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INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE CIÊNCIAS DA EDUCAÇÃO

ISCED-HUÍLA =LUBANGO=

Designed by: Joaquim Sapalo CASTILHO CACUMBA

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CONTENTS PAGE

Page

Introduction 3

1. Definition of a Research Proposal 3

2. Purposes of a Research Proposal 3

3. Components of a Research Proposal 3

4. Evaluation of a Research Proposal 11

5. Research Proposal Form. 13

References 15

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DEVELOPING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Introduction This Guide is intended to help ISCED-Huíla students of the Linguística/Ingês course in successfully completing their studies. This Research Proposal Guide aims to help you develop a sound proposal, one that will help you to write your end of course paper in a focused and disciplined way. The Guide is divided into five parts:

6. Definition of a Research Proposal 7. Purposes of a Research Proposal 8. Components of a Research Proposal 9. Evaluation of a Research Proposal 10. Research Proposal Form.

1. Definition of a Research Proposal

The research proposal is generally defined as a thoroughly worked-out written plan that outlines the thinking about a research problem and describes what is to be studied and how. By investing sufficient time and thought into writing a research proposal, it will yield a good return and can save the researcher a lot of time, confusion and disappointment when actually writing the paper. Without proper planning, it is very likely that your reading will lack direction, your writing will lack focus and your data collection will run into major problems.

2. Purposes of a Research Proposal

A research proposal is a useful document to you, your supervisor, your funders and the broader research community. For you, the student, it is helpful in that it outlines your thinking about what you will be investigating - the focus, the limits, the logical development of your investigation, the methods you will be using to investigate the topic, and the timing of a research project. For your supervisor, a proposal is an indication of whether you have done adequate thinking about the topic and sufficient preparation for the study. It also gives your supervisor an indication of your ability to put your ideas into clear and logical writing. For funders the proposal gives a clear indication of whether you have thought clearly about the topic, whether it is something feasible and worth supporting. For the rest of the academic community, it is an indication of the focus of your investigation and how it links to the ongoing debates in the literature.

3. Components of a Research Proposal

There are various ways in which proposals can be structured. However, most proposals may have the following components:

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1. Title page 2. Introduction 3. The research problem

3.1. Research area 3.2. Research topic 3.3. Research problem 3.4. Research question 3.5. Research hypothesis 3.6. Research aims

3.7. Research objectives 3.8. Significance or relevance of the study

4. The research plan 4.1. Preliminary literature review 4.2. Structure of the paper 4.3. Research methodology 4.4. Ethical issues

5. Timetable or time scale 6. Budget 7. Appendices 8. The annotated bibliography

Title page Give the name of your institution, department, sector, title of your research paper, your name, your student number or ID, your course of study, your contact details, your supervisor, your co-supervisor (if any), and the course details for which you are submitting the proposal (in our case, Linguística/Inglês), city and date (month and year). The title should convey clearly and succinctly the topic being researched. The title should be brief and provide a good idea about the focus of the research study. Avoid obscure and

unnecessarily lengthy titles. Your title should reflect the broad topic and the focus of your study (institution, grade, …).

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Introduction The main purpose of this section is to show generally how the proposed study fits into what is already known, and to locate it in relation to present knowledge and practice. Creswell (2003: 76) suggests five key components for introductions: (a) establishing the problem leading to the study; (b) casting the problem within the larger scholarly literature; (c) discussing deficiencies in the literature about the problem; (d) targeting an audience and noting the significance of this problem for the audience; and (e) a general statement of the purpose of the research.. Punch (2006: 64) adds that an introduction of a research proposal should contain (f) the research area and topic.

Research area and Research topic Your research area will often be stated in a few words, and sometimes just one word. For example:

Topic: • Reading

Research area and Research topic Topics similarly are a few words, but usually more than those describing the research area. The topic falls within the area. It is an aspect, or a part, of the area – a step towards making the general area more specific. It is included in the area, but of course, not the only topic within the area. Four possible research topics

• Reading speed of boys and girls • Developing reading comprehension • Importance of reading for teacher development • Reading habits

Research problem Your paper should try to address a problem, a gap in the literature, a puzzle, a muddle, an ambiguity or a

tension. Some questions that you need to answer when looking for a research proposal are: “What do you wonder about in your teaching and your students’ learning?”; “What aspects of the students’ learning do you want to understand better?”; “What are some aspects of your teaching situation that intrigue you?”; and “What do you know about your teaching that you are interested in verifying?”

