Proposal Tips for Students

1
Proposal Tips for Students

• Anil Hira
• SFU, Fall 2005

2
Beginning Research

• Conceptualization
• Know the theories the history step 1
• Dont try to be cute or overestimate your
  skill/knowl level, but still be innovative
• Avoid theorizing
• Find a niche/outlet/audience a hook
• Be true to your own instincts
• Set yourself up for the future

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Ideas on External Funding

• Select source BEFORE writing
• Sine qua non of funding for area studies projects
• Depth vs. spread problem- which outlets
• Importance of mentors-trailblazers
• Fit of proposal/your bcgkrd. with organizations
  current goals chic vs. dependable
• Time investment and deadlines pressures intense
• Benefits of independence clear proof of
  importance of prob knowl. of lit clear fwork of
  analysis clear methodology deliverables
  unique contribution
• Why should we give you free money?
• SFU dbase http//fas.sfu.ca/projects/GradAwards

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Preparing a Proposal

• Know your topic inside and out
• How does it fit w/I your own overall l-t
  objectives?
• Choosing a committee
• What are the gaps/edges of the literature, and
  how can you add to it? What is
  missing/contradictory in the lit?
• What would be a logical progression of steps for
  answering the questions youve identified?
• Is the data available- can you answer the
  question?
• Do you have the lang/contacts/guidance?
• What is your end goal for what will be produced?
  How will it help academics/devt.
  professionals/society at large?

5
Overview of Proposal

• Have a very clear thesis/proposal that is
  specific, matches what you can clearly
  accomplish, and
• abs. need for field res. funding outputs what
  acad.s/socy will get out of the proposal
• Lit. review comprehensive- schools of thought
• examples, contradictions, etc
• Conceptual Framework- what are key issues,
  variables/actors and their interrelationships?
• Have v. clear hypos. variables/data proxy var.s
• Methodology- must match rest of proposal be
  widely known, and clearly can yield a.s to q.s
• All must mesh together v. coherently

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Elements of a good proposal

• Objective
• clear statement of purpose, problem involved,
  relevance
• Lit. Review
• mega-citation demonstrate knowledge
  specialization
• Lit-review short-cut review articles edited
  vol.s
• tailoring lit-reviews for outlet
• how the lit. review works with your conceptual
  fwork
• Conceptualization
• definitions (differences in) main issues main
  actors
• what is known and what isnt
• hypothesized causes/effects
• hypothesized relationships

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Elements of a good proposal

• Outline
• creates the logical str. of your argument, thus
  ensuring linkages and coherence
• serves as a segmented work-plan
• Forces translation of overall framework to
  conceptual, empirical application
• Methodology
• How exactly I will marry theory to empirical
  reality
• Why my method is best (combo) fr. poss.
  alternatives
• How I will conduct my research
• How I will operationalize my concepts, and test
  my hypotheses
• I have permission/cooperation from parties or data

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Proposals, Other Considerations

• Peer Review
• Know who knows what
• Get enough but not too much
• Leave space in b/t The Project cycle
• Ethics
• Budget
• What is a reasonable expense?
• Using line-item budgets
• Ways to work in contingencies

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Proposals and the Thesis

• A good proposal will serve as the basic lit
  review and planning doc for a thesis
• The proposal will lay out your methodology and
  thus justify the ultimate findings
• In this sense, the proposal is more impt. than
  the thesis itself
• It takes a combo of time and hard work.
• Persistence and segmentation are keys