31/05/2016
Today,i want to start with the subject:RESEARCH PROPOSAL.
Any reasonable research work usually have to start with writing and submission of a well-written proposal.But,what is a proposal,you may ask? Though the term PROPOSAL has been variously defined,however,i conceive it as 'a brief synopsis of your intended research work. In other words,a research proposal is a summarized declaration of your intended research work. In one word then, a proposal could be seen as'a blue-print','a road map',a compass',or an action plan' of your intended research work.
Nevertheless,in as much as a proposal is called a brief blue-print to your intended research work,the adjective brief should only be understood in a relative sense and not in an absolute sense.what this imply is that,while writing your proposal,it must summarily contain the necessary features of a good research work. As such, depending on the format of your school and the choice of your supervisor,the pages vary accordingly.While some schools look at it as covering the first three chapters of a research work,others look at it as being encompassing.
Thus, what then are the features of a good proposal? They include: a cover page,introduction,statement of the problem,objectives/purpose of the study,research questions, hypotheses,significance of the study,limitations of the study(where necessary),scope of the study,research methodology(that is,chapter three),expected results,expected recommendations and conclusion.
Furthermore, while writing these basic features of the proposal,basic aspects of it must be technically and consciously written.They are:your statement of the problem,your research objectives,research questions,research hypotheses and the contents of your chapter three.But since your statement of the problem is the most significant,let me comment briefly on it.Your statement of problem concisely shows what prompted you to carryout a research. But while doing this,please note the following.According to prof.Akpakpan,there are three types of questions in every research work(1)the subject/topic of your research work,which should always come and end in a question form(2)your research question(3)your questions in your questionnaire.Thus,if your proposal does not contain these three questions,then,you have not written a statement of the problem.
Moreso,one thing is to write a research proposal,another thing is to defend it.In some schools,you are required to defend it at the departmental,faculty and post Graduate(P.G)LEVEL.This exercise determines whether your proposal will be accepted or not,how soon you will start your actual research work and most importantly,how fast you can complete your programe .To help ease this phobia,try the following tip:
(1).Always make sure you have a pre-knowledge of every research work you intend to carry out.In this case,there is nothing like a new topic.As much as possible,write what you can defend.
(2). After generating your research topic,show it to others.In this case,your senior mates or your lecturers.
(3).When a topic is cancelled by your senior mates or your lecturers,do not insist on going on with it.They have seen what you yourself have not seen.In most cases,they are the people that will constitute the panel on the day of your defence.
(4).Any defence is a drilling excercise. So, when tossed around,stand firm on what you say.Also, ensure that there is a consistency in your statements.
(5).Who is your supervisor? His relationship with his colleagues may work against you on the day of your defence .So,get to know who you supervisor is and on time.
(6). Choose words,statistical tools and terms you know you can explain independently.
(7).Don't copy an already written work.Remember, there is a technology called TURN-IN to detect such work.
(8).Above all, do a nice work.
Finally,after completing your proposal and the topic is approved for actual research writing,change the tenses to past tense to indicate that the study has been carried out.
I am SOLUDO,an M.Sc student
of Business Management in uni
versity of uyo.I will be droping another
post come monday next week.Till then,
see you.
