WRITING THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL

1. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

a. Rationale
A brief discussion of the goals towards which, the study is aimed at. This presents in
general how the research could create a meaningful change in the environment through
architectural interventions. The discussion can include the presentation of national and
global level problems such as poverty, blight, peace and order- problems that can be
translated into architectural issues.

b. Statement of the Problem

A research problem is one or more questions to be answered empirically by factual

investigation. Every research problem subsumes two important pieces of information: the
precise objectives of the investigation and the study content. This implies that the
researcher must have a purpose and must know what to look for in order to effectively
carry out a study. The problem also suggests a specific answer or conclusion.

Within the problem are interrelated and logical sub-components called the sub-
problems. These sub-problems allow the researcher to confront the problem through its
smaller sub-parts. By being resolved separately, the sub-problems resolve the main
problem piecemeal.

Characteristics of sub-problems:
- Each sub-problem is a complete researchable unit. Each sub-problem should
constitute a logical sub-component within the larger research goal.
- Within the sub-problems, interpretation of the data must be apparent.
- Sub-problems must add to the totality of the research problem. They should
not exceed the coverage of the main problem.
- There should not be too many sub-problems. If the main problem is properly
stated, it will usually contain two to six sub-problems.

Research objectives explain the need to ask the sub-problems and can be the bases for
the research tactics

c. The Setting of the Problem

 Delimitation of the Problem

This discussion sets the precise limits of the problem area in terms of any or all of
the following: Geographical scope, Target beneficiaries, Data coverage,
Methodology, Time period

The researcher must not be sidetracked by related studies that may be pursued.

 Definition of Terms
Ways of Defining terms:
Dictionary - lifted from secondary sources
Conceptual - defined in unobservable terms
Operational -
Type A: is constructed in terms of the operation that must be performed to
cause the concept or state being defined to occur.
Type B: is constructed in terms of how the object or variable being defined
operates, i.e., what it does or what constitutes its dynamic properties.

Parts of a Formal Definition:

The term to be defined
 The genera or the general class to which the concept being defined belongs.
The differentia or the specific characteristics or traits that distinguish the concept
being defined from all other members of the general classification.

 Assumptions
These are statements that the researcher accept as true. Clearly stated
assumptions enable the readers of the research to evaluate the conclusions that
result from them. Some assumptions are held true universally that researchers do
not feel compelled to state them.

 Significance of the Study

The investments to be poured in for the conduct of the study should be justified in
terms of :

Direct and Indirect Benefits- how can the study result to a positive change in the
environment? How can these benefits address current gaps? What are the
practical values of the research outputs?
Beneficiaries- who are the individuals, communities, agencies that will benefit from
the study?
Multiplier Effects- what are the chances for these benefits to reach a network of
indirect beneficiaries? Can the research stimulate further studies on the topic?
Replicability- can the results of the study be applied to other cases, settings or
contexts?
Sustainability- can the benefits extend over a long period of time? Can future
generations benefit from the research?

 Theoretical Framework
This framework provides the legitimate bases for defining the parameters of the
research. A theory is a symbolic construction designed to bring generalizable facts
or laws into systematic connection. It consists of: a set of units (facts, concepts,
variables) and a system of relationships among the units.
The goal of scientific investigation is to advance theories to explain the realities it
deals with. To be able to meet this objective, theories are assembled and modified
gradually through continuous interaction with ongoing observation and data
analysis. When a theory is regularly strengthened by empirical support and
evidence, it tends to be accepted.

2. HYPOTHESIS OR ARGUMENT

The Argument is the tentative answer to the research question.

The Hypothesis is a tentative, probable explanation of the event that occurs. It describes
the relationship between two or more variables. It can serve as the working tool of theory
and as such, can be tested.

Types of Hypothesis:
Descriptive Hypothesis- not testable; must be translated into operational and
experimental terms.

Statistical Hypothesis- amenable to scientific inquiry; with operational definitions

that assign meanings to constructs or variables studied.

The hypothesis should be stated clearly and unambiguously in the form of a declarative
sentence. In order for it to be operational and hence amenable to scientific inquiry, the
hypothesis must be delimited and measurable.
Guide questions in stating the hypothesis:
- Are any assumptions advanced with respect to the hypothesis? If so, are they
explicit or are they implicit?
- Are the hypotheses consistent with theory and known facts?
- Are they testable?
- Do they provide a suggested answer to the problem?
- Are all terms defined in operational fashion?

3. METHODOLOGY

Often mistaken as mere tactics, a research methodology actually comprises of three

parts, namely: Systems of Inquiry, Research Design or Strategy and Tactics.

