Dissertation Proposal Handbook and Guidelines

2024-2025
 Guidelines for Writing Research Proposal

Introduction
A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you
will do the research. The purpose of writing a research proposal is to demonstrate that:

a. The research topic addresses a significant problem.

b. An organized plan is in place for collecting or obtaining data to help solve the problem.
c. Methods of data collection and analysis have been identified and are appropriate to the data
set.
A secondary purpose of writing a proposal is to train you in the art of proposal writing as
these skills will be useful not only in the world of academia but in all fields.
The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals should contain these
elements:
Elements of a Research Proposal:
Your research proposal should have the following elements in this order.
- Title page
- Introduction (including operational definition of research variables, if necessary) (1000 words)
- Significance of the study
- Aim of the study, objectives,
- Hypotheses and/or research question(s)
- Literature Review (5000 words)
- Subjects and Methods (2000 words)
- Research design
- Setting.
- Sample
- Data collection tool(s)/instrument(s) (Validity and reliability of the data collection tool (in
case of modified adopted or developed tool).
- Ethical considerations.
- Procedure.
- Data analysis
- References.
- Appendices (optional)
General Format
- The text should be in Times New Roman, font size 12, double spaced, and justified.
- The first line in a new paragraph must be indented five spaces.
- All section headings should be centered.
- Whenever the heading of a section or sub-section appears near the bottom of a page, it
must be followed by at least one complete line of text, or the heading should be forced to
the top of the next page.

Title Page:
The proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

- The proposed Title of Your Research : It should be centered, in capital letters. The title
should be short, precise, concise, and clear (not more than thirteen words). It should reflect
the research problem of the proposal. It should be attractive and capable of holding interest.
Followed by an accurate translation in Arabic language.
- Module Name:
- Module Code:
- Module Leader:
- Direct Supervisor:
- Date of Submission:

The Main Text:

Introduction :
The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your research, so make sure it briefly and
clearly explains what you want to do and why. It should:

- Introduce the topic

- Give background and context
- Outline your problem statement and research question(s)
- Provide readers with a brief summary of literature and research studies related to the
problem being investigated.
- Begins with broader perspective of the problem and becomes narrower to lead up to the
statement of the problem and provides a brief rationale for why the particular problem is
worth pursuing.
- Cover all the study variables in an orderly manner, exposes views of
other researchers in the subject.
 - In case of using quzi-expermental research design; starts with the “dependent variable(s)”,
discuss briefly and clearly all aspects of the research problem, then end with the independent
variable, and finally figure out the relationship among the variables under study).
- Each paragraph should cover one idea. Last sentence of each paragraph should lead to the
next paragraph.
- All paragraphs should be consequently in a logical manner.
- Operational definition of variables (or operationalizing definitions) refer to how you will
define and measure a specific variable as it is used in your study. This enables another
researchers to replicate your research and is essential in establishing reliability (achieving
consistency in the results).
“Introduction usually consists of about three to six page, but may vary considerably depending on
the nature of the study ‘’.

Magnitude/Significance of the Study:

In simple terms, the significance of the study is basically the importance of your research.
While stating the significance, you must highlight how your research will be beneficial to the
development of science and the society in general. You can first outline the significance in a broader
sense by stating how your research will contribute to the broader problem in your field and gradually
narrow it down to demonstrate the specific group that will benefit from your research. While writing
the significance of your study, you must answer questions like:
- Why should your research be conducted? And
- How will this study contribute to the development of your field?

Research Aim/Objectives :
- The study will compare, contrast, investigate, describe, determine, examine, develop,
- clarify, or evaluate issue being studied.
- They provide intellectual scope of research work. They can be divided into General aim and
specific objectives where the general aim gives the general goal of the research
- The specific objectives should be focused on the research problem to yield relevant data.
- They should be “SMART” objectives
- They should be stated in such a way that they align with the research questions.

