GUIDELINE: FORMAT AND PRESENTATION OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL FOR HIGHER DEGREES BY RESEARCH Purpose: Outlines the format and procedures associated with the development and presentation of a research proposal Responsible Executive: Pro Vice Chancellor Research Responsible Office: Research Office Contact Officer: Director, Research Office Effective Date: August 2012 Modification History: Created: June 2006; updated: October 2006, Sept 2012
Rationale The Research Proposal is an important document. A Research Proposal explains the why and how of the research. The Research Proposal provides a means of answering several questions before the student s research candidacy is ratified. Principles 1. The Research Proposal is a two-part process. The first part is the preparation of a substantial and assessed written document. The second component is the oral presentation at a public forum organised by the School. 2. Proposals vary in structure according to discipline. As such, supervisors are best placed to guide students regarding an appropriate presentation framework. Typically, a thesis includes the following components: Title Summary/Abstract Introduction 1. Overview 2. Topic and purpose 3. Potential significance 4. Framework and research questions 5. Limitations Review of the significant literature 1. Theoretical perspectives (conceptual or theoretical framework) 2. Related research Design and Methodology 1. Overall approach and rationale 2. Site or population selection 3. Data collection methods 4. Methods of data analysis 5. Ethical considerations Appendices 1. Timeline 2. Budget/funding 3. References 3. Each HDR student presents both a substantial (as defined by the supervisor) written Research Proposal and a verbal presentation. 4. At least two readers (one of whom is normally external to the University) are appointed to provide feedback on the proposal. Procedures When should the Research Proposal be presented? The Research Proposal should ideally be presented no later than the end of the first semester of fulltime equivalent study, but this may vary from School-to-School. The successful presentation of a Research Proposal (together with ethics clearance) is required before any primary data is collected (i.e. research proper may not start until the Research Proposal has been approved). Effective from 1 st August 2012 2 of 5
What is the length of the Research Proposal? The length of the Research Proposal is normally between circa 20 pages, but specific requirements are set by the School in which the student is enrolled. How is the Research Proposal submitted? The draft Research Proposal must be submitted to the School Research Committee 1. The draft Research Proposal should be accompanied by a letter from the principal supervisor stating that the supervisor: agrees that the Research Proposal is of the required standard; and accepts that the student can achieve the work outlined. The School Research Committee reviews the draft Research Proposal and makes recommendations to the HDR student and supervisor concerning its readiness to be submitted to readers for comment. Where modifications are suggested, these will be discussed with the student and supervisor. If the School Research Committee is of the view that the Research Proposal is of an appropriate standard, the School will make arrangements for obtaining final copies of the Research Proposal, organising the oral presentation, advertising the presentation time and place to the academic staff and HDR students of the University, and appointing two readers for the Proposal. How should the final copies of the Research Proposal be presented? Three hard copies should be submitted to the Dean of the School (together with an electronic copy) and all should be signed signifying that the work is that of the student. The student keeps at least one copy and gives a copy to each supervisor. Electronic copies should always be preserved. The document should be: bound in a firm manner typed, double-spaced on single sided white A4 pages. Margins should be of 3cm. an approved method of citation and referencing must be consistently employed in accordance with discipline requirements. the extent of external assistance, conditions and limits of data ownership, and any obligations that require reporting or limit reporting of data and findings must be clearly declared. What is the oral presentation? The oral presentation is a public seminar attended by fellow students, supervisors and other reviewers (readers). The oral presentation will be followed by questions and discussion. Students may use visual aids such as Powerpoint and a summary hand-out. What happens at the oral presentation of the Research Proposal? 1 The School Research Committee has responsibility for overseeing the quality of research outputs in the School in which the student is enrolled. Effective from 1 st August 2012 3 of 5
After an introduction by the chairperson (normally the Dean or Chair of the School Research Committee) the student presents the Research Proposal for approximately 20minutes. The readers provide comments (10 mins each) after which a general discussion will ensue. Suggested Outline of the Research Proposal Presentation: Component Duration Comments Introduction 5 mins Chairperson welcomes participants and briefly explains the process Research Student Presentation Readers Responses Questions from the floor What happens to the Readers Reports? 20 mins Topic is explored. The background and importance of the topic may take up to 10 mins. The remainder of the time is spent explaining methodology, method, sample and proposed instruments, timeline and anticipated budget and expenses. 10 mins Readers, who will later submit a written report, make each comment and may put questions to the candidate. 15 mins The Chairperson invites questions and comments from the floor. Readers submit a written report to the Dean of the School who presents them to the School Research Committee for review. After due consideration, the School Research Committee will recommend to the Pro Vice Chancellor Research either : a) Confirmation of candidacy; or b) Provisional enrolment be maintained pending further development of the Research Proposal to satisfy particular points and concerns; or c) Termination of the enrolment of the student due to the unsatisfactory nature and/or standard of the Research Proposal in circumstances where the Dean believes that there is no reasonable likelihood that the student will meet the required standard at a second attempt or the Dean believes that the status of the Research Proposal indicates that the student is unable to meet requirements without compromise to the student or the University. The final decision with respect to the status of the student resides with the Pro Vice Chancellor Research. The student will be advised in writing of the outcome by the Research Office. The student and/or the supervisor may request from the Pro Vice Chancellor Research further explanation of the decision. In tandem with the submission of the Research Proposal, the student should submit an application for ethics clearance to the School Research Committee. Appropriate procedural documentation should be consulted for this task Only confirmation of candidacy and ethics clearance permits the student to collect data and represent her/himself as a research student of the University. Effective from 1 st August 2012 4 of 5
What if changes to the planned research occur? Minor changes are to be expected in the life of a developing research project and it is the supervisors professional responsibility to oversee these. If there are significant changes in direction or by force of circumstance, a change of research questions and/or topic, the principal supervisor should: notify the Research Office in writing; recommend whether there is need to present a modified Research Proposal and/or seek new ethics clearance. Effective from 1 st August 2012 5 of 5