学术英语写作Unit-7-Research-Proposal

Unit7ResearchProposalWhatisaresearchproposal?Whentowritearesearchproposal?PurposeofaresearchproposalHowtopreparearesearchproposal?ElementsoftheresearchproposalHowtowritearesearchproposal?CommonmistakesinaproposalwritingFeasibilityAnalysis(discussedinanotherlecture)Budgetanalysis(discussedinanotherlecture)SummaryWhatisaresearchproposalAresearchproposalisashortdocument(1to2pages)thatidentifiesandoutlinesthemaincomponentsofyourresearch.Theyare:1.Thepurposeofyourresearch2.Theintendedaudience3.Yourrole4.Anopeningstatementorhypothesis5.Briefdescriptionofintendedmethodology,data,materials6.Expectedoutcomes(ifany)Thepurposeoftheresearch(1)Therearemanyreasonsfordoingaresearch-basedprogram.Researchis,afterall,findingoutsomethingyoudon'tknow.Onecouldwriteathesistoreviewandexplaincollated（核对的）factualdata.Onecouldalsoconductanalyticalresearchtostudyaparticularsubjectindepth.Onecoulddiscuss,debateand/orargueacertaintopic,orcomeoutwithanewhypothesis/theory.Ontheotherhand,onecouldalsotrypersuadingotherstobelieveinwhats/heisproposing.Thepurposeoftheresearch(2)Youwilloftenfindconflictingideas,biases,andotherinfluenceswhilstconductingyourresearch.Youmayevendiscoverthingsinthecourseofyourresearchthatarecontradictorytoyourpersonalthoughts,ethicsandideals.Thesecouldhinderyourresearch,giverisetodoubts,orcausealackofinterestinthework.Qualityresearchdemandsobjectivity,cautioninassertion,solidbackingfromsources/experimentalresults,andclearrationalthinking.Youshouldbepreparedforcontingencies(偶然性),tochallengewidely-acceptednorms/rulesinyourquesttoseekfurtherknowledge.TheintendedaudienceYouwillneedtoidentifytheaudienceforyourwork.Obviously,ifyouaredoingascientifically-inclinedstudyintotheeffectsofNeonatomsunderintenseheat,say,yourtargetaudiencewillnotlikelybeShakespeareanthespians(演员).However,yourresearchmayalsotraverseseveralfields(eg.childpsychologyresearchmightbeofinterestnotjusttopsychologists,butalsototeachers,doctorsandparents).Yourtargetaudiencedetermineswhatstyleofwritingyoumayuse,and/orwhattheoriesandexperimentstoapply.Yourtargetaudienceshouldeasilyidentifywithwhatyouaretryingtodo(whethertheyagreewithitornot).Yourresearchshouldtryandpersuadeyourreaderstostandwithyouonyourfindings.Itshouldcontainadequateinformationwithoutbeingunnecessaryorboring.Thepurposeofresearchisnottorehash(翻新)informationthatiseasilyavailablebuttocomeupwithsomethingneworworthwhileforyouraudiencetothinkabout.YourRoleTheresearchis(hopefully)yourown.Youhavetodisplayyourknowledgeandpointsofviewtobetakenseriously.Firstandforemost,youmustbeextremelyfamiliarwithwhatyouaresettingouttodo(hencetheresearchproposal).Whenyouquotesourcesandreferences,usetheinformationtopropelyourpointsofviewratherthanthoseofthesources.OpeningStatement,ArgumentorHypothesisThisistheBigBang-theonethatbeginsitall.Similartodebates,youcanuseonesentence,statementorquestionasajump-offpointtoacompletebodyofresearch.Thisopener,though,shouldnotbetoobroad.Forexample,DrinkingTooMuchCoffeeisBadForHealthistoogeneralised.Whatiscoveredintheterm'health'?Whatisconsidered'bad'?Isthisfromasocial,psychologicalormedicalpointofview?Doesthisstatementapplytoalltypesofcoffee(includingdecaffeinatedcoffee)?Methodology,MaterialsandDataThissectionshouldoutlinehowyouplantogoaboutdoingyourresearch.Forexample,tofindouthowmanypeoplepreferjoggingtowalking,wouldyouaskpeopleonthestreetdirectly,handoutquestionnaires,appealforvolunteersovertheInternet,ormakeupyourownfigures?(Thelastoptionisdefinitelynotrecommended!).IfyouaretryingtofindouthowfastbeansgerminateunderUVlight(ifatall),howwouldyougoaboutdoingit?Whataboutcontrolledexperiments/samples?ExpectedOutcomesSometimes,youropenermaybeanewhypothesisthatyouaretryingtoprove.Perhapsyoucouldbeworkingtowardsacertainexpectedoutcomethatyouintendtoprove.Ifyourresearchisofthisnature,youmightwishtoincludethisinyourproposal.Whentowritearesearchproposal?Researchproposalsareused:whenbeginningaresearchdegree,whenapplyingforgrantsortenders,andwhenotherpeopleareinvolvedinformulating,supervisingorconductingtheresearch.Oncedeveloped,theresearchproposalservesasaplanforconductingtheresearch.PurposeofaresearchproposalResearchproposalsserveanumberofpurposes.Amongthem:Theyconvinceothersthatyourresearchisworthundertaking.Theyenableyoutodemonstrateexpertiseandcompetencyinyourparticularareaofstudy.Theymayserveasacontractbetweentheresearcherandhisfund-providers.Theyserveasaplanningtoolfortheresearcher.Howtopreparearesearchproposal?Normallyaresearchproposalwillincludethefollowing:AworkingtitleofthetopicareaGeneraloverviewofareaIdentificationoftherelevantliteratureKeyresearchquestionsMethodologyTimescale/researchplanningBibliographyAvoidAworkingtitleofthetopicareaThisshoulddomorethanconveythekeywordsassociatedwiththeproposedresearch.GeneraloverviewofareaThisshouldtaketheformofabriefabstractofthegeneralareaofstudyandidentifythediscipline(s)withinwhichitfalls.Youmightalsorefertothewayinwhichyourownbackgroundgivesyoucompetencesinyourchosenarea.Identificationofthere