Writing research proposal is an independent study of the learner, revealing his or her knowledge and ability to apply it to solve specific practical problems. The work should be logically completed and demonstrate the ability of the learner to use a competent terminology correctly, clearly state thoughts, and argue the proposals.
The tasks of the research project proposal are:
- Development of skills of independent scientific research activity and their application to the solution of actual practical problems.
- The analysis of the theoretical approaches existing in the science that is included within the scope of the research being carried out.
- Carrying out an independent research on the chosen problems.
- Demonstration of the skills to systematize and analyze the data obtained during the research.
- Inculcation of interest in scientific activity.
Organization of the Research Project Proposal
- Research problem statement
Research work is a the study aimed at identifying and possibly solving a problem. In science, the problem is understood as a contradictory situation arising from the discovery of new facts that clearly do not fit into the framework of previous theoretical positions. The promotion of the problem for scientific research should be based on the facts of the surrounding world.
Observation and analysis of human interaction with nature, technology, information systems, society, other people, and self-knowledge can contribute to the discovery by the student of a problem situation that requires study.
- Algorithm for working on a scientific problem
There is a single algorithm that reflects the stage-by-stage work on the research problem of a specialist at any level:
- The choice of the problem. How to Choose Research Proposal Topics?
- Collection of information on the knowledge already available in science on the subject matter under study.
- Analysis and synthesis of the knowledge gained on the problem.
- Development of the concept and planning of the research.
- Selection of methods and techniques for the implementation of the study.
- Conducting research.
- Processing of received data.
- Writing of theoretical and empirical material in the form of an integral text.
- Presentation of work for peer review.
- Representation to defend the work.
- Structural components of research work
The structure of the work should be presented as follows:
- title page
- contents
- introduction
- chapters of the main part
- conclusion
- bibliography
- applications
The title page is the first page of a research proposal and is filled in according to certain rules. In the upper field, the full name of the educational institution is indicated, on the basis of which the research is carried out. In the middle field, the title of the work is given, which is formed without the word “theme” and is not enclosed in quotation marks. After the title, the type of research work is indicated. Below, closer to the right edge of the title page, the surname and name of the performer are indicated, and then the surname, name of the supervisor, and his or her scientific position are recorded. The lower field indicates the location of the school and the year of writing research proposal.
The contents are placed on the second page. It lists the names of chapters and paragraphs, indicating the pages from which they begin. The headings of the table of contents should exactly repeat the title of chapters and paragraphs in the text. While writing, the headings of the steps of the same level must be located one under the other. The headings of each subsequent stage are shifted five signs to the right with respect to the headers of the previous stage. They all start with a capital letter without a dot at the end.
The page numbers are fixed in the right column of the content. Chapters and paragraphs are numbered according to a multilevel system, that is, they are indicated by digital numbers, containing in all levels, the number of their rubric and the rubric which they are subordinate. The introduction and conclusion are not numbered.
In the introduction, the problem, relevance, and practical significance of the research is fixed; the object and subject of research are determined; the purpose and objectives of the study are indicated; the methods of work are briefly listed. All the above components of the introduction should be interrelated with each other.
Work begins with stating a problem that helps to determine the direction in the organization of research, and represents knowledge not about the immediate objective reality, but about the state of knowledge of this reality. Stating a problem, the researcher answers the question: “What should be studied from what was not previously studied?” In the process of formulating the problem, it is important to formulate questions and define contradictions.
The extension of the problem implies further justification of the relevance of the study. When formulating it, it is necessary to give an answer to the question: “Why should this problem be studied at the present time?” After determining the relevance, it is necessary to determine the object and subject of research.
In the literature, one can come across the interpretation of the concept of the object of research in two meanings. First, the object of research is interpreted as a process, to which cognition or a phenomenon that generates a problem situation and is selected for study is directed. Secondly, the object is understood as the carrier of the phenomenon under study – for example, some authors singled out representatives of a particular social group as the object of research.
The subject of the study is more specific and gives an idea of how the new relations, properties, or functions of the object are considered in the study. The subject establishes the boundaries of scientific research within the framework of a specific study. In addition to the object and subject of research, the introduction should clearly define the aim of the study. The aim of the research is to understand the final scientific and practical results that must be achieved as a result of its implementation.
If you want to know how to deal with organizing and conducting research from the beginning to the end, and with writing a research proposal, check out our blog for more posts. An important point about our blog is that we also have posts that can help you with writing other types of papers.