Questionnaire
Project Title
The project title should be brief and descriptive. If possible, make it catchy and memorable
3. Project Summary
Usually limited to 100 words, this should include a description of study aims, research
questions, research method, anticipated outcomes, significance to scholarship and/or social,
health and/or economic benefit of the research. In this section, it is useful to emphasise
innovation. The project summary is usually written in lay terms (ie avoid the use of jargon
and keep the language simple).
4. Study Aims
? State clearly the aims of the research in dot points or numbered
? Keep every aim clear and succinct with complete sentences
? If you are conducting an intervention studies, state clearly the primary outcome on
which to base power and sample size calculations
? If there are secondary outcomes in the study, clear state them one by one
5. Background
The background should include the following:
? Context of the research issues, including:
o What do we already know?
o Scope of the problem/issues
? Use subheadings
? Start big (eg epidemiological issues and national perspectives) and finish with local
issues
? What is the state of the science?
? Include information about recent international progress in the field of the research,
and the relationship of this proposal to work in the field generally
? Be succinct – what is already known about the problem and where are the gaps in the
literature?
? Define your key terms and cite key and easily accessible references wherever
possible, including policy documents as well as peer-reviewed journal article
? Describe the conceptual framework to be used in the study
6. Significance and Innovation of the Study
Describe the significance of the research in details
Describe how the study addresses an important problem and how will it add to the existing
body of knowledge.
You can ask the following questions while considering the significance of the study:
? Will the study strengthen basic knowledge? ? Will the study provide the answer to a significant problem?
? Does the project have particular impact for the future eg. global environmental issue?
? How will the anticipated outcomes advance the knowledge base of the discipline?
? What is novel and innovative about the approach used in the study (conceptually and
methodologically)?
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? What new methodologies or technologies will be developed?
? What economic benefits might there be?
7. Research Questions
? State clearly the research question of the study
? Remember, there needs to be synergy between your research questions, aims and
methods.
? Typically your project will have 2-4 research questions.
8. Research Hypotheses
? Based on the questions set up the research hypotheses
? State each research hypothesis clearly one by one
9. Methods
In the Methods section, the following sub-sections could be included:
Study Design
Describe the design and methods to be used
Explain how these are appropriate and well integrated with the aims of the
project
Study population and sampling
Describe the study population in details and provide details in how to generate
the sample
Recruitment of participants
Describe how participants will be recruited in details
Primary and secondary outcomes
Re-state the primary and secondary outcomes of the study
Measuring Instruments
Provide detailed descriptions on each of the measuring instrument will be used
in the study, particularly for the primary outcome and the intervention if there
it is an intervention study
If there is a need to design a new instrument for data collection, provide
detailed information on how the new instrument will be designed and
validated
Intervention (if the aim of the study is to examine this)
If necessary, clearly describe the intervention in full details of what it is and
how it works
Procedures of data collection
Provide step-by-step details on how to conduct the study and collect the data Think of a recipe or if you had to give the project to someone else to do it
what would you tell them
Power Analysis
Provide a statement of how participants are required for this study and how the
number is calculated
Analysis of Data/Statistics
Provide a detailed plan of how data will be management and stored
What statistical analyses will be applied to the dataset in order to test the stead
hypotheses and to obtain answer to the research questions
Provide reasons for the application of the statistical technique
Interpretation of Results (if there is a specific requirement for data to be interpreted in
line with clinical practice)
10. Ethical Issues
Describe ethical issues for study participants and how will you manage these issues. In
particular consider:
? Confidentiality (including storage of study document and issues of disclosure)
? Vulnerable populations (eg those who cannot give informed consent)
? You will generally need to develop a Patient Information and Consent Form (PISCF)
for your study. This can be included in an Appendix.
11. Budget and Budget Justification
? Provide a detailed budget stating clearly how much will it cost for each item including
personnel, equipment, transportation, printing, etc.
? Provide a justification of the costs
? Describe where the research fund will be coming from
12. Timelines and Timetabling
This is a measure of the project’s feasibility.
? Provide a timeline /timetable for each phase of the study
? List any milestones – dates draft reports are due etc.
? Beware that ethics clearances may require a realistic period for approval
13. References
? Include a list of all references within the proposal- remember this is not your thesis, so
the list doesn’t need to be exhaustive.
? Cite only the key international, substantive and easily accessible references wherever
possible
14. Appendices
It is useful to include in the appendices copies of instruments, consent forms, letters of
support etc.
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