Successful research proposal
De oliveira dm, buckeridge ms, dos santos wd (2017) ten simple rules for developing a successful research proposal in brazil. Plos comput biol13(2):Introductionwriting well is fundamental to publishing and having a successful scientific career [1], and being able to write a good research proposal is critical for obtaining financial support [2]. Although this is remarkably positive, the emergence of high-level research groups creates a highly competitive environment. We suggest a roadmap of ten simple rules for writing a consistent and convincing research project, which may be useful for researchers in brazil and other emerging economies. There are several funding agencies in brazil, and two of them—the national council for research development (cnpq) and the são paulo research foundation (fapesp)—are used as examples of how proposals can be better adjusted in order to be successful. When describing the ten rules below, we consider applications for research grant proposals and for msc and phd 1: define the problem clearlyin general, the most important part of a research project is to precisely define the problem to be investigated. If you wish to ask for financial support for your research, it is imperative to attest that your interest is in line with research supported by the funding calls available. The relevance and originality of your research targets and, of course, internal coherence (between targets and methods) have a significant impact on the value of the project. Although the originality and relevance of a proposal can be ensured, the relevance of your findings is ality is usually inversely proportional to risk. If a box like “very good with minor deficiencies” is ticked, the coordinator (the level above a reviewer) who will make the final decision may hesitate to approve the proposal.
This is difficult and demands hard and careful thinking, but it is the only way to change the conservative culture of brazilians into one that incorporates a more open and braver view of the work in 2: formulate falsifiable hypotheses and include preliminary datasometimes, you can summarize your research as a precise and complete survey of data; however, when studying complex systems (such as living beings), measuring everything might not be feasible or convenient. In low-income countries, being creative in the proposition of accessible methodologies for testing a hypothesis is especially critical, as we discuss in rule , the hypothesis of a research project arises as a result of previous observations, and presenting the preliminary data might provide crucial support for your hypothesis. During the execution of the research, you will probably have to divide your attention across many tasks: classes, paperwork, other projects, supervisions, and so on. Therefore, be absolutely sure that you are describing your objectives in a simple 4: estimate the duration and requirements of experimental procedures carefullyif your goals define the specific procedures you will follow during the research, the reverse is also true. The design of your experimental approach will also help you define the goals of your proposal. Bear in mind that scientific research is full of unpredictable mishaps (but also serendipity), and thus, it is important to evaluate the possible risks of things that do not go well. The funding agencies and especially private funders expect you to fulfil what you promised in the proposal, even after the deadline (and in this case, without additional resources! Proposals in brazil rarely include a schedule showing clearly when each milestone of the project should be reached, by whom it will be produced, and how the different tasks are associated with the objective of the project. However, this is one of the most important parts of the project because it gives the reviewer a clearer idea about the feasibility of the proposal. If your competitors have a more detailed schedule, they will thus have an advantage, and your proposal is more likely to be turned 5: explain the methodologies for the goal, to demonstrate that you can carry out the researchprovide methodological descriptions that best fit your needs, your knowledge, and your financial reality.
It is common to find inconsistencies in proposals due to the “copying and pasting” of methodologies from other proposals. A zealous reviewer may require correction, and you may find yourself in a difficult situation or be asked to correct your work, particularly if you have to defend your proposal in public. You learn the tricks of the trade only by practicing and training with an experienced researcher. The person evaluating your proposal, who is usually specialized in the field, might consider this restriction by consulting your curriculum vitae. Scientists and reviewers think that the methodology is the most important part of a proposal, so be certain that you are using (1) the right methods for the purpose of each experiment and (2) a currently accepted methodology. Reviewers usually base their evaluation on the basis of a trade-off between the novelty of the method and the adequacy of using it, especially in light of how much money you are going to spend to perform the 6: clearly define the tasks, people in charge, and costs in your research proposalin order to answer a scientific question, it may be necessary to complete a series of goals and perform a series of experiments. Nonetheless, remember that the schedule works as a possible way to execute all necessary tasks in your proposal. If the percentage of approval is low, the probability is that reviewers will start reading your proposal by looking for deficiencies. When they find something, they will consider this as an inconsistency in contrast with a top-level ideal proposal. You should thus expect to be penalized for every small mistake found in your proposal, and a complex schedule is somewhere a reviewer may find many problems, thus turning down your 8: justify the benefits your research will providean exhaustive survey of the relevant literature will help you introduce the field and convince reviewers why the problem you chose deserves attention.
