Research proposal is a project outline that presents the need for the study and practical approaches used to obtain the key findings. It identifies the subject matter of the proposed study and enables the reader to judge originality and quality of the proposed study. Since research proposal is what the PhD applicant & his/her application gets judged for, it is therefore necessary to ensure it includes nil or minimum typographical and other language errors.
Generally, a proposal includes about 2000-3000 words and involves articulating research problem & hypothesis. However, the number of words and the elements included within the proposal may vary according to the needs of the subject. In this blog, we guide you on proposal development for research in sociology.
- Working title – The title must describe the nature of the study (For example, describing a comparative study) and should include empirical focus or key concepts . Avoid using uninformative title, instead employ title that is original and describes what you aspire in your research. For example, social movements in the modern age, what and how demonstrations lead social policy change?, etc.
- Topic & hypothesis– Research question or hypothesis is required to progress with the study. Include both broad as well as narrow question and less certain & potential possibilities. Translate the theoretical issue into hypothesis and ensure your hypothesis distinguishes competing arguments. Provide an explanation as to why the chosen issue is worth exploring. Next, clearly state the importance of the chosen topic and how does it contribute to your field of study. Identify the research gaps (theoretical & practical) and demonstrate your understanding in addressing the gap.
Note: hypothesis should be derived from theoretical arguments and not from empirical projections.
- Aims of the research – The research aims are broader than the hypothesis or question. Give a clear and concise outline of the objectives you want to achieve in your study. The aim should be an answer to questions like ‘what will the study contribute to the field of study?’ or ‘what will the study explore?’. Provide a general overview of the study and establish relevance with the existing academic thinking. Remember, your proposal should explain why your study is important to the research community.
- Literature review – This section illustrates your understanding regarding your field of study and are capable of performing the research. Demonstrate how your proposal adds value to the existing knowledge. This is achieved by presenting how your work fits in the existing framework. Give a logical explanation on the theoretical scope of framework used to support the research. You can also mention the important contributions of other researchers in your field of study. Also, do not simply summarise the literature & law. Instead, identify the trends, results, and incorporate a critical assessment.
- Research method/approach – Having defined the research question and establishing a relationship with the existing study, the next step is to outline the research methods. This section should give detailed information about the approaches to be used to answer the research question. Provide details about the method of investigation (survey, interviews, content analysis, etc.) you wish to employ. List the resources ( field visits, specialist library, access to database, analytical software, data gathering methods, controls to be introduced, etc.) used in the study. Additionally, explain the tools and techniques used to analyse the data. If necessary, ethical issues and challenges faced during data collection can be included in this section.
- Time scale – Provide details pertaining to the estimated time taken to complete the research. This demonstrates the sequence of research phases and time required to complete each phase. You can also include the estimated budget and means of funding for your study.
- References & bibliography – List the references using standard formatting style or the one demanded by your target institute. Make sure you list only those sources which you have used to develop the proposal.
Some of the pitfalls to avoid while crafting the proposal include:
- Including overly broad research topic. Realistic topic that can be completed in the given time limits have higher chances of acceptance.
- Incorporating references that are more than 5years old. Instead, include sources that cover the latest advancement in your field of study. Also, ensure to include more than 10 references.
- Including unclear explanation on choice of research methods and techniques used to arrive at the desired result.
- Overuse of jargon and too lengthy/wordy proposal.
- Sloppy presentation. Despite including all the necessary elements, a proposal may get rejected due to the poor presentation. Therefore, ensure it is well-organised and is neatly presented.
Crafting a proposal can be tedious. But on knowing what needs to be included and what must be excluded, you can do justice to your research proposal.
Is it absolutely necessary to include only new references?