CHAPTER: 9

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Topic Selection
• An issue which is considered for undertaking research is known as research topic. Research topic is the
main theme of research. Research can be conducted in different events, activities and theories.
• Topic gives the guidelines for the selection of methodology, tools and techniques, time plan and
budgeting.
• Research problem and objective are derived from topic since it is title statement.

Sources of Research Topic

• Society and work place: different problems can be seen and experienced
• Keen interest of the researcher: every individual has different interest of their own
• Research gap: after study various researches done before or journals one can get gap, limitations on the
study time, methods, study units etc.
• Newspapers, journals, periodicals, or business survey reports: one can get topic from these sources to
do research
• Development and advancement of new research instrument: researcher may have interest to test
existing knowledge or belief with new instrument
• Discourse with expert or supervisor: one may get idea about existing problem through discourse with
experts
• Funding agency: sometimes different funding agency call proposals from interested researchers in
predetermined research area

Criteria of a Good Research Topic

Basically, the research topic should be feasible to study, of genuine interest to researcher, and potentiality of
enhancing understanding of society. Besides, these some criterions of good research topic are:
• Relation between two or more variables
• Area of the researcher’s interest and knowledge
• Unambiguous topic
• Practicable and manageable: in terms of time and resources
• Possibility of empirical testing/experimentable
• Attainable in terms of time and cost
• Availability of data source
• Match the career goal of the researcher
• Contributing to organization or society
• No over ambitious
• Related to the issues that have a clear link to theory
• The points mentioned above should be considered for selecting any research topic.

Research Proposal
The research proposal is a road map that shows clearly the location from which a journey of research begins, the
destination to be reached and the methods of getting the destination.
A brief but comprehensive proposition that describes the research design, schedule, and budget as well as time
frame of a proposed research is known as research proposal. It is blue print of proposed research.

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Purpose of research proposal
• To provide tentative outline of a research.
• To justify the importance of the research.
• To provide regarding population, sample, source of data, data collection techniques, tools and
techniques of data analysis decision criteria etc.
• To provide the legitimacy of the research.
• To provide judgment tools to make decision whether the proposal should be accepted or not.
• To provide overall roadmap of the research.

Types of Research Proposal

In broader sense, research proposal can be classified into two types:
• Internal Proposals: Proposal prepared from the in-house members or staffs of an organization to see
out the solution of emerging or ongoing problems within an organization is called internal proposal.
• External Proposals: External research proposals are prepared to conduct extensive or comprehensive
research in broader issues which can’t be carried out by the internal researcher or organization because it
needs of high level expert. Professional researcher or research agency prepares external proposals.
External proposal can further be divided into two types.
• Solicited Proposal: Funding or sponsoring agency or institutions or personal call announce for such
proposals.
• Unsolicited Proposal: Unsolicited proposal is sent to a potential sponsor who has not published the
request or expression of interest to the researcher or research agencies.
• Academic proposal: A proposal that is prepared to complete any academic degree is known as
academic proposal.

Essential Steps of Proposal Writing

Some basic steps of proposal writings are almost same though some differences can be found according to area
and topic of the research.
• Title: It should be clear and specific that may reflect the entire content of the subject.
• Introduction or Background of the Study: Clear information should be given to track the right
information of the topic. Background of the research problem should be given. Review of literature will
be helpful to provide additional knowledge and information. Identification of related variables should be
given. Key terms used in the investigation should be defined.
• Research Design/Methodology: Possible methods of data collection, tools and methods of data analysis
and decision making criteria are dealt: the universe of the population, sample design, unit of sample
required, size of the sample, sampling methods, data collection method, tools and instruments, post field
data processing and analysis plan, tools and techniques and proposed statistical tests etc.
• Time and Scheduling: Time scheduling is a time plan estimated for proposed study: tentative time for
initiation, approval, execution and completion of research.
• Budget Estimates: Assurance of financial availability incurring to time, labour, administrative tasks,
tools and techniques, logistic requirement, etc.
• Reference: Reference materials consulted by the researcher while preparing research proposal should be
clearly mentioned. It assures the capacity, skills, ability, and knowledge of the researcher on the topic.
• Research Report Plan: Report is a professional deliberation of the research work. It is produced after
the completion of the research but general plan should be mentioned in the proposal. It says when and
how to generate and publish the report.

