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Writing a Research Proposal
Abstract
A research proposal is a roadmap that brings the researcher closer to the objectives, takes the research topic from a purely subjective mind, and manifests an objective plan. It shows us what steps we need to take to reach the objective, what questions we should answer, and how much time we need. It is a framework based on which you can perform your research in a well-organized and timely manner. In other words, by writing a research proposal, you get a map that shows the direction to the destination (answering the research question). If the proposal is poorly prepared, after spending a lot of energy and money, you may realize that the result of the research has nothing to do with the initial objective, and the study may end up nowhere. Therefore, writing the proposal shows that the researcher is aware of the proper research and can justify the significance of his/her idea.KeywordsResearch proposalResearch strategyResearch methodologyResearch designProblem formulationSample sizeRandom allocationSpecific aimsSamplingReview grants
... Terrell (2022) provided step-by-step guidance on constructing dissertation proposals, using practical examples and case studies to illustrate key concepts. Tabatabaei and Tayebi (2022) and Terrell (2022) highlighted the strength of demonstrating the significance of research, the potential impact on the field being studied, and how it may contribute to existing knowledge in research proposals. Thus, the present analysis will illustrate these principles, offering practical insights into constructing a well-rounded and impactful research proposal and emphasizing its importance in advancing scholarly discourse. ...
... More importantly, Khosa and Makuvire (2020) stipulated a reflective perspective, emphasizing doctoral candidates' emotional and intellectual journey and the significance of support systems and effective mentorship, viewing the proposal writing process as both a technical and personal and professional learning experience. Tabatabaei and Tayebi (2022) and Toyon (2023) asserted the value of ethical considerations in the research proposal process, calling for a focus on the potential ethical issues related to the research design, data collection, and participant involvement and underscoring that a well-prepared proposal should thoroughly examine ethical implications, ensuring that the research adheres to established ethical standards and guidelines. ...
... • Ethical Considerations -Address any ethical issues and explain how you will handle them (Tabatabaei & Tayebi, 2022;Toyon, 2023). ...
A dissertation research proposal is more than just a document that represents the foundation of a doctoral candidate's research journey. It is essential to communicate the study's intent to be undertaken and to gain approval from an academic committee. The present analysis provides a systematic approach to writing a dissertation proposal, offering insights and strategies that align with contemporary research practices. From framing the research with an introduction and formulating research questions to outlining the methodology, this guide highlights the key components contributing to a successful proposal. Emphasizing clarity, originality, and scholarly rigor, this guide also draws from current academic literature and offers practical, actionable advice for doctoral candidates.
... This step should include one or two sentences identifying the critical gaps, significance, and novelty of the research topic and indicating why the current research is pivotal. The justification should be linked directly and logically with the introductory section of the research protocol [16]. The legitimacy of the research can be justified after ensuring the adherence to the EBR principles, which may go along the following criteria [5]: ...
A research protocol is a document that outlines the proposed research idea and is submitted to funding agencies, institutions, or journals for approval. Writing a research protocol represents a challenge, particularly for early-career researchers. In this guide, we aim to provide detailed guidance with the key components and offer practical tips for crafting a research protocol in line with the various study designs. Specifically, the structure of a research protocol should contain the following items: (1) a title that is specific, catchy, and impressive within the word limitation; (2) an abstract that briefs the critical points of the study; (3) an introduction highlighting the study context from broad to narrow and defining the knowledge gap; (4) a justification underlining the significance of the proposed study; (5) Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) objective(s) and aim(s); (6) a methodology covering seven sub-items, including [i] study design and settings, [ii] study subjects, [iii] sample size calculation and sampling, [iv] participants recruitment and follow-up, [v] questionnaire development, [vi] potential variables and outcomes, and [vii] data analysis plan; (7) dissemination of the results; (8) ethics and conflict of interests; (9) budgets analysis/ funding disclosure; and (10) references. This guide will give an overview of these steps and provide clear and concise tips on how to successfully draft a scientific protocol. With careful planning and appropriate guidance, it is possible to develop a well-structured and compelling protocol to obtain approval for the conduction of the study or funding from agencies, institutions, or organizations.