Generally speaking, a research problem can be (a) conceptual – your thesis may address and evaluate different interpretations of key concepts, or it may analyze the meaning of a concept, like “communicative

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language teaching”, and investigate its relationship to other concepts. Or it may investigate implications of a concept, like “computer assisted learning”, in a particular context, like education; (b) epistemological or logical – your thesis may address some problem in thinking. It may analyze the validity of arguments that support a particular position. Or it may investigate some contradictions or paradoxes in thinking; exegetical – your thesis may address a semantic issue. It may involve translations, semantic studies and literary analysis; (d) social, political or economic – your thesis may address a problem such as community involvement in decision-making; the role of unions in a free market economy; the implications of HIV/AIDS for family structures; (d) ethical – your thesis may address what might be the most honourable or appropriate course of action in a particular situation. Or it may investigate what some of our moral stances

are, or our views on human flourishing that drive certain policies, e.g. your thesis could ask why we should teach our children to care for the environment. A word of caution: a thesis is a piece of research, not a sermon or ideological tract!; (e) legal, policy – your thesis might give a clear exposition of what are often very difficult legal tracts, and analyze some of the underlying assumptions. Or it may look at some of the problems of policy implementation. Or it may examine the motivations for particular policies. Or it may examine some of the implications or consequences; (f) theoretical - your thesis might compare and contrast different views of a particular issue. Or it might evaluate the arguments that support or reject a particular position. Or it may examine how a theory needs to be modified if placed in a different context; (g) historical – your thesis could examine gaps in historical narratives. Or it may trace the development of a particular issue over time. Or it may trace the different interpretations of a concept like “citizenship” over an historical period; and (h) empirical – your thesis might try to address the problem of lack of information on a particular issue through doing fieldwork or experiments.

Research question Research question describes the nature of the problem and situates our research into the context of our research. Staying within the context as set by our research problems, a research question gives specific focus to our study. Thus, a research question defines exactly what we are going to do, how, and why and it helps to clarify what to expect as the findings of the research. There are mainly two types of questions:

teaching questions and researchable questions (Freeman, 1998). Examples of teaching questions are ‘What is the best way to motivate my students?’ and ‘How can I get students to read more effectively?’. Researchable questions are ‘Does training for developing reading speed help students’ reading comprehension?’ and ‘Does providing students with choices in activities increase their motivation for English class?’. Narrow down your research question by limiting it to a particular group (e.g. girls, boys,

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Grade 7 pupils), to a particular time (e.g., post-2008 elections), or a particular school (e.g. “N’gola”, “27 de Março”, “Colégio X”), or a particular kind of management role (e.g. English coordinator, Director), or a particular function (e.g. starting a lesson, finishing a lesson, …). Ask yourself: Who, when, where, what, how, why? With each of the answers, you might be able to define your field of study more and more. Avoid huge areas. Determine some appropriate boundaries in order to make the project manageable. It should be restated more precisely so as to indicate both the purpose of the project and the direction that the research will take. Your reformulated question should demarcate or delimit your area of study.

Research hypothesis List the major hypotheses, if any. Unlike the research questions, which are open, hypotheses are testable

statements. State them clearly, concisely, and in such a way that they can be tested. Spell out all the operations and predictions indicated by the hypotheses. And ensure that the hypotheses are related to available techniques.

Research aims Formulate the academic aims so that they capture an academic undertaking. Consider starting your aim/s with words like: explore, investigate, analyze, determine, interpret, understand, demarcate, critique, ascertain, compare, contrast, evaluate, assess. The strategic aim/s might start with something like: improve practice in .., inform policy in .., but remember, you are writing for an academic audience and the main aim/s of your thesis should therefore be academic.

Research objectives The research objectives should be: (a) specific, concrete: you and others can attain them and agree they have been attained; (b) researchable: question can be answered in reasonable time with reasonable funds; and (c) measurable: Specify the criteria by which you will know you have found what you are looking for. Humanities note: criteria may but need not numerical. The statement of objectives should be: (a) declarative: I will measure levels of education and attitudes towards women’s rights among men... / I will identify the continuities and discontinuities in their representation of father/son and mother/son relations in Mahfouz’s Palace Walk; Not: If I get funds, I will…); (b) prioritized: listed in order of priority. If you have

more than one objective, question to answer, the priority will determine the rest of the proposal. The review of literature, theoretical framework, hypothesis, methodology, reflect the same ordering; and logical: follow the sequence of the paper. It is important that your objectives are stated in a good way. Take care that the

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objectives of your study: (a) cover the different aspects of the problem and its contributing factors in a coherent way and in a logical sequence; (b) are clearly phrased in operational terms, specifying exactly what you are going to do, where, and for what purpose; (c) are realistic considering local conditions; and (d) use action verbs that are specific enough to be evaluated (e.g. to determine, to compare, to verify, to calculate, to describe, to establish, and to propose). Avoid the use of vague non-action verbs (e.g. to appreciate, to understand, or to study). Check the Bloom Taxonomy of Learning Objectives.

