RESEARCH PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

ELEMENTS OF A PROPOSAL
I. Title
II. Background, problem, objective, research questions and/or hypothesis
III. Conceptual framework
IV. Significance
V. Design and methods
VI. References
VII. Work and activity plan

DESCRIPTION OF ELEMENTS

Background/ rationale. The proposal starts with background information on the topic in order to
set the larger context of the study. It is here where the discussion of relevant literature mostly
figures in. for a guide, the following can be answered: What is known (and not yet known) about
this subject? What do the experts/ or other studies done on this topic say? What are the
controversies? The gray areas? This section should not just enumerate and describe the studies
done but, rather, critically engage them. It assesses both their contributions and limitations and, in
so doing, clears the space for the proposed study. In the end, the discussion of the background of
the study should logically lead to the statement of the problem.

Problem. The problem is borne out of an assessment that something is wrong, amiss, or imperfect
in the current state of knowledge (e.g., a gap in the literature, conflicting claims, inadequate results
or findings, etc.) or practice (e.g., a program that falls short of its goals, a system that be further
improved, etc.). The problem usually comes as a single statement but is followed by paragraphs
elaborating on this.

Objectives. Having identified the problem, state clearly what you want to accomplish in order to
address, answer or illuminate the problem. What do you intend to do and how is this going to
contribute towards the resolution of the problem? In other words this is the purpose of your study.

Research Questions (And/Or Hypothesis/Es). What specific questions are you going to pose and
answer in order to achieve your objective/s? the research questions may also be stated in terms of
hypothesis/es.

[The discussion of related literature should have been integrated in the ‘background’ as well as the
‘statement of the problem,’ without as such necessitating a separate ‘review of literature.’
However, if a substantial volume of literature is involved and it is important that all these be
discussed, a separate section under this title may be inserted at this point.]

Conceptual Framework. Here, you can describe in more details the theoretical and
methodological underpinnings to your study. Discuss the theories, concepts, methodological
approaches, and variables that are important in your study and demonstrate their interrelations as
such. Such interrelations may be demonstrated through a diagram, although such diagrams are
rarely included in the finals manuscript. Often, the conceptual framework is given in narrative
form, and, as such, this section may done away with if the ideas contained therein are, in fact,
sufficiently discussed in the other sections.

Significance. This is the ‘so what?’ section. Why is this study important? What is its relevance or
contribution – in terms of theory? Method? Practical application? Show how this will respond to
the gap of knowledge, issues of theory or method, and social action or policy-making.

Especially for applied researches, you may have to specify who might be interested in the
result/findings of the study. Be very specific here: Show exactly how these interest groups can
utilize these result/findings.

Design and methods. Describe the research process, which include the following: research design,
activities and procedures, materials, methods, sampling plan, instrumentation, statistical tools, and
treatment/analysis of data.

Reference. List down he written materials that you used and cite an the text, including possibly
those that you intend to review in the future as you go along the research project.

Expected outputs. What do you expect to come up with after your study – a conference paper, a
journal manuscript, a book/monograph, a mechanical model, a policy paper, a program for action,
etc.?

Work and activity plan. List down the activities that you intend to do in order to accomplish your
objectives, including possibly the person/s responsible for the activities. State likewise the target
dates for the completion of these activities, as well as the expected deliverables for each activity.
These information usually presented in a table form.

Notes:
1. As this is a general guideline made inclusively for all discipline, proponents may come up
with some variation to suit their particular disciplines and research projects.
2. Keep your text concise and clear. It is the substance that counts, not the length.

FORMAT (IMRaD)

[1] Title
[2] Abstract
[3] Keywords
[4] Introduction
[5] Methods
[6] Results/findings
[7] Discussion
[8] Conclusion
[9] Acknowledgement (optional)
[10] Notes (optional)
[11] References
1. TITLE
Considerations:
1. Absolute. Does it capture the essence/ give a complete idea about what the paper is?
2. Brief. Is it no longer than 12 substantive words/
Do away with phrases like ”a study of, an analysis of…”
3. Catchy. Does it attract interest?

2. ABSTRACT

- a summative statement that answers the following questions:

1. What is the article about? (Issue/ topic)
2. What does the paper intend to do? (Problem/s/ objective/s)
3. What are the most important findings? (Central argument/ conclusion/ significance)

- Self-contained (i.e., publishable on its own), together with the title

- should not include details of the method nor should this have references to the
literature and to tablets and figures (all these should find their place in the introduction,
instead)
- 100 – 150 words, preferably one paragraph

3. KEYWORDS

- highlights words/ phrase which are central to the work but are not reflected in the title
- the field/s where your article may be situated (e.g., patient care, cancer, etc.)
- not more than ten words/ phrases

4. INTRODUCTION

- a comprehensive but not concise of what is the article is all about, including the problem/s
and objective/s of the study, the background/rationale, the review of the literature and/or
theoretical framework, significance and method – but this time, all integrated into a
single, continuous essay

