Writing a Research Prospectus

What is a Research Prospectus?

A research prospectus is an official proposal for research.  It describes the background, questions, materials, and methods the researcher will use in his or her research.  The prospectus also demonstrates the researcher’s writing ability, organizational skills, and understanding of the subject matter.

 

The Development of a Research Prospectus

The development of a research prospectus starts by identifying a general topic and then narrowing that topic down to a specific research problem.  Figure 1 shows a simplified diagram of the process.

Research Topic

The context of the research prospectus will usually determine the level of freedom the researcher has in choosing his or her topic.  Whether the topic is open to many ideas or focused on a particular field, the process of creative thinking, mind mapping, brainstorming, and searching a variety of information sources will help the researcher find and broaden his or her ideas about the topic.

 

Research Question

Once a research topic has been selected, a researcher can explore its depth by asking questions. Here are some good questions to ask about the research topic:

• Ask the standard journalistic questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how
• Ask about the history of the topic
• Ask about its structure and composition
• Ask how your topic is categorized
• Turn positive questions into negative ones
• Ask What If? and other speculative questions
• Ask questions suggested by your sources

 

Research Problem

There are two types of research problems that can be addressed in a prospectus:

• Practical problems are caused by some condition in the world that makes us unhappy because it costs us time, respect, security, pain, even our lives. We solve a practical problem by doing something that eliminates the cause of the problem or at least ameliorates its costs.
• Conceptual problems arise when we simply do not understand something about the world as well as we would like. We solve a conceptual problem not by doing something to change the world but by answering a question that helps us understand it better.

Understanding the type of problem presented in the prospectus can help the researcher as he or she begins to develop the structure of the research.

 

Research Problem Development Exercise

You can use the following exercise to help you develop a good research problem.

Step 1: Name Your Topic
I am trying to learn about/ work on/ study ____________________________.
            Fill in the blank with your topic.

 

Step 2: Add an Indirect Question

• I am trying to learn about/ work on/ study ____________________________.
• Because I want to find out who/what/when/where/whether/why/how_____________.

Fill in the second blank with an indirect question that indicates what you do not know or understand about your topic.

 

Step 3: Answer “So What?”

• I am trying to learn about/ work on/ study ____________________________.
• Because I want to find out who/what/when/where/whether/why/how_____________.
• In order to help my readers understand how, why, or whether__________________.

Fill in the third blank with another indirect question that explains why you asked your first question. This explains how this question might interest not just you but others, the significance of the proposed research.

 

 

Works Cited

Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2008. Print.

 

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