1. Developing your research proposal
Bal Chandra Luitel and Indra Yamphu

2. 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 …? …

3. 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)

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

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

8. 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.

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. 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!

13. 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

14. 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:…

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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!

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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?

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

25. List of References
Please follow APA style (see,