Article S8.4 Writing an Effective Research Proposal: Addressing Risks at Different Stages of Research Seminar Leader: R. Nageswar Rao Department of Business Management, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India nagsuj[at]rediffmail.com An effective research proposal anticipates and addresses the risks associated with the different stages of a research project. Risks are unforeseen events which can either derail the research process or impair the research results. Proposals which do not address such risks are not likely to be accepted. A researcher who anticipates and addresses such risks is likely to reap returns in terms of acceptance of the proposal and successful completion of the research project. An effective research proposal ought to recognise and address the risks inherent in the following four stages of research. Stage 1: Research Focus The first stage in research is to identify the research focus. This stage involves: (a) identification of a research gap based on a review of the existing literature, (b) translation of the research gap into a research problem, and (c) choice of approach and method to address the research problem. At the outset, a researcher runs the risk of choosing a wrong topic by missing out on important literature. The risk can be managed by spending sufficient effort in reviewing the literature carefully, in order to arrive at the gaps to be addressed in the research. The return from this effort comes in the form of a relevant research gap that is meaningful and which has not been addressed previously. There are risks involved in translating the research gap into a research problem and also in choosing the research approach and method. The research problem may be superficial, that is, with little potential for a contribution to knowledge. Moreover, the approach and method chosen may be inappropriate. Researcher needs to read critically and develop the competency of reading between the lines. A researcher may also choose to digress a bit and look at what has been done in related domains. This is expected to lead to research problems which are interesting, thought-proving, and bearing a greater potential for contributing to knowledge. A researcher needs to understand the kind of the research problem being addressed. Different kinds of research problems call for different approaches and methods, for example, predication of future events may require a modelling approach where as description of some social phenomena may call for a phenomenographic approach. When the nature of the problem is clear to the researcher, it can then be discussed with research supervisors and other experts to finalise on the research approach. The expected returns are a clear understanding of the nature of the research problem, scope of the study, research objectives, and potential contributions to knowledge. Besides, with the risks of the first stage addressed properly, the researcher is well placed to tackle the issues of the subsequent stages, preventing possible mistakes and, thus, avoiding the associated anxiety. Stage 2: Data Collection In the second stage, the researcher collects the necessary data based on the research problem and research approach decided in the first stage. There are different methods of data collection, for example, observation, survey, interview, focus group discussion, and various secondary sources such as data banks and archives. One of the major risks at this stage is the inability to collect the required data. The researcher needs to consider financial, technological, and operational feasibility of data collection. Financial feasibility refers to the availability of funds to carry out the data collection. Technological feasibility refers to the availability of appropriate technology to facilitate data collection. Operational feasibility refers to the ease of implementing the selected data collection method. Anticipating and dealing with these issues in advance can help the researcher avoid delays and disappointments in the research process. Stage 3: Data Analysis Data collected in the previous stage are to be prepared, structured, analysed, and interpreted in this stage. The purpose of this stage is to extract valuable information and meaning out of the data collected, which help in dealing with the research problem. The potential risks at this stage are: selection of an inappropriate data analysis method, incorrect application of a method, and flawed interpretation of the result. This in turn can lead to wrong conclusions, thereby undermining the entire research project. Careful advance planning can mitigate these risks to a large extent. A researcher may not have all the information and knowledge necessary to select the right analytical procedure and interpret the results correctly. Therefore, help should be sought from research supervisors and other experts. Doing this part well can yield results which are appropriate to the research problem. Stage 4: Results and Recommendations In the final stage, the researcher is required to state the results and demonstrate its contribution to knowledge. Sometimes, the work may include recommendations for potential users of the results, including future researchers. Here, a researcher runs the risk of misinterpreting the results and/or failing to demonstrate originality of the contribution. Even the recommendations may not be specific or meaningful. These risks are to be anticipated and managed by making plans for presenting and discussing the results to well-informed audiences, for example, in academic seminars and discussions with other relevant interest groups. Reported by Satyendra Chandra Pandey; with inputs from Rahul Thakurta; edited by D. P. Dash. [October 24, 2010] Copyleft Xavier Institute of Management, Xavier Square, Bhubaneswar 751013, India Research World (ISSN 0974-2379) http://www1.ximb.ac.in/RW.nsf/pages/Home |
