is for a succinct background to your research problem. This can be done by : a) articulating a narrative of your experience based on your recent encountering of the problem/agenda/issue, and b) reviewing relevant literature pertaining to the problem The narrative of your experience can be organized under a single topic whereas the literature review can be organized under several topics as per the nature of the research problem

Background: Possible Process Professional Experiences Theories/ Philosophies/ Literature Research Problem

Problem Statement Research problems are articulated by identifying gaps in the field of inquiry Example 1: Conceptual: Communicative learning versus content coverage Example 2: Action: Teachers are trained to promote learners as imaginative thinkers, but they have been offered only one option of teaching through rote memorisation

Problem Statement Example 3 Value: Students value participation in each and every activity of the school, but the school administration decides every matter without consulting them What type of problem are you addressing? There may be other categories of research problem!

Problem Statement Example 1 Research gap spotting: Previous research did not address x and y dimensions of the idea/concept/practice. Example 2 Challenging Theoretical Assumptions : The literalist approach to conceiving and designing a curriculum has put less emphasis on lived curriculum experienced by teachers and learners

Problem Statement Example 3 Developing an Oppositional Stance : The idea of decisive and lone leader has often depicted the masculine dimension of leadership. Example 4 Proposing a new approach/method (practitioner research) : The need to develop activity-based instruction in my teaching can be discussed in four possible ways:…

Purpose statement One line statement is preferred as your purpose statement Example 1: The study aims at unpacking student perceptions of mathematics whilst making transitions from elementary to secondary school. Example 2: The main purpose of this study is to unpack teacher-held beliefs about teaching English through grammar translation method. Example 3: Through this research, I intend to explore the way in which head teachers construct their identity as decision makers of contingent matters

Research Questions Generally, research questions are the main driver of the study. Better to come up with one overarching question that addresses your research purpose/problem. You can then develop subsidiary questions in such a way that responding to those questions results in the response of the overarching question.

Rationale The WHY of your research is expressed under this section; How your research makes original contribution to the field of inquiry/knowledge How the findings/results from your study could enrich the field of study; You can write separate rationale for each research question

Theoretical Framework/Perspective(s) This section builds on the literature that you reviewed in the background section. Your may need to expand the framework or perspectives that you used to state your research problem. A theoretical perspective may enable you to make meanings of your field experience or it can assist you to conduct your fieldwork in a specific way

Types of theories Grand Theories: Capitalism, Marxism etc (Theory of everything) Middle Range Theories (Discipline/field specific theories): Constructivism, Progressivism, Critical Pedagogy Local Theories (Specific to cultures and contexts): Proverbs, local metaphors, explanatory frameworks There may be other typologies as well!

Research Methodology Sufficient details to help your reader understand your proposed research Sufficient details of why you have proposed particular research tradition/s particular fieldwork strategy/s particular meaning making (analysis) strategy/ies particular quality criteria

Research Methodology Philosophical Section (Word limit: 200 -300) Philosophical stance: Paradigm/Worldviews/Traditions, Ontology, epistemology, axiology, rhetoric and methodology Procedural Section Research site, participants, fieldwork strategy, type of field notes Strategies of meaning making (i.e. data analysis) Quality standards

Ethical Considerations Statement of the consideration of pertinent ethical codes to be applied in your research Maximum assurance to be demonstrated that your research is ethically viable E.g. how do you address the principles of non-malfeasance and beneficence? Anonymity, confidentiality etc

Timeline Please mention major stages of your research When do you intend to literature review? When would you commence your fieldwork? When would you finish developing chapters? When would you develop the draft thesis/dissertation?

Plagiarism Plagiarism may result in the cancellation of your grades and degree

List of References Please follow APA style (see, http://www.apastyle.org/)