Topic outline

  • General

    Research Proposal

    Research Proposal

    Getting Started

    In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure

    Albert Einstein

    • Motivation

      Before you can submit your application for being accepted as student or Doctoral Candidate at the Universidad Central de Nicaragua (UCN) here: https://ucn-berlin.de/register.php
      you need to send your CV and a Research Proposal for approval to the Psychology Faculty of the UCN, the the International School of Psychology.
      Here the email address where you can send your CV and Research proposal: karl.nielsen@ucn.edu.ni

      For writing your Research Proposal we created this Moodle course to support you.

      Your Research Proposal is your personal proposal of what exactly you want to research how and why at the UCN International School of Psychology. Here you describe the problem that you would like to solve, the goal that you would like to achieve by solving this problem, the basic ideas that guides your research (hypotheses), what you already know about scientific literature and research concerning your problem, the methods you plan to use for your research and your planned time line for your research.

      When you click on "What is a Research Proposal?" below you find there a 7 minutes motivational video about: "Do You Dare to Dream?". This motivational video is just to inspire you to dream about what exactly you would like to research scientifically.

    • The structure of the required Research Proposal for the UCN

      Cover page with

      Title of the planned dissertation and Author

      Table of contents

                    See the structure below

       

      1. Introduction

       

      2. Research Problem

      2.1. Background and context of the problem

      2.2. Objectives (General and specific)

      2.3. Research questions

      2.4. Justification

      2.5. Limitations

      2.6. Basic assumptions

      2.7. Entrance to the field. Definition of the study context

      2.8. Context mapping

       

      3. Planned theoretical framework

      3.1. Literature review

      3.2. State of the art (Literature review)

      3.3. Theoretical perspective assumed

      3.4. Theories and concepts assumed

       

      4. Planned methodological design

      4.1. Mixed design type

      4.2. Planned quantitative perspective

      4.2.1. Kind of investigation

      4.2.2. Population and sample

      4.2.3. Variables (operationalization of variables)

      4.2.4. Data collection techniques and instruments

      4.2.5. Reliability and validity of the instruments

      4.2.6. Data processing and information analysis

      4.3. Planned qualitative perspective

      4.3.1. Assumed qualitative approach and its justification

      4.3.2. Theoretical sample and study subjects

      4.3.3. Data collection methods and techniques

      4.3.4. Methods and techniques for data processing and information analysis

      4.3.5. Quality criteria: credibility, reliability, confirmability, transferability and triangulation

       

      5. Administrative aspects

      5.1 Schedule of activities

      5.2 Resources: human, material and financial

       

      6. References

       

      7. Annexes or Appendices

         

      Here the email address where you can send your CV and Research proposal: karl.nielsen@ucn.edu.ni

        

      • The basic Structure of a Research Proposal in general

        The 8 most important areas of a Research Proposal

        1. Problem 
        2. Outcome 
        3. Hypothesis
        4. State of the field
        5. Methods (including pre-tests)
        6. Title
        7. Schedule
        8. Short summary (abstract)  

        You find more when you click on the links below

      • Videos about how to write a Research Proposal

        We highly recommend that you use the 8 sheeds of paper (1 page for each of the 8 parts) when you watch the videos or read the literature and write down what exactly you want to keep in mind for your own Research Proposal.

      • More ressources about how to write a Research Proposal

      • Databases for Literature