Systems of Inquiry:
 A philosophical stance
 Based on assumptions/paradigms on the nature of reality

Research Design or Strategy

 Skillful management and planning
 Overall research plan or structure of study
 An action plan for getting from here to there

Tactics
 Any skillful move
 Specific techniques used

a. Systems of Inquiry

Philosophical viewpoints from which research strategies can develop are categorized
under : Positivism/Postpositivism, Interpretive/Constructivist and Emancipatory.

Positivism : characterized by what many would describe as a “naïve” belief in reality “out
there” that can be fully known. It assumes that objectivity can be achieved in the research
process.
Post-positivism: characterized by a more nuanced belief in an “out there” reality that can
only be known within some level of “probability”. It presumes that objectivity is a legitimate
goal that may be imperfectly realized.
Naturalism: it is neither possible nor necessarily desirable for research to establish a
value-free objectivity. It recognizes the value and reality of the interactive dynamics
between the inquirer and the people or setting being studied.
Emancipatory: also recognizes the interactive dynamics between researchers and
participants. In addition, it highlights the historically and socially situated context in which
the study respondents find themselves.

b. Research Design

Research designs can be formulated based on one of or a combination of these seven

strategies:

 Interpretive-Historical
 Qualitative
 Correlational
 Experimental and Quasi-experimental
 Simulation and Modeling
 Logical Argumentation
 Case Studies and Combined Strategies
c. Research Tactics

The following are examples of specific techniques employed to carry out the research
design laid out :

Survey- means of getting a reliable profile of a given population by way of sampling. It

can be used to capture perceptions, sentiments and propositions.
Observation- directly viewing and documenting environmental conditions, behavioral
patterns and phenomenon.
Field Visits- intended to establish the research context in terms of present physical and
non-physical conditions.
Interviews- system of extracting knowledge and opinions of technical consultants,
experts, members of the community and other people who directly or indirectly bear on
the research outcome.
Collection of data from secondary sources- secondary sources include published or
unpublished materials, audio-visual materials, personal files and other recorded data.
Immersion- information is accessed by getting into the actual research context and being
part of the patterns being studied. It entails temporarily relocation to the setting.
Mapping- graphically representing the elements found in the real world. It involves
recording and putting together in small scale set of symbols that can be the basis for
analysis.
Photo documentation- capturing selected areas or aspects of the real world in photos that
can be organized, manipulated or studied.
Use of Computer Programs- Computer softwares may be used to collect and manage
data.

4. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

“Literature” is defined as a body of information, existing in a wide variety of stored

formats, that has conceptual relevance for a particular topic of inquiry. A “Literature
Review”, then, is the totality of activities the researcher undertakes to use that body of
information in such a way that a topic of inquiry can be competently defined and
addressed. Thus, a literature review is not synonymous with a „general‟ sense of what
exists in the literature of a field. A literature review exists only after the general material
has been arranged into a coherent system, one that has been customized to fit the
research question.

a. Chris Hart lists various issues that a systematic exploration of the literature should
address, among them:

 What are the key sources?

 What are the key theories?
 What are the major issues and debates about this topic?
 What are the epistemological and ontological grounds for the discipline?
 What are the main questions and problems that have been addressed to date?

b. Bibliography versus Literature Review

A literature review is often confused with an annotated bibliography. An annotated

bibliography is an intermediate point toward the literature review. By means of a listing of
references obtained from searching a field‟s literature (or more commonly the literature of
several fields), a researcher begins to amass a body of information that shapes the
investigation. The aim of an annotated bibliography is to respond to each reference cited
with a descriptive paragraph of the work‟s goals, its theoretical stance, and most
importantly, its relevance for the investigation. This process helps focus the emerging
research question.
From the annotated bibliography, the literature review proper can then be produced. This
is more than an itemized list of existing references; it is rather a narrative document,
making use of the references in the annotated bibliography, but going beyond it to include
the following information:

 An introductory statement of the general intent of the literature exploration. This

includes suggestions for the ultimate direction of the proposed research to come.
 A summary of the lines of existing research that provide background for the proposed
research; this usually involves grouping the annotated items into larger common
themes
 Observations on the state of the literature in terms of how it can be expanded by the
proposed research. In other words, the reviewer needs to identify specific areas that
have not been covered by the extant literature, arguments that he or she wishes to
challenge, or subjects of study that can be reconfigured by a new conceptual
framework.

c. Uses of Literature Review:

 To identify the research question

 To focus the topic of inquiry
 To understand the make-up of the research question
 To understand the idea‟s genetic roots
 To understand the current conceptual landscape