The Research Proposal

THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL BY JUSTICE G. DJOKOTO

THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL • THE OUTLINE • WHAT TO DO

OUTLINE • • • • • • •

COVER PAGE BACKGROUND PROBLEM STATEMENT OBJECTIVES METHODOLOGY JUSTIFICATION/RELEVANCE ORGANIZATION OF STUDY

COVER PAGE • • • • •

The Institution The Title Author Object Date

The Title • Also known as the topic • This should include: – Concepts – Linkages of the concepts – Objects

Steps to Choose a Topic • • • • • •

Identify a problem Read further on the problem Clearly define the problem Write out the problem statement Outline your objectives From here you can now decide on the topic

Assessing the Topic • Criteria – Availability of literature • Look out for about 20 literature • Largely journal articles and research works of students • Other research reports • Books • Newsletter

Assessing the Topic • Criteria – Availability of data • Access to the data • Cost of the data • Timeliness of access

– Personal interest of the student • Your personal interest will be a motivation • Project work can be frustrating hence the need for personal interest • Project will be funded by you

Assessing the Topic • Criteria – In discipline you are pursuing – Also, may be related to your discipline – Or you want to apply theory from some area to your discipline

Proposalon

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION AND EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY THE BANKING INDUSTRY BY EMMANUEL HUMARESOURCE THIS STUDY IS IN PARTILA FULFILMENT POF THE AWARD OF BACHELOR OF SCINCE DEGREE IN ADMINISTRATION (HUMAN RESOURCE OPTION) JULY 2007

BACKGROUND • This explains the concepts: – University education – Employee productivity – Linkage

• Object of the research/setting – Banking industry

PROBLEM STATEMENT • This is the origin of the research • This needs to be clearly defined • The structure involves two things – Preamble – Questions

• You need to paint a picture • Then the questions will be natural consequence

PROBLEM STATEMENT • The preamble provides grounds to raise the questions • Example – – – –

Competition in banking industry The role of employees in organisation Concerns about employee productivity Ways to increase productivity e.g. education, traning

PROBLEM STATEMENT • Questions • These are the issues that agitate your mind for which you want to find solutions to • State the issue in question form – Major question • The main issue in question form

– Specific questions • Other issues within the main issue that are components of the main issue • State these in question form

PROBLEM STATEMENT • Example – Main/major question • What is the relationship between between university education and employee productivity in the banking industry in Ghana?

– Specific questions • What is the trend of productivity in the banking industry • What is the trend of university graduates employment in the banking industry

OBJECTIVES • This what you have set to achieve • The problem well stated helps to build your objectives • These should be positive statement of the questions • Major objective • Specific objectives

OBJECTIVES • Example – Major objective • To analyse the relationship between university education and employee productivity

– Specific objective • Determine the trend of employee productivity in the banking industry • Determine the trend of graduate employment in the baking industry

OBJECTIVES • An alternative – Determine the trend of employee productivity in the banking industry – Determine the trend of graduate employment in the baking industry – Assess the linkage between university education and employee productivity in the banking industry

METHODOLOGY • This describes the steps to be traced in achieving the objectives • This has been covered already hopefully.

RELEVANCE • This section outlines the importance of the study • Guide – Importance of the concepts – Importance of the linkage – Importance of study to: • • • •

private sector Public sector Researchers Policy makers

RELEVANCE • If you need funding for the study by a donor this is where you need to provide reasons why you should be funded. • For student research it is also important to provide cogent reasons

ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY • How the chapters will be organised • You need not tabulate them • Don’t provide the details of the subsections. • in the proposal you can capture chapter one • But in paper don’t include chapter one

Example • “The study will be presented in five chapters. Chapter two will present review of relevant literature. The methodology to achieve the objectives is outlined in chapter three. Chapter four presents the results and the accompanying discussions. The conclusions and recommendations are distilled in chapter five.”

ACTION PLAN • This details: – Activities – Dates to be completed

• Forms bass of budget if need.

After the Proposal • Cut-off the methodology section • What is left constitutes chapter oneINTRODUCTION • The methodology section becomes chapter three-METHODOLOGY