Developing Research Proposals
- Pam Denicolo - Consultant on Doctoral Education and Training
- Lucinda Becker - Reading University, UK
Success in Research
Writing a research proposal is one of the most important tasks facing academics, researchers and postgraduate students. Yet there is a good deal of misinformation and a great lack of guidance about what constitutes a good research proposal and what can be done to maximise one's chances of writing a successful research proposal.
Denicolo and Becker recognise the importance of developing an effective research proposal for gaining either a place on a research degree programme or funding to support research projects and set out to explore the main factors that that proposal writers need to attend to in developing successful proposals of their own.
Developing Research Proposals will help readers to understand the context within which their proposal will be read, what the reviewers are looking for and will be influenced by, while also supporting the development of relevant skills through advice and practical activities.
This book:
- Explores the nature and purpose of different kinds of proposals
- Focuses on the actual research proposed
- Discusses how best to carry out and structure the literature review
- Examines the posing and phrasing of research questions and hypotheses
- Looks at how methods and methodology should be handled in a proposal
- Discusses the crucial issues of planning, strategy and timing in developing targeted proposals
Denicolo and Becker draw together the key elements in the process of preparing and submitting a proposal and concludes with advice on responding to the results, successful or not, and their relevance to future proposals.
The Success in Research series, from Cindy Becker and Pam Denicolo, provides short, authoritative and accessible guides on key areas of professional and research development.
Avoiding jargon and cutting to the chase of what you really need to know, these practical and supportive books cover a range of areas from presenting research to achieving impact, and from publishing journal articles to developing proposals. They are essential reading for any student or researcher interested in developing their skills and broadening their professional and methodological knowledge in an academic context.
Supplements
A collection of free tips, exercises and resources from all books in the Success in Research series
This book has been added to my list of essential reading for my dissertation students during the summer, to enable them to put together a valid and appropriate research proposal - excellent stuff!
Some parts of the book look more useful than others for my student group.
This text-book has been recommended to students and colleagues, because it is well explained, giving simple guidance to novice and expert researcher, ways of developing a good research proposal.
Accessible & useful for part time Level 7 students writing proposals in an unfamiliar discipline
This is an excellent resource for those students currently engaged in developing research proposals.
An excellent book to support students in developing their research proposal, something which many can struggle with. Clearly laid out and explained and particularly useful Appendix of funding organisations to consider.
Good text which our students will find very useful. Simple and straight forward.
A very useful and accessible book for new researchers.
Important book for the becoming researchers.
This will be recommended as an essential text for undergraduate as well as postgraduate groups. It has been introduced to current students during Research Design classes for Masters and MBA's in the School of Business. It will become a very important text for scaffolding learners in their move from taught modules to the independent research study module. The research proposal is an important 'road map' for students as they work independently. This is a good text, clearly written, and set out. Students have commented on the ease of accessibility. The text will appear in next years Module reference sheets, and has been included in current Module Handbook's, and on the Module webpage.