Hypotheses/Research Questions:
The problem statement is further explicated in this section. Hypotheses and research
questions emerge from the problem statement and operationalize it in terms of specific variables and
relationships to be examined and reported. Hypotheses and research questions also suggest
methodology for the study and serve as the basis for drawing conclusions. While hypotheses and
research questions may be included under their own subheading, they are often added on to the
Statement of the Problem.

Formulating a hypothesis requires a specific, testable, and predictable statement driven by

theoretical guidance and/or prior evidence. Hypotheses (either directional, research, or in the null
form) are stated when the research design is experimental or quasi- experimental in nature. Survey
research and non-experimental research are generally limited to research questions. Whenever
possible, avoid the use of "Yes-No" research questions which tend to limit the scope of your
responses.

Hypothesis:
It can be formulated in various research designs. In experimental settings, researchers
compare two or more groups of research participants to investigate the differences of the research
outcomes. There are four criteria that a hypothesis must meet.
- First, it must state an expected relationship between variables.
- Second, it must be testable and evaluated; researchers must be able to test whether a
hypothesis is true or false.
- Third, it should be consistent with the existing body of knowledge.
- Finally, it should be stated as simply and concisely as possible.

Research Questions:
The research question states the specific issue or problem that your proposal will focus on. It
also outlines the task that you will need to complete. There is no universal set of criteria for a good
research question. Different disciplines have different priorities and requirements. In general,
however, a good research question should be:
- Clear and focused. In other words, it should clearly state what the researcher needs to do.
- Specific, but not too narrow. The question should have an appropriate scope. If the
question is too broad, it will not be possible to answer it thoroughly within the word limit.
If it is too narrow you will not have enough to write about and you will struggle to develop
a strong argument.
- Not too easy to answer. For example, the question should require more than a simple yes
or no answer.
 - Not too difficult to answer. You must be able to answer the question thoroughly within
the given timeframe and word limit.
- Researchable. You must have access to a suitable amount of quality research materials,
such as academic books and refereed journal articles.
- Analytical rather than descriptive. In other words, your research question should allow
you to produce an analysis of an issue or problem rather than a simple description of it
(more on this below).

Note: (Hypotheses are tested, while research questions are answered).

Literature Review:
The purpose of the Literature Review is to provide the reader with a comprehensive review
of the literature related to the problem under investigation. The review of related literature should
greatly expand upon the introduction and background information presented. The Literature Review
may contain theories and models relevant to the problem, a historical overview of the problem, current
trends related to the problem, and significant research data published about the problem. The first
section generally indicates how the chapter is organized and explains the subsections that comprise
the chapter. For example, it provides an extensive review of the literature and research related to
selection. The chapter will be divided into sections that include (a) history of the it, (b) importance
of it, (c) current selection practices, and (d) recommended selection practices.

It may be lengthy; it is essential to divide the chapter into as many sections and subsections
as needed to logically organize the information presented. As it presents information and conclusions
drawn by other researchers, citations should be used extensively throughout the chapter. Although
you are presenting information from other researchers and writers, avoid overuse of direct quotations.
Including many direct quotations produces a literature review that usually lacks transitions and flow
and is difficult to read.
Subjects and Methods
Research Design
Research design is a plan to answer your research question/s. A research method is a strategy
used to implement that plan. Research design and methods are different but closely related, because
good research design ensures that the data you obtain will help you answer your research question
more effectively.
A well-planned research design helps ensure that your methods match your research aims and
that you use the right kind of analysis for your data.
 There are several types of research design to choose from.
- Qualitative or quantitave research.
- Using primary or secondary sources.
- Descriptive, correlational, or experimental.
Each type provides a framework for the overall shape of your research. To write the research
design in an accurate way, you should:
- Explain why research design is important in research in general.
- Define the research design
- Specify the type of research design you will use in your study.
- Justify your selection of choosing this type of research design.