... They are generally in the same format as a research paper, with an introduction, a literature review, an overview of research methods and the research objectives, and a conclusion. This basic structure may vary between projects and fields of research, each with its requirements (Qureshi, 2012; Royce, 2009;Wong, n.d.). ...
International postgraduate candidates of Universities in Nanjing come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. These students face several problems especially in writing the research proposals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of postgraduate students in writing the research proposal. The quantitative research design was used which involved the use of online questionnaires. A sample of 320 international postgraduate students and 20 supervisors selected at random from Universities in Nanjing were used for the study. Study findings pinpoint towards the general problems to international postgraduate students research proposal writing skills. Grounded on the results, the researcher makes the conclusion that identifying research gaps, reviewing and criticising literature, and finding enough evidence to support the research proposal are major problems for most postgraduate students in writing the research proposal. The study further concludes that these problems are due to lack of research materials, time constraints, low level of engagement with supervisors and hostile attitude of some supervisors. Understanding the language and concept of research is not a reason for postgraduate difficulties in research proposal as identified by other literatures. In this regard, the solutions to these problems for postgraduate students are effective supervision, students cultivating the habit of reading sufficient literatures, supervisors giving equal attention to international postgraduate students, ample time for research, timely feedback and availability of supervisors.
The specific aims section of National Institutes of Health and other grants is the most important component, as it summarizes the scientific premise, gap in current knowledge, hypotheses, methods, and expected results of the project proposed. The reviewer usually reads this section first and forms an immediate opinion, usually confirmed on reading the entire grant. This treatise reviews the philosophical background underlying generation of hypotheses, emphasizes the important characteristics of the specific aims section, and offers a point-by-point roadmap for writing. This perspective arose out of a new Endocrine Society initiative in which senior investigators review the specific aims of next-generation members.
Writing a compelling grant application is a skill that is crucial to conducting high-quality and high-impact scientific research. A successful grant proposal provides the resources necessary to foster activity in an important area of investigation. A concise and practical overview of the anatomy and art of grant writing is provided in this article, along with citations to resources that are particularly useful for junior investigators.
Writing a good grant application is a skill that can be rehearsed in the same way as writing a research paper or performing a scientific presentation to a lay audience. An overview of grant writing is provided here, with particular focus on the consideration and preparation required for each step.
Background
All investigators seeking funding to conduct implementation research face the challenges of preparing a high-quality proposal and demonstrating their capacity to conduct the proposed study. Applicants need to demonstrate the progressive nature of their research agenda and their ability to build cumulatively upon the literature and their own preliminary studies. Because implementation science is an emerging field involving complex and multilevel processes, many investigators may not feel equipped to write competitive proposals, and this concern is pronounced among early stage implementation researchers.
Discussion
This article addresses the challenges of preparing grant applications that succeed in the emerging field of dissemination and implementation. We summarize ten ingredients that are important in implementation research grants. For each, we provide examples of how preliminary data, background literature, and narrative detail in the application can strengthen the application.
Summary
Every investigator struggles with the challenge of fitting into a page-limited application the research background, methodological detail, and information that can convey the project’s feasibility and likelihood of success. While no application can include a high level of detail about every ingredient, addressing the ten ingredients summarized in this article can help assure reviewers of the significance, feasibility, and impact of the proposed research.
Objective
The goal of this article is to provide recommendations for the early career neurointerventionalist in writing a successful grant application to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and similar funding agencies.
Methods
The authors reviewed NIH rules and regulations and also reflected on their own collective experience in writing NIH grant proposals in the area of cerebrovascular disease and neurointerventional surgery.
Results
A strong proposal should address an important scientific problem where there is a gap in knowledge. The solution offered needs to be innovative but at the same time based on a strong scientific premise. The proposed research must be feasible to implement and investigate in the researcher’s environment.