- Should address the following questions (ideally with no more than two paragraphs for
each questions)

a. What is the state of existing of knowledge on the topic/ issue? (Review of literature:
setting the context/rationale)

b. What is the issue you have identified and that study intends to focus on? (Problems)

c. Why is your study important? (Significance/contribution)

d. Movement of ideas: from general to specific

- 1-2 pages only

5. METHOD (var.: Methodology; Materials and Methods; Procedures; Design)

- This section elaborates on the how of the study

- This includes a description of the following:

a. Research population or community: Where? Who? Why? How selected?
b. Instrument/Questionnaire
c. Data Gathering Procedures
d. Methods: What methods will be used? How? Why these methods?
e. Data analysis: How did you analyze the data?
f. Ethical considerations
6. RESULTS/ FINDINGS
(‘Results’ for she experimental researches; ‘Findings’ for non-experimental)
- This presentation represents the article’s ‘data’ and/argumentation
- What did you find out?
- What did you observed?

7. DISCUSSIONS
- What do the results/findings you have presented above mean?
- How do these results/findings fit into the broader context/literature?
- theoretical implications? practical applications? -
- Can also include the limitations of the limitations of the research design and
materials used
- Movement of ideas: from specific to general [from your study’s data to the wider
literature]

Note: “Results/ Findings” and “Discussion” can come together as one section.

(var. : IBC format for qualitative studies)

8. CONCLUSION
- wrap up the paper’s argument by:
1. restating aims/objectives of the paper
2. summarizing key findings/arguments
3. pointing out direction/s for future investigation, if any

- 1-2 pages only

N.B: Never introduce something in the conclusion that has not been hinted at in the Introduction

9. AKNOWLEDGEMAENT (optional, if there in fact is nobody to be acknowledge)

- intended for those who had a direct contribution to the conduct of research and the writing of
the manuscript: e.g., co-researchers/research assistant; research sponsors/funding agencies;
contributors of ideas; critics/reviewers; editors
- direct, one paragraph
10. NOTES (optional, if there are no incidental comments)
- incidental/supplementary comments (not references) which are listed (and numbered) at
the end of the manuscript as ‘endnotes’
- an incidental/supplementary note is one that may not read by the reader and yet will not
affect the argument of the article. If it is important to the argument, it should be put up in
the main text.
Note: For references, use un-text citations, e.g. –
- a recent study finds a genetic link to alcoholism (Jones, 1997)
- Jones finds a genetic link to alcoholism (1997)
- Include page when a direct quotation is used: “there is a genetic link…” (Jones 1997, p.
31)

APA style: Jones, 1997; Jones 1997, p. 31

Variation: Jones 1997; Jones 1997: 31

11.REFERENCES
- thumb rules:

1. Include only the materials that are cited in the article.

2. Ensure that all bibliographical entries are complete as much as possible.
 APA Style Essentials
http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/detail.aspx?doo_id=796
Last modified May 4, 2010

Douglas Degelman, Ph.D

Vanguard University of Southern California

Text citations: Source material must be documented in the body of the paper by citing the author(s) and
date(s) of the sources. The underlying principle is that ideas and words of others must be formally
acknowledged. The reader can obtain the full source citation from the list of references that follows the
body of the paper.

A. When the names of the authors of a source are part of the formal structure of a sentence,
the year of publication appears in parentheses following the identification of the authors.
Consider the following example:

Wirth and Mitchell (1994) found that although there was a reduction in insulin dosage over a
period of two weeks in the treatment condition compared to the control condition, the difference
was not statistically significant. [Note: and is used when multiple authors are identified as part
of the formal structure of the sentence. Compare this to the example in the following section.]

B. When the authors of the source are not part of the formal structure of the sentence, both
of the authors and year of publication appear in parentheses. Consider the following
example:

Reviews of research on religion and health have concluded that at least some types of religious
behavior are related to higher levels of physical and mental health (Gartner, Larson, and Allen,
1991; Koenig, 1990; Levin & Vanderpool,1991; Maton & Pargament,1987; Paloma &
Pendleton, 1991; Payne, Bergin, Bielema, & Jenkins, 1991) [Note; & is used when multiple
authors are identified in parenthetical material. Note also that when several sources are cited
parenthetically, they are ordered alphabetically by first authors’ surnames and separated by
semicolons.]

