Writing a Research Proposal

Why Do We Write Research Proposals?

Grant funds support all aspects of researchGrant funds support all aspects of research

(operating costs, salaries of research assistants, (operating costs, salaries of research assistants, equipment, software, travel costs for data collection)equipment, software, travel costs for data collection)

Peer review process provides evaluation, criticism, and Peer review process provides evaluation, criticism, and support for the conceptsupport for the concept

Necessity of writing a research proposal forces Necessity of writing a research proposal forces clarification and specifications for the various stages in clarification and specifications for the various stages in the research processthe research process

Allows for the scholarly evaluation of a student’s plansAllows for the scholarly evaluation of a student’s plans Generate support for the research in the community, Generate support for the research in the community,

attract favourable publicity for the projectattract favourable publicity for the project Funding $ are very scarce and getting even scarcer!Funding $ are very scarce and getting even scarcer!

Why Do the Research?

Enables the development and testing of Enables the development and testing of theoriestheories

Potential to advance knowledge on an Potential to advance knowledge on an important societal topic and guide policy important societal topic and guide policy decisionsdecisions

Further develop the knowledge base in a Further develop the knowledge base in a given topic given topic

Research Proposal

Introduction and Literature reviewIntroduction and Literature review Major concepts defined and explainedMajor concepts defined and explained Relevant theories/models describedRelevant theories/models described Presentation of major empirical research on the Presentation of major empirical research on the

theory theory Specific research directly related to your proposed Specific research directly related to your proposed

researchresearch Critical evaluation of the empirical researchCritical evaluation of the empirical research Rationale for doing the researchRationale for doing the research Practical applications of the proposed researchPractical applications of the proposed research Hypothesis section at the end of the literature Hypothesis section at the end of the literature

reviewreview

Research Proposal

Hypothesis sectionHypothesis section Relate to the literature reviewRelate to the literature review Clearly state and number each predictionClearly state and number each prediction Use graphs to present expected resultsUse graphs to present expected results

Method Description of the subjects, method of recruitment, Description of the subjects, method of recruitment,

number of participants (power analysis is expected)number of participants (power analysis is expected) Description of the Description of the

equipment/questionnaires/measuresequipment/questionnaires/measures Justification for the selection of the dependent Justification for the selection of the dependent

measures (presentation of validity/reliability data)measures (presentation of validity/reliability data) Explanation of the experimental design (use a figure Explanation of the experimental design (use a figure

if a graphic would be helpful)if a graphic would be helpful) Presentation of the experimental procedurePresentation of the experimental procedure

Research Ethics

Experimental design and method should Experimental design and method should reflect current ethical thinking in the reflect current ethical thinking in the field.field.

In Canada, the proposed research must In Canada, the proposed research must be in compliance with the Tri-Council be in compliance with the Tri-Council Policy Statement’s ethical guidelinesPolicy Statement’s ethical guidelines

Results

Describe the intended data analysis, explain which Describe the intended data analysis, explain which statistical tests will be used (be aware of the statistical tests will be used (be aware of the assumptions for each statistical test that is proposed)assumptions for each statistical test that is proposed)

State how the research results will be disseminated State how the research results will be disseminated (scholarly publications, conferences, news releases, (scholarly publications, conferences, news releases, etc.)etc.)

How will feedback be supplied to the host How will feedback be supplied to the host community/group? Avoid “helicopter research”—community/group? Avoid “helicopter research”—Ring’s model is relevant hereRing’s model is relevant here

Budget Budget provides a breakdown of the various Budget provides a breakdown of the various

costs involved in conducting the proposed costs involved in conducting the proposed researchresearch

Is it excessive or inadequate for the scope of Is it excessive or inadequate for the scope of the proposed research?the proposed research?

Budget provides a breakdown of the cost of Budget provides a breakdown of the cost of the research into different categories the research into different categories (equipment, salaries, software, etc.)(equipment, salaries, software, etc.)

Costs are shown for each year of the projectCosts are shown for each year of the project

Timeline

Grant proposal needs to clearly state the time Grant proposal needs to clearly state the time period when each component of the project period when each component of the project will be performed will be performed

Timeline should start with pilot research and Timeline should start with pilot research and end with the writing and report assembly end with the writing and report assembly phase of the researchphase of the research

In multi-year research, each year’s work In multi-year research, each year’s work needs to be spelled outneeds to be spelled out

What the Reviewer’s Look For in a Proposal: Scientific Merit

What is the quality of the research?

Is the hypothesis clearly stated and testable?

Are the independent and dependent variables clear and appropriately operationalized?

Will the research, the experimental design, and the data analysis lead to clear interpretations of the phenomenon under investigation?

Will the study advance knowledge and stimulate further research?