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Note: Bio-data of the researcher or the profile of agency also is required in proposal, in practice.

Contents of Research Proposal

Research proposal is written in future tense because it is tentative or porposed action plan. It is preferred to use
third person pronounce like researcher, the research team, the study team etc. The chapter plan of research
proposal is as follows:
1. Chapter I: Introduction
2. Chapter 2: Literature Review/ Background
3. Chapter 3: Research Methodology
4. References
5. Annexes

Contents of Academic Research Proposal (for Master’s & Ph. D. )

The following components are essential in academic proposals:
1. Title 9. Significance of the study
2. Executive Summary 10. Literature reviews
3. Background of the study 11. Research methods
4. Problem statement 11. Research design
5. Research objectives 12. Population and sample
6. Theoretical framework 13. Data analysis
7. Statement of hypothesis 14. References
8. Definition of 15. Chapter scheme
terminologies 16. Appendix
17. Measurement instruments (for Ph. D)

Proposal for Funded Research

The researchers get attractive financial assistance from organizations for funded research. The proposal should
be prepared carefully as the proposal should fulfill the technical and financial requirement of the sponsor. It
contains all the contents and requirements of Academic research regarding research design. Except them a
funded research proposal contains the following things:
• Main research design (as academic research)
• Budget
• Time schedule
• Human resource management
• Instruments and equipment

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Structure of Research Proposal
A. Primary Pages - Rational of the study
 Title page  Review of literature
 Executive summary - Theoretical review
 Approval letter - Review of previous studies
 Acknowledgement  Limitations of the study
 Table of contents  Research methodology
 List of tables - Research design
 List of figures - Nature and source of data
 List of abbreviations - Population and sample
B. Main body - Data collection technique
 Introduction - Reliability and validity of data
- Background of the study - Data processing and analysis
- Statement of the problem and research  Chapter scheme
question C. References
- Objectives of the study
- Theoretical framework

Criteria of Evaluating Research Proposal

A good research proposal should constitute the basic components such as content, format, layout and
presentation in professional standard. In general practice the following three broader bases are used for proposal
evaluation:

Quality of Proposal : content, format, layout and presentation

Research Methodology (weight: 30 percent)

Clearly defined population, sampling procedure, size of sample, instrument for gathering data, actual
limitations, legitimate definitions or contextual definitions, clearly explained design, procedures of data
collection.
Quality of Research Proposal (weight: 30 percent)
Logical justification and rationality, clearly stated objectives, clearly defined methods and research tools, well
defined expected results, identified ethical considerations.
Capacity: of researcher or agency (weight: 20)
• Academic qualification, training and experience, language proficiency of the area, past record,
availability of capable human resource, capacity, skill, and experience of enumerator.
Technical: feasibility and resource availability (weight: 20 percent)
• Viable project concept
• Comprehensive timeline
• Realistic budget
• Achievable objective
• Demonstration of challenges

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 CASE
UNHCR is an organization that deals with the refugee issues in the world. UNHCR-Nepal is a unit of
UNHCR working in Nepal to deal with the refugees’ issues. Nepal has a long tradition of providing asylum to
refugee. UNHCR’s work is to find long-term solution of refugee crisis such as, assisting efforts to increase their
self-reliance through greater access to livelihood opportunity, health and education. Refugees of different
nationality are living in Nepal from North to South part of the country.
Most of the employees in UNHCR are from abroad. So, the management of UNHCR-Nepal decided to
assign the work of research to a group of professional experts. The terms are as follows.
Time: 2 months from the date of signing agreement
Fund available: 20 lakhs
Other support: Support on equipment purchase up to Rs. 10 lakhs.
Main responsibilities:
Determining the number of refugees as per their residence.
Categories of refugees.
Opinion of the refugees on their livelihood.
Questions:
1.What type of proposal the researchers have to prepare to respond to this notice? Why?
-Solicited proposal
2.Develop the brief methodology for the proposal.
-- Descriptive design
- Census study
- Questionnaire/ Interview
- Chat/ table preparation and for livelihood opinion analysis: Mean
3.Why is a research proposal essential? Explain.
-Explain importance of research proposal
Hypotheses
4. What is the position of refugee residing at the different places of Nepal?
-Position of refugee in Nepal is better than the refugee residing in other countries.
5. What refugee feel about their livelihood?
-Basic facilities are provided to refuses in Nepal.