Setting:
Research setting is the physical, social, or experimental context within which research is
conducted. Describing the research setting accurately is crucial since the results and their
interpretation may depend heavily on it. For example, in a paper that describes the social behavior of
chimpanzees, the authors may need to provide the following details about the research setting:
- Geographical location
- Detailed explanation of the setup including resources that are relevant to your study.
- Any environmental aspects related to your study.

Sample:
The population used in the study and the process utilized in selecting a sample need to be
described. The sample should be small enough to provide a manageable volume of data, but the
sample must accurately represent the population if any valid inferences are to be drawn from the
sample results. In general, the sample will accurately represent the population from which it is drawn
if:
- sample selection carefully follows an appropriate sampling design,
- the sample is randomly selected from the population,
- a large enough sample is selected in relation to the total population, and
- the sample size is adequate for the data-collecting instrument being used.

To decide on the study, you will need to consider the following:

- Select type of the sample (probability/non- probability)
- Accessibility of the sample
- Identify sample size
 - Explain sampling method/technique
- Describe sample in terms of:
o Demographic characteristics of the sample including sex, age, and race/ethnicity as
well as socioeconomic status and (disability status where possible and appropriate.
o Other characteristics such as national origin, level of education, health status, and
language (inclusion & exclusion criteria).

Data Collection Tool(S)/Instrument(S):

This section describes the procedures used for developing an instrument to gather data from
your selected population/sample. This generally includes sources of items for the instrument as
well as a description of the instrument itself (e.g., number of items on the instrument, response
format of the items, etc.).
Sources of items for an instrument might include information derived from the literature
review or may be an adaptation of a previous study or available instrument online. Instrument
reliability and validity data should be described in this section whenever possible.

Tool/Instruments developed by the researcher should always be pilot tested (or field tested)
to ensure instrument validity and clarity of instructions and items. In general, subjects similar to
those who will be in the study sample (but not included in the actual sample) may serve as subjects
for pilot testing. Results of pilot testing and accompanying comments should be used, if
necessary, to revise the instrument before distributing it to the actual sample.

The instrument may also be juried or critiqued by having several "experts “examine it and
make recommendations prior to, or in lieu of pilot testing. While critiquing involves only several
experts examining the instrument and making recommendations, pilot testing implies actually
following all of the steps of data collection with a smaller pilot sample and analyzing the results
from the collected pilot data.

In sum, the following steps should be followed:

- Select type of data collection tool/instrument based on the research aim and design.
- Identify the type of the tool/instrument (adopted, modified, developed).
- Determine number of tool(s)/ instrument.
- Brief description of main parts and items of the tool/instrument.
 Validity and reliability of the data collection tool:
Validity:
The validity of a tool/instrument can be estimated based on three main types of evidence.
Each type can be evaluated through expert judgement or statistical methods.as:
- Construct: the adherence of a tool to existing theory and knowledge of the concept being
measured.
- Content: the extent to which the tool covers all aspects of the concept being measured.
- Criterion: the extent to which the result of a tool corresponds to other valid tools of the
same concept.

Reliability:
Different types of reliability can be estimated through various statistical methods as:
- Test-retest: The consistency of a measure across time: do you get the same results when
you repeat the measurement?
- Interrater: The consistency of a measure across raters or observers: do you get the same
results when different people conduct the same measurement?
- Internal consistency: The consistency of the measurement itself: do you get the same
results from different parts of a test that are designed to measure the same thing?

Ethical Considerations:
- Before you start any study involving data collection with people, you’ll submit your
research proposal to the Ethics and Research Committee of your institution to obtain
an initial written approval.
- Another written approval should be obtained from the setting where you will conduct
the study (if necessary).
- Written approvals should be obtained from all authorities involved in your study.
- An informed consent should be developed to be voluntarily signed by potential
participants emphasizing anonymity, confidentiality, potential harm, and results
communication.

