Developing The Research Proposal

DEVELOPING THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL: THE 5-SENTENCE RULE FOR SOCIAL SCIENCE GRADUATE STUDENTS © by Doris Wilkinson* © 2002

Graduate students in the social sciences and in other fields typically encounter difficulty when designing a proposal for their M.A. thesis or doctoral dissertation. In my teaching, I have found that it is helpful for students to limit the number of sentences in a preliminary research plan and in drafts of essays. My 5-sentence rule results in a coherent delineation of the theme by creating goal-oriented statements that omit excessive terms and jargon. Since each sentence represents the foundation for a chapter, this rule easily allows for the design of research proposals. THE S.O.L.I.D (Compact) APPROACH TO WRITING IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES S

1. STATE clearly the theme or focus of the research project.

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2. OUTLINE the rationale or significance of the intended research.

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3. LIST the purposes or objectives of the study.

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4. IDENTIFY information sources and the procedure (s) and method(s) of data collection.

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5. DESCRIBE the methods of data analysis and interpretation.

In addition to the 5-Sentence Rule, precise verbs are required. When constructing a research design, a critique, essay or qualitative proposal, students should avoid empty verbs, i.e., those that lack specificity such as survey, inform, examine, study, research, frame, and “problematize.” The verbs in each sentence should provide concrete direction and indicate what specific actions will be taken. Among those that offer a more convincing sense of direction in social and behavioral science writing plans and research are interview, compare, describe, observe, review, discuss, contrast, and record. _____________________________________________________________________________ *Doris Wilkinson is a Professor of Sociology. With a background in English and Sociology, she has been the recipient of numerous outstanding teacher awards including the National Alumni Association’s “Great Teacher Award.” Some of her critical social science essays have been selected as landmarks. At U.K., she designed a graduate course on writing in the social sciences. © 2002. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reprinted or distributed without citation of the author and the source. D. Wilkinson. “Developing the Research Proposal: The 5-Sentence Rule for Social Science Graduate Students.” University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky: Department of Sociology, November 2002.

SUGGESTED RESOURS:

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There are numerous university on-line writing services and reputable web sites on how to write the research paper.