Conclusion
Successful grant writing is critical in funding and enhancing research. The information in the article may aid in the preparation stage of grant writing for early career neurointerventionalists.
The most vital part of a grant is the specific-aims section. As the leading section of the proposal, the specific-aims section serves as a 1-page synopsis that needs to gain the attention and interest of the reviewers. It must present a compelling case for the importance of the proposed work and provide a convincing rationale and evidence that you and your team are the best people to carry out the project. Developing the specific-aims page is usually the first stage of the grant writing process, as it provides an overview of the proposal and research directions. Furthermore, it can be instrumental in getting external feedback from program officers, collaborators, and others as the grant develops. The process of writing the Specific Aims page requires that one touch on each of the elements that comprise the scoring criteria of the proposal (eg, significance, innovation, investigator(s), approach, and environment) and succinctly introduce all the main topics that will be addressed in the application, but focus especially on the knowledge gap and the importance of filling it, the central hypothesis and the aims that will address it, and the overall impact of the work. This page sets a clear framework for writing the rest of the grant. In this article, we present a set of recommendations and guidelines on how to utilize an algorithmic approach to develop the specific-aims page, what elements to include, and how to maximize its value to create a competitive grant.
Grant writing starts with crafting an effective Specific Aims page. This page should be a succinct combination of sales pitch and science. The Specific Aims page demonstrates a problem, a gap in current knowledge, and suggests a solution. It proposes aims that work toward a defended solution and reveal the impact of the proposal on the problem, the field, and future research. The language must be efficient and persuasive; the presentation must drive a reviewer to support the proposal. Here we present a refined recipe for an effective Specific Aims page.
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This invited article reviews the grant process to include the following objectives: (1) to provide an understanding of otolaryngology funding mechanisms in the context of career progression; (2) to outline key components of a well-written grant; (3) to highlight vital members of a successful research team, with emphasis on the mentor-mentee relationship; and (4) to clarify grant scoring with emphasis on common pitfalls to avoid. Current otolaryngology funding mechanisms and up-to-date resources are provided. The review is aimed to assist otolaryngology residents, faculty new to the grant process, as well as experienced researchers striving to improve their grant review scores.
As part of a Spotlight series on grant writing by members of the Center for Clinical Investigation of the Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing (WOCN) Society, this article completes an explanation about writing the Methods section of a grant proposal. The aim of this series is to enhance the skills of WOC nurses to increase submissions of high-quality grants related to WOC nursing science and success in garnering funding, particularly from foundation grants, such as that of the WOCN. In this article, writing about the sample and setting, power analysis, sampling and recruitment procedures, implementation and data collection procedures, statistical analysis plan, and ethical considerations are described.
The methods section is a critical part of a grant proposal. This article describes several important aspects of writing the methods section of a research proposal, including the conceptual framework, research design and study variables, and their measurement. It is the third part of a series of Spotlights on Research focused on successful grantsmanship.
It is important for the field of hand surgery to develop a new generation of surgeon-scientists who can produce high-impact studies to raise the profile of this specialty. To this end, organizations such as the American Society for Surgery of the Hand have initiated programs to promote multicenter clinical research that can be competitive for fiscal support from the National Institutes of Health and other funding agencies. Crafting a well-structured grant proposal is critical to securing adequate funding to investigate the many clinical and basic science questions in hand surgery. In this article, we present the key elements of a successful grant proposal to help potential applicants to navigate the complex pathways in the grant application process.
An algorithmic approach to an impactful specific aims page
- A M Goldstein
- S Balaji
- A A Ghaferi
- A Gosain
- M Maggard-Gibbons
- B Zuckerbraun
- AM Goldstein
Grant-writing pearls and pitfalls
- J C Liu
- M A Pynnonen
- M St John
- E L Rosenthal
- M E Couch
- C E Schmalbach
- JC Liu