C. When a source that has two authors is cited, both authors are included every time the
source is cited.

D. When a source that has three, four, or five authors is cited, all authors are included the
first time the source is cited. When that source is cited again, the first author’s surname
and “et al” are used. Consider the following example:

Reviews of research on religious and health have concluded that at least some types of religious
behavior are related to higher levels of physical and mental health (Payne, Bergin, Bielema, &
Jerkins, 1991)

Payne et al. (1991) showed that …

 E. when a source that has six or more authors is cited, the first author’s surname and “et al.”
are used every time the source is cited (including the first time).
F. Every effort should be made cite only sources that you have actually read. When it is
necessary to cite a source that you have not read (“Grayson” in the following example)
that is cited in a source that you have read (“Murzynski & Delegma” in the following
example), use the following format for the text citation and list only the source you have
read in the References list:

Grayson (as cited in Murzynski & Delegma, 1996) identified for components of body language
that were related to judgments of vulnerability

G. To cite a personal communication (including letters, and telephone interviews), include

initial, surname, and as exact a date as possible. Because a personal communication is not
“recoverable” information, it is not included in the references section. For the text
citation, use the following format:

B.F. Skinner (personal communication, February 12, 1978) claimed …

H. To cite a web document, use the author-date format. If no author is identified, use the first
few words of the title in place of the author, if no date is provided, use “n.d.” in place of
the date. Consider the following examples:

Degelman (2009) summarizes guidelines for the use of APA writing style.

Changes in Americans’ views of gender status differences have been documented (Gender and Society,
n.d.).

I. To cite the Bible, provide the book, chapter, and verse. The fist time the Bible is sited on
the text, identify the version used. Consider the following example:

“You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you” (Psalm
86:5, New International Version) [Note: No entry on the References list is needed for the
Bible.]
Quotations: When a direct quotation is used. Always include the author, year, and page number as part
of the citation.

J. A quotation of fewer than 40 words should be enclosed on double quotation marks and
should be incorporated into the formal structure of the sentence. Consider the following
example:

Patients receiving prayer had “less congestive heart failure, required, less diuretic and
anti biotic therapy, had fewer episodes of pneumonia, had fewer cardiac arrests, and were
less frequently intubated and ventilated” (Byrd, 1988, p.829)
 K. A lengthier quotation of40 or more words should appear (without quotation marks) apart
from the surrounding text, in block format with each line intended five spaces from the
left margin.

References: all sources including the reference section must be sited in the body of the paper
(And all cited in the paper must be included in the Reference section)

L. Pagination: the References sections begin on a new page.

M. Heading: “References” (centered on the first line below the running head)
N. Format: The references (with the hanging indent) begin on the line following the
References heading. Entries are organized alphabetically by surnames of the authors.
Most reference entries have the following components:

1. Authors: Authors are listed on the same order as specified in the source, using
surnames and initials. Commas separate all authors. When there are eight or more
than authors, list the first six authors followed by three ellipses (…) and then the final
author. If no author is identified, the title of the reference begins the reference.
2. Year of publication: In parenthesis following the authors, with a period following the
closing parenthesis. If no publication date is identified, es “n.d.” in parenthesis
following the authors.
3. Source Reference: includes title, journal, volume, pages (for journal article) or title,
city of publication, publisher (for book). Italicize titles of books, titles of periodicals
and periodical volume numbers.
4. Electronic Retrieval Information: electronic retrieval information may include digital
object identifiers (DOIs) or uniforms resource locators (URLs). DOIs are unique
alphanumeric identifiers that lead users to digital source material. To learn wahether
an article has been assigned a DOI, go to http://www.crossref.org/guestquery/

O. Examples of APA-formatted References: Go to

http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedFiles/Psychology/references.pdf
P. Examples of sources:

1. Journal article with DOI

Murzynski, J., Degelman, D. (1996). Body language of women and

judgements of vulnerability to sexual assault. Journal of Applied of Social
Psychology, 26, 1617- 1828. doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1996.tb00088.x

2. Journal article without DOI, print version

Koening, H. G. (1990). Research on religion and mental health in later life.

A review and commentary. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23, 23-53.

Aldridge, D. (1991). Spirituality, healing and medicine. British journal of General

Practice, 41, 425-427. Retrieve from http://ww.rcgp.org.uk/publications/bjgp.aspx
3. Journal article without DOI, retrieved online [Note: for article retrieved from
databases, include URL of the journal homepage. Database information is not needed.
Do not include the date of retrieval.]
4. Book
Paloutzian, R. F. (1996). Invitation to the psychology of religion (2nd ed.). Boston,
MA: Allyn and Bacon.
5. Information published web document
Degelman, D. (2009). APA style essentials. Retrieved from
http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/detain.aspx?doo_id=796
6. Information published web document (no date)
Nielsen, M. E. (n.d.) Notable people in psychology of religion. Retrieved from
http://www.psywww.com/psyrelig/psyrelpr.htm
7. Information published web document (no author, no date)
Gender and society. (n.d.). retrieved from
http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl?gender.html
8. Abstract from secondary database
Garrity, K., & Degelman, D. (2009). Effect of server introduction on restaurant
tipping. Journal of applied social psychology, 20, 168-172. abstract retrieved from
PsycINFO database.
9. Article or character in an edited book
Shea, J. D. (1992). Religion and sexual adjustment. In J. F. Schumaker (Ed.),
Religion and mental health (pp. 70-84). New York, NY; Oxford University Press.
10. Diagnosis and statistical Manual of Mental Disorder
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of
mental disorder (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: Author.