Significance /Relevance of the study Your motivation for the research project. What is your interest in the research project? What motivates you to do the project? Why is it worthy of academic investigation? The importance of the proposed research.

What do you consider to be the significance of the research project for students, for teachers, for researchers, for society and for you? What contribution will the research project make in terms of current knowledge around the issue or problem that is being researched?

Preliminary literature review Provide a brief overview of the relevant literature; outline the different positions/approaches/theories in the field, identify flaws or lacunae in previous research, pinpoint open questions and show how your study follows up on or relates to previous research. It is important to keep this section goal-oriented and brief. Typically, you do not need to cite more than 5-7 sources in this section.

Structure of the paper Provide a preliminary Table of Contents of your paper that illustrates the structure of the paper. For each section, indicate how long it will approximately be and what the main points are in it. Try to start from theory (what, why, when, who, where, if any) to practice and research (how);

Research methodology This is often a large section of the proposal. Many books and articles are written about it. It often contains five parts:

1. Participants: How many? What are their characteristics or the selection criteria? Where and how are you going to recruit them? Which sampling techniques are you going to use and why?

2. Design of study: What data are you going to collect? How are you going to construct your items? What are the conditions? What is/are the independent variable/s? What is/are the dependent variable/s? Does it cohere with your research objectives, research question, and literature review?

3. Methods: Name the data collection methods and explain why you opted for them. What task are you going to use? What types of triangulation are you going to use?

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4. Procedures: How does the task work? How do the items get presented? What do the participants do?

5. Data Analysis: State how you are going to classify, group and analyze the results. Which comparisons are you going to make? Which statistical analyses, if any, are you going to use (e.g. frequencies, comparison of means, correlations, etc)?

Ethical issues Several ethical issues must be considered when designing a research proposal. Among these we can highlight informed consent, voluntary participation, honesty and trust, confidentiality and anonymity,

ownership of data and conclusion, and reciprocity.

Timetable or timescale Many projects fail because they could not be carried out within the set time limit. Hence, working out a time schedule is essential. In most cases, you can use a table for the time schedule as in the example table (Table 1). Your table may contain more or fewer points. Plan backwards form the date your paper is due and allow for enough time.

Nº Activity Procedure Place Instrument Time period (From X until Y)

1. Drawing up the research proposal

2. Planning research 3. Reading about the topic and

note-taking

4. Drafting an outline 5. Designing and conducting

research

6. Organising notes and data 7. Analysing data 8. Summarising the results 9. Drafting specific sections –

Chapter 1, etc.

10. First proof-reading 11. Drafting the conclusions,

recommendations and the introduction

12. Thorough proof-reading 13. Having it typed/Typing it 14. Having it bound 15. Submitting the 7 copies to the

Head of the DLM

16. Possible defence month TOTAL TIME AVAILABLE. X Months (from A until Z)

Table 1: Time Scale for a Research Paper

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BUDGET This is the section that specifies who is doing what, when, and where. A budget for research can include costs equipment (e.g. tape recorders), or maintenance costs (e.g. stationery, travel, mail, telephone costs etc), or salary for research personnel, if any. It is important in this section to ensure that the budget is sufficient to achieve the objectives of the study, is justifiable, and demonstrates accountability.

APPENDICES Appendices may include: (a) drafts of submissions to ethics; (b) a guide or copies of the data collection methods to be used; and (c) draft tables indicating how data may be analyzed.

BIBLIOGRAPHY The majority of the entries should be recent and relevant scholarly works. Avoid sources that are out-of-date and those classified as “popular” instead of “academic”; do not clutter your bibliography with irrelevant books (those not directly related to your topic) or with online articles. You must show that you know what the major works on the topic are.

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4. EVALUATING YOUR RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A. Quality of the Research Proposal Title page: (Score: 0-5)

• Does it meet the requirements of the institution? • Does the title contain about 15 words or less? • Is the title well punctuated?

Problem identification: (Score 0-5) • Is the problem/line of inquiry clearly identified? • Has appropriate literature been examined in order to provide a background to the problem? • Have other relevant sources been used to identify the problem? • Are the aims and /or objectives of the inquiry clearly specified?

Approach: (Score: 0-5) • To what extent is the conceptual framework and theoretical assumptions clearly stated? • Is the project design, methods of data collection and analysis appropriate to the aims of the

research?

Significance: (Score: 0-5) • To what extent will the research make an original contribution or be an innovative application of

knowledge to its disciplinary field and/or across disciplines? • Is the proposed research a new line of inquiry? • Is the proposed research likely to promote further investigation within and/or across disciplines and

fields?

