MIS 650: Proposals1 MIS 650 Writing a Research Proposal

MIS 650: Proposals2 Agenda v Understand the role of proposals in the idea cycle v Get acquainted with funders, champions, colleagues and critics in IT research v Obtain practical knowledge of proposal writing v Practice proposal writing

MIS 650: Proposals3 The Idea-Reading- Writing Cycle: You Generate/ Update Idea Write Propo- sal Perform Research Directed Reading Draw Conclu- sons Locating appropriate sources to read Designing appro- priate research pro- cedures Gaining support for your research ideas Interpreting the re- sults of the research Integrating conclusions into theory

MIS 650: Proposals4 The Idea-Reading- Writing Cycle: They Generate/ Update Idea Write Propo- sal Perform Research Directed Reading Draw Conclu- sons Champion/funder motivate the research Funder may have specific requirements Critics may put obstacles in your way Colleagues can help with interpretation Funder will be interested in the results

MIS 650: Proposals5 Pragmatics of Research Funders: Obtaining necessary resources Champions: Keeping the research going, finding “customers” Colleagues: “Partners in crime” Critics: Theoretical gatekeepers and practical enemies

MIS 650: Proposals6 Pragmatics of Research: Funders Funders provide money and resources. You may have to compete with others.

MIS 650: Proposals7 Pragmatics of Research: Champions Champions keep others interested in your research and prepare the ground for an “audience” of “consumers” Other associates Course convener Supervisor The DIS Department Corporate/Employer/Agency Sponsor Other Researcher/Academic

MIS 650: Proposals8 Pragmatics of Research: Colleagues Colleagues create a community of interest in the research, help you with various tasks and invite you to participate with them. They build the social and intellectual “defenses” against the critics and keep you interested in the topic when it looks like no one else is interested.

MIS 650: Proposals9 Pragmatics of Research: Critics Critics will take sides both for and against you. A. Pro Critics Give you advice, some unwanted. Can distract you from your concentration B. Anti Critics Criticize your work Act as negative referees Try to convince you to do something else

MIS 650: Proposals10 Writing a proposal Raise the Need Satisfy the Need Conclude Show that there is something lacking in current theory, that there is a practical problem requiring solution, that a new approach is required. Describe your approach and how it will meet the need without creating new problems that must be solved. Show how the problem is neatly wrapped up by your proposed work.

MIS 650: Proposals11 Proposal Writing: Raising the Need Raise the Need 1. Describe your project’s goals 2. Focus on the need: new theory, improved theory, practical problem; review existing theory 3. What are the implications of this need? What will happen if the need continues? What specifically must be done? 4. Why hasn’t anything been done yet? Who else knows about this problem? 5. What would a solution look like?

MIS 650: Proposals12 Proposal Writing: Raising the Need, Example How to apply re- sults of Group- ware research in Business? 1. “To try to explain the value and use of groupware by appealing to cultural influences” 2. “Current theory is inadequate to explain many anomalies in research, and it is unclear how the results will apply in another cultural setting” 3. “High risk when introducing systems that have high promise. We might fail to use a fine technology. We must determine what the essential role of culture is here.” 4. “Most research is American. Those who have to use it in other countries can’t make simple assumptions about value. Business is global.” 5. “Solution is to run meetings in a transcultural setting.”

MIS 650: Proposals13 Proposal Overview Raise the Need Satisfy the Need Conclude Show that there is something lacking in current theory, that there is a practical problem requiring solution, that a new approach is required. Describe your approach and how it will meet the need without creating new problems that must be solved. Show how the problem is neatly wrapped up by your proposed work.

MIS 650: Proposals14 Proposal Writing: Satisfying the Need Satisfy the Need 1. Describe your new idea (theory) in detail 2. Indicate how the new idea will fill in the gap, provide a spur to practical application, or supply new thinking to the problem area. 3. Show how you will establish the new theory as true with details on procedure, expected results, and analysis of data 4. Satisfy expectations that research is feasible by a realistic budget for time, money, and resources 5. Raise and satisfy possible ethical concerns.

MIS 650: Proposals15 Proposal Writing: Satisfying the Need, Example Transcultural systems research: theory and methodology 1. Describe theory in detail 2. Use logic to establish that theory will have more explanatory power and lead to more useful results. Practical results are important, too. There may be national or regional implications and broader impacts. 3. Methodology….Expected results (with strategy for interpretation of all possible outcomes). Research procedures. How results will be disseminated. 4. Budget, timeframe, responsibilities of all players, reports available. 5. Data handling, subject handling, confidentiality, etc.

MIS 650: Proposals16 Proposal Overview Raise the Need Satisfy the Need Conclude Show that there is something lacking in current theory, that there is a practical problem requiring solution, that a new approach is required. Describe your approach and how it will meet the need without creating new problems that must be solved. Show how the problem is neatly wrapped up by your proposed work.

MIS 650: Proposals17 Proposal Writing: Conclusion Conclude 1. Review the need-satisfaction link 2. Point out the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed research 3. Review the practical benefits 4. Paint a picture of “after the results.”

MIS 650: Proposals18 Proposal Writing: Conclusion, Example This is guaranteed to work 1. “There is a gap and problem in interpretation which this research helps with by establishing the relationship of culture and technology value and use.” 2. “Research is compact, relies on known or understandable techniques, is economically and practically feasible, makes important contributions to university and country.…” 3. “Results impel us towards more effective use of groupware in multicultural America.” 4. “This research is part of a broader set of efforts in the School of Business Administration.”

MIS 650: Proposals19 The Use of Proposals in Our Program You have a limited time to get work done and must locate an appropriate supervisor even before you begin. The proposal must be defended on these grounds: 1. Theory: Has some ideas behind it 2. Feasibility: can be accomplished within a semester 3. Value: has useful practical outcomes and no significant social/political cost to the University 4. Communicability: The idea and the execution can be described succinctly. 5. “Popularity”: there is an appropriate supervisor