Parts of research proposal

1
Parts of research proposal

• Problem Statement
• Literature Review and Background
• Justification
• Client/Societal Relevance (what need are you
  filling, why is this a need)
• Academic Context (how does this fit with existing
  knowledge about your system and systems similar
  to yours)
• It is a reasonable question to ask, or problem to
  solve
• It has not already been answered
• It is possible to answer, review of current
  approaches

2
Literature Review

• Goal Oriented and Strategic
• Academic Context
• Requires defining the system (geography, scale
  (time and space), components/interactions of
  interest)
• Based on placing yourself in the map of
  existing knowledge about the system
• Map - Existing knowledge and acceptable
  techniques (measurement and analysis) to obtain
  that knowledge

3
Thinking through your literature review

• First develop a list of key points that you want
  to make in your review to convince the reader
  that
• There is a client need
• There is a societal need
• This is a solvable problem
• It has not already been solved
• How do experts in the field conceptualize
  similar types of problems
• The approaches you are considering are feasible
• The approaches you are considering will likely
  address the problem
• The approaches you are considering are the best
  options

4
Things to Think About

• Are there identified gaps in the knowledge that
  are relevant to you problem (can help identify
  the research that you are planning to do)
• Is there consensus or are there conflicting views
• Are there critiques of methods/techniques that
  you are proposing to use

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Examples

• Balancing Conservation and Commercial Fishing
  Methods of Incorporating Socioeconomic Impacts in
  the Design of MPAs in California
• How can planners evaluate and address the
  socioeconomic concerns of commerical fishermen
  during the MPA design process
• There are socio-economic concerns
• There is a strong consenus that socioeconomic
  impacts of MPAs (citation list)

6
Example

• Business plan for green modular housing
• Assertion to support the doability and
  relevance (timeliness) of this project - there is
  likely to a market for green products
  evidence recent initiatives politics - April 2,
  2007 US Supreme Court ruling on CO2 2007 Noble
  Peace Prize Corporate Behavior (examples such as
  Patagonia)

7
Example

• Vegetated Roofs in the Los Angeles River
  Watershed The Environmental and Economic Impacts
  of Stormwater Runoff and Management
• Green roofs have been shown to reduce storm water
  runoff (citations from literature) but most
  studies have focused on humid environments
  (citations) so there is a need to determine
  runoff reduction potential in semi-arid region of
  LA

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Sources

• Sources matter
• Peer reviewed from academia (strengths the
  credibility of the argument, also gives a more
  theoretical, analysis of the issue)
• Quality of journal in the discipline
• Is it current literature on the subject
• Review articles
• Use electronic databases
• Peer reviewed not always possible - think about
  the likely credibility of the source - govt, NGO
• Multiple sources of evidence
• Ask your project advisor (and other experts in
  the field) for guidance on literature sources

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Assignments

• pverma_at_bren.ucsb.edu Office Hours Monday 10-11,
  Tuesday 10-11, by appointment
• Annotated literature review (2-3 pages main
  points, with references where possible)
• Bring to class 1 example assertion from
  literature review and sources to back it up (for
  presentation in class)