WELNS 670: Wellness Research Design Session 14
Dec 30, 2015
Purpose of a Research Proposal
Similar to an Architect’s Building Plan or a Entrepreneur's Business Plan
Detailed guidelines for carrying out a project (once you have received permission)
Request for Proposals (RFPs)/Request for Applications (RFAs)
Characteristics of a Proposal
Straight forward Captures the attention of reviewers with the
first sentence Communicates clearly – language must be
clear, sharp and precise Clearly organized Supports the logic used to develop the
proposed outcomes
Formatting a Research Proposal
Follow a simple, logical form of presentation Use different heading styles to indicate
different levels of headings APA Select the number of headings to be used
and determine which levels # of Levels
Writing the First Draft
Adhere to the guidelines required by the institution, organization, or funding agency to which you are submitting the proposal
Focus on the organization and logical sequencing rather than wording/grammar/spelling
Present the research problem at the beginning of the first chapter Convince the reader of the importance of your project Describe your with as much detail and precision as possible Assume that your readers know nothing whatsoever about your
project Use appendices to present informed consent letters, specific
measurement instruments, and other detailed materials Describe how you will analyze the data to answer your research
problem
Revising
Set the proposal aside for a few days Carefully scrutinize your work, looking for
disorganized thoughts and illogical thinking Look for places where you are not as clear as you
might be Seek feedback from others Check carefully for errors in grammar, punctuation,
and spelling Consider the feasibility of your project once again
The Data and Treatment of the Data
Next several weeks will deal with this section…
A research proposal addresses the nature of the data to be collected, how that data will be processed, and how the data will be interpreted.
Resources
Web Site: A Guide for Writing Research Papers – APA Style:
– http://www.apastyle.org/ – http://webster.commnet.edu/apa/apa_intro.htm
A number of Web sites on the Internet can help you in your writing. Here are a few:
– Strunk and White – The grammar bible for many an author. http://www.bartleby.com/141/
– Miscellaneous reference works: http://scholes.alfred.edu/ref_desk/ref.html
APA Levels of Heading
LEVEL 5: CENTERED AND UPPERCASE
Level 1: Centered Uppercase and Lowercase
Level 2: Centered, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase
Level 3: Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase
Level 4: Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period.
Selecting the Levels of Heading
One level (short articles, only): Use Level 1. Two levels: Use Level 1 and Level 3 Three levels: Use Level 1, Level 3, and
Level 4. Four levels: Use Levels 1-4 Five levels: Use Levels 1-5
3 Heading Levels (APA)
The Problem and Its Setting (Level 1)Statement of the Problem and Subproblems (Level 3)
Problem. (Level 4)Subproblem 1. (Level 4)Subproblem 2. (Level 4)
Research Questions/Hypotheses (Level 3)Delimitations (Level 3)Definitions of Terms (Level 3)Assumptions (Level 3)Importance of the Study (Level 3)
Review of Related Literature (Level 1)