Abstract
This chapter discusses considerations surrounding the production of your research proposal. Your proposal will be required in the early stages of your candidature and is, essentially, a detailed plan of your anticipated postgraduate research journey in the context of the degree program you are enrolled in. In your proposal, you detail ‘what’ you intend to study in the form of the topic and research questions and ‘why’ (contextualisation and positioning, anticipated contribution(s), potential limitations), and ‘how’ (guiding assumptions, research frame, research configuration, sampling and data gathering and analysis strategies) you will obtain the answers to your questions. Your goal is to convince relevant stakeholders that your planned research has a high likelihood of achieving its goals, will add value as an original contribution, will demonstrate your capabilities as a competent researcher, and, most importantly, will likely lead to successful completion of the postgraduate program in which you are enrolled.
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Appendix: Research Proposal Check List
Appendix: Research Proposal Check List
To recap, the intention of your research proposal is to cover a number of key questions, including:
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What are the purpose and aims of the research?
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What is your broad research problem?
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What are your specific research questions/hypotheses?
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What prior research is relevant to the area of study?
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What areas of theory inform those research questions?
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What is the underlying epistemology and guiding assumptions?
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How are you positioning your research?
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What is the theoretical or conceptual framework (where appropriate to have one)?
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What data gathering strategies are you are going to use (and do you have a Plan B)?
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How will you pilot test or trial your research approach?
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How will you go about addressing each research question?
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How will you approach the sampling of data sources, including how you will negotiate access via relevant gatekeepers (and do you have a Plan B)?
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How will you address any ethical concerns and expectations?
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What form of analysis and data displays are you considering?
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What do you think are the intended outcomes?
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What are the potential strengths and weaknesses of the data sources and what does this mean for your research plan?
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What might be the benefit or value of this research and for whom?
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What do you anticipate might be the limitations of the research plan?
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Cooksey, R., McDonald, G. (2019). How Should I Shape and Defend My Proposal?. In: Surviving and Thriving in Postgraduate Research. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7747-1_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7747-1_16
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