1. What are the major components of the research proposal? The outline of the major components are: (I) Introduction (A. Statement of the Problem, B. Review of the Literature), (II) Methodology (A. Subjects, B. Instruments, C. Procedures), (III) Analysis of Data (A. Data Organization, B. Statistical Procedures), (IV) Significance of the Study (A. Implications, B. Applications), and (V) Budget and Time Schedule (A. Budget, B. Time Schedule).

2. What information goes in the introduction? The Introduction needs to be: (1) clear (clarity), (2) direct and concise, (3) organized, (4) presented with a strong argument for research relevance (some statistics can be good), and (5) neutral at this point.

The Statement of the Problem is the first one or two paragraphs. These paragraphs need to be clear, direct, concise (one page only), relevant, problem must be researchable (measurable and answered by research method), avoiding elaborate presentation, avoiding a justification of the study, avoiding vagueness, and mentioning key studies if there are some.

The Review of the Literature is probably the longest and most time consuming part of the whole process. This section shows what you have learned about this study. Be clear, include only relevant literature, need not be exhaustive, discuss best, most pertinent studies, show awareness of the field, organize by topics, avoid a series of abstracts, include both sides in summary and implications, and move into a discussion of the theory. This section must cite research or move on to a new topic. This section must sight at least 20 scholarly sources and include at least 10 "research" articles.

The Hypothesis is one or two statements ("From the literature review, my hypothesis is ...). With a descriptive study, there is not an hypothersis. The implied answer to the hypothesis must be a "yes" or "no". In this part of the proposal, state in terms of anticipated relationships, be concise and clear, and save the null hypothesis for later.

3. What are the key elements of the methodology section? In the Methodology section, the Subjects (1) describe the population from which the sample will be taken, (2) describe the sampling procedures and how the sample was taken (for example, randomly), (3) describes the proposed sample as what the researcher would actually want for a sample population, and (4) describe the discrepancies between the actual and the desired populations.

In the Instruments, (1) describe what the instrument means, (2) describe subscales (a study can have one or two questions with subscales), (3) describe the target population, (4) describe the scoring techniques, (5) discuss reliability and validity of any studies that have been done (Burroughs Middle Measurement Yearbook), and (6) outline the researcher's developed instruments and how their reliability and validity can be determined.

4. What information should be included in the analysis of data? In the Analysis of Data section, the Data Organization (1) explains scores and other subject data, (2) explains proposed tables and charts, and (3) explains the careful planning that will make or break a study.

In the Statistical Procedures, (1) the study's design will determine which statistical tools will be used, (2) the simplest procedures possible should be used, (3) provide sound arguments for which statistical tests are used, (4) discuss statistical assumptions that are being made, and (5) state the significance level of the particular statistic (such as .01 for Chi-Square test).

5. What should be discussed under the significance of the study? In the Significance of the Study section, the Implications discuss (1) how findings will contribute to the body of knowledge, (2) how findings will contribute to further research, and (3) the researcher's qualifications for conducting the research. The Applications paragraph indicates how the findings will affect the educational/counseling practices.

6. How should the budget and time schedule be formatted? In the Budget and Time Schedule section, the Budget paragraph provides a complete list of ALL anticipated costs for conducting the research (transportation, phone, stamps, and so forth), and the Time Schedule paragraph gives a realistic time outline for completing the study. In terms of References cited, cite only those references that are used (not just looked at) and follow the APA style.

				Tom of Bethany

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