Why you need a research proposal

WHY do masters students need to produce a research proposal? Aside from the obvious response 'for assessment purposes' in our session on Wednesday 25 Sept, we also discussed how the research proposal acts as an important indicator of whether or not your research project will be seen as worthwhile. SLIDES here

The research proposal marks a distinct break between what can be referred to as academic or scientific research and the many 'information' gathering research activities undertaken in our everyday lives. Our session also explore how this vital document is the primary means whereby post-graduate research students attempt to convince their lecturers that not only is their research project viable as a scientific endeavor, but that they (as students) are competent and ready to undertake the study. It therefore serves to demonstrate your understanding of your research topic and show that you have sufficient knowledge about research methodology to actually conduct the study.
So the proposal has to do some pretty heavy lifting!

I also shared a short demonstration on how I use Mendeley - hopefully the free reference manager and academic social network platform has gained a few new users in the process. It certainly is one way to avoid the 'reference list' headache so many research students have to deal with.


In the next couple of sessions, we will place focus on specific aspects and elements of the proposal document. The various writing activities you will be asked to completed during the sessions should also help you to move closer to a refined understanding and articulation of research project.

Who me - a researcher?

On Wednesday 11 Sept, Jair, Radford and myself had an informal, meandering but interesting conversation about what it means to do research and become a researcher. We were reflection on our reading of the chapter 'Thinking in Print' in the book - The craft of research (Booth, Colomb & Williams, 2008). The chapter attempts to introduce students to the field and activity of academic or scientific research. The chapter gently invites students to join the community. Like in the chapter we all acknowledged that we have already undertaken many 'research' activities in our daily lives, from searching for a new car, TV or smart phone.

But we also tried to tease out what makes academic and scientific research, like the type masters students are expected to undertaken, different. Some of the pillar of scientific research outlined in the chapter includes; being trustworthy, tested, evidence-based (not only opinions), published (thus written), follows processes and procedures that validate and verify information gathered and the critical disposition taken on the topic.

Going Forward

We agreed that the focus of our discussions and activities in the MICT Writers' Circle over the next four weeks would be on the WRITING the RESEARCH PROPOSAL. Below is an outline of the session topics for the remaining weeks of this semester:

Sept 25 - What is a research proposal? 

• Share different formats, discuss what information to include, short demonstration on using Mendeley

Oct 2    - Working through the elements of the proposal

• Topic, problem statement, research objectives

Oct 16  - Working through the elements of the proposal

• Research Design / Research Methodology
• Constructing Research Questions

Oct 23  - Creating coherence in your proposal

• Fine-tuning the writing, language and style

Next Session - Wednesday 11 Sept 2019 - The research proposal

Welcome back to the final term of the academic year. It feels as if we are racing non-stop to the academic year-end finish line, which is just six weeks away.

I've had a few requests to put the research proposal on the agenda. On Wednesday I would like to discuss this idea and also present an informal outline of how we can tackle this topic over the next few weeks we have together.

To kick-start this learning trajectory, I'd like to share a short but incredibly stimulating reading about the uses of research and why its so important that we 'write' research reports. Find the reading here - The craft of research - Chapter One 'Thinking in Print'. On Wednesday let's discuss and share our insights about this very informative and short chapter. Also bring along any other pressing writing related matters you think the whole group could benefit from discussing.

Looking forward to seeing you all!