Feasibility: (Score: 0-5) • Do the preliminary data and the available resources support the feasibility of the project? • Does the researcher’s track record or potential support his/her ability to successfully accomplish

the project? • Does the applicant have the ability to complete the project?

Budget: (Score: 0-5) • Is the budget justified in relation to the proposed research activities? • Does the project include a plan for research and budget management?

Bibliography: (Score: 0-5) • Is the bibliography relevant and current? • Does the bibliography and referencing conform to accepted conventions? Is it technically faultless?

B. Impact of the Proposed Research Within the research community: (Score: 0-5)

• Does the research promote teaching or does it have the potential to do so? • Does the research project promote research training? • Is there a plan to disseminate the research findings within the discipline and across disciplines?

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Outside the research community: (Score: 0-5) • Is there a plan to disseminate the research findings amongst stakeholders and the wider public? • Does the research project have a potential social impact, i.e. promote problem solving, social policy

development or evaluation, etc.?

C. Language and Style: (Score: 0-5) • Does it have accurate spelling and grammar? • Does the proposal conform to the requirements of the institution? • Is the language precise, modest and tentative? • Is the proposal clear, coherent, convincing, concise, and complete

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5. RESEARCH PROPOSAL FORM

INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE CIÊNCIAS DA EDUCAÇÃO

ISCED-HUÍLA DEPARTAMENTO DE LETRAS MODERNAS

REPARTIÇÃO DE INGLÊS

By: ____________________________________ Tutor:

1. GENERAL AREA IN WHICH YOU WISH TO WORK ON YOUR RESEARCH STUDY •

2. WHAT IS YOUR RESEARCH TOPIC? •

3. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN THIS TOPIC THAT NEED(S) TO BE INVESTIGATED? •

4. WHAT QUESTION(S) WILL YOUR RESEARCH TRY/SEEK TO ANSWER? •

5. WHATHYPOTHESES (IF ANY) WILL YOUR RESEARCH TRY/SEEK TO TEST? •

6. WHAT ARE THE RESEARCH AIMS OF YOUR STUDY? •

7. PLEASE INDICATE THE AIM OR PURPOSE OF YOUR RESEARCH. •

8. WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF YOUR RESEARCH STUDY? •

9. HOW SIGNIFICANT OR RELLEVANT IS THIS STUDY (FOR THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS STUDY, FOR POLICY-MAKERS, FOR OTHER RESEARCHERS, AND FOR YOU)? •

10. PRESENT A PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW OUTLINING DIFFERENT POSITIONS/APPROACHES IN THE FIELD. •

11. WHAT WILL BE THE MAIN CONTENTS OF YOUR RESEARCH PAPER (i.e. CHAPTERS, SECTIONS, AND SUBSECTIONS)? •

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12. BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (PARTICIPANTS, RESEARCH DESIGN, DATA COLLECTION METHODS, PROCEDURES, DATA ANALYSIS PROCEDURES, AND ETHICAL ISSUES) •

13. OUTLINE YOUR TIMETABLE OR TIMESCALE (ACTIVITIES, PROCEDURES, PLACE, INSTRUMENT, TIME PERIOD) •

14. BRIEFLY SPECIFY YOUR BUDGET •

15. WHAT INFORMATION WILL YOU NEED TO HAVE IN YOUR APPENDICES? •

16. PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR BIBLIOGRAPHY (i.e. A SHORT LIST OF BOOKS OR ARTICLES DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO YOUR RESEARCH, WHICH YOU HAVE ALREADY READ). (N.B.: You should provide at least 5 titles of articles and 10 titles of books that are really relevant for your chosen area, and about 30% of that should be those published in the last 5 years). •

ISCED-HUÍLA, __(month)_____ 20__.

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REFERENCES

Cresswell, John W. 2003. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (Second edition). London: Sage Publications.

de Vos, A., H. Strydom, C.B. Fouché and C.S.L. Delport. 2005. Research at Grass Roots (3rd Edition). Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.

Dörnuei, Zoltán. 2007. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Freeman, D. 1998. Doing teacher Research: From Inquiry to Understanding. Boston, MA: Heinle and

Heinle. Gall, Meredith D., Joyce P. Gall and Walter R. Borg. 2007. Educational Research: An Introduction (8th

Edition). Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Glatthorn, Alan A. 1998. Writing the Winning Dissertation: A Step by Step Guide. Thousand Oaks,

California: Corwin Press. Leedy, P.D. 1993. Practical Research: Planning and Design (5th ed.). New York: MacMillan. Mouton, J. 2001. How to Succeed in your Master's and Doctoral Studies. Pretoria, South Africa: Van

Schaik. Punch, Keith F. 2006. Developing Effective Research Proposals (Second edition). London: Sage

Publications.