If you are sure your research program is unique and relevant, prove it to the experts who will judge your proposal, presenting a complete state-of-the-art picture. Emphasize the practical advantages (technological) that may result from your research and the importance that these results may have in overcoming the knowledge gaps mentioned in the introduction. This is the time to provide a convincing support for the relevance and importance of your research project. A list of scenarios resulting from your research can facilitate appreciation by the reader of the possible impact of your proposal as a tly, there is a clear trend for applications to note the societal implications of the research proposed, so it is quite important to explain the main connections between the results you will produce and the benefits they will bring to society. If your proposal is considered excellent in all the items above, but your explanation of the benefits to the country or region is not clear, your proposal might be turned down if competition is 9: write a good title and abstractthe title must inform the reader about the scope of the project. A creative title can arouse empathy in the abstract is optional; however, it facilitates reading and understanding the general idea of the proposal. Most reviewers will make their initial decisions about whether to approve a proposal or not immediately after carefully reading the title and abstract, so do not underestimate , many busy reviewers will read your title and abstract more carefully. Usually, after reading the title and the abstract, the reviewer will have already made a decision about whether his or her thumb will be up or down for the proposal. Spelling mistakes and/or inadequate language at the beginning score much higher in the negativity scale of the reviewer than such mistakes in the middle of the 10: organize a logical structure and make the text more readableyour proposal should be concise and impart as much information as possible in the least number of words. After ensuring that your research has precise and feasible objectives, is well contextualized and justified, has a consistent schedule, and is convincingly introduced, it is time to review the text.
This work was inspired by the discipline bib0306 offered to the undergraduate students of the department of botany of the institute of biosciences of the university of são w (2014) ten simple rules for writing research papers. For your on: de oliveira dm, buckeridge ms, dos santos wd (2017) ten simple rules for developing a successful research proposal in brazil. Pmc3669572the critical steps for successful research: the research proposal and scientific writing: (a report on the pre-conference workshop held in conjunction with the 64th annual conference of the indian pharmaceutical congress-2012)pitchai balakumar, mohammed naseeruddin inamdar,1 and gowraganahalli jagadeesh2pharmacology unit, faculty of pharmacy, aimst university, semeling, 08100 bedong. Kedah darul aman, malaysia1department of pharmacology, al-ameen college of pharmacy, bengaluru, karnataka, india2division of cardiovascular and renal products, center for drug evaluation and research, us food and drug administration, silver spring, usaaddress for correspondence: gowraganahalli jagadeesh, division of cardiovascular and renal products, food and drug administration, 10903 new hampshire ave, bldg 22, rm 4128, silver spring, md 20993-0002, usa. Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly article has been cited by other articles in ctan interactive workshop on ‘the critical steps for successful research: the research proposal and scientific writing’ was conducted in conjunction with the 64th annual conference of the indian pharmaceutical congress-2012 at chennai, india. In essence, research is performed to enlighten our understanding of a contemporary issue relevant to the needs of society. To accomplish this, a researcher begins search for a novel topic based on purpose, creativity, critical thinking, and logic. This leads to the fundamental pieces of the research endeavor: question, objective, hypothesis, experimental tools to test the hypothesis, methodology, and data analysis. The four cornerstones of good research are the well-formulated protocol or proposal that is well executed, analyzed, discussed and concluded. This recent workshop educated researchers in the critical steps involved in the development of a scientific idea to its successful execution and eventual ds: research protocol, scientific writing, creativity, publication ethicsintroductioncreativity and critical thinking are of particular importance in scientific research.
