In this assignment you will propose a detailed research plan to two or more university professors (hypothetically, you don’t actually have to present your paper). These proposals should clearly express your research question in the context of existing research (from the perspective of multiple disciplines) about the issue. You should explain your plan for collecting data to answer those research questions (again, within the context of methods used in similar research projects described in published papers. Finally, you should explain the methods you will use to analyze the data that you collect.
Title Page: This should include a clear, concise title that gives a specific idea of what the proposal is. Often the structure of a main title, then a colon, then a subtitle providing explanation is used
Abstract: (<250 words, strict limit) This is a one paragraph version of the entire proposal. The summary paragraphs you wrote after meeting with your client should be a good start here. It should briefly describe the research question in the context of prior research, how you will address the question, and how the results will be used. Note that although this is the first section of the report, you should write it last.
Introduction: (100-250 words) This section provides the background and context necessary to understand the significance and reasoning of the research being proposed. What is the problem that will be addressed through your reserarch? Why should we care about the problem? What other information is useful for understanding YOUR specific research (ex. site characteristics, history of the problem, local demographics, etc.)
Literature Review: (500 – 1000 words) It should include a discussion of prior research to establish this context and to establish a gap in knowledge that your research will address. Your review of the literature should include a description of pertinent findings from previous literature and establish a conceptual framework for your research. In Ford’s (2000) terms, you need to provide support for your axioms. In effect, this section explains what we know so far about the issue and/or system we are researching. You should accomplish the 5 Cs in this section from USC’s website on writing (http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/researchproposalLinks to an external site.)
Cite, so as to keep the primary focus on the literature pertinent to your research problem.
Compare the various arguments, theories, methodologies, and findings expressed in the literature: what do the authors agree on? Who applies similar approaches to analyzing the research problem?
Contrast the various arguments, themes, methodologies, approaches, and controversies expressed in the literature: what are the major areas of disagreement, controversy, or debate?
Critique the literature: Which arguments are more persuasive, and why? Which approaches, findings, methodologies seem most reliable, valid, or appropriate, and why? Pay attention to the verbs you use to describe what an author says/does [e.g., asserts, demonstrates, argues, etc.].
Connect the literature to your own area of research and investigation: how does your own work draw upon, depart from, synthesize, or add a new perspective to what has been said in the literature?Cite, so as to keep the primary focus on the literature pertinent to your research problem.
Aims, Objectives and Research Questions (What?): This section should describe the driving force behind the study and exactly what you are going to do to address the problem you have described in the previous section. This should be in the form of main research questions you intend to answer. Be sure to make the connections between the problem and your research questions clear. This is also an appropriate place to include your postulates and hypotheses.
Methods: Research Design and Sampling Design (How?): This section should describe the methods you intend to use in detail. Your goal here is to convince the reader that your research design is the best way to address the questions laid out in the previous section. Citing previous research that addressed similar or analogous questions successfully is the best way to support your argument for your methods. The link between your objectives and your methods should be clear.
How will you address your research question?
What data will you collect? (I recommend including a sample data sheet that you would use for data collection as a figure in this section.)
If you are conducting a survey, include your survey questions and explain your reasoning for including those questions
What is your sampling design?
What are you sampling?
Natural Science:
Where specifically are you collecting your data? How will you access that area?
If you are collecting samples, how will you collect them? What analyses will you perform to get your data?
Social Science:
If you are conducting interviews or surveys, from what population are you getting your participants? (e.g., UCF students, shoppers in the Winter Park Farmer’s Market)
How are you collecting data
Natural Science:
What data specifically (e.g., nitrate levels in water samples, density of seagrass) will you be recording?
If you are analyzing samples, what analysis will you perform to get your data?
If you are analyzing existing data, where will that data come from? (e.g., South Florida Water Management District)
Social Science:
How will you solicit potential participants? (e.g., I will stand at the entrance to the Winter Park Farmer’s Market as ask every third person to complete my survey.)
If you are planning to analyze economic data, where will that data come from? (e.g. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
When are you collecting the data? (e.g., time of day, day of week, how often)
Natural Science
E.g., I will conduct two one belt transect (100m x 5m) on each of the 10 study sites each month. The sites are close enough to allow 5 transects to be completed in one day.
Social Science
E.g., I will go to monthly IDEAS for Us Hive meetings that are on the first Wednesday of each month from 6:45-9:00pm
Timetable: the use of a table with a timeline is recommended here to show your plans clearly. These can be stated in terms of weeks (e.g., Week 1, Week 2) rather than specific dates. It should provide an estimate for how long each aspect of the research will take.
Conclusion: This section should establish how your research will add to existing knowledge. This should include both specific implications for your study site and broad implications regarding fundamental sustainability issues. DO NOT GUESS AT WHAT THE RESEARCH RESULTS WILL BE! For example, if your research question is along the lines of, “what effect does pollution have on fish populations,” then don’t conclude with, “we should protect the fish by removing the pollutants.” You haven’t done the research, so you can’t know for sure that the pollution is harming the fish. Instead, think about how will your results inform management or policy decisions? How will it impact future research on this topic?