Procedure:
This section shows in detail how you will conduct your research step by step, it also shows
that you have a realistic plan for completion of the study. As well as representing the time frame that
you will follow.
 Data Analysis:
This section describes in detail treatment and analysis of the collected data. Methods of
data analysis are primarily determined by the hypotheses to be tested or research questions to be
answered (which also determine the format of the instrument and how the data are gathered) and the
level of data being gathered (nominal, ordinal, and/or interval). When several hypotheses/research
questions are being addressed, it is helpful to describe the data analysis that will be used for each
hypothesis/research question. For
example:
- A response to research question one, regarding teachers' perceptions of instructional materials,
will be generated by computing means and standard deviations for each survey item.
- A one-way analysis of variance will be used to determine if significant differences in
perceptions exist between elementary and secondary principals comprising the study sample
(research question two).
- Null hypothesis three, that no significant correlation exists between student gender and
intelligence, will be tested by computing a Pearson Product-Moment correlation.

The most commonly used descriptive statistics include means, standard deviations,
frequency counts, and percentages. Among the most commonly used inferential statistics are chi-
square, t test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and various correlation coefficients. More complex
statistical procedures include analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), multivariate analysis of variance
(MANOVA), factor analysis, canonical correlation, multiple regression analysis, and discriminant
analysis

Pilot Study:
In this section you will refer to the steps that you will follow to conduct the pilot study that
include:
- Definition of pilot study
- The percentage of the total sample number that the pilot study will be conducted on.
- Time frame that the pilot study will be conducted.
- What are the modifications that may results from conducting pilot study.

References:
All references appeared throughout the research proposal must be present in the references list and
vice versa.
All references should follow APA style (see Appendix B).

EDITING YOUR RESEARCH PROPOSAL

After you have written the first draft of your proposal, and before you turn it in to your advisor, check
for the following (do this for subsequent and final drafts as well):
- Make sure your proposal has all section headings: Introduction, subjects and Methods, etc.
- The quality of the writing in the proposal (and the research paper) is important. Check for the
following common errors:
- Are the sentences too long? You can improve your writing immensely by using shorter
sentences.
- Are the paragraphs too long? This is a common problem that makes it harder to read a paper.
- Is any of the writing unsuitable, vague, long-winded, or too informal? The best
writing is concise, to the point, and without a superfluous word.
- Avoid unintentional plagiarism: have you cited your sources each time you express an idea
that is not you own.
- Have you utilized the correct style for citing articles or books? Adopt the citation style of the
major journals in your field or the one your mentor prefers.

THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS

The pass mark is 40%.

Students are advised to read carefully the relevant course regulations relating to assessment.
(especially the oral examinations)

The dissertation will be anonymously marked by two markers

The dissertation will be submitted to an external examiner for final moderation.

PENALTIES

Please note particularly the penalties related to excess word length; students should not
exceed 10% over the stated word limit the grade will be capped to 40; whereas, the less word
count (10%) causes deduction of the grade of the part with less words count. There are also
penalties regarding academic dishonesty (plagiarism). To assist you with this, please submit your
assignment to Turnitin bue.edu.eg as a draft for feedback. This will allow you to make the
necessary amendments prior to final submission.
How will it take place?

SUPERVISION AND SUPPORT

You will be allocated to a group. This group is headed by two supervisors from the departmental
teaching team. Times and dates of meetings will be negotiated between your group and your
supervisors. Having two supervisors means that you will always be able to access at least one of
your supervisors who will be familiar with your project.

HOW WILL MY SUPERVISION GROUP HELP ME WITH MY DISSERTATION?

Questions, problems and issues that you encounter as you compose your dissertation will be
explored by ALL your supervision group members. Each one of you will be able to identify issues
that are giving you concern, bring them to supervision and all together, explore ways of tackling
them. The supervisors will facilitate this process, which helps you solve your own problems or find
answers to your own questions. Expect to be challenged as well as supported in these supervision
sessions. Feedback is provided in TWO ways: Generic and Individual and is delivered based on the
allocated time plan for the whole team.