What the Reviewer’s Look For in a Proposal

Clearly and succinctly written package which explains Clearly and succinctly written package which explains rationale and methodologyrationale and methodology

Samples of assessment tools, questionnaires, survey Samples of assessment tools, questionnaires, survey questions, etc.questions, etc.

Will the investigators be able to complete the project and Will the investigators be able to complete the project and make conclusions?make conclusions?

Will there be a contribution to scholarship and/or societal Will there be a contribution to scholarship and/or societal relevance?relevance?

Do the investigators communicate a sense that they Do the investigators communicate a sense that they know what they are doing? Do they have a favourable know what they are doing? Do they have a favourable “track record” in research?“track record” in research?

APA Style

American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, (2009). (2009). Publication manual of the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association American Psychological Association (6(6thth ed.). Washington, DC: Author. ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

What’s the difference between i.e and e.g.?

e.g. For the sake of example, for example [Latin: exempli gratia]

Example: Operational definitions define a concept by its measurement process, e.g., intelligence is what is measured by an I.Q. test.

i.e. That is [Latin: id est]

Example: Operational definitions, i.e., defining a concept by its measuring process, is vital in psychological research.

Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!

Margins: 1 inch left, right, top and bottom

Double spacing, no lines skipped(don’t confuse the published version from the manuscript—they will appear different)

Header and page numbering in upper right hand corner of page

Flush left, ragged right hand end of sentence. Disable right justification

Indent the first line of each paragraph (default setting on your word processor is OK)

Order of the Manuscript Pages Title page (this is numbered 1)

Abstract (not to exceed 120 words—use word count feature in your word processor to check on this)

Text (start on separate page, p.3)IntroductionMethodResultsDiscussion

References (start on separate page)

Appendices (start each on a separate page)

Order of the Manuscript Pages con’t.Author notes (start on separate page—these are acknowledgments, contact information, etc.

Footnotes (listed together on separate page—APA style does not like footnotes and generally discourages their use)

Tables (start each on a separate page)

Figure captions (list together, starting on a separate page)

Figures (place each on a separate page)The author must decide on whether Tables or Figures are the optimal presentational format. The same data cannot be presented in both.

Report Writing

Abstract (< 120 words)

Introduction (contains the literature review, a rationale for performing the study, the statement of the problem and the hypotheses or predictions)

Method (how the study was performed, who were the subjects, how were they recruited, what measures/instruments were used, what equipment was used, what were the instructions and procedures followed in the testing session)

Report Writing con’t.

Results (presentation of the data, results of the hypothesis testing—which were confirmed, which failed to receive support)

Discussion (related introduction to results, how did the obtained results compare to previous studies, limitations, suggestions for future research, general comments. The length of the Discussion section should be approximately that of the Introduction

Statistics in Text

For immediate recognition, the omnibus test of the main effect of sentence format was statistically significant, F(2, 177) = 4.37, p = .03. Regarding the 2 one-degree-of-freedom contrasts of interest (C1 and C2 above), both reached the specified .05 significance level, F (1, 177) = 4.03, p = .05, and F(1, 117) = 4.71, p = .03, respectively. In terms of effect sizes . . .

For the autokinetic movement illusion, as predicted, people highly hypnotizable (M = 5.26, SD = 4.25), t(60) = 1.99, p = .03 (one-tailed), d = .50._______________________________________________Note: d is Cohen’s measure of effect size

2(4, N = 90) = 10.51, p = .03

Note: This is the Greek letter chi and not an X (this font makes them appear similar). The alpha value is exact since statistical analysis software calculates the exact value. The upper-case N indicates the total sample size, while n indicates cell size. Chi is the only Greek letter used for sample statistics. Roman letters indicate indicate sample statistics, Greek letters indicate population parameters.

References

Start on new page, centre word References in normal type

Use hanging indent

Use italic font for the titles of books and journals. APA no longer uses underlining for titles or volume numbers of journals

Reference section is double-spaced with no lines skipped between references

Use pp. only when citing a chapter in a book, just list the pages in an article

Last name first except when referencing a book editor

References con’t.

Use initial of author’s given name to distinguish authors with the same last name (e.g., D. Wiesenthal (1999); N. Wiesenthal, (2000).

Use letters to differentiate publications in the same year by the same author (alphabetically by article title)

Wiesenthal (2001a; 2001b; 2001c)

Note the use of the semi-colon (;) rather than the comma (,) to separate the citations

References

American Psychological Association. (1992). Ethical

principles of psychologists and code of conduct.

American Psychologist, 47, 1597-1611.

Brown, H. & Milstead, J. (1969). Patterns in poetry: An

introductory anthology. Glenview, IL: Scott,

Foresman.

O’Neil, J.M. & Egan, J. (1992). Men’s and women’s

gender role journeys: Metaphor for healing,

transition, and transformation. In B.R. Wainrib (Ed.),

Gender issues across the life cycle (pp. 107-123). New

York: Springer.