Basically, research is original investigation undertaken to gain knowledge and understand concepts in major subject areas of specialization, and includes the generation of ideas and information leading to new or substantially improved scientific insights with relevance to the needs of society. It is theoretical because the starting point of scientific research is the conceptualization of a research topic and development of a research question and hypothesis. Research is empirical (practical) because all of the planned studies involve a series of observations, measurements, and analyses of data that are all based on proper experimental design. The objectives of the workshop titled ‘the critical steps for successful research: the research proposal and scientific writing,’ were to assist participants in developing a strong fundamental understanding of how best to develop a research or study protocol, and communicate those research findings in a conference setting or scientific journal. Completing any research project requires meticulous planning, experimental design and execution, and compilation and publication of findings in the form of a research paper. All of these are often unfamiliar to naïve researchers; thus, the purpose of this workshop was to teach participants to master the critical steps involved in the development of an idea to its execution and eventual publication of the results (see the last section for a list of learning objectives). Day 1 taught the basic concepts of scientific research, including: (1) how to formulate a topic for research and to describe the what, why, and how of the protocol, (2) biomedical literature search and review, (3) study designs, statistical concepts, and result analyses, and (4) publication ethics. All participants received a printed copy of the workshop manual and supporting materials on statistical analyses of basic concepts of research: the key to getting started in researcha research project generally comprises four key components: (1) writing a protocol, (2) performing experiments, (3) tabulating and analyzing data, and (4) writing a thesis or manuscript for entals in the research processa protocol, whether experimental or clinical, serves as a navigator that evolves from a basic outline of the study plan to become a qualified research or grant proposal. Jagadeesh (us fda), the first speaker of the session, spoke on ‘fundamentals in research process and cornerstones of a research project. Without a well-designed protocol, there would be a little chance for successful completion of a research project or an ch topic the first and the foremost difficult task in research is to identify a topic for investigation.
Creativity, critical thinking, and logic are required to generate new concepts and ideas in solving a research problem. The idea on which a research project is built should be novel, appropriate to achieve within the existing conditions, and useful to the society at large. Therefore, creativity and critical thinking assist biomedical scientists in research that results in funding support, novel discovery, and publication. 1,4]table 1elements of a study protocolresearch question the next most crucial aspect of a study protocol is identifying a research question. Thus, mastering the literature, attendance at conferences, and discussion in journal clubs/seminars are sources for developing research questions. Consider the following example in developing related research questions from the research epatoprotective activity of terminalia arjuna and apium graveolens on paracetamol-induced liver damage in albino ch questionshow is paracetamol metabolized in the body? Study the following example:Primary objectiveto evaluate the safety and tolerability of single oral doses of compound x in normal ary objectiveto assess the pharmacokinetic profile of compound x following single oral atory objectiveto evaluate the incidence of peripheral edema reported as an adverse esis the objectives and research questions are then formulated into a workable or testable hypothesis. The latter forces us to think carefully about what comparisons will be needed to answer the research question, and establishes the format for applying statistical tests to interpret the results. The student, their guide, and the reviewers all share equal initiates and drafts the research paper? The end of this fast-moving two-day workshop, the participants had opportunities in learning the following topics:Sequential steps in developing a study protocol, from choosing a research topic to developing research questions and a protocols on different topics in their subject of specializationsearching and reviewing the literatureappropriate statistical analyses in biomedical researchscientific ethics in publicationwriting and understanding the components of a research paper (imrad)recognizing the value of good title, running title, abstract, key words, etcimportance of tables and figures in the results section, and their importance in describing findingsevidence-based discussion in a research paperlanguage and style in writing a paper and expert tips on getting it publishedpresentation of research findings at a conference (oral and poster).
2005 feb;27(1): example of a successful research proposal: part cm1, norr k, dancy b, kavanaugh k, cassata information1college of nursing, university of illinois at chicago, chicago, il, : 15659585 doi: 10. Gov't, termsadolescentafrican americans/ethnology*chicagofamily/ethnologyfather-child relationsfathers/psychology*femalegender identityhumansinterviews as topiclongitudinal studiesmalenegotiatingnursing methodology research/organization & administration*object attachmentparenting/ethnologypaternal agepaternal behaviorpilot projectspoverty/ethnologypregnancypregnancy in adolescence/ethnology*qualitative research*research design*single parent/psychologylinkout - more resourcesfull text sourcesatyponovid technologies, literature sourcescos scholar universemedicalafrican american health - medlineplus health informationteenage pregnancy - medlineplus health informationpubmed commons home.
